Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 1.18

Duet

A Cardassian named Marritza arrives on Deep Space Nine suffering from Kalla-Nohra Syndrome. Major Kira immediately suspects that there is more to Marritza's story that he claims there to be. She has him locked up and then interrogates him while Odo finds out what he can about Marritza's past.

Evidence comes to light that makes it look like Marritza is lying about his identity. The real Marritza was a file clerk at Gallitep, a forced labor camp on Bajor run by the Cardassians. Before the investigation into Marritza's past is concluded it seems that Marritza is actually Gul Darhe'el, the former commander of Gallitep.

The Cardassian being held on Deep Space Nine admits that he is Gul Darhe'el and that Marritza is dead. Something still doesn't seem to be quite right, although Kira is more than satisfied with Gul Darhe'el's statement as to his identity. 

Odo discovers, with some help from Gul Dukat and Doctor Bashir, that Gul Darhe'el has been dead for six years. The Cardassian in the holding cell is Marritza. He had facial reconstructive surgery and had himself made to look like Gul Darhe'el. He hoped that by being put on trial it would help to heal the rift between the Cardassians and the Bajorans.

Marritza is let go but before he can leave the space station he is murdered by a Bajoran civilian who doesn't know or care whether Marritza really was Gul Darhe'el or not.

Thoughts

I wasn't expecting the twist that the episode contained but I was expecting one. I wasn't too surprised that Marritza turned out to be lying about his identity. It just seemed a little too facile the way he turned on a dime and admitted to being Gul Darhe'el.

Harris Yulin, the actor who played Marritza, did an excellent job. This episode would not be as compelling as it is without his performance. I was not familiar with him but he has been in a few movies I have seen including Scarface (1983), Clear and Present Danger (1994), and Training Day (2001). He died earlier this month on 10 Jun 2025.

There is something a little off about this episode. There is a flaw in Marritza's plan. Gul Darhe'el is dead and was buried in a hero's grave. How can he hope to pull off impersonating a man who is known to be dead? Maybe if Kira had pointed this out to him before he had his meltdown (towards the end of the episode) it would have made more sense because I wasn't completely sold on Marritza's explanation for his willingness to take the fall for someone considerably more evil. Alternatively, I think I would have been satisfied if he had turned out to be lying because he wanted to be remembered as a great man even if that man was a great murderer. 

This was an excellent episode. This is my favorite episode of DS9 to date, despite the one small shortcoming I see.