Star Trek: The Next Generation
"Reunion"
Air date: 11/5/1990
Teleplay by Thomas Perry & Jo Perry and Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga
Story by Drew Deighan and Thomas Perry & Jo Perry
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
Klingon ambassador K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson; my, she's tall) comes aboard the Enterprise, and she brings along with her a surprise for Worf: a young Klingon boy, Alexander, Worf's until-now-unknown-to-him son. She's also here on official business. A power struggle is imminent in the Klingon Empire between two rivals, Duras (Patrick Massett) and Gowron (Robert O'Reilly, making an instantly memorable impression with those crazy eyes) vying to become the next chancellor of the Klingon High Council. Failure to resolve the dispute could result in a civil war that could eventually sprawl well outside Klingon borders. K'Mpec (Charles Cooper), the dying chancellor, puts Picard in charge of the mediation and reveals that he has been poisoned by either Duras or Gowron in a gutless assassination for the power grab.
Like "Legacy," this is another example of TNG's standby, "two warring factions with the Enterprise as mediators," except this time it's done well. Whenever you involve the Klingons, there's an elevated, juicier flavor to the political intrigue and the mediation proceedings. Some scenes play like grand melodrama. And, of course, the way this all ties in with Worf raises the personal stakes. Worf selflessly accepting discommendation to save the Empire in "Sins of the Father" plays into matters here, with not only the Klingons shunning him at every turn, but the very notion that he cannot acknowledge his own son because the dishonor would be extended to him.
Then there's K'Ehleyr, the non-traditionalist call-it-how-I-see-it when it comes to the Klingon Empire, which plays in stark contrast to Worf's traditional values. I love K'Ehleyr's impatience with Klingon politics. When asked, "War over what?" she responds dryly, "The usual excuses: tradition, duty, honor." After a bombing on board a Klingon ship, evidence reveals a link with the Romulans, which means someone is involved in a conspiracy (although I wasn't quite sure what the bombing's goal was). K'Ehleyr starts poking into files to find the truth, discovers Duras is the conspirator, and in a shocking turn of events, Duras kills her.
Equally adrenaline-worthy is Worf going into full Klingon mode and throwing aside his Starfleet badge to claim his right for vengeance and battle Duras to the death. The themes of culture clash are in full force here, whether it's the conflict between being a Starfleet officer and taking Klingon vengeance rights (Picard reprimands Worf in a good scene), or the gulf between K'Ehleyr's human sensibilities and Worf's Klingon ways, or how it all ties into how Worf interacts with a son he doesn't know.
Previous episode: Legacy
Next episode: Future Imperfect
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64 comments on this post
Tue, Dec 18, 2012, 7:51pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Aug 29, 2013, 1:06pm (UTC -6)
Otherwise stunning & shocking. Always feel sad when Plakson dies, excellent character.
Wed, Sep 25, 2013, 8:59am (UTC -6)
I think this episode is amazing! Every beat is perfect, the pace is perfect, this is the only watchable Alexander piece. When I was a kid and Work impaled Duras with Riker screaming in the background, I was stunned, I couldn't believe peace loving Star Trek did this! But I was happy to. And then the scene where alexander asks worf if he is his father and Worf hugs him....I still cry...
Sun, Sep 29, 2013, 9:12am (UTC -6)
By the way, the bomb was a way to kill Gowron: dispute solved, and Duras takes power. Eventually the opposite happened: Duras killed, and Gowron takes power!
Mon, Mar 10, 2014, 6:01pm (UTC -6)
But only somewhat, because between the first instant we see her lying there dying to the last instance we see Worf standing over Duras' body is one of the most intense sequences in all of Trek. Every single moment of that time is perfect, from Worf howling to the Klingon underworld to Alexander running away to Worf's comment to Alexander to the fight on the Klingon ship to Riker arriving in time but Worf ignoring him in the heat of battle. You cannot tear your eyes away from the TV.
And then there was the scene with Picard and Worf. This is completely uncharted waters for us. A member of the senior staff just committed murder! What was Picard going to say? And then, he simply... let Worf go with a slap on the wrist? Yeah, it's a black mark on his record, but no demotion, no prison, no nothing?
And yet, it kinda makes sense. Picard's in completely uncharted waters here too...
