star trek tng firstborn cast

Firstborn (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Sets and props
• 3.6 Continuity
• 3.7 Reception
• 3.8 Apocrypha
• 3.10 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Library computer references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

" Sorry. I didn't mean to hit you! "

In his quarters , Worf rehearses, a little nervously, how he will explain to his son Alexander what it means to be a true Klingon warrior. Alexander dashes in, pursued by his friend Eric with a fullerene water balloon. He misses Alexander and instead hits Worf, who is not amused. However, he continues with his explanation.

He tells Alexander that there are actually two Rite of Ascension ceremonies; Alexander won't be required to pass through the second rite (the one with painstiks ) until he is older, but is old enough for the first rite now. His fighting skills and his knowledge of the teachings of Kahless will be tested, and Worf promises to help him with this. The first step is lighting a kor'tova candle and declaring one's intention to be a Klingon warrior.

Alexander doesn't want to do it, reminding Worf that his mother K'Ehleyr told him he didn't have to do any "Klingon stuff" he didn't want to. Worf agrees that it must be Alexander's choice, and Alexander runs out of the room, declaring that he has no intention of becoming a warrior.

Act One [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D is supposed to rendezvous with another ship, the Kearsarge , but it won't arrive for another four days, so the senior staff plan extra activities. Captain Picard wants to visit the Hatarian system where there's an archaeological dig, and Data suggests stellar dynamics can have more access to the lateral sensor grid to examine the Vodrey Nebula . Picard notices that Worf looks distracted during the briefing, and Worf explains afterwards about the problems he is having with Alexander. Picard suggests that the Enterprise detour to the Klingon outpost on Maranga IV where they'll be celebrating Kot'baval and Alexander can immerse himself in Klingon culture and folklore; this will also give Stellar Dynamics a chance to see the entire nebula, as the outpost lies on the other side of it.

On Maranga, the festival is in full swing; there is almost a county fair atmosphere, what with the vendors and the banners and the colorful re-enactments of Klingon history. Worf and Alexander watch one such drama, in which the story of how Kahless defeated the traitor Molor is shown. The actor playing Molor issues repeated challenges to bat'leth duels, and audience members are invited to participate. Alexander is caught up in the excitement and accepts a challenge. The actor takes a fall to let Alexander win.

After spending a full day at the festival and even making some friends among the Klingon children at the outpost, Alexander meets up with Worf, who is waiting for him. Alexander explains that he needs 50 darseks to see the mummified head of Molor but Worf believes the man who is offering this is simply trying to take his money. Worf tells his son it is time to go and promises they will return tomorrow. They are about to return to the Enterprise when a trio of armed Klingon warriors appear from the shadows, cornering them.

Act Two [ ]

Before the fight starts, an older Klingon man comes out of the shadows of an alley and fires a disruptor at one of the assailants. Worf takes on the other two, shouting to Alexander to run. The older Klingon helps to defeat them, and they run away. Worf recognizes the man as K'mtar , gin'tak or adviser to the House of Mogh .

" One of the attackers dropped this dagger. The design represents the House of Duras. "

They beam aboard the Enterprise where Commander Riker wants to question them, unhappy with K'mtar's reluctance to answer. K'mtar shows the dagger dropped by one of the assailants. It bears the insignia of the rival House of Duras , indicating that Lursa and B'Etor are behind the attack. They have not been heard from since they tried to sell bilitrium explosives to a Bajoran terrorist on Deep Space 9 . They are after the seat on the Klingon High Council now held by Worf's brother Kurn , who has sent K'mtar to protect Worf and his child and put a stop to the sisters' treachery. Riker says the next step will be to track down the sisters. Riker offers to help find them and gives K'mtar quarters on the ship.

Worf and K'mtar leave to his quarters. K'mtar relates Kurn's concern about Alexander, as he has no male heir and so Alexander may have to lead the House of Mogh someday. Kurn believes in Worf's ability to teach him, but it can't be easy being the only two Klingons on a starship full of Humans . He inquires how Alexander is doing as far as his Klingon warrior skills, and Worf says he is not as good as he should be, because he doesn't take time to practice as all Klingon youths do. K'mtar promises to help, and Worf accepts. Very gently (for a Klingon), he approaches Alexander's bedside and speaks in warm, understanding tones, telling him that learning warrior's skills will help Alexander to feel that not only he, but his father, are safe from harm. Worf, around the corner, is a little uneasy that there is another voice influencing Alexander, but he does trust him.

Act Three [ ]

" So long, Quark. "

The next day, on the bridge , Riker has Worf contact Deep Space 9 while Data searches records for the Duras sisters. Data does not find any more information, and so Riker turns to DS9. He bribes information out of the station's bartender Quark as to what the Duras sisters are doing and where they are. To get the information out of Quark, Riker offers to return his vouchers he received when he won playing dabo while at Deep Space 9 instead of latinum , which Quark did not have enough of to cover his winnings of twelve bars. Quark then explains he heard a rumor that Lursa and B'Etor were trying to buy some secondhand mining equipment to dig up a magnesite deposit (which actually belongs to the Pakleds ) in the Kalla system . Riker promises to send the vouchers back to Quark, but he had them voided while they were speaking.

While the Enterprise travels to the Kalla system, K'mtar comes up with a holodeck simulation different from what Alexander is used to. Instead of just going through the exercises, he proposes a re-enactment of what happened on Maranga. As Alexander goes up against one of the attackers, K'mtar freezes the program at various points to illustrate how Alexander can take advantage of his opponent. Alexander knocks the attacker to the ground but won't kill him. When K'mtar angrily insists, Alexander gets disgusted and runs away.

When the Enterprise arrives at Kalla III and beams down an away team, they find a lone Dopterian , Gorta . In exchange for passage off planet, he tells them that the sisters have already left, taking everything of value with them (and stranding him). The plan had been to sell the magnesite ore to a Yridian trader in the Ufandi system .

In Ten Forward , K'mtar meets up with Worf. He apologizes for his anger earlier and suggests that Alexander be sent to a Klingon school on Ogat . Worf dislikes the idea because Alexander is at home on the Enterprise , but K'mtar says it is almost impossible to learn true Klingon ways under these conditions. He again gets heated and says he might have to invoke the ya'nora kor , a law which can remove a child from unfit parental custody. Outraged, Worf asks if he questions his fitness as a parent. K'mtar says that for the good of their House, yes, he is indeed. He only wants what is best for the boy. However, K'mtar is growing increasingly angry and frustrated with Alexander, who questions traditional Klingon stories and disagrees that it is so vitally important that he become a warrior.

Act Four [ ]

K'mtar sits Alexander down to try to teach him the Klingon ways, telling him more of Kahless and Morath . Alexander listens, but cuts him off, saying he already knows the story. K'mtar says it's important to tell it even if it's known, but Alexander starts questioning each statement like an inquisitive Human would. K'mtar is increasingly frustrated, saying those details don't matter, but rather the Klingon warrior interpretation. He then tells Alexander about the school, but he says he doesn't want to leave the Enterprise . He realizes K'mtar is just like his father, only caring about being a warrior, and leaves.

