DS9's "Blood Oath": Were the TOS Klingons Mischaracterized?

[JonnyQuest037]

I'm posting this in the General Trek Forum since it hits on both DS9 and TOS.

I just rewatched the 2nd season DS9 episode "Blood Oath" for the first time in years yesterday, and it really struck me how differently Kor and Koloth were characterized from how they were in their TOS episodes.

Koloth is presented as perhaps the most formidable warrior of the three when he was the most gregarious in "The Trouble With Tribbles." Dax at one point refers to Koloth as being an "iceman" in negotiations, a description that seems to much better fit Michael Ansara's characterization of Kang (especially since Ansara had voiced Mr. Freeze on Batman: The Animated Series).

In contrast, Kor is presented much more humorously than he was in "Errand of Mercy", being loud, boisterous, and often drunk in a distinctly Falstaffian manner. Only Kang seems to be an evolution of the guy we saw on TOS, as he seems to be the most intelligent and serious of the three.

Interestingly, when poking around on Memory Alpha, I discovered that John Colicos felt the same way as me initially:

"When I started reading the script, I spoke to Michael Piller and said, 'I don't really want to play this character, because it's totally contradictory to the original Kor. I have a huge following from the original one, and if he becomes just a buffoon, then I'd honestly rather not do it'. He said, 'No, [Kor] starts out as a rather dipsy, Falstaffian character, but becomes quite heroic in the end'. I said, 'Let me see the last two chapters, before I commit myself finally'. And then there was a question of whether we should all be killed off, whether this was the last hurrah for the 'Over the Hill Klingon' gang. [Piller] said they were contemplating keeping one of us alive, and I said, 'Well, I better be the Ishmael who lives to tell the story'. When they gave me that, I said, 'All right, fine".

So what do you TOS & DS9 fans think? Should the "Blood Oath" writers have reversed the characterizations of Kor and Koloth and made them more in line with TOS? Or do the different slants that DS9 gave them make them more well-rounded characters?

 

[dswynne1]

I'm posting this in the General Trek Forum since it hits on both DS9 and TOS.

I just rewatched the 2nd season DS9 episode "Blood Oath" for the first time in years yesterday, and it really struck me how differently Kor and Koloth were characterized from how they were in their TOS episodes.

Koloth is presented as perhaps the most formidable warrior of the three when he was the most gregarious in "The Trouble With Tribbles." Dax at one point refers to Koloth as being an "iceman" in negotiations, a description that seems to much better fit Michael Ansara's characterization of Kang (especially since Ansara had voiced Mr. Freeze on Batman: The Animated Series).

In contrast, Kor is presented much more humorously than he was in "Errand of Mercy", being loud, boisterous, and often drunk in a distinctly Falstaffian manner. Only Kang seems to be an evolution of the guy we saw on TOS, as he seems to be the most intelligent and serious of the three.

Interestingly, when poking around on Memory Alpha, I discovered that John Colicos felt the same way as me initially:

"When I started reading the script, I spoke to Michael Piller and said, 'I don't really want to play this character, because it's totally contradictory to the original Kor. I have a huge following from the original one, and if he becomes just a buffoon, then I'd honestly rather not do it'. He said, 'No, [Kor] starts out as a rather dipsy, Falstaffian character, but becomes quite heroic in the end'. I said, 'Let me see the last two chapters, before I commit myself finally'. And then there was a question of whether we should all be killed off, whether this was the last hurrah for the 'Over the Hill Klingon' gang. [Piller] said they were contemplating keeping one of us alive, and I said, 'Well, I better be the Ishmael who lives to tell the story'. When they gave me that, I said, 'All right, fine".

So what do you TOS & DS9 fans think? Should the "Blood Oath" writers have reversed the characterizations of Kor and Koloth and made them more in line with TOS? Or do the different slants that DS9 gave them make them more well-rounded characters?

I was fine with the performances. Look at it this way: it has been a hundred years since these guys were in their prime. You're not going to be the exact same person as you were in your youth. Coupled that with the fact that society has also changed, you will have a disconnect between the pads and the present. I know that I am more seasoned as a person now, than when I was when I was in my twenties.

 

[Tosk]

^Pretty much my exact answer too.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I didn't recognize Kor, Kang and Kodos in "Blood Oath". They used the name names and actors, but invented new TNG-style Klingon characters.

 

[Count]

Kang and Koloth's TOS roles were originally made for Jon Colicos (aka, Kor), but he was unavailable, so they case William Campbell and Michael Ansara instead. I like what they did to the trio because basically, they were all the same character just with different names and different actors in TOS.

 

[The Wormhole]

I don't know about mischaracterized, it's been over 100 years since their TOS appearances and life's changes obviously had an effect on them. Besides, Koloth's first scene in the episode truly is awesome. We see Odo alone in his office, the camera gradually zooms in on him and then swings around so we see Koloth standing in front of the desk. The conversation then goes:

Odo: "How did you get in here?"
Koloth: "I am Koloth."
Odo: "That doesn't answer my question."
Koloth: "Yes it does."

