Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) New Ground (1992) User Reviews

Michael Dorn saves this episode

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 8 September 2021]

Worf's son joins Enterprise as a crew family member.

This is a reasonably good episode with some strong character moments from Worf, but it is not consistent throughout.

The story is a solid drama with all the strongest moments coming as Worf gets to know and has to deal with Alexander. It has a fairly uninspired subplot that starts off as a mundane engineering themed tick in the sci-fi box, that turns (for plot convenience) into a danger situation that we know will turn out okay.

Worf has numerous enjoyable moments with Alexander, plus some good interactions with Counsellor Troi, Miss Kyle and Captain Picard.

Michael Dorn carries the episode very well as always when the focus is on him. For me his performance is the main reason to watch it. Brian Bonsall is pretty good as Alexander.

Star Trek: The Soap Opera

[Tweekums · 6/10 · 29 June 2015]

A scientist on Belena III has developed a new system that will enable ships to travel at warp speeds without the need for warp drives by creating a wave that the ships will effectively surf on. The Enterprise has been invited to observe the test and inevitably something goes wrong; the test ship explodes and the wave increases in magnitude as it heads towards the destination planet; it grows to powerful to dissipate as planned and could destroy the planet if the crew of the Enterprise doesn't come up with a plan.

In a second plot strand Worf's son Alexander comes aboard the Enterprise; Worf's human adoptive parents had been raising him but found him too difficult and thought he needed to be with his father. He quickly becomes a problem for Worf after he is caught stealing a toy at school then lies about it. Worf gives him a lecture about Klingon honour and he promises to behave. He is soon misbehaving again and Worf considers sending him to a strict Klingon school. He is told to stay in Worf's quarters but goes out and is put in danger when the Enterprise is getting into position to destroy the deadly wave.

This episode was somewhat disappointing; the story involving the new propulsion system was fairly light and was mainly there to create a danger at the end of the episode. The story involving Worf and his son is clearly what this episode is really about and unfortunately it is just too soapy. Child characters in 'Star Trek' have a habit of being more annoying than sympathetic and Alexander is no exception. It also raises the question as to why there are any children living on the ship given how often they are sent on dangerous missions; a question nobody on board even seems to consider! Overall a rather disappointing episode in this usually reliable series.

Crappy parenting lessons from Lt. Worf

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 22 November 2014]

Worf's son, Alexander, unexpectedly arrives on the Enterprise along with Worf's mother. It seems that she and Worf's father are having problems with the boy and they think it best that Worf keep him and show him a good manly example. Unfortunately, Worf is about as qualified to parent as he would be teaching ballet--and he has no end of trouble with the child. Mostly it's because the boy has never felt wanted and is a burden to everyone--and Worf never makes this easier because of his own difficulty with emotions (other than anger) and tenderness. Together, they work on it...and by the end there is a glimmer of hope that things will work out for the better.

I never was thrilled with Alexander on the show simply because the kid went from an infant to a 6 year-old almost instantly. I hate this sort of logical mess, as it always seemed contrived and silly. However, it is mildly interesting and you could show these episodes to teens to show them how NOT to parent!

Alexander makes a comeback.

[russem31 · 26 April 2006]

ST:TNG:110 - "New Ground" (Stardate: 45376.3) - this is the 10th episode of the 5th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Worf gets a surprise visit from his mother (Georgia Brown in her second appearance as Helena Rozhenko) who brings Alexander to the Enterprise (this time played by "Family Ties" alum Brian Bonsall, in a first of many appearances). But it's not just a visit, his mother says that she and Worf's father can no longer take care of Alexander (since they are getting old) - so Worf must learn to deal with his son wanting to stay on the Enterprise permanently (even though Worf is completely against this).

At the same time, the Enterprise is picked to test a new propulsion method called a soliton wave (basically surfing along a warp current instead of using Warp Drive Nacelles anymore).

But when the experiment goes awry and Alexander becomes trapped in a bio lab, can Worf deal with the situation, come to terms with Alexander's abandonment issues.

