Duet (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
"Duet" | |
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 19 |
Directed by | James L. Conway |
Story by |
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Teleplay by | Peter Allan Fields |
Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
Production code | 419 |
Original air date | June 14, 1993 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Duet" is the 19th
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on
The episode has received critical acclaim, both for the quality of its performances and for the moral issues explored by the story.
Plot
A freighter docks at Deep Space Nine so one of its passengers may receive treatment for a condition called Kalla-Nohra, which was caused by a mining accident at a brutal labor camp called Gallitep during the
A photograph from Gallitep reveals that the man being held is not Aamin Marritza but Gul Darhe'el, the "Butcher of Gallitep" who reportedly murdered thousands of Bajorans. When confronted with this information, the prisoner proudly admits to being Darhe'el. Kira is shaken. Darhe'el seems convincing; however, inconsistencies in his story begin to stand out. Gul
Kira confronts the prisoner with this information. Marritza eventually breaks down in tears, branding himself a coward for not attempting to stop the atrocities at Gallitep. He begs Kira to prosecute him as Darhe'el, as he intended all along, insisting that Cardassia must be forced to admit its wrongdoings and Bajor must have the satisfaction of successfully prosecuting a Cardassian war criminal. Kira releases Marritza, realizing he is a good man so traumatized and remorseful from his experiences that he would give up his life to make amends. Kira escorts Marritza to a ship departing from the station. On the way out of the Promenade, Marritza is suddenly stabbed to death by a Bajoran. When Kira demands to know why, the Bajoran echoes her earlier sentiment: that being a Cardassian is reason enough. Kira, having had a change of heart, asserts that it is not.
Production
The episode was written by Peter Allan Fields, based on a story by Lisa Rich and Jeane Carrigan-Fauci.[1] The director of the episode is James L. Conway.[1]
Development
The episode features significant
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 Voyager's 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.
Reception
"Duet" was featured in
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 interrogation scenes between Kira and Marritza, particularly an exchange wherein Marritza shifts the focus to Kira's personal life and reverses the questioning, have been compared to exchanges between Jodie Foster's character and Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in The Silence of the Lambs.[13]
A 2015 binge-watching guide for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine by Wired recommended not skipping this essential episode.[14]
In 2016, Radio Times rated the death of the character Marritza as the 26th greatest scene in Star Trek, including scenes from movies and television.[15] In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter ranked "Duet" as the seventh best of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[16] They rated the episode the 35th best episode of all Star Trek episodes to date.[17]
In a 2016 article highlighting the best episode from each Star Trek series, Digital Trends gave "Duet" an honorable mention.[18] In 2018, Vulture ranked "Duet" as the 13th best episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[19] In 2019, Den of Geek ranked this episode the sixth best morality play of the Star Trek franchise.[20]
In 2016, Empire ranked it the 33rd best out of the top 50 episodes of all the 700 plus Star Trek television episodes.[21]
In 2016, Vox rated this one of the top 25 essential episodes of all Star Trek.[22]
In 2016, IGN ranked "Duet" the tenth best episode of all Star Trek series.[23] They note this episode for exploring the horrors of future-war, as Kira takes on her own sense of justice when confronted with what may be a Cardassian war criminal.[23]
In 2017, Radio Times ranked this episode the fifth best episode of Star Trek, especially for those unfamiliar with the franchise.[24] They note it touches upon themes of "desperation and forgiveness", although differentiating between the different science fiction aliens may be necessary.[24]
In 2018, SyFy recommend this episode for its abbreviated watch guide for the Bajoran character Kira Nerys.[25] They offer blunt praise for the plot and acting, remarking: "The story sounds simple; the performance is anything but." (SyFy)[25] They say actress Visitor's performance as Kira in this episode goes beyond being brilliant.[25]
In 2019,
In 2020, The Digital Fix ranked this episode as the sixth best episode of the series, describing it as "character drama at its finest" and an overall standout episode from the first season. They praised Nana Visitor and Harris Yulin's performances, saying Yulin gave his character a "gentle, sympathetic charm" and were impressed by the episode's dramatic ending.[27]
In 2020, Den of Geek listed "Duet" as one of the best stories of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[28]
In 2020, io9's James Whitbrook listed "Duet" as one of the "must-watch" episodes of Deep Space Nine, praising it as a standout from season one and an early example of "the gutwrenching highs" the series can achieve.[29]
The UK science fiction magazine and website SciFiNow ranked this one of the top ten episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 2020, calling it a "brilliant" episode that demonstrates the show's potential.[30]
Releases
This episode was released in 2017 on DVD with the complete series box set, which had 176 episodes on 48 discs.[31]
See also
- "He's Alive" – episode of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
- The Holocaust in the arts and popular culture
- The Man in the Glass Booth – 1975 film by Arthur Hiller
References
- ^ a b "Top 10 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes". Den of Geek. 2012-11-11. Archived from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
- ^ a b "Duet". The Trek Nation. 2004-01-12. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- ISBN 0-671-50106-2.
- ^ ASIN 6304489684.
- ^ "Great Bajoran Episodes". Specials. STARTREK.COM. Archived from the original on 2010-07-03. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- ^ "You're Stranded on a Desert Asteroid ... Our Best of the Best Episodes". Specials. STARTREK.COM. Archived from the original on 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- ^ "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 1". Jammer's Reviews. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- ISBN 978-0440507628
- Ex Astris Scientia. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ^ a b Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion
- ^ "Ira Steven Behr (Executive Producer)". Transcript Archive. STARTREK.COM. 1997-09-30. Archived from the original on 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- ^ Star Trek Monthly issue 127
- ^ "Top 50 Episodes #05-03". Trekmania. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
- ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
- ^ "The 50 Greatest Star Trek moments of all time - 3".
- ^ "'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' — The 20 Greatest Episodes". The Hollywood Reporter. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
- ^ Hollywood Reporter 'Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes
- ^ "From time travel to Tribbles: Here are the best Star Trek episodes from every series". www.digitaltrends.com. December 2016. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
- ^ "The Best Episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ranked by Angelica Jade Bastién". Vulture. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Star Trek's 12 Best Morality Plays". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2019-06-12.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "The 50 best Star Trek episodes ever". Empire. 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
- ^ Siede, Caroline (2016-09-06). "Star Trek, explained for non-Trekkies". Vox. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
- ^ a b "Star Trek: The Top 25 Episodes". IGN. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ^ a b David Brown (8 September 2017). "The 10 best Star Trek episodes on Netflix - for someone who's not a Star Trek fan". Radio Times. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ^ a b c Krishna, Swapna (2018-01-16). "A binge-watching guide to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Kira Nerys". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
- ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
- ^ Baz Greenland (2020-08-17). "TDF Top 10 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine". The Digital Fix. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
- ^ "The Best Star Trek Deep Space Nine Stories". Den of Geek. 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ^ "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Must-Watch Episodes". Gizmodo. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ "Deep Space Nine: Top Ten Episodes". SciFiNow. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
- ^ TrekNews net Staff (2017-02-10). "[REVIEW] Deep Space Nine Complete Series DVD Box Set". TREKNEWS.NET. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
External links
- "Duet" at IMDb
- Duet (episode) at Memory Alpha
- "Duet" at Wayback Machine (archived from the original at StarTrek.com)