Really? I always thought it sounded Swedish.
Common Writing Mistakes and Pitfalls
- Thread starter Captain Clark Terrell
- Start date
As far as I can tell, there's nothing to contradict a queer reading of Garak in the show, even if nothing is explicitly said.
^Well, they did set up that awkward Garak-Ziyal romance as an attempt to heteronormalize Garak, but of course that's not inconsistent with him being bi.
Or even of being gay but moved by the occasional exception.
Regardless, I wouldn't want to be in the position of telling plain, simple Garak who he should and should not be attracted to. That would evidence some rather poor decision-making on my part.
Yeah, but it failed on that level, at least, because it wasn't actually a romance. They gravitated to each other as fellow Cardassian exiles, but the romance only existed in Ziyal's head. There's no indication that Garak returned her romantic feelings in word or deed, confirmed by the end of "Sacrifice of Angels" when Kira tells Garak that Ziyal loved him, and Garak's only response is, "I could never understand why."
I always interpreted that as "I'm as old as her father, I live in exile, and I have a dark, secret past - how can a woman as wonderful as her love me".
^Yeah, I read Garak's line as being more in the vein of "I didn't deserve her" than "I didn't reciprocate." But Keith's right that the relationship as portrayed was pretty ambiguous, so a reading where Garak had no romantic interest is certainly possible.
Not for a moment, but the question is: attracted in what way? The second question that stems from that is: what would that tell us about how Garak's sexuality works?
I believe that Robinson deliberately played it with a lot of ambiguity, reasoning that a non-human sexuality might be hard to pin down in common human terms. I think we're supposed to be thinking "well, he's obviously coming on to him here, right?", without it ever being quite certain. 99%, perhaps, sometimes, but never quite 100%. (Robinson did that thing a lot, actually. When I watched "Improbable Cause" with my mother, who is only a casual Trek viewer, at the scene with Mila she concluded that obviously Mila is Garak's mother - who can doubt that this was how the scene was being played?)
Garak certainly "flirts" with Bashir and shows a genuine fascination with him - whether it's a principally sexual attraction, primarily an intellectual exercise with a sexual edge to it, or what, isn't clear, really. Nor do we know what aspects of sexuality are important or defining for Garak. We know, or assume, that Garak finds Bashir's naïvety and earnestness, in combination with his hidden cynicism and secret-keeping, stimulating...and perhaps confusingly enticing? Is he sexually invested in this? Is there a physical component to it, too? Even if there is a large sexual attraction there, who knows what that says for Garak's sexuality? It could mean he's sexually attracted to males. Or some males. Alien males but female Cardassians, for all we know (Bashir might even appear feminine to Garak's eyes. After all, he's slight and ridgeless, quite neotenous overall; maybe a male Cardassian wired for Cardassian heterosexuality can be "triggered" by a Human of either sex?) Or Garak might be bisexual; he might have no preferences gender-wise and just find given individuals attractive.
Also, there's the fact that Garak lies. He breathes and acts them as well as tells them. Its possible that some of his flirtatious behaviour is intended to mess with Bashir's head and throw him off target, or as a means of keeping his seduction skills in practice. Not all of it, for sure, but some.
I agree that Garak is obviously attracted to Bashir and is letting Bashir know it. But what that all means and what it tells us... who knows?
I don't really see anything there that suggests attraction (in an amorous or sexual sense). It seems to me Garak was much the same with Bashir as he was with anybody else – coy, jovial, teasing – but unlike most people, Bashir actually listened to him, repeatedly sought his company, and challenged him right back.
Garak may well have found that attractive, but he might just as well have simply found it stimulating.
Garek is a fascinating character. You can analyze nearly everything he does and says, and still never really be sure what he meant.
That's a really interesting suggestion that human males, Bashir in particular, might be appealing sexually even to a heterosexual Cardassian.
I do tend to think that Garek is attracted to Bashir in every way - mentally, emotionally, physically. I don't think the attraction would be questioned quite as hard if Bashir were female, some people will try to explain away attraction between same sex characters when the same relationship would be taken at face value if it were heterosexual.
Granted, you should never take anything with Garek at face value.
That's a really interesting suggestion that human males, Bashir in particular, might be appealing sexually even to a heterosexual Cardassian.
I do tend to think that Garek is attracted to Bashir in every way - mentally, emotionally, physically. I don't think the attraction would be questioned quite as hard if Bashir were female, some people will try to explain away attraction between same sex characters when the same relationship would be taken at face value if it were heterosexual.
Granted, you should never take anything with Garek at face value.
Too bad for Garak, Bashir prefers his men slightly pudgy with curly hair and an Irish accent.
I did think it was a little funny, how tptb obviously kept Bashir and Garek away from each other because they were scared of the gay, but Bashir had sexual chemistry with O'Brien anyways.
Bashir has sexual chemistry with O'Brien? I'd never thought of that, and even pointed out now I can't see it.
I never picked up gay vibes from the two, even in rewatches. They are very close friends who trust each other, yes, but I don't see how this extends to sexual or romantic chemistry.
I agree. Some chemistry is platonic. Friendship is an important relationship in its own right and doesn't have to have a sexual component.
That apparent reciprocation actually makes this sound a lot like flirting.
I know that when I rewatched the episodes with friends, straight and otherwise, we all picked up on Garak's obvious interest in Bashir as some kind of object of desire.
I actually really liked their friendship. It's sweet and cute.
Makes more sense than Bashir and Ezri.
And you know Bashir could make Miles a lot happier than Keiko ever did
Why is everyone quoting me to counter the idea, while in fact agreeing with me? 
I didn't suggest it, I expressed my surprise with it! Quote the guilty party, please
I didn't suggest it, I expressed my surprise with it! Quote the guilty party, please
