His career was practically over after Dirty Harry. Hard to find work when your face provokes the visceral “that’s they psycho from Dirty Harry!” response. Apparently the only way to get away from that role was to put a mask on.
@@M0rmagil I guess that's why IMDb lists 108 acting credits for him between film and television. www.imdb.com/name/nm0732367/ And I'll never forget his uncanny portrayal of Liberace in the TV movie of the same name in 1988. Truly remarkable performance in that one.
Garak is my favorite character in all of Star Trek. The fact that he was in on 37 episodes shows not only something about the writers of the show but the actor himself. He was played so well. One of the best supporting characters in all of television
My favourite character in all of Star Trek portrayed brilliantly by a great actor. Also the saviour of the Alpha and Beta Quadrant. Without him, the Dominion would have won I'm sure.
@@Shaden0040 Haha! Barclay is also one of my favorite ST characters. Can you imagine that meeting, with Barclay stuttering and not knowing what to do with his hands, and Garak smirking calmly at him all the while. Would be funny for sure.
@@TheRichNewnes - No, Garak comes face to face with Section 31's Sloan, and saves his life ... because like the lawyer said about the shark, "It's Professional Courtesy."
Now that's some editing! Kudos for capturing the spirit of the darkness and despair he carries with him. The ending pulled at my heartstrings, Julian truly sees him for what he is/what he's done and still accepts him. If ds9 was made today they would have been 100% canon.
Story goes for years that they were actually planned and written to be a couple (Julian and Garak), first ST gay couple and that both actors actually signed the contract stating the nature of their on screen relationship. Then a certain important producer that I could, but won't name, chickened out and pulled two other ones with him, so the characters were changed to what's basically "best friends". Trouble is, Julian already had a "best friend", which would be O'Brian. So the holes were made in the story and problems with some pre-written scripts ensued. A lot of rewriting and adjusting later, we got Julian and Garak as we know. However... If one would comb through certain words, sentences, scenes or gestures, one could see the remnants of the original relationship. Also, Julian is supposedly a notorious breaker of female hearts at the beginning of the show (or tries very hard to be), but if that was stripped, what's left is a cliché gay character. And so on... that's how that story goes.
@@MaylarArt That would be surprising, as DS9 is hugely relying on (genius level) of Backstory righting. The O'Brian - Julian relationship was written in when it became apparent Siddig and Meaney had chemistry together. The first season(s) Julian was written to be a complete jack-ass, and Garak was not at all a regular character in the first arcs: (S1 1 appearance). The only thing I could dig up is that Robinson first played Garak an character without a clear sexual preference, but that was not used in further stories / character use.
@@stonenz111 I have to agree regarding the editing. Elim Garak is my favourite ST character of all time and that really did him justice. You're obviously a big fan of his too, you put some serious effort into that. A very good job.
This is a superb edit, a lengthy trailer for a movie the fans watched over 7 years ... I love it. BRAVO in the strongest terms. This makes me want to dig out my DS9 DVD's...
Making a video about Garak and leaving in my eyes the most emotional speech of him out of the picture shows what a great character he is. Nearly every scene he brings to the series is gold.
Garak is so interesting character he is extremely well made to be both a man struggling with his past, trying to forge his future, and etc I love his character development and etc.
This tribute is done so very well, good job to the creator. Captured the feeling of intrigue, mystery, and the air of danger Garak carried through his character.
I haven’t watched any Star Trek or know anything at all about it, but I have been going on a UA-cam spree watching every single Garak scene. Maybe I should watch the show but I heard he’s only in like 37 episodes out of 170? That’s crazy, really a testament to how amazing the character is.
Paul Dooley was an extremely underrated actor, often playing the bumbling sidekick. His portrayal of Enabrian Tain showed what true master of the craft he was.
Very, very, well done. You point out not just that DS9 was a terrific Trek show with complex characters like Garak, but that is was dramatic, nuanced, and that it needs TO BE HD!!! DO THAT!!!. :)
Garak was one of the best characters on DS9 and one of the greatest characters of Star Trek. He is a legend and I wish he would return more than almost anyone.
I’m starting to think those people on that shuttle indeed died. He blew them up and was in trouble because they wanted to interrogate them. He spared them of that fate. As an interrogator he knew where this was going. Too many lies. We will never know. He’s a good dude. My favorite character of Deep Space Nine.
Ds9 is the best of star trek. It put the idealism of the federation in a station full of differing ideologies and the tales that came of it were magnificent
Brilliant! Garak has always been a favorite of mine. He has to be the most complicated character in all of Trek. Yet he is also "just plain, simple, Garak" He was always A simple tailor but always exactly what he needed to be when he needed to be.
In some ways, Garak is the Severus Snape of Star Trek. Mysterious, cold, and his true intentions always concealed. My favorite DS9 character. His sarcasm is always beyond exemplary.
