Redemption, Part One

[TrekToday]

Plot Summary: Picard, in his capacity as Klingon Arbiter of Succession, is en route to Gowron's installation ceremony as leader of the High Council when Gowron's flagship intercepts the Enterprise. Gowron warns that the sisters of Duras are trying to stir up a civil war. Because Duras died at Worf's hand in a battle of honor that implicated Duras in a Romulan conspiracy, Gowron wants Picard to ban the entire Duras family from Council meetings, but Picard believes that such an act would involve the Federation in a Klingon power struggle. While Gowron is aboard, Worf asks him to restore honor to the House of Mogh, but Gowron advises him that that would cause further dissension in the Council. Worf's brother Kurn is disgusted with both Gowron and the Duras faction and plans to lead a new alliance with his own squadron, but Worf insists that Kurn remain loyal to the chosen leader. The Duras sisters interrupt Gowron's installation by presenting Duras's son Toral, who despite having been born out of wedlock challenges Gowron for the leadership of the council. The sisters are still having secret meetings with the Romulans, though they attempt to persuade Picard that Toral will be better for Federation interests. Unswayed, Picard rules that Toral lacks the experience to lead the Council. A majority of Klingons follow Duras's son anyway. Gowron is frustrated that Worf cannot persuade Picard to provide Federation aid to allow him to take his rightful place. While they are arguing, followers of the Duras family attack Gowron's ship, which is saved by Worf's strategy and the arrival of Kurn's squadron. Gowron takes his place as leader of the Council and restores Worf and Kurn's family honor. Worf then asks Picard to help stop the Duras rebellion, which is contrary to the interests of both the Federation and the new Klingon leadership, but Picard again insists that he cannot intervene in a Klingon dispute. Then Picard orders Worf to return to the Enterprise, to which Worf responds by resigning from Starfleet to stay with Gowron. Meanwhile, the Duras sisters go to meet with a Romulan leader who looks exactly like Tasha Yar.

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[church2001]

Since I've only seen this episode as a rerun, I'm just wondering how surprised were viewers to see Denise Crosby appearing as Sela?

I feel this episode shows how strong a writer Ronald D. Moore can be. This episode ultimately has repercussions that last all the way to the end of DS9 and, as previously mentioned, even leads to Kirk's death.

And let's not forget this episode introduced the infamous Klingon cleavage...

[Zeke]

I wasn't there for it, but it was a surprise all right. Denise Crosby's voice was recognizable in her previous "shadowed" appearances, but it was so bizarre to think she might be back that the close of this episode was still shocking. (For TV-only fans, that is. The news that she would be in the episode had broken a while earlier, so those who followed the magazines and whatnot knew about it.)

Of course, the question of who she was playing kept people guessing all summer. Tim Lynch was reviewing TNG on Usenet at the time, and in his review of "The Mind's Eye" he remarks that when we find out the truth, "we can finally, FINALLY, lay to rest all of this 'daughter of the Ent-C Tasha' nonsense."

Definitely one of Trek's better cliffhangers. I was so disillusioned when I found out that TV writers don't necessarily know how they're going to resolve these things... Michael Piller, for instance, hadn't decided how to end "Best of Both Worlds" until just before the deadline.