In the fifteenth episode of the first season of Deep Space Nine, Jake and Nog bond over a problem, and Kira bonds with someone over a DEMONSTRABLY WORSE PROBLEM. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Deep Space.Â
Goddamn, this was a challenging episode, and I think it’s one of the best written stories this whole season. LET US DISCUSS.
Jake / Nog
In hindsight, all of the scenes between these two characters were like a palette cleanser for the arguably more intense sequences between Jake and Nog. I appreciate that we do get stories with them that show us how they both can grow, at least in the early part of this show’s existence. I’m very interested to see if the show will keep them both around for the entire duration of Deep Space Nine, especially since that’ll mean we’ll get adult versions of both of them. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS. Ultimately, that’s what is so fun about this: there’s a lot of potential here.
Namely, I love that Nog gets a chance to show that he’s growing into the kind of Ferengi who might earn the respect of his father and Quark. You can tell that Nog desperately wants this to be the case, and he cherishes that moment where Quark tells him he’s a good boy. Truthfully, this is the only way Nog knows how to get approval: by seeking out opportunities for profit. While “Progress” provides us with a long gag in which the team keeps trading one object for another in pursuit of gold-pressed latinum, it’s still entertaining. And it’s worth it just for the look of realization that passes over Quark’s face at the end. It’s progress, isn’t it? At least the two kids aren’t breaking any rules here. (Technically?) Plus, Jake supports his friend here, and it’s pretty damn great.
Mullibok
My god, this plot is relentlessly uncomfortable from start to finish, and even in the final moments, this script doesn’t bow away from the very difficult question it asks us to consider. In the name of progress, what is acceptable? The Cardassians are gone from Bajor, and the Bajoran people are finally able to take control of their own destiny. They get to rebuild their society and make necessary improvements to their standard of living. We get just the tiniest slice of that here, but it’s an important story. A moon orbiting Bajor will be used to power the planet, allowing for hundreds of thousands of homes to be heated for the first time in a very long time.
Sounds fine, right? The initial complication didn’t even seem that bad to me, either. Kira and Dax were helping to evacuate the very few people (50 or so) who lived on the moon, since the process would make the moon uninhabitable. So when Kira discovers a man who built a home on this moon after suffering terribly at the hands of the Cardassians, it became clear that the problem she’d face would be his stubbornness. For what it’s worth, I think that “Progress” did a fine job of explaining to us why Mullibok refused to leave. Despite how crude and irritating he might have been, he had a valid reason for staying behind.
Yet that doesn’t give us an easy answer to this struggle, and Kira soon learns the hard way that she can’t look at the situation in simplistic terms. Mullibok deliberately forces Kira to admit that this whole predicament feels way too much like his own fight against the Cardassians. IT’S SO BRUTALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. But it has to be! For “Progress” to work, Kira has to understand that despite that she’s Bajoran, she now operates with power on her side. She is no longer just a Bajoran because she’s got the Federation behind her. She can’t see this when it’s just her and Mullibok, and honestly, she spends most of this episode insisting as much as possible that she’s just like Mullibok. Indeed, they share a hellish experience fighting the Cardassians.
But what does Kira do now? It takes Sisko coming down to the moon for her to realize what sort of power dynamic is at hand and why it irks Mullibok so much. And look, we need to have a conversation about Sisko because HOLY SHIT, HE’S SO AMAZING HERE. I made a comment in the video for this episode that his scene with Dr. Bashir was absolute proof of how he was a different leader than Picard. Picard strives to tell the truth at all times, and his loyalty to Starfleet is renowned. Sisko, however, commands Dr. Bashir to lie so that they can buy more time for Kira. HE LIES. Outright, totally, and without remorse. And when he confronts Kira about the choice she’s got to make? He doesn’t mince his words. Kira will sacrifice her career if she chooses Mullibok, and it’s ultimately not worth it. Mullibok chose his fate, but Kira has not. She doesn’t have to tie her own destiny to the choice of someone else.
The choice she ultimately makes is just as painful and difficult as the story told over the course of “Progress.” That’s why I truly think this is one of the best-written episodes this season. It’s consistent with the tone. Like Mullibok, Kira makes a decision and sticks to it, even if it means upsetting Mullibok forever. So when Mullibok says he’ll remain on that moon as long as his home still stands, SHE BURNS THAT MOTHERFUCKER TO THE GROUND AFTER DESTROYING HIS FRESHLY-BUILT KILN. WHAT THE FUCK. I GENUINELY DID NOT EXPECT THIS AT ALL.
Is it the best choice? Honestly, I don’t think episode even wants to give us the answer to that question. It’s simply the choice Kira made, and we get no glimpse of the ramifications of it. Instead, Mullibok looks on in horror as his cottage burns and Kira tells him that she won’t let him die. That’s it. That’s the end. Spiritually, Mullibok may suffer down on Bajor, but even that doesn’t seem to be Kira’s concern. She chooses to obey her assignment while giving Mullibok the chance to build a whole new life. To her, that’s the best possible choice given the parameters of this situation. It’s a haunting ending, isn’t it? It’s not easy, there’s no feel-good resolution, and KIRA BURNED A FUCKING HOUSE DOWN.
Holy shit, Deep Space Nine.
The video for “Progress” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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