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Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Progress

Major Kira tries to evacuate a refugee
Kira: "We beat them because– because we hung on like fanatics."

Some episodes have made me laugh, this first season. One or two have brought me near a more serious emotional response. But I think – and I am going to come back here after nine seasons, and check again – that THIS is the episode which won my heart, and convinced me that Kira Nerys might be one of the more complex characters we're going to see on DS9.

Bajor needs power to heat homes in the winter. This is a crisis we can easily understand, here on Earth in the age of energy warfare. But Bajor has more moons than we do, and at least one of them can do something Mystically Technical enough to provide energy for thousands, millions. When the moon in question proves to be populated with refugees from the Cardassian occupation, it's Kira Nerys who goes down and tries to convince them to leave–then stays behind when Mullibok's stolid rebel peasant sense convinces her his is a better way of life.

While she's trying to negotiate with rebels, it's Nog and Jake who take center stage on DS9. They rescue a discarded mistake from Nog's familial business and decide to use it to prove themselves and keep life interesting. Cirroc Lofton manages to really shine through despite the uniforms. He's a much better version of Wesley than Wesley ever was – his humanity and innocent but inspired young-boy scheming with Nog was just plain fun.

I loved the developing relationship with Kira and Mullibok. It screams standalone episode, but at the same time, it makes you wish it doesn't – and I'm hoping Sisko can fill that role. Kira needs some sort of continual stability in her life, especially now that Kai Opaka is gone. You have to stay rooted in order to reach the stars. The final scenes can easily be read as a metaphor for Kira's internal development.

Sisko tries to convince Kira to return

I'd also like to see Quark develop his relationship with Nog more! Come on, dude, a) he's managed to get the Federation boys all greedy and b) wound up trading his way across the system even though I'm pretty sure he's c) not more than 15 years old. Isn't there a Rule of Acquisition going "Pay attention to the obvious especially when it's making money?"

Bits and Pieces

— Isn't Nog a little young to feel tingles in his ears?

— The Noh-Jay Consortium. Will we see it return in the future?

— We're starting to see more realistic bits of Bajor than we have been (cough, cough, "Storyteller.") This tension between old Bajor and new Bajor is going to erupt soon.

Quotables

Kira: You overpowered the crew yourself?
Mullibok: There were only six of them. That was fortunate for me, because I was somewhat weakened a bit by the captivity and starvation. Anyway, here I was, the first person ever to settle on this moon, and the only trouble was that I didn't have any kind of farm implements. So once again starvation and I were staring each other in the face. I'm not boring you?
Kira: No, no. I want to hear who won.
Mullibok: Well, it was mind over matter. Every twenty-six hours I'd just tightened up my waist-belt another notch, and that way my belly didn't know that it was shrinking.

O'Brien: What does he need them for?
Nog: The usual.
O'Brien: The usual?
Nog: Well, you know. Why does anybody use self-sealing stem bolts?
O'Brien: I wouldn't know. I've never used them.

Stem bolts. They seal. By themselves. Nog and Jake marvel.

Bashir: She didn't offer a word of explanation, sir. She simply removed her uniform tunic and started building.
Sisko: Well Doctor, right now she stands a pretty good chance of being out of uniform permanently. I'm going to tell Minister Toran that she's remained temporarily on Jeraddo at your request.
Bashir: But sir, that isn't true.
Sisko: Make it true, Doctor. Now, please.
Bashir: Commander, I'd advise that Major Kira remain on Jeraddo for humanitarian reasons. How long?
Sisko: The next day or two.
Bashir: For the next day or two, sir.
Sisko: Thank you, Doctor. I'll consider that request.

Overall

A quiet but powerful episode. 4 out of 4 wrappages of Cardassian yamok sauce.

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