*curious...it does prove the lingering residual impact of the associated episodes on either side of the ones he did appear in even if not specifically mentioned however obliquely*
As mentioned in this list, he only appeared in 1 episode of the 1st season. That is the point of guest roles. It's amazing he became a cast regular at all.
Garek in "in the pale moonlight" is amazing!! And basically saves the whole federation and alpha quadrant in this one episode. Sisko has his agenda but garek is playing his own game. And with a positive outcome bringing the romulans into the war. Probably saving the Alpha quadrant from the dominion. One of my favourite characters.
No one may have gotten Sisko to learn so much about himself. Garak knew from the first moment, that for the impossible, Sisko would have asked the prophets. But the thing to ask Garak for, is the unthinkable.
Garek could sink lower and fight dirtier than Sisko. Like Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Marlon Brando ranted how the Vietcong were stronger mentally and could hack off the arms of the village children inoculated against polio.
Between Garak's intrigue in 'in the pale moonlight' and the growth that Kira is made to go through by Aamin Maaritza in 'Duet'........the Alpha Quadrant was saved.
Garak is the most evil, cold blooded, self serving, murderous, brilliant, traitorous, insane, dependable, caring, manipulative, selfless, honorable and loving characters in Star Trek and my favorite. I really don't think anyone other than Andy could have pulled it off in such a way as to be all of those things (sometimes within the same 40 minutes) and to the viewers it seem to all make perfect sense and not be some contrived character change just to suit the writers on a given episode.
I can't think of any other actor great enough to make such an insipid and self serving monster so bloody likeable and sympathetic. The nuance. The pathos. His Elim is a masterclass in character acting
It's because he could go from a too friendly tailor to a murderer to those where he is fixing a communication device behind the wall, and being claustrophobic... So.. 🤔 Is he a really bad guy or? But Dukat also gave me that feeling. 🤔 😬 Then, after his daughter's death, he went insane, or he was at the edge of madness since much before, since he considered himself the best thing that could happen to Bajor... Treason.. Dukat switched sides.. 🤔 😬 Garak is great, and I compare all the cardassians like Damar and the above mentioned, were not too different. Of course they were different, but none hesitated when it comes to killing. Like, in the Pale Moonlight.. And it occurred off camera, but we already suspected that was Garak 's hand.
Garak is one of my favorite Star Trek characters of all time, and was played masterfully by Robinson. I am ecstatic that he was finally able to get to record an audiobook version of "A Stitch In Time" I can't wait for it to come out!
I purchased Stitch immediately after I learned of its existence, but for some reason have been holding off on reading it in hopes of an audiobook coming out! Glad to hear it's happening... :)
Garack is the best character in Deep Space Nine and one of the best characters in all of Star Trek and his performances in episodes like 'Empok Nor' or 'In the Pale MoonLight' really show this. He is a Trek Legend
Wesley / Wheaton is not universally annoying. But some find him very annoying. I was hoping Wesley would have returned from his wanderings with the Traveler, and still do, but I was turned off by his after the show stuff.
In case anyone missed it, Andrew Robinson is doing the audio book for a stitch in Time on 8/1/23. It's hard to get physical copies now but either way from his lips to our ears sounds wonderful
Garak was an amazing character! He was so complicated! His relationship with everyone was awesome! He was friends with the doctor, Odo and Sisco,but ticked them all off at on time or another!
The thing I love about Ds9 is the side characters. From Garak, Dukat, to Gawron to Martok is how relatively few episodes there in , but that add so much life to the show in there own way.
My favorite thing about giving Garak a vague Schindler backstory is that it further contrasts him with Ducat's clear Schindler backstory. Which is to say: Ducat thinks he's Schindler, but her really really _really_ isn't.
If any of you like Garak then you absolutely should read the book "A Stitch in Time" it's exceptional, it adds much more detail to his life and character. Andrew Robinson was the perfect actor for this character.
7:53 They could've simply claimed they always planned Garak to be Tain's son and not paid her anything. It was nice of them to actually acknowledge the idea was based on her idea.
And it's easier to throw $1000 at it than deal with the headaches of lawsuits and bad press after the fact. There have been too many cases of "what you did is similar to what I wrote" in media that a lot of creators refuse to view/hear any ideas outside of channels.
Andrew Robinson as Garak was the best thing about a really good show. I met him at a Galaxycon and got him to sign my Defiant model. He seems like such a nice guy, I wish we had been able to sit and talk with him.
