207. Redemption IFORMULA: Sins of the Father + Reunion + The Mind's Eye
WHY WE LIKE IT: First appearance of Lursa and B'Etor. The Klingon episodes have been consistently strong.
WHY WE DON'T: Is that Toral a whiny little baby, or what?
REVIEW: Worf's story arc is determined never to be boring. The fourth season's finale jumps right in and takes no prisoners, with only slight explanations of what has gone before. I'm not complaining, but then, I'm not a casual viewer. The Klingons are as engaging as ever with Gowron giving us beautiful lines like "Your blood will paint the way to the future" and Worf's brother Kurn returning as well. The episode also introduces the magnificent and striking Sisters of Duras, and their runty illegitimate nephew Toral (who's a lot harder to take, but it's great to see everyone shut him up). Oh, and Sela, Tasha's Romulan daughter, is finally seen out of shadow (more on her in our next review).
Redemption builds towards the Klingon Civil War with political maneuvering from all sides, with everyone turning in great scenes. Picard having tea with the Sisters and getting a nice scalp massage, Gowron's seduction of Worf, and Worf's own maneuvering to get Gowron to clear his family name.
And while the ending doesn't pack the punch of The Best of Both Worlds (how could it?), it's still a powerful moment as Worf walks his last stretch of Federation corridor with all his colleagues lined up at attention. Is that a lump in my throat? Yes, it might just be.
LESSON: If you're gonna shake hands with a Klingon, make sure he's not holding out a knife.
REWATCHABILITY - High: Another Klingon hit from Ron Moore's pen. Not as exciting as the previous season's finale, but nonetheless absorbing.
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