19. Duet

Summary

When a Koberian freighter transports a passenger suffering from a condition called Kalla-Nohra (which can only have been contracted via presence at Gallitep, a Cardassian labor camp that Kira helped liberate, at the time of a mining accident), Kira goes to meet him, anticipating a Bajoran survivor...but instead she finds a Cardassian named Aamin Marritza, who she has arrested as a war criminal. Marritza, who claims to have been a mere filing clerk at Gallitep (to Kira's secret disappointment), eventually admits that he is actually Gul Darhe'el, known among Bajorans as the Butcher of Gallitep. Kira, exhilarated to have captured such a wanted and horrendous war criminal, listens in horror as he spouts Cardassian rhetoric and expresses pride over the mass murders and tortures he committed...even as Odo uncovers evidence that alarms him. It seems that Gul Darhe'el has been dead for six years. The man in the holding cell is, in fact, Marritza...surgically altered to resemble Darhe'el. He is riddled with guilt that he did nothing to stop the horrors being committed all around him at Gallitep and he wants to be tried and executed as the Butcher, to help Cardassia admit its guilt before Bajor. Kira refuses, saying she won't help kill another good person...but as she escorts Marritza to his transport home an angry Bajoran stabs him to death saying "He's a Cardassian...that's reason enough." Kira, having undergone a not insignificant character shift, replies "No...it's not."

Analysis

In my opinion, Duet is not just a superlative DS9 episode, it is one of the very best episodes of any of the Trek series, bar none. It is a masterpiece of writing and acting and I've yet to meet someone who, upon seeing it for the first time, isn't significantly affected by it. This episode belongs to Nana Visitor and guest star Harris Yulin, playing Marritza as a wounded man stepping into the shoes of a man he at once loathed and admired to right what he sees as a great wrong. The plot's many twists and turns keep the viewer guessing until, when the truth is finally revealed, one is forced to take a step back in wonder and horror...and then the tragic denouement serves as the final exclamation point. There are so many things going on at once here...Kira scarcely knows which way to turn or what to believe. To wreak vengeance on behalf of the victims of Gallitep is far beyond a mere wish for her, it's a personal vendetta and a promise she made long ago to those she was too late to save. When she gets her chance with Marritza, at first it seems the struggle will be: is it justice to punish a man who was a mere filing clerk? When he is revealed as Gul Darhe'el that question becomes moot and her fury is given a more deserving target...until doubts about his identity begin to creep in, doubts she initally refuses to listen to, committed as she is to seeing him punished. Some of the things Marritza, as Darhe'el, says to Kira are truly chilling and stay with you long after the episode is over...but when the final truth comes out one can only feel pity and a degree of admiration for the actions of this one desperate man. The fact that all of this is portrayed so effectively not only through the words of the writers but through the emotions of the characters is a tribute to both the writing staff and the cast. A very special episode indeed.

Rating: 10.0

Memorable Quote:

"You mistake me for that bug? For that whimpering nothing? Oh, you stupid Bajoran girl, don't you know who I am? I'm your nemesis...I'm your nightmare. I'm the Butcher of Gallitep!" --"Gul Darhe'el" to Kira, after she informs him she's aware that he's really Marritza

Classic Scene:

The scene where Kira first tells Marritza that she's learned that he is really Gul Darhe'el...whereupon he proceeds to admit it freely and gloat over his crimes...is a truly chilling sequence, especially when he taunts her that while she can only kill him once, the thousands of Bajorans that he murdered will still be dead.

Sexually Slanted Line 'O the Episode:

I can't bring myself to pick one, it's just too good an episode.

The O/K Status Report

Although nothing specific happens, nevertheless there is something to discuss. Odo is pretty active in this story, as Kira assigns him to investigate Marritza's background. At one point, after talking with "Gul Darhe'el" and feeling shaken by his casual savagery, Kira sits slumped in one of Odo's office chairs and he brings her a drink to calm her. She shares her feelings of hate and helplessness with him. It's just another scene that underscores their mutual respect and understanding, and suggests the depth of their friendship. She lets him see sides of her that she doesn't show to others...the scared, uncertain sides that she hides from the world but cannot hide from him.

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