The flash of his eyes at 4:54 when Odo says , "someone you cared about...." And the downward stare with a blink of lost control...his emotions for once accessed by another with no ready defense. Garak defeated in a sentence. It was shattering yet, of course a moment away from being thwarted by his insane abilities. Sigh.
While his entire role as Garak was fantastic, I especially love the interaction with Kira about Cardassia "My Cardassia is gone." "Then fight for a new Cardassia." "I have an even better reason, Commander: *revenge* ." Just the way he delivers the lines hits so hard for me.
For Cardasia, For the Order, For Justice, For the Truth of a well cut straight line, For a tomb well deserved an Epitaph - Truth is an excuse for those without an imagination. Be True to Your Self and conduct an Integration by Silence.
Mila is meant to be Garak's mother. That definitely adds a level to how Garak interacts with her. It also means that The Dominion War resulted in the death of both of his parents.
"That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you want: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. 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. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain."
Garak had a huge impact on DS9. Well written and portrayed. When you consider that Garak was in only 37 episodes out of 173, it becomes even more impressive.
Amazing how only 20 years ago the writers responsible for Star Trek could make even the peripheral supporting characters some of the most complex and intriguing.
WHHAAAATTTTT? Seriously? I thought he was in half of it. That's a credit to how much of an impact this character and actor had on the entire of Star Trek.
"Never tell the same lie twice" "Truth is usually an excuse for lack of imagination " "Its all, true, especially the lies" 3 of the best lines in all Star Trek
@Ricardo Santos Coincidence is like luck, they don't exist, there is only the Living Force and the Unifying Force, but where it comes to Master Kennobi even he can make a Jedi believe in luck.
"My dear doctor, they're all true." "Even the lies?" "Especially the lies." -Elim Garak and Julian Bashir in the most fitting exchange for the two characters
This video not only shows how good an actor Andrew Robinson is, but how good DS9 is. Look at this story arc for a B character. There are some main characters you couldn’t make a 3-5 minute for never mind a 9 minute masterpiece! Well done! Great piece of work!
@@Thalanox although I like portions of B5 it was fairly predictable future sci-fi with mediocre acting. DS9 was decent sci-fi, with a few twists in an already fleshed out "universe" with better than average acting most of the time.
Garak is the dictionary definition of a patriot. He doesn't blindly follow the orders of a misguided government. Instead, he has devoted his life to the betterment of Cardassia even though the universe no longer understands his definition and his own people have exiled him. Yet he never sells his soul or himself and fights for a better Cardassia, even when it means giving up his own life (when he tries to blow up the founders homeworld but Worf stops him). He is prepared to sacrifice himself for his father, a man who considers him a traitor until his last breath and has never recognised him as a son. It's Garak against the universe and in the end, he wins. But victory is bittersweet. He loses what he loves to give another chance to the Cardassians for what they could become. When the female founder says Cardassia is done he is able to look her in the eye, smile, and thank her for her time for Cardassia as he plans to kill her. He never seeks fame or recognition but works in the shadows for his people. When Damar and others are perceived as saviours he isn't jealous but is happy that his people are on the right path to freedom. His morals are of his own and he doesn't let anyone dictate his actions. He is a true patriot, even though he was exiled for opposing a genocidal government he never stopped serving. We could all learn a lesson from this fictional character. Being a patriot does not mean blindly serving a government who are controlled by special interest groups but to judging individual policies. When the leader of the Cardassian dissident movement asks Kira if Garak is on their side she says she doesn't know. It's because he judges each individual situation on how he views it would benefit his countrymen. Even when he decodes their codes and he questions his actions he sticks by what he believes to be the best for Cardassia even though many thousands will die, Cardassia will be better for it. When Damars aide threatens to kill Kira, Garak pulls his weapon on him. The aide responds by saying he wouldn't kill another Cardassian he replies with "how little you know me". Garak isn't afraid to kill a man to save a Bajoran whose skillset can save Cardassia. He is a true servant of Cardassia and perhaps the best-written character on Trek.
Now consider that, while I 100% agree with you, he's probably not in the top 5 of best developed characters on the show. That's what really makes this amazing. This great of a character was, ultimately, for the most part, a side character.
Garak was intended to be a one-off character; Robinson said that he portrayed the character in the episode for the simple fact that he needed money for that month to pay his bills. The producers were impressed with Robinson's performance and decided to develop the character after Robinson agreed to return.
Odo: "Commander, he _doesn't_ know why the Romulans would try to kill him." Sisko: "What makes you so sure?" Odo: "Because if he _did_ know, he'd already be spinning out an elaborate web of lies to cover up the truth." Garak: "The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination!" God damn this show is such a gem.
DS9 was full of complex, multi-layered stories. But one of the most mind-bending was when Kira helps start a rebellion on Cardassia, that was deep. She has to work with people who she used to kill, and teach Cardassians to think like terrorists.
