Firstborn

DVD, TNG S7 (Firstborn)

A last return to the deep well of stories that the Klingons gave us, stretching back to 'Heart of Glory' in Season 1. Since that time a lot has happened in Worf's life, and this episode reflects the strands his life has travelled - K'Ehleyr, Alexander's Mother, and the ways she raised him to be opposed to the race's traditions are no more clearly cited as the reason Alexander turned out the way he did, than they are here. His upbringing on a human starship, and the parenting of a man who didn't have a handle on Fatherhood, and never quite grasped his role in his son's life, also contributed to Alexander being a child, and one that has little reverence for the main heritage of his blood. This story spells out a lot of things like that as never before, and while the young boy isn't really changed by events, Worf is. He comes to realise that even the Fatherly pushing towards Klingon culture isn't necessarily the best thing for his son - that he should accept the man he becomes, even if that man strays from the warrior spirit that so inhabits Worf.

Worf's enlightenment is not brought about easily, and only a time-bending visit from his aged son can give him hope that Alexander will live a full life that contributes to society. When he gets his head around this, everything falls into place, and though the B-story of the Enterprise chasing down Lursa and B'Etor is nothing more than a wild Targ chase, like 'Birthright, Part II' the meat of the story is Klingon. We have time for legends and stories, and to see Klingon street theatre in all its ritual regalia and performance energy. Seeing Klingons reenact legends of the past with miming swordplay is too good, and to top it off, Worf's given a chance to show his fighting skills, something usually left to 'DS9,' though here we get a treat when he takes on three assassins.

There could have been time for more heart to heart discussions, as K'Mtar has with Alexander, trying to change the boy's mind about the glories of the Empire, if Riker's detective work hadn't been given so much airtime. Even so, it gave us a chance to see Armin Shimerman crossover in a short, but fun scene that references Riker's famed visit (later spoken of again in 'DS9' episode 'Defiant'), and shows how much fun Quark would be as a regular on any series! His appearance here marked the start of his determination to expand the role as far as it would go, in franchise terms, rivalled only by Robert Picardo's Doctor of 'Voyager.' Picardo's role was kept in for his 'TNG' film, whereas Quark's cameo for 'Insurrection' sadly disappeared, never to be seen (only a photo left to prove its existence!). Like Picardo on 'DS9' he successfully crossed over to the other series on at the same time (the 'Voyager' pilot), so he did win in terms of different productions though no one could beat Jonathan Frakes' gold run ('TNG,' 'DS9,' 'Voyager' and 'Enterprise,' plus the films), but you never know, there's still time for anyone to pop up in the Abramsverse…

I like the fact they got in a little reminder about Lursa and B'Etor before 'Generations,' and that their appearance on 'DS9' is part of the plot - if only Garak had been on 'TNG' that would have made this a remarkable episode, but the Cardassian resident of DS9 hadn't yet become the favourite recurring character he would be seen as after 'TNG.' An interesting piece of news about Lursa's pregnancy, as it's possible she was pregnant during 'Generations,' or even that she'd given birth, and a potential future villain of the 25th Century might have been seeded there. I keep thinking forward to possible continuations and futures for the characters because that's the theme of the episode. It falls into the continual dredging up of family, both matters and members, that peppers this final season, and like Wesley's conclusion it sets Alexander off on a path that leaves us with the gift of imagination.

It helped that James Sloyan played the future Alexander, one of Trek's go-to actors of excellence spanning a variety of roles and series'. He doesn't have the same depth of character as Dr. Mora on 'DS9,' or Jetrel of 'Voyager,' but then this is Alexander, a boy become man, with forty years of life lived, his destiny mapped out. Only his shame at seeing his Father die and being powerless to stop it made him turn his back on the life he'd built up, rather like Jake Sisko would do in 'The Visitor.' We aren't told what happened to him after he left the Enterprise. Maybe he killed himself in some ritual, or returned 'back to the future.' Maybe he even stayed and lived out his life as K'Mtar? At least with Worf's move to 'DS9' we were able to see what Alexander was like five or so years later. His warrior skills were still rusty, but with the Dominion War he was at least trying to live up to his heritage. I can imagine him becoming the man of peace as he got older, just as the young Alexander couldn't commit to the path and kill the holographic Klingon. Then, he couldn't explain why, but his childish inability to express his inner beliefs couldn't hide his nature.

K'Mtar talks of Worf growing old, and that fascinates me, as does the life he tried to live, bringing the warring houses together. With recent comments by Michael Dorn about his wish to star in a Worf series or film, it makes me want to see what challenges awaited that of the ageing warrior. I don't know why Riker was chosen to be the main investigator into the Duras sisters, as Picard is clearly present, although he does talk about visiting somewhere for its archeology so it may be he'd left the ship for most of the episode. He does get one pleasant scene with Worf where he allows the Enterprise to be diverted so Worf can take Alexander to see the festival on a Klingon outpost - he's always had Klingon sympathies (strange for someone so cultured and into books, archeology and Shakespeare, to be so attached to a violent, loud race - I'll bet he read the Bard in the 'original' Klingon, though!), and now he shows care for his crew. The scene in the Observation Lounge reminded me so much of the scenes in 'First Contact' and 'Nemesis' though in the former, he and Worf were having a shouting match. I think the latter was a deleted scene, but I like seeing them together.

There were many references to Klingon history, both general and familial, from Mogh's and Duras' sides, to talk of 'DS9' again (as the series prepared to be the only Trek on TV for a few short months until 'Voyager' premiered), and there were also alien connections too. The associate of the Duras sisters was a Dopterian, a race often seen on the Promenade of DS9, and they also meet another Yridian. I appreciate them using established races instead of creating new ones with a slightly different forehead for every character, as it helped to make the universe a constant. You can always say that seeing a new alien all the time makes sense thanks to the size of the galaxy, but sometimes it's good to consolidate what you've built. That's something they had done pretty well with this final season, with many episodes like this one, revisiting issues and connections of the main characters. The only thing missing is Troi assisting Worf, but her role was played by K'Mtar, so she wasn't needed.

There are usually inconsistencies, and this is no different - if Alexander can go back in time, why doesn't he return to the moment before Worf's killed, and save him, but it may have been beyond the mysterious man's skill to send him to exact points in history, or it may be about a greater dissatisfaction with the whole of Alexander's life that he wants to prevent. The other thing that stands out is the Klingons' singing: why doesn't the Universal Translator turn it into English? Crusher shows a lack of understanding and has to ask Worf. Maybe the UT has a 'Culture' button you can press so it doesn't translate when it thinks it's good for the listener to hear the true language? One thing that worked wonderfully, and another link back to the previous episode, was the way the Holodeck froze a character in mid-action, and K'Mtar walks around it (a la Han and Jabba in 'Star Wars Special Edition'). Effects had moved to a new level.

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