A Thematic Masterpiece and Tour De Force for Nana Visitor

Matt’s Take on Episode 18: “Duet”

A Masterpiece?

“Duet” receives a lot of praise as one of the best episodes of the series. I am not here to say that it isn’t deserved; I think that from a thematic standpoint and with the poignancy of earth’s actual history behind this storyline, it certainly is one of the best. From an entertainment perspective, it is not one of my favorites. This is mainly because it is a very uncomfortable watch and, when you are aware of the real history of genocide that this episode is based on, it puts me into a very heavy mood. And that obviously should be one’s reaction to this type of subject matter, so no foul on the show for going there. I will say that thematically, and from an acting standpoint, this is one of the masterpiece episodes in Deep Space Nine.

Sisko’s Dilemma

Watching this for a second time and knowing the twists ahead, I was actually drawn into the drama revolving around Sisko’s difficult political situation. Obviously the Bajorans want any Cardassian who was remotely involved with the labor camps during the Occupation to pay dearly, and rightly so. But Sisko has reason to doubt that prisoner’s identity, and this leaves him having to decide whether to trust the Cardassians who claim that Gul Darhe’el is dead. This is a recurring theme throughout the series, as Sisko is often thrust into situations where he would like to trust and support Kira, but he often has conflicting responsibilities to the Federation. The picture that seems to identify Marritza as Gul Darhe’el seems to put the prisoner’s identity out of the question, but this just proves to be a misdirection. 

Kira’s Tour De Force

Nana Visitor is really something all throughout this episode. She carries the whole premise on her shoulders and, thanks to some great chemistry with Harris Yulin, conveys uncomfortable depths of emotional turmoil. While Kira clearly hates all of the Cardassians who were involved in the Occupation, she is fundamentally a good person. Therefore, she suffers from internal conflict revolving around her desire to see justice prevail, while she is also aware that she is motivated by a more ugly form of vengeance as well. Throughout the episode, she has to struggle to keep her composure, and is often left mentally battered by her interactions with Marritza, who seems to be the pure incarnate of evil. When his true identity is finally revealed, Kira embraces her better nature and seems to feel pity for this man who she previously believed to be such a monster. 

A Knife in the Back

When Marritza is being transferred, he is assassinated by a fanatical Bajoran. This is a terribly disturbing scene, because it shows how destructive blind hatred is. It also shows that, while Kira was able to do the right thing, there are many Bajorans who will blindly hate all Cardassians until the end of their days. It is a sobering thought which, unfortunately, has clear real world parallels. Clearly, as a society, we still have no idea how to root out hate and extremism.

Return to Jim’s Take: Deep Space Nine at its very best

Return to Rhonda’s Take: “Visitor and guest star Yulin imbue performances with powerful emotion”

Return to Ray’s Take: “Intricate and Intriguing Interplay with Layers of Misdirection and Mistrust”

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