"Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. "
Garak is one of the most popular and quoted characters in all of Star Trek. He used to work as an operative of the Cardassian Obsidian Order, but was exiled from Cardassia due to reasons he will not talk about. Garak moved to Terok Nor and set up a clothing shop where he started working as a tailor. When the Federation and Bajor took over the station and re-named it Deep Space Nine, he started working with them, and aided them throughout the Federation-Dominion War. Garak is a fan favourite among Trekkies. He is a charismatic, charming liar, with a mysterious past and a razor-sharp wit. He was played by actor Andrew Robinson from 1993 to 1999. This list contains some of my favourite episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine that feature this simple tailor.
1. In The Pale Moonlight
Episode Details: Season 6 Episode 19
Air Date: 15 April 1998
Best Quote:
"That's why you came to me, isn't it captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing. Well, it worked. And you'll get what you wanted: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. And if your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant, and all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal... and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain. " - Garak to Captain Sisko
In The Pale Moonlight is one of the highest rated and popular episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine and considered to be one of the darkest Star Trek episodes ever. The episode is presented to the viewer as a flashback; Captain Sisko addresses the camera and the audience takes on the point of view of the computer as he dictates an entry into his Captain's Log. We learn from Sisko's narration that the Federation is losing the Federation-Dominion War and that morale is low from all of the losses that the Federation is suffering. Sisko decides that the answer is to force the Romulans to enter the war. He goes to Garak and asks for his help. Garak reluctantly agrees and puts together a plan to force the Romulans into the war.
Garak's involvement creates utter chaos for Sisko on multiple fronts; he is forced to lie and to cheat and to mix with criminals. But he gets what he wants in the end. The Romulans are tricked into entering the war. There is a great scene between Garak and Sisko where the two of them have a heated argument. Sisko punches him several times, but Garak is unfazed. He tells him that everyone loses their innocence in war and reminds him that making hard and morally grey decisions is sometimes necessary to win wars.
2. The Wire
Episode Details: Season 2 Episode 22
Air Date: 8 May 1994
Best Quote:
Bashir: "Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't? "
Garak: "My dear Doctor, they're all true. "
Bashir: "Even the lies? "
Garak: "Especially the lies. "
The Wire is a really interesting episode that explores Garak's character and the relationship that he has with Dr Bashir. The episode opens with Garak and Bashir having one of their lunch dates. Garak winces in pain and Bashir offers to take him to the infirmary, but he declines. Bashir is hurt that Garak doesn't trust him enough to tell him what is wrong.
Bashir begins noticing more strange behaviour from Garak over the next few days; displays of anger, going to Quark for help, public drinking, and injecting himself with pain killers. Bashir is eventually able to get Garak to the infirmary where he discovers that Garak's pain and odd behaviour is being caused by an implant embedded in his brain. Garak tells him that the device was gifted to him by Enabran Tain, the head of the Obsidian Order. The device is meant to trigger endorphins if Garak is tortured to make him feel less pain. Garak turned on the device a couple of years ago and started using it every day because living in exile on Deep Space Nine is a form of torture for him because the light are too bright and the temperature is too cold and everyone hates him. He's been using the device for so long he's become addicted to the rush of endorphins it gives him and now it's breaking down.
Bashir vows to remove the device, but Garak doesn't think he's worth saving. This episode features some excellent acting between Andrew Robinson as Garak and Siddig El Fadil as Dr Julian Bashir. Bashir wants desperately for Garak to trust him and to be his friend, but Garak cannot stop lying about his past. The quote included at the top of this summary is one of my favourite Garak moments because I think it says a lot about his character.
