New Ground (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"New Ground"
Star Trek: The Next Generation episode
Worf, at Alexander's arrival on the Enterprise.
Episode no.	Season 5 Episode 10
Directed by	Robert Scheerer
Teleplay by	Grant Rosenberg
Story by	Sara Charno Stuart Charno
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	210
Original air date	January 19, 1992 (1992-01-19)
Guest stars
Brian Bonsall - Alexander Rozhenko Georgia Brown - Helena Rozhenko Richard McGonagle - Ja'Dar Jennifer Edwards - Kyle Sheila Franklin - Felton
Episode chronology
← Previous "A Matter of Time" Next → "Hero Worship"
List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes

"New Ground" is an episode of the fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The episode has an average rating of 2.6/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of September 20, 2007).[1]

Overview

Worf has to quickly learn about parenting when his son Alexander Rozhenko arrives to join him on the Enterprise.

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."

Production notes

Director Robert Scheerer: "Brian [Bonsall] was very nervous the first day, but he loved the makeup and he's a very bright boy. The first day both of us were kind of feeling our own way, seeking a common ground, and from the second day on it was just a joy. And Michael [Dorn] just grows by leaps and bounds on the show every year."

Actor Michael Dorn: "I've been very lucky. Worf has been busy. He had a mate, lost her, has a son, adoptive parents and real parents that were killed, and he was paralyzed for a while. I've been very fortunate where they have touched on a lot of Worf's character."

Producer Rick Berman: "I thought it was well done, but it doesn't stand out for me. Our greatest desire is to have shows where either the A-B story stands so well alone that they can be intermingled the way the two plots on LA Law are, or the A-B story have a reason to intermingle with each other. Then there's the other event where a show is strong enough to have one story with the science fiction and character drama. The shows that I find most disappointing are the shows where we have a wonderful character piece and a weak science fiction story. It's a wonderful character development piece of drama and some parasite, or some dripping goo or some asteroid disaster that's looming has to be forced into the story. We do our best to avoid those, but sometimes they happen."^[1]

Notes

1. ^ Captains' Logs (Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman) 1995

External links

• New Ground at the Internet Movie Database
• "New Ground" at TV.com
• New Ground at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• New Ground at StarTrek.com