The Delta Flyers podcast did a great job reviewing this episode. If you're not familiar with the podcast, it was started by Robert Duncan McNeil and Garrett Wang originally to review all episodes of Voyager. When they finished with Voyager, they added Armin Shimerman and Terry Farrell as hosts to review all episodes of DS9. For this particular episode, they had Nana Visitor on as a special guest. It was a really interesting listen!
Was that our first exposure to a non-soldier Cardassian? I know he was military, but like a clerk or something. I think he really added some color to Cardassians, who up until that point were nothing but a one-dimensional fascist military race.
I'd classify Garak as Military. While he isn't a soldier per se him being a Spook (Especially a Cardie Spook) means he was directly involved in tactical ops.
Marritza by contrast was doing a decidedly civilian job (file clerk) and most likely only ever participated in combat during training.
That was such a good episode - I think the first episode during my first rewatch since it first aired when I realized this show had more of an edge than I remembered.
DS9 has always had edge. It's among the great works of Anti-Fascist media. Given the course history has taken since it aired, the show has aged like fine wine.
I posted last month on this topic but I too forgot how many bangers are in Season 2 especially, they just tend to get overshadowed by the later seasons.
ds9 is best trek imo. the double fake identity twist is just silly enough that it somehow feels conceivable, even with the cosmetic surgery angle. i don’t know that i’d take a plot like that seriously in anything other than a star trek story lmao
Now I need to see that episode again! I remember that episode really standing out to me when I was first watching the show, I think I rewatched it in the next day or two.