star trek first born cast

Firstborn (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Sets and props
• 3.6 Continuity
• 3.7 Reception
• 3.8 Apocrypha
• 3.10 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-stars
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Library computer references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

" Sorry. I didn't mean to hit you! "

In his quarters , Worf rehearses, a little nervously, how he will explain to his son Alexander what it means to be a true Klingon warrior. Alexander dashes in, pursued by his friend Eric with a fullerene water balloon. He misses Alexander and instead hits Worf, who is not amused. However, he continues with his explanation.

He tells Alexander that there are actually two Rite of Ascension ceremonies; Alexander won't be required to pass through the second rite (the one with painstiks ) until he is older, but is old enough for the first rite now. His fighting skills and his knowledge of the teachings of Kahless will be tested, and Worf promises to help him with this. The first step is lighting a kor'tova candle and declaring one's intention to be a Klingon warrior.

Alexander doesn't want to do it, reminding Worf that his mother K'Ehleyr told him he didn't have to do any "Klingon stuff" he didn't want to. Worf agrees that it must be Alexander's choice, and Alexander runs out of the room, declaring that he has no intention of becoming a warrior.

Act One [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D is supposed to rendezvous with another ship, the Kearsarge , but it won't arrive for another four days, so the senior staff plan extra activities. Captain Picard wants to visit the Hatarian system where there's an archaeological dig, and Data suggests stellar dynamics can have more access to the lateral sensor grid to examine the Vodrey Nebula . Picard notices that Worf looks distracted during the briefing, and Worf explains afterwards about the problems he is having with Alexander. Picard suggests that the Enterprise detour to the Klingon outpost on Maranga IV where they'll be celebrating Kot'baval and Alexander can immerse himself in Klingon culture and folklore; this will also give Stellar Dynamics a chance to see the entire nebula, as the outpost lies on the other side of it.

On Maranga, the festival is in full swing; there is almost a county fair atmosphere, what with the vendors and the banners and the colorful re-enactments of Klingon history. Worf and Alexander watch one such drama, in which the story of how Kahless defeated the traitor Molor is shown. The actor playing Molor issues repeated challenges to bat'leth duels, and audience members are invited to participate. Alexander is caught up in the excitement and accepts a challenge. The actor takes a fall to let Alexander win.

After spending a full day at the festival and even making some friends among the Klingon children at the outpost, Alexander meets up with Worf, who is waiting for him. Alexander explains that he needs 50 darseks to see the mummified head of Molor but Worf believes the man who is offering this is simply trying to take his money. Worf tells his son it is time to go and promises they will return tomorrow. They are about to return to the Enterprise when a trio of armed Klingon warriors appear from the shadows, cornering them.

Act Two [ ]

Before the fight starts, an older Klingon man comes out of the shadows of an alley and fires a disruptor at one of the assailants. Worf takes on the other two, shouting to Alexander to run. The older Klingon helps to defeat them, and they run away. Worf recognizes the man as K'mtar , gin'tak or adviser to the House of Mogh .

" One of the attackers dropped this dagger. The design represents the House of Duras. "

They beam aboard the Enterprise where Commander Riker wants to question them, unhappy with K'mtar's reluctance to answer. K'mtar shows the dagger dropped by one of the assailants. It bears the insignia of the rival House of Duras , indicating that Lursa and B'Etor are behind the attack. They have not been heard from since they tried to sell bilitrium explosives to a Bajoran terrorist on Deep Space 9 . They are after the seat on the Klingon High Council now held by Worf's brother Kurn , who has sent K'mtar to protect Worf and his child and put a stop to the sisters' treachery. Riker says the next step will be to track down the sisters. Riker offers to help find them and gives K'mtar quarters on the ship.

Worf and K'mtar leave to his quarters. K'mtar relates Kurn's concern about Alexander, as he has no male heir and so Alexander may have to lead the House of Mogh someday. Kurn believes in Worf's ability to teach him, but it can't be easy being the only two Klingons on a starship full of Humans . He inquires how Alexander is doing as far as his Klingon warrior skills, and Worf says he is not as good as he should be, because he doesn't take time to practice as all Klingon youths do. K'mtar promises to help, and Worf accepts. Very gently (for a Klingon), he approaches Alexander's bedside and speaks in warm, understanding tones, telling him that learning warrior's skills will help Alexander to feel that not only he, but his father, are safe from harm. Worf, around the corner, is a little uneasy that there is another voice influencing Alexander, but he does trust him.

Act Three [ ]

" So long, Quark. "

The next day, on the bridge , Riker has Worf contact Deep Space 9 while Data searches records for the Duras sisters. Data does not find any more information, and so Riker turns to DS9. He bribes information out of the station's bartender Quark as to what the Duras sisters are doing and where they are. To get the information out of Quark, Riker offers to return his vouchers he received when he won playing dabo while at Deep Space 9 instead of latinum , which Quark did not have enough of to cover his winnings of twelve bars. Quark then explains he heard a rumor that Lursa and B'Etor were trying to buy some secondhand mining equipment to dig up a magnesite deposit (which actually belongs to the Pakleds ) in the Kalla system . Riker promises to send the vouchers back to Quark, but he had them voided while they were speaking.

While the Enterprise travels to the Kalla system, K'mtar comes up with a holodeck simulation different from what Alexander is used to. Instead of just going through the exercises, he proposes a re-enactment of what happened on Maranga. As Alexander goes up against one of the attackers, K'mtar freezes the program at various points to illustrate how Alexander can take advantage of his opponent. Alexander knocks the attacker to the ground but won't kill him. When K'mtar angrily insists, Alexander gets disgusted and runs away.

When the Enterprise arrives at Kalla III and beams down an away team, they find a lone Dopterian , Gorta . In exchange for passage off planet, he tells them that the sisters have already left, taking everything of value with them (and stranding him). The plan had been to sell the magnesite ore to a Yridian trader in the Ufandi system .

In Ten Forward , K'mtar meets up with Worf. He apologizes for his anger earlier and suggests that Alexander be sent to a Klingon school on Ogat . Worf dislikes the idea because Alexander is at home on the Enterprise , but K'mtar says it is almost impossible to learn true Klingon ways under these conditions. He again gets heated and says he might have to invoke the ya'nora kor , a law which can remove a child from unfit parental custody. Outraged, Worf asks if he questions his fitness as a parent. K'mtar says that for the good of their House, yes, he is indeed. He only wants what is best for the boy. However, K'mtar is growing increasingly angry and frustrated with Alexander, who questions traditional Klingon stories and disagrees that it is so vitally important that he become a warrior.

Act Four [ ]

K'mtar sits Alexander down to try to teach him the Klingon ways, telling him more of Kahless and Morath . Alexander listens, but cuts him off, saying he already knows the story. K'mtar says it's important to tell it even if it's known, but Alexander starts questioning each statement like an inquisitive Human would. K'mtar is increasingly frustrated, saying those details don't matter, but rather the Klingon warrior interpretation. He then tells Alexander about the school, but he says he doesn't want to leave the Enterprise . He realizes K'mtar is just like his father, only caring about being a warrior, and leaves.

Meanwhile, Riker has tracked down the ore taken by the sisters to the Yridian trader Yog , and buys it from him for half a gram of Anjoran bio-mimetic gel . Instead of beaming it to the Enterprise , though, Riker blows up the ore in space with the ship's phasers , and discovers a cloaked Bird-of-Prey ship nearby. He has found the sisters, and soon brings them aboard. Telling them he knows the ore was stolen, he confronts them with the assassination attempt on Worf and shows them the dagger. They claim to know nothing about it, and Riker asks K'mtar about his other evidence which he claims to be on the homeworld. Riker prepares to set a course and K'mtar leaves to contact Kurn. However, after he leaves, B'Etor notices something on the dagger which clearly shocks her and Lursa, upon seeing it, claims that what's she's seeing is impossible. Riker asks what's going on, and B'Etor tells him the crest on the dagger has symbols representing the various members of the family… including Lursa's son. Lursa says she doesn't have a son, but she is expecting a child and only found out a few days previously and told no-one but B'Etor who furiously demands to know where the dagger came from. Based of their reactions and the evidence, it's now clear that the sisters weren't responsible for the assassination attempt, and the officers are left astounded by this mysterious turn of events. Worf decides to go and speak with K'mtar about the origin of the dagger.

