Worf Question

[Thestral]

So, a question for you all. I, like most, find Let He Who is Without Sin to be a terrible episode. Yet, the Worf/Dax conversation about his childhood soccer accident I think is actually worthwhile and enlightening about much of Worf's attitude, especially his rigid (and quite non-Klingon) sense of self-control. I'll be using it in a paper I'm writing about systems theory and how the systems Worf grew up in shaped him.

Anyway, the question is, am I alone in thinking of this conversation/revelation to be a diamond in an otherwise very rough episode?

 

[Geckothan]

I found the speech cringeworthy myself..

 

[DS9forever]

I thought it was an excellent scene. But I am in the minority who don't find "Let He Who Is Without Sin..." as bad as some say.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

That sounds like it would be a fascinating paper. Good luck. (Star Trek is a gold mine for academic paper topics.)

I think the scene was a good explanation as to why Worf is the way he is, but I agree that the rest of the episode was pretty bad. (Worf was a self-righteous stick in the mud for most of the show [the episode, not the series].)

If you're looking for more stuff for your paper, you might want to check out Guinan's conversation with Worf's parents in the TNG episode Family, where Guinan tells them that everyone looks out the window at the stars and tries to find home. She then says that when Worf looks for home, he's not looking at the Klingon homeworld (sorry, can't spell it); he's looking at Earth.

 

[Thestral]

Geckothan, it's more the subject matter than the particulars of the speech that I'm interested in, kind of the way some people approach the Bible.

DS9Forever, I'm glad you enjoyed it; while I may not think highly of the episode, I'm glad that others do.

Vulcan Princess, thanks for the kind words. The paper will be looking at quite a bit of TNG stuff too, both his relations with his human family and with the Empire/Federation. I'm supposed to be analyzing a family from a family systems perspective, and then reflecting on a proposed ministry to the situation. So the interaction between family (adoptive and biological, plus Alexander, K'Ehleyr, Dax), culture (Worf in the liminal space between the two), and how larger events (Klingon Civil War, Romulan/Klingon relations, Klingon corruption) shape his behavior.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

It's funny because in TNG, Worf (before Alexander) was the biggest non-conformist. On DS9, he was the biggest conformist. Then again, I never really cared for Worf on DS9. He was out of place.

Moreover, Worf's relationship with Dax lacked any spark because Dorn and Farrell had little to no chemistry with each other.

 

[RyuRoots]

I felt that the scene (like the rest of the episode) was stupid and pointless. We've known Worf for eight full seasons of television and a movie at this point, and it felt like the creators pulled it out of their....pulled it out of thin air. It felt annoying to me, since by this time I had accepted Worf. He's a serious, sorta grumpy guy. I felt that trying to explain his personality was weak and just further detracted from an already horrid episode.

 

[Too Much Fun]

It was the only scene in the episode I liked, because it actually helped make Worf and Dax's relationship just a little more plausible. The whole episode I was getting annoyed at how little sense it made for them to be together when he's constantly nagging her about being too playful and she's whining at him about being the opposite. I couldn't stand that. Then there's this one scene where he opens up to her and she is comforting to him. That was nice.

Not the most creatively written scene and story, but I at least liked the idea behind it, showing that Worf has a sensitive side that she'd be attracted to and something about her would make him trust her enough to show it to her when he'd conceal it from most anyone else. I thought the whole point of the episode was to explain why they make sense as a couple and this was the only part that succeeded in doing so at all (although not as convincingly as it could have). Also, Dorn and Farrell definitely had chemistry. I heard they actually dated 'in real life' too!

 

[Nightdiamond]

The points about how laxed the Federation had become was nice story point.

 

[Timo]

"Become"? I didn't observe any difference to what we saw in TOS, or ENT, or what we see today...

And I totally buy the backstory of why Worf became a serious guy. Being a serious guy is so completely anti-Klingon on all the other occasions where we have a chance to observe Klingons... The first officer on the Klingon ship that Riker temped on in "A Matter of Honor" was basically the only other "work is all I live for" Klingon out there, and he, too, had an excuse for it: he wanted, yet at the same time didn't want, to distance himself from his loser of a father. His shipmates were the antithesis of Worf, though.

I mean, normally a person who acts like Worf would be doing so in order to play the tough guy; "See, I'm all rigid military manners because I'm a badass soldier!". But Klingons do that very thing the exact opposite way. And Worf didn't want to distance himself from his heritage, quite to the contrary. So an alternate explanation was very welcome.

Of course, the kitchen psychology that Worf applied on himself isn't likely to be the whole truth. But it's still an important formative element of what he is, by definition.

...Also, a moment of self-analysis in the presence of you special other is a classic formative element in itself. It need not have to be the truth, or even have the kernel of truth there; but rationalizing yourself to another person is always interesting and significant, and may lead to great things.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Deckerd]

...Also, a moment of self-analysis in the presence of you special other is a classic formative element in itself. It need not have to be the truth, or even have the kernel of truth there; but rationalizing yourself to another person is always interesting and significant, and may lead to great things.

He did it far better in one sentence. "I am not a merry man."

 

[Myasishchev]

I thought it was decent character backstory.

Really, Let He Who Is Without Sin isn't totally godawful. The part that is, is that Worf gets involved with troublemakers basically opposed to everything the Federation and Starfleet stands for, further violates his Starfleet oath by committing an act of domestic terrorism, and it's played off way too easily.

I guess accidentally killing some dude during a soccer game ultimately results in turning you into a Flash villain at the first hint of nudity. Somehow I feel there's something missing from that progression.

 

[Praetor]

Worf has the Superman problem. I guess that makes Jadzia the 'woman of kleenex?

 

[Myasishchev]

Worf has the Superman problem. I guess that makes Jadzia the 'woman of kleenex?

 

[Praetor]

Worf has the Superman problem. I guess that makes Jadzia the 'woman of kleenex?

Glad someone got that...

 

[Myasishchev]

Larry Niven's famous little tract, I recall.

Famously called back in Mallrats--"The only way he could mate with a human woman is if he wore a kryptonite condom. And that would kill him."

 

[Praetor]

^

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Speaking of "Let He Who is Without Sin," sfdebris (youtube) has another humorous review up on this episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C37B1XGR-o

 

[Myasishchev]

SFDebris is literally the greatest human being who ever lived. He's done the impossible: turned Voyager and Enterprise into entertainment!

 

[Timo]

The part that is, is that Worf gets involved with troublemakers basically opposed to everything the Federation and Starfleet stands for, further violates his Starfleet oath by committing an act of domestic terrorism, and it's played off way too easily.

Of course, that's par for Worf's course... It's just that this time around, the troublemakers opposed to the Federation and Starfleet aren't fellow Klingons. But Worf must feel invincible, having broken UFP laws and Starfleet regulations left and right and having left a mile-long trail of bloody corpses, and still having come out of every possible inquiry smelling of roses.

Timo Saloniemi