By Chris Snellgrove
| Revealed
In the course of the lengthy anticipate extra Decrease Decks and Unusual New Worlds, we’ve been taking the time to rewatch a few of our favourite Star Trek episodes. That led us to some often-overlooked classics, together with “Progress,” a Deep Area 9 episode with a heavy give attention to Kira. She finally ends up bonding with an aged Bajoran named Mullibok, however the author for this episode was disillusioned as a result of he needed this gruff outdated man to be extra of a villain.
Wished One thing Totally different For Mullibok
The overall arc for Mullibok is one which ought to be acquainted to most style audiences. He begins the episode as a gruff outdated man whose prickly nature finally helps Kira bond with him. Nonetheless, episode author Peter Allan Fields was in the end disillusioned with this onscreen portrayal and was quoted within the Deep Area 9 Companion as saying “I needed a powerful man who didn’t change on the finish.”
To listen to Fields describe it, he needed Mullibok to be very distinct from related characters that audiences is perhaps accustomed to. “There are too many elderly guys in tv dramas who begin out nasty after which get meek and mild on the finish,” he mentioned, clarifying “that’s not what I needed.” This may have been completely in keeping with his character, by the way, as he expounds upon the virtues of being cussed and by no means backing down in conversations with Kira.
Fields defined what he meant about Mullibok by highlighting a scene the place this character requested Kira for her identify. The author identified that the unique script made the character’s malicious intent very clear: “he mentioned it as a result of he was making an attempt to con her.” Within the episode as broadcast, nonetheless, it looks like a heat query that the older character poses to Kira as a result of he’s rising keen on her.
With all that being mentioned, Fields was fast to level out that he had no drawback with the efficiency of Mullibok actor Brian Keith. He simply couldn’t shake the sensation that the actor made this character much more sympathetic than he was supposed to be. The ultimate result’s that he was “much less of an adversary than he must have been,” rendering him “much less of a mountain for Kira to climb.”
May’ve Fully Modified The Episode
Whereas Fields would know extra about Mullibok’s supposed characterization and motivations than anybody else, we’re not totally certain how efficient “Progress” can be as an episode if this aged character was indignant and unrepentant all through.
In spite of everything, the episode culminates with Kira’s surprising resolution to explode the person’s kiln and set his cottage on fireplace as a approach of getting him to evacuate the moon so Bajor may use it as an influence supply. Her resolution to do her responsibility hits that a lot tougher after watching her bond with the older character all through the episode.
Deep Area 9 Made The Proper Name
Had Mullibok been introduced as a cussed and intractable villain all through your entire story, then Kira’s actions might need been mistaken for some sort of revenge or retribution. As filmed, although, we will higher see what sort of inside battle that is for Kira and the emotional worth she pays for doing the precise factor. With respect to Fields, it’s Keith’s light and finally heartwarming efficiency that makes Kira’s battle pop.
In comparison with many different Star Trek characters, Mullibok is somebody who has been largely forgotten. That’s a disgrace, although, as he’s a part of an bold Kira episode that helps decide her arc for all of Deep Area 9. And had he been a villain as initially written, Kira’s killer characterization might need ended up being his first sufferer.
