So, in rewatching "For the Uniform", which is a layered, thought-provoking, taut, gripping, and out-of-comfy-zone thrill-ride du jour.
The direction is sublime and adds so much.
So does the naval setting, brought about by Eddington's virus. This is reminiscent of Nicholas Meyer's approach, but it's "familiar done right" and often makes for very strong Trek episodes given the right material, and this episode is jam-packed with it.
It's a little hard to see Eddington, who was a gas in "Our Man Bashir" becoming an uber-villain, but this was long in the making. Then again, the episode is aware of this and there is one of DS9's most powerful and impactful scenes (no pun intended) involving Sisko and Dax in a holosuite as he beats up a punching bag in total disgust.
The episode almost feels rushed, but the balance and flow are maintained and each event is impactful and relevant to the story's setup, denouement, and so on.
Never before has "fight fire with fire" been shown in such a jaw-droppingly big way.
Eddington, a person seen as no less Starfleet by the Cardassians (hence Sisko and the Federation needing to keep the treaty going), was also a facet unable to be squeezed in... for all the story's tautness, there are facets and ideas that just could not be put in.
Or Les Miserables as a reference for plot inspiration, but it's done eminently well and I still need to check that novel out. Indeed, FTU is cinema-worthy and a 2 hour padded version of this could flesh out more detail and wrap up the story more effectively...
...since, yes, the ending is a little too quick and there's no follow-up. Would Starfleet approve of such maverick tactics? Sisko's juggling so much already and the new commander assigned to deal with Eddington was defeated. Eddington was not going to stop poisoning planets and was asked nicely via a leaflet campaign to stop doing so. This was shocking to show in the 1990s. It is no less so now.
Every rewatch fleshes out a nuance not picked up earlier or feels more poignant as a result. Any story that just remains compelling for a rewatch is always much-embraced.
The biggest nitpick is simple: Eddington cleverly puts in a virus that takes out the Defiant and be glad DS9's were found. So what does Eddington do later on? Offer a free book-of-the-month club download for Sisko, who casually downloads and reads it later. (Then again, Eddington wouldn't waste such time on a triviality, given the scope of everything else he was doing.)
It was once claimed that Peter Capaldi auditioned for the role of Sisko. Noting more recent shows he's done, ask Malcolm Tucker but after washing his mouth out with soap and then royally chew it as much as he does scenery because he, like Avery, know how to do it right. FTU is a clear example of how Capaldi might have pulled off the story without having to imagine too much into it.
And, of course, "Set course for Traken II!" The occasional Doctor Who reference is always lovely. Not since "Argolis Cluster" has there been a really good one.
The direction is sublime and adds so much.
So does the naval setting, brought about by Eddington's virus. This is reminiscent of Nicholas Meyer's approach, but it's "familiar done right" and often makes for very strong Trek episodes given the right material, and this episode is jam-packed with it.
It's a little hard to see Eddington, who was a gas in "Our Man Bashir" becoming an uber-villain, but this was long in the making. Then again, the episode is aware of this and there is one of DS9's most powerful and impactful scenes (no pun intended) involving Sisko and Dax in a holosuite as he beats up a punching bag in total disgust.
The episode almost feels rushed, but the balance and flow are maintained and each event is impactful and relevant to the story's setup, denouement, and so on.
Never before has "fight fire with fire" been shown in such a jaw-droppingly big way.
Eddington, a person seen as no less Starfleet by the Cardassians (hence Sisko and the Federation needing to keep the treaty going), was also a facet unable to be squeezed in... for all the story's tautness, there are facets and ideas that just could not be put in.
Or Les Miserables as a reference for plot inspiration, but it's done eminently well and I still need to check that novel out. Indeed, FTU is cinema-worthy and a 2 hour padded version of this could flesh out more detail and wrap up the story more effectively...
...since, yes, the ending is a little too quick and there's no follow-up. Would Starfleet approve of such maverick tactics? Sisko's juggling so much already and the new commander assigned to deal with Eddington was defeated. Eddington was not going to stop poisoning planets and was asked nicely via a leaflet campaign to stop doing so. This was shocking to show in the 1990s. It is no less so now.
Every rewatch fleshes out a nuance not picked up earlier or feels more poignant as a result. Any story that just remains compelling for a rewatch is always much-embraced.
The biggest nitpick is simple: Eddington cleverly puts in a virus that takes out the Defiant and be glad DS9's were found. So what does Eddington do later on? Offer a free book-of-the-month club download for Sisko, who casually downloads and reads it later. (Then again, Eddington wouldn't waste such time on a triviality, given the scope of everything else he was doing.)
It was once claimed that Peter Capaldi auditioned for the role of Sisko. Noting more recent shows he's done, ask Malcolm Tucker but after washing his mouth out with soap and then royally chew it as much as he does scenery because he, like Avery, know how to do it right. FTU is a clear example of how Capaldi might have pulled off the story without having to imagine too much into it.
And, of course, "Set course for Traken II!" The occasional Doctor Who reference is always lovely. Not since "Argolis Cluster" has there been a really good one.
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