3. By Inferno's Light
Episode Details: Season 5 Episode 15
Air Date: 17 February 1997
Best Quote:
Garak talking to himself in an enclosed space: "I'm sorry, but that's absolutely unacceptable. I'm under enough strain as it is, I can't have you quitting on me. Get a hold of yourself, Garak. After all, you haven't had one of these attacks in years. Yes, this is a tight enclosed space. Yes, there's not a lot of room to move. But a disciplined mind does not allow itself to be sidetracked by niggling psychological disorders like claustrophobia. Besides, this isn't like Tzenketh. The walls won't collapse in on you. Your friends are near by, there's plenty of air, so there's nothing to be concerned about. Focus on the job. You're the only person who can contact the runabout. People are depending on you. Ziyal is depending on you. You promised her you'd come back, and that young lady has had quite enough disappointments in her life without you adding to them, so control yourself. You're stronger than this. A disciplined mind-" the light goes out.
This episode opens with Garak, Worf, Bashir and Martok struggling to escape from a Dominion Internment Camp. Life in the camp is very tough; Worf is forced to fight in a fighting ring every day, food is scarce, and morale is low. Garak and the others are desperate to return to Deep Space Nine to let them know that there is a Changeling on the station masquerading as Dr Bashir. The prisoners come up with an idea: if they can find a way to contact their runabout in orbit they might be able to transport themselves out of the camp.
Garak volunteers to crawl into a tight space within the walls of their cell and work to contact the runabout by creating a makeshift communicator from wires and computer parts ripped from the wall. As the other prisoners stand guard, Garak spends hours working within the wall. He starts talking to himself and flinching at every small sound and flickering light. Garak suffers from severe claustrophobia. He eventually becomes so overwhelmed, Bashir is forced to remove him from the space and make him rest on a bed.
The prisoners wonder if they need to come up with a new plan, but Garak tells them that's not necessary. He gets up from his bed and tells them it's time for him to go back to work in his dungeon. He goes back in and this time is able to contact the runabout. The prisoners beam up to the runabout and make their escape. I love Andrew Robinson's acting in this episode. It turns out that Andrew suffers from mild-claustrophobia in real life so when he was filming the scenes in the crawl space he really was scared and wasn't acting. It made the scene all the more believable and added an interesting side to Garak.
4. Our Man Bashir
Episode Details: Season 4 Episode 10
Air Date: 27 November 1995
Best Quote:
"If I were in your shoes, I'd grab a bottle of champagne and shoot me! " - Garak to Bashir
Our Man Bashir is a classic example of a fun episode of Star Trek. The episode is a parody of 1960's spy movies and Ian Fleming's James Bond series and uses the classic Star Trek storyline of a holodeck malfunction as its main plot point. The episode opens with Bashir acting out a James Bond inspired spy fantasy in a holodeck program. He is having a lot of fun pretending to be a secret agent when he is suddenly interrupted by someone clapping.
It is Garak. He is broken into his holodeck program to find out what Bashir has been doing with his time. Bashir is angry that Garak has invaded his privacy and tries to make him leave, but Garak uses his charm to convince him to let him stay and join in.
"Don't worry, Doctor," he tells him. "We're going to have a wonderful time. After all, what could possibly go wrong?"
A lot in fact does end up going wrong. A transporter accident sees the physical forms of the station's senior staff beamed into the holodeck program and their memories wiped and rewritten so they think they are characters in the program. Bashir and Garak cannot turn the program off because that would give the senior staff brain damage.
Garak and Bashir are left with no other option but to play the game out to completion to give the people working outside the holodeck time to try and fix the transporter accident. The episode unfolds like a typical classic spy movie with Bashir acting in the role of the hero, Captain Sisko as the moustache swirling villain, women in short skirts, and multiple references to the 1960's and James Bond.
I love Garak's (who once really was a spy) observations about Bashir's holodeck program as he tags along with Bashir throughout the episode. He starts off amused by the whole thing, but as the stakes begin to rise he starts to get annoyed with Bashir, and accuses him of having a childish fantasy and not facing reality. This is a great Garak and Bashir episode. It has a lot of humorous moments in it and really helps to build the relationship between Garak and Bashir.
5. Body Parts
Episode Details: Season 4 Episode 25
Air Date: 10 June 1996
Best Quote:
Quark: "Snapping vertebrae is out."
Garak: "We're running out of options... You don't want to be vaporized because you need a body. The disruptor ruined your clothing, the knife was too savage, the nerve gas smelled bad, hanging took too long and poison... What was wrong with poison?"
