Sisko: I have a brilliant plan that I need your help with Garak Garak: I'm in Garak's inner monologue: That's a stupid plan that'll get everyone involved killed. I have a much better plan that will require only two casualties, a bunch of lies, and me hanging out in my shop for five days, waiting for you to come back to me about something I have absolutely no intention of doing. Now, where did I put that data rod again?
We still don't know for certain that Garak had the data rod himself. I find it dubious that he just happened to have one lying around and also that he would need so much biomimetic gel to make his bomb. How hard can it be to build a small bomb to destroy a single shuttle?
@@warrioroflight6872 some Trekker TH-camrs said, it's very unlikely for Garak to left some loose ends for obtaining the rod. He did swat two flies with one stroke. So not to kill the alleged contact for singing is so un-Garak like, they assumed, before he exiled to DSN, he grabbed some stuff that he deemed useful later
I'm reminded of the episode with Basheer where Garak tells him three different stories about why he was exiled to DS9. When later Basheer asks him which was true he replies that they all were. "Even the lies?" "Especially the lies." In another Basheer tells him the story of the boy who cried wolf to demonstrate the moral that if you lie constantly no one will ever believe you. Garak points out that the moral could be that you should never tell the same lie twice. For Sisko to believe Garak was ever going to be completely up front with him was naive. But Garak only ever cared about the end result, not the road he had to take to get there. And in the end Sisko admits he can live with it and that what happened was a small price to pay to get the Romulans into the war.
@@warrioroflight6872 I've always held the personal opinion that Garak always had the rod - he's former Obsidian Order, I have no doubt obtaining a data rod is childs play for him. What Garak needed was the gel to make a bomb, and in order to get that gel he needed leverage. So, he cooks up a story to Sisko about how difficult it is to procure a data rod, and that the supplier will only procure one in return for biomimetic gel. Garak is a master manipulator, a tailor of lies; not just cloth!
"Colleagues in the Obsidian Order?" Why does this notion of Garak, a simple tailor, being a former spy continue to proliferate? The man is a remarkably good tailor, he doesn't deserve this reputation!
Because by this point, Garak had given up any pretence of trying to pretend he had never been in the Obsidian Order. Those around him knew Tain was his father, his 'secret' such as it was had been completely confirmed. Not to mention Garak's own flat admission in the Defiant's mess hall when they were talking about re-taking DS9 he himself stated "When I was conducting interrogations for the Obsidian Order I did alot worse......!"
Garak is brilliant. Virtually everything he said to Sisko was a lie. More likely Garak had already created the plan to invite Vreenak and make a forgery on the optolithic data rod. In fact, Garak may have already obtained the rod by this point, and was just making up a story about dead operatives in order to pull Sisko into the forgery plan. The whole charade about needing 200L of biomemetic gel was just so Garak could keep the gel for himself, and use it to make an organic explosive (invisible to normal sensors) to destroy Vreenak's shuttle. (You'll note Bashir points out biomimetic gel can be used to make explosives.)
Not everything. Garak made it known to Sisko that the affair would be a very bloody business. Sisko simply underestimated how bloody the mission would be. And naively thought he could still cling to his stuffy stiff federation-induced principles while engaging in a very bloody business.
The opthilic data rod was definitely his. What he did with the biomimetic gel, who knows (some of it to blow up the shuttle, absolutely). He planned a mission that he anticipated to fail. AND already planned the counter. Garak is a guy you want at the endgame.
"Ten good men lost their lives getting it along the line. That sort of thing." Garak literally used the exact method he told Sisko to use on the Romulans... On Sisko 3 minutes earlier. Stunning.
What's brilliant about Garak's lies is that they're all couched in the perfectly reasonable and believable. It's totally believable that Garak still has allies on Cardassia, and it's reasonable that he'd be able to contact them. It's reasonable that they'd want to help. It's also perfectly plausible that the Dominion would notice, and succeed in killing every one of them within 24 hours. (very convenient that that business's finished by the time Sisko returns to Garak.) It's all a very plausible story for anyone who knows the Dominion, Cardassia, and Garak. Unfortunately it's even more likely that it was all a fabrication, and it's supremely delightful when you realize this upon repeat viewings, with Garak's body language indicating the subtle ways he's manipulating the captain. "Oh, no! Our plan has failed! BUT DON'T FRET, CAPTAIN! I'll help you with a "backup plan" I've realized...! That is, if you're still willing to do 'whatever it takes'..."
Garak knows you have to have the big picture in mind while taking every step along the way with due caution, dedication and commitment. One can actually learn a lot from this episode and Garak in general.
When Garak was telling Sisko what the operation cost he did not mention his "dead" friends. Further proof that he didn't actually contact anyone on Kardassia.
His lies have a tendency to include true facts and exclude details he wants to stay secret. I used to hear the same kind of lies when I taught high school math.
That look on Garaks face when Sisko is justifying himself is priceless. Garak looks both amazed and intrigued to see Sisko finally commit himself to get his hands dirty.
Garak was surprised to hear the truth. Garek is so used to being lied to, and doing the lying, that such a profoundly honest admission was a pleasant although highly surprising event.
Priceless? To me, it looked like someone who had just found the mark for the con he had been concocting for months in his spare time. I'm of the opinion that Garak already had the plan in mind when Sisko came to him in the beginning. He just needed the resources to accomplish it.