Worf immediately goes to ask K'mtar about this, but discovers him apparently preparing to kill Alexander with his disruptor. After a brief struggle, he throws K'mtar to the ground and prepares to strangle him. But K'mtar cries out, calling him father and that he is actually Alexander himself.

Act Five [ ]

Worf demands proof and asks him what his mother's last words were. K'mtar tells him of how he witnessed the death of K'Ehleyr, and that all she said was his name, and she put his hand in Worf's. " And then you howled in rage, and said 'Look at her. Look upon death, and always remember.' And I always have. " He reluctantly lets him go and picks up the disruptor. Alexander explains that he has come back from forty years in the future, with the assistance of a man that he met in the Cambra system . Alexander did not want to end his own life, but rather to change things, to influence his younger self to follow a different path. He explains that he never became a Klingon warrior, but a diplomat and peacemaker, who sought to put an end to the centuries of struggle and feuding between the Great Houses. He had declared that the House of Mogh would no longer engage in vengeance or blood feuds. Worf warned him that this was a show of weakness, but Alexander insisted this was the way of the future. Almost immediately thereafter, Alexander witnessed Worf's murder on the floor of the Great Hall of the Klingon High Council. He thought that, if he had become a warrior, he'd have been able to stand with his father and defeat the assassins. So he came back to persuade his younger self to follow that ancient path, first by staging the assassination attempt on Maranga, then by trying to awaken young Alexander's interest in being just like all the other Klingons, as well as in protecting his father. He despaired when he saw that he had failed.

Worf says that Alexander has already changed history by coming back in time, and that things may not at all happen the way he fears. Worf explains that he must die with honor, and he cannot do that unless his son is true to himself and his beliefs. This means that Alexander must return to the future and continue to work for peace. Even a Klingon can see that peace is a worthy and just cause, and Worf believes Alexander has a noble future ahead of him. K'mtar says that he has failed, because the boy he was remains the same. Worf says that Alexander is the same, but Worf has changed, and now he understands that Alexander will have a noble future even if he is not a warrior. K'mtar embraces him and says, "I love you, father." Worf replies, "And I you, Alexander."

Later, young Alexander is waiting for Worf and K'mtar in the holodeck to begin bat'leth practice. Worf explains that K'mtar had to leave suddenly, but asked him to say goodbye, and that he will always respect Alexander no matter what he decides to do with his life. Worf, too, has come to respect Alexander, and suggests that they simply spend time together as father and son.

Log entries [ ]

• First officer's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Memorable quotes [ ]

" As time passes, a boy inevitably becomes a man but what is not inevitable is that a man becomes a sword. " " What? " " No, I meant… warrior. "

" The path of a warrior begins with the first rite of ascension… " " Is that when they hit you with pain sticks? " " No, that is the second rite. " " Oh. "

" Is, um… that what this is about? You're on your way and you're calling to reserve a holosuite program? "

" What are you doing on this planet? " " I… crashed here. " " Then you are denying involvement in illegal mining activities? " " Mining? So that's what all this equipment is here for. "

" We know you're dealing in stolen ore, but I want to talk about the assassination attempt on Lieutenant Worf. " " What assassination attempt? This is the first I've heard of it. " " Too bad it didn't succeed! " " Ha! "

" Yes, Lursa and B'Etor… big talk, small tips. "

" I love you, father. " " And I you, Alexander. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script : 28 January 1994 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 25 April 1994
• First UK airdate: 29 May 1996

Story and script [ ]

• Mark Kalbfeld 's original premise did not involve Alexander at all. Rather, it dealt with a Romulan ship with Federation markings from a future where the Federation and Romulan Star Empire were supposedly at peace. However, both the ship and the future version of Riker on board it would turn out to be hoaxes, part of a plot by the Romulans. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292))
• Jeri Taylor recalled, " We had bought that story and he wrote it, but it just seemed a little ordinary so we started messing around with it during one of our brainstorming sessions and then we hit on the idea that Alexander comes back from the future to kill his young self. That seemed wonderful but for a long time that's all we had. We didn't know why he did this. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• The notion of using Alexander in a time travel plot had originated with an unused premise created by Joe Menosky earlier in the season. Menosky had proposed a story where Alexander accidentally fell into a time portal and permanently aged into a bitter twenty-five year-old. Michael Piller hated the idea, commenting that " I think it's a hideous thing to steal somebody's youth from them. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292); Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303) Although not used here, that plot would eventually be recycled into DS9 : " Time's Orphan ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (pp. 577-579))
• The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292) notes the finished episode's plot is similar to both TAS : " Yesteryear " and the science fiction film Back to the Future .
• Originally, René Echevarria wanted to include K'Ehleyr as Alexander's rescuer at the end of the story. While Suzie Plakson was interested in reprising her character, she declined due to other acting commitments. Echevarria noted, " The truth is, it was a blessing. There was enough exposition to explain at the end of the show as it is! " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292)) Piller noted, " I know Rick breathed a sigh of relief because he did not like the idea in the first place. But for better or worse, that might have helped the episode. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• In the original script, Riker mentions that he has talked to Benjamin Sisko and that it was Sisko who suggested that Riker ask Quark for information on a possible location of the Duras sisters. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion - A Series Guide and Script Library )

Cast and characters [ ]

Quark's crossover appearance

• Armin Shimerman makes his first appearance as Quark on a Star Trek series other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . He later appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager pilot " Caretaker ", in a scene cut from Star Trek: Insurrection , LD : " Hear All, Trust Nothing " and VST : " Holograms All the Way Down ". This episode airs between DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I " where Quark became involved in an arms deal with Sakonna , a Maquis operative, and DS9 : " The Maquis, Part II " with Quark and Sakonna's business continuing.
• Prior to this episode, James Sloyan appeared as Alidar Jarok in " The Defector " and in Deep Space Nine as Mora Pol in " The Alternate ", a role he reprised in " The Begotten ". He also played Doctor Ma'Bor Jetrel in VOY : " Jetrel ".
• Rick Berman and Michael Piller were hesitant to cast Sloyan as K'mtar, coming as it did so soon after his first appearance as Doctor Mora Pol in DS9 : " The Alternate ". However, Jeri Taylor convinced them that the Klingon makeup would hide this fact. She recalled, " I finally went to Michael and said, 'Look – we can take a lesser actor in this part or we can cast the actor who should be cast.' " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 292))

Brian Bonsall and Stunt Coordinator Dennis Madalone training for the episode

• This episode marks the final appearances of Alexander Rozhenko ( Brian Bonsall ), Lursa ( Barbara March ), and B'Etor ( Gwynyth Walsh ) on the series. The Duras sisters were previously seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Past Prologue ". They later appeared in Star Trek Generations . Alexander is later seen in Deep Space Nine 's sixth season , although he is played by Marc Worden .
• Joel Swetow had previously appeared in Deep Space Nine 's pilot episode " Emissary " as Gul Jasad .

Production [ ]

• Originally, the two actors playing in the Kot'baval Festival grunted their lines on stage. After filming, it was decided to make the Klingon opera more lyrical. Composer Dennis McCarthy provided the new melody, and both actors were good enough singers to reloop their lines to accompany it. Producer Wendy Neuss recalled, " It was one of our biggest jobs all year – figuring out what the on-camera instruments would sound like, breaking down all the syllables, figuring where the offstage line would be. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 293))

Sets and props [ ]

The futuristic chair, designed by Peter Opsvik

• The chair in Worf's quarters was also seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Family ", " Reunion ", " Redemption ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " Birthright, Part I ", " Parallels ", and " Genesis " and was used as the command chair aboard the Tarellian starship in the first season episode " Haven ". It was designed by Peter Opsvik. [2]
• Worf's quarters also feature the Kahless and Morath statue , previously seen in the episodes " Peak Performance ", " Reunion ", " New Ground ", " Cost Of Living ", and " Genesis " and the Kahless shrine from the episode " Rightful Heir ".

