Progress

It's hard to stay mad at this period of Star Trek because of the nostalgia factor; however, compared to modern television, 90s writing is...bad. Even Babylon 5 had a season 1 full of stinkers.

Season 1 of DS9 continues it's spotty record of showing hints at greatness while serving up half-baked clichés to pad out the looooooong season. (Thank goodness network TV isn't like this anymore.)

This episode is a clunker with a few bright spots. Where to begin? Old, wise man who talks in stories bears with a young, hot-head young'un. The upstart finally comes around to see that the old-fart farmer has principals and it is honorable for this man to be willing to die for his land and way of life. 'merica! I was shocked that this episode didn't end with Kira tearfully waving goodbye to said curmudgeon knowing he had chosen death over relocation. Bonus points for NOT going there.

Nana Visitor acquits herself of overacting (compared to the first half of season 1). Sisko beams in to the story for a hot minute, and per usual, hams it up. Avery Brooks is a prime example of someone with all the credentials who still can't act. Maybe you either have it or you don't. Ooooh! The characters are growing! They are trusting each other! Shoehorn some character arc in, please! There had to be a better way...

The most fun we have in this episode is with Jake and Nog. The two play Bigger. Better. Until they've impressed Quark. Sadly, Nog would never become a main character on the show, but there's great character work being done between the two actors here. It's showing not telling. If only we could have gotten that with the main story-of-the-week! Eisenberg, who was in his 20s when he played the teenaged Nog, is clearly still finding his acting legs, but it's noteworthy he does a better job that some on the show. (I'm looking at you, Siddig!)

All in all, this is an average episode for season 1. There's a lot of unintentional funny bits, but things are starting to come together.

A moral dilemma with one of our core cast at the heart of it. Nana Visitor finally given some material to actually showcase her acting ability, playing opposite some old Hollywood royalty.

A low budget bottle episode, but the writing and performances are such a step above recent episodes that it felt like a real breath of fresh air.

I'm going to start ringing a little bell when there's good Bashir stuff, cos he's used perfectly here which is a rare treat for season 1.

The core conceit of the old frontiersman standing in the way of the greater good is well trodden territory, but it works. I'll go as far as even saying it's a genuinely moving ending, and leans more into the idea that on ds9, not every story gets wrapped up in a pretty bow. This one hurt Kira, and that's exciting ground for Trek to explore.

B-story with some fun Jake and Nog stuff adds very little, but I'm enjoying their friendship.

Watched for the first time in 2024.

Sharp critics will recognize the plot from Wild River the Elia Kazan classic about the Tennnesee Valley Authority and Jo Van Fleet's refusal to move off her family farm. That's the situation that Nana Visitor finds with Brian Keith an elderly farmer who is living on one of Bajor's moons and won't leave.

The second part of this episode has Cirroc Lofton and Aron Eisenberg doing their best Tom and Huck imitations as they try to unload Cardassian Yamok sauce. Things Cardassian are not selling well at Quark's and these two decide to enter the Ferrengi commercial world.

Years ago at a science fiction convention I asked Nana Visitor about this episode and she said Brian Keith was one of the finest men she ever worked with and doing this one was a pleasure.

I think you can see it in her performance.

Kira tries to remove a stubborn farmer from one of the Bajoran moons.

This is a relatively enjoyable episode with some good development for Kira.

If you have an interest in the mission you will likely enjoy this episode, but if the philosophising of an inflexible, pessimistic farmer isn't your cup of tea there will be little to take from this one.

That being said, it is a good early character establishing episode for Kira as it portrays her struggling with the transition from her past life as a rebellious freedom fighter to being part of the established order.

The scenes with Jake and Nog are fairly entertaining, and as we are shown (in a humorous way) more about the Ferengi aptitude for free enterprise.

Nana Visitor is on top form as usual and Avery Brooks is also good.

It's a 6.5/10 for me but I round upwards.

() ...despite the Kira/Mullibok 'A' story, which -- while well performed by Keith and Visitor -- feels like a drawn out, soapy extrapolation of the classic old man/attractive young nurse fantasy (that has, mercifully, seemed to have disappeared from popular media).

((a more engaging iteration of this story might have Mullibok truly *fear* leaving the familiarity of his home because of PTSD from the Cardassian occupation, with Kira acting as less of a nurse and more as a fellow veteran as they both reencounter the demons of their violent past and find a path forward together))

() It also seems Kira has inherited the Troi syndrome, in that the writers seemed allergic to giving her character a focused, no-nonsense, story-rich POV episode to deliver backstory and give us some points of connection. At this seasonal midpoint, it honestly feels like they still didn't trust her to carry an episode, let alone an 'A' story, on her own.

() The Nog 'B' story here is awesome, and provides much-needed characterization not just for Nog, but for what the average Ferengi coming-of-age process might look like. Jake's emergent skills as friend/mediator/voice of reason are fun to see as well.