@@francescobirsaalessandri3992 That remark was only made stronger by the earlier scene where Damar splashes the kanar on his own reflection. What Kira said hit him hard because he already knew it was true.
He had probably the best line in all trek when Kira said at Ziel's death bed. "She loved you" refering to Garak when he replied "I could never figure out why.... I guess I never will". That moment hit me like a punch to the gut.
Ziyal got a raw deal, but, it did give Dukat a chance to show he wasn't all bad, he really did love her (once he decided not to kill her), and went appropriately mad for a bit, afterwards.
The fact that characters like Garak, Martok, Tain, Winn, Weyoun, and Dukat only appear in less than 30 episodes each (Martok’s only in, like, 9 and Tain’s barely in 4) and get they all got such amazing development continues to shock me to this day.
According to memory alpha Martok is actually in 24 episodes, (2 of them are the changeling impersonating him, so you could argue he's only technically in 22) Martok and Garak are probably my two favorite characters in the whole series. DS9 was the best that Star Trek has ever been. It's a shame that none of the following series or movies followed it's lead.
I understand the Garak was supposed to be a throw away character for the first season as like an extra. The actor needed money for rent and asked to say on for a month. I honestly think DS9 would be lacking without Elim. How he evolved and was given more backstory is amazing.
Dukat less than 30 episodes?! I've never looked into that character's stats (so to speak) but that's amazing if Dukat - a top bad guy - only appeared 30 times in a 7-year show and feels like he was in at least half the episodes.
When anyone mentions DS9, Garak comes to mind. Well-written and masterfully portrayed by Andrew Robinson (the Scorpio killer in 1971's Dirty Harry), Garak was a living contradiction. A simple tailor who had a complicated and clandestine past, one didn't know whether to trust him or not, but one knew he was capable of doing the dirty work needed to keep one's conscience clear enough to want to live a little longer. The man was lethal, quiet, insidious, charming, all at the same time.
Very nice. But I think you missed some of his best lines. Bashir: "Which parts were true?", Garak: "My dear doctor, it was all true!" Bashir: "Even the lies?" Garak: "Especially the lies!" .... Doctor: "Ever heard the tale of the boy who cried Wolf? It warns against lying, for when you really need help, no-one will" (paraphrasing here) Garak: "Are you sure that's the moral of the story?" Doctor: "What else could it be?" Garak: "That you never tell the same lie twice!" /smirk
When I was watching the series on Netflix for the first time, every once in awhile I'd say to my brother (whom I was watching it with) "We haven't seen Garak in a long time! :("
@@Vladimir_The_Impaler Ah! At the time of my comment there were only two dislikes, seems like Senator Vreenak got in on it, too. (To be fair, the music _is_ a little overpowering at times, but I still gave it a like because Garak.)
@@venus_envy Truth is in the eye of the beholder, I don't tell the truth cause I don't believe their is such a thing, that's why I enjoy the simplicity of cutting cloth. --- Elim Garak
The character Garak is by far one of my favorite of all Star Trek characters. Some would say Cpt. Picard or Cpt. Kirk... but Garak was such a multifaceted, manifold character and the writers never ceased to develop the character throughout the series. But it was Andrew Robinson who really brought the character to life. His ability to subtle prononciate words and thus changing the overall context of a whole senctence, the smirks here and there or just the way he used his eyes / eye muscles (despite all the makeup he wore) wthout saying a single word. That kind of acting skill combined with the character writing made the Garak so likeable.
Wholeheartedly agree here. The writers and Andrew Robinson nuanced Garak in such a special way, that I think is comparable to non other. But he alone did something more: he wrote "A Stitch in Time". Which is one of the absolute best books in Star Trek library of all times and so much underlines Elim Garak we already know, so much completes him, that is a must-read for anyone who is Garak's fan and more, who really enjoys Star Trek. The sadness, the strength, the passion, the depth with which this book is written is unprecedented in series of such books and is really something to admire.
DS9 was amazing for it's secondary characters. Weyoun comes to mind as well, again helped by an amazing performance by the actor. Garack really was one of the best though.
Callum Mckay Definitely agree with Weyoun too! Great character. Anytime I watch DS9. I genuinely believe he wanted peace. Gul Dukat too was also an amazing character. DS9 was just perfect in my opinion, every single character and the storyline beats all other Treks for me. But if Quark isn’t anyone’s favourite then you must have something wrong with you!! Lol
Garak is a man who's lost everything. Yet he struggles on, either out of sheer defiance or hope of returning home. A man who's done despicable things in the name of his people, but is capable of extraordinary compassion. A man who wears a mask in every conversation, hiding the true depth of his feelings behind it. Garak is more human than he'd like to admit. Than any of us would like to admit
What seems like Garek's untrustworthiness, moral ambiguity, shadowed motives, and ever-constant, but always varying & seamlessly morphing, manipulations... Well, that's why I trust him. A man so, ahem, *gifted* can, with complete certainty, be unquestionably trusted with anything, and everything...up to, and including my life: if Garek wanted me to feel what his treachery would be, he'd have already done it..and I'd have never seen it coming. That is proof that Garek can be trusted without needing to hesitate to wonder.
