He was in only 39 of the episodes over 7 seasons of Deep Space Nine but there is no sci-fi character greater than the man who was a "simple tailor" Elim Garak
There is no one in sci-fi who added more intruige, depth, and sheer enjoyment to a show than he.
Watch the episode "In A Pale Moonlight" and see a master in action! Who else could make one of the finest in starfleet act in the following manner??
Elim Garak: That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you want: a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. And if your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant. And all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain.
Captain Sisko: "I lied. I cheated. I bribed men, to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But, the most damning thing of all... I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again...I would. Computer, delete entry." "In the Pale Moonlight"
Bashir: Someone should do a study.
Garak: A study?
Bashir: On why some people can never bring themselves to trust anyone.
Garak: Why is it no one ever believes me even when I'm telling the truth?
Bashir: Have you ever heard the story about the boy who cried wolf?
Garak: No.
Bashir: It's a children's story about a young shepherd boy who gets lonely while tending his flock, so he cries out to the villagers that a wolf is attacking the sheep. The people come running, but of course there's no wolf. He claims that it's run away and the people praise him for his vigilance.
Garak: Clever lad! Charming story.
Bashir: I'm not finished. The next day the boy does it again and the next too. And on the fourth day a wolf really comes. The boy cries out to the top of his lungs, but the villagers ignore him... and the boy and his flock are gobbled up.
Garak: That's a little graphic for children, wouldn't you say?
Bashir: But the point is: if you lie all the time nobody's going to believe you, even when you're telling the truth.
Garak: Are you sure that's the point, doctor?
Bashir: Of course. What else could it be?
Garak: That you should never tell the same lie twice.
Now THAT is one hell of an exchange!!
"Truth is usually just an excuse for lack of imagination." (Deep Space Nine: "Improbable Cause")
Dr. Bashir: "So what things that you told me were the truth?"
Garak: "All of it!"
Dr. Bashir: "Even the lies?"
Garak: "Especially the lies!" (The Wire)
Garak: "... and what I find interesting is how your mind ended up casting me in the role of the villain! [...] To think, after all this time, all our lunches together, you still don't trust me. There's hope for you yet, doctor."
(Distant Voices)
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