Here we go! The first step in a long and layered development of Klingon culture.
Worf's brother is introduced, but we don't know that at first. He's just being an exchange officer as Riker was in the second season. Kurn is serving in a first officer role on the Enterprise and he brings that touch of savage Klingon discipline to the pampered Enterprise crew. I appreciate the fact that the crew isn't a bunch of whiny babies anymore. Although there's some complaint about how harsh and demanding he is, Picard allows him to behave exactly as if he were on a Klingon vessel since the point of the exchange is to learn from other cultures. In one way, I think this episode could've been divided into two parts because they packed so much into it after the main plot is revealed. On the other hand I feel like too much time was wasted with the preliminaries. Bringing up Riker's service on the Pagh was redundant. And we all know Klingons are kind of like Vikings now. We get it. but I guess it's necessity was to show you that the Kurn was hard on everyone except Worf and that this was not considered favoritism towards someone of his race. This was an insult. Worf wanted to be involved in the bully-like command structure common to Klingon warriors.
It doesn't actually take as long as it seems to reach the big reveal. Kurn explains that he is Worf's younger brother and we find out why they were separated. Worf had no knowledge of Kurn and Kurn found out about his heritage after he reached the age of ascension although he chose to keep the identity of his adopted father. And then we get the twist on Khitomer that changes everything. There was a traitor among the Klingons that enabled the Romulans to lower the Khitomer defence shields and proceed with the massacre. Worf and Kurn's father is the one accused of committing this treason. This is not only the seed for Worf's personal struggles throughout the series, but a tangible focal point of the Klingon-Romulan hostilities. Roddenberry didn't want the Federation to be at war with either of these races anymore because he wanted to move on. Now we see that there was a huge advantage to have these races at odds with each other. It was just as much of a challenge for the Federation to be an ally to the Klingons as an enemy and it made for a more challenging sort of story telling. After determining that Worf hasn't been softened by Federation life, he encourages him to challenge this claim as the older son.
At first Worf accepts Kurn's offer to be his Cha'Dlch (ritual second) for the process but wisely tells him not to reveal his true bloodline. We see more of the Klingon's devotion to traditions and duties as Worf assumes command of Kurn as his older brother even though he doesn't have any experience on the Klingon home world, and Kurn accepts this dominance albeit with a little grumbling. This is why I and many others came to love the way Klingons were written. Loud pigs... perhaps.. but strong and stalwart in honor and tradition.
We meet K'mpec for the first time. He's the head of the Klingon High Council and although he only gets two episodes he's one of the most memorable characters. Another council member, Duras, formally accuses Mogh of treason. Because Worf is challenging this accusation falls on him as well and if it's proven to be true he will be put to death. K'mpec asks Worf not to continue with this challenge in a fatherly sort of way and Duras attacks Worf and Kurn in an alley leaving the audience to realize that something is up with all of this.
But Picard steps in as Worf's Cha'Dlch and they persist in trying to fight back against this accusation. Picard puts the Enterprise on it and of course, they find out that the evidence for Mogh being the traitor was false and that there was another survivor and witness.
The survivor was Worf's nurse. The scenes in which Picard decides to seek her out and then find her are important in the development of his character as well. He's not just a diplomat but very brave and daring because he sets out to do this alone. It also opens the door for him to become prominent in Klingon political affairs later on. The lady, Kahlest, helps him deal with the ambush he walks into and then reluctantly agrees to testify.
Why reluctantly? Well, that's politics. Giving this situation an added political layer just made it more complex and opened ended leaving the fans wanting to see justice done. It's a kind of soap writing - the first victory going to the bad guy so that the good guy could eventually prevail. This is why Star Trek TNG eventually eclipsed TOS in quality. K'mpec is forced to admit that they knew that Duras' father was the traitor, but his family was too powerful to punish because it would ruin the Empire. So the blame was placed on Mogh since they figured that Worf would never come to challenge such a claim since he was a part of the Federation and, of course, they didn't know about Kurn. Now Worf's only choice would seem to be to die as a traitor in order to save the Empire and it's a sacrifice that he's willing to make. The problem is Kurn. Now that everyone knows, Worf wants his life spared but Duras objects since this would give Kurn a legal claim to revenge... making him an even more contemptible coward.
In order for Kurn to keep his anonymity and life, Worf accepts discommendation; banishment; exiled in disgrace. Essentially admitting that the claim against his father is true. One by one the council turns their backs on Worf including Kurn out of necessity and it's such an powerful scene. It's not a happy ending. It's a complicated ending with more to come. It lights a fire with the audience and with the creative writing element of the show. This is great stuff.
I give this one four and a half stars because I think it could've gone further and been more detailed. I might be suffering from expectations that are too high because I became used to the higher quality of episodes to come, but I'm not going to go with five on this one even though there's not much difference in four and a half and five in this case.
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