Withers
Captain
Obviously, the actor and character of Garak, needed/deserved more screen time. So they gave him a place on the Defiant.
In universe, however, there isn't much in the way of a valid explanation for his place on the bridge of the Defiant. His value was strategic meaning he could do the most good from Starfleet Headquarters not the front lines.
Sure, he couldn't back to Cardassia but the galaxy was a big place; he would've been debriefed and then he would've gone on vacation and that would've been that.
Even if you ignore that though think of all the other Starfleet officers who spend years earning their commissions make it to ensign, only to be displaced from bridge crew status by not only a -cadet- but a Cardassian spy. That's a smack in the face if I ever heard of one.
There were a lot of moments the bridge crew on the Defiant didn't make a lot of sense. Sure, Ezri had all of Jadzia's memories, but what exactly was her "function" as a counselor on the bridge of the Defiant? Why did Kira take over instead of Worf during the first Battle of Chin'toka? Why was Bashir there so often during combat? What could Odo possibly have been good for on the bridge?
Garak was just one of dozens of examples. I love DS9 and I've probably thought about it a little too much. So to keep loving it I just go with it and chalk it all up to "The Prophets work in mysterious ways."
-Withers-
In universe, however, there isn't much in the way of a valid explanation for his place on the bridge of the Defiant. His value was strategic meaning he could do the most good from Starfleet Headquarters not the front lines.
Sure, he couldn't back to Cardassia but the galaxy was a big place; he would've been debriefed and then he would've gone on vacation and that would've been that.
Even if you ignore that though think of all the other Starfleet officers who spend years earning their commissions make it to ensign, only to be displaced from bridge crew status by not only a -cadet- but a Cardassian spy. That's a smack in the face if I ever heard of one.
There were a lot of moments the bridge crew on the Defiant didn't make a lot of sense. Sure, Ezri had all of Jadzia's memories, but what exactly was her "function" as a counselor on the bridge of the Defiant? Why did Kira take over instead of Worf during the first Battle of Chin'toka? Why was Bashir there so often during combat? What could Odo possibly have been good for on the bridge?
Garak was just one of dozens of examples. I love DS9 and I've probably thought about it a little too much. So to keep loving it I just go with it and chalk it all up to "The Prophets work in mysterious ways."
-Withers-
