Duet

[Subcommander R.]

My favorite episode of Deep Space Nine. While I disliked much of the series, there were other parts I found to be excellent. This was one of those.

Good acting, great plot, and a moral complexity to the story.

Your thoughts?

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Well, each time I watch it I feel a little bit like a Bajoran. While usually I don't pay attention to that simplified historical comparison in DS9, this episode strongly remind me of Nazi occupation of Poland. And each time I cry at the end, it's too emotional for me.
Now guess which country I come from

I like this epidose, because it doesn't show people are simply good vs. bad by their race; all Bajorans are good, all Cardassians are bad. Kira is aggressive and doesn't want to listen, she wants blood and revenge (she probably thinks it's justice or retaliation), Marritza is a Cardassian, who was sent to hell and could not stop what was happening there. He occurs to be a good guy.

And acting is great, actors show all those emotions inside their characters, which is probably the reason I feel strong emotions too.

 

[DevilEyes]

I'll just say that Duet is the episode that made me fall in love with DS9 (and since DS9 was the first Trek I loved, Trek in general).

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Subcommander--I wonder if you might like "Second Skin" and "Ties of Blood and Water"? Those, in their own ways, are similarly complex emotional journeys for Kira, though they are of a more personal nature. In a way, they take the work that was started in her in "Duet" and continue it.

 

[Subcommander R.]

Can't say I have all that much exposure to DS9, I grew up watching VHS recordings of TNG because we didn't have TV. Occasionally I'd get a DS9, but it was always very hit and miss. Sometimes you'd get great ones in every way possible, and other times you get drivel about alternate universes.

Only lately have I been getting back into DS9, thanks to the wonders of the internet.

 

[TerokNor]

It´s certainly one of my favourites. It shows so well, that the cardassians are not cold blooded murdereres (though there are some who are), but that they too have emotions and morals and were/ can be traumatizised by the wars, there government puts them into for getting the ressources they need. It shows the drama they are in.
Also I loved the acting of the Marritza actor and also from Kira in the episode, especially the scene, when Kira all ready knows who he is and when Marritza gets his "break down" or how to call that. There is so much emotion in there and the compassion from Kiras side is nearly to touch, so strong its inside...and when you think about, what she had to suffer through because of the occupation, I find it great, that she can see, that there are not THE cardassians, but that there are different individuals and that this man, in front of her, is as hurt as she, because of the Occupation, even more so.

TerokNor

P.S. Heh, Gul Re´jal, than we are neighbours...and I am also living only a jump away from the Poland border at the moment. *waves*

 

[Gul Re'jal]

I think Marritza's "break down" is the most touching moment of the episode. Yullin's acting looks so real, so convincing. Marritza clearly was a victim too, as his compassion made him more a Bajoran and a Cardassian then and there.

PS. Well, TerokNor, I come from Szczecin, very close to German border but currently I live in Hong Kong, so faaaaaaaar awaaaaaay

 

[Thor Damar]

Since Duet is the main reason for me becoming a Niner and a big Cardassian fan, I obviously have the highest opinion of this episode. Its a brilliant examination of the nature and consequences of occupation and firmly confronts the racism inherent in both sides. All in all its a very mature and well developed first season ep so after seeing it I though that this DS9 thing would be worth a try...

 

[flemm]

Can't say I have all that much exposure to DS9, I grew up watching VHS recordings of TNG because we didn't have TV. Occasionally I'd get a DS9, but it was always very hit and miss. Sometimes you'd get great ones in every way possible, and other times you get drivel about alternate universes.

Only lately have I been getting back into DS9, thanks to the wonders of the internet.

I highly recommend that you continue delving into the show. I once had a very low opinion of DS9 due to bad luck with the episodes I had had a chance to see randomly while the show was on the air and later as reruns.

It's easily my favorite Trek show now. For a variety of reasons, just watching the occasional episode is not necessarily a very good way to get a feel for how great DS9 is. There are many great standalone episodes, but even those benefit from being seen in context.

Duet is certainly excellent, great writing, two great performances, important themes. What's great about DS9, though, is that the story isn't really resolved here: the issues raised in Duet are revisited throughout the series in various ways, including some of the best moments in the final season.

 

[Trek_princess]

"Duet" is amazing. When you watch it for the first time, it always keeps you guessing - what is this Cardassian guy's real story? What are his motivations? And it's such a great bit of drama that it's a good episode to rewatch over again.

