I’m not crying, you’re crying.

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As a pedantic French speaker I’ll point out that “je l’aime” is neutral and doesn’t specify a gender. It could also be “I love him” depending on the context.

It’s Garak’s sentence so he can decide what it means, but knowing it could mean either her or him is an additional layer of subtlety.

I know it’s not a popular position around here but I think bashir and garaks dynamic didn’t and doesn’t need a romantic aspect. I know the actors wanted to go there and weren’t allowed to, but I actually prefer their characters like this. Not everything has to be romantic, why can’t there just be two very different and unlikely, but still good friends?

And then there is also the subversion of expectations, why must the slick talking, suave tailor be a gay man, especially in the 90s? Why must the also not very classically masculine doctor be an overcompensating closeted gay man hitting on any woman he can find?

I think their characters work much better simply as good, platonic friends.