PATRON TAKES - Star Trek TNG Season 2 Episode 20

This is a great example of Star Trek....when it's at its best! Outstanding writing and character development. Worf is clearly at his best (at this point) and his relationship with K'Ehleyr is complicated and intriguing. The Next Generation episodes are taking a slow turn towards depth....as you guys will see moving forward. Worf is one of 3 characters that will emerge in a very central way. This is the beginning!

Gotta love Suzie Plakson (Selar/K’Ehleyr) She has a perfect bitchy resting face and an awesome “I’m so over this” attitude. She’s played a Vulcan doctor and a Klingon\human ambassador. What other characters would you like to see her play? A Romulan artist? Maybe a Benzite princess? No matter what, you know that she’s always up for kicking some ass.

Main characters getting laid in an episode so far: Worf, Riker, Data, Yar, Troi (debatable: with Wyatt on the holodeck in S1 “Haven”)

Klingon Loooooooooore!

POKER EPISODE.

Were you surpised to learn K'Ehleyr was half human and that Worf had an old flame? Just an all round great episode. Exploration of the Klingon culture with some great Worf backstory and development. Liked the bluff they used to solve the issue, tied in nicely with the poker opener.

When I rewatched this one a couple of weeks ago I thought to myself “Alex is gonna fall off his seat when he sees that Skeletor hologram again” .Amiright?😀

A favorite episode of mine, and another example of casting (and in particular the female guest star) making or breaking the episode. K'Ehleyr, half Klingon, half human, straight up one of the best guest characters in Trek. And it doesn’t hurt that she and Michael Dorn have great chemistry.

easy prediction: you both really love this episode

Absolutely wonderful episode. I add this to Elementary Dear Data, The Measure of a Man, Matter of Honor, and Q Who in my list of "Fantastic Season 2 episodes that stand proudly against all the good episodes to come." Suzie Plackson (last seen as the vulcan medical tech in The Schizoid Man) is fantastic here

Worf episodes never disappoint.

Ok, this one I really like! Not only because it has an old flame of Worf but the old flame was also in a previous Ep. (I hope you recognize her) She was the Vulcan Doctor Selar in the Ep. The Schizoid Man. She is Suzie Plakson & I don't know what it is but I found her strangely attractive when I saw this in the 80s and still do now. She is my Favorite Female Klingon of TNG even though she bites! I really did not care about the Klingons from 70 years ago but did like the Resolution of that problem. So another 2 good ones in a row, can you guys take it? I would think you will give it 2 thumbs up unless I'm totally wrong. That's it! 🖖😀

The poker scene ending with Worf's line, "Klingons never bluff", is a great piece of writing. Not only because the solution to the central problem of the episode is a gigantic bluff on the part of Worf and K'Ehleyr, but also because it helps explain why this tactic works so well against the Klingon captain who could not expect it.

Gentlemen you have arrived at the beginning of a Glorious Tale of Hard fought struggle & Honor: Worf's Character arc. May it bring glory & honor for your coooouch.

It seems odd that the Klingon ship would be sent on a “high priority” mission that would take 75 years to achieve. Couldn’t have been too high a priority. A nice Worf story, though.

I thought this episode was odd because of the continuity problem, where they talk about how Klingons in the 23rd century are used cryo- stasis, and yet in the original series in the movies, we never see any hint of that. Maybe they only had status on ships that were meant to go far out? Though I wouldn’t think federation colonies would be considered that far out. I also wonder how they broke the news to the Klingons on that ship afterwards that they are actually at peace, and have not conquered the federation LOL. Did Kayllar (I probably didn’t spell that right) break the news to them or was it when they got back to Kro’nos. Also fun fact when we see the Klingon Kat’inga class battle cruiser on the view screen it’s the same reuse shot from the motion picture.

Michael Dorn kills it yet again. Not bad for an actor who's character was almost an afterthought to the show's structure. Once again, the Klingon lore building in TNG delivers. Susie Plakson, now 2 for 2 on our "resident alien girl" list. What are your thoughts on the K'Ehleyr character, and Worf's "Klingon angst"?

Great episode, much better than I remembered. I predict you'll both love it.

What are your thoughts on Susie Plakson as Ke’Lar? Fun fact: she also played the Vulcan Dr. Lt. Selar from “The Schizoid Man”.

Disappointing lack of Klingon love poetry, so here's one cut from the episode Up The Long Ladder I hunt in darkness. The stars my guide. The memory of you sings in my blood. I seize the gift. Carry it to your bower. And lay at your feet the hearts of my enemies.

Strangely in my head canon this always was the first "big" Klingon episode. I suppose because of a certain female Klingon. Well I was thirteen ...

“Nice chair”. I have not seen this episode in a long time. When it first aired, I thought the surprise about the awakened Klingons was going to be they were a secret envoy to talk peace with the Federation because they made such a big deal about what could their mission have been.

When writing "The Schizoid Man" they considered a romance between Worf and the Vulcan Doctor Selar but dropped the idea in favor of this. Worf was always fated to hook up with a Suzie Plakson character!

I always like an exploration of the Klingons, and other cultures. Sure, the Enterprise may be seeking out new life and new civilizations, but I like when they fill in detail on civilizations that aren't new.

Was it just me, or was there a lot of filler in this episode? Shades of Amok Time with the whole surprise wife thing. I found the whole relationship between Worf and K'Ehleyr (Killer?) to be way too melodramatic for my liking.

Worf has a love story.. and I also loved seeing the return to Worf’s programmed fight scene on the Holodeck

Did you recognize Klingon Captain K’Temoc as the actor who played the leader of the Borellian Nomen in Battlestar Galactica (as well as Uncle Bootes in the episode “The Lost Warrior”)?