Quark: "It doesn't work! If I know the food is poisoned, I won't eat it."
In this episode Quark returns from a trip to his home planet of Ferenginar with some distressing news: he has a terminal illness called Dorek Syndrome and only has six days left to live. Quark decides to sell his vacuum-desiccated remains on the Ferengi Futures Exchange in an effort to raise enough money to pay off his debts. He receives an offer from someone willing to purchase 52 discs of his remains for 500 bars of latinum.
Quark accepts the offer and begins planning on how he will use the money to settle his debts. He later receives a visit from Dr Bashir who tells him that his doctor had it wrong. He doesn't have Dorek Syndrome and isn't dying. Quark is thrilled because it means that he will be able to sue his doctor back home for malpractice. Later that day, Quark receives a visit from a Ferengi named Brunt. Brunt reveals that it was him who purchased the 52 discs of vacuum-desiccated Quark. Quark tells him he is not dying and offers him a full refund. Brunt is not interested and demands he receive his merchandise in six days. Quark's options are to either break the contract or kill himself.
Quark visits Garak and hires him as an assassin to kill him. The next scene is one of my favourite Quark and Garak scenes. We see Quark eating food at a bar. Garak walks up to him from behind and snaps his neck. Quark's head hits the table and he dies. Garak steps back from the table and Quark walks over to look at what he's done revealing that the two of them are on the holodeck. Garak turns to Quark with a smile and asks "How's that?" like they're in his tailor shop looking at clothes. Quark replies "Awful!" and the two of them have a long discussion about how he wants to be killed.
I love how Garak is so quick to accept Quark's request for him to kill him. He isn't bothered by morals or ethics or the question if what he is doing is right or wrong. In his mind it's just a job, there is no emotion involved, he does what he is asked to do with a smile and without a care. He is terrifying and that is what makes him so fascinating.
In the end Quark decides to break the contract with Brunt and cancels his arrangement with Garak. Body Parts is a great episode that sheds a lot of light on Ferengi culture and Quark's character and his relationship with Garak. I always find it enjoyable to re-watch.
Are you fond of the character of Garak?
What are some of your favourite Garak episodes of Star Trek Deep Space Nine?
Why? Garak was a character in Star Trek Deep Space Nine. He was one of the most interesting and well written characters on the show
Where: Star Trek Deep Space Nine is available for purchase on DVD and digital download and is available on some streaming services
FAQs
What is the best Deep Space 9 episode? ›
- "In the Pale Moonlight" (Season 6, Episode 19) ...
- "Far Beyond the Stars" (Season 6, Episode 13) ...
- "The Visitor" (Season 4, Episode 3) ...
- "Duet" (Season 1, Episode 19) ...
- "Who Mourns for Morn?" (Season 6, Episode 12) ...
- "What You Leave Behind" (Season 7, Episode 25)
Viewers never knew if Garak was on the side of either good or bad, but Robinson calls the question irrelevant as his character wasn't either. In spite of his alien DNA, he was very much a human in that he had secrets that challenged his ethical and moral life.
Are Garak and Bashir dating? ›The characters of Garak and Bashir were never romantically attached in Deep Space Nine canon, but their relationship has been speculated on by fans for decades. Now fans will have the chance to watch the characters' originating actors play out their romance together.
Why was DS9 Cancelled? ›The serialized structure of Deep Space Nine became increasingly normal, which further contrasted with other projects in the franchise. That was one of the reasons it eventually ended.
Is Garak a villain? ›Type of Villain
This version of Elim Garak is a recurring antagonist in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Mirror Universe episodes. He is the secondary antagonist of "Crossover" and "Through the Looking Glass" and a major antagonist in "Shattered Mirror" and "The Emperor's New Cloak".
In 2368, Garak somehow betrayed Tain, and Tain ordered him killed. Garak escaped, but was exiled from his homeworld of Cardassia Prime.
What happens to Garak after ds9? ›After the Dominion War, he became a political figure, then served as Cardassian Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, and eventually Castellan of the Cardassian Union.
