Birthright

[kkt]

I just watched "Birthright" for the first time. Some really good ideas, but some odd things as well.

Enterprise visits DS9 but nobody goes to say hello to Miles and Keiko O'Brien? They've been eating off Federation replicators in the Enterprise for years, probably, and when Geordi and Worf visit DS9 they don't visit any of the restaurants on DS9. I'd be so eager to try someplace new! No shore leave organized that they bothered to film. Nobody wants to go visit Quark's? Let alone ground time on Bajor, even implied by taking the shuttle down. Barely worth visiting DS9 at all.

Well, I did enjoy both main plots of the episode, and that's the main thing I guess.

 

[Finn]

Hi

How do you know they didn't go and say hi to Miles and Keiko?

How do you know they didn't visit one of the restaurants? I don't see Worf caring enough though.


None of those are relevant to the plot. Why didn't we see Riker and Troi visit Angel Falls in Family? Why didn't we see them take a stroll at Fisherman's Wharf the few times we saw San Francisco? Hell, I don't think they ever showed whether the Bay Bridge was still there or not...it's always the Golden Gate Bridge


plot.

One could argue that there was no real reason to do it with DS9. They could have gone with a random station that was on the more gritty side. Even Bashir's role was strange as he could have done it with Jadzia.

They probably didn't want to make another set for a space station after starting DS9 and probably wanted to save it for other episodes...

 

[Mojochi]

Would any of that have anything to do with either featured character's birthright? I mean, maybe Geordi did have a beer with O'Brien at Quark's, but how would that be interesting unless something came of it? We do see him eating at a restaurant with Worf in the teaser, where he talks about visiting shops & speaking with O'Brien later about how bad the food was. (Which Worf liked)

It is after all just a space station at the ass end of the galaxy near a suffering planet of war torn survivors, who the Enterprise are tasked with helping to restore their aqueduct infrastructure. Bev mentions using some of Quark's holosuite programs, after her work on the project is done, but Picard, & presumably a lot of officers, are busied with being there to work.

This isn't shore leave. There's work happening.

 

[tomalak301]

Saying Hi to Miles and Kaiko wasn't part of the main story. It would have been nice but there was already a lot going on with Data's dream story and Worf's story.

 

[Tosk]

How do you know they didn't visit one of the restaurants? I don't see Worf caring enough though.

Also, the station had barely even "re-opened" when the Enterprise visited. I wouldn't be surprised if all the eating establishments were using replicators at that point any way.

Even Bashir's role was strange as he could have done it with Jadzia.

That's who it was supposed to be, but Farrell was still shooting Move Along Home so they switched it.

 

[kkt]

Would any of that have anything to do with either featured character's birthright? I mean, maybe Geordi did have a beer with O'Brien at Quark's, but how would that be interesting unless something came of it? We do see him eating at a restaurant with Worf in the teaser, where he talks about visiting shops & speaking with O'Brien later about how bad the food was. (Which Worf liked)

It is after all just a space station at the ass end of the galaxy near a suffering planet of war torn survivors, who the Enterprise are tasked with helping to restore their aqueduct infrastructure. Bev mentions using some of Quark's holosuite programs, after her work on the project is done, but Picard, & presumably a lot of officers, are busied with being there to work.

This isn't shore leave. There's work happening.

Exactly. If there's not time or interest in filming scenes in DS9, why make a big deal about going there? In film, you mostly show, not tell. Shrek had to meet Worf somewhere, but that could have been anywhere the Enterprise planned on being.

 

[Tosk]

DS9 was the brand new Trek show. TNG went there to help get people to watch it. It's not complicated.

 

[Jedman67]

Exactly. If there's not time or interest in filming scenes in DS9, why make a big deal about going there? In film, you mostly show, not tell. Shrek had to meet Worf somewhere, but that could have been anywhere the Enterprise planned on being.

The DS9 sets already existed, so bringing the Enterprise there saved time and money to build new sets, that was used to create the Internment Camp.

The fact that time was so short they couldn't get any of the other DS9 cast is they were busy filming their own episode.

I think they should have done more crossover stuff but it's hard to pull off.

 

[Mojochi]

Exactly. If there's not time or interest in filming scenes in DS9, why make a big deal about going there? In film, you mostly show, not tell. Shrek had to meet Worf somewhere, but that could have been anywhere the Enterprise planned on being.

Promotional. DS9 was new.

I too am dismayed there seemingly wasn't more chances for crossover content, once both shows were in production at the same time, but apparently there must have been some kind of restrictions or limitations, but of course they would try to do it, at least once. It's only logical

Frankly, I was a bit disappointed in that very episode, when the 2nd part about Worf never again brought more scenes at DS9. I mean, it just seems a waste, in hindsight, knowing now that this would be our only trip there for TNG, & it didn't even get featured throughout the whole narrative

 

[kkt]

I'm a bit bothered by Worf going along with a lie to explain the Klingons as they come out into the galaxy again. Didn't we just have an episode about the First Duty being truth? Even when it's inconvenient?