Thanks Sean, Garak and Sisko were by far the most fleshed out characters in DS9. Both actors really find their characters. Perhaps another reason why "In the Pale Moonlight " was such a stand out episode. Two such complex characters circling around one another, with both of them willing to get their hands dirty.
8:33 I never realized Andrew Robinson played the Scorpio killer in “Dirty Harry”. He was spectacular in that film, and thanks to you Sean I’ll add “DH” to my rewatch list. 😎
The penultimate scene with Garak is with Worf when he argued that he should be recruited into Starfleet and given a commission. The final statement being Garak was so "skilled" with his lies because he practiced continually.
Garak is in my top 10 favorite characters in the entire ST canon. Andy Robinson plays him with such amazing craft you can't but help be intrigued and attracted. And as other people mention, he's not by any stretch a regular, and yet every single episode he is in is always one of the most memorable. Robinson is one of those actors that deserves so much more credit for their acting than they receive.
For Garak, that final scene with Weyoun simply could not have been more perfect. These two characters were, on screen, two of the most silver-tongued in the show, if not the franchise. However, Weyoun was a toad to whom there was little more than his eloquence, while Garak's loquaciousness was one of many tools in service to his ends. So when these two characters finally meet, the illusion of similarity between them is shattered by the stark shift as Garak chooses to execute a prisoner of war in cold blood. Garak had never been one to waste the opportunity to use words to impart grievous psychological wounds in his enemies, but this time he chose to dispense with all the barbed wit. Not because words had failed him, but simply because they were not the best tool for dealing with a genocidal leech. Because the best tool was a disrupter.
I was lucky enough to meet Andrew at a signing event in the UK in 1999, just after DS9 ended. A wonderful man, he read an excerpt from Stitch in Time, and he altered his voice to sound more like Garek. I had to listen without looking at him as it was really weird hearing Garek, but not seeing him.
What was also fascinating, were the changes in two relationships. Garak grew closer to Odo after both had seen each other's true face. And Garak and Bashir grew apart from each other, when Garak experienced on the holodeck how much Bashir perceived the one thing, Garak took very seriously, as a game. I guess, this was also neccessary to not get Garak too deep involved into the Section 31 storyline, because otherwise it would have changed from a chance for Bashir to grow into a battle of the secret service giants.
As long as Andrew Robinson is still among us, I sincerely hope they're gonna do something with Garak. Be it in an animated series. As long as it's exploring on his character and not turning him into some kind of joke in Lower Decks, I'm all for it.
If we got him in Lower Decks, I'd still call that a win; Kira and Quark were handled pretty dang well (except for the Kira/Shaxs running argument; that was a little annoying). But a Cerritos mission to Cardassia, (I mean, "no one wants to go to Cardassia", and Freeman did learn Cardassian small talk and, if memory serves, "the dance"...), where he's an important member of the government- yeah, I'm all for it.
@@Sephiroth144 Would be funny if Cerritos was escorting Garak, who people are after because he created a "cloaking device", but it's really just a machine that dresses you. Someone dies using it, and everyone assumes Garak assassinated them with his machine, but footage shows the victim tinkering with the machine before using it, so Garak gets away with it. If it was him, of course...
Garak had such a great character arc. He went from a man longing for home to a man who longed for a better home for all his people. About the only character with a better arc was Damar.
Good job. I knew most of these, but I didn't know about the Schindler's List connection or the Man from Uncle inspiring Garak's Tailor Shop. Thanks for posting.
You should have mentioned the episode In the Pale Moonlight. The interaction between Garak and Sisko is awesome. That is one of my favorite DS9 episodes if not my favorite.
Garak and Guinan are tied for my top two favorite Star Trek characters of all time (followed closely by Worf, Dr. M’Benga, La’an Noonien Singh, D’Vana Tendi, and Saru). I love those not in the federation but closely affected by it the most. Also, both characters deeply cared but remain mysterious.
One of the main reasons why DS9 was the best Trek series of all, the secondary characters were so solid. For those who haven't watched DS9 as of yet, seeing it is a must!
This show had some of the best/ most fleshed out alien characters in all of trek. Most of the other trek shows focus primarily on a human crew with one or two near humans tossed in.