Is Gul Dukat evil? ›Although Dukat was a very bad man, he thought of himself as righteous. He deluded himself into believing the Bajorans needed him, and he thought of himself as their savior. Several years after the Occupation, he lamented the fact that they had never built a statue in his honor.
Who infected Odo? ›The station physician Julian Bashir has inferred that the Federation's shadowy black ops agency, Section 31, infected Odo deliberately to transmit the disease to the Dominion's Founders.
Who was the Cardassian that tortured Picard? ›Otherwise cool and refined Cardassian senior officer who engineered Picard's capture and then tortured him in 2369. Madred says his brutal childhood in the streets prepared him for the job, and he even accepts a visit from his preteen daughter Jil Orra while Picard is in his office.
Who married Bashir? ›
Doctor Julian Bashir is a Human Starfleet officer, and former Chief Medical Officer of Deep Space 9. He is married to the captain of the U.S.S. Aventine, Ezri Dax, with whom he has children.
Who does Dr Bashir end up with? ›As depicted in the series finale "What You Leave Behind," Bashir remains aboard Deep Space Nine, and begins a romantic relationship with Ezri Dax. In the Mirror Universe, the alternate Bashir is a freedom fighter in the Terran Rebellion.
Why was Garak Exiled A stitch in time? ›Garak was exiled after being forced even to betray his father/mentor, and they parted bitterly. In fact, Tain refused to give his son any forgiveness when he died alongside Garak in a Dominion prison camp in 2373.
Will there be a Star Trek Sisko? ›In Idw Publishing's forthcoming Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine's Captain Benjamin Sisko returns - as a god!
Why did Sisko go bald? ›Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko) wanted to shave his head, but directors were concerned that he would look too much like Hawk, a character he played in the 1980s series Spenser: for Hire. It was only after Brooks was identified more with Sisko than Hawk that he was allowed to shave his head. 4.
Is DS9 better than TNG? ›I do think DS9 is the much better show. Far more superior writing and story arcs made the show much better than episodic TNG, which while it had some extremely good episodes (“Measure of a Man”, “Yesterday's Enterprise”, “Best of Both Worlds”, “All Good Things…”, etc), DS9 just had more quality writing.
What is the most famous line in Star Trek? ›Take "Space: the final frontier," for example. In addition to being one of the most iconic phrases in all of Star Trek, it's also the opening line of Kirk's title theme speech at the start of each Original Series episode. It was also used by Picard in The Next Generation.
What was the banned Star Trek episode? ›For many years, the episodes "Miri," "Plato's Stepchildren," "The Empath," and "Whom Gods Destroy" were banned in the UK. Star Trek was considered a children's program and these episodes were deemed too intense for minors.
What is number 1 name in Star Trek? ›Una Chin-Riley, commonly and originally only known as Number One, is a fictional character in the science-fiction franchise Star Trek. She is Christopher Pike's second-in-command during his captaincy of the starship Enterprise.
Was Garak a good tailor? ›We didn't really get to see very many examples of Garak actually doing tailoring. Probably the largest instance of him doing that task (not talking about it, but actually doing it) is in For The Cause, where he's doing up Quark's outfit.
What does Garak mean? ›
Garak, definition, Garak, meaning | English dictionary
n. something excellent, impressive.
Back on DS9, Odo invites Garak to breakfast, showing that he doesn't hold any hard feelings, because he knows how much the other man wants to return home. He feels that himself.
Is Gul Dukat a good guy? ›He can be charming. He can be generous. He can do the right thing. All of that somehow makes his 'evil' actions all the more despicable, because we know that there was the potential in there for him to be a better person." Ultimately, despite the character's versatility, "Dukat is a bad guy.
What is the best quote from Garak? ›Garak : "Truth, Doctor, is in the eye of the beholder. I never tell the truth because I don't believe there is such a thing. That's why I prefer the straight line simplicity of cutting cloth."
