Star Trek: The Next Generation
"Birthright, Part I"
Air date: 2/22/1993
Written by Brannon Braga
Directed by Winrich Kolbe
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
The Enterprise docks at Deep Space Nine to assist with Bajoran equipment repairs. While there, a Yridian who traffics in information (James Cromwell, nearly unrecognizable) approaches Worf and says that his father Mogh did not die at Khitomer 25 years ago but instead was taken prisoner and is still alive in a Romulan POW camp. Meanwhile, DS9's Doctor Bashir (Siddig El Fadil) comes aboard the Enterprise to run an experiment and becomes fascinated with Data. (Bashir is mostly interested in Data's human personality traits as programmed by his creator Soong; this plays into the story's theme about fathers and sons.)
"Birthright, Part I" is TNG's only explicit DS9 crossover episode. Looking back ex post facto, it's interesting, almost funny, to revisit this version of Julian Bashir, so greenly wide-eyed and enthusiastic, knowing how much more serious and grown-up he will become. That's really neither here nor there as far as this episode is concerned, but it was something that caught my attention.
What's of more relevance is when Data gets zapped by an energy beam and is knocked unconscious for about 45 seconds, during which he has an intriguing vision that includes his father. He spends much of the rest of the episode trying to reconcile the meaning of the imagery. He creates dozens of paintings of what he saw in the vision and ultimately decides to recreate the circumstances of his unconsciousness. While Data's subsequent exploration of this dream realm gets a little heavy on arty, new-agey mumbo jumbo and imagery, there's a resonance in the message Soong has for him that feels like a rare moment of actual growth for the character. By the end, Data realizes that he should shut down every night and try dreaming, to see where it might take him.
Meanwhile, Worf struggles with the idea that his father might be a live prisoner rather than having died at Khitomer (which, of course, would be a grave dishonor; what isn't a dishonor for Klingons?). This is mostly setup for the second part, but what we have here is reasonable table setting, as Worf travels with the Yridian to the Romulan prison camp and discovers that although his father did in fact die at Khitomer, there's an entire colony of Klingons that survived. Before this final revelation, however (which kind of feels like a bait-and-switch), "Birthright" is about two orphaned sons who are confronted with new things about their fathers that could significantly alter their own self-identities.
Previous episode: Tapestry
Next episode: Birthright, Part II
Like this site? Support it by buying Jammer a coffee.
45 comments on this post
Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 2:28pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jul 12, 2012, 4:53pm (UTC -5)
Also Data's new age soul searching wasn't any more involving.
Fri, Jul 13, 2012, 9:49am (UTC -5)
Good worf-data connectio. Unfortuately part 2 was REALLY boring, dull and slow.
I give part one 3.5 stars.
Sun, Jul 15, 2012, 6:52pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Jul 20, 2012, 12:33pm (UTC -5)
I found the Bashir scenes redundant and ponderous. I like talky, I enjoy patiently-paced dialogue scenes, but I need the characters to SAY something of interest. I think Data's general "who the fuck are you?" expression is very telling about how poorly the actors and director understood the scenes: ironic that the executors of an episode about identity crises seem not to understand what this show is about.
Data's growth is a joke in the final seasons of TNG. With the exception of "All Good Things..." and ST: VIII, nothing after "Time's Arrow" feels genuine for the character. A shame really as he was given so much attention and was, by that point, such a strong and defining character in his own right.
On the other hand, Worf's story (in this part of the 2-parter, anyway) is pretty strong. I didn't need it explained to me about Klingon suicide and honour and so forth; Mogh's death at the hands of the Romulans is such a key element of Worf's personality--his hesitation to get close to people, his lack of imagination and his commitment to duty--that to have this idea shattered was very involving. I recognised Cromwell the moment he spoke in that signature rasp of his, and boy does he sell the oily Yridian perfectly. It's also a shame then that part 2 was so terrible.
Overall, this is a 2.5*
Wed, Aug 29, 2012, 2:41am (UTC -5)
I'm usually not picky about these sorts of things, but the crappy makeup on this episode really ruined it for me.
Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 9:54am (UTC -5)
Mon, Sep 2, 2013, 6:19pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Feb 17, 2014, 5:59pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Jul 2, 2014, 8:33pm (UTC -5)
Having said that, Data's story is magnificent and the music almost has a Ron Jones style to it...