For one, look at the geopolitics (er, astropolitics?) involved. Duras just murdered a Federation diplomat. That is a horrific response for a member of the Klingon High Council, and would undoubtedly have put a serious strain on Klingon/UFP relations. A few episodes later, Picard would be willing to have the Enterprise destroyed and to start a war with the Romulans when he believed they had kidnapped a Federation ambassador; why should it be any different here? Even worse, the murderer had a 50/50 chance of being the next chancellor. How could the Federation work with the Klingons after that? Would there be war? And keep in mind, at that point Picard knew that Duras was working with Romulans, or at least had strong evidence of it. Having Duras as Chancellor would be intolerable to the Federation, yet their hands were tied legally. Worf's actions untied them in a manner that was perfectly legal in the Klingon justice system.
It's hard to punish a guy too much when he just saved the Federation. Even a pair of humpback whales know that much.
Secondly, this is the inevitable endgame of the Federation's obsessive "tolerance" culture. By claiming that all cultures have a right to exist, the Federation essentially endorses Worf's commitment to the Klingon culture. And if Worf is to be allowed to act in a Klingon culture, what happens when that culture clashes with Federation culture? Presumably, duels are highly frowned upon in the Federation, yet perfectly rational for Klingons. If your culture places "tolerance" above its own morals (including "duels are bad"), then how can you punish someone for that?
Picard's speech to Worf provides the answer. You can respect other cultures, but only insofar that they respect Federation culture. In other words, duty to the Federation morality comes first. This isn't as obvious as it might seem; given the obsession with tolerance today there are plenty of examples where the law and public opinion is murky on where the majority must sacrifice their culture to the minority and vice versa. With Worf being the only Klingon in Starfleet, it may be possible that this possibility was not clearly spelled out, and Picard may have felt some responsibility for that. After all, he explicitly endorsed Klingon civil code last year by not only allowing Worf to stand trial, but by accepting the role of Worf's fighter during the trial. Picard's actions led to the death of at least one Klingon during Sins of the Father, why is this much different? So he had to be lenient this time while laying down the law that it could not happen again (presumably Sisko didn't get the memo when Worf killed Gowron...).
And finally, it just seems like a slap on the wrist to us. To Worf, Picard's note that it would go in his record was, essentially, an attack on Worf's personal honor. And we know how much that means to him. Notice how much he stiffens when Picard says that to him. To Worf, the knowledge of severe disapproval from his superior officer was punishment enough. And Picard undoubtedly realized it. Especially since he softened up immediately afterwards, asking Worf about how long he would allow the discommendation to last.
One last comment as a random aside: just how ridiculously stupid is the Federation? K'Ehleyr is the Federation ambassador to the Klingons and not vice versa, correct? If so, why the heck would they send someone who HATES Klingon culture to be an ambassador there??? That's some rather insulting diplomacy there. At least they had Curzon... Of course, if she was the Klingon ambassador to the Federation, then that makes more sense...
Thu, Sep 25, 2014, 5:12pm (UTC -6)
Really is a shame that K'Ehleyr wasn't kept around, but I do think it was crucial to Worf's character development that she died. She was a rare kindred spirit for Worf: a Klingon working in the federation.
I had forgotten that she was half-human before she appeared in that first episode a few seasons prior. So she pre-dates Belanna Torres as a female half-klingon half-human.
Sun, Dec 14, 2014, 11:21pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Jun 27, 2015, 11:19pm (UTC -6)
By dealing with entities and people we already know, it allows for scenes that would otherwise be as enjoyable as watching paint dry (scenes of people talking in the Observation Lounge and the scenes between Picard, Gowron and Duras) to instead be infused with a great amount of drama and emotional investment.
And I have to say, massive props are due to the writers for having the guts to do two rather unexpected things - having K'Ehleyr die and having Worf do the non-PC thing of killing Duras in full Klingon berserker mode. Both of those were major risks for this show that often doesn't rock the boat.
Hands down one of the best of TNG and quite possibly one of the best of the whole franchise.
10/10
Fri, Sep 11, 2015, 4:19pm (UTC -6)
The return of K’Ehleyr spices matters wonderfully, and the shock of her death to Worf killing Duras in revenge is a great sequence. Worf's struggle with his loss of honour is well documented, as is the revelation and slow acceptance of his son.
And introducing the excellent Gowron is another plus. 3.5 stars.
Fri, Mar 4, 2016, 5:39am (UTC -6)
Sun, Mar 6, 2016, 10:12am (UTC -6)
This is the ultimate Klingon political episode of TNG along with Redemption.