Meanwhile, Riker has tracked down the ore taken by the sisters to the Yridian trader Yog , and buys it from him for half a gram of Anjoran bio-mimetic gel . Instead of beaming it to the Enterprise , though, Riker blows up the ore in space with the ship's phasers , and discovers a cloaked Bird-of-Prey ship nearby. He has found the sisters, and soon brings them aboard. Telling them he knows the ore was stolen, he confronts them with the assassination attempt on Worf and shows them the dagger. They claim to know nothing about it, and Riker asks K'mtar about his other evidence which he claims to be on the homeworld. Riker prepares to set a course and K'mtar leaves to contact Kurn. However, after he leaves, B'Etor notices something on the dagger which clearly shocks her and Lursa, upon seeing it, claims that what's she's seeing is impossible. Riker asks what's going on, and B'Etor tells him the crest on the dagger has symbols representing the various members of the family… including Lursa's son. Lursa says she doesn't have a son, but she is expecting a child and only found out a few days previously and told no-one but B'Etor who furiously demands to know where the dagger came from. Based of their reactions and the evidence, it's now clear that the sisters weren't responsible for the assassination attempt, and the officers are left astounded by this mysterious turn of events. Worf decides to go and speak with K'mtar about the origin of the dagger.

Worf immediately goes to ask K'mtar about this, but discovers him apparently preparing to kill Alexander with his disruptor. After a brief struggle, he throws K'mtar to the ground and prepares to strangle him. But K'mtar cries out, calling him father and that he is actually Alexander himself.

Act Five [ ]

Worf demands proof and asks him what his mother's last words were. K'mtar tells him of how he witnessed the death of K'Ehleyr, and that all she said was his name, and she put his hand in Worf's. " And then you howled in rage, and said 'Look at her. Look upon death, and always remember.' And I always have. " He reluctantly lets him go and picks up the disruptor. Alexander explains that he has come back from forty years in the future, with the assistance of a man that he met in the Cambra system . Alexander did not want to end his own life, but rather to change things, to influence his younger self to follow a different path. He explains that he never became a Klingon warrior, but a diplomat and peacemaker, who sought to put an end to the centuries of struggle and feuding between the Great Houses. He had declared that the House of Mogh would no longer engage in vengeance or blood feuds. Worf warned him that this was a show of weakness, but Alexander insisted this was the way of the future. Almost immediately thereafter, Alexander witnessed Worf's murder on the floor of the Great Hall of the Klingon High Council. He thought that, if he had become a warrior, he'd have been able to stand with his father and defeat the assassins. So he came back to persuade his younger self to follow that ancient path, first by staging the assassination attempt on Maranga, then by trying to awaken young Alexander's interest in being just like all the other Klingons, as well as in protecting his father. He despaired when he saw that he had failed.

Worf says that Alexander has already changed history by coming back in time, and that things may not at all happen the way he fears. Worf explains that he must die with honor, and he cannot do that unless his son is true to himself and his beliefs. This means that Alexander must return to the future and continue to work for peace. Even a Klingon can see that peace is a worthy and just cause, and Worf believes Alexander has a noble future ahead of him. K'mtar says that he has failed, because the boy he was remains the same. Worf says that Alexander is the same, but Worf has changed, and now he understands that Alexander will have a noble future even if he is not a warrior. K'mtar embraces him and says, "I love you, father." Worf replies, "And I you, Alexander."

Later, young Alexander is waiting for Worf and K'mtar in the holodeck to begin bat'leth practice. Worf explains that K'mtar had to leave suddenly, but asked him to say goodbye, and that he will always respect Alexander no matter what he decides to do with his life. Worf, too, has come to respect Alexander, and suggests that they simply spend time together as father and son.

Log entries [ ]

• First officer's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Memorable quotes [ ]

" As time passes, a boy inevitably becomes a man but what is not inevitable is that a man becomes a sword. " " What? " " No, I meant… warrior. "

" The path of a warrior begins with the first rite of ascension… " " Is that when they hit you with pain sticks? " " No, that is the second rite. " " Oh. "

" Is, um… that what this is about? You're on your way and you're calling to reserve a holosuite program? "

" What are you doing on this planet? " " I… crashed here. " " Then you are denying involvement in illegal mining activities? " " Mining? So that's what all this equipment is here for. "

" We know you're dealing in stolen ore, but I want to talk about the assassination attempt on Lieutenant Worf. " " What assassination attempt? This is the first I've heard of it. " " Too bad it didn't succeed! " " Ha! "

" Yes, Lursa and B'Etor… big talk, small tips. "

" I love you, father. " " And I you, Alexander. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script : 28 January 1994 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 25 April 1994
• First UK airdate: 29 May 1996

Story and script [ ]

• Mark Kalbfeld 's original premise did not involve Alexander at all. Rather, it dealt with a Romulan ship with Federation markings from a future where the Federation and Romulan Star Empire were supposedly at peace. However, both the ship and the future version of Riker on board it would turn out to be hoaxes, part of a plot by the Romulans. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292))
• Jeri Taylor recalled, " We had bought that story and he wrote it, but it just seemed a little ordinary so we started messing around with it during one of our brainstorming sessions and then we hit on the idea that Alexander comes back from the future to kill his young self. That seemed wonderful but for a long time that's all we had. We didn't know why he did this. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• The notion of using Alexander in a time travel plot had originated with an unused premise created by Joe Menosky earlier in the season. Menosky had proposed a story where Alexander accidentally fell into a time portal and permanently aged into a bitter twenty-five year-old. Michael Piller hated the idea, commenting that " I think it's a hideous thing to steal somebody's youth from them. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292); Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303) Although not used here, that plot would eventually be recycled into DS9 : " Time's Orphan ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (pp. 577-579))
• The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292) notes the finished episode's plot is similar to both TAS : " Yesteryear " and the science fiction film Back to the Future .
• Originally, René Echevarria wanted to include K'Ehleyr as Alexander's rescuer at the end of the story. While Suzie Plakson was interested in reprising her character, she declined due to other acting commitments. Echevarria noted, " The truth is, it was a blessing. There was enough exposition to explain at the end of the show as it is! " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292)) Piller noted, " I know Rick breathed a sigh of relief because he did not like the idea in the first place. But for better or worse, that might have helped the episode. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• In the original script, Riker mentions that he has talked to Benjamin Sisko and that it was Sisko who suggested that Riker ask Quark for information on a possible location of the Duras sisters. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library )

Cast and characters [ ]

Quark's crossover appearance

• Armin Shimerman makes his first appearance as Quark on a Star Trek series other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . He later appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager pilot " Caretaker ", in a scene cut from Star Trek: Insurrection , LD : " Hear All, Trust Nothing " and VST : " Holograms All the Way Down ". This episode airs between DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I " where Quark became involved in an arms deal with Sakonna , a Maquis operative, and DS9 : " The Maquis, Part II " with Quark and Sakonna's business continuing.
• Prior to this episode, James Sloyan appeared as Alidar Jarok in " The Defector " and in Deep Space Nine as Mora Pol in " The Alternate ", a role he reprised in " The Begotten ". He also played Doctor Ma'Bor Jetrel in VOY : " Jetrel ".
• Rick Berman and Michael Piller were hesitant to cast Sloyan as K'mtar, coming as it did so soon after his first appearance as Doctor Mora Pol in DS9 : " The Alternate ". However, Jeri Taylor convinced them that the Klingon makeup would hide this fact. She recalled, " I finally went to Michael and said, 'Look – we can take a lesser actor in this part or we can cast the actor who should be cast.' " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292))

Brian Bonsall and Stunt Coordinator Dennis Madalone training for the episode

• This episode marks the final appearances of Alexander Rozhenko ( Brian Bonsall ), Lursa ( Barbara March ), and B'Etor ( Gwynyth Walsh ) on the series. The Duras sisters were previously seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Past Prologue ". They later appeared in Star Trek Generations . Alexander is later seen in Deep Space Nine 's sixth season , although he is played by Marc Worden .
• Joel Swetow had previously appeared in Deep Space Nine 's pilot episode " Emissary " as Gul Jasad .

