Klingon Family Values
When B'elanna goes on a mind-trip on the Barge of the Dead, she meets her mom. Worf get flummoxed when he's made responsible for the care of his son, Alexander. Becca and Ryan use these family-centric episodes to dissect these two characters and what it means to be Klingon. We also investigate the ways their "other" status affects how they are treated and how they think about themselves. We discuss The Next Generation episode "New Ground" and Voyager episode "Barge of the Dead."
What We Watched
New Ground
Barge of the Dead
Klingons are (Problematic?) Cultural Amalgams
Early TOS Klingons had a "distinctly Asian appearance." The Evolution of Klingon Foreheads via Ex Astris Scientia
Many mentions of Japanese and Chinese history as inspiration. Depicting Klingons via Memory Alpha
The Bat'leth was modeled after a Chinese fighting crescent (which we refer to in this episode as an axe). Bat'leth via Wikipedia
Klingon afterlife is modeled after Valhalla from Norse mythology. Klingon Culture > Afterlife via Wikipedia
"The Klingons are singularly intriguing as a veritable pastiche, a motley conglomeration, of various human cultures." Klingons: A Cultural Pastiche by Victor Grech
... Also, Spock's makeup was called "Chinese Yellow." From Unfinished Alien to Pure Vulcan, or How Mr. Spock got Cool via Trek.fm
Episodes that Feature B'elanna or Worf
How many episodes feature B'elanna or Worf?
B'elanna is a featured character in 18 Voyager episodes (out of 172). List of Star Trek: Voyager episodes via Wikipedia
Worf’s character page lists 13 TNG episodes in which he plays a major or minor role (out of 176). Worf > Major shows via Wikipedia
Barge of the Dead story originally intended for Worf
Ronald D. Moore originally pitched the Barge of the Dead story to feature Worf, but it didn't get used then so he recycled it for B'elanna. Barge of the Dead (episode) > Background information via Memory Alpha
Worf's ideas are routinely shut down on TNG
Watch Worf gets DENIED again and again on Star Trek TNG. via YouTube
Michael Dorn joined DS9 in order to be "more than just the guy that got his ideas shot down all the time." Michael Dorn at Comic and Toy Expo Q&A 2012 (2) via YouTube
Other Female-led Episodes Taking Place in their Minds
Hoshi hallucinates the entire plot inside a 10-second transporter malfunction. Vanishing Point via Memory Alpha
Beverly gets trapped in a pocket universe and everyone else disappears from existence. Remember Me via Memory Alpha
Experiences of People Adopted Cross-Racially
The Transracial Adoption Paradox: History, Research, and Counseling Implications of Cultural Socialization by Richard M. Lee via NCBI
The Realities of Raising a Kid of a Different Race by Karen Valby via TIME
Code Switch: Transracial Adoptees On Their Racial Identity And Sense Of Self via NPR