Continuity [ ]

• Riker makes reference to the events of DS9 : " Past Prologue " in which the Duras sisters tried to sell bilitrium explosives on Deep Space 9 . K'mtar says that this happened months ago, but it had in fact been well over a year.

Reception [ ]

• Writer Ronald D. Moore , who is well-known for his Klingon episodes, praised Echevarria's different take on the major race. He remarked, " The stuff he did sixth season in " Birthright " and then what he did with them here is very interesting. Worf and Alexander celebrate at a Klingon outpost and they have this sort of mock opera singing, heroic fights and re-enactments of things in the streets and banners and this was a whole different cultural flavor to these guys that I hadn't thought of. My take on the Klingons was sort of more Shakespearean with the House of Mogh and that kind of stuff, and the rise and fall of political players. René brings in a much different element which I think serves them well. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• On the events of this episode, Michael Dorn opined, " We don't really know what happens now. Just that the future is uncertain. It's just like real life, but Worf is still a terrible father. He hasn't got a clue. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)
• Michael Piller commented, " I fell in love with the idea of 'Firstborn' in which we address the psychological implications of a man who feels a failure, who comes back to his own youth to destroy himself at a young age, in order to avoid the pain that he had caused and suffered. There is a tremendous science-fiction premise in that. And if you have been in on any of my therapy, you know that I've dealt with this on a number of different levels. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 303)

Apocrypha [ ]

• In the novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace , when Worf recommends Alexander to replace him as Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, Worf tells Alexander that when he was young, Worf received a vision of Alexander's future and that it showed him to be an ambassador and excelling as such. Worf does not tell Alexander the source of his vision, but it is stated in the novel that Worf is clearly thinking of the visit from the future Alexander he is referring to as seen in this episode.
• The novel Watching the Clock implies that the future Alexander traveled through time through the use of a chrono deflector acquired from Korath , by identifying the prime Korath of 2382 as hailing from the Cambra system.
• In the mission "The House Always Wins" in Star Trek Online , set in 2409 , Alexander sacrifices himself to save Worf's life in the Great Hall, preventing the future that K'mtar had revealed to Worf.
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 87, 5 September 1994 .
• As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection.

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• James Sloyan as K'mtar
• Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko
• Gwynyth Walsh as B'Etor
• Barbara March as Lursa
• Joel Swetow as Yog
• Colin Mitchell as Gorta
• Armin Shimerman as Quark

Co-stars [ ]

• Michael Danek as Singer
• John Kenton Shull as Molor
• Rickey D'Shon Collins as Eric

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Armstrong
• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Steve Blalock as Klingon assassin
• Chuck Borden as Klingon assassin
• Debbie David as Russell
• Cullen Chambers as command division officer
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Debra Dilley as command division ensign
• Gunnel Eriksson as science division officer
• Jasmine Gagnier as Human Deep Space 9 operations division officer
• Keith Gearhart as operations division ensign
• Thomas Griep as Klingon musician
• Kai as science division officer
• Dennis Madalone as holographic Klingon warrior
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Tom Morga as Klingon assassin
• Pauline Olsen as operations division ensign
• Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr (still picture)
• Keith Rayve as civilian
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• John Saint John as Klingon bystander
• Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
• Oliver Theess as terrorist assassin
• Mikki Val as operations division officer
• Anne Verrier Scatolini as Klingon bystander
• Command division officer
• Eight Klingon bystanderss
• Holographic Klingon warrior
• Operations division ensign (voice)
• Operations division officer
• Ten Forward waitress

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Rusty McClennon as stunt double for Michael Dorn
• Tom Morga as stunt double for John Kenton Shull

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Christopher Ogden – photo double for Brian Bonsall
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

2410 ; ability ; advisor ; Age of Ascension ; Alexander's cousins ; Anjoran bio-mimetic gel ; assassin ; assassination ; bar ; Bar'el ; bilitrium ; buyer ; Cambra system ; code of conduct ; Corvallen ; d'k tahg ; dabo ; darsek ; Deep Space 9 ; Dopterian ; Duras sisters' Bird-of-Prey ; Federation ; fire ; fullerene ; gin'tak ; gram ; Great House ; Hatarian system ; heart ; Hitora colony ; holoprogram ; House of Duras ; House of Mogh ; Ja'rod ; K'Ehleyr ; K'mtar Alpha-One ; K'Nor ; Kahless the Unforgettable ; Kalla system ; Kalla III ; Kearsarge ; Klingon ; Klingon bird-of-prey ; Klingon Civil War ; Klingon Council Chamber ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon opera ; Klingon training academy ; Klingonese ; Kot'baval Festival ; kor'tova candle ; Kurn ; Kurn's house ; lake ; latinum ; magnesite ; Maranga IV ; mining ; mining expedition ; Molor ; money ; Morath ; Ogat ; Pakled ; path ; peacemaker ; Qo'noS ; Quark's ; Rom ; standard orbit ; Starfleet ; Stellar Dynamics ; swimming ; tarnish ; tempering ; tip ; tyrant ; Ufandi III ; Ufandi system ; Vodrey Nebula ; voucher ; warrior ; Ya'nora kor ; Yridian ; Yridian freighter

Library computer references [ ]

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; New Orleans -class : pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS

Spacecraft Systems Status : Bussard collector ; captain's yacht ; class M ; gross vehicle mass ; impulse engine ; main shuttlebay Mars ; navigational deflector ; observation lounge ; phaser bank ; service docking port ; shuttlebay 2 ; shuttlebay 3 ; torpedo launcher ; umbilical connect port ; Utopia Planitia ; warp nacelle

External links [ ]

• " Firstborn " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Firstborn " at Wikipedia
• "Firstborn" at StarTrek.com
• " "Firstborn" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Firstborn" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 3 Ancient humanoid

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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James Sloyan

Brian Bonsall

Alexander Rozhenko

Gwynyth Walsh

Barbara March

Joel Swetow

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E20Firstborn

Recap / Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 20 Firstborn

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Original air date: April 25, 1994

Worf is in his quarters, rehearsing a speech for Alexander about undertaking the Rites of Ascension, as he is almost old enough to be considered an adult in Klingon society. Things don't go quite as planned, however. Alexander, who has always related more to his human side, flatly refuses without a second thought. Picard notices Worf's preoccupation during the daily briefing, and when he learns the reason, he points out that Alexander has had very little exposure to Klingon culture. As the Enterprise is killing time waiting for a rendezvous with another ship, Picard suggests that Worf take Alexander to see the Kot'baval festival at a nearby Klingon outpost on Maranga IV, where he can learn more about the parts of his heritage that do not involve pain sticks.

Alexander has fun at the festival, enjoying the entertainment, street food, and company of other Klingons his age. After a long day, as they are preparing to leave, Worf and Alexander are accosted by three armed thugs. Worf drives them off with the help of another Klingon who introduces himself as K'mtar, a family retainer sent by Kurn to protect them. Back on the Enterprise, they reveal that one of the daggers left by the attackers bears the seal of the House of Duras, which casts suspicion on Lursa and B'Etor, who have been leading their house since Duras' death.

Riker agrees to help search for the Duras sisters. Meanwhile, K'mtar talks to Worf about Alexander's future as a Klingon warrior, as he is the only male heir to the House of Mogh. When Worf explains Alexander's recalcitrance, K'mtar offers to help train him as a warrior. After what happened on the planet, Alexander is more amenable to this idea, so that he can better protect himself and Worf in the future.

The three visit the holodeck to recreate the fight on Maranga IV. Alexander successfully downs one of the attackers with some advice from K'mtar, but hesitates and loses his nerve when asked to finish him off. Later, as K'mtar is teaching Alexander some Klingon lore, his overbearing insistence on the "proper" interpretation of the stories further deflates Alexander's previous enthusiasm. It becomes apparent to him that K'mtar is even more obsessed than his father about turning him into a warrior.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise has managed to track down the Duras sisters, thanks to a tip from Quark. They immediately plead ignorance in the attempt on Worf's life and insist the knife must have been used to falsely implicate them. B'Etor then notices to her shock that the family markings on the handle include a symbol representing Lursa's son - a son she only just discovered she was pregnant with days ago.

