Worf, Better Defined On DS9

[sonak]

It seemed like in season 4 from WOTW on they were also repeating the same "Worf as exiled from his people" story on DS9 that they'd already done on TNG with his father being framed and Worf's subsequent banishment.

In season 4 of DS9 when the Klingon-UFP alliance broke down, Worf was once again in conflict between his duty and his people. Except they already had Odo in that role with the Founders.

So then Worf's story arc became about his romance with Jadzia-which was a lot like a retread of the Worf-Troi thing from TNG's season 7. It just seemed like they didn't know what to do with him that was new or different.

 

[Supernuke]

I'm primarily a DS9 fan, but I found Worf much more compelling on TNG. On DS9, he did fight more and they had him act more like a Klingon when they could, but there were just too many characters to really make him fit well. Every other character on that show except for Jake was developed and used very well. On TNG, Worf's character was analyzed well in every one of the Klingon episodes they did. He was tragic for much of the time and it was really great to see what the writers did with him. I also like how he not only had friends of the ship, but also people were there who didn't like him so much. Beverly and Worf had a conflict in multiple episodes with their personal beliefs, and that brought the character out more for me. In DS9, he had some episodes focused on him, but I got the idea that they ran out of ideas for him pretty quickly. I hated when they had him squabbling with Ezri on the Breen ship about their relationship. Worf was just better on TNG.

 

[Saquist]

I like the TNG but I was never a huge fan of Worf until he came on to DS9. I always felt as a character who was torn between two worlds DS9 was a better fit than on TNG where the conflict occassionally ran into him. DS9 on the other he was always in some kind of trouble

I think that really undercuts TNG's Klingon Civil war arc which gave us our best look at the Klingon Hierarchy and system. Was Way of the Warrior good were the Dahar Master epsidoes even better? Absolutely. But there was a foundation laid in TNG that was absolutely pivotable.

 

[timelord1010]

At least on DS9 the stories made sense, TNG movies didn't with regards to Worf. He just so happens to be on Enterprise-E whenever there is a movie and by the time of Nemisis when Worf was supposed to be the Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire they gave up on even explaining how or why Worf was on the Enterprise-E.

 

[Supernuke]

At least on DS9 the stories made sense, TNG movies didn't with regards to Worf. He just so happens to be on Enterprise-E whenever there is a movie and by the time of Nemisis when Worf was supposed to be the Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire they gave up on even explaining how or why Worf was on the Enterprise-E.

True, it didn't make sense when it came to TNG movies, but Dorn had it in his contract that he could be in the movies. Still that does nothing to say that his episodes on TNG didn't make sense. They always made perfect sense to me. More sense than most of his DS9 episodes in fact.

 

[Galileo7]

Worf's character was an asset to the later half of DS9. He was more interesting on DS9.

 

[Saquist]

More sense than most of his DS9 episodes in fact.

Were the DS9 sodes lacking in some way?

 

[Supernuke]

To me, it just seemed like the writers were making stuff up to give him a story most of the time. They created conflict that shouldn't have existed. I'm not saying he was bad on DS9 btw. I love Worf, its just they didn't find a good way to use him in a show filled with many characters that were used in an exemplary fashion. The Way of the Warrior, In Purgatory's Shadow/ By Inferno's Light, and the one with Kurn were all good Worf episodes, but beyond that, he just didn't fit to me. I mean they even had to create a new post for him when he joined the crew. I still don't know what his job was supposed to be.

 

[neogothboy74]

I don't think DS9 needed Worf, yet of all the characters to bring to DS9 he seemed the best fit. He's kind of the only Next Gen character with an edge, aside from Ro Laren, who turned down the series. I don't know that his character was better served on DS9 but I don't think the series hurt his character and he merged with the cast quite well, IMO. It's not like that character lacked screen time; he's in 11 seasons of Trek, 4 Trek movies, and Michael Dorn played the character's grandfather in Star Trek VI. I thought DS9 did a great job with the character (just as Next Gen had) and gave Worf a lot to play off that probably weren't in the cards for the character if he'd only stuck with the Next Gen films which mostly focused on Picard & Data.

 

[Supernuke]

It's not like that character lacked screen time

True, but he did lack screen time in DS9, and that is what we are discussing. I just think that the writers gave him bad story lines. In TNG, he has to fight his way back from his dishonor and we root for him. In DS9, we watch him squabble over wedding details and relationship issues. Really? I don't think those things fit his character at all. The only caveat to that being that he did care about Klingon tradition before DS9, so that I can understand. But even so, they still could have made his stories better.

 

[Saquist]

To me, it just seemed like the writers were making stuff up to give him a story most of the time. They created conflict that shouldn't have existed. I'm not saying he was bad on DS9 btw. I love Worf, its just they didn't find a good way to use him in a show filled with many characters that were used in an exemplary fashion. The Way of the Warrior, In Purgatory's Shadow/ By Inferno's Light, and the one with Kurn were all good Worf episodes, but beyond that, he just didn't fit to me. I mean they even had to create a new post for him when he joined the crew. I still don't know what his job was supposed to be.

Oh...I don't know about that.
Defiant was his post. He even moved in on the ship if I recall.
You have to understand that Worfed moved. It's like You moving from your hometown to Las Vegas or Los Angelos. It's a completely different life and change of pace. This was relationships and stature in life, sons daughters, sisters brothers and wives. Things weren't going to be the same.

Worf found family in DS9 and you know it's about time someone did. The disservice was the death of Jadzia...he just can't catch a break K'Ellyer, Troi and Jadzia, but he did find family...the Worf arc a least concluded nicely with honor restored to him and Kurn and taking their rightful place in the Houses of Quonos.

 

[Supernuke]

Oh...I don't know about that.
Defiant was his post. He even moved in on the ship if I recall.

I was referring to the post of "strategic operations officer". And yes he did command the Defiant. When Sisko didn't. And when Kira didn't. I understand your point, and don't get me wrong, i'm not attacking the character because Worf is one of my favorites. They were two different shows run by different people for the most part. I don't even think that TNG used Worf to his full potential either. But when they did have episodes focusing on him, they seemed to just work better in my opinion.
Maybe I'll concede that DS9 used him better when the episodes did not necessarily focus on Worf. In TNG in those episodes he was usually getting beaten up or having his ideas shot down. But when they did focus on him, it just seemed to work better for me.

 

[InklingStar]

As a primarly TNG fan I would say that Worf was better on TNG.

Though I have to say DS9 got better with Worf though I didn't care for the Worf ignores his son angle.


And if you were worf would you want to hang out with Quark, and Bashir> I thought I remember a few scenes of Worf and O'Brien speaking to each other. Also you have to remember O'Brien and Worf didn't really hang out on the Enterprise either. (at least that I remember). OR maybe Worf didn't care for Keiko, I know I didn't.

Chief O'Brien was one of the few who were at Worf's Age of Ascension anniversary ceremony on the holodeck, for what it's worth.