Dukat - Changeling, Gloryseeker, or Insane?
WRobert525
Possible spoilers
For some time - perhaps just to keep some people off guard <g> - Dukat was
an outcast, rejected by the very government he helped save
in "WoTW", and the protector of his illegitimate, half-Bajoran daughter
Ziyal. And in his relative exile from a comfy office on Cardassia Prime,
Dukat seemed to become a good guy, to the naked eye at least. (The
portrayal of him in the flashback episode w/ Odo excepted.) Then, rather
suddenly, Dukat becomes leader of the Cardassian gov't. under Dominion
auspices. In doing so, everybody's favorite Gul also rejected his
daughter,
with whom he seemed to be developing a rapport.
At that point, I could see how Dukat would make such a deal with the
Dominion.
His desire for revenge against the Klingon Empire, and need-in-general
to restore Cardassia to a glorious state, could have been motive enough
to shake hands with the shapeshifting devil. But his hasty rejection of
Ziyal was, well, harsh, even if highly symbolic of his greed and need for
glory. I wondered at the time, could he be a Changeling?
Now, after "A Call To Arms", I tend to think not. His reactions to being
back in Deep Space Nine (whoops, Terok Nor for a little while) seemed
geniune enough: Though he's been on DS9 many times since it was Terok
Nor, it's been a long time since he has done so in an empty promenade
without
the spectre of the Federation lurking about him. And unlike a
Founder/Dominion agent, Dukat seemed to feed of off Damar's energy, his
face lighting up whenever
his young friend talked about "a victory for Cardassia" (and forcedly
reminding
Damar that it was a "Dominion victory as well"); whilst Weyoun
wrinkled his face and mumbled, "A victory, yes - but a costly one." And
that's
ignoring his conduct in the Dominion battleship earlier, entirely; more on
that
later.
(I found the scene where the Jem'Hadar entered the station a particularly
good one. Although Dukat and Co. are considerably more likable than the
Nazis were!, Weyoun, Damar, and Dukat looked the part as they walked
onto the Promenade the same way Hitler and his cronies strolled into
France and Versailles.)
So by emotion and conduct has Dukat proved to be a different person at
times.
I rule out the possibility of his "changeling" status on some
distinguishing
actions in "A Call To Arms". Plus, Martok was already a changeling.
Bashir was for two episodes. Before long, people will hate such
predictable plot twists more than a hastily-put together time travel
plot device. Maybe I've missed something, so if there's evidence
to the contrary, I'd love to know. This was just a quick few thoughts and
impressions I had, fresh from seeing the finale.
There are certainly other possibilities for Dukat, not the least of which
being, is he really that starved for glory after the Klingons stripped
them of their [arguable] honor, is he insane, or a bit of both:
the seeds were planted for a good bit of tension between Dukat and
Dominion hierarchy for the future - perhaps it's HIM that's trying to
use the Dominion. In any event, I'd love to hear from other people.
There's a lot I left out and ignored, I know.
Take care!
-Sean
Eva Gannon
>>At that point, I could see how Dukat would make such a deal with the
Dominion.
His desire for revenge against the Klingon Empire, and need-in-general
to restore Cardassia to a glorious state, could have been motive enough
to shake hands with the shapeshifting devil. But his hasty rejection of
Ziyal was, well, harsh, even if highly symbolic of his greed and need for
glory. I wondered at the time, could he be a Changeling?
<<
I too, wondered if Dukat was actually a Changeling when he first escorted
Cardassia into the Dominion's arms. He seemed a bit too abrupt rejecting
Ziyal. But I'm beginning to think he's the real thing.
There have been some very abrupt shifts for this character. For a while,
beginning with Indiscretion, perhaps, it seems that Dukat was showing his
"nicer" side. Then, suddenly, he reverted to a super-nasty. He obviously
intends to try to retake Bajor - and Weyoun basically told him that the
Dominion would honor its treaty with Bajor. Does Dukat really think he can
use the Dominion and get away with it?
Should be an interesting next season. Dukat and the Dominion are almost
certainly going down next season, at the hands of the Federation/Klingon
armada we see at the end of Call to Arms. I'll be very interested to see
where they take Dukat after that.
Eva