DS9 would follow this to the end with Taking into the Wind, where [major spoilers removed by Jammer].
Tue, May 17, 2016, 1:06pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Jan 12, 2017, 9:51pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 4:27pm (UTC -6)
As for the main plot, it's the usual Klingon stuff with Duras/Gowron acting like tough guys - both equally distasteful in a power struggle. But the plot plays out well although I do feel the part of the bomb going off was left a bit up in the air. Small detail that isn't too important.
Good episode for Picard to have to take on the job of arbitrating between the 2 Klingons. Also liked his talking-to to Worf after Duras is killed was well done. Liked how he had to deal with the 2 Klingons - they did respect him ultimately.
I still feel the Klingons are a bit ridiculous given how their customs operate. Apparently no issue for Worf to kill Duras for the Klingons, but StarFleet gives him a reprimand - whatever that turns out to be.
I'd rate "Reunion" a strong 3.5 stars. It really picked up with K'Ehleyr's murder - a big moment - and the chain of events that set in motion. Wonder where it leaves the Klingon empire with Gowron in charge...
Sat, Sep 16, 2017, 5:43am (UTC -6)
Mon, Dec 11, 2017, 10:54pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Feb 9, 2018, 4:13pm (UTC -6)
I agree that Suzie Plaxton played her character brilliantly and a shame they bumped her off.
This was a brilliant Worf episode.
Wed, Mar 7, 2018, 7:46am (UTC -6)
Thu, Apr 12, 2018, 2:00am (UTC -6)
Thu, May 3, 2018, 7:04pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Jun 8, 2018, 9:56pm (UTC -6)
Boy, I sure did hate to see K'Ehleyr go. Made for great drama, but the character and Suzie Plakson brought so much. I wish they had given her more appearances as Dr. Solar.
Count me among the fans that loved these Klingon and Romulan political intrigue episodes.
Fri, Jul 6, 2018, 1:13pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Jul 30, 2018, 5:55pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Sep 28, 2018, 9:51pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Oct 21, 2018, 5:47am (UTC -6)
Not really excited or really drawn in to this episode. I much prefer Sins of the Father or Redemption to this
Just fell flat. Never a fan of the Kehlehr character or the Worf romance angle. I’d eventual go on to like Alexander but didn’t do much for me here. I also thought Picard was a little crusty in his attitude from way he treated Worf to his attitude with Kmpec.
Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 9:02pm (UTC -6)
But, the drama of her death was almost worth the loss. I was riveted to the screen throughout. Dorn was great. His anguish at K'Ehleyr's death, his hot-blooded, completely unstoppable, jaw-dropping killing of Duras.
Alexander was never a well done character - not on TNG or DS9. Too bad. With Worf and K'Ehleyr as parents, he could have - should have- been a very interesting character.
More on the Family theme - so far, prominent in every ep this Season.
Definitely, with K'Ehleyr and Worf trying to make a big decision about their personal lives, and the Empire trying to make a big decision about its next leader, we see a lot about the role of tradition vs personal preference vs concern for others (the bigger picture). There's also an emphasis on time and timing, as Picard deliberately delays the proceedings, K'Ehleyr tries to explain and understand why she delayed telling Worf about his son, Worf and K'Ehleyr run out of time, and we learn Worf is biding his time, in regard to getting his good name back.
Both Worf's decision and the Empire's decision are simplified when death limits the options to one.
An excellent episode - the moment Worf kills Duras is absolutely unforgettable.
Good stuff.
Fri, Mar 13, 2020, 3:53am (UTC -6)
Tue, Mar 24, 2020, 8:33pm (UTC -6)
You know...out of all of the main characters only two have children who are recurring characters - Crusher and Worf.
Crusher's child (the white child) is a genius, receives a field commission, is admitted to Starfleet Academy, and eventually gains what are basically demigod powers.
Conversely, Worf's child (the black child) has behavioral issues, steals, is eventually dumped by his father on his grandparents, and later attempts to commit retroactive suicide.
Do some things not change even after 300 years?
Tue, Mar 24, 2020, 8:42pm (UTC -6)
Sat, May 9, 2020, 10:12am (UTC -6)
Worf slaughters one of the candidates for ultimate ruler of the Klingon Empire, and gets away with a reprimand.
Not bad, not really a good one.
