Breaking Bad was the first show that really took advantage of secondary characters to craft a truly engaging story. Piecing together the disparate parts of Garak’s stories, you can see a glimpse of the truth: at some point in the past he was forced to betray his belief in obedience to the state in order to remain true to himself. He was actually the son of Tain and Tain's housekeeper Mila. Garak appears in the game's fourth expansion, Victory is Life, voiced once more by Andrew Robinson. Ben 1 year ago Wow… I didn’t expect ANY of that from either of them. Brief summary: As Worf and Garak are imprisoned by the Dominion while on a mission to find the lost Enabran Tain, Sisko prepares for an imminent invasion. He was exiled when Elim turned him in to the authorities. The term ‘Life Skills’ refers to the skills you need to make the most out of life. The implant began to malfunction, and Doctor Bashir was forced to deactivate the device. The two formed a bond as the only Cardassians on the station, and Ziyal fell in love with him. Benjamin Franklin or Elim Garak? (Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004, p. 270). When Garak was exiled to DS9 he hacked the device so that it remained on continuously, in order to make his exile tolerable. And you'll get what you wanted: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. (DS9: "Broken Link"), Garak received a message from the Gamma Quadrant the following year from Enabran Tain. ", "Treason, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. 4 years ago 0 children. Garak: Lying is a skill like any other, and if you want to maintain a level of excellence you have to practice constantly. And if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly." [4], Robinson commented: "I’m not saying anybody was jealous about the amount of material I was getting, but some of the regulars would laugh and say, “Jesus, you’re getting a good bite out of this.” And it’s true. Worf realises Garak is joking and asks him why and Garak tells him: "Lying is a skill like any other. (DS9: "Call to Arms"), He was part of Sisko's crew that destroyed a Ketracel-white facility. When it was clear that the captain wasn't in need of a suit, and the entire meeting was a method of back-channel communication to the Detapa Council, Garak thanked the captain and said that he had "Everything I need." (DS9: "Profit and Loss") Bashir and Garak began to have weekly lunches, where they grew to be friends. You have always been a weakness I can't afford." headquarters. ( Log Out /  We had long talks about wardrobe and makeup, but we also talked about attitude, so that he would retain that stiffness that you see in all Cardassians." And if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly." SpyAssassinGardenerTailorRebel (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. The only way to turn the war around is the bring the Romulan Empire into the fighting, opening a third front and forcing the Dominion to spread out its line of defense. On his deathbed, Tain finally admitted that Garak was his son, and told Garak that he was proud of him. Lying is a skill like any other, and if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly. ", "I'm going to miss our lunches together." There he found Tain, dying. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind"), Garak introduced himself to Bashir during the Tahna Los incident on the station, in which Bashir suspected him of being a spy, which made him curious about him. She hopes to ready her apprentice Lob to be ready to carry on her responsibility when he is ready. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Entreri: "And the real thing can kill you whether you believe in it or not." (DS9: "Past Prologue"), Garak after having his hand bitten by Rugal, Along with Bashir, he foiled a plot by Dukat to embarrass a Cardassian diplomat who opposed Dukat's dictatorial ways. Rate 5 stars Rate 4 stars Rate 3 stars Rate 2 stars Rate 1 star . Popular Quizzes Today. (DS9: "Cardassians", "The Wire", "Profit and Loss", "Broken Link", "Behind the Lines", "What You Leave Behind"), Elim Garak was the son of Enabran Tain, a nefarious Cardassian who never grew tired of repeating to his son "I should have killed your mother before you were born. He even gives Section 31 a run for their money. "Lying is a skill like any other and if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly." Elim Garak was a Cardassian male introduced in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Past Prologue. 23. What’s interesting about Garak is that due to his past, connections, and skills he has other dynamics with some other characters like Odo and Captain Sisko, but it’s the one with Bashir that’s most compelling. -----Elim Garak: Lying is a skill like any other, and if you want to maintain a level of excellence you have to practice constantly----Dr. Julian Bashir: You'll be fine. Worf : Practice on someone else. