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Gorkon, son of Toq

View history
1.1 Early career
1.2.1 Involvement with the Gonmog Sector
1.2.2 Aspirations towards peace
1.2.3 Second Marriage
1.2.4 Conflict with the House of Duras
1.3 Away from the Council
1.4 Chancellor Gorkon
1.5 Star Trek: Klingon Academy
2.1 Background information
2.2 Appearances
2.3 Connections
3 External link

Biography [ ]

Early career [ ].

Gorkon was a Klingon Defense Force officer, and was eventually promoted to the rank of general . He was assigned as commanding officer of the IKS Chech'Iw in the 2250s . As commander of the Chech'Iw , General Gorkon had several run-ins with the USS Dauntless under the command of Captain Diego Reyes . In 2268 conflict with the Chech'Iw' cost the Dauntless eighteen crew members, including its first officer, Rajiv Mehta . ( VAN novel : Precipice ; VAN novella : The Ruins of Noble Men )

By 2259 , Gorkon had a 21-year-old son, Kintazh , and a 6-year-old daughter, Azetbur . Kintazh also served in the Klingon Defense Force as a weapons officer on the IKS Qul qemwI' , under Captain Kavau . Kavau used theragen to quell uprisings within the Empire. He was backed by several powerful members of the Klingon High Council who were pushing for the use of unconventional weapons against the Federation. However, one of the theragen tests backfired, killing three-quarters of the Qul qemwI crew. The survivors all suffered the fatal effects of theragen poisoning, including the now-dishonoured Kintazh.

Sturka disavowed the new use of the poison, branding the survivors of the Qul qemwI' "renegades and criminals". General Gorkon executed the rest of the crew, but could not bring himself to let his son die dishonorably. Unwilling to carry out the Mauk-to'Vor ritual, Gorkon engineered a situation to reclaim Kintazh's honour. He set about curing his son by offering assistance to the ailing Arkenite colony of Azha-R7a , which had a facility able to cure Kintazh.

When Captain Reyes' Dauntless arrived later on the scene to aid the Arkenites, Gorkon failed to inform them what was going on; he covered up his plot to hide his son and his dishonor. However, the new first officer of the Dauntless , Hallie Gannon , a protégé of Emanuel Tagore , saw through the deception. She alerted the ship's doctor, Ezekiel Fisher , who was able to cure Kintazh. Later, Gorkon and Kintazh beamed to the Dauntless, and Kintazh quickly attacked his father's enemy, Reyes. Reyes blocked the attack, but immediately:

Explaining himself to a confused Gannon, Gorkon reminded Reyes of a quotation they had shared earlier, "I have thee not, and yet I see thee still." He wished Reyes, "Die well," and departed. ( VAN novella : The Ruins of Noble Men )

Membership in the Klingon High Council [ ]

Gorkon's close relationship to Chancellor Sturka earned him a position on the Klingon High Council , sometime prior to 2265 . Sturka's relationship with Gorkon was pragmatic as well as personal. Sturka knew that Gorkon could easily defeat him in personal combat, so when Gorkon first hinted at his political ambitions, Sturka worked to make him an ally. As a long-time friend and ally of the chancellor, Gorkon served as a pragmatist and a voice of moderation on the Council. ( VAN novel : Harbinger )

Involvement with the Gonmog Sector [ ]

In 2265 , Councillor Gorkon discussed with the Council the Federation's expansion into the Gonmog Sector - what the Federation called the Taurus Reach . The Council agreed to investigate it, in a desire to understand what was driving their enemy's foreign policy. ( VAN novel : Harbinger )

Gorkon took the lead on the Empire's investigation into the Gonmog Sector, working with Captain Kutal of the IKS Zin'za . Lurqal , a Klingon double agent working with Reyes, leaked misinformation to Imperial Intelligence regarding the Jinoteur system. The Zin'za led the Klingon battlefleet to this system, but Gorkon decided to report to Sturka that the ship failed to reach Jinoetuer IV . Gorkon, Sturka, and Councillor Indizar decided to keep Councillor Duras and his allies in the dark about the Gonmog Sector. Gorkon later realised Reyes was behind the deliberate leaking of the Jinoteur data. ( VAN novel : Reap the Whirlwind )

Aspirations towards peace [ ]

In 2265 , the Shedai , ancient aliens who once dominated the Gonmog Sector and had already destroyed the Klingon subject world of Palgrenax , attacked the Federation and Klingon colonies there. Gorkon's old enemy, Diego Reyes , carpet-bombed Gamma Tauri IV in response, obliterating all signs of life. Reyes' guilt caused him to leak the details of the Jinoteur system bombing and the existence of the Shedai to the journalist Tim Pennington . Having released classified information, Reyes was arrested, court martialed, and ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment at the New Zealand Penal Settlement .

