Why was Bashir helping Data and LaForge in Engineering? He's not an engineer! If anything O'Brien should have been there.

Good point, but there is precedent.

There were times that Geordi needed Dr Crusher's help with Data, too. Apparently there are some things in his system that are so complicated that it helps to have a biological/holistic point of view to work with them. (Treat them as functioning systems, rather than just moving/electronic/positronic/etc. parts.)

Other artificial life forms have also benefitted from a mixed team of experts considering their problems.

Earlier precedent. McCoy helped Scotty in Engineering in "Mirror, Mirror", and also helped with the photon torpedo in STVI.

Ah, but in both those cases, it was because there were no other engineers (or at least none that could be trusted), and McCoy was just doing "grunt-work" under Scotty's direction.

Beverly's and Julian's involvement was because of their medical expertise, not in spite of it.

Didn't Julian find the device and believe it had some sort of medical function?

Is Bashir simply fascinated by Data because he is a unique lifeform - and Bashir wants to expand his knowledge of all types of lifeforms.

I thought that it was Spock McCoy helped in ST6?

Are we supposed to believe that Dr. Bashir just walked onto the Enterprise with this strange device and no one questioned him or notified the Bridge, then he just went to Sick Bay and plugged this thing in and no one stopped him? No wonder the Romulans have so many spies in the Federation. No one ever asks anyone else what they are doing.

Why does Dr. Bashir even think this thing is a medical device at all. What possible evidence does he have that it is used in the treatment of sick individuals? Does it carry the Kevorkian Stamp of Approval? For all Dr. Bashir knows it could be some kind of bomb.

Data discovers someone tampering with the computer and in Sickbay discovers Dr. Bashir working with a strange gizmo that, for unexplained reasons, he thinks is a medical device, but when activated, sends out tremendous bolts of energy, then while leaving Dr. Bashir's shoes change from black to white. Obviously that wasn't the real Dr. Bashir, but one of the Founders from the Gamma quadrant and the device was some kind of weapon. No doubt he was trying to get information from the ship's computer and the device was intended to kill anyone who got in the way.

In this episode there is mention of Ktarian antiques. Perhaps the Ktarians tried to take over the Federation in The Game because they were sick of dilettantes like Picard plundering their archeological treasures?

I'm always amazed that people on TV see themselves in their own dreams.

So where is Odo or one of his security personnel when Worf is holding the Yridian over the railing? Shouldn't that kind of behavior result in Worf spending time in the brig for endangering the life of the Yridian and whomever might have been under him on the Promenade?

In this story it is stated that for a Klingon to be captured dishonors the whole family. so why wasn't the Klingon in A Matter Of Honor dishonored because his father had been captured? Also in the later Deep Space Nine episode In Purgatory's Shadow, Worf says something about how it is okay as long as there are still enemies to kill. So why didn't the captured Klingons from Khitamer try to kill all the Romulan captors? Have they decided to wait thirty or forty years to lull them into a sense of false security?

Just how did the Yridian's ship stroll into Romulan space without being detected?

If that device was so important to Dr. Bashir then where is it when Bashir is saying goodbye to Data? Is he going back to Engineering to get it or has it already been sent back to Deep Space Nine?

It couldn't have been a Founder. They didn't know about the wormhole yet.

When did they find out about it? They may have first appeared in The Search part I(DS9), but it was obvious from what Third Talak'talan said in The Jem'Hadar(DS9) that they had noticed our guys using it for some time.

Hmm...Didn't think about that. I don't know. I guess they might have known about it now.

Of course, while they very well could have, I assume Keith was kidding about Bashir being one in that scene.

Obviously.

Me? Kidding? Who ever heard of such a thing?

The obvious point of this episode was a "launching pad" for "Deep Space Nine"...nothing more. I was expecting Sisko to come out and lash out against Picard for the attack on Wolf 359 and the death of Jennifer and perhaps challenge Picard to a fight....but noooooooo, this episode was a real downer.

I must add the only exciting part was seeing the Klingon woman at the pond. I'm suprised the censors allow this. This is the second time in Trek history in which someone in Starfleet saw someone bathing outdoors. Kirk was the first...he saw Nona bathing in "A Private Little War" (TOS)

Um, John? What are you talking about? This episode takes place AFTER DS9 premiered. Isn't that obvious in watching it? The station's already been settled by Starfleet, Bashir is the CMO, etc. The episode was first broadcast almost two months after DS9 premiered.