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain. Unfortunately the whole thing turns out to be a trap and the fleet is wiped out, with Garak and Odo barely escaping with their lives on board the Defiant. ", "That's why you came to me, isn't it, captain? Worf : Practice on someone else. Doenyon. Garak contacted his remaining contacts on Cardassia Prime and found them willing to assist, but then they were all killed within one day of speaking with him. Although he excelled at this duty, the thought that he was betraying and enabling the deaths of numerous Cardassians was so deeply troubling that it subconsciously aggravated his claustrophobia to such a debilitating severity, that even by Garak's own admission, spaces he found tolerable, such as his tailor shop and other areas, were now inducing panic attacks. He set up a tailor's shop, and went into business soon after his fellow Cardassians left the station. WORF: Good. Worf : Practice on someone else. He was known to be a witty conversationalist and a skilled tailor. And the fact now that he's so popular says something about how the audience has matured. And his eyes and the tone of his voice say something different than the words he's speaking. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The lifeless body fell to the ground, left lying like discarded trash as the guards seized Garak. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. Garak took a great deal of pride in his ability to force information from people and did not need to be ordered to do so. [3] See also: Non-heterosexual characters in Star Trek, Contributing to this speculation is his occupational status as an operative in the Obsidian Order, where romance and sexuality would have been an intolerable distraction and liability to one involved in such treacherous business (as they proved to be in Enabran Tain's case, who was obligated to conceal his amorous relationship and subsequent fatherhood of Garak, these familial connections perpetually posing "a weakness [he couldn't] afford.") It’s going to require guile, finesse and a deviousness bordering on madness. Well that’s going to require a massive deception. ", "Lying is a skill like any other. (AOL chat, 1998), Garak's profession as a tailor was an homage by producer Peter Allan Fields to the 1960s television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E., in which Del Floria's tailor shop served as the secret entrance to U.N.C.L.E. by notonlyanalytics Plays Quiz not verified by Sporcle . Finally the implant failed and he was brought to sickbay in excruciating pain. This was featured in the episode, In The Pale Moonlight, and is one of the best episodes in the series. "Lying is a skill like any other and if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly." Ira in particularly is a big fan of that British series". In TV this often means writers take the easy way out and simply leave the secondary characters as one dimensional foils. He’s always on Bajor, someone always ends up dead, and there always betrayal between himself and Elim. Tain offered Garak his old position in the Order back, and despite their past history, Garak accepted. Malcolm in the Middle : In the episode "Pearl Harbor," Malcolm and Reese need to get back at Jessica for making them both think the other was gay, so Reese gives Malcolm a hickey and Malcolm fervently denies it when his mother thinks Jessica did it . ', Friedrich Nietzsche: “I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.” But I never believe me.” “If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.”. [1], Getting the characterization of Garak right was important to both the crew and the actor himself. And if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly. GARAK: Mister Worf, you're no fun at all. (DS9: "When It Rains...") When the fledgling resistance was crushed by the Jem'Hadar, Garak, Kira, and Damar retreated to Tain's house, his boyhood home, where he was reunited with Tain's housekeeper and confidante, Mila. Of the origins of the character, Peter Allan Fields said that "we needed a Cardassian who didn't act like one, so I finally put him in a tailor shop, and nobody hit me, so we kept him there." "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" In Purgatory's Shadow (TV Episode 1997) Michael Dorn as Lt. Cmdr. He was a bad guy, in a way. Although it's me playing him, when I see Garak on TV, I swear to god this is true, I'm fascinated." Elim Garak : Mr. Worf, you're no fun at all. The only way to bring them in is to convince them that they’re in imminent danger as well. With the war over, Garak's exile had ended. Doenyon. (DS9: "The Dogs of War"), After Mila was killed in the final days of the Dominion War, Garak led the uprising with Damar and Colonel Kira and participated in the storming of Dominion Headquarters, killing Weyoun 8, who was the last of Weyoun's clones. Garak: Lying is a skill like any other, and if you want to maintain a level of excellence you have to practice constantly. The event also made Garak and O'Brien come closer to each other because of their similar traumatic experiences in their life. He may seem like nothing more than a lowly tailor, but there is more to them meets the eye as he is plugged into more intelligence resources than the whole of Starfleet combined. Elim Garak : Mr. Worf, you're no fun at all. Initially, Ziyal is skeptical, but as she puts her lessons into practice, she soon comes to understand just how powerful a carefully-crafted lie can be. Dukat confronts Major Kira, accusing her of betraying him by letting Ziyal fraternize with a personal enemy of his. Any Garak, Dual Affiliation