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Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 Episode 20

The Emissary

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7.8

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AIRED: 6/29/89

Stardate: 42901.3 Worf is re-united with his former lover, K'Ehleyr, while the Enterprise is ordered to intercept a Klingon ship whose crew has been in stasis for seventy-five years.

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Fan Episode Reviews (6)

A Klingon ship being released from cryogenic freeze must be intercepted by the Enterprise before it renews the old Federation Klingon war.

7.0

By Celedorian, Jul 09, 2011

(Not to be confused with the DS9 premier with the same title.) Susie Plakson is so good as K'Ehleyr and this episodes lays seeds for so many important TNG Klingon episodes, it's remember it as better than it is; but (like many second season episodes) it doesn't quite hit the mark, as the show hadn't yet matured yet when it was made. It has its moments and is a great character building episode for Worf, but the plot is a bit silly, and most viewers will be about five steps ahead of the resolution. Definitely a must see for Worf fans, but not the most engaging episode of the season.moreless
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Suzie Plakson makes a splash as the memorably fiery K'Ehleyr in this rather soapish episode

6.0

By Amoyaan, May 30, 2011

In this episode, Starfleet sends a Klingon Emissary to brief them on a mission which involves a ship full of Klingons that have been in stasus for years and who are unaware of the new peace treaty between the Klingon Empire and the Federation.

The plot is pretty much throwaway fluff: on paper it's a decent enough concept but in execution it doesnt quite pan out. In keeping with 'A Matter of Honor', the Klingons of TNG era are portrayed as being aggressive to a fault but dense as bricks. The eventual resolution, where Worf and K'Ehleyr dress up and engage ina bit of role play to fool the Klingons is all a bit hokey for my taste. The writers maybe thought it was a clever twist, but 'clever' isn't really the first word that would come to my mind.

The Worf/K'ehlyer story is pure soap opera but it works reasonably well, if only because Suzie Plakson gives such a memorably fiesty and endearing performance. Yes, there's more than a hint of 'Desperate HouseKlingons' to her rather stylised performance, but it works and she helps bring a little spark and zest to the episode.moreless
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A somewhat dull romance for Worf. This episode is not as good as I remembered.

7.0

By pharoahsdance, May 30, 2011

In the first season, a lot of TNG's characters were somewhat formless. Part of this was the actors figuring out their roles and much of it was due to writers/producers that seemed completely uninterested in character development.

This changed dramatically in the second season; Riker and Geordi in particular are quite similar to what they would be in later seasons. Other characters took a little longer, and Worf is one of them.

That said, in this episode and the following one, you can see a much more interesting Worf emerging. This is no longer the feral, moronic, "eat any good books lately?" Klingon of the first season.

The plot of this episode is mediocre. In a lot of ways I would compare this to "The Icarus Factor"; there is just too much lame dialogue and over-the-top melodrama here, and I agree with another reviewer that it resembles a soap opera. That said, there is genuine chemistry between Worf and Kheylr (much better than that between Riker and his dad) and it is enough to carry the episode.

One final note: The poker game makes its second appearance. I never noticed it before, but much as the poker game in "The Measure of a Man" highlighted Data to set up the rest of the story, this one very appropriately sets the tone for a Worf-centric episode.moreless
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Interesting if a little underpaced

6.8

By AvatarBlue, May 30, 2011

A variation on the theme of a mission-based story. The objective is to stop a possible attack by a hibernating Klingon ship from the past who believe the Federation is the enemy.

The main subplot used to pad out the basic story and add some conflict is the reunion between Worf and an old half-human/klingon flame. Never really gets out of 2nd gear throughout as Worf and his ex argue, fight, and let their emotions come to the fore before reigniting some long subdued feelings for each other.

With time and options fast running out and no sign of the friendly Klingon ship, Worf makes a cheeky suggestion to Picard to save the day.

Well constructed if low intensive episode best watched when full of patience.moreless
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In this episode, we get a glimpse into the backstory of \"Worf\" (Michael Dorn).

