This episode cements further my belief that Dukat, rather than being evil and malicious, really does believe that he was helping the Bajorans and that they should thank him for all he did, as opposed to just saying it for show.
The whole Pah'wraith cult is interesting if only for the fact that yet again Kira (representing the 'good guy' Prophets) is pushing her weight around making everyone want to believe what she wants to believe. Interesting that here we're supposed to sympathise with her, but in the real world if someone went around telling us all to believe what she does, she'd be looked down on as another one of those 'religious nutters'.
To be honest, the cult aren't doing anyone any harm; why not let them believe what they want to believe? As the Vedek at the end proved, some of them really believed in the Pah'wraiths (as opposed to being brainwashed as Kira wants us to believe), so there must be some free will somewhere....
Interesting episode this one :)
Personally I'm of the opinion that Dukat knows what he does is evil and wrong but practises self delusion to the extent of convincing himself he's misunderstood - this imho still makes him an evil git but not perhaps to the same degree as someone who has no problem being thought of as evil.
It's noticeable through the episode that Dukats behavioural patterns are still very much the same as when he ran Terak Nor (SP?) - trying to appear benevolent when he's not, sh@gging the arse off of any Bajoran woman that takes his fancy, and the inability to accept what he's done without self deception/blaming someone else. When you take in to account the fact that he is apparently the chosen one of the Pah Wraiths it would appear obvious they are evil and consequently Kira is right to try and expose Dukat.
That's my take on things anyway :lol:
I thought this one started out a bit dull but ended up being quite interesting. I do find myself wanting to throw things at the screen every time Kira appears in general, so that didn't help, but Dukat kind of made up for it.