Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Garak
2. For Andrew J. Robinson, Empok Nor Could Have Been A Step Back Too Far
Empok Nor is easily one Deep Space Nine's darkest episodes, which really is saying something, to be honest. It depicts murder, abduction, racism, and paranoia to the extreme. Taking inspiration from Diane Carey's novel Station Rage, it was a crucial episode for Garak's journey, though not everyone felt it was a positive one.
Andrew Robinson's big break in acting came in 1971's Dirty Harry, wherein he played the Scorpio Killer, based loosely on the real-life Zodiac. When Robinson received the initial draft of the script, he was extremely disappointed. He felt that the character on the page was 'intruding' on Garak, rather than advancing him.
At this point, he wasn't alone. Ira Stephen Behr sent the script back to Hans Beimler, asking for a re-draft, which resulted in the show as seen. Robinson still wasn't thrilled, as he had worked hard to move away from the deranged psychopathic characters that had brought him to mainstream appeal. For him, he felt Garak's actions in this episode were a step backward, even though the ending sees Garak cured of the drug affecting him.