Trivia note: Geordi mentions that seeing the soliton wave testing is like watching Zephram Cochrane perform the first warp test (which they do later on in Star Trek: First Contact!). We also get to see the Enterprise school in this episode, which Alexander is enrolled to (as well as a field trip to the Enterprise zoo!). And, we hear the legend of the fight between Kahless (the first Klingon Emperor) and his brother Moroth, as well as see Worf's calisthenics program again, and hear mention of Worf's mate/Alexander's mother, the late K'Ehleyr.

Another Kid Episode

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 1 September 2014]

I find the episodes when Alexander shows up to be rather tiresome. I guess a kid actor has to be really good to draw my attention. I know Worf must accept responsibility for his child, but it seems to be a distraction from the science fiction element. Alexander is angry about being dumped on Earth with his grandparents and acts out when he is brought to the Enterprise. Worf uses his Klingon thing to demand obedience from his son. At no time does he consider the young lad's experience of losing his mother (and his father). Worf is too proud to accept help, seeing himself as a failure for not being the perfect father. Meanwhile, a scientist is testing a wave structure in space that will up the warp potential to many times the current limitations. When a crisis occurs with this, Worf must constantly contend with his son's problems. Eventually, the little guy gets into big trouble. I know that it is necessary to bring the psychological world into an ensemble cast like this and show Worf's human upbringing, but it becomes a bit sappy at times.

Family problems at work

[Mr-Fusion · 6/10 · 3 May 2017]

'New Ground' is a Worf-centric episode - one that forces the ship's resident warrior to parent without a parachute - but you really have to feel for Alexander. The kid's been getting the short end of the broken-home stick for forever, and now he's stuck with a guy who's out of of his depth. Worf's never been my favorite character, but I like the bonding scene towards the end.

It doesn't help that the minor storyline is more involving, with the Enterprise experimenting with "warp without warp drive" (and seeing Geordi geek out over it is the highlight). But the end pays off as the two plots are pretty well tied together, even climaxing with a burning-building rescue.

There's hard-won progress here, which also really helps.

6/10

Need more plausible science in this Sci-Fi.

[wwcanoer-tech · 6/10 · 28 January 2022]

That was a silly looking wave that also made no sense in its shape, size or behavior.

The same overall plot could be achieved with something more reasonable. For example: (1) We have used the solar wind to propel craft for generations. This uses the same principle but with much higher energy particles. Or (2) It's like a phaser pulse, but we can ride the front of that pulse.

Both are impossible in real life but plausible in the Star Trek universe.

A cylindrical laser pulse, ball or bullet shape would make more sense visually than the truncated wave that's looks like a wave through a liquid.

Many people know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed (first law of thermodynamics). Sci-Fi shouldn't violate this unless necessary. In this case, it is not necessary. The wave could move faster because it absorbed the energy of the exploding craft. Or it could trade its size for speed (not possible either but relatable, like a ball rolling down a hill).

To threaten the planet, it doesn't even need to miraculously change energy. If the wave was sent from one space station to another, then any deflection or change in speed would mean that it would miss the space station and hit the planet. (because the space station is moving, orbiting something.) The explosion could have caused this change in direction.

We once again have a 2D universe. Perhaps the idea that "it's too big to go around" sounded good on paper but once they made the graphic of a flat wave, it appeared ridiculous. Since they already introduced the idea of interference, they could have initially shown a photo of the interference pattern and explained that the Enterprise will travel in the "shadow" of the wave where there is little interference. Think of a bullet at mach 2, with shock waves extending out (but they're interference waves, despite no matter in space). Or it could look like when a race car drafts another. Then they will have already established that the Enterprise cannot travel beside the wave and thus must go through it.

Some have commented that this incontrollable wave is useless, but it is not. Think of it as a railroad line or hyperloop between two distant planets. Would be a great way to move mined materials from one planet to another. The problem is in the timing. Everything in space is moving, so the timing needs to be exact. Or, the receiving station is on a mobile ship that can move to intercept the wave.

Pet peeves:

• Why put all that energy into a fire rescue and then have Warf lift a piece of Styrofoam?! Place even a 10kg weight in the beam and it will move more realistically.

• That scene was also ridiculously slow. No need to check if Alexander is breathing, get out first. However, it would have been really cool if Riker found him, said "He's not breathing" and started rescue breaths or CPR while Warf had to lift the beam alone, rather than Riker running off to find a twig to lever the beam.