@@drdarkenyI can see it now. A man is murdered in his house, six people are arrested , a professor, a colonel, a law enforcer, a widow, an aristocrat, and a brothel owner. Each of them are guilty of something.
Garak is without a doubt one of the best Star Trek characters of all time!
Dukat and Garak are without doubt the finest character arks in the entire series.
“One of”
Dumar, weyoun, sisko, and picard are also good.
Let's not forget about Quark. Edit: and Martok!
Garak is one of the best of any work of fiction.
Andrew Robinson was incredible. My greatest admiration for deep space nine was great characters down to the third tier.
He actually wrote a book about Garak. A Stitch In Time. It's pretty good, from what I remember. It's kind of like Garak's autobiography.
His career was practically over after Dirty Harry. Hard to find work when your face provokes the visceral “that’s they psycho from Dirty Harry!” response.
Apparently the only way to get away from that role was to put a mask on.
@@M0rmagil I guess that's why IMDb lists 108 acting credits for him between film and television. www.imdb.com/name/nm0732367/ And I'll never forget his uncanny portrayal of Liberace in the TV movie of the same name in 1988. Truly remarkable performance in that one.
@@M0rmagil Unfortunately, almost the same happened to another AMAZING actor, Robert Knepper... As T-Bag (Prison Break).
Lets be real, the 2nd & 3rd tier had the best actors and best characters.
Garak is my favorite character in all of Star Trek. The fact that he was in on 37 episodes shows not only something about the writers of the show but the actor himself. He was played so well. One of the best supporting characters in all of television
My favourite character in all of Star Trek portrayed brilliantly by a great actor.
Also the saviour of the Alpha and Beta Quadrant. Without him, the Dominion would have won I'm sure.
Agreed! Starting with what he did in “In the Pale Moonlight” 👍
My only regret about Garak is he never met Reginald Barclay.
@@Shaden0040 Haha! Barclay is also one of my favorite ST characters. Can you imagine that meeting, with Barclay stuttering and not knowing what to do with his hands, and Garak smirking calmly at him all the while. Would be funny for sure.
@@Shaden0040 That would have been great !
@@TheRichNewnes - No, Garak comes face to face with Section 31's Sloan, and saves his life ... because like the lawyer said about the shark, "It's Professional Courtesy."
Now that's some editing! Kudos for capturing the spirit of the darkness and despair he carries with him. The ending pulled at my heartstrings, Julian truly sees him for what he is/what he's done and still accepts him. If ds9 was made today they would have been 100% canon.
Thank you. A truly tragic character played to perfection by Robinson.
Story goes for years that they were actually planned and written to be a couple (Julian and Garak), first ST gay couple and that both actors actually signed the contract stating the nature of their on screen relationship. Then a certain important producer that I could, but won't name, chickened out and pulled two other ones with him, so the characters were changed to what's basically "best friends". Trouble is, Julian already had a "best friend", which would be O'Brian. So the holes were made in the story and problems with some pre-written scripts ensued. A lot of rewriting and adjusting later, we got Julian and Garak as we know. However... If one would comb through certain words, sentences, scenes or gestures, one could see the remnants of the original relationship. Also, Julian is supposedly a notorious breaker of female hearts at the beginning of the show (or tries very hard to be), but if that was stripped, what's left is a cliché gay character. And so on... that's how that story goes.
@@MaylarArt That would be surprising, as DS9 is hugely relying on (genius level) of Backstory righting. The O'Brian - Julian relationship was written in when it became apparent Siddig and Meaney had chemistry together. The first season(s) Julian was written to be a complete jack-ass, and Garak was not at all a regular character in the first arcs: (S1 1 appearance). The only thing I could dig up is that Robinson first played Garak an character without a clear sexual preference, but that was not used in further stories / character use.
@@stonenz111 I have to agree regarding the editing. Elim Garak is my favourite ST character of all time and that really did him justice. You're obviously a big fan of his too, you put some serious effort into that. A very good job.
They ARE 100% cannon.
Strongest character on DS9, Andrew Robinson brought a darkness and sympathy to life.
This is a superb edit, a lengthy trailer for a movie the fans watched over 7 years ... I love it. BRAVO in the strongest terms. This makes me want to dig out my DS9 DVD's...
Man...this was a well edited finely crafted video. It was awesome to see all those lines reorganized in this way. Well done!
Making a video about Garak and leaving in my eyes the most emotional speech of him out of the picture shows what a great character he is.
Nearly every scene he brings to the series is gold.