It's one of the very few times Garak is shaking hands with someone. Off the top of my head, the only other person he shook hands with, was Enabran Tain. Edit: And Bashir maybe, too.
Of all the characters on DS9, his is the most cryptic. Is he an evil conniver in need of redemption? Is he gifted with some kind of prescience? Is he a man of principle disguised as a villain, or a villain with a heart of gold? It's too bad we didn't get to see his destiny.
19 วันที่ผ่านมา
Garak's smile is like a knife flashing in a dark, silent room.
Never really thought about it before, but the invasion of Betazed makes a great deal of sense as a primary target of the Dominion. Their ability to read minds would be most beneficial in determining imposters/Changelings.
Well with Picard Season 3, this comment aged very well indeed. Betazoids can't read changing infiltrators. Their lack of a brain cortex is a dead giveaway to Betazoids, something they actually make a point of woth Deanna in actually making her empathic abilities finally useful for the first time in a high stakes situation.
In the comics they addressed this very thing overlooked by the TV writers in a story called the Telepath War where the Cardassian Dominion Alliance attempts to wipe out telepathic races because they can detect changelings.
"Are you prepared for that?" - Garak asked before he did it in all fairness! This was one of my favorite DS9 episodes. The story and acting were beyong superb.
1:58 Garak immensely respected Sisko. and he understood Sisko. he knew that Sisko barely asked ANYONE for help ... but Sisko knew exactly WHO to ask for a specific task (Sisko had shown Garak that directly seasons prior, more than once).
This is my favorite star trek episode ever. Garak knew what had to be done. It was gonna be bloody and messy and it only cost the life of a romulan senator, a criminal and the self respect of a federation officer. A small price to pay to save the alpha quadrant.
Garak probably DID talk to his colleagues. It seems ironic that Garak would know where the most pro-Dominion senator on Romulus was going to be on a diplomatic mission somewhere near the station and how Garak would be able to fool Sisko into thinking a criminal could forge a high level recording. Later, Garak seems to know that Vreenak had 4 bodyguards (2 watching over the senator, 2 watching the shuttle that we never see). Garak did talk to someone, but I bet he was lying about them dying.
"And the most damming thing of it all - was that it worked" :D I loved that line at the end... :D And that attempt of self convining "because i can live with it.... I can live with it." Awesome writting if you ask me.
Or he's good at making Sisko believe he already knew. The key to subterfuge is that no one ever really knows what you know or don't know. It's just as good of a way to gather information as to dispense it or put it to use.
This was master class level acting coupled with carefully written script. The suspension, the action, the dialog, woven into a complete believable drama. This is probably the best Star Trek storyline of all time.
Garak and Sisko's relationship is a perfect example of how DS9 tested the ideals of the Federation without making a shabby mockery of them. These men have completely opposing perspectives, but they are also wise enough to recognize that the universe is a complicated place and sometimes we must cooperate with our rivals to achieve a greater good.
What makes this the best, or one of the best, episodes of any TV series is how well it’s firing on all cylinders. Everything came together perfectly to make it, and it shows.
That's what I liked MOST about DS9 ..... TNG, as good as it was .... was mostly a utopia. even Voyager was more utopia than it wasn't, even while traversing the DQ. DS9 was often grimy and toyed with the dark side. the heroes were more willing to get dirty to achieve a goal.
TNG was all about optimism and showing the best of humanoid/sentient beings' nature. DS9 was all about brutal realism and showing the dark underbelly of humanoid/sentient beings' nature.
DS9 showed us a utopia backed into a corner. Where the idea that any evil , or even, to put it more mildly, any external threat, can be simply reasoned with, comes up short. If Star Trek is about exploration, then its mission would surely remain forever incomplete without a series like DS9.
Garak is the most dangerous and brilliant tailor in the galaxy. When Sisko asked him for help Garak look on his face was like "sweet I get to go back to using my operative skills" LMBO.
Such great acting. Especially the look Garak gives Sisko for a few seconds before he says he's in. It's as if he's analysing Sisko's expression to see if he's genuinely serious about embarking on such a risky plan.
By time Garak said "perhaps" (1:07), Garak had already worked out the broad shape of the plan, and understood that it would involve duping Sisko himself
The thing about Garak is he could be lying about the dead "friends" or he could have called people he didn't trust to have them killed in a way that won't lead to him and also get something else he wants. He also really could have called friends, knowing they might die and was okay with that happening to reach a goal he deems more valuable. Sacrifice a pawn to take a Bishop.
@@shuttlecrossing1433 I think he would only consider a suicide mission if there was either no better plan or the payoff would be worth it, like bombing the Founder's homeworld. He prefers less overt, more subtle plans that are more likely to succeed without the other side knowing you did anything at all. His operation are about efficiency and good results.
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions", and Garak is driving the steamroller. I love how Garak pauses before he answers Sisko as he gauges Sisko's determination, and perhaps desperation, to get the job done at all costs.
the gel was NOT for the bomb. let's be clear about that. a bomb with material that tightly locked up would be easy to track ... and that would be game over for the Romulans joining in the war against the Dominion. Garak needed the gel to get the criminal he was using to create the data rod to the station. Garak certainly had access to commonly used explosive material (which would be impossible to track), which he used to blow up the Romulan's shuttle. as Garak said .... he had to be prepared for his contact failing his task.
Sisko let Garak know what he wanted and since he knew Garak also wanted the Dominion to fail he left the details entirely up to him. A Starfleet officer corrupting a very good tailor.
