7-7. Once More Unto the Breach.

Kor (John Colicos) yearns for a return to his glory days.

"Savor the fruit of life, my young friends. It has a sweet taste when it is fresh from the vine. But don't live too long. The taste turns bitter after a time."
-Kor, Dahar Master, teaches his final, bitter lesson.


THE PLOT

Kor (John Colicos) returns to Deep Space 9, seeking Worf's help. He has made too many enemies throughout his long life. Despite his status as a Dahar Master, he is unable to receive a battle command during the current war. He pleads with Worf to find him a place in Martok's fleet. "Help me fight again, Worf. Help me end my life as I've lived it: As a warrior."

Martok becomes enraged at the mention of Kor's name, but allows Worf to assign him as Third Officer on his ship. When Worf presses to know why he hates Kor so much, Martok reveals that long ago, when he was working to become trained as an officer, Kor struck his name from consideration because of his bloodlines. Though Martok would later rise through his own merit, he has never been able to forgive the slight, not least because his father died before he was able to prove himself.

Martok's current mission is a bold one: A strike across enemy lines, to quickly hit a Jem'Hadar breeding facility and then race back to Federation territory, doubtless with the enemy in pursuit. They find their target easily and decloak to begin the attack. But when a hit on Martok's ship leaves both him and Worf temporarily incapacitated, Kor assumes command - Barking orders that make it clear that he cannot distinguish this battle from battles long past!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: Appreciates the audacity of Martok's plan, which he likens to a cavalry charge. Is so enthusiastic that he offers to join the raid, but settles for waiting at the rendezvous point to turn back any Jem'Hadar pursuit.

Worf: Even after all he's been through, Worf cannot always reconcile the Klingon ideals that he grew up yearning for against the nastier realities of an often corrupt Empire. He labels Kor's long-ago dismissal of the young Martok as "unworthy," barely listening to Kor's protestations about the importance of bloodlines to the Empire. He remains protective of Kor, but never at the expense of his loyalty to Martok or the mission - and when Kor's weakness shows itself, he does not hesitate to remove the old man from active duty.

Ezri: Clearly enjoys seeing Kor again. Even so, she complains to Kira that she keeps having the same conversation with people who knew Dax's previous hosts: incredulity that she could be Dax, then insistence on finding (likely nonexistent) physical similarities between her and previous hosts. She talks about how vividly she remembers being with Kor on a Klingon ship in the past - which Quark, in true sitcom fashion, misinterprets as her talking about wanting to get back together with Worf.

Martok: The episode's central character conflict doesn't center on any of the regulars, but rather on Kor and Martok. Over the past two seasons, J. G. Hertzler's Martok has become part of the series' fabric, and it's a credit to how well DS9 has integrated its recurring cast into its overall tapestry that focusing on an episode on his resentment of a guest character doesn't feel jarring at all. An early scene in which he tells Worf exactly why he despises Kor so much makes the Kor/Martok conflict meaningful. Martok gets his revenge in the second half, his old adversary laid as low as a Klingon warrior likely could be... But he gains no joy from Kor's misery, and his entire attitude shifts from that point on.

Kor: Shades of King Lear, as Kor's bravado in the first half cracks, revealing diminished capacity as he confuses present and past. John Colicos is suitably larger than life as he boasts about his past and basks in the young crew's admiration of him. But his best acting comes in the second half, when a shattered Kor sits and endures the scorn of those same warriors, now mocking him for his age and weakness. What happens next can be seen coming from as far away as the teaser - But to the episode's credit, Kor's final stand works, in large part because Colicos makes us invested in the character.


THOUGHTS

"The only real question is whether you believe in the legend of Davy Crockett or not. If you do, then there should be no doubt in your mind that he died the death of a hero. If you do not believe in the legend, then he was just a man and it does not matter how he died."
-Worf, unwittingly foreshadowing Kor's final mission.

Once More Unto the Breach is utterly predictable in its plot, with no surprises in the way its story unfolds. Kor's disintegration during the first battle is clearly telegraphed, as is his triumph at the end. That Kor will earn Martok's sympathy and, ultimately, his respect is something most viewers will guess before the teaser ends. In story terms, this is pedestrian stuff.

But writer Ronald D. Moore, the default Klingon scribe of both TNG and DS9, has a way of breathing life into this warrior race. Kor, Martok, Worf, and the elderly Darok (Neil Vipond)... They are all fully realized characters, and their interactions resonate. The scene in which Martok and his crew sneer at Kor's mental weakness is the episode's best, Kor reduced to an object of ridicule by the very crew that had previously worshipped him. Director Allan Kroeker keeps the focus of the scene on Kor's face, which is stone-like, betraying no emotion as he endures this verbal onslaught. When he finally does speak, he does so with equal stoicism, weariness in his voice but no real emotion, which makes the effect of his words all the stronger.

