2.19 The Emissary Confused but obedient, the Enterprise follows the order. After an unnecessarily long docking and unboxing sequence, it turns out that the probe contains K’Ehleyr, a federation emissary who is a half-human, half-Klingon woman. Riker attempts to smooth talk her, but when she meets the rest of the crew it turns out she’s more interested in her old boyfriend, Worf. Typical. The reason she’s joined them is that a Klingon sleeper ship from the old war – the T’Ong – has popped up on radars, about to awaken its crew so that they can fulfil their stated mission of shooting Federation outposts a lot. Unaware of the peace treaty with the Federation, they will do this with gusto, and there’s no-one around to stop them except the Enterprise. Unfortunately, while K’Ehleyr treats it as a one-night stand, Worf seems to think they’re going to get married, which is very gallant but also a bit old fashioned. The two fall out again, arguing over his obsession with tradition over emotional reality, and her denial of her Klingon nature. It’s all very cleverly done. Back on their assignment, K’Ehleyr is insisting that the best solution to the problem of the re-awakened Klingon warriors is to simply kill them all. Picard and Worf are understandably keen on an less murderous alternative. With the Klingon opposition fooled, Worf beams K’Ehleyr onto the T’Ong so that she can begin acclimatising the crew and waiting for a Klingon escort. Although they don’t say what’ll happen when she tells them the real truth. Still, before they part Worf and K’Ehleyr are finally able to admit their true feelings to one another, and in the end that isn’t that the real battle in this episode? Wait, hang on, the real battle was the one between the Enterprise and the T’Ong, that had phasers and everything. My mistake. TNG WTF: I’m sure it’s come up before, but Worf’s exercise opponents are so over-the-top that you can hardly believe what you’re watching. I don’t know about you, but when I’m planning to spar in the holodeck, I always make sure I’m fighting completely normal opponents, like Skeletor’s older brother, a woodlouse-man and a Scarecrow covered in feathers. Were these guys stock character designs or did Worf come up with them? TNG LOL: As you might expect, this episode is full of Worf deadpan (“How did you like command?” “Comfortable chair.”) but it’s K’Ehleyr and Data’s brief exchange which got the biggest laugh from me, when she asks him whether he finds Klingon or Human behaviour more confusing and he gives a very awkward reply of “At the moment, I would find it difficult to choose.” Poor Data. Who’s That Face?: K’Ehleyr is Suzie Plakson, who previously played the Vulcan Dr. Selar in The Schizoid Man. She was also the female Q in Voyager, and an Andorian in an episode of Enterprise. Oh, and she’s Marshall’s mother in How I Met Your Mother. Captain’s Log: I love the way the opening of this episode is written, with Worf’s “iceman” Klingon demeanour established, only for it to get eroded over the course of the story’s telling. Even though TNG has a habit of hitting reset by the time the final credits roll, the difference between Worf’s attitude in the opening and closing scenes makes it feel as though there’s been actual character development this time around. K’Ehleyr is a great guest-character, too. Arguably the first Klingon since Worf with anything resembling a fully-formed personality. It’s no surprise they found a way to bring her back, although it’s a shame they did it the way they did. She could’ve been a really strong presence in the Star Trek universe, had she lived. Still, that plot is secondary to the character material about Worf and K’Ehleyr coming to terms with their emotions, and as stories that one is strong. Just the idea of Worf having a softer side is an idea thick with nuance, and both actor and script play it brilliantly. If you didn’t love Worf before this episode, it’s hard not to by the end of it. Watch or Skip? Watch. It’s a really important Worf episode, and has almost no stupid bits. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