The fact that Marritza was willing to go to such extraordinary lengths and suffer wrongful conviction to do what he believed was right, to make Cardassia accountable, shows that Cardassians can have amazing integrity and very brave spirits.

 

[CorporalClegg]

My only problem with "Duet" was they had to kill Marritza at the end--simply on the grounds they could never use Yulin again.

I would have loved to see an uber Cardie episode with Garak, Marritza, Tain, Dukat, and Dumar.

It would have been a contest between Robinson, Yulin, Alamio, Biggs, and Dooley to see who could chew the most dialog in the least amount of time. It would be akin to watching one of those hot dog eating contests on ESPN.

And it would have been orgasmicly awesome.

 

[Too Much Fun]

Hoo boy, ANOTHER thread praising "Duet". Change the record, people. When I first saw this episode, I thought it was just another boring season one episode...one of the many, many Kira whine fests that kept me from liking her character until about season 4.

It was only the constant bewildering praise of the episode here that motivated me to re-visit it, and once I did, I realized that it features one of the best guest performances ever in DS9. I think it's definitely one of those performances that would have (and should have) won an Emmy if Star Trek show weren't almost always automatically ignored by snobby Emmy voters.

I can now appreciate the episode for how well constructed the mystery of Maritza's true identity was and how brilliantly Harris Yulin played the character, but I still think the rest of the episode isn't much to write home about. Like I've said before, it's like if "The Silence of the Lambs" completely sucked except for the Anthony Hopkins scenes (in contrast to reality, where Jodie Foster's character was also well-written and well-played, and the rest of the story was involving).

 

[Subcommander R.]

I don't think the rest of the episode fails to meet some standard, it acts as a support and plot device to further the central thread of Marritza. Its the picture frame, and it does a good job supporting the picture. What more could you ask for? Oscar-worthy performances upstaging Marritza?

 

[Subcommander R.]

Since Duet is the main reason for me becoming a Niner and a big Cardassian fan,

I'm a rather big Cardassian fan as well. Toss-up between them and Romulans. My alter-ego is actually Cardassian.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I don't think the rest of the episode fails to meet some standard, it acts as a support and plot device to further the central thread of Marritza. Its the picture frame, and it does a good job supporting the picture. What more could you ask for? Oscar-worthy performances upstaging Marritza?

Nah, I just would have enjoyed it more if there was more than just Kira yelling at people between the great scenes with Maritza.

 

[TerokNor]

Oh yes, it would have been great, when they would not have killed Marritza, howeer I am not sure what his own people would have done to him, should he have returned ....
However Damar and Marritza meeting during the rebellion for example, that would have been great. How you think would hat meeting have been?
Oh and I would hav also loved if Damar had Tekeney Ghemor as an sort of advisor during the rebellion. How you think they would have gotten along? I am sure Tekeney Ghemor culd have taught Damar many many important things.Don´t you think?

TerokNor

P.S. Gul Re´jal: Szczecin is the next trainstop from the town I live in. *g* Half an hour away I think. Well, but Hong Kong is of course a little bit further away.

 

[Subcommander R.]

I think for the story to be at its most powerful he had to die. They could have made it a little more convincing though, like a phaser blast or multiple stab wounds. Something more dramatic.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Hoo boy, ANOTHER thread praising "Duet". Change the record, people. When I first saw this episode, I thought it was just another boring season one episode...one of the many, many Kira whine fests that kept me from liking her character until about season 4.

Although I think it's a good episode, I've never loved Duet as much as many fans. However, when does Kira ever whine?

 

[number6]

Duet is quintessential Star Trek: taking a moral issue and turning it on its head in a way that makes you think about all sides of the issue.

 

[DevilEyes]

Hoo boy, ANOTHER thread praising "Duet". Change the record, people. When I first saw this episode, I thought it was just another boring season one episode...one of the many, many Kira whine fests that kept me from liking her character until about season 4.

Although I think it's a good episode, I've never loved Duet as much as many fans. However, when does Kira ever whine?

I dunno, I suppose asking for war criminals to be punished and not being willing to let a little bit of genocide and mass murder go (eh, not a big deal) so everyone could just be cheerful and not talk about that aaawful stuff - that's what goes as "whining" today.