Series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Season 4, Episode 15
Original Air Date: February 12, 1996
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| via Memory Alpha |
Worf's brother Kurn is back - his final Trek appearance and his only turn on DS9. Worf got off pretty easy for opposing Gowron (see "The Way of the Warrior"). Whatever personal distress he might have experienced, at the end of the day, he was able to just go back to his life in Starfleet. For his brother, the family disgrace has not been so easy to bear. The story begins with Kurn (Tony Todd) asking Worf to kill him in the Mauk-to'Vor ritual in order for Kurn to recoup his honor. Fortunately (from the human perspective), Dr. Bashir is able to save Kurn. Predictably, Captain Sisko is none too pleased...
Meanwhile, this is the first episode that makes direct suggestions of romantic possibilities between Worf and Dax.
Obviously, this is a big development story for Worf, opening up new, fruitful narrative paths. However, the end of the Kurn thread is a shame. I can understand wanting Worf to move on but I love that Kurn shows up from time to time to try to draw him back. Especially in light of future attempts to bring Alexander back into the fold, one can't help but think how much better a Kurn story should have been.
Even now, nearly 30 years later, Worf is easily one of the most fascinating characters in all of Star Trek. A Worf-centered series would be an easy sell. Goodness knows, Michael Dorn has aged better than anyone else from the TNG cast. Just imagine how much they could have done with a return for Kurn before Tony Todd passed away. Cutting him out of the saga in 1996 was a huge mistake.
Mind you, it's still an enjoyable episode.
Acting Notes
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| via Wikipedia |
Robert DoQui played the role of Noggra, a friend of Worf's father who helps Kurn start a new life. DoQui was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, April 20, 1934. He served in the Air Force before embarking upon an acting career.
Films include Coffy, Nashville and the first three RoboCop movies. Television appearances include The Jeffersons, The Fall Guy and Family Affair.
DoQui passed away in 2008.
I kind of had an epiphany. DS9 inadvertently made Worf the least interesting Klingon of the one’s featured regularly in the show. Kor, his handful of appearances, and Martok. Hard to compete with Martok. They bungled Kurn, and they really screwed up Alexander. They didn’t particularly like character points from TNG. They had no clue how to handle O’Brien’s past. Dude is surrounded by Cardassians. Never once comes up, “The Wounded,” one of his best if not still best appearances, and one of the best episodes of the whole franchise. Another baffling legacy of the show.
ReplyDeleteGowron definitely comes into his own in DS9, too.
DeleteYou make an interesting point. I would argue that Worf is still the nexus of it all. The Klingon-in-exile perspective is a meaningful one.
Meanwhile, there's some good O'Brien material coming soon.