Show #52 now up - DS9 show this week

[Rico]

I look at the episode "Duet" on this week's show.  And we have a new contest!  Enjoy!     :spidey

[Riskygodfather]

Thanks for the response to my question Rico, I'm still listening but I agree now that the Klingon Bird of Prey was probably the answer. And I hope that STO turns out better than you excpect.

[Rico]

I think it just will be hard to turn such a big franchise like Trek into a MMO game.  It might still work out, I just think they have their work cut out for them.

[De]

Terrific show as usual, Rick.  I appreciate you tackling such a poignant episode head on.  I'll return to that in a moment, but first wanted to address Riskygodfather's question:

I was just wondering why they didn't use [the cold start method from "The Naked Time"] in Star Trek IV.

Keep in mind that the mission in Star Trek IV required arriving at a particular point in the past.  You might remember Kirk telling Spock to make the proper calculations for time travel.  The slingshot method was used in "Tomorrow Is Yesterday" as a somewhat accurate means of time travel, so it stands to reason that the more accurate method would be used.  The cold start of the engines in "The Naked Time" sent the ship back only a few days and certainly didn't seem to be a method of relative precision.  It was also fairly risky.


Now, on to "Duet"...

This episode was essentially cribbed from a play called "The Man in the Glass Booth" by Robert Shaw, which was turned into a film starring Maximillian Schell in 1975.  Some of Trek's best efforts have been adaptations of other material and this episode excels on just about every level.  While you mentioned the Nazis, Rick, this episode was made during the time of the Bosnian War in the former Yugoslavia where history was repeating itself in Bosnia's notorious Omarska labor camp (among other concentration camps).  Like Gallitepp in the episode, most of the prisoners never walked out of Omarska. 

When I saw Nana Visitor (Kira) at a convention after DS9's fourth season, she specifically mentioned this episode as a personal favorite not only because of its contribution to the Kira Nerys character, but because she personally felt the message of the episode was so important to tell.  Marritza's reasoning for impersonating Gul Darhe'el strongly echoed a quote once made by Simon Wiesenthal: "When history looks back, I want people to know the Nazis weren’t able to kill millions of people and get away with it."  Wiesenthal died late last year, but his organization continues his mission of bringing Nazi war criminals to justice.

Again, thank you for tackling this hard-hitting episode.  You're certainly not alone about tearing up while watching this.  It doesn't matter how many times I've see it, "Duet" smacks like a hammer with every viewing.

[Rico]

Thanks De.  I actually had to take a break while recording the podcast while discussing the show near the end, as I was getting pretty worked up.  I can't imagine what it would be like to be in that type of situation.  I just wish I had the ability to have everyone in the world sit down and watch this episode. 

[Scott]

Good job on that one Rico. That was a good episode. I loved the whole, "Just because someone is from some race, doesn't mean they are like all the others" type of message. I remember seeing the episode on Spike a few weeks ago and thinking this is a good one for Rico. Glad you read my mind dude. ;)

[Jen]

Excellent Rico....

"Duet"  is one of my favorite Deep Space 9 episodes. It was intended to tell the story of the Omarska labor camp, but unfortunately humanity has seen so many Holocausts, it could very easily fit any of them.  I think the emotion felt, after viewing this particular episode, is a testament to the tremendous acting and writing abilities of those involved in the making of this episode. They were VERY convincing, and the story was so believable. History becomes tangible, when it is told in this fashion. 

History books are often devoid of the personal stories that drive home the seriousness of certain events. We can not completely understand the magnitude of the circumstances, as they occurred, unless they are told from a personal point of view. When these accounts are communicated, in a way which places us squarely in the shoes of those who were directly effected, suddenly we are able to see history through the eyes of the people who actually experienced it. We don't just learn it, we feel it...And I have to say, I felt "Duet"...It chokes me up too Rico.

This episode reminds me of the Diary of Anne Frank, which I attempted to read in High School. I have always been interested in history, particularly the history of WWII; probably because I know several people who were either children during this time, or who fought in the war. They have each told me stories about what this time was like for them, but none of them were Jewish, or European. I did not understand that aspect of the war until I read The Diary of Anne Frank.  I basically knew what the book was about. I knew what had happened to the Jews from watching documentaries, reading history books, and listening to my history teachers lecture about the Nazis and how awful their atrocities were. But, until I read Anne's account, in her own words, I could not truly grasp the horror of the Holocaust. After reading almost the entire book, I had to stop at the last chapter.  It began to give me nightmares. I saw the war through Anne's eyes; a girl who's future had been so bright, was abruptly snuffed out before she reached 16, because of her religion. Coincidentally, I was 16 when I began to read the book...It hit too close to home...but after reading it, I had gone beyond simple knowledge...I had walked in Anne's shoes, thorough the words she wrote in her diary .  If you don't know this story please visit http://www.annefrank.com/

The writers of"Duet", Ira Behr and Peter Fields, and the actors Nana Visitor and Harris Yulin (the actor who played the Cardassian) should have all won Emmies.  I learned that "the episode was made during a state of end-of-the-season exhaustion and under a frustrating mandate to shoot cheaply. Yet the result is stellar, a morally and politically complex drama." THAT is TV at its finest folks.

[Rico]

Glad you liked the show too Jen.  Great thoughts and comments also.  These are pretty strong ideas, but important ones too.  I'm real happy I decided to tackle this episode.

[Riskygodfather]

Yes, excellent podcast and episode, and I agree that if everyone not only watched this episode, but Star Trek in general, I think that this world would be a better place.

And De, the reason that they only went back a few days in The Naked TIme was because Kirk ordered to slowly slow down the ship. I think that they could've had a more precise time travel if they had used the method from the Naked Time, because they wouldn't even have to m ake calculations, they could just see on Sulu's little time thinkgy that they were at the right point. Personally I think that they didn't do the cold start because they were in a Klingon ship. But thank you for that De