Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

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Fuzzy Necromancer
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Fuzzy Necromancer »

This is a really minor point in the scheme of things, but I think Worf was wrong to not give Alexander money to see the severed head.

Why? Because, for once, Alexander is showing INTEREST in Klingon culture. That's the thing that Worf is trying to achieve, so he should be nurturing and rewarding it, not going all "we got severed heads at home." How do you expect this kid to take to a lifestyle and belief system if you don't even give incentive for the few things he DOES like about it?
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Revolverman »

Fuzzy Necromancer wrote:This is a really minor point in the scheme of things, but I think Worf was wrong to not give Alexander money to see the severed head.

Why? Because, for once, Alexander is showing INTEREST in Klingon culture. That's the thing that Worf is trying to achieve, so he should be nurturing and rewarding it, not going all "we got severed heads at home." How do you expect this kid to take to a lifestyle and belief system if you don't even give incentive for the few things he DOES like about it?

In fairness, that was likely more because Worf knew it was bullshit. Even if he wants Alexander to embrace Klingon culture, he likely doesn't want to do it with lies.


Alexander is perhaps the ur example of writers adding something for a plot with zero consideration on how its effect was going to cascade through the show, and likely is a great example of the problems with episodic thinking when it comes to writing TV.
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Robovski »

It's like going to the carnival with your dad and saying no, you can't have money to see the homunculi in the freak show. Warf knows it's a fake pile of crap, but he's also a no-fun stick up his ass most of the time.
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Steve
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Steve »

STO eventually made use of this story, having Alexander use the code-name "K'mtar" during the initial Klingon storyline. The change is that he doesn't do the "no vengeance" thing (since there's no more House of Mogh, obviously) and that the outcome of the attack in the High Council is... somewhat different.
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Darth Wedgius
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Darth Wedgius »

"Dad, I need some money to see some severed heads."
"Sorry, Alexander, we don't use money. This is the future, remember?"
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Mickey_Rat15 »

Robovski wrote:It's like going to the carnival with your dad and saying no, you can't have money to see the homunculi in the freak show. Warf knows it's a fake pile of crap, but he's also a no-fun stick up his ass most of the time.
Because of being brought up on Earth, Worf seems obsessed with authenticity in things Klingon. Somebody trying to pass off a knockoff head probably offends his sensibilities no end. Also, with his reserve stemming from accidentally killing a human child as a boy, Worf is much less exuberant than other Klingons. Funny, how a character that was originally planned as showing ho the Federationand Klingons were working together became such an atypical example of his culture.
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by J!! »

Darth Wedgius wrote:"Dad, I need some money to see some severed heads."
"Sorry, Alexander, we don't use money. This is the future, remember?"
actually, as head of a klingon great house, shouldn't worf be loaded?
Darth Wedgius
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Darth Wedgius »

J!! wrote:
Darth Wedgius wrote:"Dad, I need some money to see some severed heads."
"Sorry, Alexander, we don't use money. This is the future, remember?"
actually, as head of a klingon great house, shouldn't worf be loaded?
Was he the head of a great house? IIRC, this was before Martok adopted him, but I don't remember if Mogh was the head of a "house." Still, Klingons do use wealth in some way (as seen in "House of Quark") so Worf should have inherited something or other. Unless Klingon traditions split it up when Worf didn't show up in the empire for a couple decades (Klingon tradition 40147, sub-section 32, paragraph 3, "And this Kahless spake, whosoever doth not pay his property taxes in accordance with local writ, his house shall be auctioned off, unless it be his primary residence, except as allowdeth in subsection 47, paragraph 9...")
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by Sir Will »

I remember liking this episode, though I agree there are some redundant issues. They didn't know how to handle Alexander. A pity, I think he had some potential and the actor seemed competent. And it makes me hate Sons and Daughters even more, knowing what they eventually did with Alexander. That turn made no sense. Also kind of sucks that Worf pawned his son off on his parents again... but then I guess the destruction of the Enterprise could make a father question putting his son in harms way. Earth's a lot safer.
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Re: Star Trek TNG: Firstborn

Post by J!! »

yeah, say what you will about worf's parenting, at least his son wasn't getting scraped off the schoolhouse ceiling.
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