It turns out the sisters were correct - the blade was used to frame them, by none other than K'mtar himself. Worf catches him in his quarters just as he is about to kill Alexander in his sleep. After being subdued by Worf, K'mtar reveals that he is Alexander from the 40 years in the future and proves it by reciting their last moments together with K'Ehleyr when she died.

Future Alexander explains that, as he grew up, he tried to become a mediator in Klingon society to end the feuding of the Great Houses. The enemies of the House of Mogh took advantage of this and killed Worf, which Alexander was never able to forgive himself for. Thus, he came back 40 years to try and reform his younger self into becoming a warrior, staging the attack as a way to scare him onto the right path. Killing the young Alexander was a last-ditch effort to rewrite history after he failed in his goal. Worf reassures him that he did not fail and that he has shown him that Alexander will have his own future to look forward to, which is what he really wanted all along. They hug it out, and the adult Alexander goes his own way. Worf continues training Alexander, but with a more relaxed attitude, now that he knows his son will eventually find a calling.

Tropes featured:

• Aesop Enforcer : K'mtar tries to teach Alexander the value of becoming a warrior by staging a showy (but ultimately harmless) attack on him and Worf. He also tries to enforce the proper Klingon interpretation of their parables over Alexander's. It's not clear whether K'mtar is truly speaking for their religion's canon, or he simply thought Alexander's interpretations were too "soft".
• Call-Back : Future Alexander, recalling the day his mother died .
• Continuity Nod : The Duras Sisters' visit to Deep Space Nine the previous year is not only acknowledged, but is also a plot point. Starfleet has lost track of Lursa and B'Etor in the interim since they left the Bajor Sector, thus forcing Riker to turn to contacts like Quark to try and pick up the trail.
• Crossover : Not quite as much as the last time it happened , but one of Riker's leads to tracking down the Duras sisters is Quark , who even gets a little on-screen sparring time with the commander . His cameo also serves the purpose of recapping the broad strokes of "Past Prologue" for TNG viewers who weren't watching the spinoff show.
• Foreshadowing : K'mtar has a strangely troubled reaction to the fact that Riker managed to track down the Duras sisters.
• Grandfather Paradox : There's no telling how the Star Trek Timey-Wimey Ball would have reacted to Alexander assassinating his younger self, but fortunately for all involved, we don't get the chance to find out.
• Hand Wave : The question of how K'mtar traveled back in time is quickly glossed over as unimportant. He found some unnamed person somewhere who could send him back, and that's all we hear about it. note  Beta canon sources imply that it might have been Korath, the Klingon from the Voyager finale who also supplied Janeway with time-travel technology (which would now make it two future timelines he has helped overwrite, himself along with them ).
• Linked List Clue Methodology : How the Enterprise spends its time tracking down the Duras Sisters between Alexander's scenes.
• Luke, You Are My Father : K'mtar turns out to be Alexander all grown up. The whole plot was set in motion because he was trying to stop Worf from being killed by travelling back in time.
• Not Me This Time : While Lursa and B'Etor were disappointed that Worf was still alive, they weren't trying to kill him this time around. In fact, they've never had any particular interest in him except when the Enterprise gets in the way of their schemes. The fact that they haven't crossed paths recently is an early hint that something doesn't quite add up about K'mtar's story.
• Scare 'Em Straight : K'mtar staged the attack on Maranga IV to make Alexander more receptive to being combat trained. It works, but not for very long.
• Spanner in the Works : Riker completely derails K'mtar's plan by the simple fact that he is able to quickly pick up the trail of the Duras sisters from Quark. As K'mtar himself says, he didn't expect anyone to be able to find them.
• Spotting the Thread : K'mtar presumably brought the Duras knife from the future to give to the thugs he hired. He either didn't notice, or didn't think anyone else would notice, that it bore the mark of Lursa's now-unborn son. Then again, the timing was remarkably convenient: any earlier and it could be dismissed as an invention, any later and her pregnancy would (potentially) be public knowledge, but events happened right at the moment when Lursa knew she was pregnant but no one else but her sister did.
• Timey-Wimey Ball : Worf tells K'mtar that the future he remembers in no longer a Foregone Conclusion , given how much he has already intervened. Worf: Who knows what the future will be now that you have disrupted time? I may die tomorrow or I may outlive you.
• Trust Password : K'mtar proves he is Alexander to Worf's satisfaction by recalling the details of K'Ehleyr's death earlier in the series, which only he and Worf were present for.
• Wham Line : Lursa reveals that one of the marks on her knife represents her son, which she found out a few days ago that she's pregnant with.
• Writers Cannot Do Math : They seem to have forgotten that the age of Alexander's actor doesn't quite match up with that of the character. K'mtar says that he watched his mother die when he was three years old; during the events of that episode , Alexander was only one.
• Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 19 Journeys End
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek The Next Generation S 7 E 21 Bloodlines

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The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Star Trek: The Original Series

Gene Roddenberry's celebrated sci-fi TV series "Star Trek" debuted on September 8, 1966, and it recently celebrated its 57th anniversary. Initially, "Trek" wasn't terribly popular, and it only managed to make a third season thanks to a coordinated letter-writing campaign (a campaign that Roddenberry was accused of orchestrating and encouraging himself). It wouldn't be until after "Star Trek" was canceled in 1969 that its popularity would significantly begin to grow. 

Thanks to a sweet infinite syndication deal, "Star Trek" reruns were common, and a cult began to form. By the early 1970s, the first "Trek" conventions began to appear. Naturally, conventions were a great place for the show's stars and creators to congregate and share production stories with a rising tide of obsessives. Fans were able to talk to and get autographs from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, Walter Koenig, George Takei, James Doohan, and Grace Lee Whitney, as well as many of the show's more supporting players. 

Many decades have passed, but the surviving "Star Trek" cast members, now in their 80s and 90s, still appear at conventions to share details of their now-long and storied careers. Over 57 years ago, they were at the start of a phenomenon; none of them could have likely predicted just what a massive impact "Star Trek" would have on the pop culture landscape. Three members of the original "Star Trek" cast appeared at Creation Entertainment's 57-Year Mission convention in Las Vegas, and one of them is already confirmed for the 2024 con  next August. 

If you're eager to get an autograph or merely to hear an amusing anecdote from across many decades of interaction with the "Trek" franchise at large, the following surviving actors will still happily oblige.

William Shatner

In March of 2023, Shatner, who played the resolute Captain Kirk on "Star Trek," turned 92, yet he still makes convention appearances. Stories have been told throughout Trekkie-dom that Shatner can occasionally be spiky at cons, but has clearly embraced them, even going so far as to say that fans are the future  of anything so deeply beloved as "Star Trek." Indeed, in many cases, fans care more about carrying on the legacy of a show than the studios; in many ways, Trekkies take the show more seriously than the people who make it.

Shatner has, of course, had a textured career. Some of his earlier films include adaptations of "The Brothers Karamozov" (in which he played Alexey) and "Oedipus the King" (in which he played a masked member of the chorus), as well as genre films like "The Intruder" and "Incubus." Although Shatner is best known for "Trek" — a common side-effect for most any actor who appeared on any "Star Trek" show — he forged an interesting acting career beyond ii. He appeared in the hit cop show "T.J. Hooker," and appeared in spoof films like "Airplane II: The Sequel" and "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1." He released several notorious albums of speak-singing, and directed several documentaries about "Star Trek," including "The Captains" and "Chaos on the Bridge." 

Shatner also authored several "Star Trek" novels and even launched his own modestly successful sci-fi book series with "TekWar" (ghost-written by Ron Goulart) in 1989. He won two Emmys in 2004 and 2005 for his role as Denny Crane in "The Practice" and "Boston Legal." He's also an equestrian enthusiast and has won a few horseback riding awards. Shatner is spry for 92.

