Original air date: March 1, 1993
The Enterprise arrives at Deep Space Nine to assist in the reconstruction of Bajoran aqueducts. As Geordi and Worf grab lunch, a Yridian is shown watching Worf in the distance.
Back on the Enterprise, Data detects a power drain in the starboard EPS conduits. He goes to sickbay to investigate and finds DS9's chief medical officer, Dr. Julian Bashir, who's studying a strange device found in the Gamma Quadrant; he thinks it's a medical scanner, but DS9's computers aren't up to the task of determining what it is yet. Data suggests taking it to Engineering, where Geordi could assist him.
On DS9, the Yridian introduces himself as Jaglom Shrek, a broker of information. He tells Worf that his father, Mogh, didn't die at Khitomer, but is alive in a Romulan prison camp. Worf is enraged at the prospect because being taken prisoner would dishonor a Klingon's family for three generations, affecting even Alexander.
In Engineering, Bashir becomes intrigued by Data, asking about the miscellaneous features that make him seem more human, such as his hair and the appearance of breathing. Powering up the device, Bashir detects an overload inside, and Data is struck by an energy discharge. Data finds himself walking down a corridor, hearing a loud clanging sound. He sees a blacksmith hammering a piece of metal. He turns around and reveals himself to be Dr. Noonien Soong, but as a younger man. Data awakens, unable to understand the "vision" he experienced.
Later, in Ten Forward, Data struggles to find meaning in his vision, asking Worf, who had had a similar experience as a boy, for advice. Worf tells him that nothing is more important than receiving a vision of his father, and that no matter what he has done, he must find him. Through talking to Data, Worf realizes what he must do. Worf returns to DS9 and forces Shrek to take him to the colony.
Data has examined some of the symbolism in his vision as interpreted in various cultures, but Picard urges him to look at it from his personal perspective. Data returns to his quarters and paints images from his vision. His paintings are as incomprehensible as the vision, but certain paintings – those of a bird, and a bird's wing – were not present in the vision. Data decides to replicate the experiment with the Gamma Quadrant device. Monitored by La Forge and Bashir, Data is again struck by an energy beam and experiences another vision.
He encounters Soong once again, this time on the bridge, hammering a bird's wing on his anvil. Soong tells him that he has developed the capacity to dream; no man should understand his dreams, hence why they are incomprehensible. He then tells Data that he is the bird; Data "flies" through the corridors and out of the ship before waking up in Engineering. Finally understanding, he tells Bashir that he intends to deactivate himself every night and dream more. Bashir wishes him "sweet dreams."
Meanwhile, Worf is dropped off on the planet and given a homing device by Shrek, which will tell him where and when he'll be back. Worf first encounters a Klingon woman in the jungle who doesn't seem to understand that she's being"rescued," but guards call her away. Worf approaches the camp and sees a group of Klingons sitting around a fire, the eldest of whom is singing a Klingon song. Worf pulls the old man aside and learns that he is L'Kor, a family friend. He confirms that Worf's father Mogh did indeed die at Khitomer, but the rest of them were taken prisoner and now live willingly in this community alongside Romulans. Now that he knows of the camp's existence, he cannot be permitted to leave...
End of Part I
Part II:
Worf has been captured in the Romulan prison camp. He learns the story of the Klingons who were captured from L'Kor. They were knocked unconscious, and when they awoke in the prison camp, they failed to starve themselves. After being interrogated, the Romulans tried to trade them for territory. The Klingon Empire refused to believe in their existence. When Tokath, the Romulan officer who captured them, offered to let them go, they did not wish to return and dishonor their families. He took pity on them and built the prison camp. Their own honor gone, they had nothing to lose by staying prisoners.
Touring the camp, Worf is dismayed to learn that the young generation of Klingons born in the colony knows nothing of its Klingon heritage. He tries to instruct a young man, Toq, to properly respect the spear he's using to farm but gets rebuffed. He also speaks to Ba'el, the Klingon woman he encountered in the jungle who doesn't seem to realize that she's a prisoner. He suggests she tell her father she wants to visit the homeworld and see what he says. Before he can say much more, her mother, Gi'ral, calls her home.
Tokath introduces himself to Worf and argues that the colony is a shining example of peace between their two species. He reveals that he sacrificed his career to prevent its inhabitants from being executed and now lives alongside his captives, married to a Klingon woman. He'll do anything to protect his community and family. Worf is unconvinced. He attempts a daring escape, but Toq tackles him, allowing the Romulan guards to recapture him.
At the prison camp, Worf is implanted with a tracking device. Toq is instructed to keep watch over Worf. Worf tries a new strategy by teaching the young Klingons about their heritage. He instructs them in the Mok'bara (Klingon tai-chi). He also explains some of the Klingon relics that Ba'el's mother hides from her. At night, Worf relates some ancient stories about Kahless. Toq and the older Klingons continue to disapprove of Worf's actions, but the rest of the young Klingons are fascinated. Ba'el shows romantic interest in Worf, but as soon as they start to neck Klingon-style, he realizes that she's half-Romulan, the daughter of Tokath. Worf is horrified.