Wed, Jul 2, 2014, 10:38pm (UTC -5)
The dream sequences were wonderfully directed (although who was that person sitting in the corridor during the "crow's eye view"?) I don't know how they got the crow to respond to direction like that, but for once having an animal in an episode didn't seem gimmicky. (Note: Spot the Cat is immune from criticism.)
And Bashir's appearance is actually a nice touch- it's nice to see the Enterprise actually go to a Starbase and see crews interact. Other than the Bynar episode, Starfleet mostly seemed to be made up of Excelsior class starships we never get to explore, Admirals on subspace, and Starfleet HQ in San Francisco.
I also have to agree with "dpc"- for a later season episode, this really does have some effective music. The DS9 theme NEVER sounded better than here. (I just Googled it and the composer was Jay Chattaway. I'm sure the producers chastised him for writing it and they were wrong. It was nice to hear some REAL melody actually enhancing the drama.)
Much better than I remembered it being. This is easily a 3-star episode.
PS- Part 2 should have been about Data. Bo-ring!
Fri, Sep 25, 2015, 8:12am (UTC -5)
Then there's the DS9 component of Data's plot-line. What was the point of this?! Was it to showcase the new show and maybe draw some TNG viewers over to it (that's usually what crossover episodes are intended to do)? If so, then it was a complete and total failure! The only character we even meet from the DS9 crew is Bashir. (Well, okay, I guess Morn does make a cameo appearance.) And it's first season Bashir, no less! I've heard that it was originally intended for Dax to be the crossover character here, not Bashir. Well, that wouldn't have been much better. Season One Dax is just about as insufferable as Season One Bashir. These early DS9-TNG crossovers were all subject to the exact same problem - they all dull as fucking dishwater! Even Q's appearance over on DS9's first season was dull, bland and uneventful. This really doesn't do a service to DS9. All it does is make it look unappealing. And, it does a disservice to TNG as well by bogging it down with this boring crap! But beyond even that, what did Bashir even add to the mix here? He's barely in the episode to begin with. When he is around all he does is stare in dewy-eyed amazement at Data. That is, of course, when he isn't making himself look like a complete dipshit - "Oh hey, I have a mysterious piece of Gamma Quadrant alien technology. I think it's a medical scanner but I really don't know. I think I'll just go hook it up to the main computer of the fleet's flagship without any authorization or warning. I'm sure that won't go wrong!" Yeah, dipshit! This was supposed to be the introduction to DS9 for people who hadn't signed up yet? Good grief, at least VOY got it right and had Quark as its crossover character - he at least brings something enjoyable to the table. I mean, we don't even find out what the device from the Gamma Quadrant actually was! It's nothing more than a McGuffin to fuel Data's dreaming. In other words, DS9 wasn't needed for it! Oh, and by the way, Worf straight up assaults, blackmails and threatens to murder the Yridian on the Promenade in full view of passersby and Odo is nowhere to be seen (and neither are any of his deputies)? That must be the first and only time something like that happens!
But enough about the complete and utter waste of a DS9 crossover. Let's focus on Data learning to dream. This is actually a pretty intriguing concept and could have been a worthwhile episode in its own right. Maybe we could have gotten something like Data exploring all those "religious/philosophical/cultural symbols and interpretations" he mentions to Picard on the holodeck or something along those lines. But, sadly, it's so woefully underdeveloped. If it hadn't been paired with the Bashir appearances or with Worf's plot-line, it could have possibly been developed into a nice look at dreams and what they mean for people, as well as some nice character growth for Data. But, instead, we get a bunch of new-age, hippy claptrap. It has the feeling of (put on your best hippy voice here) - "Yeah, man, it's like the wings and the birds, man. And your dad is the blacksmith hammering your soul. Wow, man, that's deep! And then you're the bird and stuff and.... duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude, I saw the center of the Earth, man!" Seriously? This is where they wanted to go with this idea? Talk about another failure. The use of Data's dreaming was better used in "Phastasms" and that's no masterpiece of an episode either.
