Worf hears the worst news he could imagine: that his father is alive and well on a Romulan prison planet. He sets off to investigate what became of the Klingons who survived the Khitomer massacre and discovers those prisoners may not want to be freed. Meanwhile, Data is having daddy issues of his own. A power surge causes his positronic brain to start vividly dreaming about the late Dr. Soong, and it seems that where theres smoke, there’s a bird! Birthright Parts I and II on this week’s Mission Log.
Hard to grade this one because Part 1 is so inconsequential. Part II is great though. Alan Scarfe and Richard Herd really put it over the top for me. Amazing job by both as Tokath and L’Kor.
It’s the type of story that DS9 would eventually present by dropping hints in B-plots and asides that would have its payoff weeks if not seasons later. TNG wasn’t quite there in terms of TV writing (and rarely tried to be).
All hail part two of this story, which is my second least favourite episode of the entire series – the worst is yet to come in season 7, for exactly the same reasons. Worf’s moral smugness, and absolute certainty that he’s right, absolutely drives me up the wall in this. I loathe the final message (as I see it) beyond all measure.
oh dear! After a great run of TNG episodes it all comes crashing down and bores the pants of me with this snoozefest. Possibly the most boring, unneeded two parter TNG ever did.
I remember in the mid 90’s when all the TNG 2 parter’s were released on VHS (!!) as feature length episodes. Over the course of a few months I bought them and watched them over & over until I’d gotten Birthright. Sold it the day after I’d watched it. I love TNG but this one (two??) doesn’t do anything for me.
Luckily Mission Log’s review did! Great podcast about not so great episodes. Which cheered me up no end.
Looking forward to Die Hard on the Enterprise next week now!
As an aside I hope John recovers from his cold quickly.
“…and no one cares about Data’s weird dreams anymore…” EXACTLY!! Worf’s story is interesting, but I really have zero interest in psycho-stories. There is no ‘real’ world impact. Unfortunately, I can already sniff Troi cake in the oven and hear the conductor calling out ‘Verdion Station!’ Ugh!
There was a point, early on, where I was naively wishing and hoping that TNG and DS9 would give us meaty crossovers, right up there with the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman teaming up against Bigfoot or something. And what we got was……this. Thing is, I like Bashir’s role in this, though now that I know it was meant to be Dax, I can’t unsee that – the dialogue would make so much more sense coming from her.
I’m much more attached to part one than I am to part two, which not only drops at least 1/3 of the threads from part one (Data and Shrek, which looks so weird now that I’ve typed it – Donkey! You turned into an android!), but…man, Worf is just insufferable in his smug self-righteousness a lot of the time. I think he *means* well, but…wow. This goes beyond “it’s called freedom, and you’ll like it” – it’s more like “it’s called freedom, you will like it, and if you don’t I will make you like it!”
For the rest of the show, take a drink every time a Klingon says “honor”. Do not – I repeat, do NOT – do this on binge-watch nights, because you will die (without honor, and *with* alcohol poisoning). I know a lot of people love the Klingons to bits, as during TNG’s run they take over from the Vulcans as the most thoroughly-explored alien race in Trek history, but I was already growing weary of them by this point in the show’s run. I think that’s why I was so engrossed in the Bajorans when DS9 started. Thank the Prophets, something different! Were the Klingons becoming overexposed by this point, or was it just me?
Next week: Picard gets saddled with a killing spree!
Anyone else amazed at how a Starfleet officer can just grab a “civilian” on the promenade and rough them up a bit and people just casually walk by? I mean I would at least video the incident with my tricorder to post as a supplement to my officer’s log. I know there have been similar interactions before (and will again) but it never ceases to amaze me. Worf can just walk up, seize a man by the collar, in public, and threaten him to within an inch of his life and by-passers are just like, “Meh- let’s go back Quark’s… that guy seems shady, so whatever is going on he must deserve it.”
right?!!?? that Yridian, shoulda called his bluff! “Go ahead Worf kill me!!” We all know Worf doesn’t have the stones/gambja to outright murder someone! Worf was in the wrong! Silly for him to get suckered into the Yridians plot anyway…and really for a shifty trader of secrets, you’d think he’d be a bit tougher/slicker….
I really thought this episode emphasized the HEAVY FOCUS on Worf and Data throughout the series run…and the utter UTTER NEGLECT of La Forge and Crusher. The episode was ok, but for crying out loud, Worf and Data get a son, a daughter, brothers!, Data even gets a step Mom?!?! Are you kidding me?? W a guest star of Dr Julian Bashir, Dr Crusher walks off…???? oh well……. just unfair imo. I know they cram some La Forge relatives down our throat in ONE episode, but GEEEZ. Anyway…the Romulan stuff was ok, but just very unrealistic concerning NATURE. People have instincts…suppressing them will only work for so long.
A few things about this episode:
1. What will happen to the colony when Tokath dies? Surely he would have realized, as they have children and grandchildren, that the colony will be around long after he dies.