The follow-up scene is also good, as a subdued Worf and Martok contemplate how they might appeal to the Klingon Chancellor to grant Kor an honorary position to lend some dignity to his dying days. Kor's acceptance of the insults, and his reply that rang too true, has drained away Martok's antagonism; he recognizes that this could be him in 100 years' time, if he lives that long. It's almost a shame when the action plot returns, with the too-predictable finish, as the character material up to then is so much more compelling than any of the actual combat scenes.

In the end, this is a touch too predictable to rank among this excellent series' greats - But the performances, sharp characterization, and excellent dialogue ensure that it's still quite a good one, and a suitable sendoff for Star Trek's original Klingon.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Treachery, Faith and the Great River
Next Episode: The Siege of AR-558

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4-9. The Sword of Kahless.

Dax and Worf join Kor (John Colicos) on his quest.

THE PLOT

Kor (John Colicos), the sole Klingon survivor of the fight against the albino, returns to the station with another quest. He believes he has identified the location of the Sword of Kahless, the Klingon weapon wielded by the legendary warrior who united the Klingon people. The sword was lost long ago, and Kor believes its return would allow the emperor to unite the Klingons and break the influence of the increasingly unstable Gowron.

Once Dax verifies Kor's evidence, Worf is eager to join them in the search. They find the sword fairly easily, only to discover that renegade Klingons from the House of Duras have followed them.  The trio is able to escape that trap, but then the real problem emerges.  With sword in hand, both Kor and Worf visualize themselves leading the empire to glory - even if one of them has to first kill the other to get the chance!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Sisko: He can immediately see the advantage to granting Dax's and Worf's request to join Kor's quest. If the sword is found, a united Klingon Empire would be far more stable than the current one - and if two Starfleet officers are among those who present it, then it would go a long way toward easing tensions with the Klingons. Still, he isn't fooled for an instant into thinking this is Dax's primary motivation. "You want to go along for the adventure," he observes, all too happy to grant her request.

Dax: With Worf and Kor both too personally impacted by the reputation of the sword, it falls to Dax to keep the party focused. When the two Klingons picture their own destinies if they return with the sword, Dax keeps them from killing each other. She pushes them to reach the surface and prods them toward the ultimate solution to the dilemma posed by the artifact.  Terry Farrell can't fully compete with the larger-than-life screen presences of Michael Dorn and John Colicos, but she plays well opposite both of them.  Also, some of Dax's grumpiness in the latter part of the episode is genuinely amusing - a good thing, when this is the exact part of the episode that otherwise becomes tedious.

Worf: Is hesitant when Dax introduces him to Kor. He fears that his status as an outcast will create discomfort, and is visibly relieved when Kor reacts to him with delight. He is deferential to Kor throughout the quest to find the sword. But once the sword is in their possession, he shows increasing distrust and even disgust toward the older Klingon, scorning him for his tendency toward drink and his exaggeration of his own feats. 

Kor: John Colicos returns as Kor. He is initially happy to invite Worf to join his quest, if only because Worf sharing the glory will annoy Chancellor Gowron. When he discovers that the renegade Klingon pursuing them was a boy whose life Worf spared, however, he reacts with disgust. "You should have been more of a Klingon!" he roars, finding the notion of choosing mercy over vengeance to be so utterly alien that it causes him to distrust Worf from that point on.


THOUGHTS

Season Two's Blood Oath saw great success in bringing the three best-remembered TOS Klingons - Kor, Kang, and Koloth - into modern day Trek. It was also a very well-crafted episode, one which pushed forward the development of Dax's character. It's also an episode that signposted a rise in DS9's average quality. This series had already been the best spinoff Trek, but the run of episodes that followed Blood Oath saw it rise to an entirely new level.

The Sword of Kahless is much less effective. Quest stories are difficult to do well on a television budget, and this episode shows some of the reasons why. Finding the sword is too easy, and the challenges overcome reaching it are barely worth mentioning, resolved with a bit of Technobabble. The bulk of the episode consists of watching the characters tromp around the patented Star Trek cave set, as Worf and Kor engage in protracted Klingon posturing - something which quickly grows tedious.

I think the episode wants to do something interesting, by showing how easily Kor and particularly Worf are corrupted by the idea of power. It is also refreshing that their actions are not the result of alien influence (something I started to suspect would be the case). But there's never any real sense that something truly momentous might happen. We know Worf isn't actually going to kill Kor, and we certainly know he isn't going to be killed by Kor. Nor is there any sense of danger, as the renegade Klingons hunting them are inept at every turn.

Worst of all, there's no sense of any consequences.  Worf attempts to trick Kor into dying at one point, something which should shake his sense of personal honor once his giddiness over the sword has faded.  But Worf seems untroubled by his actions even at the episode's end.  This seems out of character - not, I stress, that Worf would attempt to kill Kor, but that Worf would feel no guilt about his attempt after the crisis has passed.  The scene exists in a vacuum, forgotten as soon as it is over.