personnel, Skill level 2 personnel Versions Agent Garak (LFL, VP TCC, VP) Elim (BoG, BoG (Foil), VP TCC, VP) Elim Garak (DS9, Reflections) Garak (1A, 1A Errata, TD, Reflections, IC) Mr. Garak ; Plain, Simple Garak (DS9, EMS) Mirror Universe Security Chief Garak (MM, CRS) Legal Card Pools Complete, Virtual Garak's mother Rate 5 stars Rate 4 stars Rate 3 stars Rate 2 stars Rate 1 star . Mother: (DS9: "The Wire") Another time, he claimed he was exiled for tax evasion. He wasn't such a bad guy at the end of the show." While suffering from the degradation of his cranial implant, he gave three versions of the reason for his exile to Doctor Julian Bashir: Dr. Bashir later discovered from Enabran Tain that "Elim" was actually Garak's first name, indicating that none of these explanations were entirely true. Tain had, of course, not seen fit to simply hand him over. That would explain why he shot me in the back the other day. 24. I'm a very good tailor. Instead of relying on a fake recording, that would be inspected a thousand times over, and having four or five people wandering around knowing the truth, we instead rely on the Romulan’s own paranoia to accomplish our goals. Doenyon. Change ). Don't you agree? According to the script for "Afterimage", the character's first name was pronounced as "EE-lim". I already talked about how Dukat was one of the most interesting characters on the show, but there was another that was even better and who demands a blog post of their very own. I have threats against my life. ", "I believe in coincidences. [7], Hans Beimler commented, "To me, the guy that embodied the show was Garak. The group was beamed out, leaving Haran's body alone and forgotten. Garak then proposed that they fabricate the evidence in order to give the Romulan Star Empire reason to join the war. (DS9: "Improbable Cause"), In time, it also led to them having many meetings during dinner and to many other close conversations. skill and precision. Everything was basically safe. We live in uncertain times.". "Especially the lies. Elim Garak: 64.6%: Gul Dukat: 25.6%: War is such thirsty work. One is that Americans really are very nervous about sexual ambiguity. MegaBearsFan Smack-Fu Master, in training The reconstruction would be dire, as his final, preoccupied and sorrowful look showed. "Lying is a skill like any other. (DS9: "Profit and Loss"), Garak grimacing in pain caused by his malfunctioning cranial implant, Later that year, Garak began having life-threatening headaches. In 2368, Garak somehow betrayed Tain, and Tain ordered him killed. Error: Twitter did not respond. Species: He worked with Starfleet during the Dominion War, returning to Cardassia Prime just prior to the Battle of Cardassia to help organize the Cardassian Liberation Front. Andrew Robinson based the novel on the notes about Garak which the actor had written and kept during the run of the series, so the novel provided a large amount of background information on Garak developed by Robinson. During his time there he may have been involved in the deaths of several important Romulan officials, including Proconsul Merrok and Sub-Commander Ustard and the Romulan ambassador (though this was based on stories Garak told of his own past, which were not reliable). 5 mo ago. Elim Garak: Lying is a skill like any other, and if you want to maintain a level of excellence you have to practice constantly Dr. Julian Bashir: You'll be fine. (DS9: "The Wire"), When Sisko asked Garak if the attempted assassination plot against him in 2371 was somehow related to his exile, he stated that he seriously doubted that the finance ministry would try to kill him for not paying his taxes. - Garak, to Worf "I should have never have come here. level 2 [deleted] (DS9: "Cardassians"), In 2370, Garak was offered a chance to regain his position on Cardassia by killing members of the Cardassian Underground. There's a great bit between Garak and Worf in In Purgatory's Shadow where Garak asks Worf for his recommendation to join Starfleet (and with the rank of Commander ). 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. (DS9: "Past Prologue"), Garak kept contacts in the Cardassian Union after his exile, and when Starfleet took control of Terok Nor, renaming it Deep Space 9, he attempted on occasion to use his position as the only Cardassian still aboard to regain his usefulness. What else could it be?" To Garak truth is the lines in between lies; he once claimed that all he says is true – "especially the lies". [5], Garak originally had a larger role in "Tears of the Prophets", the final episode of the sixth season. (This revelation rather gobsmacks Bashir.) 