2. Ba’el may have dodged a bullet there; imagine being a step-mum to Alexander
3. Data is a culture of one if you leave out Lore, B4, Soong’s wife, Lal, and who knows whatever other android Dr. Soong created.
Psychology would say that dreams work using step more primal than symbols… Basically the thing in a dream is not a symbol but something close and that is that that our minds work on “if something is like this then we have to act like that” or more easily… Things are represented and categorized by how things “feel” rather than some complex understanding of the symbol. So in the case of Data tripping about birds and hammers and such this is an admittance that he has emotions or something comparable, yet again…
With Warf’s story… We often come up with this racism thing in ST when dealing with the various aliens, but it is never really dealt with that the Romulans are Vulcans. Thy have evolved apart less than our “races” have due longer life. It’d be like calling Native Americans a different species today… or actually slightly worse, because the separation would only be equivalent to about 5000 years.
Now everybody’s heard about the bird, bird bird bird bird bird bird, bird is the word, ain’t you heard about the bird? Everybody knows that the bird is the word, bird bird bird bird bird birdied bird is the word!
“..Socrates is a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth; and who does not believe in the gods of the state, but has other new divinities of his own”
Plato, Apology
What a wonderful, morally conflicted, episode. No cardboard characters, no silly action. Truly great. And well produced and acted.
Hard to grade this one because Part 1 is so inconsequential. Part II is great though. Alan Scarfe and Richard Herd really put it over the top for me. Amazing job by both as Tokath and L’Kor.
Such an odd 2 parter.
I gotta wonder why the two stories were just not separate episodes.
And we had another of Ken’s favorite type of episode. People are happy. Nope we can not have that.
It’s the type of story that DS9 would eventually present by dropping hints in B-plots and asides that would have its payoff weeks if not seasons later. TNG wasn’t quite there in terms of TV writing (and rarely tried to be).
Ya TNG was not quite there yet. They occasionally will remember past events, but not like later series and what is common today.
All hail part two of this story, which is my second least favourite episode of the entire series – the worst is yet to come in season 7, for exactly the same reasons. Worf’s moral smugness, and absolute certainty that he’s right, absolutely drives me up the wall in this. I loathe the final message (as I see it) beyond all measure.
oh dear! After a great run of TNG episodes it all comes crashing down and bores the pants of me with this snoozefest. Possibly the most boring, unneeded two parter TNG ever did.
I remember in the mid 90’s when all the TNG 2 parter’s were released on VHS (!!) as feature length episodes. Over the course of a few months I bought them and watched them over & over until I’d gotten Birthright. Sold it the day after I’d watched it. I love TNG but this one (two??) doesn’t do anything for me.
Luckily Mission Log’s review did! Great podcast about not so great episodes. Which cheered me up no end.
Looking forward to Die Hard on the Enterprise next week now!
As an aside I hope John recovers from his cold quickly.
As a two parter, WHY???
Those very VHS Covers ! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/09986de1c1ac658c98c5d60dfed36bc7a67383ffed7ab393de26766d3ca0fb7e.jpg
They look slightly different to how I remember them. It’s been a while tho and I have tried to forget them so….
That for posting them tho!
“…and no one cares about Data’s weird dreams anymore…” EXACTLY!! Worf’s story is interesting, but I really have zero interest in psycho-stories. There is no ‘real’ world impact. Unfortunately, I can already sniff Troi cake in the oven and hear the conductor calling out ‘Verdion Station!’ Ugh!
Mmmmm…cellular peptide cake.
With *mint frosting*.
Most of the time that’s all I ever remember of that episode.
drek…I hated that choo choo train nonsense that we know is coming up…arrrrggh! as well!
Hey, Paramount syndication writer – “the price of peace” was already used for Star Trek VI. Back to the drawing board with you.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c98f938ac47cd945ac7a31982d97858fd177f7b7e68e9a9852ad38bedffc5aae.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c07a47e25a9ca8ed528ff3c96d6a9780891302049d3e734a147476020f1875f9.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7c1c4dff502e65076c66fa5ebdce018d20825bf2593325b78c6c32119f5340b4.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9186ba46efb2e155ad7f73c01530f3cb153c4798edfbcac4f99ae7e4587c0ff6.jpg
Is anyone else able to play this? Its not working for me 🙁
Not yet. Sent a message to the guys here and on Facebook.
Also not working for me, but seems to be working over on trek.fm you can listen there.
thank you both!
All seems fine now 🙂
Worked as an iTunes Podcast for me.
Sorry everyone – there was some glitch that we’re not even sure how it happened. Links should all be working now, and thanks for your patience!
The One Where Soong Gives Us The Bird!
There was a point, early on, where I was naively wishing and hoping that TNG and DS9 would give us meaty crossovers, right up there with the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman teaming up against Bigfoot or something. And what we got was……this. Thing is, I like Bashir’s role in this, though now that I know it was meant to be Dax, I can’t unsee that – the dialogue would make so much more sense coming from her.