 

[Jonas Grumby]

Should the "Blood Oath" writers have reversed the characterizations of Kor and Koloth...?

Nah. Koloth falling into a bottle wouldn't be nearly as tragic--or even unexpected--as Kor, the former great warrior. Nor would his end-of-episode redemption have been as satisfying. The Koloth character was well served by being shown to have somewhat outgrown his earlier pompous silliness, even though he retained his self-important braggadocio.

Also, this exchange...

Odo: "How did you get in here?"
Koloth: "I am Koloth."
Odo: "That doesn't answer my question."
Koloth: "Yes it does."

...fits Koloth very well, but wouldn't have fit Kor at all. Kor was the consumate, non-flashy soldier, calmly and efficiently getting the job done. He wasn't one to beat his own chest; that was Koloth.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I don't know about mischaracterized, it's been over 100 years since their TOS appearances and life's changes obviously had an effect on them. Besides, Koloth's first scene in the episode truly is awesome. We see Odo alone in his office, the camera gradually zooms in on him and then swings around so we see Koloth standing in front of the desk. The conversation then goes:

Odo: "How did you get in here?"
Koloth: "I am Koloth."
Odo: "That doesn't answer my question."
Koloth: "Yes it does."

Absolutely loved that scene! I think Koloth was the only one that ever truly gave Odo pause during his entire time as Constable there at DS9.

Yes, there should be some evolution in personality for these characters over the past 80-100 years, and I think we saw that.

Additionally, there is the in-universe back-story for why they were doing this in the first place. IIRC, all three of them lost their first-born sons to the "Albino" - THAT is enough to change the personality of anyone, Klingon or otherwise. Considering the somewhat patriarchal lineage system that the Klingons seem to embrace, that makes it even worse. It's clear that each of them handled their profound loss in different ways. Kor may have handled it in the poorest way, leading him to become a lost drunk. Personally, I felt it all made sense in the context of the back-story involved. I still often wonder if the Albino was canonically Klingon himself, some racial offshoot or something else entirely, despite the conjecture established in subsequent novels.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If Colicos wasn't initially cool with "Blood Oath", I wonder how he felt about "Once More Unto The Breach".

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I still often wonder if the Albino was canonically Klingon himself, some racial offshoot or something else entirely, despite the conjecture established in subsequent novels.

Yeah, it is kind of weird they didn't address that within the episode itself. I believe that the Excelsior novel Forged in Fire said that the albino was a Klingon, though.

 

[MacLeod]

AS others have said it's been when we see them in DSN over a hundred years have passed since TOS. People change overtime are you the same person you where ten years ago, twenty years ago etc..?

 

[The Wormhole]

I still often wonder if the Albino was canonically Klingon himself, some racial offshoot or something else entirely, despite the conjecture established in subsequent novels.

Yeah, it is kind of weird they didn't address that within the episode itself. I believe that the Excelsior novel Forged in Fire said that the albino was a Klingon, though.

I kind of like they didn't give too much details about who or what the Albino was. Made him more enigmatic.

 

[DS9forever]

If Colicos wasn't initially cool with "Blood Oath", I wonder how he felt about "Once More Unto The Breach".

Kor got a Davy Crockett-style ending; I would hope it pleased Colicos.

 

[MikeS]

Voyager's Flashback and DS9's Tribbles were both done for the thirtieth anniversary if memory serves? Was Blood Oath done for a similar special occasion? I didn't watch DS9 through it's first run (more fool me, it has become one of my favourite shows) so I was quite surprised to see these three Klingons turn up!

 

[The Wormhole]

Voyager's Flashback and DS9's Tribbles were both done for the thirtieth anniversary if memory serves? Was Blood Oath done for a similar special occasion?

Not really, the original story outline just featured three Klingons, they were later changed to Kor, Koloth, and Kang by Robert Hewitt Wolfe since he was a big TOS fan.

 

[Mudang Harada]

I still often wonder if the Albino was canonically Klingon himself, some racial offshoot or something else entirely, despite the conjecture established in subsequent novels.

Yeah, it is kind of weird they didn't address that within the episode itself. I believe that the Excelsior novel Forged in Fire said that the albino was a Klingon, though.

Is he really white enough to be called Albino?

 

[Nerys Myk]

I still often wonder if the Albino was canonically Klingon himself, some racial offshoot or something else entirely, despite the conjecture established in subsequent novels.

Yeah, it is kind of weird they didn't address that within the episode itself. I believe that the Excelsior novel Forged in Fire said that the albino was a Klingon, though.

Is he really white enough to be called Albino?

He seems inline with real life albinos, so yes.