Dak'Rah - Who was he really?

[CT_Phipps]

I think that "Under the Cloak of War" is the best episode of Strange New Worlds by far and I've always been fascinated by the character of Dak'Rah. I was curious what everyone's opinions on the man was personally, though, as opposed to whether Doctor M'Benga killed him or not (which was answered in what I feel was an unsatisfactory was).

Was Dak'rah:

* A genuine coward who just wanted to have a cushy retirement in the Federation, knowing he'd be punished in the Klingon Empire?
* A actual atoner, possibly starting as fleeing but absorbing Federation culture?
* A complete narcissistic sociopath that just imitates whatever he thinks will help him survive?
* Some strange combination thereof.

I also am wondering if Dak'Rah may have severely harmed Federation understanding of Klingon culture because so much of what they would have learned from him would be skewed by his own perspective and lies.

 

[fireproof78]

A complete narcissistic sociopath that just imitates whatever he thinks will help him survive?

This.

He had nothing in him that he felt he need to atone for. Like the Vorta who sent Jem'Hadar to die and then surrendered to Sisko.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards cowardly narcissist who thought he had gotten away with murder in the literal sense.

 

[Mudd]

Yes.

 

[Farscape One]

I think that "Under the Cloak of War" is the best episode of Strange New Worlds by far and I've always been fascinated by the character of Dak'Rah. I was curious what everyone's opinions on the man was personally, though, as opposed to whether Doctor M'Benga killed him or not (which was answered in what I feel was an unsatisfactory was).

Was Dak'rah:

* A genuine coward who just wanted to have a cushy retirement in the Federation, knowing he'd be punished in the Klingon Empire?
* A actual atoner, possibly starting as fleeing but absorbing Federation culture?
* A complete narcissistic sociopath that just imitates whatever he thinks will help him survive?
* Some strange combination thereof.

I also am wondering if Dak'Rah may have severely harmed Federation understanding of Klingon culture because so much of what they would have learned from him would be skewed by his own perspective and lies.

Dak'Rah was a cowardly, self absorbed douche who sacrificed his subordinates to get himself out of harm's way. And a killer of a LOT of innocent people, including children.

His death was WAY overdue.


I also think "Under the Cloak of War" is the very best episode of SNW. It's one of the two very best episodes of the Kurtzman era (the other being PRODIGY's "IS THERE IN BEAUTY NO TRUTH?").

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I'll add another vote for Under the Cloak of War being SNW's best episode (though I haven't seen a lot of season 3).

Also I think Dak'rah was complicated enough to fit two or more of those categories. He was happy to do whatever benefited him and threw himself into Federation culture when that seemed like his best option. He found that doing the right thing got him invited to parties and enjoyed this arrangement.