Then Worf, after doing some truly unnecessary soul-searching, decides to go look for his father. This the only passable section of the episode. But even it has its problems. Namely, like Jammer said, it's nothing but window dressing for Part II; and it's not particularly interesting window dressing either. Most of it could have (and should have) been cut and that time spent on Data's story. Most of Worf's soul-searching, his threatening of the Yridian and most of their banter in the Yridian's ship spring immediately to mind as things that could have easily been excised. It's not bad, but it's not good either - it's mostly just padding. But more on that when I get to Part II.
And, finally, all the talk about this being about orphans and their fathers really rings hollow for me. Now, again, I'm not saying that an A/B structured episode has to have the two plots inter-relate with each other. One of my favorite episodes of DS9 has two plotlines that never actually connect with each other in a narrative fashion. But these two - why jam them together? They don't even relate thematically. Data's story is about him learning to dream and, oh yeah, his dad just happens to be involved. Worf's story is about a son setting out to find, and possibly rescue, his father and Mogh is absolutely, 100% essential.
So, "Birthright, Part I" is... well, I suppose it's not as bad as it could have been. There's nothing downright offensive or simply unwatchable about it. It's certainly nowhere near a zero rating or as bad as "Man of the People" or "Aquiel." But, still, given what it sets out to do, it's quite a dud.
3/10
Tue, Oct 6, 2015, 1:55pm (UTC -5)
I can't also help think that the ball was dropped in regard to the DS9 crossover. A few more cameos, apart from Bashir? Let's face it, this episode could have been set anywhere. Ah well, at least we get to see Morn.... 2 stars.
Fri, Feb 12, 2016, 7:06am (UTC -5)
I rather liked the Data storyline in this one. Yes, even watching it first-run in the 90's, I instantly knew Data was going to be zapped by the machine. But I liked seeing him 'fly' around the ship, as in a dream. And I didn't notice the first time that Soong was crafting a wing for a bird, and since Data was the bird, Soong was creating Data. :)
I never quite understood how Bashir would jump to the conclusion that the machine was medical in nature. He admitted he did not know how it worked, so that is quite a leap. I kept wondering why they didn't call Geordi in to take a look at it. He likes new, strange things, and would probably enjoy fooling around with it.
My comments on the Romulans, Klingons and other various items are on the page for Part II.
I do believe I'd have liked it better if Part II had been set weeks or months later though, instead of seeming like days.
Regards... RT
Thu, Jul 21, 2016, 2:53am (UTC -5)
Maybe what made it worse was that they forced the DS9 Line with worf and his own totally unrelated problems on top of it. This episode was a complete sham.
If anyone disagrees pleas explain bashir and his contraption brought aboard unannounced to zap data into his dreams.
I can clearly see this was a clever attempt of the of the producers to meld 1.5 episodes (birthright) to a half episode (data) all the while tying into DS9 which had just been launched.
Great job at multi-tasking, bad execution for all stories combined.
It would have been better if they made birthright a standalone episode and tied datas dream sequence into ds9 kickoff party somehow or just drop the latter altogether.
Sun, Nov 27, 2016, 4:24am (UTC -5)
Wed, Feb 1, 2017, 2:34pm (UTC -5)
Sat, Apr 1, 2017, 10:43pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Apr 10, 2017, 12:06am (UTC -5)
The doctor from the other show showing up and screwing around in sickbay without authorization was stupid. If we're supposed to consider the guy competent shouldn't he be shown following the rules, or at least breaking them for a reason other than "oops I guess I forgot lol court marshals don't happen to main characters."
Okay, it was a little funny watching the guy having a severe crush on Data, and Data's reactions to it (in some scenes he's got that insufferably smug look he sometimes gets (how did Spiner get away with that, I wonder), in others he seems severely weirded out by it). But I could've sworn in a previous episode Data stated his hair didn't grow, and given how long Lore survived in space I think he's under exaggerated how much he doesn't need to "breath". (Now that we're explicitly told he apparently has a "respiratory system" that cools internal components like the fans on a pc I imagine him periodically popping himself open and having a go at it with some canned air---too funny! No wonder he was trying to figure out how to sneeze back in season 1.)
We never did find out what that machine actually was. A machine that makes robots dream, I guess. Looks like the doctor was way off the mark on it being a medical scanner.
I'm getting a little bored of Worf's Klingon storylines by now. We get it, he has issues, but quit bringing them up unless you're going to show him working past them, he's getting stagnate. I'll admit, it's a little fun seeing Worf enjoying plastic pasta and roughing up some ugly alien, but once he actually found the Klingons things got pretty dull.
