#I mean this is the same dub that at least once accidentally called the gamma quadrant the shrimp quadrant

[ladyylavenderrr]

Incoming rant nobody but me cares about. Spain’s dub of the scene where we find out Tain is Garak’s dad enrages me so much.

So, I just love watching this scene in any language that has this formal and informal pronoun distinction unlike English. Almost all of them have Garak, Tain and/or both go from using formal pronouns to informal pronouns in this scene and it hits so hard. I obviously don’t know enough of each language this show was dubbed in to know how all of them do this, but the german dub (I’m biased I know) does it like this. Tain and Garak use formal pronouns for each other and the moment Garak directly calls Tain “father”, they switch to informal. Some dubs have only Garak use informal pronouns while Tain uses formal ones and vice versa, but having them both switch pronouns is my favorite way of doing this. Do you know what my least favorite way of doing it is? Having them both continue to use formal pronouns with each other like Spain’s dub had them do.

I definitely understand why you might choose to make this translation decision. Tain and Garak aren’t close at all. In fact, in another universe where the two openly acknowledged each other as father and son, I can definitely see them still using formal pronouns with each other despite that or at least Garak might use them for Tain. Tain is 100% the type of ridiculously old fashioned and authoritative father that would have his son use formal pronouns for him. The closest thing to that in English would be a father who makes his kid call him sir, I guess. So I can definitely see why, if one doesn’t analyze this scene’s meaning at all, they might choose to have the two continue the formal pronoun shtick.

Here’s the issue tho. Beyond this scene serving as a way to reveal this big plot twist to the audience, the main point of it is to have Garak and Tain, for the first time in their entire lives, be open and vulnerable with each other. It’s very difficult to imagine the two have even spoken the truth about their relationship out loud before, based on how Tain instinctively panics at Garak calling him his father despite thinking they’re alone. This is the first time we see Tain be something even resembling loving and paternal and it’s the first time Garak lets himself so explicitly state his desire to be loved. Of course, he can’t ask for it very explicitly, but saying “let me be your son” is as close to it as he can get. And Tain can’t be so explicit in admitting he does care for Garak, but saying “you’ve always been a weakness I can’t afford” and telling him he was proud of him on this one specific day years ago is as close to it as he can get.

My point is, this is supposed to be Tain and Garak being as vulnerable as they can possibly be with each other. Formal pronouns just don’t mesh with that in my opinion. Going from formal to informal pronouns is a great choice though.

Long rant. Sorry. I’m so insane about translating media