1:20 - Garak tried to warn him, but he didn't take heed. Still, Sisko still is my fave captain and DS9 my fave ST show to this day. Oh, and this was my fave episode.
"Are you prepared..." Garak knows that Sisko is, ethically speaking, making a deal with the devil. But recognising his role, Garak gives Sisko every chance to back out, and that Sisko knows thay he cannot be blameless in whatever happens.
Ben didn't realize that while he was the man for Star Fleet in many situations, Garak was the man in many more situations where he came from. Ben orchestrated nothing here, he was recruited and put into play by Garak.
I love the look of almost astonishment on Garaks face as Sisko admits that yes, he would by any means necessary, find a way to bring the Romulans in the war. It would be reminiscent of his time in the Obsidian Order, where the ends justify the means. I mean, if you look at it, he actually gave a chance for Sisko to back down out of this. "Are you sure? If you use me, you'll know what I'm willing to do." After the senator was killed, he even mentions it. "That's why you came to me, isn't it? Because I could do what you couldn't do. And you got what you want in the end."
Garak almost looks.. excited when he tells sisko that he's in Like he knows already what it will take to get this done, but is more eager to see how sisko will grapple with the moral ethics Peak sci Fi right here
One of the finest episodes EVER released under the name Star Trek. In the pale moonlight is a masterpiece. Marvelous acting by Avery and Andy. They ARE Sisko and Elim Garak
I like this word where once Captian can go talk to another officer and they both have the authority to provoke and engage in war without contacting hardly anyone in their own government lol. What happens if someone else had a better plan, or knew of a crucial reason one did not want the other as an ally?
This episode is brilliant. "It may be a very messy, very bloody business. Are you prepared for that?". Perfect line. Sisko was ok with all of Garak's tactics to bring in the Romulans into the war. However he pushed Sisko over the edge with the two murders 😂
You know, going over this scene all these years later, I like to think Garak after Sisko asked if he was in, calculated the entire scheme in that moment, even how bad Sisko was gonna beat him up once he figured it out. He's like, "Okay the *_good_* captain will be upset, and he's likely to hit me, a couple times, but this *_WILL_* work and he will have already done his part. Plus if I get him to agree now to, "a very messy, bloody business" then he won't be able to totally blame me once I break it down for him. After he hits me, unfortunately. He'll be so mad his anger won't subside otherwise."
"My... intentions were good. In the beginning that seemed like enough." Oh, Captain Sisko, I've learned that intentions never matter in this world filled with goody-two-shoes; only the means.
Sisko is too arrogant and downright dumb to LISTEN when Garak warns him of how unpleasant this business may become. He then attempts to intimidate with "Are you IN or OUT??!" (Garak is waiting for this and plays along.) But later, Sisko gets completely butt-hurt about one little bomb going off.... ;)
Garak's very good at reading people. He knew that Sisko would have misgivings about what Garak's methods would entail, and possibly be furious later, but he also knew that Sisko's resolve and desperation would give him the leeway he needed to do what needed to be done, even if he had to answer for it later.
@J Jackson Sisko was three steps behind Garak in every phase of this episode... And when abruptly confronted with this inconvenient situation (Vreenak ALWAYS had to die, lest the rod make it back to Romulus for a 'proper' analysis which almost certainly would have revealed it to be fraudulent) , he resorts to yelling and punching. Sikso is a bit of a dumb bully, IMO.
@@geonerd No. I think that you're not understanding what it means for a starfleet captain to be an accessory to murder. He's smart enough to know that Garak is the kind of guy who will get him what he wants, the Romulans into the war. But his entire life and career are based around being the exact opposite of the person who would go to someone like Garak. So he has to pretend until he can't pretend anymore, then he has to act like it really bothers him. We all do these acts.
What came put of Sisko's mouth: "I am prepared to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal" What Garak hears: "you have permission to do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal" Is this the moment that (in Garaks mind) Sisko gave him permission to do what he ends up doing?
As serious as these scenes are I do love that little "what?" that squeaks out of Sisko after Garak tells him his contacts were killed. The disbelief feels so genuine, but oddly casual for the situation.
Garak is a "be careful what you wish for" type of character. Hence you shouldn't provoke him. He can conjure a plan on the spot that makes you both satisfied and depressed at the same time.
I’ve seen seen people say Garak was lying here, but I wonder if he was telling a form of truth, that while not for this mission he had tried to setup spy’s on Cardasia before and failed?
If you pay attention, Garak was constantly making sure Ciskho was committed to a plan that was going to involve bloodshed/killing LONG BEFORE he actually took any lives... he'd ask and remind 'are you sure you want to continue? It could get messy'... and even fabricated a story about his own operatives being killed (that lie NOT just as a device to deviate from the original plan posed by Ciskho - it also served to probe his ethics).
This is beyond an amazing episode. Because Sisko was wrong on every level that modern Western Philosophy holds dear but he was also right. He broke the federation ideals. The Utopia has always been an unrealistic dream. Blood must be shed to achieve it
It reminds me of the exchange in Rambo. "We're hoping to change people's lives." "Are you bringing any weapons?" "Of course not." "You're not changing anything."
Might be one of my favorite episodes ever. And I love Garak. I miss that character so much. I would gladly watch him in another show. Same with Quark lol.
You can't say that Garak didn't warn Sisko up front about how messy and bloody this op could be. Sisko was naive in promising he was "prepared to do whatever it takes." I'm sure that was part of the calculation going through Garak's mind before he agreed to go in with Sisko.
