Alexander is back, as is Alexander. Worf’s son has come from the future to convince his younger self to down his prune juice and follow the way of the warrior. And if that doesn’t work, he’ll kill himself – in younger form. But older Alexander has a lot to learn from – hang on – a lot to learn from Worf, who may not be the worst father ever after all. It is Alexander as you have never seen him before: cool. Firstborn goes into this week’s Mission Log.
The show never gave me a reason to care about Alexander, most of the time Worf forgets he has a son and I just could not care less.
And I did not buy into older Alexander. And did Worf ever ask for confirmation that this actually was his son from the future? A quick trip down to sickbay for a DNA test would have been in order.
Just poor writing imo. They had such a weakness for ongoing plot threads prior to “Reunion”, such poor judgment to add on the most complex plot thread of all time…A CHILD!! hahaha, oh well…..lacked depth…should have had K’ehylr be a recurring character, we would have cared more…
This one’s OK. Just that – OK. Although this feels more like ‘oh we’re near to the end of the series, let’s tie up this rather dull loose end’ that anything really worthy of a story in itself. And its position next to Bloodlines makes for a rather odd thematic link that might have been better served by having them more separated. As it is, it seems a tad repetitive (season 6 of recent Doctor Who had a similar problem, about the same theme, oddly enough).
But it has James Sloyan, who could not be bad if he tried, so that goes a long way with me.
OK. Once again, you’ve made me look at an episode I’ve otherwise tossed off. You also reminded me of a dangling thread (one of many) created by ‘Generations.’ If Lursa (or was it B’Etor) is pregnant and that child must be born so some Klingon cutler can inscribe a glyph so K’mtar can grab the wrong knife to bring to a time warp fight… then it really sucks that the Duras sisters get their butts blown up in ‘Generations.’ **whew!** Speaking of which, are you guys doing the TNG movies before or after DS9?
Yes, they will do TNG movies, then DS9. The Duras sisters were such a low stakes villain imo. Their deaths in Generations seemed pretty inconsequential.
Not a bad episode for Worf, but I just can’t bring myself to care about Alexander. It’s one thing to make a mistake in introducing him in the first place, but why do they keep bringing him back? Anyway, some minor points:
– What’s up with this klingon tradition of taking a child away from parents? Alexander is a Federation citizen, I’m pretty sure they have laws against this kind of thing (at least I hope they do).
– Of course children can change their looks a lot when they grow up, but nobody on the show noticed even a slight resemblance? A throwaway “he looks familiar, but I can’t place it” from someone would have been nice.
– Did Alexander ever manage to make a decent clay mug?
You know you’re a rubbish kid when even your future self wants to kill you.
Regarding the universal translator, in DS9 it’s in your ear. There was an episode where Quark, Rom and Nog went back in time and their translators got broken.
It never occurred to me, but the translator issue is actually interesting. When in TNG and later, a Klingon uses a klingon expression, even when just calling someone a p’tak while otherwise speaking english, how does the translator know not to translate this?
It could be that those words don’t have English translations. Even now we have words that can’t be translated to English and vice versa. Like the time Worf asked Deana to be a sort of guardian to Alexander but he said the actual Klingon title did not have a translation.
What I don’t get is why when an alien speaks it does’t look like an old Chinese movie where the English is dubbed over the Chinese and the actors’ mouths keep moving after the words are said.
I guess since I grew up with the german ST dubs, I’m used to bad lip-sync. Which is probably also why I’m not terribly upset by the Disco slo-mo klingon scenes.
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Except that left me full of regret,
and I met a guy who travel through time.
So I did go back and my younger self I met,
to make him take the other path, but yet,
I failed, disappeared, and was never mentioned again.
Dude… you should totally have come to the Chronos festival. Parking sucked but tickets at the gate were only 40 quatloos! FOR BOTH DAYS! Katy sweet talked the guy at the booth and got us all fast passes for 1/2 off. She was asking where you were. IDIOT.
“I may die tomorrow or I may outlive you. But when I die, I would like an honourable death. And the only way that is possible is for you accept yourself as you are, and stay true to what you believe. The cause of peace is a just cause. The struggle must continue. “
The show never gave me a reason to care about Alexander, most of the time Worf forgets he has a son and I just could not care less.
