Duet

It's hard for me to recall how I felt the first time I saw this episode, as I have now seen it so many times, but at first glance, it appears to be analogous to the Nazi concentration camp atrocities, and in many ways it is, but instead of the seething you expect to see from Kira when Marritza arrives at the station, we are slowly introduced to a whole other story. Without going into too much detail on the episode, it pleasantly and emotionally subverts expectations in the right way.

Harris Yulin absolutely steals the show. His performance is award-worthy, and Nana Visitor's performance is a great companion to Yulin's. But I cannot overstate how good Harris Yulin was in this episode, it is the best performance by an actor in a Star Trek episode in my opinion.

There will be plenty of reviews in detail about the story, I just want to say that this episode is why DS9 is so special. This took a unique look at the Star Trek universe in a way that I never saw again. It helped peel back layers of Kira's character, as well as foster her coming to terms with her past. Between the acting, characters, and performances it is a must-watch and arguably one of the best episodes of television of all time.

As the title implies, "Duet" is basically a two-character study featuring cast member Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys) going head to head with guest Haris Yulin, playing a suspected war criminal, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Bajorans in an internment camp. As the two engage in a "war of words," the show, like good science fiction, has strong commentary on the intricacies of war and the roles that are played by both sides of the antagonistic "coin." Visitor is fantastic as her character struggles with her determination to see justice but must toy with doubts about the man's guilt. Yulin volleys back and forth as "suspect" or possible "innocent".

The end result of the drama is just as surprising to the viewer as it is to the on-screen characters.

This installment is a true example of quality television.

I won't discuss in detail the plot of this episode - others have done so better than I can - but I agree that this episode is one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.

Deep Space Nine always was/is the best of the Treks, as it did not always have a happy ending, but often made you think so that the "ending" depended on your outlook.

I remember seeing this episode when it was first run in Australia and being totally wowed by it. It is an episode that takes you down one direction, then swings you 180 degrees, and ends by making you rethink all you know about guilt and redemption. It truly was the best of the best.

A life changing episode for a thinking audience.

This may have been the episode that made me a Deep Space Nine fan.

Star Trek the Next Generation had always been on tv when I was growing up and my family watched it sometimes. Naturally I liked Star Trek TNG but when DS9 came around I didn't "get" it.... they're just on a weird space station 24/7 ??

So now that I'm grown up, I'm very lucky that the reruns are currently still on (H&I network and others) fairly often. That's how I ended up catching this as a rerun.

It's really true, that old concept about seeing the world as a child vs as an adult. Now that I'm older and a little bit wiser, I appreciate the story, the writing, the directing and the whole experience of a movie or a TV show -- and that's where this episode really shines.

Many previous episodes of DS9 were spent trying to establish the plot or placate fans of the previous two versions of Star Trek. But this episode changed everything. Often times, Star Trek would make you think - and sometimes even re-think a social idea or concept. And they'r great episodes in many ways too. But this episode brings you in, twists the plot, ratchets up the tension, and in the end, genuinely makes you FEEL an emotion.

This is powerful.

I've seen this episode three times now and every time I see it, I get pulled into the moment, and when it's over, all I can help but say is "G*d d*mn" ... because you walk away feeling the weight of what happened.

Between the writers, the cast and the directors, to say the least, this one hour episode of "scifi" transcended TV and reached deep into the soul - even if just for a moment- of those who actually stop and watch it. A rare accomplishment these days indeed.

Bravo and well done, to all involved in this show. And thank you.

While I think calling this episode the best of all Star Trek, or even just of DS9, is very exaggerated, it is a fine example of good science fiction. The parallels that can be drawn between the plot and history are perhaps a little too obvious, but this is the point: to make you think about something by talking about something else.

There are three elements that make the episode work so well. First, Harris Yulin puts on an excellent guest performance as Aamin Marritza / Gul Darhe'el, being charming and maniacal at equal measures. Secondly, the twists, although more than a few, are believable - there is a logic in the layers of deception, it isn't an effort to fool the audience. And lastly, the ending is fitting not only dramatically, but also as a final lesson.