Speaking of Klingons....

[xortex]

Gowron is an hysterical example of wht I'm talking about - over the top, cartoonish, wierd, insane, bug eyed monster. Ridiculous. Worf cut back and reeled it in after that. Actors are always trying to stand out anyway until they finally have an out of body experience. I'm laughing too hard to even write this, but I think Worf was happy to kill that bug eyed bastard finally in DS9.

 

[Yevetha]

He was savvy enough to realise the value of clone Kahless wasnt he?

 

[xortex]

He was savvy enough to realise the value of clone Kahless wasnt he?

Well I do think his arm had to be twisted about that but I don't think I ever said they were stupid, maybe just depicted stupidly. I think Gowron was also trying to not only come out of his appliance but out of the t.v. set as well.

 

[F. King Daniel]

The Klingon interrogator from the STXI deleted scenes was excellent. We see the guards outside snarling, looking psychotic and barking in Klingonese and then... we hear one calmly speaking to Nero in perfect english. Kinda like Hannibal Lecter in a bike helmet.

 

[xortex]

The Klingon interrogator from the STXI deleted scenes was excellent. We see the guards outside snarling, looking psychotic and barking in Klingonese and then... we hear one calmly speaking to Nero in perfect english. Kinda like Hannibal Lecter in a bike helmet.

That's an example of an actor pushing a movie, the other is an example of an actor pushing himself.

 

[Paradon]

The Klingon interrogator from the STXI deleted scenes was excellent. We see the guards outside snarling, looking psychotic and barking in Klingonese and then... we hear one calmly speaking to Nero in perfect english. Kinda like Hannibal Lecter in a bike helmet.

You mean Klingons are pyschopaths?

 

[Yevetha]

By our standards.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I disagree on your analogy of Worf being atypical Klingon. IMO that's how Klingons should behave.

But that's not how they do behave, as shown on Star Trek. Worf makes a big deal about aspects of Klingon culture like honor or courage. For other Klingons, these are just traits they naturally have - why make a big deal about it - and frequently, they're not traits they have at all! They're dishonorable, backstabbing cowards putting on a fake front. Or they're courageous but still dishonorable. Worf is the only Klingon I've seen on Star Trek that displays the kind of continuous effort to be Klingon. The others just are Klingon. And I'm sure that distinction was intentional on the writers' part.

People have mentioned this before but I find it unlikely. We all know humanity's track record. Any species that was significantly more inherrently belligerent (as an underlying genetic trait rather than learned behaviour) would be very unlikely to survive once their tech level entered the nuclear era.

Klingons are like Romulans and Vulcans - they've developed cultural attributes that defuse their belligerance. That's the purpose of Klingons' deification of the concept of honor. It limits how savagely they're allowed to behave. The Vulcans have logic and the Rommies have something that isn't clear, but should be.

 

[Paradon]

Well, for some aliens who get off on killing the enemies on the battlefield and valueing honor codes, I would expect a sense of discomfort when you insult them like that. Klingons are not timid, compared to humans by nature. They would feel the lost of a sense of control. If a another Klingons insult or doubt Worf's honor and bravery, they would have a fight to the death to resolve their problem to prove which one is the strongest. Remember what Worf said to Picard in "First Contact"? For someone like Worf they could probably handle verbal insult, but don't expect to friend with him afterward. That's how Klingons behave around other aliens because they know they are weaker and their customs and traditions would not hold them accountable for a fight to the death like Klingons customs and traditions would. Even for some humans who pride themselves on being courageous and brave, verbal insults are not tolerate very well, but it doens't mean they are going to hit or kill you; however, don't expect to be close friends. My grandfather was the same way; he des not like verbal insults. For people who don't take that honor crap seriously, they may not think much about it if some flip them off or cus at them, but to a big tough guy that's like challenging him. People like that like to feel in control.

 

[TheLobes]

I think its excusable, due to the fact that every Star Trek series has been about humans, not Klingons. This is the reason I get so annoyed when people say the next series should be on a Klingon ship or something.

When youre writing a show which aims to take a closer look at humanity, its useful to have something to compare humanity to. This is the basic staple of science-fiction, taking humans, and judging them against something else. If you look at the time when science fiction began evolve, people were very much looking away from humans as unique and unfallible. I dont think its a coincidence that a move away from traditional religion, and towards humanism, is happening at the same time science fiction is getting popular.

So, if you want to examine humans by comparison, it makes sense that the comparison species you use be fairly unrealistic, and this applies to nearly all the races we meet in Star Trek. Ferengi, Klingon, Vulcan even Data. None made sense in any way, but that was good, because using such broad and unrealistic characters allows for a more interesting and dramatic reaction. Ferengi are ridiculous, no society could ever evolve like that, but its because they are so specifically created that we get those great moments of comparison, like when Quark berates Sisko for looking down on them in 'The Jem'hadar'.

I think this is just how drama works. Sure, the Klingon's arent realistic, but thats what makes them interesting in a show like Star Trek.

 

[antiquityscion]

While Klingon's are one of my favorite alien races in Trek (I prefer them with ridges thank you) there is one thing that has always made them a little implausible. They are often depicted as being barbarous and warrior like to the point it is hard to believe that they would ever develop advanced technology such as warp drive, transporter technology etc.

Anyone else feel this way?

Yeah I did, but after Voyager introduced the Kazon (to me, the Klingons of the Delta Quadrant), and explained they were conquered by, revolted against and drove off, then stole technology from the Trabe, it made sense to me the Klingons probably did the same thing with the Hur'q.

 

[Yevetha]

Even if they stole the tech they have to constantly upgrade it.

 

[xortex]

Yea, they're nomatic, constantly escaping their own depravity like the Pakleds which is another interesting story albeit different. Klingons - this ship is our ticket out of the ghetto. We need to subjugate other races into the Empire to help us fix it. and then kill them when they taught us how, but they both come from the standpoint of being hurt. Hurt by the Hurq.

 

[T'Girl]

Hurt by the Hurq.

We're permanent victims, this justifies everything we do.


I wonder, when Klingons refer to "we killed our gods," are they talking about the Hurq?