15 Days of DS9: Day 3
Favorite One-time Character and/or Guest Star:
Harris Yulin
as Aamin Marritza
In the role of Aamin Marritza, a Cardassian file clerk posing as an infamous war criminal in hiding, Yulin gives a dynamic performance, first as a sadistic orator and then making a hundred-eighty degree turn as a cowardly and remorseful confessor. The actor was apparently exhausted from the make-up and filming schedule for the show, but, whether the weariness fed into the representation of a stressed and sickly individual or whether Yulin’s abilities simply overcame it, the result is the same: a sympathetic, desperate, and honorable man using what little resources he has to make the greatest sacrifice he can to help his homeland and address his own complicity.
This is the first time we see humanity among the Cardassians in Deep Space Nine. It’s only fitting that we experience it through Kira, who herself has seen the worst Cardassia can offer and has, until now, made hating Cardassians a necessary part of her survival. Marritza gives Kira and the audience hope for Cardassia’s future and our first occurrence of the Cardassian Rebellion’s battle cry: “For Cardassia!”
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