Thu, Aug 27, 2020, 8:16am (UTC -6)
Tue, Sep 8, 2020, 12:03am (UTC -6)
Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 4:59pm (UTC -6)
Sun, May 30, 2021, 7:55am (UTC -6)
This episode is noteworthy for the fact that crew of the Enterprise have carte-Blanche for committing murder of foreign diplomats so that’s nice.
The whole “Duras is bad” thread never really sat well with me. Duras would never have used poison, so who killed the High Chancellor? The episode seemed to be setting up a better Third Act that never came to be.
3 out of 4 stars.
Tue, Jun 1, 2021, 1:54pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Aug 18, 2021, 11:19pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Aug 22, 2021, 12:43pm (UTC -6)
Its a shame K'Ehleyr needs to die. But of course, you can only truly enjoy Shakespeare in the original Klingon. It just would have been much better if they gave her a few more episodes before outing her damn spot.
Mon, Aug 23, 2021, 3:16am (UTC -6)
It was well-produced though, so although I was personally bored sh*tless, I will grudgingly give it 2 stars. Apologies to all who vehemently disagree with my rating - it’s all subjective!
Mon, Aug 23, 2021, 6:01am (UTC -6)
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 1:43am (UTC -6)
Not so much cavemen as Vikings perhaps? Only without the art.
Which leads to another question. Why do none of the Trek alien species have a sense of humour? The Vulcans, Romulans, Klingons… all without a real laugh (the Klingons only laugh at someone else’s discomfort or dishonour which is not the same as having a GSOH). As for the Ferengi, we only laugh AT, not WITH. Creating a race that enjoyed a good joke would have been a wonderful move on the part of the creators. Unless Roddenberry lacked one himself, perhaps?
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 4:29am (UTC -6)
The Vikings were far more often traders than raiders. Be that as it may, the Klingons are behaving like primitives. They are still partially cannibalistic.
About the humor. There were other species who liked humor. There is Balok. The Trill liked to laugh. Then there is the scene in which Quark and the Karemma guy disarm the torpedo and laugh. The Bajorans liked to laugh. Guinans species, too. Betazoids where seen giggling occasionally. Cardassians laughed sometimes about non disturbing things. Q.
Roddenberry himself. That guy was flying high most of the time and considering that he was married to Majel Barrett aka Lwaxana one would assume that he had a sense of humor.
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 5:59am (UTC -6)
This was the whole idea behind Neelix! He has his haters, sure, but they just don't get how revolutionary it was to invert the Roddenberry "glum alien" archetype.
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 8:39am (UTC -6)
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 10:38am (UTC -6)
Taking a look at the Klingons even in TNG, Gowron definitely knows how to have a laugh, and he cracks wise on occasion. Kurn, too, seems to wield sarcasm quite well. Other characters have more of a stock feel to them. And we really don't get very many Romulans to choose from, even though in theory they should be able to enjoy joking. The writing was so uber-focused on their totalitarian miseries that there was no room for anything else. It's like cracking open 1984 anytime a Romulan is onscreen.
And hey, there's Mr. Mot! He's a funny man.
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 10:48am (UTC -6)
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 11:16am (UTC -6)
Maybe, but I dunno about that. TOS featured a bridge that was more submarine-like, and definitely more military, than TNG's luxury-liner bridge design, and the scenes in that show are filled with jokes, one-liners, and ribbing each other.
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 11:27am (UTC -6)
Tue, Aug 24, 2021, 12:14pm (UTC -6)
What I mean is that contact with other species is different if you are on a Starfleet ship. If the flagship has to fly somewhere then the mission is often serious. Less opportunities for comedy. The Orville highlights that problem because it is a comedy show. They often have serious missions and them somebody make a penis joke which often doesn't fit and feels misplaced.
But I agree with your point. Comedy is an art and not everybody can be funny.
Fri, Oct 1, 2021, 8:39am (UTC -6)
Fri, Oct 1, 2021, 2:26pm (UTC -6)
I'd say most of Plakson's roles rely on a bit of friendly snark and she has a very expressive face. So she's very good at this type of role but also showed that she can do a pretty good Vulcan in "The Schizoid Man". One thing, for me, about doing a good Vulcan is the subtle facial expressions. There is suppression of emotion but I think there is also a very subtle reaction to a situation, statement somebody makes etc. before going into emotional suppression -- it takes place in a split-second. Some actors are able to pull it off well, others like Robert Foxworth in ENT's S4 Vulcan trilogy show too much emotion.
