The Good: Continuity, Character, Acting
The Bad: Moments are "over the top" and counter-Star Trek
The Basics: When Sisko has the chance to exact his revenge on the traitor Michael Eddington and the Maquis, he takes it.
When Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington betrayed Captain Sisko to the Maquis near the end of the fourth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, most viewers were caught off-guard and pleasantly surprised. The vast majority had the feeling that it was only the beginning of something else. In the fifth season of the series, "For The Uniform" picks that intriguing arc up when Sisko decides to hunt Eddington down.
Plagued by minor skirmishes from the Maquis that threaten the lasting peace with Cardassia, Captain Sisko has been hunting the traitor Eddington down. He finds his former officer on a planet in the demilitarized zone, but is unable to apprehend him. Instead, Sisko ends up trying to locate Eddington - who taunts him via a new holographic interface on the Defiant's bridge - when Eddington damages another Federation ship. Sisko's tactic is brutal; sensing Eddington still has a sense of loyalty to his people, Sisko begins to squeeze the Maquis until they can no longer afford to keep Eddington as their leader.
What works in "For the Uniform" is that it is a classic tale of obsession but in this case, it is one of our heroic characters who is becoming obsessed. Fortunately, this branch of the Star Trek franchise forgoes the obvious Moby Dick parallel and uses Les Miserables as a point of reference instead. The writers here have a broader sense of culture that is refreshing and fits the adult audience of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
What many of the adults in that audience, especially those who were fans of Star Trek back in the day, might find troubling is the length Sisko goes to out of personal vengeance. Eddington gives Sisko several outs, chances to simply walk away and he does not taunt Sisko like the supposed hero does to the fugitive. Sisko does such things as destroy a planet's atmosphere to flush Eddington out and threatens even more.
Personally, I find the severe differences between Captain Sisko and other StarFleet captains to be refreshing. Sisko's need for revenge is very realistic to modern audiences and more than any other Star Trek captain it makes sense and befits his character. Unlike Jean-Luc Picard who is essentially a philosopher king, Sisko makes no such claim and his notions of duty and honor and responsibility make "For the Uniform" make sense.
If anything, "For The Uniform" takes Captain Sisko and pushes the boundaries of where he can be. Sisko is an obsessive man. He is a person who will work to protect the Federation through a sense of obligation and strength that is more scrappy than other Trek captains. Sisko will fight for the Federation using force and pretty much any resource possible. He is an obsessive man and "For The Uniform" goes a long way to effectively illustrating that.
This episode holds up among one of the best of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine because of the acting. Despite the traumatic things Captain Sisko does that might freak out Star Trek loyalists, Avery Brooks does a great job of playing Sisko as obsessive and determined, but not completely over the top. Brooks uses his voice and facial expressions to the greatest extent an actor may.
But the episode endures because of Kenneth Marshall who plays Michael Eddington. Marshall does an excellent job of making Eddington seem reasonable and calm. He carries his body as the holographic Eddington with an expertise that perfectly creates the illusion that Marshall is not actually standing on the same set as Brooks. Marshall also works with an economy of body language that contrasts Brooks' hot tempered movements quite well.
"For The Uniform" is part of the essential Star Trek: Deep Space Nine because it progresses the Sisko character arc and almost completely ends the Eddington plot. It is less accessible to those who are not fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine because it relies on events that took place in other episodes. Despite dealing with the universal issues surrounding obsession and quests for vengeance, "For The Uniform" is somewhat insular to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine universe. So, the question you have to ask is: why haven't you gotten into this universe by now?
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Fifth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the perfect season by clicking here!
Thanks!]
7/10
For other Star Trek reviews, please visit my Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2012, 2007, 2003 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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