I would watch this movie. Garak is my 2nd favorite character from all Star Trek shows. Thank you.
Garak is so interesting character he is extremely well made to be both a man struggling with his past, trying to forge his future, and etc I love his character development and etc.
I totally agree...it is sad thought what star trek become....
Think this is my 12th time watching this video. Thanks again.
And now it's like 20th time. Thank you I come back to this video often.
I wish Garak had been in many more episodes, he's so well written and fun. I love him.
This is Brilliant! Kudos to you for making an amazing video of this amazing actor
This tribute is done so very well, good job to the creator. Captured the feeling of intrigue, mystery, and the air of danger Garak carried through his character.
I pray for videos like this. They're godsends in dark times of an era where hope still had a place in our media.
One of my favorite Star Trek characters of all time. I would like to see him in any future series that may come out
Oh that was delightful. Thanks so very much for this, Garak really was a brilliant character and so excellently played by Andrew Robinson.
Garak was so wonderfully written and acted. We were so dang spoiled with him.
I haven’t watched any Star Trek or know anything at all about it, but I have been going on a UA-cam spree watching every single Garak scene.
Maybe I should watch the show but I heard he’s only in like 37 episodes out of 170? That’s crazy, really a testament to how amazing the character is.
Absolutely fantastic. Loved every min. A great tribute to character 👌👌👌👌👌👍
Paul Dooley was an extremely underrated actor, often playing the bumbling sidekick. His portrayal of Enabrian Tain showed what true master of the craft he was.
Very, very, well done. You point out not just that DS9 was a terrific Trek show with complex characters like Garak, but that is was dramatic, nuanced, and that it needs TO BE HD!!! DO THAT!!!. :)
Garak was one of the best characters on DS9 and one of the greatest characters of Star Trek. He is a legend and I wish he would return more than almost anyone.
That's why you came to me, isn't it? You came to me because you knew I could do those things that you could not!
My favorite character.
I always loved the Garak episodes! Andrew Robinson is a real pro.
I’m starting to think those people on that shuttle indeed died. He blew them up and was in trouble because they wanted to interrogate them. He spared them of that fate. As an interrogator he knew where this was going.
Too many lies. We will never know. He’s a good dude. My favorite character of Deep Space Nine.
This was perfect.
One of my favorite characters on DS9 along with O'brien
It just came to me: for someone who lived through lies, Garak take his promisses VERY seriously.
Andrew Robinson brought the perfect complexity and passion into being with Garak. There are scenes here that will be kept in perpetuity.
Very well put together.
Ds9 is the best of star trek. It put the idealism of the federation in a station full of differing ideologies and the tales that came of it were magnificent
Brilliant! Garak has always been a favorite of mine. He has to be the most complicated character in all of Trek. Yet he is also "just plain, simple, Garak" He was always A simple tailor but always exactly what he needed to be when he needed to be.
Deep Space 9 truly had some fantastic characters
Amazing! Sitting with goosebumps here!
Such a good tribute for such a good character with small screen time actually.
In some ways, Garak is the Severus Snape of Star Trek. Mysterious, cold, and his true intentions always concealed. My favorite DS9 character. His sarcasm is always beyond exemplary.
That was awesome! Thank you for making this
The emotions of an actor that lived the character
Garak is totally next level in all of Trek he stands out
This is fantastic. Thank you.
Thanks to Andrew Robinson for his brilliant portrayal of Garak. DS9 would never have been as good without him. Bravo sir.
The flash of his eyes at 4:54 when Odo says , "someone you cared about...." And the downward stare with a blink of lost control...his emotions for once accessed by another with no ready defense. Garak defeated in a sentence. It was shattering yet, of course a moment away from being thwarted by his insane abilities. Sigh.
Which episode did this scene come from?
This is why I'm watching DS9 again. Fucking love this show
Great job, I really enjoyed this. Garak is one of my favourite characters. DS9 is in my opinion the best of Star Trek.
Listen to his audio book y'all!
i just started crying good job dude
While his entire role as Garak was fantastic, I especially love the interaction with Kira about Cardassia
"My Cardassia is gone."
"Then fight for a new Cardassia."
"I have an even better reason, Commander: *revenge* ."
Just the way he delivers the lines hits so hard for me.
Garak was probably one of the better characters in DS9.
THIS IS EXCELLENT!!
Someone made that with the same love and empathy that i have for that character
Garak is the most complex character on the show, played to absolute perfection by Andrew Robinson.
Garak would deserve his own movie from my POV, he could be the Cardassian version of James Bond, just saying ;-)
For Cardasia, For the Order, For Justice, For the Truth of a well cut straight line, For a tomb well deserved an Epitaph - Truth is an excuse for those without an imagination. Be True to Your Self and conduct an Integration by Silence.
Very well done.
Never let them too close, keep up the pretence and the lies and no one can touch you.
tinker, tailor, solider, spy
He goes on to make a very fine leader for the new Cardassia.
