Sunday, July 17, 2011

TNG Ep. 34: A Matter of Honor

Honor. This episode couldn't possibly be about Klingons, could it? Yes! It could!

Summary: Picard suggests that Riker joins a new species exchange program - specifically, that Riker join a Klingon ship and try not to get murdered. Riker loves the idea of the challenge and the notoriety of being the first human to serve on a Klingon ship. In fact, he does pretty well until the Klingons discover a hull-eating substance that they believe to have been planted by the Enterprise. Actually, the miscommunication is the fault of another exchange student, who saw the substance on the hull of both ships, but withheld reporting it until his analysis could be completed. The Enterprise rushes to warn the Klingons, but by then the Klingons are pissed off and have cloaked themselves, prepared to fire. Riker tries to reason with the Klingon captain but ends up having to trick him instead. Thanks to an emergency beacon that Worf gave him before he left the Enterprise, the Klingon captain ends up being transported to the command deck of the Enterprise. Riker takes over the Klingon ship just long enough to resolve the conflict in a manner satisfactory to both parties. The Klingon captain is returned to his ship, and Riker is returned to the Enterprise, sporting a nasty-looking bruise on the side of his face.

Riker with Klingons? I wouldn't have thought of it myself, but it turns out that Riker's pretty good with Klingons. About time he was good at something. His character has taken a pretty hefty beating in the last several episodes, especially when it comes to his relationships with the other sex. But Klingon women? With them, it's appropriate to make jokes about three-somes. The last time Riker had this much luck with women is when he actually got to sleep with one on Angel One. Lady killer, that one.

But who needs the ladies when you're a man's man? Wait, I'm not sure that came out right... What I meant is that Riker gets along with the Klingons because they are macho men (and women). And, to his credit, because he does the prerequisite research. Worms for dinner? No problem. Riker already ate worms that time that he was pretending to be a body-snatcher.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I really want to like Riker, and now maybe I can. Hesitant cheer! And Klingons. I really want to like he Klingons, death yell not withstanding, and this episode certainly didn't hurt that. YARRRRG! And pan out.

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