Tue, May 9, 2017, 10:09pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Sep 4, 2017, 6:55am (UTC -5)
Wed, Nov 1, 2017, 10:55pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Dec 24, 2017, 8:37am (UTC -5)
Things I liked:
-The scene where Worf is giving Data advice about his vision. Worf talks about the importance of one's father. This is one of the most moving scenes in the series, with the way the camera pans around and the music plays.
-Picard saying that Data is a "culture of one." I never thought about it that way.
-The thought of Worf's father possibly being alive. It's quite a revelation.
-The dark side of Worf emerging.
-The elder Klingon sharing his memories of Worf as a child. It's adds another piece to Worf's background. His life before his foster parents was never discussed before, to my knowledge.
Things I didn't like:
-WAY too much time is spent on Data trying to find meaning from his initial dream.
-It was never revealed what the medical device was used for.
-The crew of the Enterprise on board Deep Space Nine acting like replicated food and holodecks are some new thing
3 Stars
Fri, Mar 23, 2018, 1:46pm (UTC -5)
The Word segment was tripping because we've had multiple storylines revolving around his father. The revelation that he might still be alive was a nice twist in Words arc.
I don't get why so many here crave an appearance from O'Brien to show up and recite a few lines. The man crush on him is baffling.
Fri, Mar 23, 2018, 1:49pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Sep 5, 2018, 10:50pm (UTC -5)
For this sequence alone, and similar sequences, this episode is worth 3 stars. Plus a pretty good story...equals 3.5 stars.
Thu, Sep 6, 2018, 11:19pm (UTC -5)
Data's quest to understand his visions did not do it for me -- what "character development" he gets out of this isn't worth the time spent on all the nebulous aspects of interpreting his visions.
So this is an episode about the importance of the father figure -- Worf realizes he should pursue the Yridian's info to learn about his father after telling Data to learn about his own father, Soong. I found the Data/vision subplot to be particularly dull and arbitrary. So Data decides he should try dreaming -- big deal. Ultimately, this Data dreaming subplot is filler material to turn "Birthright" into a 2-parter.
I guess the episode does a good job creating some intrigue for the 2nd part given that the Klingons make it clear that they don't want to leave / can't leave and that Worf is to be a prisoner there. Hope Data's dreaming is not part of Part II!
A low 2 stars for "Birthright, Part I" -- just too much padding here, really don't know how Jammer rates this 3 stars. Data's quest to be more human is an often visited theme on TNG but this aspect of dreaming/visions does not lead to some specific human characteristic like love etc. What Data was going through just was not interesting. Most of the Worf subplot was just mechanical but at least it ends with leaving the viewer wondering what's up in this prison camp with Klingons apparently having freedom with Romulans about.
Sun, Jan 6, 2019, 4:21am (UTC -5)
Sat, May 4, 2019, 11:31am (UTC -5)
I enjoyed the Data story as I do most if not all Data stories. I remembered the clanking hammer from first seeing this episode so many years ago. Spiner playing both Data and Soong is a treat. I had hoped to see more of the DS9 characters to be honest.
The Worf story is okay and continues his arc. The forested planet reminded me of Worf and Jadzia on that mission to rescue a defector.
Thu, May 30, 2019, 2:58pm (UTC -5)
More Worf ninja stuff-always ends badly.
Mon, Dec 16, 2019, 2:51pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Apr 9, 2020, 1:05am (UTC -5)
Loved the wide angle, low shot camerawork during the dream sequences.
James Cromwell is lookin' pretty bad. Did he go to warp 10 and have lizard babies with Janeway, too? It's really more the Janeway part than the warp 10.
Thu, Aug 13, 2020, 11:37pm (UTC -5)
For me, the Bashir/Data parts are pretty well, probably because Julian is intentionally a Scrappy saved from the heap, as TV Tropes calls it. Bashir is silly here, but completely consistent with his contemporary DS9 character. The Data stuff isn’t bad at all, and gives some amount of character growth.
The Worf stuff is already trite and cheesy by now. Klingons aren’t/don’t take prisoners unless we’re captured or need to or whatever. Blah. Garbage.
