Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 101: Redemption, Part II [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Worf has resigned from starfleet to go and help prevent a klingon war from erupting. The Duros sisters are trying to take over the empire with the help of the Romulans.

Picard, meanwhile, pursuades Star Fleet to help in the Civil war indirectly. Picard takes charge of a fleet of ships, and sets of blockcade at the Klingon-Romulan border, with tachyon beams suspended between each of the starships, and puts Data and Riker each in command of a starship, If a cloaked ship passes through the tachyon's, that ship will show up on sensors. As the Captain orders the fleet to move away, Data saves the day, by disobeying a direct order, and fires energy beams, uncovering Romulan Warbirds entering klingon space.

Once discovered, the Romomulans retreat back to their space, deserting the Duross sisters. Once the sisters find they are abandoned they escape, and Worf helps Chancellor Gawron stay in power. Worf returns to duty on the Enterprise.

If you haven't already seen part 1 of this 2-part episode, do not read further, as this will spoil the shocking ending of part 1.

At the end of part 1, we see a blonde Romulan - played by Denise Crosby. Denise Crosby played Tasha Yar, the Enterprise Security Chief, in the 1st season and she was killed off.

Sela (Crosby) is in the company of the Duras sisters and their nephew, Toral, in an attempt to undermine the Federation/Klingon alliance and to build an alliance with the Klingons by backing the Duras family's rise to power in the Klingon Council.

The beginning of part 2 reveals Commander Sela, speaking with Picard and the senior staff via the viewscreen on the Enterprise. They are shocked and very unprepared to see what appears to be their dear departed comrade, Lt. Yar. Sela claims to be the daughter of Yar, which doesn't seem possible, since she is only a year or two older than Tasha was when she died. Tasha would have been a young child when Sela was born. Troi detects no deception - and announces that Sela believes this to be the truth, whether it is or not.

Guinan tells Picard that she has a "hunch" that Picard, at some time in the future, sent Yar back to the Enterprise C to fight the Romulans - and was captured alive and lived on Romulus.

Picard decides that Sela's resemblance to Tasha is just a distraction and to act as though it was not a factor... but this tidbit of trivia will rear its head in another episode as Picard begins the paradox.

Picard plans a brilliant gambit but is foiled by Sela's ingenuity. As the Federation armada loses it's Tachyon detection grid, Commander Data proves himself as a capable ship captain and more than just a trivia machine on the Enterprise. Data saves the day and once the Romulans are found out, they retreat, leaving the Duras clan to fend for themselves.

Data's maturity as an officer and the development of the characters is truly a pleasure to watch. A great two-parter.

Why do I say this? Sela, a half human/half Romulan, was the silhouette seen in "The Mind's Eye". She's the alternate Tasha Yar's daughter from "Yesterday's Enterprise", and of course "Sins of the Father" and "Reunion" are referring to Worf's discommendation and the death of Duras at Worf's hand.

Plot: Gowron is now officially the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, but he'll have to deal with powerful Duras sisters (and their secret Romulan allies) first in order to truly have the power with the title. Worf has resigned Starfleet and has joined Gowron to battle the Duras. Meanwhile, the Federation, while officially not going to lend support to what is considered a "purely, Klingon, internal affair", they are going to try to expose the Romulans by using a tachyon net (which can detect even cloaked ships) with 20 some starships on the Klingon/Romulan boarder....

Great conclusion. I can see how it would have driven everyone crazy seeing Sela in Part 1 (who is played by Denise Crosby) and everyone saying, "I-thought-Tasha-Yar-died-so-why-is-she-alive-and-why-is-she-a-Romulan?" Great points in how they defeat the Romulans, that Data gets to command a Nebula-class cruiser, etc.

5 out of 5 stars.

The writers of Star Trek TNG cleverly find a way to bring back Lt. Yar (well, her daughter anyways) and then totally misuse the potential. As with many of the season finales, this one is a good story yet nothing really great. Even the "Borg taking Picard" season finale was made into a disappointment,with everything wrapped up neatly at the conclusion of the second part of the episode so that the series goes on as always. The writers of this series certainly didn't "Boldly Go" anywhere in the majority of this show's run.

My suggestion- don't buy this- it's probably on today anyways on the reruns. Save your money instead and use it on one of the Lord of the Rings dvd's.

Redemption part 2

Worf does some very uncharacteristic things in this one. He is not his boisterous self here. His brother Kurn helps him restore his family name from the Duras family. This one has an appearance from Denise Crosby as Sela. The explanation as to how she came in the current timeline stretch the lines of credibility at best. Of the two parts this one is best. The Klingon star ship battles in this one are worth the price of the cassette. The final standoff between Worf and the young Klingon to take over the Empire are the best in the series. I wish there were more episodes costarring his brother Kurn. He is the opposite of Worf. He is not as near as conscientious as his brother.