Progress (9 May 1993)

Kira must convince an old Bajoran farmer to leave a moon becoming uninhabitable due to mining operations. Jake and Nog try to trade off Cardassian yamok sauce.

Director:

Les Landau

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator), Rick Berman (creator),

Stars:

Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Avery Brooks	...	Commander Sisko
Rene Auberjonois	...	Odo
Alexander Siddig	...	Doctor Bashir (as Siddig El Fadil)
Terry Farrell	...	Lieutenant Jadzia Dax
Cirroc Lofton	...	Jake Sisko
Colm Meaney	...	Chief O'Brien
Armin Shimerman	...	Quark
Nana Visitor	...	Major Kira
Brian Keith	...	Mullibok
Aron Eisenberg	...	Nog
Nicholas Worth	...	Lissepian Captain
Michael Bofshever	...	Toran
Terrence Evans	...	Baltrim
Annie O'Donnell	...	Keena
Daniel Riordan	...	First Guard

Storyline

The Federation is helping the Bajorans to tap the molten core of the moon Jeraddo. This will provide much-needed energy for hundreds of thousands of Bajoran citizens, but will make the moon uninhabitable. All 47 known inhabitants have been evacuated, but Dax still detects one life sign. Major Kira Nerys beams down to investigate and meets three people, farmer Mullibok and two mute helpers. Mullibok invites her to dinner and makes it perfectly clear he has no intention of leaving. Although he is very stubborn Kira starts to grow fond of the man. Meanwhile Nog overhears his uncle Quark punishing his father for buying 5.000 wrappings of yamok sauce, loved by Cardassians but hated by the rest of the universe. Secretly Nog and Jake try to sell the stuff for bars of latinum. They contact a Lissepian trader, but he only has self-sealing stem bolts to offer.

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Plot Keywords:

moon | farmer | mining | mute | fire | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1993 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Brian Keith, playing a Bajoran, wears a human wristwatch.

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Quotes

[Mullibok tells Kira how he had traveled as a stowaway on board a Cardassian vessel]
Mullibok: When we got here to Jerrado, I overpowered the crew and I stole whatever I needed to start building a life here.
Major Kira: Y... you overpowered the crew? Yourself?
Mullibok: There was only six of them. That was fortunate for me, because I was somewhat weakened by the captivity and starvation.

User Reviews

Slow paced but moving story about senior citizens...

You won't find any "fall out of your seat" space adventure here, and the story itself isn't particularly original and doesn't break any new ground.

Two elements, however, raise this installment above average- first, the excellent casting of veteran actor Brian Keith as the defiant and spirited farmer, Mullibok, and an outstanding and emotional outing for Nana Visitor (Major Kira)as she is torn between her devotion to duty and her growing affection, empathy, and respect for the father like Mullibok.

Brian Keith was one of Hollywood's finest and most productive character actors, with a career that stretched all the way back to silent films. An expert at portraying "gruff and irascible but soft on the inside" characters, he is perfectly cast here, and delivers a powerful, moving, and multi-layered performance. The fact that Keith is so well known to viewers adds to the impact of the show, as his familiar face, voice, and personality reinforces the idea that this could be your grandpa or your uncle being forced to make major life changes in his twilight years.

Also adding to the emotional power and effectiveness of Brian Keith's performance is the fact that his role as Mullibok closely mirrored his own private life at the time; indeed, his later years were shadowed by personal tragedy, unwanted change, and health issues (just like his character in the show). Interestingly enough, this fine and respected actor ended up taking his own life just 4 years after appearing in this episode, in a classic case of art imitating life. Proud & dignified to the end (just like his character Mullibok), he chose to end his own life on his own terms in 1997 rather than submit to a long and debilitating terminal illness and the lifestyle changes that it was sure to bring.

Also in this episode, Nana Visitor (Major Kira)turns in an outstanding performance, and we get a good look past her cold, defiant exterior to see how lonely & desperate she is on the inside. Her scenes with Mullibok, especially when she stays to take care of him after he is injured, are among the most moving & emotional ever seen in the Star Trek Universe.

A silly and pointless "Jake & Nog" sub-plot focusing on their efforts to be businessmen is mildly amusing, but seems out of place here; mixing it in with the much more substantial and meaningful Major Kira/Mullibok storyline only serves to disrupt the emotional pacing of the show. In addition, their sub-plot has a "Brady Bunch" feel to it, and is just way too campy to have any real meaning. Star Trek is watched by a lot of kids, true, but it is not a kid's show, and efforts to make it such only detract from the whole.

Not the greatest Deep Space Nine installment, but well worth watching to see a great Hollywood legend in one of his final screen appearances.