Fri, Nov 20, 2020, 11:07am (UTC -5)
Fri, Nov 20, 2020, 2:45pm (UTC -5)
And on an ornithological note - it's a raven not a crow....unsure if this has any relevance ? Seems unlikely that Data would be channeling Norse mythology ?
Mon, Jul 12, 2021, 12:07pm (UTC -5)
Fri, Oct 29, 2021, 2:10am (UTC -5)
Data on LSD! Yes I remember that. Probably what I remember most about the episode, the brilliant psychedelic landscape that TNG wandered into. I’d forgotten that it was also the “TNG meets DS9” story and that Dr Bashir came on-board.
I have always loved this one. It’s quirky and different from the normal routine. I hope Part 2 is as good, though I can’t remember right now…
I’ll give it 4 stars, though I’m tempted to deduct 0.1 star for the producers thinking we are so stupid that we would believe that a genius like Dr Soong would gratuitously insert a panel of lazily and randomly flashing red, green, and orange LEDs into Data’s head for no good reason… (useful at Christmas perhaps, if Data could be persuaded to stand in your living room for 12 days with part of his head removed, and wearing a Santa outfit while balancing a cardboard star on his skull, a heap of wrapped presents at his feet, and singing Christmas songs from a variety of different galactic cultures).
Fri, Oct 29, 2021, 4:29am (UTC -5)
https://i0.wp.com/readysteadycut.com//wp-content/uploads/2020/01/F8.jpeg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1
Fri, Oct 29, 2021, 4:47am (UTC -5)
Fri, Oct 29, 2021, 7:48am (UTC -5)
"He also made sure that the LEDs blink in a way that calms us down"
LOL. I think I'd be calmer watching Worf practice Tai Chi'plakk...
Fri, Oct 29, 2021, 8:27am (UTC -5)
Ok, I hear ya but picture this. You are on an away mission. Things have gone awry as they often do and it's only you, Worf and Data and you are one spoiled food ration away from sitting down and crying for ~30 minutes. What calms you down more? Data opening his head and showing you all the little funny lights blinking away like nothing is wrong or Worf starting to practice Tai Chi'plakk? Let me tell you, if Worf starts to train murdering people I will start dictating my last will to the tricorder...
Thu, May 26, 2022, 3:15pm (UTC -5)
Now Data is having a near-death experience...
And wants to engage in meditation...
And delves into religious exegeses...
And "visions" and "trips"...
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
What on earth happened to this show...?
If this wasn't a two-parter, I'd have moved on after 15 or so minutes but I felt guilty skipping the previous one plus these TWO episodes so I persevered. I had it mostly in the background and, even then, had to pause it every few minutes. Fast-forwarded through the Data nonsense. Still took me most of the day just to plow through this first part.
I'm glad I stuck around because the Worf angle was more interesting although the whole "it brings dishonor to three generations" bit really had me rolling my eyes almost out of their sockets. Worf's antics, obstinacy, bigotry, parochialism, jingoism, and sheer bloody-mindedness in the second part were extremely disappointing. So, so ridiculous...
However, it all provides a very salutary lesson about the inherent dangers of group-think and collectivism, which are very much in vogue these days, especially among the lunatic Leftists. They rightly denounce religion for its excesses and for impinging on individual freedom, yet they aim to impose a different collectivist dogma on us all (statism, socialism, politically-correct right-think, etc.). The antithesis to the Religious Right is not Socialist/Globalist Left; it is individual freedom. For the smallest and most vulnerable minority is indeed the individual.
A bird born in a cage thinks liberty is a disease.
The Romulan-Klingon chick is hot!
Fri, May 27, 2022, 2:32am (UTC -5)
My issue is not with Worf trying to make them alive to the realities of their situation--I very much support that: Stirring the thirst for FREEDOM in a person is one of the noblest things a man can do--but the argument(s) he uses to do so. He's not focusing on every living entity's unalienable right to make his/her free choices in and about life; rather, he appeals to "tradition." He argues that the "prisoners" should seek change not for the sake of asserting personal sovereignty and gaining liberty but because they ought to feel beholden to "their" traditional codes of behavior. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Replace one form of bondage, both physical and mental, with another.
Not Worf's finest hour, that's for damn sure.
Thu, Sep 8, 2022, 7:22pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Nov 2, 2022, 3:23pm (UTC -5)
Submit a comment
◄ Season Index