Production [ ]

• Originally, the two actors playing in the Kot'baval Festival grunted their lines on stage. After filming, it was decided to make the Klingon opera more lyrical. Composer Dennis McCarthy provided the new melody, and both actors were good enough singers to reloop their lines to accompany it. Producer Wendy Neuss recalled, " It was one of our biggest jobs all year – figuring out what the on-camera instruments would sound like, breaking down all the syllables, figuring where the offstage line would be. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 293))

Sets and props [ ]

The futuristic chair, designed by Peter Opsvik

• The chair in Worf's quarters was also seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Family ", " Reunion ", " Redemption ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " Birthright, Part I ", " Parallels ", and " Genesis " and was used as the command chair aboard the Tarellian starship in the first season episode " Haven ". It was designed by Peter Opsvik. [2]
• Worf's quarters also feature the Kahless and Morath statue , previously seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Reunion ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", and " Genesis " and the Kahless shrine from the episode " Rightful Heir ".

Continuity [ ]

• Riker makes reference to the events of DS9 : " Past Prologue " in which the Duras sisters tried to sell bilitrium explosives on Deep Space 9 . K'mtar says that this happened months ago, but it had in fact been well over a year.

Reception [ ]

• Writer Ronald D. Moore , who is well-known for his Klingon episodes, praised Echevarria's different take on the major race. He remarked, " The stuff he did sixth season in " Birthright " and then what he did with them here is very interesting. Worf and Alexander celebrate at a Klingon outpost and they have this sort of mock opera singing, heroic fights and re-enactments of things in the streets and banners and this was a whole different cultural flavor to these guys that I hadn't thought of. My take on the Klingons was sort of more Shakespearean with the House of Mogh and that kind of stuff, and the rise and fall of political players. René brings in a much different element which I think serves them well. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• On the events of this episode, Michael Dorn opined, " We don't really know what happens now. Just that the future is uncertain. It's just like real life, but Worf is still a terrible father. He hasn't got a clue. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• Michael Piller commented, " I fell in love with the idea of 'Firstborn' in which we address the psychological implications of a man who feels a failure, who comes back to his own youth to destroy himself at a young age, in order to avoid the pain that he had caused and suffered. There is a tremendous science-fiction premise in that. And if you have been in on any of my therapy, you know that I've dealt with this on a number of different levels. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)

Apocrypha [ ]

• In the novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace , when Worf recommends Alexander to replace him as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, Worf tells Alexander that when he was young, Worf received a vision of Alexander's future and that it showed him to be an ambassador and excelling as such. Worf does not tell Alexander the source of his vision, but it is stated in the novel that Worf is clearly thinking of the visit from the future Alexander he is referring to as seen in this episode.
• The novel Watching the Clock implies that the future Alexander traveled through time through the use of a chrono deflector acquired from Korath , by identifying the prime Korath of 2382 as hailing from the Cambra system.
• In the mission "The House Always Wins" in Star Trek Online , set in 2409 , Alexander sacrifices himself to save Worf's life in the Great Hall, preventing the future that K'mtar had revealed to Worf.
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 87, 5 September 1994 .
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection.

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• James Sloyan as K'mtar
• Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko
• Gwynyth Walsh as B'Etor
• Barbara March as Lursa
• Joel Swetow as Yog
• Colin Mitchell as Gorta
• Armin Shimerman as Quark

Co-stars [ ]

• Michael Danek as Singer
• John Kenton Shull as Molor
• Rickey D'Shon Collins as Eric

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Armstrong
• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Steve Blalock as Klingon assassin
• Chuck Borden as Klingon assassin
• Debbie David as Russell
• Cullen Chambers as command division officer
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Debra Dilley as command division ensign
• Gunnel Eriksson as science division officer
• Jasmine Gagnier as Human Deep Space 9 operations division officer
• Keith Gearhart as operations division ensign
• Thomas Griep as Klingon musician
• D. Kai as science division officer
• Dennis Madalone as holographic Klingon warrior
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Tom Morga as Klingon assassin
• Pauline Olsen as operations division ensign
• Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr (still picture)
• Keith Rayve as civilian
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• John Saint John as Klingon bystander
• Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
• Oliver Theess as terrorist assassin
• Mikki Val as operations division officer
• Anne Verrier Scatolini as Klingon bystander
• Command division officer
• Eight Klingon bystanderss
• Holographic Klingon warrior
• Operations division ensign (voice)
• Operations division officer
• Ten Forward waitress

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Rusty McClennon as stunt double for Michael Dorn
• Tom Morga as stunt double for John Kenton Shull

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Christopher Ogden – photo double for Brian Bonsall
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

2410 ; ability ; advisor ; Age of Ascension ; Alexander's cousins ; Anjoran bio-mimetic gel ; assassin ; assassination ; bar ; Bar'el ; bilitrium ; buyer ; Cambra system ; code of conduct ; Corvallen ; d'k tahg ; dabo ; darsek ; Deep Space 9 ; Dopterian ; Duras sisters' Bird-of-Prey ; Federation ; fire ; fullerene ; gin'tak ; gram ; Great House ; Hatarian system ; heart ; Hitora colony ; holoprogram ; House of Duras ; House of Mogh ; Ja'rod ; K'Ehleyr ; K'mtar Alpha-One ; K'Nor ; Kahless the Unforgettable ; Kalla system ; Kalla III ; Kearsarge ; Klingon ; Klingon bird-of-prey ; Klingon Civil War ; Klingon Council Chamber ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon opera ; Klingon training academy ; Klingonese ; Kot'baval Festival ; kor'tova candle ; Kurn ; Kurn's house ; lake ; latinum ; magnesite ; Maranga IV ; mining ; mining expedition ; Molor ; money ; Morath ; Ogat ; Pakled ; path ; peacemaker ; Qo'noS ; Quark's ; Rom ; standard orbit ; Starfleet ; Stellar Dynamics ; swimming ; tarnish ; tempering ; tip ; tyrant ; Ufandi III ; Ufandi system ; Vodrey Nebula ; voucher ; warrior ; Ya'nora kor ; Yridian ; Yridian freighter

Library computer references [ ]

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; New Orleans -class : pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS

Spacecraft Systems Status : Bussard collector ; captain's yacht ; class M ; gross vehicle mass ; impulse engine ; main shuttlebay Mars ; navigational deflector ; observation lounge ; phaser bank ; service docking port ; shuttlebay 2 ; shuttlebay 3 ; torpedo launcher ; umbilical connect port ; Utopia Planitia ; warp nacelle

External links [ ]

• " Firstborn " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Firstborn " at Wikipedia
• "Firstborn" at StarTrek.com
• " Firstborn " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Firstborn" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Firstborn " at the Internet Movie Database
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• Web Channels
• Star Trek: The Next Generation

Alexander must face his first rite of ascension initiation, during which a Klingon warrior named K'Mtar has a disturbing request for him.