George Takei

In 2019, George Takei , who played the practical and intelligent Hikaru Sulu on "Star Trek," authored a graphic novel all about his childhood experiences of being rounded up and imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Takei was born in Los Angeles in 1937 (he's the only main cast member from the original show who is an L.A. native), and recalls being held against his will by the U.S. government as a child. It may have been that experience that made Takei as political as he is. In the early 1970s, after "Star Trek," Takei ran for a set on the Los Angeles City Council, and served as an alternate delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. At conventions, Takei has spoken at length about his beliefs in civic infrastructure, encouraging L.A. to improve its long-beleaguered public transportation.

Takei came out as gay in 2005, revealing that he had been with his long-term partner, Brad Altman, for the last 18 years. He and Altman married in 2008, one of the first same-sex couples to be granted a marriage license in West Hollywood, California. Takei has been an outspoken queer rights activist ever since, raising money for charities and speaking at charity events regularly. He makes appearances at fan conventions on the regular. 

As an actor, Takei began reading English-language dubs for imported Toho monster movies prior to "Star Trek." He also starred in movies like "The Green Berets" and "Mulan." On TV, Takei guest-starred on many, many programs, including a notable regular role on the hit show "Heroes." His deep voice also afforded him an opportunity to regularly contribute to dozens of animated programs, most recently in Max's "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai."

Walter Koenig

There were rumors circulating through the Trekkie community for years that Walter Koenig was hired to appear on the second season of "Star Trek" because the then-30-year-old actor looked an awful lot like Davy Jones from "The Monkees." This wasn't the case, but Koenig provided a youthful, heartthrob quality with his character, Pavel Chekov. His character was Russian, a notable character decision to make in the mid-1960s as the U.S. was still embroiled deeply in the Cold War. Chekov was a symbol that peace would eventually come. Koenig was never anything less than 100% committed, and reacted to extreme sci-fi scenarios with fire and aplomb. 

In the early '60s, the actor worked his way through smaller roles in multiple well-known TV series like "Mr. Novak," "Gidget," and "I Spy" before joining "Star Trek" in its second season. After, he continued apace, working on TV regularly, eventually landing a recurring role on a second beloved sci-fi series  "Babylon 5." He has also stayed a part of "Star Trek" up until the present, having provided a voice cameo in the most recent season of "Star Trek: Picard," as well as reprising his role as Chekov in the semi-professional and well-respected fan series "Star Trek: New Voyages." He's also dabbled in many amusing B-movies like "Mad Cowgirl" and "Scream of the Bikini," as well as animated shows like "Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters."

Additionally, Koenig has served as an advocate for civil rights in Burma, having visited refugee camps there. Koenig still appears at conventions, happy to talk about his various projects and acting endeavors. Just please, whatever you do, don't ask him to say "nuclear wessels." The man just turned 87. He deserves a break from that. 

Christopher Collins' 4 Star Trek Roles Explained

• Christopher Collins portrayed multiple characters in Star Trek, including Captain Kargan and Captain Grebnedlog in TNG.
• Collins' portrayal of Markalian Durg in DS9 showed his diverse acting range in the Star Trek universe.
• Despite his brief appearances, Collins made a lasting impact on the franchise with his various roles.

Actor and stand-up comedian Christopher Collins played four different Star Trek characters in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . In TNG's "Matter of Honor," Collins appeared as the Klingon Captain Kargan, who butted heads with his temporary First Officer, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Collins played another Captain in TNG's "Samaritan Snare," this time a Pakled named Grebnedlog. In DS9 , Collins appeared as Markalians in both of his appearances, one of whom was a mercenary named Durg, while the other was an unnamed guard.

Christopher Collins was an actor and comedian most known for his voice-over roles in animated projects. He provided the voice for Cobra Commander in several different versions of the animated G.I. Joe series. He also voiced Starscream and numerous other characters in the first Transformers animated series. In addition to his Star Trek appearances, Collins appeared in episodes of Doogie Howser, M.D., Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, and Married... with Children . He had a few minor film roles, including appearances in Road House, True Identity, and A Stranger Among Us . Collins also had a successful career in stand-up comedy and won the San Francisco International Stand-Up Comedy Competition in 1990. Tragically, Collins passed away in 1994 at the age of 44.

Christopher Collins originated the voice of Mr. Burns on The Simpsons , but had to turn over the role to Harry Shearer after only a few episodes. Shearer modeled his performance on that of Collins.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Captain kargan, star trek: the next generation season 2, episode 8 - "a matter of honor".

In Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "Matter of Honor," Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) participates in an officer exchange program and takes on the role of First Officer on the Klingon vessel, the Pagh. Christopher Collins portrays the Klingon commander of the Pagh, Captain Kargan, who is suspicious of Riker from the jump. When a strange bacteria is discovered on the Pagh's outer hull, Kargan suspects Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D are responsible.

"A Matter of Honor" updated the Klingons for TNG and established their culture moving forward.

When Kargan refuses to listen to his temporary First Officer, Riker has Kargan beamed over to the Enterprise and takes over command of the Pagh. After the Enterprise helps repair the Pagh, Kargan returns to his ship and dismisses Riker for being insubordinate. Still, it's clear Kargan has developed a certain amount of respect for Riker, despite all of his Klingon bluster. With its depictions of life aboard a Klingon ship, "A Matter of Honor" updated the Klingons for TNG and established their culture moving forward.

Captain Grebnedlog

Star trek: the next generation season 2, episode 17 - "samaritan snare".

Christopher Collins' next Star Trek appearance came later in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 when he played Captain Grebnedlog, the commander of the Pakled ship Mondor. As Captain Picard heads to a nearby starbase for a medical procedure, Commander Riker is left in command of the USS Enterprise-D. The Enterprise soon receives a distress call from the Mondor, and Captain Grebnedlog tells Riker and his crew that the unintelligent Pakleds need help to make their ship go.

Commander Riker sends Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) over to help with repairs, but the Pakleds soon take Geordi as a hostage. While Grebnedlog and his crew may not be very intelligent, they have managed to gain technology by stealing it from other species. Riker makes some questionable decisions in "Samaritan Snare," but he does trick the Pakleds into releasing La Forge in the end.

The Pakleds did not appear on screen again until the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks , where their ridiculous but sometimes dangerous antics are a much better fit.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 1, Episode 9 - "The Passenger"

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “The Passenger,” Christopher Collins played Durg, a Markalian mercenary who met with the profit-hungry Ferengi Quark (Armin Shimerman). When a criminal Kobliad named Rao Vantika (James Harper) transfers his consciousness to Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), he employs Durg to help him steal a shipment of deuridium. Durg and his fellow mercenaries attack the freighter transporting the deuridium, the Norkova, killing the bridge crew and taking control of the ship.

The crew of space station Deep Space Nine then trap the Norkova with a tractor beam, but Vantika continues to try to escape. Still inhabiting the body of Dr. Bashir , Vantika orders Durg to jump to warp speed (which would destroy the freighter), but he refuses. Vantika then kills Durg, before Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) figure out a way to communicate with Bashir and resolve the situation.

Unnamed Markalian Guard

Star trek: deep space nine season 2, episode 19 - "blood oath".

Christopher Collins played another member of the Markalian species in DS9’s “Blood Oath. This Markalian served as an assistant and guard for the infamous criminal known as The Albino (Bill Bolender). Many years before, three Klingon warships were dispatched to capture the Albino, and while they managed to destroy his base, the Albino himself escaped. These three Klingon ships were led by Kor (John Colicos) , Koloth (William Campbell), and Kang (Michael Ansara). The Albino later retaliated by killing each of the Klingon’s firstborn sons, which prompted them to swear a blood oath to kill the Albino.

Kor, Koloth, and Kang all appeared as Klingons on Star Trek: The Original Series , and all three actors reprise their respective roles.

