In the tenth episode of the fifth season of The Next Generation, Worf’s son complicates his life on the Enterprise. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Well, they can’t all be amazing. This is not a terrible episode of The Next Generation and there certainly have been many, many worse. But it’s not that great, either. It’s a quiet attempt to introduce Worf to fatherhood in a more serious way, but it suffers from a lack of urgency. Even the big climactic scene at the end feels artificial and forced.
It’s not without a genuinely good surprise at the end, and I think it starts out well enough. I liked the idea that Worf’s parents felt like raising their grandson was something they simply weren’t interested in for their later years. It’s not like they couldn’t raise a Klingon child, nor did they feel like he wasn’t lovable. They simply believed it was time for them to live the rest of their lives for themselves. Which is fair! He’s not their child, and I believe that Worf respected that decision.
Alexander’s integration into life on the Enterprise was, unsurprisingly, difficult. I expected that. First of all, he’s a Klingon, so that was bound to cause problems. But his behavior confused me, especially since it didn’t seem to be related to him being a Klingon. The aggression and contempt, maybe. But the theft and the lying? It perplexed me, especially when we saw how openly he did it. It’s not like he lied whenever Worf wasn’t around; it was a constant thing!
So why lie? Why the disobedience? It takes a (brilliant!) conversation with Troi for Worf to realize that maybe he caused his son’s behavior years earlier. Y’all, that scene is easily the best one here, and I really wonder why we don’t see more of them. You’ve got one of the most insightful and empathetic characters imaginable around all the time, and yet? Scenes within Troi’s office are few and far between, which is a crime, considering how entertaining and revealing they are. I mean, it’s fascinating watching her work, especially as she guides Worf to his revelation, rather than tell him what he’s looking for.
While this is all well and good, I did not find the rest of this episode to be as engaging. The entire sub-plot involving the Soliton wave was scientifically interesting, but I don’t know why it’s here except to create a faux-suspenseful scene at the end of the episode. Is it meant to inspire Worf to invite his son to stay on the Enterprise? Perhaps, but the connection didn’t feel that clear to me. Instead, the whole plot feels tacked on for the sake of it, as if the writers realized that Worf’s story had no action and the episode needed something preposterous and physical. I think the rest of “New Ground†could have been developed further to make it a character study, but instead, it’s just… okay. Not spectacular, but not terrible either.
I admit I did not think that Alexander would be asked to stay on the ship. That’s kind of cool! I guess we’ll have to see if he’ll actually appear in future episodes, though, or else this twist won’t hold that much weight. Regardless, this is one of the weaker episodes this season.
The video for “New Ground†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S. this summer and fall Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
