Plot
In the beginning of the episode La Forge is excited about the first trial run of soliton wave transportation technology, that the Enterprise will be assisting. La Forge notes that witnessing the Soliton wave transportation would be like witnessing Zefram Cochrane engage the first warp drive. He later does this in Star Trek: First Contact. His excitement is not met by either Data or Worf. Worf receives a communication from his human mother who requests to visit with his son Alexander. On arrival Alexander reveals that it was not intended for him to go back.
In Ten Forward Worf's mother explains that Alexander is too much of a burden on them. After enrolling Alexander in school, Worf finds many new problems with the arrival of his son. Alexander soon lies and steals during a school field trip.
During the science experiment of the wave transportation, the Enterprise experiences a distortion and is damaged and the test ship explodes. The wave exponentially increases in power and speed, and is on a collision course with a colony at Lemma II.
Alexander continues to cause problems in school and Worf is forced to review his parenting habits. He decides to send Alexander to a Klingon school, believing that it's what's best for Alexander. However, Alexander feels he is being rejected by Worf.
The Enterprise manages to dissipate the wave with photon torpedoes. Alexander is saved from a damaged area of the Enterprise by Riker and Worf. Afterwards, Worf lets Alexander stay on the Enterprise, saying, "Klingon schools are designed to be difficult. The physical and mental hardships faced by the students are meant to build strength and character. However, if you wish to face a greater challenge, you may stay here with me. It will not be easy—for either one of us—but, perhaps we can face the challenge together."
"I accept your challenge, Father," Alexander answers. "I will stay."
Read more about this topic: New Ground (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Famous quotes containing the word plot:
“After I discovered the real life of mothers bore little resemblance to the plot outlined in most of the books and articles I’d read, I started relying on the expert advice of other mothers—especially those with sons a few years older than mine. This great body of knowledge is essentially an oral history, because anyone engaged in motherhood on a daily basis has no time to write an advice book about it.”
—Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)
“There comes a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given him to till.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The plot! The plot! What kind of plot could a poet possibly provide that is not surpassed by the thinking, feeling reader? Form alone is divine.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)