Dukat's Sweet, Pretty Daughter

[Kate Nichols]

I believe that it was a mistake to kill her off. Sure, it helped make Dukat's journey into total madness believable, but she was a good actress and interesting, her relationships with Kira and Garrak. Better had she had been allowed to live on . . .

 

[Kilana2]

Ziyal was played by different actresses. But I agree. Her loss was bitter after developing such a great character. She was torn between her father Dukat and Kira. I wonder how Ziyal would have reacted after Dukat plunged into the fire caves.....

 

[M.A.C.O.]

The showrunners should've gone full tilt, and made Ziyal the daughter of Dukat and Kira Meru. Oh the drama that would ensue. If Nerys only knew. You know it's true.

 

[Pondwater]

Her death was a necessary evil.

 

[at Quark's]

The showrunners should've gone full tilt, and made Ziyal the daughter of Dukat and Kira Meru. Oh the drama that would ensue. If Nerys only knew. You know it's true.

That sounds awesome, but on the other hand, I think DS9 already got enough "soap" elements as it was

 

[Kilana2]

And Meru wasn't the only Bajoran woman Dukat had as mistress. He wasn't someone who mourned after a woman for too long, even though he regretted Naprem's death. Dukat's wife should have kicked his a$$ much earlier......

 

[kkt]

Dukat's never-seen wife was probably being a good Cardassian wife by overlooking suspected affairs with Bajoran women, as long as they were discreet and conducted on Bajor where word would not get back to Cardassia Prime. Dukat broke the rules by taking Ziyal to Cardassia, and Dukat's wife dumped him immediately.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'd loved to have seen more of Ziyal, but her death was essential to push Dukat's character into madness and sheer hatred.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

As much as I liked Ziyal, I like the way the ending played out for Damar's character, and I liked the way she brought out Dukat's one shred of humanity (Or 'Cardassity') before abandoning it completely.

As long as Ziyal existed, Dukat would always be grounded.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I believe that it was a mistake to kill her off. Sure, it helped make Dukat's journey into total madness believable, but she was a good actress and interesting, her relationships with Kira and Garrak. Better had she had been allowed to live on . . .

Jesus! It was an ever-growing cast in the heart of a war, the show needed casualties. Much more casualties than what was given, Ziyal was a character who had no place; she was a predictable character device and her fate was already written the moment she was introduced.

 

[mlbach]

And the only reason Dukat went to fetch Ziyal in the first place was because he learned that his lover’s ship had been found and felt he had to make sure Ziyal was dead too. Plus the writers were thinking about having Dukat hook up with Kira. What a hot mess that would have been. So glad Visitor said Oh, HELL no!

 

[GulBahana]

The most sad part of Ziyal dying when she did is that Garak never got a chance to get any tail...or did he?

 

[mlbach]

I think the attraction was pretty one sided—I believe Garak thought of her as a young family member, not as a potential mate. That might have changed as time went on, but the age difference was pretty glaring.

 

[Kilana2]

Ziyal dating Garak - it was annoying for both Dukat and Kira.....

 

[mlbach]

Kira’s hatred was already a given, but who could resist a chance to (endlessly) wind up Dukat? Heh.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I always figured the attraction was mutual. But then again he never acted irritable toward her.

One thing that may have been underexplored in Cardassians was the women. A planet where women are intellectually dominant and courtship involves acting irritable.

Just occurring to me now, that may explain Dukat’s interest in Kira, how irritable she acts toward him.

 

[kkt]

I think Garak realized his relationship with Ziyal could not endure long term. It's always flattering when a pretty young thing has a crush, but she was way too innocent and young to be a good companion for him. And as much fun as it was to goad Ducat, the most likely outcome would be death to Ziyal or Garak or both.

Come to think of it, JirinPanthosa, Ziyal didn't act at all like that engineer. Maybe because she was raised in the labor camp away from courting Cardassians.

 

[Nakita Akita]

The most sad part of Ziyal dying when she did is that Garak never got a chance to get any tail...or did he?

Okay, and I thought I was shallow!
But seriously he lost what to me seemed like his only real adult love of his life.
I felt bad for him.
And anyway , don't be ridiculous!
Of course they did the nasty.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

But seriously he lost what to me seemed like his only real adult love of his life.
I felt bad for him.
And anyway , don't be ridiculous!
Of course they did the nasty.

Hmm … I'm not so sure. As much as I would like to think that Ziyal was Garak's only love, it seemed the writers went out of their way to make Garak seem non-committal. Even Andrew Robinson seemed to think that no one was interested in elucidating their relationship, and they didn't really want him to mourn her death more than momentarily. If Garak did "the nasty," it was with Ziyal. I think the "sacrifice of angels" makes more sense if she was his lover, especially when they don't reunite like some many others. However, I am at least disappointed that the nature of their relationship wasn't spelled out.

 

[Nakita Akita]

Hmm … I'm not so sure. As much as I would like to think that Ziyal was Garak's only love, it seemed the writers went out of their way to make Garak seem non-committal. Even Andrew Robinson seemed to think that no one was interested in elucidating their relationship, and they didn't really want him to mourn her death more than momentarily. If Garak did "the nasty," it was with Ziyal. I think the "sacrifice of angels" makes more sense if she was his lover, especially when they don't reunite like some many others. However, I am at least disappointed that the nature of their relationship wasn't spelled out.

Well, I guess we each have how we see things or wish them to be.