^you're on to something there. to me, Waltz IS riveting but on a more personal level. it's like watching a trainwreck in the form of a man who used to live by his wits lose them all in one fell swoop (Dukat) -- fascinating and scary and awfully sad in some strange way. but, ultimately, you just want (Sisko) to get out of the way. it's all a bit spoiled, however, with that last "pure evil" scene. yuck. Ira Behr let too much of his personal agenda get in the way of Dukat's characterization in the later seasons, IMO.
Duet, OTOH, *is* a duet in the true sense of the word (these do make a pair, don't they?) its significance, however, is derived not from the personal but the universal. sure, we're watching something VERY personal, very intimate in a way, take place between Kira and her nemesis. but the basic frame of the story is much larger than the two of them. every country, culture, people, and person living under the yoke of somebody else's control will feel the crushing blow this story deals to "romantic" ideas of "freedom fighting" and "justice" and "independence". I tend to want to watch Indiscretion and Return to Grace after I watch this, especially the latter: for the bittersweet pathos of crushed dreams. good stuff.