I always suspected more was going on in this episode. When sisko mentions garak's name to tolar he becomes nervous and agitated. So garak,for all his favors that meant was told to eliminate them or he went off on his own.....just a theory
Garak knows. And seriously what is his choice here? The Dominion will annihilate his people and everything they ever were. Art, history, law, all the many eons of progress.... all thrown onto the ash heap. He will serve to keep a shred of his home alive. Then... the BORG.
@@unc0mm0n2 Not true. In Enterprise they had their own ships and were vastly different. Maybe there were vulcan captains, but their ships had to be different.
@@maxpower2511 hmmm. where do I start. Enterprise was set before the federation existed. It took place in the 2150s. The clip you’re watching now took place 2370s. The federation was founded in 2161. That’s 200 years later and while each home world still has their own planet specific defenses system the main fighting force for federation planets is star fleet. That’s why the Vulcan Captain Solok, with the an all Vulcan crew still flew a nebula class star ship (USS T’Kumbra) and not a Vulcan D’kyr type or something similar.
I don't blame garak nor Sisco for involving the rumulans into the war. They try to in the past destroy the federation with secret plots and plans and on top of that and the earlier episodes while the romulans were pretending to be friendly they had one of their warships circling DS9 and then destroys it. If it wasn't for chief O'Brien timeshifts he was experiencing DS9 and its crew would have been caught completely off guard and destroyed 😱
"There's plenty of blame to go around. The Tenth Fleet was supposed to be protecting Betazed, but they were caught out of position on a training exercise". I'm sorry, were they supposed to be protecting Betazed, or conducting a training exercise? This sounds like someone in the tenth fleet is guilty of gross incompetence at the least. You're ordered to protect an entire star system, so you...left to conduct a training exercise? That sounds monumentally idiotic, but also sounds exactly like some dumb shit that Star Fleet would do.
Sisko: I have a brilliant plan that I need your help with Garak
Garak: I'm in
Garak's inner monologue: That's a stupid plan that'll get everyone involved killed. I have a much better plan that will require only two casualties, a bunch of lies, and me hanging out in my shop for five days, waiting for you to come back to me about something I have absolutely no intention of doing. Now, where did I put that data rod again?
We still don't know for certain that Garak had the data rod himself. I find it dubious that he just happened to have one lying around and also that he would need so much biomimetic gel to make his bomb. How hard can it be to build a small bomb to destroy a single shuttle?
@@warrioroflight6872 some Trekker TH-camrs said, it's very unlikely for Garak to left some loose ends for obtaining the rod. He did swat two flies with one stroke. So not to kill the alleged contact for singing is so un-Garak like, they assumed, before he exiled to DSN, he grabbed some stuff that he deemed useful later
I'm reminded of the episode with Basheer where Garak tells him three different stories about why he was exiled to DS9. When later Basheer asks him which was true he replies that they all were. "Even the lies?" "Especially the lies." In another Basheer tells him the story of the boy who cried wolf to demonstrate the moral that if you lie constantly no one will ever believe you. Garak points out that the moral could be that you should never tell the same lie twice. For Sisko to believe Garak was ever going to be completely up front with him was naive. But Garak only ever cared about the end result, not the road he had to take to get there. And in the end Sisko admits he can live with it and that what happened was a small price to pay to get the Romulans into the war.
Six casualties.
@@warrioroflight6872 I've always held the personal opinion that Garak always had the rod - he's former Obsidian Order, I have no doubt obtaining a data rod is childs play for him. What Garak needed was the gel to make a bomb, and in order to get that gel he needed leverage. So, he cooks up a story to Sisko about how difficult it is to procure a data rod, and that the supplier will only procure one in return for biomimetic gel.
Garak is a master manipulator, a tailor of lies; not just cloth!
ITPML is the best-ever Star Trek Episode across all shows.
Agreed
I agree
"Colleagues in the Obsidian Order?" Why does this notion of Garak, a simple tailor, being a former spy continue to proliferate? The man is a remarkably good tailor, he doesn't deserve this reputation!
He was also a handy gardener when he had the time.
plain, simple garak. 😆
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is why.
Don’t forget a very good gardener!
Because by this point, Garak had given up any pretence of trying to pretend he had never been in the Obsidian Order. Those around him knew Tain was his father, his 'secret' such as it was had been completely confirmed. Not to mention Garak's own flat admission in the Defiant's mess hall when they were talking about re-taking DS9 he himself stated "When I was conducting interrogations for the Obsidian Order I did alot worse......!"
Garak is brilliant. Virtually everything he said to Sisko was a lie. More likely Garak had already created the plan to invite Vreenak and make a forgery on the optolithic data rod. In fact, Garak may have already obtained the rod by this point, and was just making up a story about dead operatives in order to pull Sisko into the forgery plan. The whole charade about needing 200L of biomemetic gel was just so Garak could keep the gel for himself, and use it to make an organic explosive (invisible to normal sensors) to destroy Vreenak's shuttle. (You'll note Bashir points out biomimetic gel can be used to make explosives.)
Garak already had the outline of a plan during the first meeting. He knew the goal, everything else was just details.
Not everything. Garak made it known to Sisko that the affair would be a very bloody business.
Sisko simply underestimated how bloody the mission would be. And naively thought he could still cling to his stuffy stiff federation-induced principles while engaging in a very bloody business.