Well done ! Cheers
Mila is meant to be Garak's mother. That definitely adds a level to how Garak interacts with her. It also means that The Dominion War resulted in the death of both of his parents.
I wish I could of watched DS9 when it aired.
who knew a simple tailor would turn out to be a hero in the end??
Garak.A decent man tainted by the filth of war.
Loved it
I know it sounds weird and pathetic but the series gave me strengh when I needed it the most
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
This is fucking magnifiicent.
This would be THE best Garak compilation were it not for the sound issues. Varying volumes, music being louder than the conversations...
Garak and Quark were the most interesting characters in this show.
Kiss the girl and get the key. They never taught me that in the Obsidian Order.
Garak is badass, one of my favourite characters from DS9. Just a Taylor. Lol
"That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you want: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. 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. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain."
@Just Jeff You can always trust a Ferengi to mind rule of acquisition 240, but don't be shocked when there's hidden costs.
and He said he "Would do anything to get the Romulans into the war"
@Just Jeff Why did I just read that in my head with Quarks voice? haha..
You know what's worse Garak was right.
@@timesthree5757 he wasn't wrong often...
And if he was, he was lying about what he thought
Garak and Quark were the most interesting characters in this show.
Garak had a huge impact on DS9. Well written and portrayed.
When you consider that Garak was in only 37 episodes out of 173, it becomes even more impressive.
Oh my God was it really only 37? I am serious when I say I cannot imagine DS9 without Garak.
No way 37???? He was the best thing in DS9
Amazing how only 20 years ago the writers responsible for Star Trek could make even the peripheral supporting characters some of the most complex and intriguing.
WHHAAAATTTTT? Seriously? I thought he was in half of it. That's a credit to how much of an impact this character and actor had on the entire of Star Trek.
Yes, the Garak episodes have always been my favourite :D
"Never tell the same lie twice"
"Truth is usually an excuse for lack of imagination "
"Its all, true, especially the lies"
3 of the best lines in all Star Trek
Blackblooded also some of the least ‘Trek like’ quotes.
also "I never tell the truth...because I dont believe there is such a thing" :)
"I (read it in a book,) (overheard it while hemming trousers) etc."
@Ricardo Santos Coincidence is like luck, they don't exist, there is only the Living Force and the Unifying Force, but where it comes to Master Kennobi even he can make a Jedi believe in luck.
These quotes definitively describes the life and times of the current demagogue sorry excuse for
president these past 4 years...
Odo: "You'd shoot a man in the back?"
Garak: "It's the safest way, of course."
Classic Garak
Rimmer : I can happily him if he was on the job.
Love it
Fair point
Tinker... Tailor... Solider... Spy...
I have always thought this myself
You took my comment. :p
It took me so long to realize he fits those titles better than anyone ever could
His character is literally based off of that novel, give it a read sometime :)
yeah haha what i just wrote before reading this good one.
"My dear doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
-Elim Garak and Julian Bashir in the most fitting exchange for the two characters
The exchange at the bar between Garak and Quark (Way of The Warrior) is also amazing.
@@CCISolitude , it's insidious.
Lying, like any other skill, must be practiced to be maintained.
@@leepreston9637 Never tell the same lie twice.
And that's the thing, we will never know exactly what happened with Garak to land in an exile, but we can see hints of it in the lies he tells.
This video not only shows how good an actor Andrew Robinson is, but how good DS9 is. Look at this story arc for a B character. There are some main characters you couldn’t make a 3-5 minute for never mind a 9 minute masterpiece!
Well done! Great piece of work!
I am rewatching the show again. I would say DS9 is one best show in TV history. It's "The Wire" of sci-fi.
I strongly encourage you both to watch Babylon 5. It was shopped around to the studio before DS9 was even developed. I think you'd enjoy it.
Who you calling a B character?
aethertech Garak....
@@Thalanox although I like portions of B5 it was fairly predictable future sci-fi with mediocre acting. DS9 was decent sci-fi, with a few twists in an already fleshed out "universe" with better than average acting most of the time.