Garak is an AMAZING character, played expertly by Andrew Robinson. I loved every minute of him on screen. And I believe Bashir and Ziyal were his only true friends, although everyone else respected him, even though they didn’t fully trust him. This is my favorite Star Trek series, for so many reasons, characters like Garak are not the least of them.
I appreciate(d) how Garak has his own particular sense of justice and fairness and does what he can to achieve it. It seems to line up with the federation more often than not but it differs enough to keep us interested.
Garek was the BEST character arc in DS9. You never knew what he was thinking or what he would do next. modern star trek could use a character like this.
Andrew Robinson was the perfect casting for Garak, as you don't know if to trust him or not, as a character actor he has a look of controlled chaos and you never quite know what is happening behind his eyes. Perfect casting! (As there was a lot of on DS9)
Garak was just awesome, where as Kyra provided the Bajoran main perspective, Garak was geat as he gave us a constant look at the Cardassians, but he was a fun twist in that he was basically an outcast from his people, thus why he lived on the station, and ultimatly became a trusted friend to the station's crew. He was suave, manipulative, willing to lie, gave hints at a deeper backstory, and sometimes betrayed the station crew, but in the end he always had their back, which is why I assume they never kicked hi off the station, though he was a civilian and tailor, being a former Cardassion operative of some kind he was often helpful and brought along on missions involving insight into the Cardassians, his rivalry and banter with Gul Dukat was especially fun. SImply put he wa an outcast fom his people with a dark backstory, but found family and friends with the DS9 crew eventually helping to free his people from the DOminion, and according to Star Trek Online became a counciler and at one point says to the player how he missed the simpler life of being a tailor.
A Stitch in time is a wonderful novel, and really adds depth to the character. Worth it if you can find a physical copy, even more worth it is the audio book where Robinson narrates it as Garak himself.
I really hope that we get some follow up on Garak, but only of it's done by good writers. I think a story about the Federation helping to rebuild Cardassia could be really interesting and maybe change Garak's cynical attitude a bit. After all, the Federation has a habit of turning enemies into friends. Three of the founding members of the Federation were enemies, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites. The Vulcans and Andorians were about to go to war just a few years before they helped create the Federation.
That was Garak's lament near the end of the series: that the Cardassia he fought for, killed for, and that so many had died for, was *gone.* That while the planet, the cities, and the people will rebuild and recover, they will be so disgusted and ashamed by what happened, that they will abandon the culture responsible for it all, and seek out alternatives. That his ideals, his 'Cardassia', was dead. And the worst part of it is, he can't say they're wrong for wanting that.
The novel “ a stitch in time “ is a very good expansion to the future and exposition from the past which truly fleshes out the character of Elim Garak.
"Plain, simple Garak" is almost my favorite character in DS9 -- and given that's a cast that includes characters portrayed by Armin Shimmerman, Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois, that's really saying something.
I made Andrew laugh out loud at a Trek convention - his assistant saw the t-shirt I was wearing and invited me to show it to Andrew - It was a cartoon of a dinosaur protecting mammals from an asteroid with the slogan "LEST WE FORGET 1/25/65,000,000 BC" Andrew took one look and burst out laughing, saying "Oh, that is wonderful!"
My favourite side character in trek without question, plain and simple. His constant rivalry with Dukat is very well done. Excellently played and written. And also key to probably one of the best episodes of DS9 and trek, in the pale moonlight. Singularly ruthless with his words and hands, and a handy gardener also😂😂
Garak and Quark, I think, are what makes DS9 edge out TNG as my favourite Trek series. The sum of their parts is greater than the whole, because of how much world-building and depth they add to the Trek universe. DS9 did much the same with the Klingons.
Garak is my favorite character in the entire star trek franchise...and there are some really great an iconic characters in star trek...also I have to wait and see if (still watching the video as I am typing this) you mention that garak was only supposed to appear in 1 episode in the entire series from what I heard...im glad they didnt go that route
Pitch for a Garak series. As stated in DS9, Cardassians on their death bed reveal their secrets to a family member or trusted individual. A show could be made of Garak on his death bed telling those stories and secrets. Could have Robinson reprise his role as Garak, as well as a younger actor playing his part when he was in the obsidian order.
