Product Details

• Actors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden
• Directors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Becker, Cliff Bole
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: May 31, 1995
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630311525X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,111 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

First, the good news: Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is being given the opportunity to captain his own ship, the Aries, on a dangerous mission into a remote part of space. The bad news is that the person offering him this mission is Kyle Riker (Mitchell Ryan), his father, whom he hasn't spoken with for 15 years. Ever since his mom died, Commander Riker has had bitter feelings toward his dad, believing he was all but abandoned by the man. Elsewhere on the ship, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) has noticed that Worf (Michael Dorn) is in a particularly bad mood. With a little investigation and the help of Data and Geordi, he discovers it is the 10th anniversary of Worf's Age of Ascension, a special day that Klingons celebrate with family and pain. While Wesley figures out a way to celebrate Worf's big day, Commander Riker and his dad spar both mentally and physically, and through battle are able to say what they're feeling about each other. Trés masculine. Oh, and in a further attempt to give Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) more of a backstory, it's revealed that she used to date Kyle Riker. --Andy Spletzer

From the Back Cover

Riker (Jonathan Frakes) faces the greatest moment of his career when the Federation offers him command of the Starship Aries. But the lieutenant is shocked to learn that his own long-lost father (Mitchell Ryan) will be issuing his orders. During their tense reunion, Riker refuses his father's attempts at reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Worf (Michael Dorn) has been inexplicably hostile toward the rest of the crew. Wesley (Wil Wheaton) determines that Worf is feeling isolated because it is the anniversary of his Age of Ascension, an important Klingon ritual.

As Wesley, Data (Brent Spiner) and Geordi (LeVar Burton) attempt to help Worf, Riker and his father decide to settle their differences in a punishing martial-arts match.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Emotional pettiness has no place among commanders, March 24, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 40: The Icarus Factor [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Star Trek is never better when non-human cultures are being examined and it is sometimes at its' worst when emotions are involved. Star Fleet officers are subjected to the most rigorous training and psychological screening. They are clearly the best people, selected from billions of creatures in the Federation. The Enterprise is also the best ship in Star Fleet, so only the best of the best could possibly command her. Any person who commands a star ship will have enormous power, both military and economic. They possess enough power to destroy civilizations and at any time could engage in actions that could expand the Federation or plunge it into interstellar war
While human nature will remain human nature, no matter where the species goes, there are some things that just will not follow, and that is emotional pettiness. In this episode, Riker is offered the command of a Starship, where the mission is to go to a very remote place to investigate the possibility of another culture. It will take months at maximum warp to get to the location, so he will be completely autonomous. A civilian consultant to Star Fleet beams aboard to brief Riker about the mission, and it turns out to be Riker's father, from whom he is estranged. This is where the story breaks down. Riker reacts like a hurt child, at first refusing to talk with his father, and when he does, is very curt. Since Riker is being offered the command of a mission with the potential for great consequences for the Federation, an officer would not engage in such pettiness.
A secondary story concerns Worf. He is testy, even for Worf and Wesley discovers that Worf is suffering from cultural isolation. It is the tenth anniversary of his Age of Ascension, and he should engage in a ritual to mark the date. With the aid of the holodeck, Worf's friends engage in the ceremony, which involves him walking a gauntlet of Klingons armed with pain sticks. This story line improves the episode, as it gives us further insight into the Klingon culture.
While the emotional pettiness of Riker and his father drag this episode down, the events describing Klingon culture bring it back up into a good, but not great episode.

5.0 out of 5 stars A story about Riker's Dad and a Klingon coming of age, April 1, 2002

By 

picardfan007 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 40: The Icarus Factor [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Anbo-Jyutsu and Worf's Age of Ascension

Spoiler Alert for those of you who want to see the episode..

In this one we get to see Worf's coming of age ceremony with the Klingon Pain Sticks in the holodeck. While Wes, O'Brien and Dr. Pulaski look on.. also this one has Riker's father. He's been absent pretty much all of the time. He tells Riker he's hurting his career and has to move on. It would have been a variation of the formula if Will Riker did take command temporarily and returned to the Enterprise. I can't understand as to how he did keep turning down promotions and Starfleet still offered him the chair. Oh well, that's going to change with the new film "Nemesis."

4.0 out of 5 stars There's no place like the Enterprise for Riker and Worf, November 11, 2000

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 40: The Icarus Factor [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"The Icarus Factor" is the first Next Generation episode to deal explicitly with the idea that the crew of the Enterprise has become a family. There are two plot lines in the episode, both dealing with how Riker and Worf are alienated from their families and both establishing that the spair has found a home on the Enterprise. The episode begins with a threat to our happy little family. Commander Riker has been offered command of the Aries along with a sensitive mission. Just to make things interesting the person sent to brief Riker is his father, Kyle, and it becomes very clear that these two would have to work really hard just to have a strained relationship (which involves martial arts fought blindfolded with large sticks). Meanwhile, Worf is about to celebrate the tenth anniversary of his age of ascension, but as the only Klingon in Starfleet he has no one with whom he can share the moment (which involves a ritual that uses pain sticks).

It is always interesting to me how enlightened Starfleet is by giving Riker a choice to accept a new command or not. You have to admire any sort of military structure that allows such freedom of choice, unless, of course, the episode is written so that Starfleet actually issues orders or something like that. The relationship between Riker and his father is a bit overblown: Apparently they have not seen each other for fifteen years and they can not have a civil conversation unless they are beating each other up on the holodeck. The situation with Worf offers a nice counterpoint, because his situation is more understated. Certainly the resolution to that plotline is more in keeping with the idea of family.