1. (DS9: "The Wire", "For the Cause", "In Purgatory's Shadow") That fact contributed to Dukat later regretting not having had Garak executed (though not for lack of trying, according to Garak). KIRA: Dukat, I've had a busy day. He was a fuckin' spy, man! (DS9: "The Wire"), Garak's masterful skills for subterfuge were such that even in the most dire of scenarios he would lie and misdirect any attempt to ascertain the truth or his intentions. Kira then threatens to break out and take back the tablet and wouldn't stop until she was dead, to which Garak replies that he has no permission to kill them just yet, so he takes the three prisoners and the tablet back to Terok Nor to discover its secrets together. If you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly." They’re also so busy defending that they can’t launch any offensive operations, meaning that the war is turning into a war of attrition that the Federation can’t possibly hope to win when the Dominion can simply clone more soldiers. - Elim Garak Sagittal human brain with cortical regions delineated. Garak's Clothiers was a tailors' shop operated by Elim Garak on the Promenade of Deep Space 9. Jarlaxle: "Do keep ever present in your thoughts, my friend, that an illusion can kill you if you believe in it." Originally, in that very first episode, I loved the man's absolute fearlessness about presenting himself to an attractive Human being. The two later learned that the assassination was ordered by his former mentor, Enabran Tain. ? Despite his claustrophobia temporarily immobilizing him when he was forced to work in a confined space, Garak eventually modified Tain's subspace transmitter to allow the prisoners to escape from the camp, with Worf and the recovered General Martok both complimenting his courage, Garak in return complimenting Worf's strength at providing him time by fighting with various Jem'Hadar. )), Ronald D. Moore commented: "I know that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was definitely one of the influences on Garak's character. As a matter of fact, I know they did". Oh yeah, that’s right. And that's a good thing". 25. Garak once told Bashir, “Truth is in the eye of the beholder, Doctor. As he limped home, his father held Garak's hand and would later recall that he was very proud of him that day. Garak became deranged and killed a Starfleet officer, Amaro, before being subdued by Chief Miles O'Brien. ("More From Moore", Star Trek Magazine issue 49 [page number? However, he doubted that the faked recordings would fool the Romulans, so without Sisko's knowledge, he had Romulan Senator Vreenak assassinated and implicated the Dominion so that the Romulans would enter the war. They would rationally dismiss the Founder’s threat as mere anger or saber-rattling. Garak is charming, untrustworthy, and slippery, all lies and evasions. The Closet Professor is a fun (sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes very … Worf After recovering from the effects of the drug, Garak asked O'Brien to express his regrets to Amaro's wife. level 1. Skrain Dukat assigned Garak the role of Terok Nor's tailor upon his exile to the station. Garak also said that he was exiled after being. Worf : Practice on someone else. “Lying is a skill like any other and if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly.” 5. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior"). When the Defiant heads into the Gamma Quadrant to take a disintegrating Odo home, Garak tags along at Sisko’s request to keep the constable company. When Garak is really lying, really manipulating, you won’t know it until long after the game is played. His attempt failed when he was discovered by Worf, and he was imprisoned on Deep Space 9 for six months. Garak is a character and an eventual main character of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Status: Garak’s mysterious past also serves an important function to the plot and story as a whole. If a smart guy like Garak says that he's 'plain and simple', you realize that he's not plain and not simple. Gul Dukat: 64.6%: Elim Garak: 25.6%: The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination. Garak, and his relationship with Bashir, ... What better way to make sure his skill at lying was kept sharp? He explained that he would rather stay with his Federation associates than live on the station, which would soon be under the command of Gul Dukat once more. Garak agrees to do so but only if Tain acknowledges Garak as his son. Prior to these episodes, the two men had a purely “professional” relationship. However, the Cardassia he knew was gone forever, destroyed by the Dominion. The true goal of the plan however, is to kill the Senator who is arriving to evaluate the evidence. In brief: Very ambitious -- not all of it worked, but a lot did. Garak had been taken to Terok Nor, where a very familiar surgeon had been waiting in the infirmary with his tools. He's a charming rogue, you can't deny it. WARNING: Those laboring "In Purgatory's Shadow" to avoid DS9 spoilers had best skip over this post. However, like most things in Star Trek we can learn from it. Here is 5 Life Lessons that Garak taught us in DS9. (DS9: "Call to Arms"), Garak with Bashir in the Julian Bashir, Secret Agent holoprogram, When Quark wanted to hire Garak as an assassin in order to kill himself as part of a contract he should not have done when he thought he was dying, Garak, realizing he did not want to die, seemingly played along with his wishes in order to help him deal with the horrible dilemma he was in and, in time, solve it. ", "The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination. The plan, which at first seemed needlessly complicated, is reduced to it’s most basic component. Chaos ensues among the fleet. And if you want to maintain a level of excellence, you have to practice constantly.” Bashir once tried to tell Garak the fable of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”