Trying to work out if there's a counterpoint here, with the darker themes of Garak's character and the jovial, jaunty accordion soundtrack playing in the background... a treat for those listening with decent headphones instead of a tinny phone speaker, perhaps?!! 🤣
He's definitely one of my favorite characters and probably one of the most interesting and deep personalities ever seen on television. A true mystery and enigma, thanks to some great writing as ambiguous as it was about his sexuality. Perhaps the genius was in not giving him a label to live by, thereby freeing him up for open interpretation and identification to the audience however they wanted to see him.
DS9 is my favourite Star Trek series next to OS and Garek is definitely one of the best characters on DS9. He’s all things that make up everything that we love to hate and love about ourselves but in concentration. Above all he’s loyal, to himself and his friends in the end. We see the best and worst of him, but we still love him and that’s because of how he’s been played by Andrew, a superb actor.
I just started the book star trekbpicard second self. Pleasantly surprised that garak is a big enough part of it. Love we get abit of is story after ds9
He appears in less than a quarter of DS9 episodes, but the impact of his character makes it seem he was in much more.
*curious...it does prove the lingering residual impact of the associated episodes on either side of the ones he did appear in even if not specifically mentioned however obliquely*
That’s actually shocking considering how much he stole the show
I only started ST a few years ago for Patrick Stewart but I stayed for Elim ❤️
As mentioned in this list, he only appeared in 1 episode of the 1st season. That is the point of guest roles. It's amazing he became a cast regular at all.
He's DS9's equivelant of John De Lancie. So few episodes but so much impact.
That's crazy. I almost have to look it up to believe you.
Garek in "in the pale moonlight" is amazing!! And basically saves the whole federation and alpha quadrant in this one episode. Sisko has his agenda but garek is playing his own game. And with a positive outcome bringing the romulans into the war. Probably saving the Alpha quadrant from the dominion.
One of my favourite characters.
Basically: “I did what needed to be done, Captain…what you couldn’t do.”
He knew the Dominion was as bad for Cardassia as it was for every other world in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.
No one may have gotten Sisko to learn so much about himself. Garak knew from the first moment, that for the impossible, Sisko would have asked the prophets. But the thing to ask Garak for, is the unthinkable.
Garek could sink lower and fight dirtier than Sisko. Like Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Marlon Brando ranted how the Vietcong were stronger mentally and could hack off the arms of the village children inoculated against polio.
Between Garak's intrigue in 'in the pale moonlight' and the growth that Kira is made to go through by Aamin Maaritza in 'Duet'........the Alpha Quadrant was saved.
Garak is the most evil, cold blooded, self serving, murderous, brilliant, traitorous, insane, dependable, caring, manipulative, selfless, honorable and loving characters in Star Trek and my favorite. I really don't think anyone other than Andy could have pulled it off in such a way as to be all of those things (sometimes within the same 40 minutes) and to the viewers it seem to all make perfect sense and not be some contrived character change just to suit the writers on a given episode.
Well said!
I can't think of any other actor great enough to make such an insipid and self serving monster so bloody likeable and sympathetic. The nuance. The pathos. His Elim is a masterclass in character acting
It's because he could go from a too friendly tailor to a murderer to those where he is fixing a communication device behind the wall, and being claustrophobic...
So.. 🤔 Is he a really bad guy or?
But Dukat also gave me that feeling. 🤔 😬 Then, after his daughter's death, he went insane, or he was at the edge of madness since much before, since he considered himself the best thing that could happen to Bajor...
Treason.. Dukat switched sides.. 🤔 😬
Garak is great, and I compare all the cardassians like Damar and the above mentioned, were not too different. Of course they were different, but none hesitated when it comes to killing. Like, in the Pale Moonlight..
And it occurred off camera, but we already suspected that was Garak 's hand.
@@misterlau5246 Damar's character arc was sublime. Really nice analysis btw
Garak always told the truth, even when he lied.
Garak is one of my favorite Star Trek characters of all time, and was played masterfully by Robinson. I am ecstatic that he was finally able to get to record an audiobook version of "A Stitch In Time" I can't wait for it to come out!
I purchased Stitch immediately after I learned of its existence, but for some reason have been holding off on reading it in hopes of an audiobook coming out! Glad to hear it's happening... :)
I also have a copy of A Stitch in Time which I have not yet read. I shall keep my eyes open for the audiobook version.
Simonline🏴😀👍
Holy Spock this is awesome news.
the book is fantastic, read it years ago. cannot wait for the audiobook.