The opthilic data rod was definitely his. What he did with the biomimetic gel, who knows (some of it to blow up the shuttle, absolutely). He planned a mission that he anticipated to fail. AND already planned the counter. Garak is a guy you want at the endgame.
Thanks for that explanation ! Totally forgot the gel could be used for explosives.
"Ten good men lost their lives getting it along the line. That sort of thing."
Garak literally used the exact method he told Sisko to use on the Romulans... On Sisko 3 minutes earlier. Stunning.
What's brilliant about Garak's lies is that they're all couched in the perfectly reasonable and believable.
It's totally believable that Garak still has allies on Cardassia, and it's reasonable that he'd be able to contact them.
It's reasonable that they'd want to help. It's also perfectly plausible that the Dominion would notice, and succeed in killing every one of them within 24 hours. (very convenient that that business's finished by the time Sisko returns to Garak.)
It's all a very plausible story for anyone who knows the Dominion, Cardassia, and Garak.
Unfortunately it's even more likely that it was all a fabrication, and it's supremely delightful when you realize this upon repeat viewings, with Garak's body language indicating the subtle ways he's manipulating the captain.
"Oh, no! Our plan has failed! BUT DON'T FRET, CAPTAIN! I'll help you with a "backup plan" I've realized...! That is, if you're still willing to do 'whatever it takes'..."
🤣 so true
Garak knows you have to have the big picture in mind while taking every step along the way with due caution, dedication and commitment. One can actually learn a lot from this episode and Garak in general.
As Garak said, don't trust coincidences.
When Garak was telling Sisko what the operation cost he did not mention his "dead" friends. Further proof that he didn't actually contact anyone on Kardassia.
His lies have a tendency to include true facts and exclude details he wants to stay secret. I used to hear the same kind of lies when I taught high school math.
That look on Garaks face when Sisko is justifying himself is priceless. Garak looks both amazed and intrigued to see Sisko finally commit himself to get his hands dirty.
I also love that sudden switch from carefully seizing Sisko up to merry agreement.
Garak was surprised to hear the truth. Garek is so used to being lied to, and doing the lying, that such a profoundly honest admission was a pleasant although highly surprising event.
Priceless? To me, it looked like someone who had just found the mark for the con he had been concocting for months in his spare time. I'm of the opinion that Garak already had the plan in mind when Sisko came to him in the beginning. He just needed the resources to accomplish it.
You can just see his eyes light up!
Indeed
Best. Episode. Ever.
Duet
It really was wasn't it.
נכון מאד
The absolute zenith of Star Trek.
By quite some distance
DS9 is a brilliant series. "In the pale moonlight" is the best Star Trek episode in any Generation.
Some people say best episode of television in general.
Agreed!
@@crazymage9636, that's a little ridiculous, isn't it?
@@colinmontgomery1956 I can live with it.
Even the next generation? you're right, we can live with it.
"I'm in." Delicious looking handshake. It's obvious who is being played.
It's one of the very few times Garak is shaking hands with someone. Off the top of my head, the only other person he shook hands with, was Enabran Tain.
Edit: And Bashir maybe, too.
Just about to say this. Lol.
Not played. Garak welcomed Sisko to the dark side - his dark side
Of all the characters on DS9, his is the most cryptic. Is he an evil conniver in need of redemption? Is he gifted with some kind of prescience? Is he a man of principle disguised as a villain, or a villain with a heart of gold? It's too bad we didn't get to see his destiny.
Garak's smile is like a knife flashing in a dark, silent room.
Never really thought about it before, but the invasion of Betazed makes a great deal of sense as a primary target of the Dominion. Their ability to read minds would be most beneficial in determining imposters/Changelings.
They’re still Federation citizens; hopefully they have some amount of loyalty.
Well with Picard Season 3, this comment aged very well indeed.
Betazoids can't read changing infiltrators. Their lack of a brain cortex is a dead giveaway to Betazoids, something they actually make a point of woth Deanna in actually making her empathic abilities finally useful for the first time in a high stakes situation.
In the comics they addressed this very thing overlooked by the TV writers in a story called the Telepath War where the Cardassian Dominion Alliance attempts to wipe out telepathic races because they can detect changelings.
@@newsesofworlds543 It's sufficient for the Dominion to restrict most of them to Betazed. There are comparatively few Betazoids off planet.
It was either Betazed or Vulcan, and even the writers thought invading Vulcan might have been a step too far
"Are you prepared for that?" - Garak asked before he did it in all fairness! This was one of my favorite DS9 episodes. The story and acting were beyong superb.
"I am prepared to do whatever it takes..."
But he wasn't.
When you hire Garak to do a job for you, you're in for it all the way.
But he did
@@TheSchaef47 But he wasn't prepared for it.
But he could live with it....
And the promise Garak made to his dying father....Tayne.....is kept. What a great character to watch!
Tain. Sorry.
I recall no promise -- what was it?
Hi I'm Tayne, your newest program.
1:58 Garak immensely respected Sisko. and he understood Sisko. he knew that Sisko barely asked ANYONE for help ... but Sisko knew exactly WHO to ask for a specific task (Sisko had shown Garak that directly seasons prior, more than once).
I believe Sisko knew exactly what he was fishing for. Then Garak, Kira (another idea of Sisko's) and Damar became the true heroes of the war.
