Redemption (TNG episode)
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"Redemption" is the name of a two-part Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. "Redemption (Part 1)" was the finale of the fourth season; it was the 99th episode of the show, and it first aired on June 17, 1991. "Redemption (Part 2)" was the season premiere of the fifth season; it was the hundredth episode of the show and first aired on September 23, 1991. In the Star Trek timeline, the events depicted in the episodes occurred between stardates 44995.3 and 45020.4.
The plot is mainly composed of two interrelated stories: Worf's attempt to clear his family of dishonor, and a conflict between Gowron and the Duras sisters for leadership in the Klingon High Council.
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Part 1
The episode begins with the Enterprise en route to Qo'noS so that Picard can attend the installation of Gowron as Leader of the Klingon High Council. Unexpectedly, the Enterprise is intercepted by a Klingon vessel which is to escort the Enterprise during to its destination. Commanding the escort vessel is Gowron, who informs Picard of a conflict — one that could throw the Klingon Empire into a civil war — between himself and the House of Duras for the position of Leader of the High Council.
In a bid to restore his family honor Worf requests a leave of absence and is assigned to a ship captained by his brother Kurn. Kurn informs Worf he plans to join a new alliance against Gowron and Duras, but Worf convinces him that remaining with Gowron is the best chance to restore their family honor.
As Gowron is about to be installed as Leader of the High Council the Duras sisters interrupt with a challenge. With them is Duras' illegitimate son Toral who has the lineage necessary to challange Gowron's leadership. The council votes to accept the challenge and assigns the position of "Arbiter of Succession" to Picard; because he must be neutral in order to interpret the law and see that the rightful person acquires the position. After the sisters meet with a Romulan general and a mysterious woman they invite Picard to their home to assure him choosing Toral would be in the Federation's best interest. Picard is suspicious of possible motives and alliances the Duras sisters made and the next day rejects Toral as a candidate at the High Council. With this Council members indicate their support for Toral's challenge.
Worf offers the support of several warships to Gowron in exchange for restoring his family's honor. Gowron attempts to acquire the assistance of the Enterprise but Worf rejects the idea. At that moment Gowron's ship is attacked by the Duras faction. Gowron asks for the Enterprise's help but Picard orders the ship out of the combat area to avoid getting involved in a civil war. Despite this Worf is able to defend the ship until his brother's ship arrives and forces Duras to retreat.
Gowron installs himself as Leader of the High Council and restores Worf's family honor for his loyalty. Worf then asks Picard to side with Gowron against Duras to maintain stability in the Klingon Empire, but Picard reiterates the Federation cannot get involved in Klingon internal affairs. This leaves Worf in the difficult position of choosing between Starfleet or returning to help his people. Worf resigns his Starfleet commission to join the Klingon Council army as civil war threatens to unravel the Klingon Empire.
Part 2
Although Picard refuses to involve Starfleet in Klingon affairs he fears the Romulans are supporting the Duras family. The goal being to destroy the Klingon alliance with the Federation. After convincing Starfleet of the threat Picard is put in charge of a fleet which will create a blockade against Romulan convoys supplying the Duras family. Various Enterprise crew members are put in temporary command of key ships to coordinate fleet preparations and deployment. The fleet is then quickly dispatched to the Romulan-Klingon border.
Data, now in command of the U.S.S. Sutherland, is confronted with the prejudice of his crew which is voiced by his executive officer. They are not confident an artificial lifeform can be a commanding officer. Data notes his objections and denies a request for transfer.
Meanwhile the Duras sisters meet again with the Romulan commander named Sela who looks very similar to the late Starfleet officer Tasha Yar; but the sisters are troubled by the possible interferance of Picard's fleet in their plans to take over the Empire. The rebellion spreads on the Klingon home world as Duras continues to fight effectively despite heavy losses. Worf is knocked out and kidnapped from a bar by unknown attackers.
With the fleet in position on the Klingon-Romulan border a detection network is established between the ships to uncover any cloaked Romulan convoys supplying Duras. Commander Sela orders her scientists to work on a way to disable the network, but to confuse Picard she contacts the Enterprise and reveals her identity as she warns the fleet to withdraw. Initially concluding Sela's existence is a Romulan trick Picard is visited by Guinan who tells him Sela is not only telling the truth, but that he was somehow responsible for her conception by sending Tasha on the Enterprise-C 23 years in the past despite her death on the Enterprise-D years ago.
To get to the bottom of things Picard agrees to a meeting with Sela on the Enterprise. In an attempt to convince Picard to leave, or give away strategic details, Sela visits the Enterprise to tell her story. Picard avoids her questions and asks about Sela's background. Her story corroborates Guinan's recollection and Picard concludes however strange Sela is indeed Tasha's daughter. Without making any headway with Picard, Sela gives him a fourteen-hour deadline to either retreat or be attacked.
At the same time Worf's kidnappers leave him with the Duras sisters, who try to bribe Worf to join them by marrying the young attractive B'Etor and be the power behind Toral in the High Council. Worf rejects their offer since their methods and cooperation with the Romulans is without honor. Sela overhearing Worf's decision takes him away for "questioning", promising to return him later.
Picard becomes concerned that as time passes and the deadline nears the Romulans may find a way through the blockade. He contacts Gowron and asks that he launch a full offensive on Duras; forcing the Romulan convoy to take action. With the Duras sisters pleading for the supplies Picard attempts to trick Sela by having one of his ships fake technical difficulty. A weakness in the network appears but Sela sees its too good to be true, and orders a solution her scientists came up with to disrupt the network be put into action. A beam aimed at one of the ships should disable the detection grid in a localized area, and Sela chooses Data's ship to be the target.
Spiner_as_Data.jpg
The Romulans use the beam and the network begins to fail around Data's ship. Picard orders the fleet to retreat and redeploy but Data, after doing quick research, orders his ship to stay behind. Data's executive officer grows increasingly hostile as Data ignores hails from the Enterprise; and gives orders that seem to have no purpose but have the goal of detecting the Romulan ships as a result of their beam. After some scanning radiation concentrations are detected and Data orders weak photon torpedoes fired. The executive officer protests but Data responds with calculated anger to force his compliance.
The photons uncover the three cloaked Romulan ships and Sela orders a retreat. Without the convoy Duras are losing quickly to Gowron's attack. Worf is returned to the Sisters but B'Etor rejects him and just as Worf is to be executed his fellow warriors overrun the base. The Sisters beam out leaving Toral behind.
Back at the Klingon home world Picard gives Gowron a debriefing and data on the encounter with the Romulans. With Gowron's position on High Council secure he thanks Picard and rewards Worf with Toral's life. Worf is given the honor of killing the son of the Duras family, which disgraced his family and sent Worf into exile to cover up Duras' betrayal of the settlers at Khitomer. (see: Sins of the Father) Realizing it does not agree with his personal philosophy; and reflecting on the numerous disagreements he had on the "Klingon way", Worf spares Toral's life and requests permission to return to the Enterprise. Picard happily accepts and Worf's brother Kurn is left in the High Council to rebuild the family honor.
References
- Moore, R. D. (Writer), & Bole, C. (Director). (1991). Redemption, Part 1 [Television series episode]. In Rick Berman (Producer), Star Trek: The Next Generation. Hollywood: Paramount Pictures.
- Paramount Pictures. (n.d.). Redemption, Part 1. Retrieved January 3, 2004 from http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episode/68506.html
- Qo'noS (Jan. 3, 2003, 21:02 UTC). In Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 3, 2003 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qo%27noS