It was so fun trying to figure out Garak as the series went on. I think the writers did a superb job with his character
Never tell the same lie twice. Words to live by.
DS9 is still my favorite series. So many great characters.
Great characters, great stories, great action. Trek at its best.
I can't believe it's a whole video about my favorite simple tailor Elim Garak without a single mention to In the Pale Moonlight.
Until you...🤣
Garak: *creepy Garak smile*
Everyone: *swoons*
Garack is the best character in Deep Space Nine and one of the best characters in all of Star Trek and his performances in episodes like 'Empok Nor' or 'In the Pale MoonLight' really show this. He is a Trek Legend
He wouldn’t have been the only one…? 😤
Simonline🏴😀👍
@@AutomatedPersonnelUnit_3947 can I ask whats the big deal about weasley I mean he's a bit annoying but on the whole he's not too bad
@@AutomatedPersonnelUnit_3947 Oh, nononononoooo- that mind was too useful of a resource to waste. But he would've... trained the boy better.
Wesley / Wheaton is not universally annoying. But some find him very annoying. I was hoping Wesley would have returned from his wanderings with the Traveler, and still do, but I was turned off by his after the show stuff.
Garak will forever be one of the all time great works of fiction. That we should be so lucky to have this character in our world is a real honor.
In case anyone missed it, Andrew Robinson is doing the audio book for a stitch in Time on 8/1/23. It's hard to get physical copies now but either way from his lips to our ears sounds wonderful
Garak was an amazing character!
He was so complicated!
His relationship with everyone was awesome!
He was friends with the doctor, Odo and Sisco,but ticked them all off at on time or another!
Because he knew exactly how far he could go with each one of them.
Even when they would insult him and doubt his motives, he would usually shrug it off with a smile and a quip and never seemed to take it personally.
I loved how Garak represeented the Cardassian ideal while Dukat represeented the reality
The thing I love about Ds9 is the side characters. From Garak, Dukat, to Gawron to Martok is how relatively few episodes there in , but that add so much life to the show in there own way.
My favorite thing about giving Garak a vague Schindler backstory is that it further contrasts him with Ducat's clear Schindler backstory.
Which is to say: Ducat thinks he's Schindler, but her really really _really_ isn't.
@@HermanVonPetri kind of non sequitur there.
19 Garak is an awesome character and Andrew Robison's portrayal was awesome
What about 11-18?
For me, Garak and Dukat are by far the best characters in DS9, mainly because the actors bring them to life so well. Good video!👍
If any of you like Garak then you absolutely should read the book "A Stitch in Time" it's exceptional, it adds much more detail to his life and character. Andrew Robinson was the perfect actor for this character.
7:53 They could've simply claimed they always planned Garak to be Tain's son and not paid her anything. It was nice of them to actually acknowledge the idea was based on her idea.
And it's easier to throw $1000 at it than deal with the headaches of lawsuits and bad press after the fact. There have been too many cases of "what you did is similar to what I wrote" in media that a lot of creators refuse to view/hear any ideas outside of channels.
My favorite character from DS9. Andrew Robinson did such a phenomenal job portraying Garak.
Andrew Robinson as Garak was the best thing about a really good show. I met him at a Galaxycon and got him to sign my Defiant model. He seems like such a nice guy, I wish we had been able to sit and talk with him.
Thanks Sean, Garak and Sisko were by far the most fleshed out characters in DS9. Both actors really find their characters. Perhaps another reason why "In the Pale Moonlight " was such a stand out episode. Two such complex characters circling around one another, with both of them willing to get their hands dirty.
8:33 I never realized Andrew Robinson played the Scorpio killer in “Dirty Harry”. He was spectacular in that film, and thanks to you Sean I’ll add “DH” to my rewatch list. 😎
Same! That's as far from sci-fi as you can possibly get!
He also had a small role in the Stallone film “Cobra”, playing a “by the book superior” type that butts heads with Stallone’s Lt. Cobretti.
He was amazing in Hellraiser, too
From a Trek lover to others, THANK YOU for your videos.
I was introduced to Robinson's talent in Hellraiser, as far as I'm concerned...
The penultimate scene with Garak is with Worf when he argued that he should be recruited into Starfleet and given a commission. The final statement being Garak was so "skilled" with his lies because he practiced continually.
"Lies are a skill like any other and to maintain a level of excellence you must practice constantly."
