Birthright: Part 1 (20 Feb. 1993)

While the Enterprise helps repair Cardassian damages to space station Deep Space Nine, Worf is offered coordinates by a Eurydian who claims his father didn't die in the battle of Kitomir ... See full summary »

Director:

Winrich Kolbe

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator), Brannon Braga

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Patrick Stewart	...	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Commander William T. Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Doctor Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data / Dr. Noonien Soong
Alexander Siddig	...	Dr. Julian Bashir (as Siddig El Fadil)
James Cromwell	...	Jaglom Shrek
Cristine Rose	...	Gi'ral
Jennifer Gatti	...	Ba'el
Richard Herd	...	L'Kor

Storyline

While the Enterprise helps repair Cardassian damages to space station Deep Space Nine, Worf is offered coordinates by a Eurydian who claims his father didn't die in the battle of Kitomir decades ago but is still in a Romulan prison camp. Initially he refuses to consider his family could thus be dishonored for three generations, but changes his mind after talking to Troi and Data consulting him about the importance of one's father after a serious accidental plasma shock during an experiment with an alien device Geordi and the android helped brilliant station scientist Dr. Julian Bashir perform caused Data to have a vision staging his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong, which he is unable to understand even happening, even less the meaning. When the shock is recreated under controlled conditions, Soong explains the possibilities of dreams and the technological riddle is explained as a surprising humanizing design feature. Meanwhile Worf has forced the Eurydian to bring him to the ...

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Plot Keywords:

prison | vision | 24th century | jail

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Details

Release Date:

20 February 1993 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the only appearance of Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) in a Trek show outside of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

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Goofs

Geordi LaForge plugs a cord into the side of Data's head before intentionally rendering Data unconscious to start his "dream". The cord is also in place when Data wakes up again. The cord disappears when he falls unconscious, but this moment is part of Data's fantasy POV, in which he would not visualize the cord.

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Quotes

Lt. Commander Data: [asked why he refers to other cultures to interpret his vision] The interpretation of visions and other metaphysical experiences are almost always culturally derived. And I have no culture of my own.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Yes, you do. You're a culture of one. Which is no less valid than a culture of one billion.

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Connections

References Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Star Trek: The Next Generation End Credits"
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User Reviews

TNG meets DS9!

ST:TNG:142 - "Birthright, Part I" (Stardate: 46578.4) - this is the 16th episode of the 6th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

This is a crossover episode, where The Next Generation meets its Star Trek counterpart, Deep Space Nine. the Enterprise arrives at Deep Space Nine where a mysterious alien named Jaglom Shrek (James Cromwell, the future Zephram Cochrane of Star Trek: First Contact) claims that Worf's father Mogh is still alive.

At the same time, an accident incapacitates Data, who claims while "unconscious" to have seen his father, Dr. Noonien Soong (albeit a much younger version than the one he met in "Brothers"). Dr. Bashir, who happens to be on the Enterprise, helps Data to reenter his dream state to learn more about his creator, while Worf embarks on a journey that takes him to a distant Romulan prison in order to find his father.

Trivia note: Siddig El Fadil guest stars as Dr. Julian Bashir, there's also a cameo appearance by Morn, we see Data's cat Spot. Chief O'Brien is also mentioned, having yet to fix the food replicators (now he is the Chief on DS9 and no longer the Enterprise). Also, nice musical homage to the Deep Space Nine theme at the beginning of the episode. And, we find out Data can grow hair, has a pulse, and can breathe if he wants to.

It's also interesting to note that Worf will join the DS9 cast 2 years down the line.