Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Garak
4. The Fault Lies Not In Our Stars
The torture scene in The Die Is Cast was a deliberate attempt by the writers to remind the audience that Garak was not a squeaky-clean good guy. Though enough details about his backstory had been drip fed by now for the audience to understand that, there had been as many scenes showcasing him helping the Federation.
The original story of Improbable Cause always saw Garak's shop exploding, though it wasn't a two-parter. Bringing Garak back into contact with the Obsidian Order, and with Enabran Tain, highlighted the character's burning desire to return to his people, and the lengths that he would go to achieve his ends.
It's one thing to be told that a character is a skilled torturer, but quite another thing to see them in action. René Auberjonois was proud of the scene that they crafted together, believing their exchanges to have a Shakespearean Tragedy feel to them.