{"id":4581,"date":"2015-04-08T13:00:03","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T20:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=4581"},"modified":"2015-03-30T12:21:37","modified_gmt":"2015-03-30T19:21:37","slug":"mark-watches-the-next-generation-s01e20-heart-of-glory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2015\/04\/mark-watches-the-next-generation-s01e20-heart-of-glory\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘The Next Generation’: S01E20 – Heart of Glory"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the twentieth episode of the first season of\u00c2\u00a0The Next Generation<\/i>, the\u00c2\u00a0Enterprise\u00c2\u00a0<\/i>discovers a ship adrift in space and then, WORF. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Star Trek<\/i>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT EPISODE. (And I requested an episode about one of the side characters,\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>and it was granted to me<\/i>. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL<\/span>.<\/i>) This is precisely the kind of storytelling that I want from\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>The Next Generation<\/i>, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Heart of Glory\u00e2\u20ac\u009d GIVES ME EVERYTHING I WANT.<\/span><\/p>\n

Geordie<\/b><\/p>\n

While he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not the focus of this episode, I appreciated that lovely scene at the open of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Heart of Glory\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that allowed the rest of the crew to understand Geordie better. Even in a thematic sense, the scene fits perfectly within this story because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about identity and feeling like the Other. Here, Geordie discovers that the way he sees through his VISOR is not like how everyone else experiences vision. Now, this is portrayed here with a sense of wonder; we learn just how complicated the world looks to Geordie and how easily he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s able to filter the information he receives. But he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still\u00c2\u00a0different<\/i> than those around him, not matter how helpful and accepted he is. I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say that this is a wholly negative experience for Geordie. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clear that his ability is highly valued. However, how far does that value extend? Is Geordie still going to be interpreted through a specific lens because of his visible difference?<\/p>\n

Worf<\/b><\/p>\n

The greater tale of being the Other here is with Worf, who, more than ever before in this series, is the sole Klingon in Starfleet. Did that matter before? Not necessarily, and without a glimpse at Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s past, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be uncomfortable stating otherwise. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if he had a hard time in the Academy! But part of me wonders if treatment of him was worse than what we saw here. Even though it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s subtle here in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Heart of Glory,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s struggle still earned him suspicion. And I get why\u00c2\u00a0these people began to suspect that there was a tiny chance Worf might become involved in Korris and Konmel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plot, but what does that conclusion say about them?<\/p>\n

Of course, this is a complicated conflict. This is the first time in\u00c2\u00a0years<\/i> that Worf is around his own kind. As someone who was adopted and then immediately moved to a place where there were literally\u00c2\u00a0no other visibly Latino kids<\/i> in the ENTIRE school, I know how frustrating and surreal this experience can feel. He rushes to accompany Picard in greeting the Klingons rescued, and for the remainder of the episodes, he spends very little time away from them. Who could blame him? At the same time, Korris and Konmel make it very clear that they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t view Worf as a\u00c2\u00a0pure<\/i> Klingon. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too \u00e2\u20ac\u0153docile\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153soft.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too obsessed with human notions of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153peace.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Where\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that Klingon warrior spirit?<\/p>\n

What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fascinating to me is how Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s upbringing has played a part in his identity. It was fantastic to find out more about how he came to be a part of Starfleet because it helped me understand him better. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I never questioned his curiosity in Korris\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan to become a true Klingon. Even though he was mostly raised by humans, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always had a connection to his culture, though it was one that was entirely internalized. He\u00c2\u00a0controlled<\/i> his desire for another life.<\/p>\n

So where do Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s loyalties lay? As much as I understood how complicated this struggle was for him, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think I ever doubted that he was loyal to the Federation. When he stood in that hallway, listening to Korris appeal to him and Tasha telling him to step aside, he definitely had a brief moment where he considered\u00c2\u00a0something<\/i>. Leaving the Federation? Joining his brethren to fulfill some sort of cultural destiny? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know about that. But in the end, he chose the system that raised him and helped to teach him to be who he was in the present.<\/p>\n

That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what that final confrontation meant to me. Worf says something very specific: that the true \u00e2\u20ac\u0153test\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of a warrior is an internal<\/i> battle. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exactly the kind of life that Worf has learned to lead, you know? Worf has been fighting a battle to change his nature for years. In another context, that might be just as bad as it sounds, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never felt like Worf\u00c2\u00a0wasn<\/i>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/i> a Klingon. His sense of aggression and purpose has always been a part of his character on this show. But he learned honor and loyalty to something bigger than himself through Starfleet. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important to him. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s kept him\u00c2\u00a0alive<\/i> all these years. The truth is that Worf is and always has been a Klingon, and being a part of the crew on\u00c2\u00a0The Enterprise<\/i> doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t change that. At the same time, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s different. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perfectly fine with that.<\/p>\n

Honestly, this was just so satisfying to watch. It was like a long validation of Worf\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s place on this starship, and I appreciated that. Now, give me an episode about Geordie and Tasha like this one!<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Heart of Glory\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S., Canada, Europe, the U.K., and Ireland. Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page.<\/a>
\n– My Master Schedule<\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.\u00c2\u00a0My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of\u00c2\u00a0The Legend of Korra<\/i>, series 8 of\u00c2\u00a0Doctor Who<\/i>, and Kings<\/i>. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards<\/i> series will replace the Emelan books.
\n<\/b>-\u00c2\u00a0Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
\n– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running,\u00c2\u00a0 I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!
\n<\/a>– Please check out the\u00c2\u00a0 MarkDoesStuff.com<\/a>. All Mark Watches videos for past shows\/season are now archived there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"