‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘The Emissary’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there is one universal truth about mankind, it would have to be that love transcends all things. Because when we find someone that truly makes our heart soar and soul sing, there is little that will stop us from being with that person and that is perhaps why we are eager to explore stories that feature love. Simply because there is something quite beautiful about seeing people from different walks of life or social standings, find the connection that we all seek and oddly enough, it is something that the Star Trek Universe takes the time to explore now and again as well. Simply because love is something that shouldn’t be limited to only humanity, and it just so happens that what love looks like for other cultures was explored in the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

For ‘The Emissary’ sees a special envoy come aboard the Enterprise in a daring and unique manner and once K’Ehleyr is safely within the confines of the ship, we quickly come to learn that she and Lieutenant Worf had a thing back in the day and clearly… they still have feelings for one another. Something that complicates a mission to find a lost Klingon ship from seventy-five years ago, since these two struggle to put their feelings aside and this makes for one fascinating tale. Which shouldn’t be possible since a genuine love story in TNG should bore the crap out of the audience, since we are all here for the adventure, not to watch Klingons make googly eyes at one another. But it really does work here, and its success is largely due to the fact that K’Ehleyr is steadfast on shedding the icy cold traditions of Klingon courtship. 

Instead, she makes it clear that she desires a wild love affair with Worf, one that allows for them to be free with their emotions and find joy in their courtship and that is oddly enough, quite relevant to modern times. Because we are indeed stooped in tradition and we try to put labels and structure into our relationships. To the point where we believe that there is a timeframe on getting married or when exactly we should text or call, and this episode serves to poke holes in all of that and that’s a wonderful thing. Because K’Ehleyr’s views on love are quite correct since it should be a celebration over anything else and it was quite lovely to find this more lighthearted message within the framework of the story and of course, to see Worf eventually agree with her and open his heart to her by the end of this tale.

But while it was cool to enjoy an intergalactic love story for a change, we would be foolish to not discuss the sub plot involving the missing Klingons. Because the idea of running into people from an era where the Federation and Klingon Empire were hostile toward one another is a fascinating one for certain and it played out here in a magical fashion. Because the Klingons in question, who were in cryostasis, awoke from said stasis early and that meant the crew was faced with quite the tough decision. In that, they could either wipe these Klingons out, since they were determined to wage war since they had no knowledge of current events, or find some way to diffuse this situation peacefully and thankfully, Worf had quite the wonderful idea to make the latter happen. And by posing as the captain of the Enterprise, he was able to soften the shock of living in the 24th Century for these unfortunate souls and avoid bloodshed, which is quite the wonderful way to wrap up this tale.

If anything, this really was quite the delightful story when all is said and done. Simply because we’ve been in need of a Worf-themed episode and getting one here, taught us a great deal about this noble warrior. Because now we know that starting a family was something of importance to Worf and that he is quite the old-school romantic as well, since he really did go above and beyond to woo K’Ehleyr in the Klingon way as often as possible. And in the end, it was wonderful to see Worf do more than just growl on a consistent basis and it was always a joy when the series took the time to really get to know the characters and what drives them and this is a story that really does help you to appreciate Worf a great deal more. But what’s really awesome about this particular tale, is that it also sets the stage for the family that Worf seeks, a tidbit we will revisit, come season four. Until next time.

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