Plot: What’s it about?
By the time the end of the fourth season rolled around, Star Trek: The Next Generation was, for lack of a better term, firing on all cylinders. Or maybe “cruising at Warp 11” might be a more pertinent term? The fourth season started with a bang and gave us the second part of The Best of Both Worlds in which Capt. Jean-Luc Picard was turned into a member of the Borg. This was the first, though not the last (for obvious reasons), cliffhanger and it was a successful venture. At the end of the season the writers gave us yet another reason to tune into the fifth season (like we needed one) with another two-part episode: Redemption. These episodes featured one of the more overlooked members of the Enterprise, Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn), the only Klingon member of the crew and this also marked the beginning of the Security Chief as a larger role in the series. Writer Ronald D. Moore, prominently featured in the supplemental materials, was best-known for bringing the Klingon empire into the mainstream and it’s epitomized in this two part episode.
The Enterprise is heading towards the Klingon home world but is met by Gowron (Robert O’Reilly), a former leader of the Klingon High Council. We then meet the Duras sisters who present their deceased brother’s illegitimate son, Toral (JD Cullum), who has the lineage to challenge Gowron. Gowron meets with Worf (Michael Dorn) who, in turn, offers his brother’s fleet of ships in hopes that he can restore honor to his family name. The crew of the Enterprise then learns that the Duras sisters are trying to start a civil war and cannot get involved (it violates the Prime Directive). Since his brother is involved Worf resigns to join in the fight. However with the assistance of a very recognizable Romulan ally (Denise Crosby in her second appearance since dying in season one), the Enterprise must then ease the tensions between the Romulans and the Klingons.
This two part episode is widely considered one of the better that the entire series had to offer and it certainly did nothing but strengthen what had already become a hit show. As mentioned earlier, it gave the character of Lt. Worf a bit more depth and based on some of the supplements I’ve seen on the Season Four Blu-ray, Denise Crosby somewhat started the chain of events that ultimately led to this episode. One of the great things about Star Trek is that the array of stories and characters are so vast that literally anything is and was possible. After the series ended, Lt. Worf went onto star in Deep Space Nine reprising his role (he had parts in the motion pictures as well). For fans of Worf or Klingons in general, this two part episode is not to be missed. Highly recommended.
Video: How does it look?
I’m under the assumption that anyone reading this is a fan of Star Trek in any way, shape or form. That or you’re just killing time because you’re bored at work. Either way I can say that Redemption looks just as stunning as all the previous episodes on TNG have. Presented in a full-frame image, the episode has benefitted from the meticulous restoration that the rest of the seasons have benefitted from. Colors seem to have more depth and richness, black levels and contrast seem darker and with the majority of this episode taking place with the Klingons, there are a lot of darker scenes. While a little grain persists, it’s not distracting in the least. Detail has been improved from the standard DVD release and this is on par with the rest of the seasons. It’s the exact same as the one found on the Season Four Blu-ray, obviously. A fine effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
As is consistent with the rest of the episodes and seasons, Redemption features a newly re-mastered DTS HD Master Audio track that’s surprisingly robust. Vocals take front and center and Michael Dorn’s powerful, booming voice sounds deep and rich in the center channel. Ships whiz by from the front to the rear channels, lasers have that high-pitched sound that makes you feel like you need to get out of the way! There’s not a whole lot else to say as anyone who’s seen any of the episodes on Blu-ray will attest – Paramount’s done a great job with these and this is no exception.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Paramount has found a way to get just a bit more of your money. Granted the first part of this episode is on the Season Four Blu-ray, but the two main features aren’t there – they’re here. We start out with an audio commentary by writer Ronald D. Moore as he’s joined with Denise and Mike Okuda. Their comments are technical yet interesting as they discuss the importance of the two part episode and its long-lasting effects. Of note, this is a new commentary and wasn’t previously available. The thirty minute feature “Survive and Succeed: An Empire at War” is also new and we get pretty much everything we need to know about the Klingon empire. We see the makeup, the set direction, production design and Denise Crosby’s return (again) to the set of TNG. Episodic promos for both parts are also included as is a UV copy.