• Why stop running on the other side of the door? Is that really a shielded wall? Would make more sense if they kept running further down the hall or they raised a shield in the hallway. Would be cool if Alexander is miraculously remarkably revived due to the CPR or the doctor who was waiting for them.

• Why was it difficult for Warf to remove the access panel? Why did moving the chips fix it? I expected them to use a manual override. It worked perfectly on their way out.

• and so much more... :)

Space wave, Enterprise Hangs 10

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 September 2017]

This TNG episode has Lt. Worf being handed the responsibility of his son Alexander because his earth mother Georgia Brown can no longer care for him as she's getting on in years and the kid is quite a handful. And a Klingon kid to boot.

At the same time the Enterprise is testing a new technology that roughly sounds like a space wave and in theory a space vessel should ride it like a surf board. In theory that is.

Both elements of the story come together in a climax as the space wave turns out to be a bust of potentially cataclysmic consequences.

Scenes with Michael Dorn and Georgia Brown and Dorn with Marina Sirtis over the ship's counselor's concern for young Brian Bonsall.

Jennifer Edwards has some interesting scenes futuristic primary education on the Enterprise, she's the ship schoolteacher.

Nicely done story.

"... perhaps we can face the challenge together."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 17 February 2024]

On the way to Bilana III, the Enterprise crew is getting ready to evaluate a new form of propulsion being developed by Dr. Da'Jar (Richard McGonagle) that had the potential to replace warp drive. It's called a soliton wave, and when you see it in action, it looked like it could be promising. Only thing is, it seemed to take on a life of its own, with its energy increasing exponentially to such a degree that it could potentially destroy a planet that its heading for. In fact, the test ship being used for its first demonstration exploded from the extreme shearing stress caused by the soliton's uncontrolled velocity. At the same time, Lieutenant Worf (Michel Dorn) gets the unwelcome news that his mother is dropping off son Alexander (Brian Bonsall) for more or less a permanent home on the Enterprise. I could relate my own parenting style to that of Worf, which is to say, I wasn't very good at it when it came to discipline, as I could only do it his way, which was not the way the child rearing books suggested. I guess it takes being a grandparent to mellow out over child rearing duties. Of course, it takes a near tragedy for Worf and Alexander to reach an eventual bonding moment, resulting in the youth's remaining on board to make a go of it with his father. As for the runaway soliton wave, the Enterprise had to warp it up to go through and surpass it in order to torpedo it into submission so it couldn't do any more damage. I thought the underlying idea was a good one though, showing promise if the inventor Da'Jar stayed at it. However, that didn't seem to be in the cards when the show ended.

Just the two of us building castles in the sky.

[thevacinstaller · 5/10 · 4 April 2021]

It's realistically a 5 out of 10, but I am going to bump it up because I enjoy when the Klingon's fight Skeletor from He-Man on the holodeck.

Worf is not getting any 'dad of the year' novelty mugs by pushing Alexander out the door to be raised by his Russian Parents. I'm not even mad about that because there are TONS of embarrassing dad's like this in the world.

It does an adequate job of establishing that Alexander is just a misguided kid who is lashing out due to his perceived abandonment by Worf.

Here's my question ---- Worf is a orphan who lost his real parents; why wouldn't he be hyper sensitive to Alexander's loss of his Mother?

There is happy (?) ending of Worf coming to the realization that if you do the crime you have to do the time. Atta boy Worf! Shoulder this great burden of child rearing.

I genuinely love uptight Worf but sadly this episode is a slog to get through. I wasn't throwing objects at my tv but I was glad when it was over. Okay, i'm going back to the 5/10 score, there is just not enough here and the B-Plot was paper thin.

REVIEW 2022

[iamirwar · 6/10 · 14 September 2022]

Worf's adoptive mother boards the Enterprise with his son and the news that she and Worf's father can no longer care for him. After all, how would a Klingon child fit into any earthly gathering? At the birthday party, at the Mall or in the swimming pool.

History is in the making onboard the starship. A new method of propulsion is being tested by the Enterprise.

"Mother, I told you never to phone me at work"

It looks like this one is going to be another character driven episode... this time, the focus is on Worf and his parenting skills. It's remarkable that Alexander's teacher and the doctor can contact and interrupt Worf even though he is in the Captain's ready-room.