The three Klingons arrive on Deep Space Nine eighty-one years later, after Kang reveals he has discovered the Albino’s location. With the help of Jadzia Dax (whose former symbiote Curzon was godfather to Kang’s son), the three Klingons attack the Albino. After alerting the Albino to the presence of the Klingons, the guard is ultimately killed by Kang while the Albino cowers behind him. Although Kang manages to kill the Albino, he and Koloth both die from their wounds. With the three boisterous Klingons stealing the show, Collins’ Markalian guard does not make as much of an impression, but he nevertheless left his mark on the Star Trek franchise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Writers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Cast Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Rene Auberjonois, Nicole de Boer, Michael Dorn, Andrew Robinson, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig

Release Date January 3, 1993

Writers Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller, Ronald D. Moore

Showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller

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Published Apr 10, 2024

A Brief History of the Progenitors in Star Trek

They designed life itself!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery 's "Red Directive ."

StarTrek.com

Captain Burnham's top-secret mission in the final season of Star Trek: Discovery has finally been revealed. But this time, the Discovery crew isn’t stopping a future-destroying A.I., or a lethal, extra-galactic force. Instead, they’re investigating the basic mysteries of why most species in the Star Trek universe look vaguely human.

As revealed in " Red Directive ," the search for technology used by ancient "Progenitors" sets-up a massive treasure hunt for the season. But, who are the Progenitors? What did Jean-Luc Picard know about the secrets of inter-species alien DNA? And how does all of this fit in with Gene Roddenberry’s earliest ideas for Star Trek ?

Here’s a brief history of the Progenitors, from the early 1960s, to the 24th Century, all the way to 2024, and the 31st Century.

The Real World-Origins of the Progenitors

"The Cage"

When the U.S.S. Enterprise first set out to seek out "new life and new civilizations," a huge swath of those alien lifeforms turned out to look a lot like human beings. And the primary reason for that, at least behind-the-scenes, was two-fold.

First, human actors are more affordable, and second, Gene Roddenberry wanted the classic Star Trek to avoid the sci-fi trope of "Bug-Eyed Monsters." And so, in one of the original 1964 pitch documents for Star Trek , Roddenberry floated the idea of "The Parallel Worlds" concept . The idea was that the format of Star Trek — from a writing and production standpoint — would generally deal with "...plant and animal life, plus people, quite similar to Earth. Social evolution will also have interesting points of similarity with ours."

Unlike a huge swath of science fiction on TV at the time, the promise of strange, new worlds, that were, in fact, populated by people , is something that set Star Trek apart, and was the cornerstone of what gave the series its humanist angle. But, the side effect of course, was an in-universe question — why were so many aliens humanoid?

The Old Ones, Sargon, and The Preservers

"The Paradise Syndrome"

The first two seasons of The Original Series are sprinkled with hints that, in the distant past, the galaxy was visited by super-powered aliens with technology far more advanced than anything in the Federation.

In " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ," we meet Ruk, an android built by "The Old Ones," an alien race capable of creating humanoid androids that were basically immortal. In " Return to Tomorrow ," the disembodied soul of Sargon, refers to humanity as "my children." While Dr. Muhuall says this idea flies in the face of evolutionary theory, Spock mentions the idea that aliens seeded life would "explain certain elements of Vulcan pre-history."

Then in Season 3, in " The Paradise Syndrome ," Bones and Spock tackle the question head-on. When they realize an ancient race of "Preservers" helped various humanoid species throughout the galaxy, the idea of an ancient alien race guiding and "seeding" a ton of humanoid species became less of a myth and more of a working theory. "I’ve always wondered why there were so many humanoids scattered through the galaxy," Bones says. To which Spock replies, "So have I. Apparently, the Preservers account for a number of them."

And then, the questions about an ancient humanoid species went answered. At least, until The Next Generation . 

"The Chase"

Directed by Jonathan Frakes and written by Ronald D. Moore and Joe Menosky, " The Chase " was a sixth-season episode of The Next Generation , which, according to The Next Generation Companion , was considered in the writers' room the most "Roddenberryesque" episode of TNG at that time. The story itself took cues from Carl Sagan's novel Contact , and posited that yes, ancient aliens not only seeded most of the humanoid species, but also hid a message in the DNA of all those species.

Captain Picard's interest in archeology comes in handy during the quest to locate all the DNA strands and reveal the message, which was also represented metaphorically by the ancient artifact known as the Kurlan naiskos .

At the end of the episode, representatives from the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Federation, all witness the truth — an ancient Progenitor (played by Salome Jens) makes it clear that all the humanoid species in the galaxy don’t exist out of pure hubris, but instead, out of a kind of desire for legacy. "You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence…. Remember us."

Ronald D. Moore pointed out that there's no reason to believe that the Progenitors from "The Chase" and the Preservers from TOS aren't one in the same. Though not explicitly stated in the script, he said, "But this could be them, and be internally consistent."

Discovery Brings It All Home

"Red Directive"

While The Next Generation established a canonical fact that TOS only danced around, that only answered the question of why . With Discovery Season 5, a stranger, and more complex question is getting broached — how ?

"The Chase" told us why there are so many humanoid species in the galaxy, but we had no idea how the Progenitors specifically pushed life to evolve on various planets toward the exact form of life we’re all so familiar with. As the crew of Discovery — and other forces — are in pursuit of this ancient tech, Star Trek is boldly speculating on one of the biggest questions of all time.

If there was a supreme intelligence behind the creation of life, what was their method? While these kinds of questions are somewhat mind-boggling in real life, what Discovery is doing now is what Star Trek has done all along: Ask provocative questions that are beyond what we know now, so that maybe, in the future, we’ll be better prepared.

We don’t know that the Progenitors exist in real science, but the "panspermia hypothesis," is a very real scientific concept. A friendly alien may not have consciously sparked life on Earth eons ago, but, in reality, it is possible that some building blocks for life itself may have come from the stars.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

• Star Trek 101

How Star Trek: Discovery's Trill Story Connects to Dax on Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Discovery returned to the Trill home world in Season 5 for a mission with a symbiont host that connects to Jadzia Dax on Deep Space Nine.

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 deepens connections through Trill lore and rituals, forging ties with past series like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• The zhian'tara ritual was introduced in Deep Space Nine, which allows interactions between host personalities and adds layers to character development.
• Adira's unique bonding experience with a Trill symbiont showcases new ways of connection, expanding the Trill's lore in Discovery.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery , Season 5, Episode 3, "Jinaal," now streaming on Paramount+ .

When Star Trek: Discovery first started its mission to bring Gene Roddenberry's universe back to television, producers made sure the series stood apart from the previous series. However, by Season 5, Discovery is embracing its Star Trek roots more than ever before. The third episode of the final season brings the USS Discovery crew to the Trill home world for a ritual that was first introduced on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . In Season 3, the USS Discovery jumped forward in time (nearly a thousand years), and they discovered a galaxy that was almost unrecognizable to them. Decimated by "the Burn," warp drive travel was all but a thing of the past.

Starfleet officers and vessels were flung across the galaxy and separated from each other by millions of billions of miles. The spore drive -- the USS Discovery's unique propulsion method -- changed all that. Along the way, they picked up Adira Tal, a human who was bonded with a Trill symbiont after their partner, Gray, died. This reintroduced the symbiotic species into Star Trek and made the Trill home world and its unique brand of sci-fi mysticism a big part of the series. As Captain Michael Burnham hunts for clues to the mysterious and powerful technology sought by Starfleet, she and Dr. Hugh Culber have to participate in a ritual created for Deep Space Nine : the zhian'tara.

Discovery Has Always Been Steeped in Star Trek History and Connections

Star trek: discovery's alex kurtzman & michelle paradise talk final season.

When Discovery debuted, it departed from Star Trek staples of design and characterization. The crew of the USS Discovery were not the paragons of Starfleet virtue audiences expected from their Star Trek series. Yet, from the appearance of Harcourt Fenton Mudd to the Federation-Klingon War itself, the show was never too far from the franchise's past. When Season 2 introduced Captain Christopher Pike, Number One and, of course, Spock, the distance between Discovery and the rest of the Star Trek universe closed.