This is my favorite star trek episode ever. Garak knew what had to be done. It was gonna be bloody and messy and it only cost the life of a romulan senator, a criminal and the self respect of a federation officer. A small price to pay to save the alpha quadrant.
Actually a theory is that Garak didnt even talk to any former colleauges - that the plan all along was an assassination attempt of a romulan senator
Machiavelli would be proud
Garak probably DID talk to his colleagues. It seems ironic that Garak would know where the most pro-Dominion senator on Romulus was going to be on a diplomatic mission somewhere near the station and how Garak would be able to fool Sisko into thinking a criminal could forge a high level recording. Later, Garak seems to know that Vreenak had 4 bodyguards (2 watching over the senator, 2 watching the shuttle that we never see). Garak did talk to someone, but I bet he was lying about them dying.
"And the most damming thing of it all - was that it worked" :D I loved that line at the end... :D And that attempt of self convining "because i can live with it.... I can live with it." Awesome writting if you ask me.
Garak isn't suprised in the least when Sisko tells him of the fall of Betazed. Of course he already knew
Or he's good at making Sisko believe he already knew. The key to subterfuge is that no one ever really knows what you know or don't know. It's just as good of a way to gather information as to dispense it or put it to use.
This was master class level acting coupled with carefully written script. The suspension, the action, the dialog, woven into a complete believable drama. This is probably the best Star Trek storyline of all time.
Beta Z didn’t sense that one coming
they don't predict, just read emotions.
@@persebra Only Troi reads emotions. Full betazoids can read thoughts...
@@mnaglichOf most, but not all species.
Garak and Sisko's relationship is a perfect example of how DS9 tested the ideals of the Federation without making a shabby mockery of them. These men have completely opposing perspectives, but they are also wise enough to recognize that the universe is a complicated place and sometimes we must cooperate with our rivals to achieve a greater good.
It's so... bubbly and cloying. Just like the Federation.
@@TheSchaef47 "It's insidious."
What makes this the best, or one of the best, episodes of any TV series is how well it’s firing on all cylinders.
Everything came together perfectly to make it, and it shows.
That's what I liked MOST about DS9 ..... TNG, as good as it was .... was mostly a utopia. even Voyager was more utopia than it wasn't, even while traversing the DQ. DS9 was often grimy and toyed with the dark side. the heroes were more willing to get dirty to achieve a goal.
TNG was all about optimism and showing the best of humanoid/sentient beings' nature.
DS9 was all about brutal realism and showing the dark underbelly of humanoid/sentient beings' nature.
Um did you see First Contact?
DS9 showed us a utopia backed into a corner. Where the idea that any evil , or even, to put it more mildly, any external threat, can be simply reasoned with, comes up short. If Star Trek is about exploration, then its mission would surely remain forever incomplete without a series like DS9.
@@enshk79 First Contact was while the Federation was at war with the Dominion ...... during the DS9 era of ST.
@@dhinton1 Pretty sure First Contact take place before the war with the Dominion when Sisko mention about it in the episode "In Purgatory's Shadow".
The single best episode of Trek and one of the greatest episodes of TV ever made.
This is the greatest episode in all of star trek , if you ask me
agree
Garak is the most dangerous and brilliant tailor in the galaxy. When Sisko asked him for help Garak look on his face was like "sweet I get to go back to using my operative skills" LMBO.
Such great acting. Especially the look Garak gives Sisko for a few seconds before he says he's in. It's as if he's analysing Sisko's expression to see if he's genuinely serious about embarking on such a risky plan.
By time Garak said "perhaps" (1:07), Garak had already worked out the broad shape of the plan, and understood that it would involve duping Sisko himself
2:02 - like making a deal with the devil. Andy Robinson conveys the best facial expressions and does so through his makeup. He is good.
The thing about Garak is he could be lying about the dead "friends" or he could have called people he didn't trust to have them killed in a way that won't lead to him and also get something else he wants. He also really could have called friends, knowing they might die and was okay with that happening to reach a goal he deems more valuable. Sacrifice a pawn to take a Bishop.
All of these possibilities are interesting and the writers were smart enough to keep open possibilities.
I always liked Garak's ability to sacrifice for "the big picture" bit with a healthy regard for his own survival
Garak was more than willing to sacrifice himself to bomb the Founder's homeworld to kill all the changelings and he almost succeeded in doing so.
@@shuttlecrossing1433 I think he would only consider a suicide mission if there was either no better plan or the payoff would be worth it, like bombing the Founder's homeworld. He prefers less overt, more subtle plans that are more likely to succeed without the other side knowing you did anything at all. His operation are about efficiency and good results.
That look in Garak's face when Sisko asked if he was in or out, was that excitement? 😄
Glee
Those two are the last people I would ever want to cross paths with very efficient and on point!
That handshake 😁 the moment Garak shakes your hand youre F up 😂 like really
"Huh? Why do I suddenly smell brimstone?"
This episode is such a masterpiece.
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions", and Garak is driving the steamroller. I love how Garak pauses before he answers Sisko as he gauges Sisko's determination, and perhaps desperation, to get the job done at all costs.
“Unfortunately they’re all dead now”
“What?”
Years later watching this I wonder if Garak's contacts actually died. And if the biomemetic gel was actually for the bomb.
I'm glad they left that vague. The mystery of it makes it more interesting
the gel was NOT for the bomb.
let's be clear about that.
a bomb with material that tightly locked up would be easy to track ... and that would be game over for the Romulans joining in the war against the Dominion.