Garak is in my top 10 favorite characters in the entire ST canon. Andy Robinson plays him with such amazing craft you can't but help be intrigued and attracted. And as other people mention, he's not by any stretch a regular, and yet every single episode he is in is always one of the most memorable. Robinson is one of those actors that deserves so much more credit for their acting than they receive.
This is one of my favorite TrekCulture episodes. Thank you for doing Andrew Robinson's work and character justice in your 10 things list.
For Garak, that final scene with Weyoun simply could not have been more perfect. These two characters were, on screen, two of the most silver-tongued in the show, if not the franchise. However, Weyoun was a toad to whom there was little more than his eloquence, while Garak's loquaciousness was one of many tools in service to his ends.
So when these two characters finally meet, the illusion of similarity between them is shattered by the stark shift as Garak chooses to execute a prisoner of war in cold blood.
Garak had never been one to waste the opportunity to use words to impart grievous psychological wounds in his enemies, but this time he chose to dispense with all the barbed wit. Not because words had failed him, but simply because they were not the best tool for dealing with a genocidal leech.
Because the best tool was a disrupter.
Best character ever. Can’t wait to meet him at the Vegas convention.
I am green with envy!
Simonline🏴😢
Got to meet him at the What We Leave Behind viewing on the Paramount lot- definitely an intriguing bloke.
There are so many characters in star trek to love. Garak happens to be my favorite
I was lucky enough to meet Andrew at a signing event in the UK in 1999, just after DS9 ended. A wonderful man, he read an excerpt from Stitch in Time, and he altered his voice to sound more like Garek. I had to listen without looking at him as it was really weird hearing Garek, but not seeing him.
What was also fascinating, were the changes in two relationships. Garak grew closer to Odo after both had seen each other's true face. And Garak and Bashir grew apart from each other, when Garak experienced on the holodeck how much Bashir perceived the one thing, Garak took very seriously, as a game. I guess, this was also neccessary to not get Garak too deep involved into the Section 31 storyline, because otherwise it would have changed from a chance for Bashir to grow into a battle of the secret service giants.
As long as Andrew Robinson is still among us, I sincerely hope they're gonna do something with Garak. Be it in an animated series. As long as it's exploring on his character and not turning him into some kind of joke in Lower Decks, I'm all for it.
If we got him in Lower Decks, I'd still call that a win; Kira and Quark were handled pretty dang well (except for the Kira/Shaxs running argument; that was a little annoying).
But a Cerritos mission to Cardassia, (I mean, "no one wants to go to Cardassia", and Freeman did learn Cardassian small talk and, if memory serves, "the dance"...), where he's an important member of the government- yeah, I'm all for it.
@@Sephiroth144 Would be funny if Cerritos was escorting Garak, who people are after because he created a "cloaking device", but it's really just a machine that dresses you. Someone dies using it, and everyone assumes Garak assassinated them with his machine, but footage shows the victim tinkering with the machine before using it, so Garak gets away with it. If it was him, of course...
@@tetravega567 "It just makes really nice cloaks; really shouldn't have let Quark handle the marketing..."
Or we just leave Garak alone as he is on DS9 and not be brought into anything that is new Star Trek because it all sucks.
Garak had such a great character arc. He went from a man longing for home to a man who longed for a better home for all his people. About the only character with a better arc was Damar.
I'm not sure you are going to convince me that this plain and simple tailor has any dark secrets. I mean look at him, just charm and sincerity.
Absolutely! Everything he says is true, especially the lies.
Good job. I knew most of these, but I didn't know about the Schindler's List connection or the Man from Uncle inspiring Garak's Tailor Shop. Thanks for posting.
Need help deciding which episode is more perfect Garak-ness: "In the pale moonlight", "Purgatory shadow" or "Our man Bashir". A perfect character.
You should have mentioned the episode In the Pale Moonlight. The interaction between Garak and Sisko is awesome. That is one of my favorite DS9 episodes if not my favorite.
Awesome video trekculture 😎
Garak and Guinan are tied for my top two favorite Star Trek characters of all time (followed closely by Worf, Dr. M’Benga, La’an Noonien Singh, D’Vana Tendi, and Saru). I love those not in the federation but closely affected by it the most. Also, both characters deeply cared but remain mysterious.
One of the main reasons why DS9 was the best Trek series of all, the secondary characters were so solid.
For those who haven't watched DS9 as of yet, seeing it is a must!