On the Enterprise, the crew has become concerned that Worf has not returned on schedule. Geordi examines Shrek's flight plan. He identifies two systems close to Romulan space, so Captain Picard tells him to head for the closest one.
The next morning, Worf tries to make amends with Ba'el, but he's clearly still rattled by her Romulans lineage. Outside, he spots Tog and others playing a wimpy bowling game with spears and a hoop. Worf shows them how use the equipment to train their spear throws for hunting. Tog enjoys the exercise and finally warms to Worf. Worf suggests they go on the ritual hunt, and Toq agrees. When they ask Tokath for permission, the Romulan initially balks, but L'Kor stiffly assures him that a Klingon who pledges not to escape will keep his word, just like L'Kor did decades ago. Tokath reluctantly agrees, telling Toq to kill Worf should he break his word.
Toq is amazed by the ritual hunt, feeling more alive than he has ever before. He's angered that he was never taught his heritage. When he returns that evening, he presents a slain animal to the colony and proclaims that they have forgotten themselves, leading them all in a more triumphant rendition of the song K'Lor sang before.
After dinner, Tokath again tries to convince Worf that the peaceful coexistence in his colony is worth preserving, but Worf states that the peace is artificial. Tokath orders his execution. Worf says he would rather die than live under the thumb of Romulan jailers. With his death, he will show the young generation what it is to die as a Klingon. While awaiting execution, Ba'el pleads with Worf to escape. He refuses but does admit that he loves her, despite everything.
The next day, when Worf faces a Romulan firing squad. With his final words, Worf announces that he has brought something "dangerous" to the children: knowledge of their origins and the reasons they are there. Toq arrives in full Klingon regalia and announces that if they kill Worf, they will have to kill him too. Soon, the whole younger generation stands with him and Worf, facing the firing squad. Gi'ral intercedes and tells her husband Tokath that she and the older Klingon prisoners had hoped to avoid dishonoring their children back on the homeworld, but they lost sight of the children raised on this planet. Their captive children should be set free if they wish to go.
Worf tells the young Klingons about the sacrifices their parents had made before and are making again. The children must honor their parents by never revealing this camp to anyone outside. The Klingons hitch a ride on a Romulan transport ship and get beamed onto the Enterprise. When Picard asks Worf if he found what he was looking for, Worf answers no, there was no prison camp. The young people, he says, are survivors from a vessel that crashed several years ago. With a knowing look, the captain says he understands.
Tropes featured in "Birthright":
- Aborted Arc: Many fans were upset that Data's dreams weren't explored any further in part 2. The writers would make up for this in season 7's "Phantasms".
- All There in the Script: Jaglom Shrek's motivation for helping Worf is that he was once a prisoner of war himself. This explanation was cut from the episode proper due to the Real Life Writes the Plot example noted below.
- Anti-Villain: Commandant Tokath became the antagonist for this scenario by taking pity on helpless Klingons, sparing their lives, and trying to live with them in peace. He repeatedly argues that the peaceful coexistence he's built justifies any lack of freedom on the part of the Klingons living there.
- Arc Number: The initial shock knocks Data out for 47 seconds.
- Bittersweet Ending: Contrary to Shrek's claims, Mogh really is dead. Worf teaches the young Klingons of Carraya IV about their heritage, and many of them choose to leave with him. However, to preserve their families' honor, they must pretend to be survivors from a supposed crashed vessel in the system, and can never see their parents again. Conversely, it's implied that Ba'el — who as a Klingon/Romulan hybrid would never be welcome in either world — will have to stay behind, meaning she will likely never see her friends, or Worf, again.
- The Cameo: Morn makes a brief appearance while Worf is visiting DS9's Promenade.
- Continuity Nod:
- Geordi mentions O'Brien, who transferred off the Enterprise and is now Chief of Operations for DS9. The bad pasta is also a sign of the many problems the station is having, especially with the replicators.
- Worf eagerly eats food that humans find inedible, just as he did back in "Time Squared".
- Crossover: The Enterprise makes a stop at Deep Space 9, and Data helps Dr. Bashir with a device that the station crew had found in the Gamma Quadrant.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: Klingons are not allowed to be captured. Worf is initially horrified by the thought that his father was captured rather than killed, though he later states that he would want to see his father again even if he dishonored himself. L'Kor, however, says that he hopes his son would be Klingon enough to kill him if they ever met again.
- Dream Episode: Data (an android) starts having dreams because he's uncovered a program in his brain.
- Dreams of Flying: In part I, Data dreams of a raven flying around the Enterprise. Later on towards the end of the part, he becomes the raven and flies through the Enterprise and into space before waking up.
- Eye Take: Bashir when he realises he's talking to the famous Data.