Brian Bonsall

Gwynyth Walsh

Barbara March

Armin Shimerman

Joel Swetow

James Sloyan

Colin Mitchell

Majel Barrett Roddenberry

Rickey D'Shon Collins

Cast appearances.

Patrick Stewart

Jonathan Frakes

Michael Dorn

Gates McFadden

Marina Sirtis

Brent Spiner

Episode discussion.

No comments yet. Be the first!

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast & Crew

James Sloyan

Brian Bonsall

Alexander Rozhenko

Gwynyth Walsh

Barbara March

Joel Swetow

Information

© 2011 CBS Corp. All Rights Reserved.

Accessibility

Copyright © 2024 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Internet Service Terms Apple TV & Privacy Cookie Policy Support

Screen Rant

Star trek: the next generation cast & character guide.

Star Trek: The Next Generation has one of the most beloved cast of characters in all of science fiction. Here are the major characters of the classic.

One of the best things about Star Trek: The Original Series was the incredible cast of characters, and Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the world to all new characters who would soon become just as beloved. TNG followed the adventures of the USS Enterprise-D and its crew under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), carrying on that original mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life. Though the first season of TNG left something to be desired, the show improved drastically over the course of its second and third seasons and would be praised by both critics and audiences.

The crew of the USS Enterprise-D would become one of the most beloved Star Trek crews of all time, and Star Trek: The Next Generation would produce some truly outstanding episodes of sci-fi television. With its incredibly compelling cast, TNG became a worthy successor to TOS and led to the continued popularity of the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek would never have become such a beloved franchise without its great characters and the actors who play them, and Star Trek: The Next Generation added some amazing crew members to the Star Trek roster.

12 Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard

With a more serious command style than Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Picard leaned into the intellectual side of Star Trek . Picard was a skilled diplomat who preferred to explore every avenue of conversation and compromise before resorting to violence. He may have kept himself emotionally removed from his crew, but he cared about every life and would never leave anyone behind. He loved Shakespeare and Earl Grey tea, and could deliver an inspiring speech or a dressing down better than anyone. Patrick Stewart's commanding performance and great TNG speeches ensured Picard would quickly become one of the most respected and beloved Star Trek Captains.

11 Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker

As First Officer, William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) led many of the away missions and took over the ship when Captain Picard was incapacitated. Since Captain Picard was a more stoic leader, Riker was meant to act as the "replacement" for Captain Kirk, the adventurous ladies' man who cared deeply about his friends. He had several romances throughout the series, but ultimately ended up with the ship's Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Will really came into his own over the course of the series, and would refuse multiple opportunities for promotion to remain on board the Enterprise.

10 Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

The lovable android Data (Brent Spiner) became a quick fan favorite thanks to his child-like wonder and endearing personality. Created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonian Soong (also played by Brent Spiner), Data had a positronic brain which allowed him to process calculations faster than any computer. Throughout the series, Data longed to be human , and he tried to explore his humanity in different ways, from playing musical instruments and painting to performing Shakespeare's plays. Many of TNG's best episodes focused on Data and his presence on the show allowed TNG to explore what it means to be human in interesting ways.

9 LeVar Burton as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge

Though Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) began TNG in the command division, he soon transferred to operations and became the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise. Blind since birth, Geordi's visor allowed him to see various types of light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Not only was La Forge a great engineer, but once he discovered a problem, he would not rest until he solved it. Throughout the series, Geordi developed a friendship with Data and Data would often come to Geordi with questions about humanity. Though Geordi could be awkward and even creepy when it came to romantic encounters, he was a good friend, a brilliant engineer, and a loyal crew member.

8 Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf

As one of the few Klingons in Starfleet, Worf (Michael Dorn) sometimes struggled to reconcile his Klingon heritage with his duties as a Starfleet officer. Like most Klingons, Worf placed a high value on honor and loyalty and became an invaluable member of the Enterprise crew. It became a bit of a trope to have the alien of the week overpower Worf to show how strong and dangerous they were. Unfortunately, this mostly just made Worf look weaker than he actually was. The character would truly come into his own when Worf made the switch from TNG to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine after TNG ended in 1994.

7 Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher

In her role as the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) proved to be a smart, capable, and compassionate doctor. Though Dr. Crusher left the Enterprise in TNG season 2 to become head of Starfleet Medical, she returned at the beginning of season 3 and remained throughout the rest of the series. Beverly's empathy sometimes caused her to bend or break Starfleet rules, including the Prime Directive. Her late husband had been close friends with Captain Picard, and Beverly and Picard later developed feelings for one another.

6 Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi

The half-human half-Betazoid Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) served as the ship's Counselor and used her Betazoid senses to read people's emotions. Troi's ability to sense deceit made her a valuable member of the Enterprise crew, though her telepathic abilities sometimes made her more susceptible to alien influence. Although she had a few romances throughout the series, her most well-known relationship was with Commander Riker, whom she would eventually marry in Star Trek: Nemesis . Though Troi was not always given the best material to work with, she grew into a compelling character whose caring nature set her apart.

5 Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

As the youngest of TNG's main characters, Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher sometimes struggled to fit in on the Enterprise. The son of Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Wesley had a brilliant mind and eventually became an acting Ensign on the ship. Despite his earlier desire to attend Starfleet Academy, Wesley eventually decided to become a Traveler and explore space and time. The writers seemed unsure about what to do with Wesley as a character some of the time, and he often got saddled with mediocre storylines. Still, Wesley and Wil Wheaton would go on to become important figures in the Star Trek franchise.

4 Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar

Though Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) was only around for the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation , she left a lasting impression on both the characters and the fans. As the Security Chief of the Enterprise, Tasha was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and was not afraid to confront dangerous situations head-on. Although Tasha Yar was killed on an away mission in season 1's "Skin of Evil," Denise Crosby would return as alternate versions of the character, as well as the half-Romulan daughter of an alternate universe Tasha Yar.

3 Majel Barrett Roddenberry as Lwaxana Troi

The mother of Deanna Troi, Lwaxana (Majel Barrett Roddenberry) made several appearances over the course of the series, much to Captain Picard's chagrin. Lawaxana acted as an Ambassador for her home planet of Betazed and had a larger-than-life personality that sometimes embarrassed her daughter, Deanna. Lwaxana appeared in several episodes of TNG and would go on to appear in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as well. Though she generally came across as vibrant and happy, her life was not without tragedy. Her first daughter, Kestra, passed away soon after Deanna was born and her second husband, Deanna's father, passed away when Deanna was young.

2 Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

As the bartender in the Enterprise's lounge, Ten Forward, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) would often provide a listening ear to the officers on the ship. As an El-Aurian, Guinan had a very long life span and was unusually perceptive. Guinan had a distinct dislike for Q (John de Lancie), and a hatred of the Borg, as they had destroyed most of her people. Guinan was close friends with Picard and only joined the Enterprise crew at his request. She developed friendships with many members of the Enterprise crew as they often came to her for advice and help with their problems.

