Klingons: Where is the honor in cloaking?

[Uxi]

The Klingon honour thing was invented for The Next Generation, and retconned into the Klingons' past in Enterprise. In classic Trek, as originally concieved, Klingons were "Less admirable characters [compared to Romulans]. Their only rule of life is that rules were made to be broken by shrewdness, deceit, or power. Cruelty is something admirable; honor is a despicable trait." (The Making of Star Trek)

Don't forget the whole farting-in-an-airlock thing.


The Klingons of modern Trek took on the aspects of the TOS Romulans.
So the question here could be asked re the Romulans.

Right. That part always bugged me far more than the ridges on the foreheads (though I really liked John Ford's idea of hybrid/Janissaries and a separate "Imperial race" better).

I actually think I like Phase II's Kitumba-idea far better than what Michael Dorn and TNG gave us, too.

Also wish it had been Romulans as the villains in ST3. Christopher Lloyd could have been kept the same goatee makeup and just donned ears instead of a ridged forehead.

 

[Anwar]

Those ideas look good on paper, translating to screen is another matter. Depth of the page won't equal depth on-screen.

 

[Uxi]

The Ford idea would definitely have taken episodes like Kitumba to flesh out and explain, but would be best served with episodes like Riker's cross service if not various Worf-centric episodes.

Combined with keeping the Romulans as the code of honor types,it would have distinguished the Klingons with a... horror of their own. The janissary idea has a certain visceral feel to it.

 

[Anwar]

And I suppose it would keep some detractors from complaining that the Cardassians were just Knock-offs of the TOS Klingons?