4.15 — “Sons of Mogh”
Plot: Worf’s brother Kuhn arrives at DS9, after losing his position on the Klingon High Council and suffering the dissolution of the House of Mogh at the hands of Chancellor Gowron based on Worf’s political opposition. His request is for death at his brother’s hand.
Thoughts: This is a sharp, well-acted episode full on interpersonal conflict. It literally starts with Worf fighting Dax, then stabbing Kuhn, and that’s just the end of the first act. There was a lot more of main characters yelling at each other than I’m used to.
All this opposition reflects Worf’s internal conflict over whether to accept, at long last, that he has lost his place in the Klingon world in favor of the Federation. While Worf’s choice is the Federation, we still see him making nonconforming decisions, like stabbing his brother or wiping his memory. This is not defanged, wimpy Worf from the latter seasons of TNG.
I don’t agree with Worf’s final decision respecting Kuhn. I don’t think you turn your back on family. I don’t think you gain by disavowing history and ignoring life’s lessons. It smacks of the memory erasure scene at the end of “Requiem for Methuselah,” one of the most controversial moments of the Original Series (and a sign the series had begun to lose its compass in Season Three). But this all makes for good television, and I concede that I am not a Klingon.
The erasure of Alexander in Worf’s line “I have no family” is so profound and tragic it must be a kind of mistake. Right?
The subplot with the space mines is also entertaining. It’s nice to see Kira in command of the Defiant! And what’s with all the flirting between Worf and Dax? This episode was action packed.
Kuhn is such a good character, I’m sorry it seems we won’t be seeing more of him.
4 out of 5 mek’leths.
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