1 John de Lancie as Q

Introduced in the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," the omnipotent being known as Q (John de Lancie) took an interest in Captain Picard and his Enterprise crew. In his first appearance, he put all of humanity on trial with Captain Picard and his crew as representatives of the entire human race. Q popped up on the Enterprise on several more occasions, becoming a bit of a thorn in Captain Picard's side. Most notably, in season 2's "Q Who," Q tossed the Enterprise into the far reaches of space where they encountered the Borg for the first time, far earlier in their timeline than they were meant to. Q would go on to appear in other Star Trek series, but he always had a particular fondness for Captain Picard and the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Challengers Link to Challengers
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow
• Música Link to Música

New TV Tonight

• Shardlake: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz: Season 1
• The Veil: Season 1
• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Acapulco: Season 3
• Welcome to Wrexham: Season 3
• John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA: Season 1
• Star Wars: Tales of the Empire: Season 1
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Season 4.2

Most Popular TV on RT

• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• Shōgun: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• Them: Season 2
• Ripley: Season 1
• Knuckles: Season 1
• 3 Body Problem: Season 1
• Sugar: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1 Link to Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

Rotten Tomatoes’ 300 Best Movies of All Time

Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Weekend Box Office Results: Challengers Takes the Crown

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

• Trending on RT
• The Fall Guy
• Challengers
• The Idea of You
• Play Movie Trivia

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 7, Episode 21

Where to watch, star trek: the next generation — season 7, episode 21.

Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 7, Episode 21 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

More Like This

Cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

Cmdr. William Riker

LeVar Burton

Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

Gates McFadden

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi

Episode Info

Star Trek: The Next Generation : “Firstborn”/“Bloodlines”

“Firstborn” (season 7, episode 21; originally aired 4/23/1994)

Or The One Where It’s Your Kid, Worf, Something Has To Be Done About Your Kid

I’m not sure why it is that saddling characters with children is so often a bad idea. I have my suspicions, though. Part of it is being forced to see a formerly beloved hero assume a different, less overtly heroic role—as the next generation (hey!) steps in, the previous generation recedes in importance, and nobody wants to be reminded that they, too, will someday be a footnote in someone else’s journey. More than that, though, a child means a restriction of movement, and I watched a show about people on a spaceship because I want, basically, the opposite of that. Admittedly, it’s not as though the arrival of Alexander back in season four handcuffed Worf to a crib or anything, but we have had a number of episodes focusing on Worf’s struggles with being a single parent, and his difficulties in trying to bond with his son. While the story arc of Worf’s attempts to understand his place in the Klingon Empire have deepened our understanding and appreciation of the character, while also expanding the universe of the show, the Alexander Chronicles found one note and hit that note with varying degrees of intensity: Worf wants Alexander to embrace his warrior heritage, Alexander is more interested in being a regular Federation-raised kid, Worf is emotionally reserved, Alexander is whiny, rinse, repeat.

Related Content

That covers a good chunk of “Firstborn,” the last TNG episode to focus on Worf’s child-rearing catastrophes, and the first ever to present time travel as the easiest way for father and son to communicate. If that description makes “Firstborn” sound interesting, well, it’s not. Not really, and certainly not for the first two-thirds of its running time, which, for novelty’s sake, combines Alexander issues with intrigue from the Klingon homeworld involving Worf’s brother, certain questions of inheritance, and the villainous Duras sisters. It’s competently done, but there’s not much in the way of spark, because so much of this a retread of old routines. Worf wants Alexander to participate in a ritual that indicates the official beginning of his path towards becoming a warrior, and Alexander isn’t sure he wants to participate. So Worf, at Picard’s urging, takes Alexander to watch a Klingon ritual, and after the ritual, just as Alexander seems to finally be getting excited about pointy things and shouting, a group of assassins attacks, and Worf has to defend himself. He gets some help from a stranger whose been watching him all day, a Klingon named K’mtar who claims to be an important adviser in Worf’s brother’s household. After the attack is defeated, K’mtar sticks around to help Worf discover who tried to kill him, and also to work on convincing Alexander the importance of physical combat in a world of easy phaser access.

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? K’mtar is not who he claims to be. He is, in fact, Alexander From The Future. Yeah, not kidding at all here, and it’s not a long con, or a dream, or some sort of paradox. I’m not even sure how this works. Old Alexander first proves he is who he says he is by describing what happened the day his mother died (apparently, even though this is the future and science is practically everywhere, which means it’d be the easiest thing in the world to run a DNA test—see next episode—Worf accepts this as sufficient explanation), then tells his sad tale. See, in the future, Alexander refused the warrior’s training Worf wanted for him, and took on the life of an ambassador instead, working to bring peace to the Klingon Empire. He succeeded, for the most part, but when it finally came time to sign the treaty, assassins killed Worf in front of Alexander’s eyes, and because he didn’t know how to fight, he couldn’t defend his father. So now he’s come back in time to convince his younger self to learn how to fight, to save his father’s life a few decades down the line.

This doesn’t really make a lot of sense. Structurally, we don’t get this information till the last 10 minutes of the episode, which means there’s not a lot of time to process its implications; up until that point, there are certain hints that K’mtar might not be who he said he was, but nothing substantial, beyond the curious design of one of the assassin’s daggers. (A symbol on the dagger hilt references the fact that one of the Duras sisters had a child, but when the Enterprise finally tracks down the sisters, they find out the pregnant one just realized she was pregnant a few days ago. Which is an odd coincidence, actually; the reason that the symbol is there is because the knife comes from the future—I guess it probably was the weapon used to kill future Worf—but there’s no reason why Old Alexander would just happen to jump back in time to right at the same moment the sister realizes she’s with child. It would’ve been more plausible for neither sister to be pregnant, and use that to deny their involvement.) I’ve heard accusations that TNG used time travel too casually, but this is the first episode where that accusation really seemed like truth. Even “Time’s Arrow” at least attempted to treat the violation of the laws of causality with some modicum of respect. In “Firstborn,” jumping back 40 years and directly interfering with your past self is presented as a perfectly rational approach to grief, like sleeping too much or crying at Hallmark commercials. We don’t even see K’mtar leave. After he tells Worf his story, and Worf gives him a hug and says everything’s gonna be okay, K’mtar vanishes off screen, leaving room for one last scene in which Worf can tell his present day son that he can be whatever kind of Klingon he wants to be.

That’s a not a bad way to end this, and to its credit, “Firstborn” does do a decent job of playing fair to the values of both the father and the son. While Worf’s Klingon heritage will always look a bit silly to my eyes—here it’s basically a scene of two grown men singing at each other and pretending to fight—it’s not considered ridiculous or pointless within the context of the show; and as shrill as Alexander gets, it’s hard not to understand where he’s coming from when he says he doesn’t particularly want to spent the next 10 years or so of his life getting over his reluctance to murder fallen enemies. When Old Alexander describes the future to Worf, his accomplishments are actually quite impressive, which is one of the reasons why Worf ultimately decides to let his son find his own path. If you squint a little, there’s something rather beautiful in this, and in a real distant way, it marks a kind of conclusion to the arc Worf’s been riding since the first season. He still values the old ways, but he recognizes that the Klingon Empire needs to change if it’s to survive, and he’s proud to learn that his son could be a part of that change. By the end, Worf is optimistic about the future, convinced that his knowledge of what happens next will save him, but you get the impression as well that he doesn’t mind dying if it means Alexander can live the life he chooses. That’s a great message, no question.