Garak needed the gel to get the criminal he was using to create the data rod to the station. Garak certainly had access to commonly used explosive material (which would be impossible to track), which he used to blow up the Romulan's shuttle.
as Garak said .... he had to be prepared for his contact failing his task.
Andrew Robinson's portrayal of Garak is always entertaining. Kudos.
3:55 someone pointed out in a comment elsewhere that this may be Garak lying to prepare Sisko for his actual plan of killing a few people for cause.
"Hell is paved with good intentions." -- Samuel Johnson
Ahh Garak, I think hes my sprit animal
You can watch this episode as many times as you want, and it NEVER gets boring.
God I love this show
Sisko let Garak know what he wanted and since he knew Garak also wanted the Dominion to fail he left the details entirely up to him. A Starfleet officer corrupting a very good tailor.
Garak played Sisko like a fiddle. Everything according to plan.
Good job, Garak. Good job.
When idealism meets reality.
1:20 - Garak tried to warn him, but he didn't take heed. Still, Sisko still is my fave captain and DS9 my fave ST show to this day. Oh, and this was my fave episode.
"Are you prepared..."
Garak knows that Sisko is, ethically speaking, making a deal with the devil. But recognising his role, Garak gives Sisko every chance to back out, and that Sisko knows thay he cannot be blameless in whatever happens.
"Do you have another plan?"
"Funny you should ask..."
Ben didn't realize that while he was the man for Star Fleet in many situations, Garak was the man in many more situations where he came from. Ben orchestrated nothing here, he was recruited and put into play by Garak.
I love the look of almost astonishment on Garaks face as Sisko admits that yes, he would by any means necessary, find a way to bring the Romulans in the war. It would be reminiscent of his time in the Obsidian Order, where the ends justify the means.
I mean, if you look at it, he actually gave a chance for Sisko to back down out of this. "Are you sure? If you use me, you'll know what I'm willing to do."
After the senator was killed, he even mentions it. "That's why you came to me, isn't it? Because I could do what you couldn't do. And you got what you want in the end."
Outstanding acting and script. This put's Discovery in the trash can
Garak almost looks.. excited when he tells sisko that he's in
Like he knows already what it will take to get this done, but is more eager to see how sisko will grapple with the moral ethics
Peak sci Fi right here
There's not *that* much bio-memetic gel in the entire sector!"
4:17 Avery’s acting here is schoolboyish disappointment, gotta love it
"are you sure, Captain, that you can handle the consequences of cutting my chains?"... *CLANG!*
This may very well be my favorite episode from any Star Trek franchise. At the very least it's in the top three.
And we all know where good intentions lead
Garak was right about one thing. A guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant.
The best episode of ds9
One of the finest episodes EVER released under the name Star Trek. In the pale moonlight is a masterpiece.
Marvelous acting by Avery and Andy. They ARE Sisko and Elim Garak
Avery, Andy & Michael Taylor deserve retrospective Emmy awards for this episode.
I like this word where once Captian can go talk to another officer and they both have the authority to provoke and engage in war without contacting hardly anyone in their own government lol. What happens if someone else had a better plan, or knew of a crucial reason one did not want the other as an ally?
Garak should have had his own spin-off series.
This episode is brilliant. "It may be a very messy, very bloody business. Are you prepared for that?". Perfect line. Sisko was ok with all of Garak's tactics to bring in the Romulans into the war. However he pushed Sisko over the edge with the two murders 😂
Fantastic episode.
Time to rewatch ITPML
Great actor my favorite
"Are you in or out?"
"The answer's no, Griffko."
"What's wrong McSpy, CHICKEN?"
You know, going over this scene all these years later, I like to think Garak after Sisko asked if he was in, calculated the entire scheme in that moment, even how bad Sisko was gonna beat him up once he figured it out.
He's like, "Okay the *_good_* captain will be upset, and he's likely to hit me, a couple times, but this *_WILL_* work and he will have already done his part. Plus if I get him to agree now to, "a very messy, bloody business" then he won't be able to totally blame me once I break it down for him. After he hits me, unfortunately. He'll be so mad his anger won't subside otherwise."
This scene, this whole episode, is great, beyond fantastic. That said, Sisko's little "what?" at Garak is pretty funny.
a world full of telepaths couldn't sense an attack coming?
"My... intentions were good. In the beginning that seemed like enough."
Oh, Captain Sisko, I've learned that intentions never matter in this world filled with goody-two-shoes; only the means.
sounds more like garrack used the dominion to settle some old scores.
This episode was the moment Gene Roddenberry's vision of the ideal utopian future that defined 'star trek' died
How does a utopia stand up against belligerents who are stronger than it is? It's a legitimate question.
The Federation is a utopia, but who keeps it that way? Someone has to make it so everyone can sleep at night.
Good
Utopian are the most dangerous people of all
Im suprised the vulcans didnt really get involved in this war
Yes. Would have been nice to get their perspective
Seeing as there’s no way of knowing what Garak told the truth about I wonder what he did with the bio-memedic gel? 🤔
Sisko is too arrogant and downright dumb to LISTEN when Garak warns him of how unpleasant this business may become. He then attempts to intimidate with "Are you IN or OUT??!" (Garak is waiting for this and plays along.) But later, Sisko gets completely butt-hurt about one little bomb going off.... ;)
Garak's very good at reading people. He knew that Sisko would have misgivings about what Garak's methods would entail, and possibly be furious later, but he also knew that Sisko's resolve and desperation would give him the leeway he needed to do what needed to be done, even if he had to answer for it later.