Since then, there have been countless references to past stories in the Star Trek universe. In fact, Season 3's “Unification III” made a trilogy out of the pair of episodes where Spock began to unify Romulans with Vulcans . There is a six-decade history of stories for Discovery writers to draw from, and they do it to serve the series' story more so than just collect Easter eggs for longtime fans . The reintroduction of the Trill is just one of many ways producers pull off this generational magic trick.

Discovery Season 5 ties to The Next Generation and one of its biggest open mysteries: that the majority of sentient, sapient life in the galaxy was born from a single race billions of years ago. However, Adira's very existence is a nod to the first episode to introduce the Trill, Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 23, “The Host.” Will Riker has to take on the Odan symbiont when the Trill host is killed. Similarly, when the Trill Guardians helped Dr. Culber give Gray a new body, they used the zhian'tara method to transfer his consciousness .

The Zhian'tara Ritual Was First Introduced for Jadzia Dax on Deep Space Nine

Star trek: discovery actors doug jones & david ajala prepare for their last adventure.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Season 3, Episode 25, "Facets," storytellers introduced a strange and powerful Trill ability in the zhian'tara. While the Trill hosts share the memories of their predecessors with their symbionts, it's all a jumble in their minds . A Trill Guardian, using a bit of natural telepathic abilities and a ritual, is able to take each individual host personality and place into another's body. This allows each Trill host to meet and talk with their predecessors in a more direct way.

Jadzia Dax was a Trill who'd previously been "washed out" of the program that chose host candidates. Not only that, it was her predecessor, Curzon Dax, who was responsible for it. Thus, she'd been putting off her zhian'tara, As each host's personality was put into her friends' bodies, Jadzia was able to learn things about them despite having all their memories . She learned about tics she picked up from each of them, as well as specific skills. She was even able to discover why Curzon washed her out of the program, even though she should have had his memories of the event.

While the host's consciousness was inside their bodies, the other Deep Space Nine characters were supposed to be able to resume control on a whim. However, murderer Joran Dax was able to keep Captain Sisko subdued until Jadzia hit him. Similarly, because of Odo's unique physiology as a Changeling, he and Curzon bonded on a more significant level. In fact, Curzon wanted to not return his consciousness to the Dax symbiont and continue to live in Odo. Jadzia convinced him to return, but it was revealed that the zhian'tara process was not temporary. This is how Guardian Xi was able to use it to put Gray's consciousness inside the synthetic body he now occupies.

How Jinaal Uses Zhian'tara to Advance Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Star trek: discovery's sonequa martin-green embarks on one final voyage.

After finding a clue in the form of a poem , the USS Discovery arrives at the Trill homeworld, and Captain Burnham first has to answer a riddle posed by Guardian Xi. When she does, he tells her the symbiont they wish to speak to is still alive, currently in Kalzara Bix. However, the host who left the clue to the Progenitors' technology, is Jinaal Bix. He's been dead for 800 years, but Kalzara refuses to simply tell the away team where the clue is from his memories .

Instead, Guardian Xi initiates a zhian'tara to bring Jindaal back to life inside the body of Dr. Hugh Culber. While Jinaal says he only has "a few hours," given what Deep Space Nine revealed this is a self-imposed time limit. This turned out to be a good thing, since Jinaal's hike into the mountains was an elaborate test to see if Burnham was worthy of the clue that pointed them to the next piece of the puzzle . It also gave Jinaal a chance to once again "take a nice long walk."

Later, in Red's lounge on the starship, Culber talks about the experience, saying "I was there, but I wasn't. How does that even work?" It continues Discovery's theme in Season 5 of the various ways different species can connect to each other while also looking forward to the "big" questions of existence. Still, while the use of zhian'tara connects Discovery to Deep Space Nine , the quest on Trill continues to build on fans' understanding of this unique Star Trek species, and it's not the first time.

How Star Trek: Discovery Expands the Trill Beyond What DS9 Laid Out

Star trek: discovery's mary wiseman, wilson cruz and blu del barrio hype finale.

Adira is not like other symbiont hosts viewers have seen in Star Trek , and this is by design. As a human being, they are the first of that species to bond this way. In fact, at first, Adira couldn't access the previous Tal host's memories, nor could they access their own. In Season 3, Episode 4, "Forget Me Not," Adira is taken to the Trill home world in the hopes of sorting out the problem. While they met with resistance, Guardian Xi was willing to help them, even without permission. Just as Jadzia Dax was able to access her suppressed former host, Joran Dax, through a ritual in the symbiont pools. In Season 7, Episode 13, Ezri Dax was able to perform the Rite of Emergence and interact with Joran much in the way Adira was able to interact with Gray after their visit to Trill.

Adira never had a proper zhian'tara depicted onscreen, but instead was able to experience the hosts in a new way . While trying to connect fully with the Tal symbiont, both Adira and Michael Burnham traveled to a kind of astral plane. There Adira reconnected with their memories of Gray, including his death. Yet, they were also able to meet with the separated consciousnesses of the other hosts and be welcomed "to the circle." This was a unique occurrence other Trill weren't able to perform, it seems. While this was going on, Guardian Xi said this was something he'd never seen before.

Lastly, the zhian'tara was used by Guardian Xi to transfer Gray's consciousness from Adira into a new Picard -style synthetic body . However, this process was dangerous and took much longer than normal because there wasn't a host mind to "guide" Gray. Still, while it took a while, Gray eventually awoke in his new body and resumed his Guardian training on Trill. The way Star Trek: Discovery built on the foundation laid by Deep Space Nine has led to fresh stories that expand fans' understanding of the Trill while providing excellent drama.

Star Trek: Discovery debuts new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ .

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery follows Michael Burnham on her journey from a mutineer in the 23rd Century to Starfleet captain in the 32nd. With its one-of-a-kind spore drive, the USS Discovery is a ship unlike any other, with a crew to match.

‘Star Trek’ Origin Story Movie Will Be Set Decades Before 2009 Film

CinemaCon 2024: The new project will be produced by longtime “Star Trek” steward J.J. Abrams

Paramount Pictures is ready to boldly go (again).

After rumors circulated earlier this year, Paramount officially announced a new “Star Trek” prequel film on Thursday, this time taking place decades before the original 2009 “Star Trek” feature.

“Andor” director Toby Haynes will direct from a script by Seth Grahame-Smith (who is also writing another hotly touted CinemaCon title, the third “Now You See Me” film). J.J. Abrams is returning to produce.

But then again, we’ve heard about a new “Star Trek” movie before.

During the run-up to “Star Trek Beyond” in 2016, it was revealed that a fourth film would reunite Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk with his deceased father (played, once again, by Chris Hemsworth). A year later, Quentin Tarantino approached Paramount about doing a “Star Trek” movie – this time as an R-rated gangster movie (based, in part, on the 1968 episode of the original series “A Piece of the Action”). In 2018 S.J. Clarkson, a TV vet who would eventually direct “Madame Web,” was hired to direct the fourth film in the Abrams-verse, but salary disputes led to Pine and Hemsworth leaving the project. That version was canceled in 2019 and Tarantino stated in 2020 that he wouldn’t be making his “Star Trek” either.

In November 2019 “Fargo” creator Noah Hawley was hired to write and direct a new “Star Trek” film based on his version of the series. A year later, this movie was canceled by new Paramount Pictures president Emma Watts. In 2021 “Star Trek: Discovery” writer Kalinda Vazquez was hired to write a version based on her original pitch, but a separate script was being developed by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. The studio even set a summer 2023 release date for a new “Trek” (which “Trek” was the question).

In 2021 that release date was pushed to Christmas 2023, under the direction of “WandaVision” director Matt Shakman. Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires were brought on to retool the script. In early 2022 it was announced that the stars of the three previous “Star Trek” installments in the Abrams-verse would all be returning, although it was later reported that the actors had not entered negotiations to return.

In 2022 Shakman left “Star Trek” to join Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four.” But just last month Steve Yockey was hired to write a fourth “Star Trek” movie.

Now, we are finally getting word of another film in development, with another writer/director team. But it’s not the first time that a “Star Trek” prequel script has been floated, as Erik Jendresen, cowriter of “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning,” had submitted a script for “Star Trek: The Beginning” before J.J. had taken over and pitched his 2009 version. It depicted the Earth-Romulan War.