9.3

By The_MOW, May 07, 2006

The Enterprise receives orders to pick up a special emissary \"K\'Eleyr\" (Suzie Plakson, who was first seen as a Vulcan doctor in the episode \"The Schizoid Man\"). It is quickly learned that she, who is half-human and half-Klingon, had a previous relationship of \"Worf\" (series regular Michael Dorn). She then informs \"Capt. Picard\" (Patrick Stewart) that the Enterprise is ordered to intercept the T\'Ong, a Klingon vessel whose crew has been in a cryogenic sleep for the last 75-years.

If the crew of the T\'Ong wakens before the Enterprise reaches her, the Klingons will attack the nearest Federation outposts believing the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets are still enemies.

This episode is a great character development on the \"Worf\" character, giving us a glance into his past. Specificly, a look into his romantic life.

\"Worf\" and \"K\'Eleyr\" are a great on-screen couple with some tension in their slowly rekindled relationship. Both actors have excellent chemistry together. It is a shame that \"K\'Eleyr\" didn\'t join the regular cast. Watching them, you actually can believe that they had a fairly rough breakup when they were younger.

The two characters are total opposites -- she is a brash woman with a quick wit and a quicker temper, he is a Klingon raised by humans who has embraced his homeworld heritage. Both actors play their characters perfectly and work well off one another.

The script itself was wonderfully written. I saw no flaw in the story. Every actor delivered their lines with believability. Even though the bulk of the main cast are just supporting characters, they meld quite nicely into the plot.

The visuals are typical Trek here. There are also a few plot holes, such as why would a species with Warp technology need with a sleeper ship where the crew is in cryongenic sleep for more than half a century? Also, did the Klingon Empire lose the records on the T\'Ong, or did they purposely wait 75 years to rendezvous with their ship? And was the T\'Ong crew scheduled to be in stasis that long?

This is a \"Must Have\" addition to any Trekkie\'s (or Trekker\'s) video/DVD collection.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Michael Dorn	Lt./Lt. Cmdr. Worf
LeVar Burton	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi LaForge
Jonathan Frakes	Cmdr. William T. Riker
Diana Muldaur	Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Season 2)
Marina Sirtis	Counsellor/Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Troi
Wil Wheaton	Wesley Crusher (Seasons 1-4, recurring)

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Diedrich Bader	Tactical Crewman	Guest Star
Lance LeGault	K'Temoc	Guest Star
Anne Ramsay	Ensign Clancy	Guest Star
Colm Meaney	Miles O'Brien	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (5)
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- The glove weapon K'Ehleyr was wearing while on the holodeck mysteriously disappears.
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- K'Ehleyr leaves the holodeck without asking for the exit.
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- In the poker scene, Dr. Pulaski states that Worf has taken all of her chips, yet in the next hand Dr. Pulaski is dealt cards and has chips to play with.
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- In the opening sequence, when they are playing poker and it's down to the Doctor and Worf, you can see several small piles of chips in the center of the table. When she calls him and pushes her chips in, there is suddenly no more piles. But a couple of seconds later when Worf reveals his hand and the camera shot is a little wider, the small piles are back.
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- K'Ehleyr cuts her hand on the holodeck just before the commercial break and it visibly bleeds, but when they come back from commercial the same spot on the hand is visible and there's no cut or scar.
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QUOTES (5)
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- Worf: I've noticed that some people use humor as a shield, they talk much yet say little.
  K'Ehleyr: Where as others take a simpler approach: say nothing.
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- RIker: How did you like command?
  Worf: Comfortable chair.
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- Data: Sensors show lifeforms aboard, but I am unable to ascertain whether they are awake or dormant. However their propulsion system is inactive so I would hypothesize that the crew is asleep ... (the Klingon vessel fires) However, I could be in error.
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- Troi: You're upset.
  K'Ehleyr: Your finely honed Betazoid sense tell you that?
  Troi: Well...that and the (broken) table.
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- K'ehleyr: I don't bite. Well...actually I do.
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