Was Worf a Good Father?
- Thread starter TribbleFeeder
- Start date
Maybe the answer can be found in the episode 'Firstborn', Alexander travels through time to change things.
(if memory serves correctly, it has been years since I revisited that episode)
(if memory serves correctly, it has been years since I revisited that episode)
What I wonder is if Jadzia had survived to season 7, would they actually have a child as they were planning at that time?
In a lot of ways, Worf would have a MUCH easier time because not only would he have Jadzia as a mom, but she also had experience being a father. It's almost like she would be a safety net for a lot of missteps that can happen while raising a new child. Plus, he would have learned from his experiences with Alexander.
As far as best father in STAR TREK, hands down that is Sisko. Miles O'Brien would be my second choice, but we also got the benefit of seeing a LOT more stories between the Siskos than Miles and his kids, so it may not be that fair to judge.
But to answer the question, I don't think Worf was that bad of a parent. The situation really was so unique and awkward that judging it by normal standards is unfair. Were there some things he could have done better? Maybe, but again, really odd situation.
In a lot of ways, Worf would have a MUCH easier time because not only would he have Jadzia as a mom, but she also had experience being a father. It's almost like she would be a safety net for a lot of missteps that can happen while raising a new child. Plus, he would have learned from his experiences with Alexander.
As far as best father in STAR TREK, hands down that is Sisko. Miles O'Brien would be my second choice, but we also got the benefit of seeing a LOT more stories between the Siskos than Miles and his kids, so it may not be that fair to judge.
But to answer the question, I don't think Worf was that bad of a parent. The situation really was so unique and awkward that judging it by normal standards is unfair. Were there some things he could have done better? Maybe, but again, really odd situation.
I agree, Sisko was definitely the best parent in Trek.
As for what he could do better, I think keeping Alexander with him on the E-D and bringing him to DS9. He would have had a lot more of a stable life on a space station, I don’t know why he didn’t live with him there.
Also I think he tried too hard to make him live a “Klingon warrior lifestyle”. He should have just went with it. The kid obviously wasn’t interested in those values, his mother never educated him in the Klingon culture. He was basically human.
I’m kind of figuring this out as I’m reading other people’s posts on here and watching Worf centric episodes today, sorry if I contradicted some of my earlier statements. I guess that’s the thing about getting input, you’re kind of forming your opinions as the thread continues.
This is really the crux of it. The real damage Worf is doing is that he allows his personal struggle with feeling inadequate to spill over in his parenting. Do to circumstances in his life, Worf doesn't feel very Klingon, so he overcompensates, & Alexander is caught in the wake. Pretty much every scene we see of the two of them together, Worf is scolding of him, if he doesn't represent his Klingon aspect accordingly. IMHO, it's as bad as how Sarek shuns Spock. At least Sarek had the decency to shun him & be done with it. Instead of shunning him, Worf is forcing it, belaboring it, with constant inundation, wanting him to embrace Klingonness in the same devout way that he has determined he (Worf) must himself.
What Alexander NEEDS is the Worf who's learned to live among humans, & take to heart their sensibilities, to rise among the ranks of one of their institutions, while still fully observing his heritage. How come we've never seen Worf imparting upon Alexander any Starfleet principles? Why does he never enlighten him in the complexity of his friendships with the varied people who he calls comrades in THAT world? It's always Klingon this & Klingon that. You're sending the kid the wrong message, because he isn't even all Klingon, & he desperately needs to know that other side of it
Even in moments when Worf comes around, it's still selfish. Consider the Fistful of Data's holodeck program, which Worf was initially adamantly opposed to joining in on. He only started to come around to sharing in it, in any meaningful way, once he realized that HE would be the town's law enforcer, taking on bag guys etc... He's literally not compelled at all to share in an interest of his son's unless it holds value to him 1st
Remember that Alexander only comes to live on the Enterprise, because the Rozhenkos either wouldn't or couldn't care for him any longer. I like to think they just knew well enough to see that it had to be, whether Worf could see it or not, but Worf is begrudging to a degree that is harmful imho. Frankly, a father that overtly demonstrates that he doesn't want to be your father is a form of abuse, & in some ways, the kid's better off without them
& that's just the parenting relationship. I'm not even talking about the two periods of abandonment
I totally agree with this.