With little physical danger and no lasting emotional consequences, what we're left with is half an episode of two Klingons bickering like schoolchildren. All of this is presented with minimal atmosphere on a cheap-looking set, with no sense of any larger picture being affected. I was looking forward to seeing the second of DS9's Kor episodes.  Watching this throwaway, however, I couldn't help feeling a mounting sense of disappointment.

It's still watchable, mind you. It's not actively bad, for all its faults. But it isn't good, which is more than enough for me to rate it as the weakest Season Four episode thus far.


Overall Rating: 4/10.

Previous Episode: Little Green Men
Next Episode: Our Man Bashir


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2-19. Blood Oath.

A final mission for some old friends.

THE PLOT

80 years ago, a pirate known only as The Albino was conducting raids against the Klingon Empire. The Empire assigned three of its best captains to destroy his operation: Kang (Michael Ansara), the strategist; Koloth (William Campbell), the icy killer; and Kor (John Colicos), the full-blooded warrior. The captains succeeded, but the Albino escaped and took revenge, arranging to fatally infect each of the three Klingons' first-born sons. Kang's son was also the godson of Curzon Dax, who along with the three captains swore a blood oath to hunt down The Albino and take revenge.

Now the three old Klingon warriors have come to Deep Space 9. Dax realizes instantly what this must mean. She privately doubts that she can murder anyone in cold blood, even the assassin of her godson. But when Kang refuses to acknolwedge her as the Dax he knew and releases her from Curzon's oath, Dax becomes determined to make him change his mind and see it through - even when Kang indicates that this will be a one-way mission!


CHARACTERS

Commander Sisko: Attempts to stop Dax from pursuing Curzon's blood oath. He takes an authoritarian stance, ordering her to stay on the station. When it is clear that this won't work, he tries to reason with her. The one thing he doesn't attempt to do is to forcibly restrain her, which perhaps demonstrates the level of respect Sisko has for Dax. Under similar circumstances, I would fully expect Sisko to call security on his other officers, but he allows Dax to leave.

Major Kira: She also attempts to talk Dax out of the blood oath. She uses Dax's own words about each Trill life being separate and individual - that Jadzia is not bound by any of Curzon's obligations. She also speaks as the voice of experience when it comes to killing, advising Dax of the personal cost of what she proposes to do.

Dax: This is an excellent episode for Terry Farrell. The Trill/host divide has been an interesting area to explore in previous episodes, which have mostly fallen on the side of the personality being more Jadzia than Dax. Here, we see the other side. Jadzia may be very different than Curzon, but she still carries all of his memories and the emotions that go with them. The Albino's murder of Curzon's godson weighs on her just as it did on him. The Blood Oath Curzon swore may not technically bind her, but she insists on upholding it, even if she has to fight Koloth, Kang, and Sisko to be allowed to play her part. Farrell does a splendid job throughout this episode, and does some particularly good nonverbal acting in her final scene, a wordless tag that is flawlessly played not only by Farrell, but also by Avery Brooks and Nana Visitor.

Klingons: This episode reunites TOS viewers with the three most memorable Klingons from the 1960's series: Kor (John Colicos), Kang (Michael Ansara), and Koloth (William Campbell). It's not surprising that Kang and Kor come across more strongly than Koloth, given that they were stronger characters to begin with. It is interesting the way in which the characters have been developed. The coolly diplomatic Koloth is now referred to by Kor as a "stone face" who "feels too little." Kor, the most outright warrior-like of the TOS Klingons, has become a creature of appetites for - well, basically for "wine, women, and song" - while ruminating on his days as a warrior, and clearly regretting that those days are now behind him. Kang is the leader, stubborn and fatalistic, and the most inclined of the three to dismiss Jadzia as not being the same person as Curzon. In his own way, he is also trying to protect Dax, believing that their mission is a strictly one-way affair.


THOUGHTS

Blood Oath is an irresistibly entertaining episode. Its main drawing point may be "episode with the TOS Klingons," but writer Peter Allen Fields has crafted a story that uses those three characters for something other than just a big TOS reunion.

In fact, other than building on their 1960's characterizations, this episode has no real connection with TOS. The words "Kirk" and "Enterprise" are never uttered. Nor are the words "Tribble," "quadrotriticale," or "Organian." Instead, the three Klingon warriors are united with Dax on a quest, in a story that owes more to Akira Kurosawa's samurai pictures than to 1960's Trek, and I think the episode is much the better for it. This is a good story first, and features the three TOS Klingons mainly as a bonus for fans. You could watch this episode without having seen a second of 1960's Trek and not feel as if you were missing anything.

This is a tightly-paced episode, one which effortlessly mixes thoughtful moments into a genuinely exciting storyline. The final action scene, as Dax and the Klingons infiltrate The Albino's lair, is unusually well-executed for 1990's television. All of the performances are good, with the scenes between Michael Ansara and Terry Farrell particular high points.

In short: A good one.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Profit and Loss
Next Episode: The Maquis

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