Gorkon had other plans for Reyes, who was tired of the hawkish nature that the Federation had pursued in recent years. Gorkon instructed his agent, Captain Chang , to intercept Reyes' transport and bring Reyes to him. He also had kidnapped another foreign iconoclast, the Tholian Ezthene , kidnapped. The two were kept on the IKS Zin'za where Gorkon convinced them to appear before Sturka and ask him to consider peace with the Federation. Sturka rejected the overture, and his friendship with Councillor Gorkon became strained. ( VAN novels : Open Secrets , Precipice )

In 2268 , Councillor Gorkon led the Klingon contingent at Klingon-Federation peace conference on Centaurus . His desire for peace was the counterbalance to the hawkish Councillor Prang , and the two sparred verbally several times during the conference. The peace talks were suspended after Major Sadira used the Transfer Key to transfer Gorkon to the Jatohr universe . This caused Councillor Prang to take control, and he withdrew the Klingons from the conference. ( TOS - Legacies novel : Best Defense )

Gorkon was transferred back to the primary universe with the help of Sarek , shortly after his original transfer in 2268. ( TOS - Legacies novel : Purgatory's Key )

Second Marriage [ ]

Gorkon married again in the late 2260s, possibly in 2268 , to Illizar . ( VAN novel : Storming Heaven )

Conflict with the House of Duras [ ]

Gorkon had a long-festering distrust of Councillor Duras . In 2268 , Gorkon became involved in a secret war with Duras, whose star rose with Sturka as Gorkon's own prospects waned (possibly following the failed peace détente of both his own summit and Nimbus III in the previous years). ( VAN novel : Storming Heaven )

Away from the Council [ ]

By 2285 , a new Chancellor with pro- Romulan sympathies came to power, and initiated purges of political foes. Gorkon was able to survive, living on his family lands on Makrecha IV . He encountered a Trill on the planet named Torias Dax , a victim of a shuttle crash. He was able to help Dax survive long enough that his symbiont could be recovered and returned to the Trill homeworld . ( DS9 short story : " Trek ")

Shortly thereafter, Gorkon returned to Qo'noS and the High Council. By 2287 , under Chancellor Kesh , Gorkon's traditionalist views were ascendant in the Council, and he became noted as an advocate for cooperation with the Federation. ( TOS novel : In the Name of Honor )

Chancellor Gorkon [ ]

Gorkon ascended to the position of Chancellor of the Klingon Empire in 2292 , when he challenged B'rak 's leadership. The two Klingons fought as tradition dictated, with Gorkon killing B'rak. Following the destruction of Praxis in 2293 , he learned that Qo'noS had only fifty years of life left. Chancellor Gorkon proposed the Klingon military budget be redirected to help save the Klingon people. ( TOS references : Federation: The First 150 Years , The Star Trek Compendium )

Gorkon proposed that the High Council seek negotiations with the Federation . After Councillor Kahnrah voted to seek negotiations with the Federation, Gorkon thanked him, and proposed a toast to peace and the survival of the Klingon Empire. ( ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic : " Issue 5 ")

Shortly after making the peace overture, he was assassinated by conspirators in both the Empire and the Federation. He was survived by one daughter, Azetbur , who succeeded him as Chancellor. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Undiscovered Country ) He also had three sons, Karel, Kell and Kintazh, all of whom he outlived. ( TOS - Errand of Fury novel : Demands of Honor )

Star Trek: Klingon Academy [ ]

Gorkon began serving in the Imperial Government in the year 1610 IR ( Imperial Reckoning , or 2235 AD) as a diplomatic courier with the Diplomatic Corps . He worked his way up to becoming senior diplomatic attache in 1617 IR . His skills at rhetoric and negotiation were renowned in diplomatic circles, and he wielded them as a weapon to advance the policies and purposes of the Empire.