Shame, then, that’s in such a goofy, plausibility-straining hour of television. There’s a lot of useless wandering around as the Enterprise tries to track down whoever tried to kill Worf; since K’mtar was the one to stage the assassination attempt, they obviously aren’t going to find anything, although we do get a brief cameo from Deep Space Nine ’s Quark. (Actually, there’s a whole string of wheedling, kind of scummy aliens that pops up throughout the episode, as though the show was trying to hit a quota before the end of the run.) Too much time is spent on a distraction when it could’ve been spent dealing with the ramifications of “K’mtar’s” trip. But then, I’m not sure more attention would’ve made his decision to risk the fabric of space time to save his father’s life (who died, let’s not forget, when Alexander was already an adult; a tragedy, sure, but not something so awful that it would merit potentially erasing one’s existence. I get that Old Alexander is driven as much by guilt as by grief, but it’s still a little ridiculous.). Because that would’ve given us time to wonder why Worf never got in touch with his brother directly to see what was going on; doing so would’ve exposed Old Alexander as a liar far too soon. The real problem here is that this is an idea that just doesn’t work. Time travel shouldn’t be a casual plot fixative. There should be a cost involved, and there’s no real cost here. Any time I try and take any part of “Firstborn” seriously, I go back to Old Alexander’s tortured I“ AM YOUR SON,” and I roll my eyes. I can’t help it. This is an episode that needed something extra to make it worth watching, but they overshot the mark, and turned a dull-but-credible hour into a dull-but-absurd one.

Stray observations:

• How thrilling was Riker and Quark’s discussing about pressed latinum vouchers? Very! (Although I did love the extra standing at attention in the back of Quark’s set, in case we thought it was just an actor in a room.)
• Credit where it’s due: The scene where Alexander bugs his dad for money so he can hang out with his friends is kind of sweet.
• How Klingons Are Different From Most Of Us: When a child participates in a ceremonial battle and decides to take things very seriously, no one calls the cops.

“Bloodlines” (season 7, episode 22; originally aired 4/30/1994)

Or The One Where Picard Realizes His Whole Life Has Been A Cover Of “Cat’s In The Cradle,” Only Not Really

Did everybody get enough Daddy issues in “Firstborn”? No? Well have I got an episode for you!

I’m not really a television historian. Yes, yes, I realize this may come as a shock, but I’ve never had a good head for dates or trends or important names. In some ways, this limits my usefulness as a critic of classic TV; if I had any real regret over my work on the various Trek series so far, it’s that I’ve never put much effort into trying to contextualize the shows, beyond stating some common knowledge. (I don’t really regret this, honestly, because I think we all have fun anyway, and I do good work in other areas. In fact, the only time this has really bothered me is back when I was doing my write-ups of The Prisoner , which I can’t help feeling was something of a missed opportunity. But I digress.) So when I say that it’s a sign of desperation when a show starts throwing long-lost relatives at its main characters to try and generate new drama, I can’t provide you with a catalog of examples to back up the assertion. But it makes a certain amount of sense. This late in a run, you’ve probably worked through all the major conflicts between the ensemble, and given that TNG generally avoiding the usual bed-hopping that comes from workplace dramas, there’s only so much mileage you can get out of Beverly and Picard occasionally glancing at each other. So its time to start pulling every trick in the book: buried secrets , inter-dimensional prophets , and orgasm-inducing aliens .

And now we can add “long lost son” to the list. (Actually, have we been down this road before? I suppose Alexander sort of counts, and maybe there was something with Riker at some point… nah, I’d remember that.) Picard is having his usual stellar day when he gets a visit from Bok, a Ferengi who blames Picard for the death of his son. This brings us to another classic late-season ploy—the “Hey, let’s bring back stuff from the first season, because we definitely want to remind people how long we’ve been on the air!” game. We went through this with “Journey’s End,” and now we’re getting a call-back to the first season episode “The Battle,” in which then DaiMon Bok attempted to get his revenge on Picard via a mind-control device. At the end of “Battle,” Bok was stripped of his rank for engaging in an unprofitable mission (sigh), but he’s back now, and apparently up to no good, using a variety of probes and transporter techniques to send Picard a simple message: Bok is going to murder the captain’s son.

Only, so far as Picard knew, he doesn’t have a son. So now it’s a race to find this mysterious progeny before Bok does, and prevent the unthinkable. (Er, actually, it’s been thought of, so I guess the unacceptable? Which makes murder sound like a poor test result, but whatever.) If everyone wasn’t so hell-bent on saving the day, they might stop to wonder just why Bok would be so keen on warning Picard of his intentions in advance. We learn later on that it sort of makes sense; Picard doesn’t actually have a son, but he was in a relationship with a woman named Miranda who had a kid named Jason who doesn’t know who his father is, so Bok manipulates Jason’s DNA to match Picard’s, and none of this wouldn’t have been worth it if Picard hadn’t had some time to bond with his fake offspring. Although that still requires a ridiculous amount of planning and good luck, and it’s bizarre that Bok would be so invested in all this. When Bok was originally introduced, Picard’s involvement in his son’s death (which happened while Picard was captain of the Stargazer ) made for a decent dynamic; even if Picard didn’t have any reason to be guilty, he could at least feel responsible enough for there to be some tension between wanting to protect himself, and dealing with the past. Plus, this is season one we’re talking about. A lot of crazy shit went down back then, and it was easy to accept anything that even hinted at competence. Now, though, Bok’s two-dimensional obsession makes him look like a sub-par Batman villain.

That means that our only real hope for any depth here is the connection Picard tried to build between himself and Jason Vigo, the 20something scoundrel who he believes is his son. The Bok problem doesn’t have a lot of surprises, apart from the twist that Jason is a con (who doesn’t realize he’s a con), so a good chunk of the episode is taken up with Picard and Vigo’s tentative attempts at rapprochement. None of it’s revolutionary, but as usual, Patrick Stewart does his best with what he’s given, and there’s a certain dignity in his careful, measured sincerity, unsure of his next step but determined to do the right thing. As Jason, Ken Olandt is fine, in a generically charming-and-good-looking kind of way. (To put it in different terms, the actor wouldn’t look out of place doing a guest spot on a CW show.) The two have one genuinely good scene together on the holodeck, as Picard carefully attempts to explain his reasons behind wanting to establish a relationship. They talk about Jason’s mother, who died years ago, about his troubled past, and various other things, and Picard gets the best line of the episode: “You’ll never look at your hairline in the same way again.”

And yet, too much of this relationship is built on the premise that its a parent’s responsibility to force his way into their child’s life, even if that child is an adult and doesn’t seem to particularly want to meet his dad. (Even if his dad is the freakin’ captain of a starship, I mean come on.) The downside to TNG ’s utopian vision is its assumption that meddling in other’s lives is an automatic good if one’s intentions are in the right place. The Prime Directive stops them from doing this with outsiders, but there seems to be no limit to the amount of poking, prodding, and unasked for interrogations you’d be forced to endure if you happened to wander around the Enterprise having a bad day. Compassion is a wonderful thing, but so are boundaries, and time and again, our heroes have shown an inability to grasp this. Beverly tells Picard he should push to get closer to his son, and while Picard initially resists this, he ultimately decides his resistance is based on selfishness; he has responsibilities, and given Jason’s criminal record (mostly just petty theft and an occasional bar fight), it’s his duty to get involved. Commendable motives, and it works out in the end—Because really, who wouldn’t want Captain Picard as a dad?—but I’m not sure I buy the message. Jason isn’t a teenager. He’s an adult, and if he doesn’t want a stranger butting into his life and telling him where he went wrong, that’s his right.

