Teamwork that works; Complex decisions

Matt’s Take on Episode 14: “Progress”

Self-Sealing Stem Bolts

“You’ve got a lot to learn about opportunity!”

Even though this episode features a wonderful and dramatic primary story with Kira and Mullibok, self-sealing stem bolts will forever be seared into my memory. I absolutely love the crazy “B story” with Jake and Nog in this episode. It is probably one of my favorite Jake and Nog plots from the entire series. It does a great job of showing off Jake and Nog’s capabilities and shrewdness, while also showing us how they complement each other. When one lacks vision, such as Jake not initially seeing the opportunity inherent in the yamok sauce, the other one inevitably steps up. We see this again when Nog can’t see the value in taking the trade for land that Jake advocates for. In the end, putting their heads together, they manage to gain a negotiating advantage over Quark, clearly the Ferengi with the biggest lobes on the station!

It turns out that Nog and Jake had a lot to learn from each other! I would totally invest in the NoJay Consortium.

Home Sweet Home?

I’d rather not rehash the drama between Kira and Mullibok scene for scene, but I will give my general impressions here. The on-screen chemistry between the two is excellent, and I really believe in the relationship that they forge over the course of the episode. Kira’s internal struggle is the really interesting part to me, as she is forced to deal with being in a position of authority rather than being one of the underdogs anymore. Sisko does a great job of pointing this out to her, and that leads her to make the decision that she has been trying to avoid the entire time.

I have mixed feelings about Mullibok. I certainly understand feeling a powerful attachment to your home, and the fear of losing it that comes along with that. Mullibok, however, is putting his own needs above the vast majority of Bajor. This seems to be a pretty classic “good of the many” type of situation. Now, whether one accepts that Vulcan logic is a matter of choice. 

I also have mixed feelings about Kira’s final decision to personally destroy Mullibok’s home in order to force him to leave. He keeps claiming, I would argue baselessly, that “If I leave here, I’ll die.” Kira says that she won’t let that happen, but I would argue once again that this is far from certain, because how can she control his physical and psychological state? I suppose she knows that if she doesn’t force him out, then he will certainly die once the project begins. Ultimately, I have to agree with “the good of the many” logic in this case and support Kira’s decision.

Morn + Jadzia = Madzia

Let me just say, from the top of the episode, that I desperately want to see this couple give it a shot. As Jadzia says, “those seven or eight little wiry hairs that come out of his forehead” do make him look “kinda cute.” I sense a romance brewing!

Return to Jim’s Take: “Stem bolts and The Man”

Return to Rhonda’s Take: “Personal Progress”

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

Return to Episode Logs or Episode 14 Guide