I’ll predict you’ll enjoy the episode. It’s not bad, and we do have little of Worf backstory and a little Klingon lore. Plus the score during the holodeck scene reminded me of the traditional TOS fight scores. And, come on!!! Rewatching it nowadays, when K'Ehleyr entered the holodeck, and put on that giant glove, somebody must of been thinking she was going to snap her fingers and say “I am Ironman”.

It's amazing how different Suzie Plakson's character is from the Vulcan she played in a previous episode. That's range.

This is a solid episode. Poker, Worf history, Klingon lore, K'Ehler, O'Brien even gets a line at the end. 🤣

Good episode here. K'Ehleyr is a great character and the actress does a great job. But in universe K'Ehleyr refusing to even try tofollow Picard's directive of find another way to deal with the Klingons that isn't blowing them up is annoying and seems to suggest she isn't the best diplomat.

Great, a klingon episode.🙄 At least this one has K'Ehleyr who I really like, probably because she finds klingon culture as dumb and annoying as I do.

So two seasons in, where are TNG's klingons compared to your expectations at the beginning? As iconic as they were they sure never got explored like this

Word lore!

Another stand out season 2 episode as far as I am concerned. My biggest question is that does the holodeck have a lock. In my memory, it never seems to and it would have made the episode if Riker or someone else walked in on the two of them.

K'Ehleyr as a character is fantastic, but I just can't like her. She knew how seriously Worf took Klingon tradition, and she knew exactly what he'd think it meant if they had sex. Hard to interpret that as anything other than leading Worf on.

Worf is proving to be a versatile character. A practical blank slate of a Klingon side character, with Heart of Glory and now The Emissary, they continue to add to not only his, but of all Klingon .....LORE.

0/10, K'Ehleyr does not "hurl heavy objects" as part of the mating ritual, as Worf once told Wesley.

You guys have been looking for more score, well I think this episode's score really sets the scene well for K'Ehleyr and Worf's relationship, and Suzie Plakson is great in this role. Great episode.

What Worf shouts in the holodeck is "tlhIngan jIH", which is Klingon for "I am Klingon". In context apparently that's the first line of the Klingon equivalent of marriage vows.

It’s another Worf episode, which so far you guys have seemed to love. Not a super complicated plot just more character building for Worf. Plus Suzie Plakson returns as K’Ehlyr after playing Dr. Selar previously.

One of the good S2 episodes. K'Ehleyr is great, and more Worf is always welcome.

I really like this one. Good exploration of what changed in the time between TOS and TNG, the awesome, and frankly attractive despite all that Klingon make-up K'Ehleyr, who is played by the same actress as the Vulcan Dr. Selar, from "The Schizoid Man" earlier this season. Another high point is a very roller coaster season.

This was a fantastic episode to really dig into Worf a bit more, his humor, his honor, and most of all his confidence when dealing with the other Klingons (and respect for comfortable chairs)

Based on Worf’s reaction to the mate Q once conjured for him, shouldn’t we have seen more domestic violence or love poetry?

I predict you guys will enjoy this episode, since it has Klingons and you enjoy the LORE!!!! Always remember what happens on the holedeck stays on the holedeck.

Great episode, and despite it being second season, it's well written. This one is in my top 20. Oh....AND SUZIE PLAKSON IN TIGHTS!!!!!! hubba HUBBA!!!

Did you guys spot Remmick's star chart? Around the time someone is beautiful...

"Talk or play. NOT both."

A Klingon episode. That means it's good. They don't phone in the relationship or the elements of Klingon culture. They actually care what they are building.

Prediction: I love this episode, and so will you two. Worf has finally "met his match" but still manages to get some! Suzie Plakson is FAB in this!!

Captain Worf of the Enterprise, that has a nice ring to it. The Worf lore in this episode is fantastic, we get one last look at the “old” Klingons who are out to destroy the Federation before we really develop their culture through Worf’s eyes, and we get a half-human half-Klingon in K’Ehlyr who really takes charge, I like her a lot in this episode.

K’Ehlyr!!! (Said like The Lore!) Played by the incredibly talented Suzie Plakson, one of my favorite guest stars in this or any other series. When you see the Klingon vessel in this episode, it’s some reused footage from TMP, just with some effects added.

I really like this one a lot. More Worf backstory is fun. Holodeck use is fun. Worf being smart is fun (at the end, he may need some work on reading other people).

In case you wanted to give an on-screen acknowledgment. The background character you guys dubbed "Chad", played by Dexter Clay, made his final appearance last week in S2 E19: Manhunt. He passed away from cancer in 2017 at the age of 61. RIP His only line in the show was, "Can I help you, Sir?" to Mendon in 'A Matter of Honor'.

One of the highlights of the season for me. I forgot this was as early as season 2 - it fits the vibe of season 3 and later.

Suzie Plakson, the actor who played Ambassador K'Ehleyr, was the same actor who played the Vulcan doctor Lieutenant Selar back in Episode 6 of this season. And one of the original ideas for this episode was to have Worf get into a relationship with Doctor Selar.

More poker! More Klingon lore! Worf has holodeck sex with K'Ehleyr! I think you'll probably both like her. She may return or she may not, you'll just have to watch and see, the same as any guest star in any episode who doesn't die. This is my final “Best of the Best” ranked episode of Season 2.

K'Ehleyr was played by the same actress as Dr Selar, the Vulcan earlier this season. Apparently Selar was created as a potential love interest for Worf for it didn't work out. Seems like they revisited the idea with the same actress playing a Klingon. Which performance of hers did you prefer?