By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Part of what makes Star Trek so rewarding to watch is that it’s full of tropes, including episodes where Picard acts like a lawyer or episodes where the holodeck tries to get everyone killed. However, one of the franchise’s best tropes is one that most fans have never even noticed. That trope is the Cardassian monologue, and it all started with the excellent Deep Space Nine episode “Duet.”
The Cardassian Monologue
“Duet” is the episode where Major Kira must investigate a potential Cardassian war criminal only to discover that he’s an innocent man hoping to be tried and executed so citizens of Bajor can have closure. It’s an amazing Season 1 episode because it showcases the serious acting chops of Nana Visitor and Harris Yulin, whose Cardassian eventually gives a moving speech about the horrors he had witnessed and the need for Cardassia to face justice. And according to Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr, this was the franchise’s first example of the “long Cardassian monologue.
If you’re a Star Trek fan asking what the heck the Cardassian monologue trope is, then it’s official: you need to watch more Deep Space Nine. As Behr helpfully explains, “Cardassians love to speak.”
He followed this up by giving a long list of Cardassians on DS9 who simply love the sound of their own voice: “Garak loves to speak. Enabran Tain loves to speak. Dukat loves to speak – very slowly – and certainly Marritza loves to speak.”
Over the course of Deep Space Nine, the writers leaned into the idea that the Cardassian monologue was simply part of these aliens’ culture. Even characters in the show comment on it, like when Gul Dukat opines to Weyoun that “war is such thirsty work…wouldn’t you agree?” This prompted his Dominion ally to respond, “Perhaps if you didn’t talk so much, your throat wouldn’t get so dry.”
What’s interesting about the list of Cardassians Behr listed who like to give long monologues, most were very crucial to the show’s long-running arc. Dukat, for example, is the de facto Big Bad of the series, and Garak is the shady ally of Sisko and crew who effectively embodies the moral murkiness of the entire series. Tain, meanwhile, appeared in some memorable two-part episodes and was later revealed to be Garak’s father, illustrating the complex relationship these two men share.
By comparison, the Marritza character from “Duet” is relatively minor, but he left a major impact on the show. DS9 had a rough Season 1, but this episode proved how great the show could be when it was truly firing on all cylinders, and Harris Yulin’s performance provided an emotional anchor that gave this story the weight and gravitas it deserved. In addition, Yulin pioneered the Cardassian monologue, which became a major trope that would affect the rest of the series for the better part of a decade.
As huge fans of Deep Space Nine, it’s legitimately impossible to imagine the Cardassians without their monologues. In addition to showcasing the talents of these aliens’ actors, these crunchy bits of dialogue help us learn more about the real motivations of our characters. It’s honestly one of the best tropes of the best Star Trek show ever made. And it wouldn’t be a part of franchise history at all if not for a single episode that arguably defined DS9 for an entire generation of fans.
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