I think he means that the show was intended to promote DS9.

Or his memory of when DS9 premiered is faulty.


I was expecting Sisko to come out and lash out against Picard for the attack on Wolf 359 and the death of Jennifer and perhaps challenge Picard to a fight... - John Lang

Except Sisko settled his prejudices against Picard in DS9's pilot episode.

Thanks Darth, My memory was indeed faulty about the debut of DS9. Therefore, let me correct myself by saying that this episode was to PROMOTE DS9.

You're welcome, John.

And I agree that I think that Part 1 serves little purpose other than to promote DS9.

GREAT LINE: "You are the bird" Soong to Data...then the camera switched to the bird's POV and starts flying around the ship...including the exterior. How many would like to do that for real?

Too bad they chose Bashir as a guest character for this. At this point, Sidig El Fadil was a BAD actor. Thankfully, he improved greatly as time went on, but still, at this point...[shivers]...

At least we know what became of Zephram Cochrane...he was reincarnated as the alien informant who talks to Worf.

Again, I'll mention, this is another episode in which the transporter transponder SHOULD HAVE been used.

Also, in Data's dream, why does the Captain's chair & arched railing keep appearing & disappearing?

Data feels sees the Captain as a father figure and Worf as a protector. Worf has truly abandoned Data during his time of need, having gone off on his own quest. Picard is also frequently absent from the scenes regarding Data's dream, an odd thing since this is a serious change in the life of one of his senior officers and his friend. The disappearances of their duty stations reflects Data's subconcious feelings of abandonment from these two friends. If I recall correctly, the warp core, which symbolizes Geordie is still present, which makes sense, since Geordi is there to help Data.


Counselor Troi isn't the only one who can psychobabble!

ON THE OTHER HAND, Worf and Picard may symbolize different aspects of Data's psyche. Worf represents his sense of security, which has surely been seriously disrupted during this life changing new experience. Picard symbolizes Data's control over his own life. These dreams are very new to him, and are seemingly random, making Data feel that he is not in control of his surroundings, which is a rare event. Therefor, the disappearing duty stations of these two parts of his psyche reflect these loses. Geordi is a very human character, and the presence of the warp core symbolizes that Data is becomming more human.

I think that Part 1 serves little purpose other than to promote DS9.

An alternative viewpoint is that this served to reduce the running costs of the show, particularly since DS9's first season was already well into production. The creators simply felt the need to reuse sets out of convenience rather than a deliberate intention to promote the new show (not that they wanted to not promote it, though). As any good obstetrician knows, carrying and delivering twins is much riskier for the parent than with one baby.

ON THE OTHER HAND, Geordi represents the letter "G" which is present in "Soong", whereas Worf and Picard don't.

It just now occured to me that someone may take my two above posts seriously. They are not meant to be.

I dunno, Merat - I found there was a noticeable change on the Data-Worf relationship towards the end of Season 6, which initially took me aback. In some of these episodes I saw what I thought were nice, you might say, "bonding" scenes between the two. (No, not like that. ) I mean, Data is asking Worf for advice about his own development (something that Picard or LaForge or Troi would traditionally do).

For instance, from "Second Chances":
Data: I am curious about something, Lieutenant. If you met a double of yourself, would you find it difficult to interact with him?
Worf: I think so.
Data: Why?
Worf: I am not... easy to get along with.
Data: But Commander Riker and Lieutenant Riker are. Yet they seem to have trouble getting along with each another.
[beat]
I have found that humans value their uniqueness, their sense that they are different from every one else. The existence of a double would preclude that feeling. Could that be the source of friction?
Worf: Perhaps it is more a matter of seeing something in your double... something you don't like about yourself.

An interesting take on life, but the fact that he is asking Worf of all people I think is welcome and appropriate if Data is to learn more about himself and others.

Anyway, back to "Birthright, pt. 1", quickly...

Richard Herd (L'Kor) was George's boss Wilhelm on "Seinfeld" as well as Admiral Paris on Voyager.

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that the DS9 character they wanted to use here was Dax...wasn't it that Siddig was the first player to lose the Move Alone Home game so he could go over to TNG for a bit?

I have to agree with Phil on his note that this episode needed not be a two-parter.

The "Data Dreams" segment could've stood on its own with worrying about what Worf was doing.

Everything that Worf did could have been done in ONE EPISODE

I don't see how. They would've had to have cut much of it. What could they have cut without diminishing the material that contributes to his characterization when deciding to go to the prison?

