6.16 Birthright (Part 1)

Rating: 3

While the Enterprise is stationed at Deep Space 9 to aid the Bajorans in implementing a system of aqueducts, Worf receives news that his father – believed dead for 25 years – may be alive. Working on information sold to him by a Yridian, Worf finds the prison location, but the Klingons there seem unwilling to leave. Instead, they take Worf prisoner, fearing he will bring others if they let him go.

Meanwhile, an accident shuts Data’s positronic brain down completely for a few moments, yet in those moments, he has what seems like a dream of his father, Dr Soong.

Comments

Alexander Siddig appears as Dr Bashir. Bashir later became a regular cast member on DS9. He is billed here as ‘Siddig El Fadil’.

This episode aired about two months after the premiere of DS9. It served as cross-promotion, and made use of the DS9 sets.

Nits

This is so typical of TV shows in general and Trek in particular, but when Worf harasses the Yridian into agreeing to take them to the Romulan prison camp, Worf just walks away. They don’t set a time, and Wolf still doesn’t really have any ‘contact information’ for this guy.

After a commercial break, I was surprised to see Worf and the Yridian walking together on the prison planet’s surface, until I realized this would only have been scripted so they could avoid any landing/beaming special effects.

I found it shocking that Geordi would help Data to recreate the accident that caused him to have a dream. After all, it seemed to almost destroy his brain.

It’s very difficult to catch, but near the end of the episode, when Data and Bashir are walking down the hall together, Bashir’s shoes start off as black boots and change to what look like white sneakers.

Memorable Moments

•    Star Trek has so few moments of cinematic imagination, so I must mention that out-of-character bird perspective as Data, in his dream, flies out into space through an Enterprise window and views the ship from overhead .

Quotable Quotes

"Would you like to talk about what’s bothering you, or would you like to break some more furniture?"
- Troi to Worf

"You’re right that machines can’t have hallucinations. But then, most machines can’t grow hair."
- Bashir to Data