Written by Chris Snelgrove | Published
As great as the main characters Star Trek: The Next Generation The supporting characters often stole the show. This includes Alexander, the only Klingon precocious child in Starfleet. It later appeared on STar Trip: Deep Space Ninebut this show wasted this great supporting character because we saw Alexander become nothing more than a knockoff of his father, Worf.
Alexander becomes Worf
If it’s been a while since you watched Star Trek: The Next Generationyou may need a brief primer on the relationship (familial and otherwise) between Alexander and Whorf. Despite his service in Starfleet, Worf was very devoted to maintaining the Klingon way of life, and tried to raise his son in the same way. Unfortunately, Alexander is a quarter human, and between his genetic heritage and his upbringing on a ship full of humans, he grew up being anything but. but Klingon. When Alexander later appeared Deep Space NineHowever, he became a Klingon soldier (albeit a rather clumsy one).
There are a lot of reasons why Star Trek fans didn’t like what happened to Alexander Deep Space Nineincluding the fact that he’s now nothing more than a goofball and still has a terrible relationship with Worf. However, my problem with this story is much simpler. Alexander must never He becomes a Klingon soldier because it appears that the writers gave up on developing his character into something other than a worse version of his father.
Klingon is disappointing
For Star Trek fans, Alexander’s evolution (more like transition) into a version of Worf is particularly disappointing because we rarely see Klingons who aren’t warriors. Sure, there are the occasional scholar here and there, but mostly we see warriors who want nothing more than to die honorably. Considering that something as vast as the Klingon Empire would need countless other types of citizens (farmers, engineers, diplomats, even writers) that we rarely see, it would have been great to see Alexander explore one of these options.
And most importantly, Star Trek: The Next Generation He spent a lot of time proving that Alexander was like that Completely Different from Whorf. Quite frankly, his entire arc has been leading up to him being perhaps the most recognizable Klingon we’ve ever seen. By the time DS9 ended, he was just another soldier getting involved in his race’s warrior culture.
In addition, if Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Had Alexander discovered a different path, Worf’s beliefs about the Klingon way of life could have been challenged in rewarding ways. The writers had some great stories of the inherent tension between Worf’s warrior heritage and the Federation’s hippie spirit, and in TNG, we saw that tension reflected in his relationship with his son. But by DS9, the family drama has been replaced by Alexander trying to follow in Worf’s footsteps, and while a son desperately seeking his father’s approval may be realistic to many viewers watching at home, the entire story It smells bad Of wasted potential.
It is possible Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s writers couldn’t think of another way to bring back Alexander…sure, it took a lot of creative effort (including disrupting the fragile peace between the Klingons and the Federation) to bring Worf back in a convincing way. But speaking as a fan, I’d rather not see this great supporting character return at all than be completely ruined by his return. Plus, the kid was already stuck with Worf as a father…that was enough punishment for a lifetime, and sticking him with terrible characterization and forgettable arcs on top of that seems cruel and unusual.