reasons why garak is a good example of grey morality where others fail: he is sympathetic, but is never really absolved.
his claustrophobia, his moral dilemmas, and his addiction are treated with gravity and respect.
you know whats also treated with great gravity? his crimes and transgressions. the show never demands that you or anyone on it forgive him (though i'll concede some of his punishment was light but they only had so many episodes and he was a popular character made integral to the plot).
like he's played very likable, you know that many of the things he did were because of his abusive father, you want to see him get better and you know he CAN get better, but that it will never change the things he has done, which hangs over your head every time you watch him quip or hit on bashir.
I know what you mean, sometimes you are laughing at his quips and his watermelon shirt and another minute you are sad for him and all his guilt and trauma and then another minute you remember that one time Worf literally had to physically restrain him from committing genocide.