Garak is the dictionary definition of a patriot. He doesn't blindly follow the orders of a misguided government. Instead, he has devoted his life to the betterment of Cardassia even though the universe no longer understands his definition and his own people have exiled him. Yet he never sells his soul or himself and fights for a better Cardassia, even when it means giving up his own life (when he tries to blow up the founders homeworld but Worf stops him). He is prepared to sacrifice himself for his father, a man who considers him a traitor until his last breath and has never recognised him as a son. It's Garak against the universe and in the end, he wins. But victory is bittersweet. He loses what he loves to give another chance to the Cardassians for what they could become. When the female founder says Cardassia is done he is able to look her in the eye, smile, and thank her for her time for Cardassia as he plans to kill her. He never seeks fame or recognition but works in the shadows for his people. When Damar and others are perceived as saviours he isn't jealous but is happy that his people are on the right path to freedom. His morals are of his own and he doesn't let anyone dictate his actions. He is a true patriot, even though he was exiled for opposing a genocidal government he never stopped serving. We could all learn a lesson from this fictional character. Being a patriot does not mean blindly serving a government who are controlled by special interest groups but to judging individual policies. When the leader of the Cardassian dissident movement asks Kira if Garak is on their side she says she doesn't know. It's because he judges each individual situation on how he views it would benefit his countrymen. Even when he decodes their codes and he questions his actions he sticks by what he believes to be the best for Cardassia even though many thousands will die, Cardassia will be better for it. When Damars aide threatens to kill Kira, Garak pulls his weapon on him. The aide responds by saying he wouldn't kill another Cardassian he replies with "how little you know me". Garak isn't afraid to kill a man to save a Bajoran whose skillset can save Cardassia. He is a true servant of Cardassia and perhaps the best-written character on Trek.
I read your whole comment, and agree with every word. Well written, and captures Garak very clearly 👍
Right on !! 👍🏼💪🏻🙏🏻
Awesome take, very illuminating
Great treatise on Garak, glad there's still people out there who know how to recognize quality storytelling
Its quotes like this that make me binge watch the series again.
Garak was one of the strongest characters ever in all Trek. The actor was superb
Also awesome edit, thank you
Check out the book he wrote himself (Andrew Robinson) "A stitch in time".
Now consider that, while I 100% agree with you, he's probably not in the top 5 of best developed characters on the show. That's what really makes this amazing. This great of a character was, ultimately, for the most part, a side character.
And Naomi Wildman.
Him and Quark were just absolutely delightful, 100% of the time onscreen.
Garak was intended to be a one-off character; Robinson said that he portrayed the character in the episode for the simple fact that he needed money for that month to pay his bills. The producers were impressed with Robinson's performance and decided to develop the character after Robinson agreed to return.
And we and the show benefited from it.
I still find it hard to believe he was only in 30 episodes. he had such an impact on the show.
For me Garak can be understood by his summary of 'Boy who cried wolf' parable: «Never tell the same lie twice».
When I first heard Garak's morale of that story I knew he was a really special character.
Good... Good...
And don’t forget his first reaction when he hears about the shepard boy....”Clever lad!!” 😂
VolodyA! V Anarhist but if you tell to many lies no one will think any are true
Odo: "Commander, he _doesn't_ know why the Romulans would try to kill him."
Sisko: "What makes you so sure?"
Odo: "Because if he _did_ know, he'd already be spinning out an elaborate web of lies to cover up the truth."
Garak: "The truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination!"
God damn this show is such a gem.
Basic Shapes join the Alamaraine cult
Maxsimodem, if you can see, you’ll come with me!
DS9 was full of complex, multi-layered stories. But one of the most mind-bending was when Kira helps start a rebellion on Cardassia, that was deep. She has to work with people who she used to kill, and teach Cardassians to think like terrorists.
"Yes Damar, what kind of people give those orders?"
Kira was also so sassy, I loved her.
@@francescobirsaalessandri3992
that was a very important moment for damar.
@@francescobirsaalessandri3992 That remark was only made stronger by the earlier scene where Damar splashes the kanar on his own reflection. What Kira said hit him hard because he already knew it was true.
To think like freedom fighters with nothing to lose. The designation of "terrorist" is very fluid.
He had probably the best line in all trek when Kira said at Ziel's death bed. "She loved you" refering to Garak when he replied "I could never figure out why.... I guess I never will". That moment hit me like a punch to the gut.
Ziyal got a raw deal, but, it did give Dukat a chance to show he wasn't all bad, he really did love her (once he decided not to kill her), and went appropriately mad for a bit, afterwards.
The fact that characters like Garak, Martok, Tain, Winn, Weyoun, and Dukat only appear in less than 30 episodes each (Martok’s only in, like, 9 and Tain’s barely in 4) and get they all got such amazing development continues to shock me to this day.
You forgot Damar!
According to memory alpha Martok is actually in 24 episodes, (2 of them are the changeling impersonating him, so you could argue he's only technically in 22) Martok and Garak are probably my two favorite characters in the whole series. DS9 was the best that Star Trek has ever been. It's a shame that none of the following series or movies followed it's lead.
Martok is definitely in more than 9 episodes. If im wrong holy shit thats a WAY better character then I thought
I understand the Garak was supposed to be a throw away character for the first season as like an extra. The actor needed money for rent and asked to say on for a month. I honestly think DS9 would be lacking without Elim. How he evolved and was given more backstory is amazing.
Dukat less than 30 episodes?! I've never looked into that character's stats (so to speak) but that's amazing if Dukat - a top bad guy - only appeared 30 times in a 7-year show and feels like he was in at least half the episodes.