In 1620 IR , an assignment on Qo'noS brought Gorkon into contact with then Councillor Lorak , who was amazed by the talents of the young diplomat. Lorak offered him a position as his personal advisor, which Gorkon accepted. The two became fast friends and the staunchest of allies.

When Chancellor Durak died in 1635 IR , Gorkon worked feverishly behind the scenes to arrange alliances and non-aggression agreements between Lorak and the various factions vying to ascend to the Chancellorship. Lorak relied on Gorkon exclusively for these dealings, as he himself maintained a front of aloof disinterest to throw off any suspicions as to his ambitions. In early 1636 IR , Gorkon's work came to fruition and Lorak became Chancellor through a brief, violent maneuver. Chancellor Lorak then appointed Gorkon as his Chief of staff .

In the months after Lorak's ascension, Gorkon worked to solidify Lorak's position and appease his political enemies. He also began to shape the bureaucracy of Lorak's administration into an effective and highly efficient body, fully capable of autonomous operation for extended periods without monitoring. This proved to be of great benefit when Gorkon was appointed to investigate the resource status of the Empire, and found himself unable to assist Lorak in the face of his ailment. Gorkon was quite popular within the High Council, though his more liberal policies were somewhat controversial.

When Lorak died, a three-way battle for the leadership of the Empire broke out among Gorkon, Lorak's Military Advisor, General Chang , and an usurper named Melkor . During the bloody civil war that followed, Melkor petitioned the Romulans for assistance, and Chang was forced to ally with Gorkon to prevent an invasion. Due to this assistance, Chang became indebted to Gorkon, and was compelled, at the end of the war, to back his ascension to the Chancellorship. Gorkon was appointed Chancellor by the High Council, and brought Chang into his government as Chief of staff. ( TOS video game : Klingon Academy )

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Gorkon was played by David Warner .

Appearances [ ]

VAN novel : Harbinger
VAN novel : Reap the Whirlwind
VAN novel : Precipice
VAN novel : Storming Heaven
VAN novella : The Ruins of Noble Men
TOS - Legacies novel : Best Defense
TOS - Legacies novel : Purgatory's Key
DS9 short story : " Trek "
ST video game : Klingon Academy
The Undiscovered Country

Connections [ ]

External link [ ].

Gorkon, son of Toq article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
2 The Chase
3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Gorkon (David Warner)

Character analysis.

Chancellor Gorkon is almost single-handedly responsible for fostering peace between the Klingon Empire and Federation. Sure, he had some help along the way, but nobody made as big of a contribution as he did.

He was the first to fight to make "the undiscovered country" of the future a peaceful one, for instance. Besides Spock, everyone else thinks he's nuts—Kirk included. Being a sharp fellow, Gorkon sees this resistance and understands the reasons behind it:

GORKON: You don't trust me, do you? I don't blame you. If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.

Like Kirk, Gorkon comes from a bygone era, one in which Klingons and humans were mortal foes. Now, however, Gorkon realizes that the best thing for his people is peace, and he's willing to fight for that no matter how much it hurts his pride.

Of course, Gorkon ends up losing a lot more than his pride due to his efforts—he loses his life. Nevertheless, although his assassination is tragic, we think Gorkon would see it as a worthy sacrifice, since it inspires both Kirk and Azetbur to finish the work he started.

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W hy's T his F unny?

Trek Tapestry

“star trek vi: the undiscovered country”.

