Episode Review - Blaze of Glory (Deep Space Nine, Season 5)

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Overview – Sisko receives word that the surviving Maquis have launched cloaked missiles at Cardassia, an act that could start a war between the Federation and the Dominion. Sisko turns to his former security chief and captured Maquis leader, Michael Eddington, to stop the missiles. Meanwhile, Nog is having difficulty dealing with the Klingons on the station and has to work up the courage to confront them, hoping to earn their respect (and not be disembowled).

Score: 8/10 – The story of Michael Eddington and that of the Maquis are wrapped up here in this episode. It ties up these loose ends before the official Dominion war begins, which thins out the multiple story arcs that are currently running through the series. For Eddington, it allows him a chance to go out in the way the episode title suggests: a blaze of glory. In doing so we see the end of a very complicated character, and it is an end that suits him. Eddington was a traitor to Starfleet, yet he saw himself as being loyal to them and humanity by standing against the Cardassians. In the end, he seems to once again have earned the respect of Ben Sisko. The second story, with Nog working up the courage to stand up for himself against Martok and the other Klingons, adds some comedy to lighten up the tension that the main story builds. Jake provides the moral support for his friend. There is also a humorous scene that gives some of the other characters (Quark, Odo, Bashir, etc.) some screen time.

Relevance – 3 points. The end of Eddington is worth a point. The end of the Maquis is also worth a point, but more because of how it impacts some of the crew on Voyager. When Chakotay receives word of their fate in “Hunters”, he shares it with Torres. She will eventually have to work out those emotions. Finally, the disrespect that Klingons showed Nog was seen before this episode. With Nog finally standing up to them, he ends that little story arc as well. We also hear about the fate of Cal Hudson, who was Sisko’s friend introduced in “The Maquis”. Cal, it turns out, was killed in a skirmish with the Cardassians.

Continuity – 3 points. Story continuity works out fine here. We also have good universe continuity. Character continuity is also a check. To have Sisko put aside his differences and ultimately work with Eddington makes sense. I also found Nog's discovery of courage to face the Klingons, and Martok's response, to fit. Three checks, three points.

Character Development – 2 points. While Nog does get some good development here, he is not a primary character. Jake does get more screen time than normal, but he is little more than a means to advance Nog’s story. No, this story is about Eddington and Sisko. With Ben going on one last mission with Michael, having to put side differences and such, we see him reach some closure. He goes from extreme anger and distrust to begrudging respect and sympathy for the Maquis situation. The closure for the Eddington story includes Sisko’s closure with his former officer.

Social Commentary – 1 point. Going out in a blaze of glory is sometimes the dream of every person fighting for a cause. That is what Eddington was allowed to do, but I am not sure whether that was what he truly wanted. Instead, he likely wanted to be reunited with his wife, Rebecca, and possibly extract some revenge on his former Captain. Perhaps the lesson in this is concerns the idea that sometimes when fighting for a cause, you have to accept that you are going to lose. How you handle losing becomes your defining moment. Eddington was a bit disillusioned that the Maquis were defeated. He knew they had the Cardassians on the ropes once the Klingons invaded Cardassia, and yet it drove the Cardassian Empire to join the Dominion. It was a difficult reality for Michael to see how much the Maquis had lost. When he did come to that realization, he set aside whatever grievance he had with Sisko to rescue as many of his former comrades as he could. Perhaps he decided that to die a hero was better than living as a criminal. I am not sure how much this applies to the average person, but it is something, at least.

Cool Stuff – 0 points. Sadly, for such a good episode, there was not really a “cool” moment. When Eddington goes down in his blaze of glory, he whispers “Rebecca” as his last word. I have to say that while I thought that was appropriate for him, it did not come across as powerful as perhaps was intended. As a Canadian, I thought it was fun that Eddington had a “lucky Loonie”, which is our current nickname for our dollar coin, but fun does not equal cool. As much as it pains me, I cannot give any points in this category.

Rank – Captain (17 points). As far as Deep Space Nine is concerned, the tragic tale of the Maquis ends with the death of Michael Eddington in his “Blaze of Glory”. I find it fitting for such a complicated character that divided many of the fans. Some hated him, some loved him, and some just shrugged their shoulders. As Dax and Sisko mentioned, he was a complicated man, but at least he had some closure to his story. Love him or not, you should at least see how his story ends.

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