My go to source for most things Ex Astris Scientia.
TOS Klingons explained?
- Thread starter Saganistheman
- Start date
Perhaps not under normal circumstances. But compared to living a life of dishonor and ridicule because of a viral infection. I can see a trip to the plastic surgeon as a preferable option.
At the end of this pointless story arc, the Klingon doctor specifically said that he would need to find a new specialty, "Perhaps cranial reconstruction surgery." Phlox replied, "I have a feeling that's about to become very popular." Apparently it didn't.
Kor
Exactly, the entire plot defeated itself with that line. If cranial reconstruction surgery was used and become popular, then the entire point of this episode as an explanation for smooth-headed Klingons goes out the window. I remember now that line sticking out to me when I first watched the episode.
The Klingons infected with that virus might have had the same attitude as Chang and Martok, both of whom refused to have surgery to replace their lost eyes. A QuchHa' Klingon might not be happy about looking like a human but they would probably think that it'd be dishonorable to take the easy way out and have surgery. If they can manage to have successful careers even with that 'disability', that's just another foe that they've beaten in battle!
As for Kor, Koloth and Kang: They probably had the virus actually cured in them. Not the same thing.
As for Kor, Koloth and Kang: They probably had the virus actually cured in them. Not the same thing.
I think that the three of them were wearing the Klingon version of a toupee. A fake ridged forehead piece with some long hair attached to it.
Which in reality they were as part of their makeup.
Which in reality they were as part of their makeup.
With disease, as with battle, they lost it because they where not strong enough. Replacing it would dishonorable.
Possibly on Federation Earth, which seems to be entirely upper middle class, this could be done, but I think the Empire probably doesn't have sufficient resources to give every citizen cosmetic surgery. Apart from the cost, I imagine that living with disfigurement is generally regarded as the Klingon thing to do, so there would be very few doctors with knowledge of or equipment for cosmetic surgery.
Not to spend undue energy defending this ridiculous fanwank story, but I think that was to explain why individual Klingons who had appeared smooth-headed in TOS later appeared with ridges in DS9. I would presume it took some time for an adequate procedure to be developed, and perhaps longer still for its use to become accepted in Klingon society, and even then not everyone would be able to afford it.At the end of this pointless story arc, the Klingon doctor specifically said that he would need to find a new specialty, "Perhaps cranial reconstruction surgery." Phlox replied, "I have a feeling that's about to become very popular." Apparently it didn't.
Kor
Exactly, the entire plot defeated itself with that line. If cranial reconstruction surgery was used and become popular, then the entire point of this episode as an explanation for smooth-headed Klingons goes out the window. I remember now that line sticking out to me when I first watched the episode.
When the whole point of a story is nothing more than to "explain" differences in makeup between different production eras, that's beyond the pale.
Whoa there, never said ENT was an abomination in its entirety, just that I find this story to be ridiculous fanwank. You are of course free to disagree. 
Worf (a very honorable Klingon) had no problem having his spine replaced after doing battle with that barrel in the cargo hold.
I prefer the explanation in The Final Reflection, the smooth forehead Klingons were deliberately created by the Klingons of the Imperial Race to interact with Humans.
There were also Klingons with the outward appearance of Romulans to interact and fight them.
.
Last edited:
But didn't it take some convincing for Worf to agree to that operation? I thought he just wanted to kill himself initially.
Enterprise made a heroic effort to explain this.
DS9 copped out with "we don't talk about it" whilst the historically ignorant Starfleet slobs hadn't a clue why. Yuk.
I would've just said that it was a genetic virus deployed by one of the Klingon's numerous adversaries in retaliation for getting a hiding. That's about the best you can salvage from that if you do want to explain it.
DS9 copped out with "we don't talk about it" whilst the historically ignorant Starfleet slobs hadn't a clue why. Yuk.
I would've just said that it was a genetic virus deployed by one of the Klingon's numerous adversaries in retaliation for getting a hiding. That's about the best you can salvage from that if you do want to explain it.
I don't think DS9 copped out, it was just a gentle nudge to the viewer that would have been in on the gag what with it being the 30th Anniversary and all. I think what ENT tried to do was far too convoluted, and they should have just let them be. A two-part story? Really?
They didn't bother explaining why the Romulans had ridges in TNG but not in TOS. Nor did they explain what happened to the Trill between TNG and DS9.
It's all just fiction, all made at different points in history, following different budgets and deadlines.
They didn't bother explaining why the Romulans had ridges in TNG but not in TOS. Nor did they explain what happened to the Trill between TNG and DS9.
It's all just fiction, all made at different points in history, following different budgets and deadlines.
^
I also don't think DS9 copped out. I thought that was a great scene, very funny. DS9 didn't worry about it and let the fans continue using their imaginations regarding Klingon foreheads and I was cool about it.
At the same time I liked that Enterprise did explain the foreheads. I was okay with how they did it, though I don't know if Archer needed to have been involved. In a way it is that Archer is sort of like the 'father' or 'progenitor' of smooth headed Klingons?
I also don't think DS9 copped out. I thought that was a great scene, very funny. DS9 didn't worry about it and let the fans continue using their imaginations regarding Klingon foreheads and I was cool about it.
At the same time I liked that Enterprise did explain the foreheads. I was okay with how they did it, though I don't know if Archer needed to have been involved. In a way it is that Archer is sort of like the 'father' or 'progenitor' of smooth headed Klingons?
It didn't need explaining, period. Let's have a story explaining Shatner's changing toupées, too, shall we? 
Similar threads
