7.21 Firstborn

Rating: 3

Worf is disappointed when his 13 year old son Alexander refuses to begin the process of becoming a true Klingon warrior. Captain Picard suggests exposing Alexander to more of the Klingon culture by attending a festival on a nearby colony. There, they meet a Klingon called K’Mtar, who was sent by Worf’s brother Kurn to check on Alexander’s progress. K’Mtar attempts to become a mentor to Alexander, to encourage him to take the path of a warrior. But K’Mtar also hides a secret.

Comments

James Sloyan gives an excellent performance as the Klingon K'Mtar. He would later guest-star on a number of DS9 and VOY episodes.

Unfortunately, someone decided that K’Mtar would telegraph his treachery by the way he reacts when it becomes evident that the Enterprise is going to find the Duras sisters.

Although the structure of the episode is poor, there is still a bit of emotional depth achieved when we realize we are looking at a future version of Alexander. I just think they took too long to arrive at this point.

Nits

The Klingon colony is a small village with a square, and no animals, motorized vehicles, etc. (you know the drill by now). Although I must mention that some of the outdoor sets and structures are quite different than the normal village sets.

After Worf is attacked by other Klingons, why does the Enterprise become involved in tracking down his attackers? Worf states that he must retaliate, but isn’t this really a Klingon family or ‘house’ matter? Is it really suitable for an entire starship to get involved to be commandeered for this purpose?

Is Alexander truly so concerned about avoiding the death of his father that he will kill an earlier version of himself? Surely this would be considered a most dishonorable thing to do in Klingon culture.

Memorable Moments

•    The moment when it is revealed that K'Mtar is actually a time-travelling Alexander

Quotable Quotes

"Someday, if you work hard, you will become a warrior, a Klingon warrior, and you will always feel safe, because you will know how to defend yourself. And I’ll tell you something else: if anyone ever tries to hurt your father again, you will be able to fight at his side and make sure nothing happens to him. What do you think of that?"
- K'Mtar to Alexander

"Yes. Lursa and Betor: big talk, small tips."
- Quark to Riker

"If this was real, he’d be dead by now."
- K'Mtar to Worf regarding Alexander (and, since they are on the holodeck, he could have said, "If he was photonic, he’d be home by now." J)

K’Mtar/Alexander: It is a futile struggle [for peace]; I cannot change things.
Worf: You have already changed things more than you realize.
K’Mtar/Alexander: The boy I was has not changed.
Worf: But I have. You have given me a glimpse into my son’s future. And I know now that he had his own destiny. And I believe it will be a great one.