Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 2.22

The Wire

Garak suffers from something that is giving him debilitating headaches. Doctor Bashir's knowledge of Cardassian physiology hinders his ability to treat Garak, who insists that he doesn't need Bashir's help. Bashir rushes Garak to the infirmary after he collapses due to the pain in his head.

Bashir determines that there is a device in his head that is probably the source of the trouble. He later learns from Garak that the device is supposed to help Garak deal with pain, not cause it. The device is failing. Garak tells Bashir that he would rather die than be saved. He tells Bashir a few stories about himself, that hint at his reason for being on the space station.

Doctor Bashir visits Enabran Tain, Garak's mentor and the former head of the Obsidian Order, the Cardassian secret police. He helps Bashir get what he needs to help Garak recover but Tain only does it because he believes that Garak betrayed the Cardassian cause, wants to see Garak suffer, and knows that living on Deep Space Nine is a punishment of sorts for Garak.

Thoughts

This episode mostly belongs to Bashir and Garak. Odo and Quark get to play supporting roles. The others are in this episode but don't play significant parts. Jake is not in this episode.

This is a middle of the road episode for me. I like it but it didn't blow my socks off. I like how they keep adding bits and pieces throughout the story. 

Notes

This is the fourth of 32 episode in which Garak appeared. The third episode in which he appeared was 2.18 Profit and Loss.

Paul Dooley played the part of Enabran Tain. This is the first of four episodes of this show in which he appeared playing Enabran Tain. He has a distinctive voice and it wasn't hard for me to figure out who the actor was behind the Cardassian make up. He was in at least five movies that i have seen but none that I have seen recently. He appeared in one episode of Tales from the Crypt. He also appeared in episodes of Millennium and My So Called Life that I know I watched but not recently.

This episode was written by Robert Hewitt Wolfe. It is one of 84 episodes of this show that he had a hand in writing but it is only the third where his contribution is described as written by. Most of the other episodes he is listed as teleplay by, staff writer, or story editor. He later went on to become executive story editor and co-producer of this show. He also wrote an episode of The Next Generation.

This is the first of six episodes of this show that Kim Friedman directed. She also directed episodes of Voyager.