I love "Waltz.”There is no other way to describe how I feel about this episode that would even flirt with honesty other than pure unfiltered, hot monkey lovin’. “Waltz’ is the episode in which the writers finally got the message Dukat is the ultimate villain of DS9. He is not just Sisko’s frequent foil, but his antithesis. Sisko has everything Dukat wants. He finally come to that realization here and vows to destroy it all.
“Waltz’ is very similar, not just in title, but style and theme to the first season’s “Duet.” That episode featured Kira sparring with Marritza, an alleged Cardassian war criminal, over the morality of the Bajoran Occupation. Kira ultimately learns not all Cardassians are hate filled murderers. Some were caught up in circumstances beyond their control.
In “Waltz,” Dukat reveals his honest views about the occupation. He wanted to have to Bajoran’s adulation even as he crushed them under his boot. He believed they wee inferior, so they should have recognized him as their better. Instead, they resisted. Sisko, on the other hand, has inadvertently taken over Dukat’s position. Though he does not rule over Bajor at all, he has their adulation as the Emissary. They will do anything he wants. Therefore, sisko has both the love of Bajorans and the power over them Dukat craves.
He hates Sisko and the Bajoran for it. I the end, Dukat vows to destroy Bajor for their rejection of him. Dukat’s vow sets up the final arc of ths duel between he and Sisko. The interesting part is the two will not meet face to face again until the series finale when they finally settle all matters, even though Dukat’s actions in the interim will cost Sisko dearly. Notably, he will kill Dax and damage his status as the Emissary.
The most intriguing part about “Waltz” is its simplistic, visually unexciting setting. Sisko and Dukat are on their way to a grand jury hearing to decide whether Dukat will stand for war crimes. Their ship is destroyed by the Dominion and they two wind up marooned on a nearby planet waiting for a rescue ship to pick up their homing beacon. The remainder of the episode is a conversation between the two which demonstrates Dukat’s fading grip on what is left of his sanity.
Aside from hallucinations of Weyoun, Kira, and Damar haunting Dukat, it is just the two of them talking about the morality of their respective relationships with the Bajorans. Despite the minimalism, it is fascinating to watch.
Rating: ***** (out of 5)