Half way in and we're only just getting around to the new propulsion test... but not really much else is going on.

We've already realised that this one is unlikely to throw up any interesting twists or turns. I have to wonder if the teacher assigned to educate the young Klingon, truly has the experience to deal with Klingon children. Oh, looks like she was sacked the next day because we never see her again.

This story lays the groundwork for many future Worf/Alexander stories, but it is a bit of a yawn.

This Episodes Clue: A Diamond Necklace Played The Pawn.

The Return of Alexander... For Better or Worse

[Samuel-Shovel · 3/10 · 7 April 2020]

In "New Ground" Alexander comes aboard the Enterprise planning to stay with his father full time. Meanwhile the ship is tasked with assisting in testing a new propulsion method using a wave instead of warp drive. The experiment soon goes off the rails however and the wave must be stopped before it destroys a nearby planet.

I've never been a fan of what they did with Alexander and Worf's relationship. After the death of K'Ehleyr, the writing team really struggled to write convincing stories for Worf and Alexander. This one's pretty all around awful and puts my man Worf in a bit of a bad light. He shows really no paternal instinct for Alex until the very last scene.

The experiment subplot is actually fairly interesting. I hate though how they tie the two plots together by just inserting Alexander into danger. It's a cheap trick that they've done with other characters in the past and never feels like an organic insertion.

Unless you like Worf family drama, skip this one...

Why?

[Wes54 · 2/10 · 18 June 2019]

Let's make warp drive without warp drive!

Okay?

Let's make it 450% more efficient than warp drive!

How?

Now let's make it so you can't change course or speed!

Oh geez!

Dull. Klingon parenting lesson. Ugh

[ay6 · 4/10 · 27 May 2021]

This is a mind numbing episode. Its central theme is a lesson in parenting. But why? I can't conceive of a duller story concept for a sci-fi show. Sure, there's a bit of token sci-fi thrown in too, but not enough to save it.

If you choose to skip this episode you will lose nothing and arguably have an overall much better experience with the show.

A Senior Trekker writes.............

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 8 February 2022]

The Fifth Season of TNG contains some remarkably strong episodes while continuing to push the boundaries of what could be achieved within an episodic television format. It is notable for the tragic loss of its creator, Gene Roddenberry, who died on 24th October 1991 at the age of 70. His influence upon the positive depiction of humanity and diversity in Science Fiction endures to this day. Senior Trekker continues to score all episodes with a 5.

Worf's foster mother arrives to deposit his child Alexander on the Enterprise as she can no longer care for him and we see a series of incidents during which the gruff Klingon struggles with the challenges of parenthood aboard a star ship.

Whether the boy would have been better off elsewhere is definitely worth asking as the B story has the Enterprise participating in a starship propulsion experiment-gone-wrong of planet-destroying proportions. The ship sets off to intercept some sort of fast moving spatial wave that, should their back-of-the-envelope calculations prove wrong, would undoubtedly render all one thousand occupants down to their constituent atoms. The Captain, meanwhile, asks sick bay to prepare for possible casualties.

But we need not have feared. Counsellor Troi knows a thing or two about Klingon family relationships, Geordi gets his sums right and Riker manages to help rescue both the little boy and a pair of almost extinct glove puppets. And Alexander will be staying aboard.

{Spoiler: over the next couple of years this child will grown up faster than any offspring of Morgan le Fey}

Crystalline entity anyone?

[johnblakey-66641 · 2/10 · 6 January 2024]

Didn't the Crystalline Entity fly at Warp speed? I know Dr Whatsherface destroyed it, but wouldn't it have been worthy of study? How would it have reacted if fired at a Borg cube? It didn't seem to have a warp drive or nacelles yet it would have needed warp speeds to get to planets to consume them. Another instance of STNG forgetting its own past.

So again what would happen if we fired a soliton wave at a Borg cube, after all the Birg are coming aren't they?

Poor Worf Alexander's existence sprung on him again. Not a great episode. But it does seem extra stupid to fire a soliton wave at a planet, why not just let it continue into the eternity of space? Lovely teacher though. Ms Kyle (Jennifer Edwards) Such a pity we don't see her again.