Elim Garak

[Terok Nor]

Recurring was better than a regular, I think, in that his appearances are more special.

I sort of agree but any Garak is worthwhile Garak. The only "wasted" Garak appearances were the ones where he only got one scene but he still managed to steal the show regardless of the limited screentime

Apparently they wanted to make Garak a regular in Season 4 but the studio put a stop to it.

In lieu of, or in addition to, Worf?

I'm unsure. Probably in lieu of Worf. The studio should have downgraded Jake Sisko to recurring status since that's pretty much what he was anyway and promoted Garak to the main cast along with Worf.

 

[TheVortaKeevan]

Recurring was better than a regular, I think, in that his appearances are more special.

I sort of agree but any Garak is worthwhile Garak. The only "wasted" Garak appearances were the ones where he only got one scene but he still managed to steal the show regardless of the limited screentime

Apparently they wanted to make Garak a regular in Season 4 but the studio put a stop to it.

In lieu of, or in addition to, Worf?

I'm unsure. Probably in lieu of Worf. The studio should have downgraded Jake Sisko to recurring status since that's pretty much what he was anyway and promoted Garak to the main cast along with Worf.

Knock Jake off the main cast roster add Elim Garak to it. To bad they didn't give him a brevet rank and a gold uniform in the last two seasons.

 

[Jonesy]

best recurring character ever in trek.

In fact I go as far as to say he is not only better than some of the original cast members, he just might be the best character in trek non stop

No offense intended against the other actors on DS9 but really I think the best actors on DS9 were the recurring guest stars - Andrew Robinson, Jeffrey Combs, and Louise Fletcher. I think it could be argued that some of the regulars were close (Brooks and Siddig in particular) but I sometimes scratch my head when watching DS9 and wonder why Robinson wasn't in nearly every episode. I understand that he was beat out for the role of Odo, but I would've gladly taken his screentime over a character like Quark.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'm glad they didn't make Garak a regular. If they did that they would have had to shoehorn him into episodes that he didn't naturally fall into. I think part of the reason he makes such a big impact is that he's mostly in episodes that are built for him.

 

[Shada Dukal]

Yes, very often the recurring actors were better than the main cast. I would appreciate more screen time devoted to their characters and respective cultures but still watering the show with too many additional plotlines would be counterproductive too.

The Cardassian cast in particular displayed a startling devotion to their characters, if it was left to the producers only, the Cardassians would be just heavies popping up from time to time to scare the shit out of the goodies and the audience. The actors’ commitment and talent forced the producers to think of a more meaningful use of the Cardassians in the show. Another factor is the cost, Cardassians and all other aliens requiring elaborate prosthetics are awfully expensive to create, whereas Bajorans and humans are so cheap.

 

[at Quark's]

best recurring character ever in trek.

In fact I go as far as to say he is not only better than some of the original cast members, he just might be the best character in trek non stop

Don´t know about that, but he´s definitely in my top 10 of favourite characters.

 

[TheatrePup]

I'm glad they didn't make Garak a regular. If they did that they would have had to shoehorn him into episodes that he didn't naturally fall into. I think part of the reason he makes such a big impact is that he's mostly in episodes that are built for him.

I agree, and the nice thing about recurring characters (in any series) is that you miss them when they're gone, they leave you wanting more.

 

[VORTEX8472]

So i'm a long time ST fan and have made multiple passes through TOS and TNG, One pass through both VOY and ENT. But for years could not get through Season 1 of DS9. Finally, I broke through into S2 and am now loving it (currently halfway through S4). I place it on par with TNG in terms of characters and writing quality.

I find that I really, really like the character of Elim Garak, the Cardassian tailor. The continual surprise of his actions, and his motives, and the glee with which the actor portrays him. He's really an amazing creation. Any other Garak fans out there?

If you haven't already read it, A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson is Garak's biography and I recommend it. First finish all the DS9 seasons. Even if you're not fond of ST literature, this novel is written by the actor who portrayed Garak.

I'm fond of Cardassians, because they are complex and multi-faceted.

