Heart of Glory is a fascinating story that focuses on a compelling inner conflict within Worf. Unfortunately, it is riddled with mistakes that prevent it from being a truly classic episode.

On the positive side, Worf’s conflict between his Klingon heritage and duty to the Enterprise is a welcome addition to the series. As I mentioned in the last episode, Worf had been an underused, underdeveloped character. This episode rectifies that. Literally stuck between worlds, Worf’s competing emotions directly relate to who he is as a character. Indeed, the central message of the episode — that the true test of a warrior is the battle within — is perfectly illustrated by Worf’s own battle within. This episode deserves a lot of credit for giving us a tangible example of that conflict.

The tragedy, then, is that the episode is so filled with mistakes and missteps that it’s impossible to simply focus on Worf’s developing character. For starters, the episode begins with what appears to be a trap. Picard even says to Riker, before an away team mission, “Everything about this feels wrong.” And yet, in the middle of the mission, we have Geordi and Picard literally playing around with a gizmo that lets us see what Geordi sees from his visor. It’s an interesting concept, to be sure, but it’s wholly out of place in the middle of a dangerous mission.

The other mistakes center around the Klingons on board the Enterprise. First, the screaming during the death ritual, while understandably symbolic, is just plain silly on screen. Next, when the Klingons are taken into custody, none of the security officers bother to check them for hidden weapons. This lapse is unforgivable and is only present to facilitate a plot point: having the prisoners escape. The last major error comes after the escape. Generally, when one has an escaped prisoner on board a ship, one sounds a general alarm so the crew can be aware of it, and you station guards around sensitive areas. Neither of those precautions take place and the prisoner manages to gain access to the Engine Room and threaten the ship. Again, this is unforgivable on any competent ship, and is only present to facilitate a plot point.

Heart of Glory is a good character episode that provides us with intriguing glimpses into both Worf’s character and Klingon culture. Sadly, it is executed so poorly that the mistakes detract from what was, otherwise, a potentially classic episode.

Topics: Klingons
Filed under: TNG Reviews