But for sure K'Ehleyr was Plakson's best role on Trek, a good foil for Worf, and I too was shocked/disappointed that she got killed -- but that also lends to the weight of this episode, that it doesn't play it comfortable and is one of TNG's finest hours.
Thu, Dec 23, 2021, 9:32pm (UTC -6)
"Almost", because her death and what what follows is one of the most stunning and riveting sequences in Trek.
Fri, Dec 24, 2021, 10:10am (UTC -6)
K'Ehleyr's job always confused me....was she an ambassador in Klingon employ? If so, why are her extreme anti-Klingon views tolerated? OR is she a diplomat in Federation employ, who has been assigned to the Klingon home world, finally ending up as a liaison to Kempec when the Klingon-Federation alliance begins to take root?
Fri, Dec 24, 2021, 12:59pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Dec 24, 2021, 3:37pm (UTC -6)
Voyager's The Q and the Grey
Fri, Dec 24, 2021, 6:53pm (UTC -6)
She is the Federation ambassador to the Klingon empire.
Mon, Dec 27, 2021, 9:07am (UTC -6)
Thanks. You're right.
Nevertheless, for such an important character, K'Ehleyr remains a puzzle. She had a Klingon father. (Name?). She had a human mother (Name?). She presumably lived at some point inside Federation space? Or always on the Klingon home world?
In my search for details, I learned that her costume set sold at Christie's in 2006 for $1920.00. (a bargain!).
According to the catalogue (live auction 1778, lot no. 614), most of the costume elements were "...inscribed Suzie Plaxton or Plaxton [sic] - worn by Suzi Plakson as K'Ehleyr...."
Suggestion: if no other name is available for K'Ehleyr's father, perhaps "Plaxton" would be cool. Her mother: could be "Suzie," short for "Susan A. Kane." The mother's maiden name Alexander, (middle initial A.), would then explain K'Ehleyr's later choice for the name of Worf's son. Susan A. Kane has other Hollywood associations.
Sun, Jul 17, 2022, 12:21am (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 7, 2022, 8:17pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Dec 7, 2022, 9:37pm (UTC -6)
In particular we can expect that Duras wouldn't want any deep investigations into his past to happen, and maybe Gowron has skeletons in his closet too? Or maybe on Gowron's side he is so convinced that he's the worthy choice that he is actually just impatient to be named Chancellor already. He is kinda brash like that.
Thu, Dec 8, 2022, 11:01am (UTC -6)
Well one thing I noticed watching this last night is that succession is actually supposed to be settled by a *fight* - K'Mpec tells Picard that when he states that Picard's role as Arbitor was merly to select the challengers. I think I glossed that over previously and failed to realize that it was likely a real duel to the death where the only question is who partakes in the duel i.e. who is eligible to fight for the Chancellorhood (eliminating the risk tbat any hobo who is good with a sword could win the title). Of course it all goes to shit for Duras when Worf cuts him in half, leaving no one left to challenge him. Gowron basically wins by acclamation. Boy, what an ungrateful prick he was.
Thu, Dec 8, 2022, 11:09am (UTC -6)
Sat, Feb 4, 2023, 6:05pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Jul 3, 2023, 2:45am (UTC -6)
Even if he hadn't murdered K'Ehylar (or even if Worf hadn't sought revenge), Gowron was highly suspicious of him after that scene in the conference room. By then, it was clear that Picard was going to install Gowron over him and once Gowron was in power, he likely would have had Duras hunted down and executed. Or at minimum challenged him to a duel on the accusations of being a traitor.
Wed, Sep 6, 2023, 7:50pm (UTC -6)
In particular we can expect that Duras wouldn't want any deep investigations into his past to happen, and maybe Gowron has skeletons in his closet too? Or maybe on Gowron's side he is so convinced that he's the worthy choice that he is actually just impatient to be named Chancellor already. He is kinda brash like that. "
I just watched this episode yesterday, and it struck me that they never truly solved the mystery of who poisoned K'mpec. Yes, Duras is in league with the Romulans and tried to kill Gowron and in general should never be allowed near power, but....
Maybe Gowron did kill K'mpec. From what we know of him in later episodes/series, he's not exactly above backstabbing someone if he sees an opportunity or feels threatened.
Anyways, I always thought they left that thread dangling intentionally.
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