Not the greatest episode but a nice ending for Alexander. They couldn't have known at the time that four years later they'd pull a total soap move and bring him back all grown up in DS9 to build more on this episode, but all in all it's adequate and enjoyable.
It begins with Worf in his ceremonial jacket making a speech for Alexander about becoming a man and a warrior. The mood is suddenly disrupted when we see Alexander and a friend run into the room. Alexander's friend throws a water balloon at Worf who is not happy. He sends the friend away, gets onto Alexander for being late, and begins the speech again that he was practicing in the opening moment. It's almost time for Alexander to take the first Rite of Ascension. He asks if that's the Rite where they hit you with pain sticks, but Worf tells him that will be later. For this ceremony he will light a candle and declare his intention to become a warrior, testing his fighting skills and knowledge of Kahless. But Alexander doesn't want to become a warrior. He tells Worf that his mother said he didn't have to participate in Klingon rites if he didn't want to. Worf agrees that it's his choice so as not to disrespect K'Ehleyr's memory but it's obvious that he's not pleased with this option and he's upset when Alexander runs off firm in his decision not to become a warrior. In a staff meeting, Picard tells everyone that the ship they're due to meet up with will be four days late so they sit around discussing other projects the different departments can do to pass the time. Worf is noticeably distracted and afterwards he confides in Picard his disappointment in Alexander's rejection of his heritage. Picard knows of a Klingon festival taking place on a planet that is somewhat out of the way on the other side of a nebula, but since they have the time and a science department that wants to study the nebula he decides to take Worf there. While they're there, they watch a dramatic reenactment on the street of a Klingon traitor that was defeated by Kahless. The actor playing the traitor invites members of the audience to participate in mock bat'leth duels. Worf accepts a challenge in dramatic fashion and has a brief, slow battle with him.
In order to gain Alexander's interest, he falls to the "traitor" and hands the bat'leth to Alexander to avenge him. Alexander is unpracticed at mock fighting and accidentally pokes the actor with the blade, but the actor takes a dive declaring Kahless victorious. Alexander is caught up in the moment and very happy. Later that evening Worf is ready to leave for the day and is trying to tell Alexander that he can't have money to buy some of the dubious merchandise being sold by local vendors when they are attacked for real by a group of Klingons. Another Klingon appears and fires a phaser at the thugs. Worf tells Alexander to hide while he fights off the three attackers. The mysterious Klingon only helps when the third has a knife out ready to stab Worf in the back. Still on his guard he inquires the identity of the stranger, though he looks familiar to him. The Klingon holds out a ring with the crest of the house of Mogh. Worf then recognizes him as K'mtar, an advisor to their family house.
In the observation lounge, K'mtar informs them that he'd been hearing rumors of an assassination attempt on Worf. The others wonder why he hadn't warned Worf before hand and them as well so they could protect their officer. He explains that he wasn't able to reach them in time and that Klingon affairs like this are private. It's all pretty legit. He insinuates that the Duras sisters were responsible for the attack. He shows them the knife with their family emblems on it and claims to have even more evidence on the home world. So they agree to help K'mtar track down the sisters. Later Worf expresses disappointment at K'mtar's rude attitude with Riker and the others. But K'mtar reminds him of Klingon ways and tells him that Kurn is taking an interest on whether or not Alexander is preparing himself to be the head of their house one day since he has no heir of his own. Worf is insulted at first but then admits that it's been hard to steep him in Klingon rituals with his late mother's influence and the fact that they live among humans. K'mtar offers to help and asks to say goodnight to Alexander. He tries to motivate Alexander to learn to fight so he can always be there to defend his father if he's ever attacked as he was today. Alexander is still troubled by the incident and is anxious to learn how to fight now. It then cuts back to the bridge with Riker trying to track down the Duras sisters. They were last seen on DS9 and he contacts Quark for information. I'm so glad this scene is here! This is the only appearance of Quark on TNG and it's a funny scene where Riker barters for information with bar credits that Quark had swindled to him in lieu of latinum that he'd won in the first place. Most importantly, Quark represents the very best of how the Ferengi race had developed from the first season of TNG. The DS9 Ferengi seem like the most "real" Ferengi to me and I thought it was nice to have one on TNG for a scene. Especially Quark since he's one of the best characters ever created. From Quark, Riker finds out the sisters went to a valuable magnesite mine.
