Stardate: 42506.5
Original Air Date: February 6, 1989
Writers: Wanda M. Haight, Gregory W. Amos, Burton Armus
Director: Rob Bowman
“I don’t recall hearing of a Federation officer ever serving on a Klingon vessel…”
The Enterprise arrives at Starbase 179 for a transfer of four junior officers (including a know-it-all Benzite named Mendon from the planet Benzar whom Wesley Crusher mistakes for Mordock from the previous episode “Coming of Age” –both characters were played by the same actor) before the ship has a rendezvous with a Klingon Cruiser under the helm of Captain Kargan (the ship is called “Pagh”). At the direction of Starfleet, the Enterprise engages in an officer exchange program with the Pagh –Riker volunteers for a temporary assignment to beam aboard the Klingon vessel to serve as its first officer. Before he beams over, Worf gives Riker an emergency transponder in case… just in case.
During the exchange, Mendon notices a scan at his science station of a strangely inconclusive bacterial section aboard the Pagh, but he fails to report the bacteria to his superior officer, Worf. According to Benzite custom, Mendon is not expected to elevate an unusual reading until he has sufficiently analyzed it. However, this is not Starfleet protocol. Unbeknownst to the Klingons, the bacteria starts to spread and eat away at the hull of their ship while they are on undesignated maneuvers in the Pheban system. Meanwhile, Riker is sworn to an oath which calls upon him to be loyal to the Klingon ship. The second officer among the Klingons is Lieutenant Klag who challenges Riker’s authority, before Riker sufficiently secures his place and the Klingons begin to warm to him. Riker enjoys a meal with the Klingons in their mess hall where banter ensues (“if Klingon food is too strong for you, perhaps we can get one of the females to breast-feed you”) and the females amusingly express sexual interest in Riker. Both Riker and the Klingons are soon amazed to find that each other are good-humored. Riker learns that a Klingon’s father was killed at Tranome Sar, and Klag’s father was captured in battle by the Romulans and not allowed to die before escaping to his home planet where is dying of an illness. Klag now refuses to speak to his father, believing he has completely lost his honor.
Back on the Enterprise, Data announces an auto scan of an unknown substance on the aft quarter of the exterior skin of the dorsal Engineering section of the Enterprise, it appears to be a rare form of sub-atomic bacteria capable of doubling itself in size every fifteen minutes. All eyes turn to Mendon who did not initially report the bacteria on the Klingon ship because he was not yet complete with his full scan, per Enzite etiquette. But now it appears they may have encountered a new life form, however Picard fears the Klingon hull may be more susceptible to the bacteria, so the ship speeds toward the Pheban system to help the Klingons.
But Captain Kargan is suddenly made aware of the bacteria and he grows deeply skeptical of Riker and the Enterprise. He announces that the Klingon vessel has a mere eight hours before it will disintegrate, and when sensors pick up the rapidly approaching Enterprise, Kargan decides to prepare to attack. With a bit of quick thinking, Riker activates his emergency transponder and then hands it to Kargan who is then immediately beamed directly onto the bridge of the Enterprise where he attempts to attack the crew but is stunned by Worf. Riker takes command of the Klingon ship and stages a faux “surrender” of the Enterprise so the bacteria situation may be resolved. Mendon notes it was a sub-micron life form capable of breaking nuclear bonds in tritanium plating, but which is controllable and can be removed from the ship using a tunneling neutrino beam.
The episode ends as Kargan is returned to the Pagh and Riker is returned to the Enterprise, though he has now been given a deeper understanding of the Klingons, and has even gained a friend in the Klingon second officer Klag.
My Thoughts on “A Matter of Honor”
In what is easily one of the best Star Trek TNG episode I have yet encountered among the clumsy collection of episodes in the first season and a half, “A Matter of Honor” is a great Riker episode as well as a terrific Klingon episode. This episode offers the first true glimpse inside the innerworkings of Klingon culture –a timocratic culture focused on honor and battle at the expense of any sentimental feelings an individual Klingon might experience for his or her own family. This episode is also premised upon the previously referenced peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingons, albeit one which has been somewhat uneasily agreed upon. However, it suggests that both the Federation and the Klingons have something to learn from each other.
In this episode, there is an interesting contrast between Worf, a Klingon, who is struggling to manage a Benzite oddball officer named Mendon, and Captain Kargan, the Klingon captain, who is likewise skeptical of managing Riker, the newly arrived Federation officer on his ship. It is clear that there are lingering mistrusts among this futuristic multi-species alliance.
A few questions from this episode: Is Mendon a Benzite officer? If so, why has he been given a role on the bridge of a Starfleet ship? Wouldn’t Starfleet be aware of potential cultural conflicts between the ways the Benzites and the Federation handle potential crises aboard their ships? This is a minor quibble with this episode. But the larger question is: where did this bacteria come from? Wouldn’t the Klingons scan their own ship and detect its presence earlier? What did the Enterprise do with all the data they gathered on this new life form?
At any rate, I thought this was a great episode!
Writer/Director
This episode was directed by Rob Bowman and the story was written by Wanda M. Haight, Gregory Amos, and Burton Armus.
Star Trek Trivia:
- Wesley Crusher refers to his old friend Mordock who previously appeared in the season one episode “Coming of Age.” It is the same actor, John Putch, who plays both the different Benzite characters: Mordock and Mendon.
- In this episode, it is apparently established the Enterprise uses a process of indoctrination for new recruits.
- There is a brief sequence in this episode featuring a virtual Phaser testing room.
- According to Klingon tradition per Worf, the job of a Klingon first officer is to assassinate his captain.
- In this episode, Riker can be seen eating Klingon delicacies in Ten Forward: pipius claw, heart of targ, gagh (serpent worms). Later aboard the Klingon vessel, he also eats pipius claw, bregitlung, rokeg blood pie, and gagh (served live).
- “It is a matter of honor and loyalty to your oath” is a phrase used by Captain Kargan when he asks Riker to surrender the secrets of the Enterprise –hence the title of the episode.
- Captain Kargan is played by the late Christopher Collins, who had several guest roles in TNG and DS9, and he also notably voiced the characters of Moe Szyslak and Mr. Burns in the first season of The Simpsons (1989–1990). He passed away in 1994.
- Second Officer Klag is played by Brian Thompson, known for his roles in The Terminator, Cobra, and the Alien Bounty Hunter on The X-Files. He also appeared in DS9, Enterprise, and Star Trek: Generations. For this episode, he was initially asked to audition in Christopher Lloyd’s costume in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
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