"Duet" is the 19th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
[edit] Overview
Major Kira finds herself compelled to confront an apparent war criminal, the brutally efficient head of the Gallitep slave-labor camp.
A Kobheerian freighter requests permission to dock at Deep Space 9, stating that one of its passengers requires treatment for a condition known as Kalla-Nohra. Dr. Bashir is not familiar with the condition, but Major Kira recognizes it and informs Sisko that the only place to contract Kalla-Nohra was a mining accident at a particularly brutal labor camp called Gallitep. As Kira helped liberate the camp at the end of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, she asks to greet the passenger personally and Sisko agrees.
Upon arriving in Sickbay, Kira discovers that Bashir's new patient is not Bajoran but Cardassian. She has the man arrested as a war criminal, only to find his name, Aamin Marritza, is not listed for any crimes. Sisko sees no option but to let Marritza go, yet Kira is adamant—Marritza is Cardassian who was present at Gallitep, she insists, which is reason enough—and details the condition of the labor camp when she liberated it. Sisko decides to investigate further and has the man held in custody.
Further suspicions arise when Marritza claims he has never been to Bajor, an obvious lie as Bashir's medical test confirms that the man has Kalla-Nohra. Citing a conflict of interest, Sisko asks Kira to remove herself from the case, but her emotional plea and a promise that she will conduct herself as an officer and remain professional, she convinces him to let her stay on it. When she interrogates Marritza, he claims that, while he did serve at Gallitep, he was only a file clerk. He maintains the atrocities the Bajorans believe occurred at Gallitep were an illusion meant to keep other Bajorans in fear of the Cardassians.
An investigation corroborates Marritza's story, forcing Kira to cope with the possibility he may go free. Dax comes to Kira to offer advice and a sympathic ear. While Dax listens and understands Kira's viewpoint; she gently cautions Kira that if Maritza is wrongfully punished then it won't mean anything and as such the excercise will have been pointless. A photograph from Gallitep, however, reveals that the man being held is not Aamin Marritza but rather Gul Darhe'el, the "Butcher of Gallitep" who reportedly murdered thousands of innocent Bajorans. The prisoner responds arrogantly when confronted with this information; not only does he admit he is Darhe'el, but he boasts that "My word, my every glance was law! And the verdict was always the same: guilty." Kira is visibly shaken.
As the episode progresses, Darhe'el lets slip the name of Kira's resistance cell during the occupation—information far too obscure for him to know. Other inconsistencies in his story begin to stand out. Chief amongst these, is Gul Dukat's assertion that Gul Darhe'el died years before and that Dukat attended his funeral. This prompts Odo to ask Dr. Bashir to examine the prisoner's medical history. Dukat also provides information validates the death of Darhe'el. Kira is dismissive of this and asserts that the prisoner will stand trial. Dr. Bashir provides a follow up to Odo's request when he learns that "Darhe'el" has undergone cosmetic surgery - years ago, a fact brought to light by his taking a dermal regerative agent as indicated by his medical history. This leads Kira to realize that the prisoner wanted not only to be caught but to be recognized as Darhe'el. Kira confronts the prisoner, whose guise begins to falter:
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I am alive. I will always be alive! It's Marritza who's dead! Marritza, who was good for nothing but cowering under his bunk and weeping like a woman. Who every night covered his ears because he couldn't bear to hear the screaming... for mercy... of the Bajorans... |
” |
Marritza breaks down as he speaks, branding himself a coward. He begs Kira to prosecute him, insisting that Cardassia must be forced to admit its wrongdoings and that he is as guilty for remaining silent as Darhe'el was for committing the atrocities. Kira releases him, she herself, on the verge of tears at the realization of a good man so traumatized and remorseful by what he had experienced that he is willing to give up his life to make amends. She insist that another murder is not the answer and that too many good people have already died and she won't kill another. Kira and Odo escort to a ship Marritza that is about to depart from the station. As they walk along, Marritza laments that now that his identity has been exposed he can't help bring about change for his people. Kira assures him that his actions were honorable and that if his people are going to change; people like him are needed to lead the way. Marritza is suddenly stabbed and killed by a drunken Bajoran. When Kira demands to know why, the Bajoran echoes her own earlier sentiment: being a Cardassian is reason enough. "No," Kira realizes, "it's not."
- Maritzza's first name, Aamin, is pronounced similarly to the Nazi, Amon Göth's. Göth was the leader of the Płaszów Labour/Concentration Camp in Poland. He gained international infamy from his movie portrayal in Schindler's List.
- Despite being a bottle episode, "Duet" was featured in Museum of Television and Radio's 1994 "Tribute to Excellence"[3] and became a fan favorite, described by Startrek.com as "one of DS9s — possibly even one of Treks — finest [hours]".[5] It was included in several editors' choices for a feature there entitled "You're Stranded on a Desert Asteroid ... Our Best of the Best Episodes", described by editor Sandy Stone as "when I knew DS9 really had something going on".[6] The episode "is all substance, completely engrossing in its conveyance, and it also features a tragic ending" according to Jammer's Reviews, an independent science fiction portal.[7] "I'm not sure I can write a coherent analysis of this episode," Michelle Erica Green of the popular fan site The Trek Nation began her review in 2004. "I cried just thinking about it for two days after I saw it, and I still cry when I try to discuss it."[1] It has nonetheless been noted by some fans that certain parts of the exposition appear rushed, while the believability of Marritza's death scene has been questioned.[8] This can be attributed to the need to contain the episode, as the episode is "hardly [a] story worthy of a multi-episode arc".[9]
- Cast and crew responded positively to the episode as well. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, Armin Shimerman (Quark) observed that the episode works because of "the writing and the directing and the acting all coalescing perfectly", which Nana Visitor (Kira) believed was because it had "such important things to say".[10] Notable staff to list it among their favorites are Behr,[11] Next Generation producer Dave Rossi[12] and Companion author Terry J. Erdmann.[10]
- The producers of Star Trek: Voyager attempted to re-create the critical success of "Duet" with their first-season episode "Jetrel". According to DVD commentary accompanying Voyagers second season, "Jetrel" was a conscious effort to use a similar delivery to create a metaphor for the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In that episode, the character Neelix is forced to confront the scientist who developed a weapon which eradicated thousands of his people.
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