Why do Garak and Dukat hate each other? ›Garak and Dukat had a strong rivalry, no doubt impacted by the fact that Garak had Dukat's father executed for treason. In Garak's second appearance on the show, he used his relationship with Dr. Julian Bashir to help get revenge on Dukat, which was noted by both Cardassians.
What happens to cardassia after Dominion War? ›The Cardassian military was reduced greatly from two years of total war against the Federation Alliance, and their economy was crippled. In the Treaty of Bajor, the Cardassian Union agreed that all Alpha Quadrant territories would revert to the status before the Dominion's entry into the quadrant.
Who replaced Jadzia? ›The character is a member of the Trill species, and is formed of both a host and a symbiont—referred to as Dax. Ezri was introduced to the series following the death of the previous Dax host, Jadzia (Terry Farrell) at the end of season six.
What happened to the Cardassians after the Dominion War? ›Lack of resources forced the Cardassians to expand. This way, an aggresssive, militaristic colonial power emerged. After the devastation of the Dominion War the Union is reverting to a more liberal and civil society. The Union is ruled by the Detapa Council.
Who kills Gul Dukat? ›The crew of Deep Space Nine hold a party at Vic's to commemorate the end of the war and their departure. Meanwhile, Kai Winn and Gul Dukat continue to summon the Pah-wraiths. Kai Winn tricks Gul Dukat into killing himself with poisoned wine in order to offer a "sacrifice" to the Pah-wraiths.
What race are the Cardassians? ›The Cardassians were a humanoid species from the Alpha Quadrant. They were native to the planet Cardassia Prime, capital world of the Cardassian Union.
What rank is a Cardassian Gul? ›
Gul. Gul is a military rank held by the commander of a vessel or installation. The rank's closest approximation is a Starfleet Captain. Each Cardassian Order is led by a Gul.
Who did Odo marry? ›The plan works; Odo and Lwaxana are married and Jeyal leaves the station.
Which episode was Odo cured? ›Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien go to some pretty extreme measures to try and track down a cure for Odo. Dr.
Why did Odo leave Kira? ›Kira was the prime suspect, but he let her go when she convinced him she was elsewhere committing sabotage at the time. Odo became chief of security on Terok Nor, and once arrested three Bajorans — Timor, Ishan, and Jillur — for an assassination attempt on Gul Dukat.
Who outsmarted Picard? ›For most people, Roga Danar (played by Jeff McCarthy) is as Mariner says, “some dude nobody has heard of.” He appeared in the TNG Season 3 episode “The Hunted,” and briefly, did “outsmart” Picard, just as Boimler says.
Why does Picard say there are 4 lights? ›For some fans, "Chain of Command" resonated in a real and terrifying way. “There are four lights!” Those are the final words Captain Jean-Luc Picard shouts out to his torturer, Gul Madred. Good prevails over evil and all is well with the world.
Is Agnes Jurati Borg? ›Borgati's “off-shoot” The final two episodes of Star Trek: Picard season two saw Agnes Jurati become a Borg Queen.
Is Bashir a Picard? ›Picard sits talking with a therapist/counsellor who looks like DS9's Dr. Bashir (but it's not Alexander Siddig, the actor is James Callis). It is a routine psych evaluation, but Picard is resistant and angry. In an effort to get Picard to open up, the therapist hands him the model star to inspire a story.
What is Dr Bashir secret? ›In this episode, Dr. Lewis Zimmerman comes to DS9 to create a medical hologram based on Dr. Bashir, leading to the revelation that Bashir was genetically modified as a child.
Is Bashir a changeling? ›The Changeling Julian Bashir was a Changeling of the Founders in the 24th century. In the 2370s, this Changeling was one of a handful of agents tasked with destabilizing relationships between the larger organizations of the Alpha Quadrant.
Did Bashir ever cure the blight? ›
Bashir cleans the child and is astonished to find no lesions on the child's body… he is free of the blight. Bashir realizes the antigen must have been absorbed through the placenta and immunized him to the disease; although he couldn't find a cure, he has made a vaccine.
Did Worf and Jadzia have a baby? ›As Sisko looks on, Worf and Jadzia share their final words, as she regrets that the two will now never have children.