RE: LUIGI:

Make it another "Let's kidnap someone from the Senior Staff" episode....it'd go like this....Worf arrives at DS9, gets knocked out & abducted & taken to the prison where he'd figure a way out & still attempt to take the others with him.

I disagree. I like the idea that it's a 2 part-er with 2 diferent stories happening at the same time.

Um..........the people at the prison camp didn't want him there, John. They were agitated by his arrival there. Why, after being sequestered in that camp for decades would they send someone out to kidnap Worf? Their whole reason for living there is that they didn't want anything more to do with the outside world because the Klingons were dead in the eyes of the Empire, and Tokath sacrified his career because he didn't want to execute them out of pity. You're not advocating a one-parter instead of a two-parter; you're changing the fundamental plot of the story.

Very well. But I still think the story was too long and very boring. Not one of my faves.

Well you could still use the basic fundamental plot if you use that Mr Worf finds another brother (or cousin or lover or whomever close to him) was supposedly aboard the ship that got captured and he goes looking for what happened and discovers the prison camp that wasn't supposed to exist.

Or you could do the old Worf was strolling through the galaxy one day when suddenly an adventure found him.

Or maybe Worf is on DS9 on leave meeting with some klingon buddies and a strange ship is encountered. Turns out one of the teens on the planet stole/repaired/built a starshuttle and took off with it. Unfortunately his life support/engines/important gizmo broke and he wound up near DS9. before he dies he says the name of a world/name of a person (brother/friend/lover/somebody special) to worf and he takes off and tries to find out what happened by backtracking doing the lone worf thing.

All some other ideas that could have been used without too much rehashing or editing of the basic plotline. The one with the teen in my mind though sounds the best as the rest of the populace could and would still be upset with worf's arrival and there would still be the action as the leaders would have destroyed all other ship devices etc...to prevent another K'Esley from getting off the planet.

Or you could just leave the two episodes they way they are and not watch them if you don't like them.

Yea, that sounds like the best idea.

I agree with Phil's question. "Why is this a two-parter?"

Part 1 could've been just Data's dream sequence activated and that's it. (Call the episode "Life Is But A Dream")

Part 2 should've been both "Birthright" episodes crammed into one episode and called "Birthright"

I liked how it worked. That Worf didn't want anything to do with even the idea of it until Data asks him about his own problem.

Question for John A. Lang

Was Ba'el actually naked in that shot? It does bring up the question I suppose on how much nudity occurs on set that isn't actually picked up by the camera. To see someone's side where their underwear would be would suggest that they're nude in front of the cast and set.

Regarding nudity in star trek, wasn't Q (the character as well as the actor)nude when he lost his powers and floating in front of the cast? I bet that was a distraction. It's a good thing John A. Lang wasn't a cast member on the bridge and Sirtis was Q or he'd never remember his lines.

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I found it cheesy that the wires were attached to the device from the warp core. Even if you needed a lot of power to run something, you don't plug it in directly into the core!! The wiring itself wasn't that thick and didn't look very insulated so the power flow through it couldn't have been strong enough that plugging it into a "wall outlet" wouldn't have been sufficient.

Speaking of plugging it into the warp core... how? where? I can't come up with any place that would exist on the core that would even allow a plug!?

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NANJAO

When Data is being hit by the device, it reminds me of the scene in TRON where the guy gets zapped to become digital.

It certainly appears that she is. It is difficult to tell, her hair is very long & "strategically placed"

There are flesh coloured garments that actors can wear to cover their private parts. On screen (and with the camera and lighting correct) it is hard to spot that the actor isn't naked.

Alternatively there are also flesh coloured 'cups' an actress can wear to cover her breasts when scenes require them to look topless from some angles - Nana Visitor wore these when she was doing the bath scene when playing the Intendant.

The only actor I know who was filmed without these garments was Patrick Stewart in Chain of Command. Although neither Grace Park or Jolene Blalock seemed to be using anything but their hands to cover up in scenes where they were required to be topless in Enterprise.

There are flesh coloured garments that actors can wear to cover their private parts. On screen (and with the camera and lighting correct) it is hard to spot that the actor isn't naked.

Yeah, I believe that's standard. I remember there was a big deal when on "Civil Wars", Mariel Hemmingway did her nude scene nude, instead of in a bodysuit.

Based on the phone in Data's stomach scene, Picard prefers Android to iOS.

The alien's spacecraft looks suspiciously like the "Time Ship" from "A Matter of Time" (Both inside & outside)