Do you believe Kai Winn redeemed herself?

[PR109]

A frustrating character who did anything for power. She had moments where she seems genuinely apologetic but always reverted back to her silent treacherous actions. It's why I love Kai and Dukat so much. I hated them but loved them at the same time. Very few villains make me laugh but these two never fail to crack a smile on my face when I watch them. Kai Winn desperately bowing down to the prophets in The Reckoning. Dukat claiming he has a big heart. I wish their deaths had been more satisfying. They died too quickly only suffering from burns within seconds.

Do you believe Kai Winn redeemed herself when she told the Emissary about the book resulting in Dukats death? Or was she only apologetic in that moment because she knew she fucked up? Is it possible for someone like Kai Winn to even have compassion and empathy without any benefits rewarded?

 

[Gelnon]

She could never be redeemed, if she learnt her lesson it was too late

 

[Kilana2]

Winn did nothing without ulterior motivies or striving for personal gains.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Too little, too late.

 

[Gelnon]

She was willing to start a civil war to flex her power, after 50yrs of occupation by an alien force, what a bitch

 

[Kor]

It's more like she realized at the last moment how badly she messed up with her latest scheme, instead of actually being sorry for all the rotten things she had done for many years before.

Kor

 

[Gelnon]

It's more like she realized at the last moment how badly she messed up with her latest scheme, instead of actually being sorry for all the rotten things she had done for many years before.

Kor

Yes exactly that.

 

[kkt]

It takes more than a couple of seconds of doing the right thing to redeem yourself for a lifetime of villainy. Maybe the Prophets can send her to hell for 999,999 years instead of a million.

 

[jtm55]

Hi All
Short answer, No.

 

[Gelnon]

Not too much of a shift in character from nurse Ratchett in my eyes.

 

[kkt]

Not too much of a shift in character from nurse Ratchett in my eyes.

Sort of. Nurse Ratchett was a big fish in a small pond - plenty evil to the patients and junior staff in her "hospital" but no threat for society as a whole. Electroshock therapy wasn't up to her, that's on the doctors.

 

[Gelnon]

Sort of. Nurse Ratchett was a big fish in a small pond - plenty evil to the patients and junior staff in her "hospital" but no threat for society as a whole. Electroshock therapy wasn't up to her, that's on the doctors.

Something about that tone and cruel smile i guess.

 

[arch101]

She was just trying to save herself

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Winn Adami was always a patriot for Bajor--a misguided patriot, but I always sense that she tied her fortunes to Bajor's. When she tried to take the agricultural equipment from Shakar and his neighbors, she genuinely thought that she was setting forth an agricultural revolution that would empower Bajor as it magnified her. In the Fire Caves, she believed that she could manipulate Dukat to her ends, and when she could not, she turned on him. Did she do it for herself? Perhaps. Should she get some special reward or forgiveness? No, it was a situation of her own making. Should her final actions be lauded? Yes, she died trying to protect her homeworld. She fits into a pantheon of typical Star Trek villains, whose good intentions were ruined by their own ambitions.

 

[kkt]

If I remember right, Winn was happy to see great destruction for Bajor, as long as the Emissary was destroyed too.

And in the Fire Caves, Dukat betrayed her first, as soon as he was sure he had everything he needed from her (finding the pit, activating the fire). Only after it was clear that Dukat would not provide her revenge on the Emissary did she turn on Dukat.

Even going back to when Winn first embraced the Pah Wraiths, she was horrified when she found out what she'd done and went to Kira asking for advice about how she could undo the wrongs... but her repentence ceased abruptly when Kira advised her to resign from being Kai. That was really the point of no return for Winn, I think.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

If I remember right, Winn was happy to see great destruction for Bajor, as long as the Emissary was destroyed too.

The Pah'wraiths promised Winn some sort of judgement: sorting through the Bajorans, not necessarily the destruction of Bajor.

 

[DonIago]

I wonder what would happen on Earth if it turned out that some of the various Gods believed in were real...but that they talked to some adherents of their respective faiths but not others.

I believe Winn had a genuine belief in the Prophets, at least for most of her life, but that by the time the Emissary came around she wasn't able to handle the concept that they would talk to him but not to her, after a lifetime of service to them. And, I mean, is she entirely wrong to be let down by her gods at that point?

Of course, what she does with her disappointment is pretty terrible, but I never felt that her faith was purely lip-service. I think she wanted to believe but her own ambition and jealousy eroded her.

 

[diankra]

Wynn is a zealot who doesn't understand why her gods are ignoring her while speaking to others.

 

[Farscape One]

Winn was brilliantly played by Louise Fletcher. She was a character you loved to hate.

She had those moments throughout where you felt for her, like when she told Kira how she got through the occupation.

I think she is possibly the best mirror of politicians I've ever seen on tv... started off in service and faith, but over time became hungry for more and more power. That twisted her to the core, and eventually did worse and worse things until she reached a point where she could not be redeemed, even with a few good actions.

I always wondered if she would have gotten that way if she had children. Other than Opaka, I don't recall any Vedeks/Kais having children on DS9. Could it be that they are not allowed to, unless you became Kai?

 

[kkt]

I don't think they said anything suggesting that vedeks couldn't have children. Probably just a coincidence that a lot of them are too busy with their contemplative and/or political lives to marry or have children.