I’m much more attached to part one than I am to part two, which not only drops at least 1/3 of the threads from part one (Data and Shrek, which looks so weird now that I’ve typed it – Donkey! You turned into an android!), but…man, Worf is just insufferable in his smug self-righteousness a lot of the time. I think he *means* well, but…wow. This goes beyond “it’s called freedom, and you’ll like it” – it’s more like “it’s called freedom, you will like it, and if you don’t I will make you like it!”
For the rest of the show, take a drink every time a Klingon says “honor”. Do not – I repeat, do NOT – do this on binge-watch nights, because you will die (without honor, and *with* alcohol poisoning). I know a lot of people love the Klingons to bits, as during TNG’s run they take over from the Vulcans as the most thoroughly-explored alien race in Trek history, but I was already growing weary of them by this point in the show’s run. I think that’s why I was so engrossed in the Bajorans when DS9 started. Thank the Prophets, something different! Were the Klingons becoming overexposed by this point, or was it just me?
Next week: Picard gets saddled with a killing spree!
I should have used your opening line as our show promo 😉
John Champion – YEP !
Worf and Dax, sitting in a tree….
I am not sure why the Enterprise was even at Deep Space 9 other than to reassure the viewing audience that the shows take place in the same universe.
YUP!- too bad, they couldn’t have done a few more at least….woulda been nice to see Sisko…imo
So many aqueducts on DS9 to be worried about. 😉
And WHY is Picard expected to know so much about them??
Anyone else amazed at how a Starfleet officer can just grab a “civilian” on the promenade and rough them up a bit and people just casually walk by? I mean I would at least video the incident with my tricorder to post as a supplement to my officer’s log. I know there have been similar interactions before (and will again) but it never ceases to amaze me. Worf can just walk up, seize a man by the collar, in public, and threaten him to within an inch of his life and by-passers are just like, “Meh- let’s go back Quark’s… that guy seems shady, so whatever is going on he must deserve it.”
right?!!?? that Yridian, shoulda called his bluff! “Go ahead Worf kill me!!” We all know Worf doesn’t have the stones/gambja to outright murder someone! Worf was in the wrong! Silly for him to get suckered into the Yridians plot anyway…and really for a shifty trader of secrets, you’d think he’d be a bit tougher/slicker….
Ya, not likely.
And while we are on the subject, members of the Federation are not supposed to have money, so what is the Yridian expecting in payment?
Payment will be personal lessons in that Klingon “tai chi” a.k.a. Mok’bara…
I really thought this episode emphasized the HEAVY FOCUS on Worf and Data throughout the series run…and the utter UTTER NEGLECT of La Forge and Crusher. The episode was ok, but for crying out loud, Worf and Data get a son, a daughter, brothers!, Data even gets a step Mom?!?! Are you kidding me?? W a guest star of Dr Julian Bashir, Dr Crusher walks off…???? oh well……. just unfair imo. I know they cram some La Forge relatives down our throat in ONE episode, but GEEEZ. Anyway…the Romulan stuff was ok, but just very unrealistic concerning NATURE. People have instincts…suppressing them will only work for so long.
Cristine Rose “Gi’ral”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b94211837eaca0d2c2862c44d4e7b3dd65dff8bf9f1c44369dae0844953580a4.jpg
Jennifer Gatti “Ba’el”
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6bceb59a61df78628cd659f683a21df2fb1d6a7d4daef4bc584337f07e797ab4.jpg
A few things about this episode:
1. What will happen to the colony when Tokath dies? Surely he would have realized, as they have children and grandchildren, that the colony will be around long after he dies.
2. Ba’el may have dodged a bullet there; imagine being a step-mum to Alexander
3. Data is a culture of one if you leave out Lore, B4, Soong’s wife, Lal, and who knows whatever other android Dr. Soong created.
Psychology would say that dreams work using step more primal than symbols… Basically the thing in a dream is not a symbol but something close and that is that that our minds work on “if something is like this then we have to act like that” or more easily… Things are represented and categorized by how things “feel” rather than some complex understanding of the symbol. So in the case of Data tripping about birds and hammers and such this is an admittance that he has emotions or something comparable, yet again…
With Warf’s story… We often come up with this racism thing in ST when dealing with the various aliens, but it is never really dealt with that the Romulans are Vulcans. Thy have evolved apart less than our “races” have due longer life. It’d be like calling Native Americans a different species today… or actually slightly worse, because the separation would only be equivalent to about 5000 years.
Now everybody’s heard about the bird, bird bird bird bird bird bird, bird is the word, ain’t you heard about the bird? Everybody knows that the bird is the word, bird bird bird bird bird birdied bird is the word!
This is all well and good, but what have the Cardassians ever done for us?
The aquaduct?
One nitpicky thing that bothered me from the beginning: they speak of smoke in Data’s dream….but it’s actually steam.
“..Socrates is a doer of evil, who corrupts the youth; and who does not believe in the gods of the state, but has other new divinities of his own”
Plato, Apology
What a wonderful, morally conflicted, episode. No cardboard characters, no silly action. Truly great. And well produced and acted.