This show had some of the best/ most fleshed out alien characters in all of trek. Most of the other trek shows focus primarily on a human crew with one or two near humans tossed in.
Garak is an AMAZING character, played expertly by Andrew Robinson. I loved every minute of him on screen. And I believe Bashir and Ziyal were his only true friends, although everyone else respected him, even though they didn’t fully trust him. This is my favorite Star Trek series, for so many reasons, characters like Garak are not the least of them.
This is magnificent. I saw it all, but this pulls it all together.
I appreciate(d) how Garak has his own particular sense of justice and fairness and does what he can to achieve it. It seems to line up with the federation more often than not but it differs enough to keep us interested.
Garek was the BEST character arc in DS9. You never knew what he was thinking or what he would do next. modern star trek could use a character like this.
Garak is my favorite DS9 character. I'm glad to have seen this excellent video about him.
Good list, for once i didn't know any of it, and very surprisingly, i had in fact no idea that Ziyal was played by 3 different actors.
Me neither.🤯
For every fellow Elim Garak's fan, I strongly recommend Star trek novels: Enigma tales and Second self, both by d-r Una McCormack
Andrew Robinson was the perfect casting for Garak, as you don't know if to trust him or not, as a character actor he has a look of controlled chaos and you never quite know what is happening behind his eyes. Perfect casting! (As there was a lot of on DS9)
I've always thought that DS9 was the best and most complex version of Star Trek in it's era. Some of the new Trek is getting there though.
Garak was just awesome, where as Kyra provided the Bajoran main perspective, Garak was geat as he gave us a constant look at the Cardassians, but he was a fun twist in that he was basically an outcast from his people, thus why he lived on the station, and ultimatly became a trusted friend to the station's crew. He was suave, manipulative, willing to lie, gave hints at a deeper backstory, and sometimes betrayed the station crew, but in the end he always had their back, which is why I assume they never kicked hi off the station, though he was a civilian and tailor, being a former Cardassion operative of some kind he was often helpful and brought along on missions involving insight into the Cardassians, his rivalry and banter with Gul Dukat was especially fun. SImply put he wa an outcast fom his people with a dark backstory, but found family and friends with the DS9 crew eventually helping to free his people from the DOminion, and according to Star Trek Online became a counciler and at one point says to the player how he missed the simpler life of being a tailor.
one of my absolute favorite star trek characters of all time ❤
Thanks for adding to Garak and Schindler's List. I have a new view of both.
A Stitch in time is a wonderful novel, and really adds depth to the character. Worth it if you can find a physical copy, even more worth it is the audio book where Robinson narrates it as Garak himself.
He’s the most fascinating character in all Star Trek. He’s on of my faves.
I really hope that we get some follow up on Garak, but only of it's done by good writers. I think a story about the Federation helping to rebuild Cardassia could be really interesting and maybe change Garak's cynical attitude a bit.
After all, the Federation has a habit of turning enemies into friends. Three of the founding members of the Federation were enemies, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites. The Vulcans and Andorians were about to go to war just a few years before they helped create the Federation.
That was Garak's lament near the end of the series: that the Cardassia he fought for, killed for, and that so many had died for, was *gone.* That while the planet, the cities, and the people will rebuild and recover, they will be so disgusted and ashamed by what happened, that they will abandon the culture responsible for it all, and seek out alternatives. That his ideals, his 'Cardassia', was dead.
And the worst part of it is, he can't say they're wrong for wanting that.
The novel “ a stitch in time “ is a very good expansion to the future and exposition from the past which truly fleshes out the character of Elim Garak.
Finally, a list of things I (mostly) actually didn't know already. The title holds true at last.
One year at my local pop culture con, the guy who played Garak was of the guest, he also played the main bad guy in the first dirty Harry movie too
Well that was bloody marvellous. Splendid work Tom and Seán
I love Garak and Andrew Robinson. That Shuttlepod Show podcast he was in was great.
"Plain, simple Garak" is almost my favorite character in DS9 -- and given that's a cast that includes characters portrayed by Armin Shimmerman, Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois, that's really saying something.
“Stitch in Time” is one of the best books I’ve read, and not just Star Trek novels.
I made Andrew laugh out loud at a Trek convention - his assistant saw the t-shirt I was wearing and invited me to show it to Andrew - It was a cartoon of a dinosaur protecting mammals from an asteroid with the slogan "LEST WE FORGET 1/25/65,000,000 BC" Andrew took one look and burst out laughing, saying "Oh, that is wonderful!"