Not that any of this matters, because of course Jason isn’t really Picard’s son. It’s hard to get too worked up over any of this, really. There’s a brief tension when Bok manages to beam Jason off the Enterprise even after Geordi and Data have done all they can to stop the Ferengi’s plans, but being the cartoon villain he is, Bok decides to gloat over Jason for a while before actually stabbing him, giving Picard enough time to bravely beam aboard the Ferengi ship and explain to Bok’s crew just how crazy their new “DaiMon” really is. This is largely one-note material, and since Bok’s issues with Picard aren’t really delved into, there’s no weight to anything that happens. It’s not horrible, but beyond the above mentioned scene, and a few eerie moments when Bok suddenly appears in Picard’s quarters, it’s not really necessary, either. If the grade seems harsh, well, it’s not that I mind episodes like this; it’s just, there’s something sad about coming to the end of a show I love, and realizing I’m more and more eager to be finished with it.

• Jason gets to participate in the Ritual of Hitting On Deanna when the counselor stops by his rooms to say “Hi.” Not sure why this scene exists, but hey, gotta fill the running time somehow.

Next week… and beyond! All right, we’re getting down to the wire here, so let’s start locking in the schedule. Next Thursday, 12/8, we’ll be doing “Emergence” and “Preemptive Strike,” the final two episodes before the finale. On 12/15, we’ll be taking look at Star Trek: Insurrection , the second to last big screen outing for the TNG crew, and on the following Saturday, (12/17), The AV Club will host a live chat-through of Star Trek: Nemesis , the final TNG film. (This will work like the live chat Todd VanDerWerff and I did for X-Files: Fight The Future , although I’m not sure who my co-host will be.) And finally, on 12/22, just in time for Christmas, we’ll close out the Star Trek: The Next Generation reviews with a look at the two part series finale, “All Good Things… ”

So, to sum up: 12/8: “Emergence/Preemptive Strike” 12/15: Star Trek: Insurrection 12/17: Star Trek: Nemesis live chat 12/22: “All Good Things… ”

And then Christmas and New Years and so forth, which should be a nice change of pace for everyone.

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• Seasons & Episodes
• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Full Cast & Crew

• 51   Metascore
• Drama, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
• Watchlist Where to Watch

A new crew boards a revamped USS Enterprise in the first spin-off from the '60s cult classic.

Screenwriter

Sound effects, special effects, executive producer, co-producer, line producer, cinematographer, production company.

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E20Firstborn

Recap / Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 20 Firstborn

Edit locked.

Original air date: April 25, 1994

Worf is in his quarters, rehearsing a speech for Alexander about undertaking the Rites of Ascension, as he is almost old enough to be considered an adult in Klingon society. Things don't go quite as planned, however. Alexander, who has always related more to his human side, flatly refuses without a second thought. Picard notices Worf's preoccupation during the daily briefing, and when he learns the reason, he points out that Alexander has had very little exposure to Klingon culture. As the Enterprise is killing time waiting for a rendezvous with another ship, Picard suggests that Worf take Alexander to see the Kot'baval festival at a nearby Klingon outpost on Maranga IV, where he can learn more about the parts of his heritage that do not involve pain sticks.

Alexander has fun at the festival, enjoying the entertainment, street food, and company of other Klingons his age. After a long day, as they are preparing to leave, Worf and Alexander are accosted by three armed thugs. Worf drives them off with the help of another Klingon who introduces himself as K'mtar, a family retainer sent by Kurn to protect them. Back on the Enterprise, they reveal that one of the daggers left by the attackers bears the seal of the House of Duras, which casts suspicion on Lursa and B'Etor, who have been leading their house since Duras' death.

Riker agrees to help search for the Duras sisters. Meanwhile, K'mtar talks to Worf about Alexander's future as a Klingon warrior, as he is the only male heir to the House of Mogh. When Worf explains Alexander's recalcitrance, K'mtar offers to help train him as a warrior. After what happened on the planet, Alexander is more amenable to this idea, so that he can better protect himself and Worf in the future.

The three visit the holodeck to recreate the fight on Maranga IV. Alexander successfully downs one of the attackers with some advice from K'mtar, but hesitates and loses his nerve when asked to finish him off. Later, as K'mtar is teaching Alexander some Klingon lore, his overbearing insistence on the "proper" interpretation of the stories further deflates Alexander's previous enthusiasm. It becomes apparent to him that K'mtar is even more obsessed than his father about turning him into a warrior.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise has managed to track down the Duras sisters, thanks to a tip from Quark. They immediately plead ignorance in the attempt on Worf's life and insist the knife must have been used to falsely implicate them. B'Etor then notices to her shock that the family markings on the handle include a symbol representing Lursa's son - a son she only just discovered she was pregnant with days ago.

It turns out the sisters were correct - the blade was used to frame them, by none other than K'mtar himself. Worf catches him in his quarters just as he is about to kill Alexander in his sleep. After being subdued by Worf, K'mtar reveals that he is Alexander from the 40 years in the future and proves it by reciting their last moments together with K'Ehleyr when she died.

Future Alexander explains that, as he grew up, he tried to become a mediator in Klingon society to end the feuding of the Great Houses. The enemies of the House of Mogh took advantage of this and killed Worf, which Alexander was never able to forgive himself for. Thus, he came back 40 years to try and reform his younger self into becoming a warrior, staging the attack as a way to scare him onto the right path. Killing the young Alexander was a last-ditch effort to rewrite history after he failed in his goal. Worf reassures him that he did not fail and that he has shown him that Alexander will have his own future to look forward to, which is what he really wanted all along. They hug it out, and the adult Alexander goes his own way. Worf continues training Alexander, but with a more relaxed attitude, now that he knows his son will eventually find a calling.

Tropes featured:

