Thirty Days of Star Trek - Favorite Federation Enemy

[selenak]

Day 8 - Favorite Federation Enemy

No question about it: the Cardassians. Their introduction – in TNG’s The Wounded, which was also a great O’Brien episode, showcasing what he could do and probably earning him his promotion to DS9 – was superb. No moustache twirling, literal shades of grey, and yet also undeniably in the wrong on a large scale.

On DS9, the Cardassians became a major feature, since they were the main antagonists for the first few seasons, and also had the villainous occupation backstory with the setting of the show. (Said occupation backstory, btw, was a far better take on the „fascist state occupies countries worlds, is beaten back“ trope than TOS‘ Pattern of Force (cringe), Voyager’s interlude where aliens role play Nazis and Resistance on the holodeck (super cringe) or Enterprise’s s4 opening two parter Storm Front (history is changed, oh noes! Nazis in charge! But don’t worry, our heroes will set it right! – super super cringe).) However, they were also explored as individuals, first via the two recurring Cardassian characters the audience saw the most off, Garak and Dukat, then also via other memorable Cardassian characters, both one shot (for example Marritza in Duet) and recurring (Damar!). Whenever Cardassians were a major part of an episode, chances were really good for it to be excellent. Not least because they made great foils for three of our regulars – Kira above all, but also Bashir and Sisko - , as well as being interesting and complicated people in their own right.

So, my heart belongs to the grey lizards. I still live in hope for a comeback in current Trek.



Day 1 - Favorite TOS Episode

Day 2 - Favorite Federation Race

Day 3 - Favorite Starship

Day 4 - Favorite Captain

Day 5 - Saddest Event

Day 6 - Happiest Event

Day 7 - Favorite TNG Episode

Day 9 - Favorite Character
Day 10 - Most Shocking Moment
Day 11 - Crew Position You Would Want
Day 12 - Crew Position You Wouldn't Want
Day 13 - Favorite DS9 Episode
Day 14- Favorite Time Travel Episode
Day 15 - Favorite First Officer
Day 16 - Favorite Voyager Episode
Day 17 - Favorite Trek Novel
Day 18 - Favorite Non-Aligned Race
Day 19 - Favorite Enterprise Episode
Day 20 - Character You're Most LIke
Day 21 - Least Favorite Character
Day 22 - Favorite Trek Film
Day 23 - Best Trek Tech
Day 24 - Best Overall Space Vessel
Day 25 - Favorite Discovery Episode
Day 26 - Planet You Would Most Like To Visit
Day 27 - Character You Would Date
Day 28 - Name Your Own Starship
Day 29 - Favorite Trek Quote
Day 30 - Favorite Trek Series

Comments

[lilacsigil]

The other thing I really loved about the Cardassian plot was how the Federation had let this happen to Bajor. On the big stage it was a reasonable tactical decision - and one of many such decisions - on the many, many small stages that they introduced over time it was a huge disaster. And I also liked that the Cardassians weren't sorry (with some honorable exceptions) and instead sought to at best minimise and at worst justify what they did. Even relatively sympathetic Cardassians like Garak were much more caught up in their own lives and power struggles than interested in their immediate past history.

[selenak]

And I also liked that the Cardassians weren't sorry (with some honorable exceptions) and instead sought to at best minimise and at worst justify what they did.

Yup, and that was all too recognizable to me. They were a believable totalitarian state and a believable society (not) dealing with war crimes in a way I hadn't seen before in Star Trek.

On the big stage it was a reasonable tactical decision - and one of many such decisions - on the many, many small stages that they introduced over time it was a huge disaster.

And that was very recognizable, too, and gets ever more so in the present day.

[watervole]

Cardassian charaters made a good argument for their way of doing things. You might not agree with their morals, but they didn't instantly convert to the 'right' way.

All sorts of shades of grey.

[labingi]

Great points about the Cardassians and the quality of DS9.

[hannah]

I saw a fabulous piece of meta somewhere on Tumblr that - let me get it..."DS9 portrays Cardassians through a character who believes in the goodness of Cardassia, but then through that still shows you that Cardassia is completely and totally terrible." [Link.]

[selenak]

I would say "Cardassian Society" or "the Cardassian System" (and the Ferengi Society, and the Dominion) instead of "Cardassia", but yes, otherwise. You could say this was in a way prefigured by Worf (who grew up among humans) on TNG idealizing the Klingon way of life to the nth degree and try so very hard to fulfill Klingon ideals, except that his storyline demonstrates to the audience again and again the messiness of Klingon Realpolitik.

[lizbee]

I want the Cardassians to appear in the Picard series, if only to see how they look with modern prosthetics -- TNG's HD remaster didn't do them many favours.