Stem bolts and The Man

Jim’s Take on Episode 14: “Progress”

Alright everyone, it just so happens that I have found myself in possession of 100 gross of self-sealing stem bolts. Don’t ask questions. Anyway, not only are these the best stem bolts in the sector, they’re self-sealing. They are absolutely perfect for, you know, all the usual purposes. You know why you need them! As awesome as these stem bolts are, I have to clear some space, so I’m prepared to make someone a great deal on these beauties. Don’t delay, because these will be snapped up faster than the laws of physics would normally allow. Did I mention that they are 100% self-sealing? Make me an offer before it’s too late!

Now that we’ve gotten that bit of business out of the way, let’s talk “Progress.” This is another fantastic episode. If you’ve been a Star Trek fan for a while, you know that, with the possible exception of the original series, first seasons of Trek shows are notoriously a bit rough. The cast are figuring out how to play their roles, the actors haven’t quite come to grips with their characters yet, and the production team is usually operating in a constant state of panic to get the show up and running. However, with a few minor wobbles (“Allamaraine!”), DS9 has a really solid first season that does a lot to build the foundations of everything that will follow. “Progress” does a wonderful job building these characters and making us love them!

Though the A and B plots of this episode are completely unrelated, they are both amazing and memorable. Maybe it’s just the self-sealing stem bolts, but both of these stories have stayed very clear in my memory, despite the years since I last watched this episode. (Speaking of stem bolts, did I mention that I have a 100 gross of them? Make me an offer!) Of course, Kira’s emotional journey with Mullibok is really the focus of the episode, so we’ll have to get back to the epic business dealings of the NoJay Consortium later.

You know, when Kira is beaming down to the moon and confidently tells Jadzia “I won’t be long,” that she is in for a tougher time than she expects. People should really learn never to make confident assertions about the difficulty of a challenge ahead. Why would you tempt fate that way? Irony is going to come for you, for sure. Anyway, Bajor is going to crack open this moon to use it as a source of power, but it will be rendered uninhabitable. (Fracking, anyone? Again DS9 was ahead of the game on so many issues we are struggling with today!) All Kira has to do is get the last holdout to leave his farm to be relocated. How hard could that be?

A lot more difficult than Kira anticipates, obviously. Mullibok has lived here for forty years. He tamed this land with his own hands, or even his own teeth if you believe his accounts of the struggles of his early days. As played by Brian Keith, Mullibok is a truly loveable curmudgeon. He is completely set in his ways, unwilling to change, and ready to die with his home. However, Kira absolutely can’t help but love him, so forcing him to give up his life is brutally painful for her. It also forces her to further come to terms with her changing sense of herself and who she really is. She’s used to being the underdog in opposition to “the man.” Her whole life has been about rebellion and fighting the powers that be, but now SHE is the power. She represents Bajor’s new government and has to force change on those who want to rebel for the overall good of Bajor. It certainly doesn’t help that the “right” thing to do is represented by an annoying bureaucrat and the one in the “wrong” is this man she instantly respects for all he has managed to achieve. 

We learn so much about the characters through this story. Every exchange between Sisko, Kira, and Mullibok is delightful and enlightening. We learn just how painful it is for Kira to be “on the other side now.” (The way her voice breaks when admitting to Sisko “It’s awful” is so affecting!) We learn how much Sisko has grown to respect and rely on Kira.  We learn that Kira’s given name is Nerys.  And we learn that Kira will burn your house down if she has to! Seriously, she WILL do it.

The other great joy of this episode is watching Jake and Nog team up to outdo Quark when it comes to turning a profit. It remains truly amazing how relatable and lovable these two are. The performances certainly help. Cirroc Lofton is always great as Jake, but watching Aron Eisenberg play Nog is so much fun. It’s so much fun when he does the “Ferengi Thing” with his hands and licks his teeth in anticipation of making a great deal. Nog shows that he has some fine Ferengi lobes for business, but Jake is no slouch either! When Nog dismisses the idea of trading their stem bolts for “dirt,” it takes Jake’s human lobes to realize that “land” is actually quite valuable. When Quark realizes that the NoJay Consortium that has beaten him to a very profitable deal actually consists of Nog and Jake: priceless! Though I’m sure a true Ferengi would point out that everything has its price…

All that said, let’s get back to business. I may have mentioned earlier that I happen to have 100 gross of beautiful and practical self-sealing stem bolts just taking up space around here. I don’t really want to part with them, but I DO want these amazing models of future engineering to be put to good use doing…the stuff that stem bolts are so famously useful for. You know you need them, so have your people contact my people and we’ll talk. I might even be able to throw in some free Cardassian Yamok Sauce to sweeten the deal…

Continue to Rhonda’s Take: “Personal Progress”

Skip to Ray’s Take: “Fiery Solutions and the Art of the Deal”

Skip to Matt’s Take: Teamwork that works; Complex decisions

Return to Episode Logs or Episode 14 Guide