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A Star Trek Origin Movie Is Coming in 2025 From 'Andor' and 'Doctor Who' Director Toby Haynes

'Star Trek' (2009) director J.J. Abrams is attached to produce.

The Big Picture

• A new Star Trek prequel film, an "origin story", is in development, at Paramount.
• The Star Trek history before Kirk's missions on the Enterprise is largely unwritten, leaving room for creativity with the new film.
• Director Toby Haynes, known for Andor , is working on the film alongside writer Seth Grahame-Smith; a 2025 release window was announced at CinemaCon.

Star Trek may finally be coming back to the big screen. A prequel to the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot of the franchise is in the works from director Toby Haynes . The news comes from Paramount's presentation at CinemaCon today, as reported by Collider's Steve Weintraub and Britta DeVore . With Haynes, who recently helmed six episodes of the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor , at the rudder, the film will be written by Seth Grahame-Smith .

So far, other details on the new film are scarce, but it will reportedly be an "origin story", taking place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film, which took place in 2255. That likely means that it will not feature the cast from the 2009 reboot, which has so far been difficult for Paramount to wrangle together for a fourth film, despite numerous attempts to do so . That doesn't necessarily mean that a fourth movie isn't happening: back in March, Paramount hired The Flight Attendant scribe Steve Yockey to pen a new script for the film. For their part, the cast is game as well, with Zoe Saldaña recently stating her willingness to return for a fourth mission on the USS Enterprise .

What Happened Decades Before Kirk's First Missions on the Enterprise?

The history of the Star Trek universe prior to the celebrated voyages of the Enterprise is largely unwritten. The first starship Enterprise 's adventures in the 22nd century were chronicled on the UPN prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise . That series ended with the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, which leaves almost a century of mostly unexplored history between that and the history now being charted on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (and the first two seasons of mothership show Star Trek: Discovery ).

At some point, the nascent Federation faces a devastating war against the Romulan Star Empire , while also engaged in a Cold War with the Klingons. The USS Enterprise will eventually be launched in the 23rd century, under the captaincy of Robert April, who has been briefly glimpsed on Star Trek: The Animated Series and Strange New Worlds , before being handed off to Christopher Pike . Apart from that, however, Haynes and Graeme-Smith have a near-blank canvas upon which to make their mark.

In addition to Andor , Haynes has also helmed episodes of Doctor Who , Sherlock , and Black Mirror ; his work on the latter series includes the episode " USS Callister ," a loving pastiche of Star Trek . Graeme-Smith wrote the novels Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter ; he worked on the story for the upcoming horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice .

A new Star Trek prequel film is in development; no date has yet been set beyond a 2025 release window . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Screen Rant

The bricklayer cast & character guide.

The 2024 Renny Harlin action movie The Bricklayer boasts a cast that includes quite a few familiar faces along with up-and-coming international stars.

• Director Renny Harlin is known for major projects and working with A-list talent, though his new movie The Bricklayer has a smaller ensemble.
• The movie nevertheless features familiar faces like Aaron Eckhart, Nina Dobrev, and Clifton Collins Jr.
• The supporting cast of The Bricklayer also includes an array of international talent.

The Bricklayer cast features an ensemble cast that includes up-and-coming international performers as well as established stars. The movie was originally released day-and-date in January 2024, going on to earn less than $1 million during its theatrical run. However, it found new success in the Spring when it premiered on the streaming service Netflix, where it landed on their daily Top 10 movie chart alongside hits including Glass , The Super Mario Bros. Movie , and Hotel Transylvania .

The Bricklayer is the latest from director Renny Harlin, who has helmed many major projects throughout his career including Deep Blue Sea , A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 , Cliffhanger , and the upcoming The Strangers: Chapter 1 . Because of his stature in the industry, the director has worked with a wide variety of A-list talent including Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Geena Davis, and Sebastian Stan. While his new movie doesn't boast as large an ensemble as some of his previous efforts, it does feature quite a few familiar faces.

Deep Blue Sea Movies Ranked, Worst To Best

Aaron eckhart as vail, aaron eckhart is 56 years old.

Actor: Aaron Eckhart was born in Cupertino, California and first broke big when he starred in Erin Brockovich as Julia Roberts' love interest. He has also frequently collaborated with director Neil LaBute, who gave him one of his earliest roles in 1997's In the Company of Men . Since then he has taken on a number of roles, including multiple American presidents, though the most recognizable of these roles is likely Harvey Dent in Christopher Nolan's 2008 smash hit The Dark Knight .

Neil LaBute movies that feature Aaron Eckhart include In the Company of Men , Your Friends and Neighbors , Nurse Betty , Possession , and The Wicker Man .

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In The Bricklayer , Aaron Eckhart plays Steve Vail. He is a jazz lover and former CIA field agent who has taken on a job as a bricklayer . However, his past as a CIA handler catches up with him, drawing him into a new adventure involving international intrigue.

Nina Dobrev As Kate

Nina dobrev is 35 years old.

Actor: Nina Dobrev, who is best known for starring in The CW's The Vampire Diaries , was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. Before joining the Vampire Diaries cast , she got her start in Canadian projects such as Degrassi: The Next Generation and Fugitive Pieces . Since departing the show as a main cast member after season 6, she has taken on a variety of roles on both the big and small screens.

Character: In The Bricklayer , Nina Dobrev plays Kate. Her character is a current junior CIA agent who ends up being paired with Vail . While he spends a great deal of time trying to avoid working with her, the pair slowly begin to learn how to work together.

Clifton Collins Jr. As Radek

Clifton collins jr. is 52 years old.

Actor: Clifton Collins Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California and had his breakthrough role in 1997's One Eight Seven . Since then, he has taken on a variety of increasingly prominent roles in movies, though he has dabbled in television including an Emmy-nominated performance in the 2006 miniseries Thief . He has also earned an Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

​​​​​​​Character: In The Bricklayer , Clifton Collins Jr. plays Victor Radek. Radek is another former CIA agent for whom Vail was a handler. Although he was presumed dead, he has resurfaced and is suspected of killing several prominent journalists .

Tim Blake Nelson As O'Malley

Tim blake nelson is 59 years old.

Actor: Tim Blake Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and began to achieve onscreen prominence after starring in the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? . Although he would later reteam with the directors on The Ballad of Buster Scruggs , in the meantime he took on a wide variety of roles in a range of genres. This includes multiple roles in superhero projects such as 2019's Watchmen and the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World , in which he is set to reprise his The Incredible Hulk role as Samuel Sterns.

​​​​​​​ Character: In The Bricklayer , Tim Blake Nelson plays O'Malley. O'Malley is the CIA director who pairs Kate with Vail. However, he eventually finds himself under suspicion as the investigation into the murders continues.

The Bricklayer Supporting Cast & Characters

The ensemble cast of the bricklayer includes ori pfeffer and ilfenesh hadera.

Ilfenesh Hadera as Tye: Hadera, who plays the CIA Thessaloniki Station Chief, played Deb Kawi in Billions alongside other television roles in shows including Godfather of Harlem and She's Gotta Have It .

Ori Pfeffer as Sten: Pfeffer, who plays an ex-informant, is an Israeli actor known for The Hitman's Bodyguard and Hacksaw Ridge ​​​​​​​.

Oliver Trevena as Patricio: Trevena, who plays a useful old friend of Vail's, recently played Maxwell Carver opposite Gerard Butler in 2023's Plane .

Akis Sakellariou as Kostas: Sakellariou, who plays one of Radek's targets in The Bricklayer , ​​​​​​​has largely worked in the Greek film industry in projects like 1993's A Time to Kill .

The Bricklayer

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Based on the novel by Paul Lindsay, The Bricklayer is an action thriller by director Renny Harlin that was released in 2024. Aaron Eckhart stars as former CIA agent Steve Vail, who returns to the line of duty when a former agent turns rogue. With their backs against the wall and the threat of agents being burned, Steve is reluctantly brought back into the field to protect the country from his former colleague's dangerous actions.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)

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