By Chris Snellgrove | Published
As awesome as the main characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation were, the supporting characters often stole the show. This includes Alexander, the precocious child of Starfleet’s only Klingon. He arrived later Star Trek: Deep Space Ninebut this series effectively wasted this great supporting character, as we saw that Alexander was nothing more than a counterfeit version of his father, Worf.
Alexander becomes Worf
If it’s been a while since you last watched Star Trek: The Next Generationyou may need a brief introduction to the relationship (familial or otherwise) between Alexander and Worf. Although he served in Starfleet, Worf was very dedicated to maintaining the Klingon way of life and he tried to raise his son in the same way. Unfortunately, Alexander is half-human, and between his genetic heritage and growing up on a ship full of humans, he grew up acting like crap. but Klingon. When Alexander later appeared on New deep spacehowever, he had become a Klingon soldier (albeit a rather clumsy one).
There are many reasons why Star Trek fans didn’t like what happened to Alexander. New deep spaceincluding the fact that he was now just a clumsy punchline and still had a horrible relationship with Worf. However, my problem with this scenario is much simpler. Alexander should Never became a Klingon soldier because it shows that the writers gave up on developing his character into anything other than a shittier version of his father.
A disappointing Klingon
For this Star Trek fan, the evolution of Alexander (rather a devolution) into a clone of Worf is particularly disappointing because we rarely see Klingons who are not warriors. Sure, there are the occasional scientist here and there, but mostly we see warriors who want nothing more than to die honorably. Considering that something as large as the Klingon Empire would need countless other types of citizens (farmers, engineers, diplomats, and even writers) that we so rarely see, it would have been great to see Alexander explore one of these options.
More relevantly, Star Trek: The Next Generation spent a lot of time establishing that Alexander was completely different from Worf. Frankly, his entire arc was leading him to become perhaps the most unique Klingon we’ve ever seen. By the end of DS9, however, he was just another soldier who had fully invested himself in his race’s warrior culture.
Furthermore, if Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Had Alexander explored a different path, Worf’s beliefs about the Klingon way of life could have been challenged in an enriching way. The writers drew great stories from the inherent tension between Worf’s warrior heritage and the Federation’s hippie ethos, and in TNG we saw that tension reflected in his relationship with his son. But with DS9, the family drama was replaced by Alexander trying to follow in Worf’s footsteps, and while a son desperately seeking his father’s approval may be realistic for many viewers watching at home, the whole history stinks of wasted potential.
It is possible that Star Trek: Deep Space NineThe writers couldn’t think of another way to bring Alexander back…certainly, it took a lot of creative effort (including disrupting the fragile peace between the Klingons and the Federation) to bring Worf back convincingly. But as a fan, I’d rather not see this great supporting character return than be completely ruined by his return. Plus, the kid was already stuck with Worf as a father…that was punishment enough for a lifetime, and sticking him with horrible characterization and forgettable arcs on top of that just seems cruel and unusual.