The next day K'mtar recreates the streets where the festival took place and the attack on his father to start teaching Alexander how to fight. Worf finds it a little strange but goes along with it and it starts out fine. They freeze the attackers to discuss strategic positioning of themselves and their weapons so when Alexander fights him off, he succeeds in disarming him and knocking him to the ground. But he doesn't kill the attacker and he gets back up with intent to kill Alexander. K'mtar is furious that Alexander didn't finish him off but Alexander is innocent and didn't feel comfortable killing someone he doesn't know in what was only a simulation anyway. But K'mtar continues to brow beat him saying that if it was a real situation, Worf would be dead. He upsets Alexander enough to make him run off and Worf goes after him. At the magnesite mine, Riker finds a man named Gorta who the Duras sisters had obviously used to get the valuable ore before stranding him in the mine. He tries to barter information of their whereabouts for a free pass on their obvious criminal activity, but he's not in any real position to bargain, so he tells them where they were planning to go to sell the ore so they'll get him out of there. It's another light-hearted comical scene which offsets the main story nicely. Later, K'mtar finds Worf in Ten Forward to apologize. Worf is worried that he's not interested in their ways, but doesn't want to undercut K'Ehleyr's memory either. K'mtar offers to send Alexander to a training academy but Worf refuses. After all, we've been through that argument before in New Ground. But K'mtar is more forceful with Worf and threatens to start a Klingon legal proceeding to take custody of Alexander for his own good. Worf is incensed, but K'mtar continues to beg him to consider the Academy. That night he's telling the story of Kahless and his brother to Alexander. Telling of how Kahless had to fight his brother for lying. Alexander knows the story and questions why they couldn't solve their problems by talking. He wonders if it all isn't just a misunderstanding. K'mtar quashes his questions and continues to try to convince him that he must leave the Enterprise to become a warrior. But Alexander turns away from him now, convinced that he's no different than his father who thinks about nothing but honor and doesn't care what he wants.
The Enterprise finds the Yridian vessel that Gorta said would be buying the magnesite. It appears to be alone and only has part of the pay load aboard the ship. Riker suspects that they've interrupted the transaction and slyly offers to buy what they have for a measure of biomemetic gel. Once they agree he has the ore transported to coordinates just off the ship where he fires at it. The explosion reveals a cloaked Klingon vessel. They put it in tow and contact the Duras sisters to tell them that they are suspected in an assassination attempt on Worf. They're disappointed that it didn't work, but they claim to have no knowledge of it. So Riker suggests they come aboard to see the evidence. In the Observation Lounge the Klingons all exchange insults and Riker shows the sisters the knife used in the attack on Worf. It indeed has their family symbols on it, but they immediately state that it must have been planted to falsely implicate them. They even agree to go back to the home world to see the supposed remaining evidence and K'mtar leaves to send a message to Kurn. After he's gone B'Etor notices something strange about the knife which makes the two of them uneasy. When questioned, B'Etor confirms the symbols on the knife as their father and the two of them. But then she notes that the fourth symbol is that of Lursa's son. Worf says that he's not aware she has a son. Lursa fearfully states that she doesn't, however she's with child. B'Etor tells them that she only found out a few days ago and has told nobody but her. They can tell their telling the truth so Worf excuses himself to find K'mtar and find out what's going on. In Worf's quarters we see Alexander sleeping peacefully and a phaser being raised to fire on him. But Worf makes it there in time to stop K'mtar. He's on the verge of killing K'mtar when he divulges that he is Alexander from forty years in the future. For proof, Worf asks him to repeat K'Ehleyr's last words before she died. Once he's convinced he's amazed that Alexander took the opportunity to come back in time just to end his own life. He tells him that he didn't want too, only that he wanted to change himself. He tells Worf that he didn't become a warrior but a diplomat. He thought he could bring peace between the major houses but failed and was too weak and unskilled to save Worf when he was killed before his eyes. He confesses that he staged the assassination attempt to frighten young Alexander and spur his desire to become a warrior. He tells Worf that he was right about everything. But Worf doesn't hold him to blame. He notes that the peace is a worthwhile cause to strive for and that he's already changed the future by coming back. He may not have changed himself but he's changed Worf's outlook and given him a glimpse into his son's future.
They embrace somewhat awkwardly as the adult Alexander tells his father that he loves him. But Worf can see that he's the same tender-hearted child within and reciprocates his love. He then goes to find his Alexander who is in the holodeck practicing furiously with a bat'leth. He asks where K'mtar is so Worf tells him that he had to go away and that it'll probably be a long time before he sees him again. . But he assures him that K'mtar approves of him whatever he decides to do with his life. He's still ready to practice, but Worf decides that they don't have to today; that there'll be plenty of time.
It's a sweet episode regarding the serious matter of someone trying to avert a tragedy in the past punctuated with just the right amount of comical moments. Well written and executed. I have no problems with it... even the usual problems that result from time travel sci-fi because that's not the part that the audience is meant to focus on. It's also a nice end to the character of Alexander in this series. Most of Worf and Alexander's time together over the years was spent in conflict over his future in the empire, so this episode showed the audience that even though he's caught between two cultures, he'll be alright. Four stars.
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