Who was Dr Bashir's best friend on Deep Space Nine? ›Bashir's closest friend is O'Brien, and they are frequently shown playing games (like darts) or visiting the holosuite for a recreation of a historical battle. While serving on Deep Space 9, he met Elim Garak, a Cardassian tailor, who Bashir though might have been a spy.
Is Garak a good guy? ›Viewers never knew if Garak was on the side of either good or bad, but Robinson calls the question irrelevant as his character wasn't either. In spite of his alien DNA, he was very much a human in that he had secrets that challenged his ethical and moral life.
What is the Cardassian neck trick? ›The Cardassian neck trick is a physical feat performed by Cardassians. Due to their prominent neckbones, Cardassians can only move their heads 180 degrees, compared to Humans who can turn 240 degrees.
What is the best season of Deep Space Nine? ›Deep Space Nine (Season 6) - 7.60
One highlight, "Far Beyond the Stars" is generally considered one of the best of the entire DS9 series, and was an interesting diversion from the constant onslaught of war that dominated the last half of the series.
Quark named Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most popular character. Quark being the most popular character is a surprise. The survey SlashFilm did include 619 people, so it's not exactly like it was everyone who's ever seen the show but it's a fair sample size.
Can I skip the first season of Deep Space Nine? ›I mean, you can. There are nuggets of exceptional world building material that all get laid down in the first season. Meeting Kai Opaka and seeing how beloved she is, I won't actually start listing things because it'll end up too long. There are a lot of things from season 1 that get referenced throughout the series.
When should I watch Deep Space Nine? ›Watch from one mid-season two-parter to the next, taking in the rest of TNG's fifth season and the first half of the sixth up to the Cardassian two-parter ready for Deep Space Nine.
Which is better DS9 or Voyager? ›The general consensus is that DS9 was a poor premise (stuck on a space station, unable to go anywhere) executed very well (wonderfully rounded characters, strong dramatic themes, good storytelling), and Voyager was an excellent premise (as proved by BSG) executed very poorly (little suspense, 2-d characters, lack of ...
Why is DS9 so popular? ›
One of the principal qualities that sets "Deep Space Nine" apart from previous Trek installments is its embrace of conflict and a muddied morality. The eternal optimism and integrity of Roddenberry's utopian vision was jettisoned like an escape pod by the showrunners.
How many hours a day is DS9? ›Deep Space Nine operates on a 26 hour day schedule because the planet Bajor which it orbited at the beginning of the series and which the wormhole is located near has a 26 hour day.
Who is the main villain in Deep Space Nine? ›Meet Gul Dukat: Butcher of Bajor, Servant to the Pah-wraiths, Foil to Sisko. Portrayed expertly by Marc Alaimo, this character appeared in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the primary antagonist.
What did the Cardassians call Deep Space Nine? ›In the Star Trek universe, Deep Space Nine was originally a Cardassian mining and refinery station named Terok Nor in orbit around Bajor, and it was built by Bajoran slave labor under Cardassian rule in 2346.
Should I watch DS9 or Voyager first? ›Chronologically DS9, then VOY.
Does Deep Space Nine take place after The Next Generation? ›Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)
Approximately five years after the start of The Next Generation, the events of Deep Space Nine begin running concurrently with Picard's voyage. Deep Space Nine does not take place aboard a Starfleet ship like the previous iterations.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-Present)
But so far, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the best Trek series of the modern streaming era. It also has had the best first season of any Trek since the original series.
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Emissary (TV Episode 1993) - Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Locutus of Borg - IMDb.
Is DS9 the best Star Trek? ›Many feel that TNG followed in its predecessors footsteps, and carried on its legacy. However, user Antithesys saw that DS9 did something completely different when they wrote "DS9 is the best Star Trek series, as it takes a lot of risks and tells a deep, cohesive story with a wide range of compelling characters".
What episode of Deep Space Nine does the Dominion War start? ›"Call to Arms" is the 26th and final episode of the fifth season of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 124th episode overall. This episode marks the start of the show's celebrated Dominion war story arc.