• Aesop Enforcer : K'mtar tries to teach Alexander the value of becoming a warrior by staging a showy (but ultimately harmless) attack on him and Worf. He also tries to enforce the proper Klingon interpretation of their parables over Alexander's. It's not clear whether K'mtar is truly speaking for their religion's canon, or he simply thought Alexander's interpretations were too "soft".
• Call-Back : Future Alexander, recalling the day his mother died .
• Continuity Nod : The Duras Sisters' visit to Deep Space Nine the previous year is not only acknowledged, but is also a plot point. Starfleet has lost track of Lursa and B'Etor in the interim since they left the Bajor Sector, thus forcing Riker to turn to contacts like Quark to try and pick up the trail.
• Crossover : Not quite as much as the last time it happened , but one of Riker's leads to tracking down the Duras sisters is Quark , who even gets a little on-screen sparring time with the commander . His cameo also serves the purpose of recapping the broad strokes of "Past Prologue" for TNG viewers who weren't watching the spinoff show.
• Foreshadowing : K'mtar has a strangely troubled reaction to the fact that Riker managed to track down the Duras sisters.
• Grandfather Paradox : There's no telling how the Star Trek Timey-Wimey Ball would have reacted to Alexander assassinating his younger self, but fortunately for all involved, we don't get the chance to find out.
• Hand Wave : The question of how K'mtar traveled back in time is quickly glossed over as unimportant. He found some unnamed person somewhere who could send him back, and that's all we hear about it. note  Beta canon sources imply that it might have been Korath, the Klingon from the Voyager finale who also supplied Janeway with time-travel technology (which would now make it two future timelines he has helped overwrite, himself along with them ).
• Linked List Clue Methodology : How the Enterprise spends its time tracking down the Duras Sisters between Alexander's scenes.
• Luke, You Are My Father : K'mtar turns out to be Alexander all grown up. The whole plot was set in motion because he was trying to stop Worf from being killed by travelling back in time.
• Not Me This Time : While Lursa and B'Etor were disappointed that Worf was still alive, they weren't trying to kill him this time around. In fact, they've never had any particular interest in him except when the Enterprise gets in the way of their schemes. The fact that they haven't crossed paths recently is an early hint that something doesn't quite add up about K'mtar's story.
• Scare 'Em Straight : K'mtar staged the attack on Maranga IV to make Alexander more receptive to being combat trained. It works, but not for very long.
• Spanner in the Works : Riker completely derails K'mtar's plan by the simple fact that he is able to quickly pick up the trail of the Duras sisters from Quark. As K'mtar himself says, he didn't expect anyone to be able to find them.
• Spotting the Thread : K'mtar presumably brought the Duras knife from the future to give to the thugs he hired. He either didn't notice, or didn't think anyone else would notice, that it bore the mark of Lursa's now-unborn son. Then again, the timing was remarkably convenient: any earlier and it could be dismissed as an invention, any later and her pregnancy would (potentially) be public knowledge, but events happened right at the moment when Lursa knew she was pregnant but no one else but her sister did.
• Timey-Wimey Ball : Worf tells K'mtar that the future he remembers in no longer a Foregone Conclusion , given how much he has already intervened. Worf: Who knows what the future will be now that you have disrupted time? I may die tomorrow or I may outlive you.
• Trust Password : K'mtar proves he is Alexander to Worf's satisfaction by recalling the details of K'Ehleyr's death earlier in the series, which only he and Worf were present for.
• Wham Line : Lursa reveals that one of the marks on her knife represents her son, which she found out a few days ago that she's pregnant with.
• Writers Cannot Do Math : They seem to have forgotten that the age of Alexander's actor doesn't quite match up with that of the character. K'mtar says that he watched his mother die when he was three years old; during the events of that episode , Alexander was only one.
• Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 19 Journeys End
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 21 Bloodlines

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

One Star Trek: The Original Series Episode Had The Cast Swimming In Their Sweat

Vasquez Rocks is located in the northern part of Los Angeles County about 25 minutes away from Downtown L.A. via the 14 freeway. It's close enough to the city to be easily accessed by car, but far away enough to look like a remote wilderness. The park's celebrated rock formations look eerie, ancient, and alien from certain angles, making it a popular place for film and TV productions going back to the 1930s.

Trekkies likely recognize Vasquez Rocks as an oft-reused filming location, serving as a variety of alien worlds for various "Star Trek" projects . The park was featured in the "Original Series" episodes "Shore Leave" (December 29, 1966), "Arena" (January 19, 1967), "The Alternative Factor" (March 30, 1967), and "Friday's Child" (December 1, 1967). Later, Vasquez Rocks would serve as Vulcan "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," released in 1983 and 1984 respectively.

Fans of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" would recognize Vasquez Rocks from the episode "Who Watches the Watchers?" (October 16, 1989), and the park would later be seen playing alien worlds in the "Star Trek: Voyager" episodes "Initiations" (September 4, 1995) and "Gravity" (February 3, 1999). It was in the "Enterprise" episode "Unexpected" (October 12, 2001). "Star Trek" characters wouldn't visit Vasquez Rocks on Earth — that is, the park wouldn't play itself — until the "Star Trek: Picard" episodes "Maps and Legends" and "The End is the Beginning," both from 2020. No natural monument is more closely tied to the franchise.

And what was shooting at Vasquez Rocks like? Horrible. In a 2013 interview with StarTrek.com , actor Michael Dante recalled playing the part of Maab in "Friday's Child," and he only remembered that Vasquez Rocks reached 117 degrees the day of filming.

Michael Dante vs. Vasquez Rocks

"Friday's Child" sees Captain Kirk (William Shatner) traveling to the planet Capella IV to negotiate a mining contract with the violent, but honorable, locals. Kirk has to convince the Capellans to give their ore to the Federation and not to a visiting Klingon (Tige Andrews) who would use it for nefarious purposes. During the negotiations, a civil war breaks out, with Maab (Dante) killing the Capellan leader and usurping the throne. Maab also wants to kill the pregnant queen Eleen (Julie Newmar) , forcing Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) to protect her. The episode features a lot of outdoor fighting, silly regal costumes, and over-the-top acting. Eleen eventually names her child after Kirk and McCoy.

Dante had to wear an outsize blonde wig to play Maab, as well as an uncomfortable-looking headpiece that covered his neck and ears (see above). The regal costumes looked to be made of disused theatre curtains and wool. As itchy as they appear, however, Dante said they were also filled with sweat:

"The weather [stands out]. It was 117 degrees at Vasquez Rocks, where we were filming. The outfits we had, they couldn't breathe. There weren't any openings in the clothing. They were all tight, with boots. I was 180 pounds at that time — and I'm still 180 pounds, which I'm very proud of — but I lost seven pounds in one day. I literally lost muscle. I looked at myself in the mirror when I got home and I said, 'I can't believe what happened.'"

Sweating too much doesn't actually reduce muscle mass, but one can indeed lose several pounds of water a day if they don't rehydrate in a hot climate. Keep the canteen full, kids.

As one can see in the above picture, Dante also had to wear giant furry boots, which are not ideal for desert hiking. What's more, the boots he wore weren't porous or vented, allowing them to catch every drop of Dante's sweat. "It was just so hot. The water was oozing out of us. Every time I'd take a step in my boots, there'd be a swooshing sound, and that was perspiration that went down to my boots," he recalled.

"Friday's Child" was written by longtime "Star Trek" luminary D.C. Fontana, who said that she wanted to write a character like Eleen who didn't want to have children. Such a conceit would have been novel on 1960s TV, and Fontana's script was kept largely intact for filming. Other writers added the Klingon character, but Eleen remained the same. Weirdly, there is a dark moment in "Friday's Child" when Dr. McCoy realizes that he needs to be more forceful and angry with Eleen in order to gain her respect. Her species values aggression, and McCoy was too gentle. To show his strength, he smacks Eleen across the face. It might be the only instance in "Star Trek" of a main character punching a pregnant woman. Perhaps ickily, it worked.

Regardless, Datne said he has rewatched his episode since the 1960s and feels that, dramatically, it holds up pretty well. He was told "Star Trek" was just a Western in space , and he played Maab accordingly. Dante retired from acting in the late 1980s and hosted a syndicated interview radio show from 1995 until 2007. He is still alive and well at 92. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Family (1990), full cast & crew.

Directed by 

Writing credits  , cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification  , produced by , music by , cinematography by , editing by , casting by , production design by , set decoration by , costume design by , makeup department , production management , second unit director or assistant director , art department , sound department , special effects by , visual effects by , stunts , camera and electrical department , casting department , costume and wardrobe department , editorial department , music department , script and continuity department , additional crew .

Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs

Contribute to This Page

• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos
• User Reviews
• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed