Note: This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.
They say that breaking up is hard to do. Apparently, getting back
together isn’t any easier. Way back in the early seasons of Star Trek:
The Next Generation, Worf had a child, Alexander. Worf is Klingon and the
mother was half-Klingon half-human. Shortly after Worf was told that he
had a child, the mother died, leaving Worf with Alexander to worry
about. Feeling that it would be difficult to raise a child and be chief of security, Worf sent Alexander to live
with his own adoptive parents. In “New Ground”, Worf’s adoptive mother
brings Alexander to Worf, telling him that she and her husband are too
old to be taking care of a Klingon child. (Worf doesn’t know that she
has Alexander until both are aboard the Enterprise.) As if it was hard
enough the first time, they now have to deal with being several decades
older. They simply can’t take care of Alexander.
As it
happens, the Enterprise is getting ready for an experiment. Someone has
developed a technology that, if successful, would replace warp drive,
the current faster-than-light engines used in the Star Trek universe. A
station on a planet will generate a wave that will carry a ship to
another station, which will nullify the wave. Granted, this doesn’t add a
lot of stress for Worf in particular, but he has missed the first few
years of Alexander’s life. He has his normal duties plus the
responsibilities involved in taking care of a child, such as enrolling
him in school.
Things are difficult for Worf. Alexander is
understandably resentful towards Worf. Alexander lies. He steals. He
shows hostility towards Worf. Worf doesn’t have the aid of Alexander’s
mother, but his crewmates are patient. When both Dr. Crusher and
Alexander’s teacher contact Worf within minutes of each other, Captain
Picard tells Worf that what they are doing can wait.
Worf is
considering sending Alexander away to a Klingon school, mostly because
Alexander has no knowledge of what it means to be Klingon. (His mother
rejected Klingon culture and passed this on to her son.) Worf is proud
of his Klingon heritage, which allows for a great deal of tension with
Alexander. The biggest problem for Worf is admitting that he has a lot
to learn about parenting. When dealing with Alexander, Worf
oversimplifies a lot of problems.
The moment of truth comes
when an experiment with the new form of propulsion fails, leaving the
Enterprise to solve the problem. The wave expands to such massive
proportions that the receiving station won’t be able to stop it. In
fact, if no one stops it, the planet that it’s on will be destroyed. In
stopping the wave, lethal amounts of radiation will be released and that
radiation will flood certain parts of the Enterprise. Worf has to get
his son out of a burning room before the room is flooded with the
radiation. Worf succeeds with the help of Commander Riker. Worf and
Alexander come to an understanding that it will be more of a challenge
for Alexander to stay, but Worf will have him if Alexander feels that
he’s up to it.
The story involving the new form of propulsion
wasn’t written very well. It looks like it was just a way to set up a
dangerous situation where Worf would have to rescue Alexander. It was
never seen or heard of again. (Fans of the Star Trek series are very
familiar with promising technology that makes one appearance in the
series, but is never explored again.)
Because of the way
Alexander was raised, there is going to be tension between Alexander and
Worf, and this is dealt with several times throughout the rest of the
series, although not to this extent. This episode was simply to put
Alexander back in to Worf’s life. It also sets up Counselor Troi as
someone that Worf trusts and can depend on. It also is meant to have
Alexander see that Worf is someone that’s looking out for him rather
than some overbearing father who just wants to lay down a bunch of tough
rules.
There are only about two or three episodes that you’d
have to have seen to fully understand this one. If this was the first
episode of the series that you watched, I don’t think that you’d be
missing out on too much, though. However, it’s so late in the series
that if you’re watching reruns on Spike TV, you might just want to wait
until it starts at the beginning again.
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