Sons and Daughters

Seriously bro, you want some cheese with that wine? Normally I like any episode with Klingons in it with the exception of Alexander. He was annoying back on the Enterprise and he's annoying now. The only thing that's different is now he fights like how Elaine from Seinfeld dances.

We have two young people as the title suggests. We have the mixed race Cardassian/Bajoran daughter of Dukat and the son of Worf, Alexander. The former is just a kind of teenaged girl who loves her father who on two occasions betrayed her. Alexander was tossed aside by Worf years before. He shows up as a recruit on board Worf's Klingon battle cruiser. For most of the episode, he is a liability and a bit of a buffoon. Everything he does displeases his father; he cannot win. We are privy to the struggles of these youngsters. A decent episode.

'Sons and Daughters'~ Season six, episode three.

This episode explores the precarious bonds between parents and children as we see Alexander, the now adult son of Worf, return as a recruit on a Klingon ship that his father is serving on. Meanwhile, on a DS9 that is still occupied by the Dominion and the Cardassians, Ziyal tries to foster a friendship between her father Gul Dukat and Kira, who is intent on forming a Resistance to fight back for control of the station.

We haven't seen Alexander since he was a pre-adolescent boy in TNG and I had wondered if the producers had forgotten he even existed until this episode. In 'Sons and Daughters', however, he is no longer the child determined to embrace his human side and is instead desperate to be accepted as a Klingon and is bitter that his father never pushed him more in his childhood to learn the warrior ways, skills he is now lacking and leaving him struggling to be accepted by his Klingon peers. This offers a very interesting insight into the characters of father and son since in TNG, Deanna Troi often made Worf feel inadequate as a father for being so hard on Alexander while encouraging the boy to be human. Yet this episode makes it clear she was wrong to interfere in the father and son relationship whose culture she did not fully understand. It is a turn on the portrayal of Ben Sisko and Nog where Sisko did not approve of the way Nog was being raised yet did not interfere until the boy was old enough to decide for himself, resulting in a young man who became both comfortable in Ferengi and Federation culture.

Equally as compelling is the storyline set on DS9 where we see Ziyal further fleshed out into a likable, if slightly naive character torn between her love for her father and her sororal relationship with Kira. It is becoming continuing apparent that something has to give at some point, especially since Ziyal is also aware that Dukat is not a very moralistic person and her own allegiance has to lie with the Bajorans/Federation.

All in all, this is a well-depicted character-driven episode that nicely deals with familial relationships before the action-packed episodes that are to come later in the season.

Dukat attempts tries to establish a bond with Kira, whilst Alexander Rozhenko serves aboard the Rotarran.

This is a solid character episode that develops certain individuals quite well.

The titular characters in this story mainly function to drive the arcs of established characters like Worf, Kira, and Dukat. It works well for their development and fits into the Dominion war story.

Personally I preferred the plot involving Ziyal, as it sets up some compelling future plot lines. Also, some of the Klingon honour related shenanigans and machismo on board the Rotarran feel a bit clichéd at times.

For me though out of all characters it is Martok that comes across as the most likeable. The writers and J G Hertzler strike the perfect balance between the Klingon warrior mentality and a relatable person.

All actors are on good for, especially Hertzler, Michael Dorn, Marc Alaimo, and Nana Visitor.

The relationship between Worf and his son Alexander just doesn't seem to lead anywhere.

In the beginning in the TNG episodes, Worf felt uncomfortable when his love affair - a half Klingon, half human woman - revealed to him, that he has a son. Worf disliked that Alexander was not interested in the Klingon traditions and didn't care about honor or becoming a warrior. He instead came after his mother who also thought that this whole honor nonsense is stupid.

Then, after his mother was killed, Worf took over the reponsibilities for Alexander and they seemed to somehow come along, although Worf still was unhappy, that his son did not want to become a warrior. Then we had this TNG episode where old Alexander time travels to young Alexander and tries to interest him in becoming a warrior. He later reveals to Worf, that Alexander must become strong because if not, Worf will die at a point in future due to his lack of skill. But Worf also realizes, that the path old Alexander has chosen - becoming an ambassador for peace - is as honorable and Alexander should pursue this way even though this would mean, he will never become a a true Klingon warrior.

Worf and Alexander seemed to bond stronger afterwards in the following TNG episodes. When Worf's parents told him that they are too old now to raise a child, it was clear, that Worf will have to take care of Alexander alone. But then suddenly when Worf showed up on DS9 and we learned, he has given Alexander back into his parents' hands (although they clearly once said, they do not want to take care of him anymore). We also learned, that Worf has no contact to his son (it was never explained what happened and contradicts everything that evolved in TNG).

And now this episode: Suddenly Alexander WANTS to be a warrior. All the aversion he and his mother had before: Gone! The whole evolution of Alexander's character and the relationship to his father Worf just makes zero sense anymore. And on top of it, Alexander is a clumsy, stupid young man now, that always drops a brick and is a disgrace in his father's eyes.

Worf earns the title of worst father in Star Trek history and with DS9 he has become one of the worst characters, too. I found him dull and one-dimensional in TNG already, but in DS9 I just can't stand this character anymore and his constant preaching of honor. Where is the honor in basically dumping his only child at his parents and never talk to him again? As Martok said, he did not even knew Worf was a father! Worf is so ashamed of Alexander, that he rather keeps it a secret. What a dick.