And I did not buy into older Alexander. And did Worf ever ask for confirmation that this actually was his son from the future? A quick trip down to sickbay for a DNA test would have been in order.
Just poor writing imo. They had such a weakness for ongoing plot threads prior to “Reunion”, such poor judgment to add on the most complex plot thread of all time…A CHILD!! hahaha, oh well…..lacked depth…should have had K’ehylr be a recurring character, we would have cared more…
Totally would have loved for her to have stuck around a bit more to call out Worf from time to time.
it’s a very reveal and then he bails during the commercial break before the final scene of the episode.
The whole thing is a bit odd
This one’s OK. Just that – OK. Although this feels more like ‘oh we’re near to the end of the series, let’s tie up this rather dull loose end’ that anything really worthy of a story in itself. And its position next to Bloodlines makes for a rather odd thematic link that might have been better served by having them more separated. As it is, it seems a tad repetitive (season 6 of recent Doctor Who had a similar problem, about the same theme, oddly enough).
But it has James Sloyan, who could not be bad if he tried, so that goes a long way with me.
Tying up a lot of boring loose ends imo, the “Descent” continues…
OK. Once again, you’ve made me look at an episode I’ve otherwise tossed off. You also reminded me of a dangling thread (one of many) created by ‘Generations.’ If Lursa (or was it B’Etor) is pregnant and that child must be born so some Klingon cutler can inscribe a glyph so K’mtar can grab the wrong knife to bring to a time warp fight… then it really sucks that the Duras sisters get their butts blown up in ‘Generations.’ **whew!** Speaking of which, are you guys doing the TNG movies before or after DS9?
Yes, they will do TNG movies, then DS9. The Duras sisters were such a low stakes villain imo. Their deaths in Generations seemed pretty inconsequential.
well that raises a couple of good questions:
1) how long is Klingon gestation?
2) how long from this episode until the sisters get blow’d up?
maybe that kid is kicking around somewhere still…?
“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”
Not a bad episode for Worf, but I just can’t bring myself to care about Alexander. It’s one thing to make a mistake in introducing him in the first place, but why do they keep bringing him back? Anyway, some minor points:
– What’s up with this klingon tradition of taking a child away from parents? Alexander is a Federation citizen, I’m pretty sure they have laws against this kind of thing (at least I hope they do).
– Of course children can change their looks a lot when they grow up, but nobody on the show noticed even a slight resemblance? A throwaway “he looks familiar, but I can’t place it” from someone would have been nice.
– Did Alexander ever manage to make a decent clay mug?
You know you’re a rubbish kid when even your future self wants to kill you.
Regarding the universal translator, in DS9 it’s in your ear. There was an episode where Quark, Rom and Nog went back in time and their translators got broken.
It never occurred to me, but the translator issue is actually interesting. When in TNG and later, a Klingon uses a klingon expression, even when just calling someone a p’tak while otherwise speaking english, how does the translator know not to translate this?
It could be that those words don’t have English translations. Even now we have words that can’t be translated to English and vice versa. Like the time Worf asked Deana to be a sort of guardian to Alexander but he said the actual Klingon title did not have a translation.
What I don’t get is why when an alien speaks it does’t look like an old Chinese movie where the English is dubbed over the Chinese and the actors’ mouths keep moving after the words are said.
I guess since I grew up with the german ST dubs, I’m used to bad lip-sync. Which is probably also why I’m not terribly upset by the Disco slo-mo klingon scenes.
Lol Disco Klingons really take their time with pronunciation.
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Except that left me full of regret,
and I met a guy who travel through time.
So I did go back and my younger self I met,
to make him take the other path, but yet,
I failed, disappeared, and was never mentioned again.
I really enjoy this one, my favorite Alexander episode (a low bar, granted). James Sloyan adds some nice gravity and sadness to K’Mtar.
40 years in the future he meets a teenager named Wes’LeY who sends him back in time.
Dude… you should totally have come to the Chronos festival. Parking sucked but tickets at the gate were only 40 quatloos! FOR BOTH DAYS! Katy sweet talked the guy at the booth and got us all fast passes for 1/2 off. She was asking where you were. IDIOT.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
A great episode, with some really good writing:
“I may die tomorrow or I may outlive you. But when I die, I would like an honourable death. And the only way that is possible is for you accept yourself as you are, and stay true to what you believe. The cause of peace is a just cause. The struggle must continue. “