#I’ve been rewatching the bashir-centric episodes and i have FEELINGS okay

[a-pile-of-contented-ravens]

While i understand some of the doylist reasons for why garak was not in Doctor Bashir, I Presume (Andrew Robinson being too expensive to have on the show for three episodes in a row, the season already having exceeded its Gayness Quota, etc) from a Watsonian perspective his absence is outrageously out of character. You’re telling me  that Plain Simple Garak, who singled out Bashir as the most manipulatable Star fleet officer and went to the replicomat to hit on him aggressively by the second episode WHILE HIGH OUT OF HIS MIND wouldn’t AT THE LEAST break into Julian’s quarters (again) to see what was up???? You’re saying that Garak “literally just found out that bashir had been replaced by a changeling for a month” wasn’t paying close enough attention to Julian to realise anything was happening????? Garak “my estranged dad just died” wouldn’t care about Julian’s estranged parents being in town?????????? THAT Garak????????????????????? The only possible reason i can think of for him not being there is that he was at Tain’s funeral, which is never implied in the episode. Why wasn’t he there Star Trek creators explain yourselves