This is when star trek was written with passion, skill, intelligence.
I miss those old days.
When anyone mentions DS9, Garak comes to mind. Well-written and masterfully portrayed by Andrew Robinson (the Scorpio killer in 1971's Dirty Harry), Garak was a living contradiction. A simple tailor who had a complicated and clandestine past, one didn't know whether to trust him or not, but one knew he was capable of doing the dirty work needed to keep one's conscience clear enough to want to live a little longer. The man was lethal, quiet, insidious, charming, all at the same time.
Odo for me
Very nice. But I think you missed some of his best lines.
Bashir: "Which parts were true?",
Garak: "My dear doctor, it was all true!"
Bashir: "Even the lies?"
Garak: "Especially the lies!"
....
Doctor: "Ever heard the tale of the boy who cried Wolf? It warns against lying, for when you really need help, no-one will" (paraphrasing here)
Garak: "Are you sure that's the moral of the story?"
Doctor: "What else could it be?"
Garak: "That you never tell the same lie twice!" /smirk
That was a perfect tribute! Well done!
Hard to believe Garak was only in 37 episodes of the whole series since his impact was so big and lasting.
When I was watching the series on Netflix for the first time, every once in awhile I'd say to my brother (whom I was watching it with) "We haven't seen Garak in a long time! :("
"I need to know that someone forgives me."
Only one of the loneliest people alive could say such a thing. It's a great line.
Agreed, this video and whoever made this this has an eye for life most people never see
Gul Dukat didn't like this tribute to his nemesis
Legate Damar also disliked the video, apparently.
@@venus_envy And Weyoun
@@Vladimir_The_Impaler Ah! At the time of my comment there were only two dislikes, seems like Senator Vreenak got in on it, too.
(To be fair, the music _is_ a little overpowering at times, but I still gave it a like because Garak.)
Good... Good...
@@venus_envy Truth is in the eye of the beholder, I don't tell the truth cause I don't believe their is such a thing, that's why I enjoy the simplicity of cutting cloth. --- Elim Garak
The character Garak is by far one of my favorite of all Star Trek characters.
Some would say Cpt. Picard or Cpt. Kirk... but Garak was such a multifaceted, manifold character and the writers never ceased to develop the character throughout the series.
But it was Andrew Robinson who really brought the character to life.
His ability to subtle prononciate words and thus changing the overall context of a whole senctence, the smirks here and there or just the way he used his eyes / eye muscles (despite all the makeup he wore) wthout saying a single word. That kind of acting skill combined with the character writing made the Garak so likeable.
Wholeheartedly agree here. The writers and Andrew Robinson nuanced Garak in such a special way, that I think is comparable to non other. But he alone did something more: he wrote "A Stitch in Time". Which is one of the absolute best books in Star Trek library of all times and so much underlines Elim Garak we already know, so much completes him, that is a must-read for anyone who is Garak's fan and more, who really enjoys Star Trek. The sadness, the strength, the passion, the depth with which this book is written is unprecedented in series of such books and is really something to admire.
DS9 was amazing for it's secondary characters. Weyoun comes to mind as well, again helped by an amazing performance by the actor. Garack really was one of the best though.
Callum Mckay Definitely agree with Weyoun too! Great character. Anytime I watch DS9. I genuinely believe he wanted peace. Gul Dukat too was also an amazing character. DS9 was just perfect in my opinion, every single character and the storyline beats all other Treks for me. But if Quark isn’t anyone’s favourite then you must have something wrong with you!! Lol
my favorite is data....
but garak is also an excellent choice.
100%
Garak is a man who's lost everything. Yet he struggles on, either out of sheer defiance or hope of returning home. A man who's done despicable things in the name of his people, but is capable of extraordinary compassion. A man who wears a mask in every conversation, hiding the true depth of his feelings behind it.
Garak is more human than he'd like to admit. Than any of us would like to admit
What seems like Garek's untrustworthiness, moral ambiguity, shadowed motives, and ever-constant, but always varying & seamlessly morphing, manipulations...
Well, that's why I trust him. A man so, ahem, *gifted* can, with complete certainty, be unquestionably trusted with anything, and everything...up to, and including my life: if Garek wanted me to feel what his treachery would be, he'd have already done it..and I'd have never seen it coming. That is proof that Garek can be trusted without needing to hesitate to wonder.
The true thrill is in finding out WHO exactly is guilty of WHAT.
i fully agreed with him when he said that.
And I don’t think we will ever truly know
Now I kind of want to read a Cardassian mystery.
@@drdarkenyI can see it now. A man is murdered in his house, six people are arrested , a professor, a colonel, a law enforcer, a widow, an aristocrat, and a brothel owner. Each of them are guilty of something.
@@ONTOE0 This reminds me of if you charged with a specific crime but exonerated of said crime but guilty of something
"The truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination"
.....Damn.