S06.E17: Wrongs Darker than Death or Night

[John Potts]

Quote

Kira learns that her mother, taken from a refugee center to be a Cardassian "comfort woman," willingly became Gul Dukat's mistress.

 

 

Another episode that has Kira examine whether there really is such a divide between Good (Resisting) and Bad (Collaborating) Bajorans during the Occupation, this time hitting home as she learns her dead mother was not exactly the saint she'd always been told. But just like Marritza in Duet was not the monster she wanted to believe he was, here we learn that her mother was less of a heroine than she thought and even that (perhaps) the Bajoran "Comfort Women" were not purely selfish collaborators that she'd thought, either. Nice insight into Dukat's self delusions, too, as we see him act as the "Noble Overseer" when he "rescues" one of the Bajorn women from one of his over eager officers - only for the older, more cynical Cardassian to point out how that was all a set up to convince the Bajorans how noble Dukat was (and no doubt, feed Dukat's self delusions, too).

Of course, the whole situation is decidedly sanitised for what the real experience of a Comfort Woman (or Sex Slave) would really be like, particularly in the treatment of Kira (she wants out and they... just let her go back to the mines? Yeah... no. At least show that she was beaten up first, which would be the minimum punishment she could expect for rejecting this "honour"). But it was good that they showed that Meru may have enjoyed the luxuries that being Dukat's mistress brought her, she did remember her family. But what I don't understand is why Kira rescues Dukat in the end (OK, there would be all sorts of Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Paradoxes if she didn't, but it's Dukat).

Overall, a worthy, rather than good, attempt to address the complexities of collaboration.

[rmontro]

I just find it hard to believe that this business with Kira's mother could have been kept secret all this time.  Especially considering it was Dukat, I just don't believe that this wouldn't have gotten out at some point.  I guess it does explain why Dukat has always seemed to have a fascination with Kira, but that didn't really need explaining, as she is an attractive woman in her own right.

On 7/3/2017 at 7:38 AM, John Potts said:

 

But what I don't understand is why Kira rescues Dukat in the end

Well, it could be because Sisko forbade her to interfere with the timeline (although if that were the case, why help plant the bomb in the first place?).  My gut says that wasn't her motivation though.

This raises the old "Why doesn't Batman kill the Joker?" ethical question.  If Dukat is such a genocidal monster, why wouldn't she kill him?