Great to see so many Garak fans. He is my favourite DS9 character, often prefer watching a "Garak centric" episode over any other; Andrew Robinson was masterful in every scene. I am a sucker for quirky mystery/spy characters that your never certain of their loyalties, and every scene is a chance to gather more evidence to support your fan theory.

Needless to say, it is a rare character-actor that will commit such subtle nuance and authority with a reoccurring role that viewers are left wanting more and more.

btw, I will definitely checkout - A Stitch in Time, Thank You for the suggestion @Kilana2!

 

[TheatrePup]

A lot of Star Trek novels I can't get through because the characters' voices rarely fit their TV personas for me. A Stitch in Time is the rare exception to the this rule, I would be delighted to count it as official canon.

 

[Kilana2]

For the people who are currently planning to acquire A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson:

This is the cover of the German edition (already out of stock). IMO it is better than the original cover. I hope that Garak finds it pleasing.

https://www.cross-cult.de/titel/roman-star-trek-deep-space-nine-ein-stich-zur-rechten-zeit.html

 

[VORTEX8472]

I just bought the book off the iBooks store ($9.99 Canadian), reading it today!

https://itun.es/ca/_ylVw.l

[gotta support the Trek to get Keep Trek Alive]

 

[kkt]

You're lucky. When I bought it a year ago the only source I could find was a collector's shop with prices to match.

 

[Jonesy]

I loved quark, then I loved DS9 so much i rarely find fault unless its that bajoran rubbish.

The idea of having ds9 a stationary show and allowing a recurring cast made it superb especially when you had such a varied and talented cast.
Unlike other shows where it was a case of ship visit and leave forever.

Not counting Louise Fletcher and Jeffrey combs, you had other brilliant actors and characters, Marc Alaimo, Casey Biggs. J Hertzler, Robers O Reilly, Wallace Shawn, Paul Dooley, etc etc.

I agree that Quark was entertaining, and I don't think that he was a negative to the show or that he was terrible. But I would certainly have taken him as a fulltime character over some of the others.

And you're right that there were other very skilled actors. I have an admiration for what Marc Alaimo did with Dukat. It's just that I find it somewhat striking how the recurring guests often seem to upstage the regulars with their skills.

 

[K'Toska]

I absolutely love Garak. He is extremely complex - like most actual people that I know. He's done a lot of shady and horrible things, but we see more than that side of him. We can't just toss him aside as someone who is evil because that is too simplistic. In my opinion, he is one of the best characters on DS9 and caught my attention from the beginning.

I'm sure fellow Garak fans have already seen this meme, but for those who haven't, enjoy:

The funny thing is that when I read the text, I actually hear it in his voice.

 

[Terok Nor]

^ Same!

 

[TheVortaKeevan]

For the people who are currently planning to acquire A Stitch in Time by Andrew J. Robinson:

This is the cover of the German edition (already out of stock). IMO it is better than the original cover. I hope that Garak finds it pleasing.

https://www.cross-cult.de/titel/roman-star-trek-deep-space-nine-ein-stich-zur-rechten-zeit.html

I wonder if there is anyway we can get it touch with the publisher company or the author himself to get this book a reprint in a hardcover edition.

 

[Karzak]

Garak was absolutely one of modern Trek's few, true BAMFs.

 

[nx1701g]

Garak is probably my favorite character in the entire DS9 series, and it was because of the mystery surrounding the character in the beginning that made him so popular to me. I was surprised recently to see that he was actually in only a few episodes, but his presence was so lasting that it felt to me that he was around a lot more than he was.

Plus, Andrew Robinson is an amazing actor.

 

[kkt]

He is an amazing actor. He should have had starring roles in movies so he could be up for oscars. Too bad he got typecast as the psychologically troubled villain.

 

[mendelin]

Indeed, Andrew Robinson is an amazing actor.
Garak is a notable character. His face is unique and recognizable. All episodes with him are brilliant.

It's a pity, that there is no good romantic story, in which he is involved.
It was a nice try to do such a story with Ziyal, but this story actually wasn't prominent.

During the first (and maybe second) season there were some hints, that Garak can have romantic interest in Bashir. Obviously, Star Trek is a family show and here can't be any sexual ambiguity. But, IMO, such relationship would make Garak and Bashir characters even more deep and interesting.