Garak was one of my top five favorite ST:DS9 characters!!
Garak has always been on my favorite character list at #1
I do love Garak and A Stick in Time is probably my favorite Trek book.
My favourite side character in trek without question, plain and simple. His constant rivalry with Dukat is very well done.
Excellently played and written.
And also key to probably one of the best episodes of DS9 and trek, in the pale moonlight.
Singularly ruthless with his words and hands, and a handy gardener also😂😂
My favourite Star Trek Character.. I love Empok nor.. he goes proper evil in that 😃
Garak is great. He's smug and sneaky and he does it all with style.
Probably the best character on all Star Trek series. Andrew Robinson is a master.
Garak: I am sure Dr. T'ana would LOVE a Cardassian vole as a house pet, Ms. Tendi.
Garak and Quark, I think, are what makes DS9 edge out TNG as my favourite Trek series. The sum of their parts is greater than the whole, because of how much world-building and depth they add to the Trek universe. DS9 did much the same with the Klingons.
I thought the "Man from Uncle" tailor shop tie-in was superb! I really enjoyed that homage to another great spy series.
Garak is my favorite character in the entire star trek franchise...and there are some really great an iconic characters in star trek...also I have to wait and see if (still watching the video as I am typing this) you mention that garak was only supposed to appear in 1 episode in the entire series from what I heard...im glad they didnt go that route
Ooo, just watched Body Parts. I love him defending his character to Quark until Quark says he wants Garak to kill him😂 That's different!🤣
Thank u tom and ive never watched deep space nine but looks good
One the best characters in all Star Trek!
Andrew Robinson nailed him perfectly.
GARAK... is my favorite character in DS9. Lando was my fav for B5.
Pitch for a Garak series.
As stated in DS9, Cardassians on their death bed reveal their secrets to a family member or trusted individual.
A show could be made of Garak on his death bed telling those stories and secrets.
Could have Robinson reprise his role as Garak, as well as a younger actor playing his part when he was in the obsidian order.
Yeah, this was a good one! Thanks for the vid TC Team!
Such a wonderful and compelling character.
Trying to work out if there's a counterpoint here, with the darker themes of Garak's character and the jovial, jaunty accordion soundtrack playing in the background... a treat for those listening with decent headphones instead of a tinny phone speaker, perhaps?!! 🤣
Best character in DS9 also met the main a few years ago at London Comic con.
He's definitely one of my favorite characters and probably one of the most interesting and deep personalities ever seen on television. A true mystery and enigma, thanks to some great writing as ambiguous as it was about his sexuality. Perhaps the genius was in not giving him a label to live by, thereby freeing him up for open interpretation and identification to the audience however they wanted to see him.
Garak was just a very exciting character. You have to remember that he contributed a lot to the liberation of the Alpha Quadrant. Very good acting !
Love to listen to you telling the bits and pieces of StarTrek
Andrew Robinson...what More is there to say, except absolutely wonderful!!! 🖖😁🤘🇨🇦
Absolutely loved this list
It was 'The Cry of the Onlies', not "The City of Onlies" I have that book, it was really good - it was based on the TOS episode 'Miri'.
Garak is easily my favorite non-main character in the whole franchise. He has way more background and complexities than any other recurring character
Love your videos, especially the 10 Things series. Garak is one of my favourite characters in Star Trek.
Without a doubt. My favorite character from that series!
DS9 is my favourite Star Trek series next to OS and Garek is definitely one of the best characters on DS9. He’s all things that make up everything that we love to hate and love about ourselves but in concentration. Above all he’s loyal, to himself and his friends in the end. We see the best and worst of him, but we still love him and that’s because of how he’s been played by Andrew, a superb actor.
The BEST and my personal favorite character of ALL TIME!
Garak is GOAT!!
Elam Garak, my all time favorite recurring character. He is one of the reasons why DS9 is the best installment in the Star Trek verse.
I just started the book star trekbpicard second self. Pleasantly surprised that garak is a big enough part of it. Love we get abit of is story after ds9
I leapt out of my chair when you showed your editor……that’s my friend’s little brother!!!
Hands down, my favourite character in all of star trek. After the two parter with Odo, I claimed he was the best forever and ever. LOL