- Face Death with Dignity: Worf commits to dying with honor to show the young generation how to be a Klingon.
- Fantastic Racism: Worf is unable to accept the idea that Romulans and Klingons can ever live in peace together. He's horrified when he discovers that Ba'el is half Romulan.
- Foreshadowing: Upon meeting Data, Bashir is immediately fascinated not by his extraordinary abilities, but by the little details his creator added to more closely mimic humanity, such as his breathing and circulatory system. Five years later, Deep Space Nine would reveal that Bashir underwent genetic engineering as a child, giving him strength and intelligence that completely defies the curve of what's normal for humans. His recognition of Data's more human aspects is because the more he sees Data as human-like, the more he realizes that Data is very much like himself — a person engineered to have superior qualities who seeks to emulate regular humans to fit in.
- I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: Worf when he admits his attraction toward Ba'el even after discovering her half-Romulan heritage.Worf: I would not have thought it possible to fall in love with a Romulan.
- Ironic Echo: During a conversation between Worf and Tokath:Worf: You robbed the Klingons of who they were. You dishonored them.
Tokath: By not slitting their throats when we found them unconscious?
Worf: I do not expect you to understand. You are a Romulan.
Tokath: You're just like L'Kor was twenty years ago. Proud and angry. He hated me. All the Klingons did. And I had no love for them, I won't deny it. When I informed the High Command that the Klingons wanted to remain here, I was told that unless I stayed to oversee them myself, they would be killed. My decision ended my military career.
Worf: Why did you do it?
Tokath: I don't expect you to understand. You're a Klingon. - Living Is More than Surviving: Worf's rationale to teaching the Klingon youth their heritage.Worf: I saw what happened to him when he caught the scent of his prey on the wind. For the first time in his life, he felt powerful, and that is what he has been denied living here. And that is what you have tried to take away from him. Now you may be content to sit here in the jungle and wither to old age, but Toq and the others have tasted what it is to feel truly alive, and they will not give that up now.
- Maligned Mixed Marriage: The thought of Tokath and Gi'ral as mates with a child almost makes Worf sick.
- Mandatory Line: Dr. Crusher only has a single line at the beginning of Part I and another at the end of Part II.
- No OSHA Compliance: As per usual, the staff of Engineering sees fit to conduct an experiment directly in front of the warp core. Luckily, the energy discharged away from the ship's engine.
- Obvious Stunt Double: In the first episode, when Data is lying down with Dr. Soong standing over him, it's pretty clearly a stand-in rather than Brent Spiner, who is only playing Soong in this shot.
- Percussive Therapy: Worf is doing his mok'bara exercises when he angrily smashes a table. Naturally, Deanna can't resist snarking about it."Did the table do something wrong?"
- Questionable Consent: Worf's attraction to Ba'el can come across as rather squicky. He considers a her as one of the Klingon youth, and there is a clear generation gap between them, not just in terms of culture, but also age and experience, making it look like a mature, experienced Starfleet officer and family man is taking advantage of someone who, in human terms, appears to be in her late teens and has no experience of the universe outside her camp.
- Real Life Writes the Plot: The reason why Shrek inexplicably disappears from the plot without explanation, as detailed in the What Happened to The Mouse entry, is because James Cromwell broke his leg in a riding accident, severely curtailing his availability.
- The Reveal: Ba'el is Tokath's daughter, and Gi'ral is that wife he was talking about.
- Ridiculously Human Robot: Discussed by Data and Bashir, who first asks if Data's hair can grow (it can), and also notices that he breathes and has a pulse.
- Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Tokath threw away his career to preserve the colony he built.
- Villain Has a Point: Tokath had done something no diplomats from the Klingon or Romulan empires, or even the Federation has achieved: a manageable peace between Klingons and Romulans (not counting the Klingon-Romulan Alliance in the original series). And he is willing to kill Worf to stop him from disrupting that peace.
- That said, Tokath’s success comes at the cost of the Klingons born on Carraya having no connection to their culture and heritage - is "peace" that comes from the loss of cultural identity truly peace? Or is it just another form of conquest?
- The Watson: Ba'el and Toq serve this role, asking about Klingon culture.
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- While the Yridian does miss the rendezvous with the Enterprise, we never see what actually happened to him. In the script, he was killed by the Romulan guards.
- Did Geordi, Data, and Julian ever figure out what that device they were studying was supposed to be?
- You Can't Go Home Again: The Klingons captured from Khitomer stayed in the camp, instead of returning and having dishonor for themselves and their families.L'Kor: None of us are going anywhere... and neither are you.
- You Cannot Kill An Idea: When Tokath threatens to kill Worf, Worf tells him that he is content to Face Death with Dignity for this reason.Worf: I am being executed because I brought something dangerous to your young people. Knowledge. Knowledge of their origins. Knowledge of the real reasons you are here in this camp. The truth is a threat to you.