 

[fireproof78]

Worf's whole attitude is a bit off putting throughout the episode.

 

[kkt]

Bashir (and Jadzia, too, if they had used her instead) would certainly known better than just walking into somebody ELSE'S lab and making themselves at home! It's just politeness, and you don't know what plans they have for experiments in process or for nonreplicable materials they may be needing soon.

 

[Tosk]

But you gotta admit, it's way more believable as something season one Julian would do.

 

[Mojochi]

Enjoyable though it is, that whole Julian opening bit always seemed unnecessarily slapdash to me. I can think of about 15 other more plausible excuses for scenarios where Data gets zapped unconscious aboard ship, that could work in a newbie DS9 officer.

How exactly would Bashir even be there without authorization? He'd need authorization to even be aboard ship, like Dalen Quaice. Once he had that, I can't imagine him, as CMO of the station, being restricted from sickbay utilities access.

Especially as it just so happens not one soul is in sickbay at that moment as well? What, no one knows he just snuck aboard, found sickbay empty & started puttering like the rat in Ratatouille? We're doing some really lazy schlepping to get Spinner into a scene with Siddig imho. It might be a somewhat season 1 Julian type thing to do, but it's not a reasonably Enterprise thing to see happen IMHO.

 

[Tosk]

but it's not a reasonably Enterprise thing to see happen IMHO.

As opposed to the entire ship being taken over by several Ferengi.

 

[Mojochi]

As opposed to the entire ship being taken over by several Ferengi.

Riker had a bad day lol

 

[DonIago]

Riker had a bad day lol

At least it was one of the few instances where the ship is facing a takeover and Our Heroes properly disable command functions.

 

[Farscape One]

I just watched "Birthright" for the first time. Some really good ideas, but some odd things as well.

Enterprise visits DS9 but nobody goes to say hello to Miles and Keiko O'Brien? They've been eating off Federation replicators in the Enterprise for years, probably, and when Geordi and Worf visit DS9 they don't visit any of the restaurants on DS9. I'd be so eager to try someplace new! No shore leave organized that they bothered to film. Nobody wants to go visit Quark's? Let alone ground time on Bajor, even implied by taking the shuttle down. Barely worth visiting DS9 at all.

Well, I did enjoy both main plots of the episode, and that's the main thing I guess.

As others have noted, DS9 was brand new at the time and this was a quick way to get some eyes on it. If the other characters appeared, that would also be extra money thrown in, not to mention availability of actors filming at the same time.

Regarding going to Bajor... keep in mind that DS9 is at the mouth of the wormhole. It's a three hour trip to Bajor, and three hours back. Short of the Enterprise going directly to Bajor, that wasn't going to happen. And this was a work situation that only happened to have the ability of a few officers to visit the station while docked.

I'm a bit bothered by Worf going along with a lie to explain the Klingons as they come out into the galaxy again. Didn't we just have an episode about the First Duty being truth? Even when it's inconvenient?

I actually think it made the most sense for Worf to keep quiet about that planet. If anyone found out those older Klingons were prisoners from Khitomer, their entire families would get dishonored. As Worf explained to those kids, they made the sacrifice to stay so their families back home would keep their honor, so it was necessary to maintain the silence.

And Picard seemed to think something more was up, but I think he read between Worf's lines and didn't push because he trusted Worf was doing what he felt was the honorable thing.



I also liked this two-parter a lot, and thought it gets more hate than it deserved.

 

[aquova]

I just watched "Birthright" for the first time. Some really good ideas, but some odd things as well.

Enterprise visits DS9 but nobody goes to say hello to Miles and Keiko O'Brien? They've been eating off Federation replicators in the Enterprise for years, probably, and when Geordi and Worf visit DS9 they don't visit any of the restaurants on DS9. I'd be so eager to try someplace new! No shore leave organized that they bothered to film. Nobody wants to go visit Quark's? Let alone ground time on Bajor, even implied by taking the shuttle down. Barely worth visiting DS9 at all.

Well, I did enjoy both main plots of the episode, and that's the main thing I guess.

I do agree with this. This episode screams "cross promotional episode", yet they could only get Alexander Siddig in to play his role. I understand they were busy, but you would think if they were going to all the trouble of filming on their sets they would better coordinate with DS9 to create an episode that would genuinely get the TNG audience interested in watching the new show.

 

[Mojochi]

I don't mind the 2-parter. It's a pretty well presented production for the season, but I like the 1st part significantly more, because Worf spending another hour whining about "they know nothing of our ways" is a bit much, by this point.

Like so what, dude? This ain't your world. These really aren't even your people. They don't give a crap about how you think they should live. Has being in Starfleet taught you nothing?

He created the problem of the young needing to be secretly relocated, & they'll now live in secret, with pseudonyms, & be culturally stunted, which might even get some of them killed, given how Klingons act toward the weak or unworthy.

It's just like how Worf handles his own kid. Make a problem & abandon it. Somewhere later, this should've come back on him.