@J Jackson Sisko was three steps behind Garak in every phase of this episode... And when abruptly confronted with this inconvenient situation (Vreenak ALWAYS had to die, lest the rod make it back to Romulus for a 'proper' analysis which almost certainly would have revealed it to be fraudulent) , he resorts to yelling and punching. Sikso is a bit of a dumb bully, IMO.
@@geonerd No. I think that you're not understanding what it means for a starfleet captain to be an accessory to murder. He's smart enough to know that Garak is the kind of guy who will get him what he wants, the Romulans into the war. But his entire life and career are based around being the exact opposite of the person who would go to someone like Garak. So he has to pretend until he can't pretend anymore, then he has to act like it really bothers him. We all do these acts.
What came put of Sisko's mouth: "I am prepared to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal"
What Garak hears: "you have permission to do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal"
Is this the moment that (in Garaks mind) Sisko gave him permission to do what he ends up doing?
Yes
I love how Garak is just calmly doing alterations while Sisko is talking about Betazed falling and the dead operatives. He's so cold.
As serious as these scenes are I do love that little "what?" that squeaks out of Sisko after Garak tells him his contacts were killed. The disbelief feels so genuine, but oddly casual for the situation.
Garak is a "be careful what you wish for" type of character. Hence you shouldn't provoke him. He can conjure a plan on the spot that makes you both satisfied and depressed at the same time.
Garak is just brilliant
I’ve seen seen people say Garak was lying here, but I wonder if he was telling a form of truth, that while not for this mission he had tried to setup spy’s on Cardasia before and failed?
If you pay attention, Garak was constantly making sure Ciskho was committed to a plan that was going to involve bloodshed/killing LONG BEFORE he actually took any lives...
he'd ask and remind 'are you sure you want to continue? It could get messy'... and even fabricated a story about his own operatives being killed (that lie NOT just as a device to deviate from the original plan posed by Ciskho - it also served to probe his ethics).
‘Vulcan, Andor, Tellar’. So basically Earth, Earth, and Earth.
Yes but the other three are founding members of the federation
It's fun seeing Sisko being evil.
This is beyond an amazing episode. Because Sisko was wrong on every level that modern Western Philosophy holds dear but he was also right. He broke the federation ideals. The Utopia has always been an unrealistic dream. Blood must be shed to achieve it
It reminds me of the exchange in Rambo. "We're hoping to change people's lives." "Are you bringing any weapons?" "Of course not." "You're not changing anything."
Sloan would have been proud of him.
Might be one of my favorite episodes ever. And I love Garak. I miss that character so much. I would gladly watch him in another show. Same with Quark lol.
I had to look up what 'repartee' means. Great writing and nails Garak to a T
You can't say that Garak didn't warn Sisko up front about how messy and bloody this op could be. Sisko was naive in promising he was "prepared to do whatever it takes." I'm sure that was part of the calculation going through Garak's mind before he agreed to go in with Sisko.
I all fairness, Garak did warn Sisko (in a vague way), what he was getting into by going down this route.
I always suspected more was going on in this episode. When sisko mentions garak's name to tolar he becomes nervous and agitated. So garak,for all his favors that meant was told to eliminate them or he went off on his own.....just a theory
Section 31 has this personal log.
Garak knows. And seriously what is his choice here? The Dominion will annihilate his people and everything they ever were. Art, history, law, all the many eons of progress.... all thrown onto the ash heap. He will serve to keep a shred of his home alive. Then... the BORG.
Garak never called anyone, it was all a lie
If they needed info from the Dominion on Cardassia they should have sent Garak and Odo to Cardassia.
Where were the vulcans, and andorians etc?
They are part of starfleet
@@gamerone7390 So why only Federation, Klingon and Romulan ships?
@@maxpower2511 federation encompasses Andorians and Vulcans. They all have the same ships.
@@unc0mm0n2 Not true. In Enterprise they had their own ships and were vastly different. Maybe there were vulcan captains, but their ships had to be different.
@@maxpower2511 hmmm. where do I start. Enterprise was set before the federation existed. It took place in the 2150s. The clip you’re watching now took place 2370s. The federation was founded in 2161. That’s 200 years later and while each home world still has their own planet specific defenses system the main fighting force for federation planets is star fleet. That’s why the Vulcan Captain Solok, with the an all Vulcan crew still flew a nebula class star ship (USS T’Kumbra) and not a Vulcan D’kyr type or something similar.
I don't blame garak nor Sisco for involving the rumulans into the war. They try to in the past destroy the federation with secret plots and plans and on top of that and the earlier episodes while the romulans were pretending to be friendly they had one of their warships circling DS9 and then destroys it. If it wasn't for chief O'Brien timeshifts he was experiencing DS9 and its crew would have been caught completely off guard and destroyed 😱
"There's plenty of blame to go around. The Tenth Fleet was supposed to be protecting Betazed, but they were caught out of position on a training exercise".
I'm sorry, were they supposed to be protecting Betazed, or conducting a training exercise? This sounds like someone in the tenth fleet is guilty of gross incompetence at the least.
You're ordered to protect an entire star system, so you...left to conduct a training exercise? That sounds monumentally idiotic, but also sounds exactly like some dumb shit that Star Fleet would do.
Imagine going in to garaks shop to complain about his tailoring 😬