The real question to ask about Worf is... Does Worf actually want to be living within the Starfleet world, or is this just the next best thing to being an outcast among his people? Because to look at his behavior, you'd think he is ashamed of it, & that certainly is the impression he's leaving on his son
Guinan so has Worf pegged in her conversation on the firing range, that its almost as deep a cut as the fact that she is beating him at target practice lol
Guinan so has Worf pegged in her conversation on the firing range, that its almost as deep a cut as the fact that she is beating him at target practice lol
"Was Worf a good father?" Truth or lie? That's all I have to say about that. 
Haha wait what"Was Worf a good father?" Truth or lie? That's all I have to say about that.
As others have said, Worf really tried his best during seasons 5-7 of TNG. Worf took him to the Holodeck often; he made an effort to spend time with his son, and to understand him. They even went to counseling together. Then the movies came, and Alexander was pretty much written out of Worf's life until he appeared on DS9.
I just had this odd notion that Kurn comes for a visit, sees Worf trying to teach Alexander "to be more Klingon" and is all "Dude, WTF???!!!???"
It's easy to believe that Worf was basically trying to raise Alexander based on "Klingon Children for Dummies" or such, and that the theory had little to do with the reality.
It's easy to believe that Worf was basically trying to raise Alexander based on "Klingon Children for Dummies" or such, and that the theory had little to do with the reality.
Besides, if you really want to respect the memory of the kid's dead mother, who you were willing to slaughter a guy over, then respect that she valued her human half equally, if not more so, such that she initially didn't even trust Worf to be in their lives together. Why? Because Worf is so damn unrelenting about Klingon stuff, especially for a guy who mated with a half human, lives among & serves with humans, & continues to consider his adopted human parents & sibling his family. If ever there was a guy who should be able to raise a kid of that origin, he's it, & yet... All because he can't get over himself.
You know, over the course of the character's 14 years of production, he's only ever had 3 romances, & not one of them were 100% Klingon, but when it comes to his kid? Cultural dogma. Nothing bothers me more about Worf's parenting than the fact that he's never shown trying to reconcile his influence with what surely would've been the very different influence of Alexander's mother. Her wishes & impact are just... gone
You know, over the course of the character's 14 years of production, he's only ever had 3 romances, & not one of them were 100% Klingon, but when it comes to his kid? Cultural dogma. Nothing bothers me more about Worf's parenting than the fact that he's never shown trying to reconcile his influence with what surely would've been the very different influence of Alexander's mother. Her wishes & impact are just... gone
In some ways, Worf is very much a fanboy of Klingon heritage.
In some ways it was nice to see a male character being portrayed as an active father - something we saw a lot more of on DS9. But it is a shame that the stick up his butt that had a stick up its butt got in the way of that relationship and he just tried to make Alexander this great Klingon warrior. Realistic? Sure, parents constantly try to make their kids either clones of themselves or into what they always wanted to be. But sadly not great as fathering goes. Then when the story no longer wanted him to have a son, he was quietly written out, which is a shame. It might have been interesting to see him transition to DS9 and hang with Jake and Nog, I think the DS9 writers could have had fun with that.
I would have loved to see them interact. I think it would have been good for Alexander to be around different types of aliens too. I feel like E-D was mostly humans. It had to be weird to be the only one developing in their culture outside of their home world. Him and Nog would have had a lot in common in some ways.
Even Q is a little scared of Guinan. There's no shame in being intimidated by the best.
I think Picard was too, I was watching I Borg yesterday and that scene where she tells him to look Hugh in the eye is intense.Even Q is a little scared of Guinan. There's no shame in being intimidated by the best.
Dude, she wasn't even supposed to KNOW Tasha, & all she had to do was look at her weird to know some shit was bad
Guinan was a bad chick. She honestly is one of my favorite minor female characters in Trek.
Similar threads
