Redemption, Part I (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 4, Episode 26) Klingon Empire Faces Civil War

Rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation

While en route to the Klingon Homeworld to participate in the installation of Gowron as the new leader of the High Council, Picard prompts Worf to take the opportunity to regain his family honor. Worf prefers to wait.

Gowron is annoyed when Picard declines to use force to back his faction, and intrigued when Worf explains that his own father was blamed for treason committed by the father of Duras. But Gowron declines to antagonize supporters of the Duras clan.

After Picard approves his leave of absence, Worf somehow visits the ship captained by his incognito brother Kurn. Together the brothers strategize to regain their father’s honor.

On the Klingon Homeworld, the ceremony to install Gowron as new leader is interrupted by a rival claim from Tural, a plucky teenager who says he is the son of Duras, and who is backed by the scheming sisters of Duras, Lursa and B’Etor.

In a back room we see Lursa and B’Etor reporting to Romulans, including the shadowed female figure we have seen before.

After noticing that Worf is using Federation resources to gather information on the Khitomer massacre (the site of the betrayal for which his own father was blamed), Picard draws a line. The Federation can’t take sides.

The Duras sisters invite Picard to their chamber. Lursa is impressed that Picard came alone and unarmed, B’Etor is impressed by Picard’s smooth bald head, and Picard is impressed by the tea (Earl Grey). Picard refuses to ally the Federation with the Duras clan, and hints that he suspects they’re working with Romulans.

Worf is on Gowron’s ship being rejected again when rival Klingons open fire. The Enterprise remains neutral during the pew-pew, but Worf takes the tactical station and helps Gowron deal with the assault. 

There’s more action and pageantry and scowling, and a tense scene where the script suddenly requires Picard to change his mind and recall Worf to duty, which sets up a moving display in the corridors of the Enterprise. 

Each of the ensemble cast members has recently been the protagonist in an episode or two, but in this story there’s very little for Riker, Data and LaForge to do, and in fact Crusher and Troi appear in just one scene and have no lines.

The final stinger, which introduces the woman in the shadows, was not so much a WTF moment as a “Why bother?” moment.