Kirk and Co., three months from retirement, are assigned to escort Klingon Chancellor Gorkon ( David Warner ) to Earth for historic peace negotiations between the Federation and its long-time nemesis. The talks are spurred by Spock after the destruction of a Klingon moon — witnessed months earlier by the U.S.S. Excelsior under the command of Hikaru Sulu. Kirk, still hating the Klingons especially for the death of his son, blasts Spock for going behind his back to volunteer the ship. Later, the Enterprise meets up with Gorkon’s ship and has a rather tense dinner with the chancellor and his staff. Afterward, the Enterprise apparently fires on the Klingons without anyone giving the order. Kirk and McCoy beam over to help any wounded, but McCoy is unable to save Gorkon, shot by two unidentified men wearing Starfleet uniforms immediately after the attack. Kirk and McCoy are arrested and after a trial, sent to the penal colony, Rura Penthe. Spock, meanwhile, does his “Matlock” thing and conducts an investigation, piecing together some details of what happened with the help of his new protege, Vulcan Lieutenant Valeris ( Kim Cattrall ). After the Enterprise crosses the Klingon border and rescues Kirk and McCoy, Kirk realizes that Valeris was part of the conspiracy. Spock forcibly melds with her and learns she was working with Gorkon’s chief of staff, General Chang ( Christopher Plummer ), a Romulan ambassador, Starfleet Admiral Cartwright ( Brock Peters ) and a Bird of Prey that can fire while cloaked (which attacked Gorkon’s ship from beneath the Enterprise). With the peace talks back on at a neutral location, the Enterprise and the Excelsior head there, figuring they’ll need to stop another assassination. After a fierce battle with Chang and the Bird of Prey — where Spock and McCoy hone in on the invisible ship’s tailpipe to target a torpedo — the Enterprise and Excelsior save the day by stopping the assassin and revealing the conspiracy. Then, Kirk and Co. ride off into the sunset.

Why it’s important

Well, “The Undiscovered Country” is the first example of a TOS production that provides background in what’s been established in TNG (this wasn’t done in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” the only other film released after TNG debuted). This film was released during TNG’s fifth season — where it’s been clear for years that the Klingons are allies. To what extent “Star Trek VI” advanced that storyline is pretty murky, but it’s clear that the eventual alliance started when all hostilities ended here. And in the Star Trek universe, that’s a big, big deal — a message this movie rightly conveys. It’s also kind of crazy that the events of this film synced up so well with the fall of the Soviet Union, which, of course, was often the inspiration for the Klingons (and the Romulans, at times, too).

The film also ties up threads from the second, third and fourth movies — the Klingons announcing that there would be no peace if Kirk lived, the death of David Marcus, etc. — though it essentially ignores a lot of “Star Trek V,” the red-headed stepchild of the Trek movies (which has no relevant long-term impact on the Trek universe and won’t be reviewed on this site). Gene Roddenberry allegedly considered elements of that film apocryphal, though the mutual dislike between Kirk and the Klingons certainly was on display (if done in a comic-book manner). As for the greater Star Trek timeline, the only part of “Star Trek V” that is flatly disregarded here surrounds cooperation between the Klingons and the Enterprise at the end of the previous film. The tension around the Enterprise meeting Gorkon’s ship in “Star Trek VI” — “Never been this close” — and the fact the dinner was a momentous thing pretty much ignores the last 15 minutes of the previous film.

Of course, the decommissioning of the Enterprise-A at the end of this movie sets up the launch of the Enterprise-B in the “Star Trek: Generations” . More on that below.

What doesn’t hold up

This movie gets a lot right — and might even be up there with “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” as far as the number of great moments. But it also gets a lot wrong. There are logical problems all over the place. We try not to go all nitpicker in these reviews, but “The Undiscovered Country” has so many misfires …

There are a bevy of small things, like the fact that McCoy doesn’t seem to know that Sulu has been captain of the Excelsior for three years or that Starfleet apparently now has galleys and cooks. There’s also the matter of why the Enterprise and Gorkon’s ship were (essentially) stationary (or moving slowly) after they met up. Shouldn’t they have been heading to Earth at warp speed — and wouldn’t that have essentially prevented the attack? Later, how was Klingon security so bad that the Enterprise could get past its borders and fool its patrols with the WORST use of Klingon language ever (and why was the universal translator not sufficient)? Why wasn’t the very noticeable tracking device Spock put on Kirk noticed by anyone? Why is Klingon blood pink in this movie — and only in this movie? And on and on …

Oh, and why were there no ships in orbit of Camp Khitomer during the battle scene? How did all the dignitaries get to the planet? Shouldn’t a ship or two that brought the dignitaries have stayed to return them — and been there to investigate why two Federation starships were getting absolutely pummeled within visual range? We discussed this larger issue in Star Trek in last week’s review .

Bigger picture, there are a lot of things that don’t hold up with what we see in second-generation Trek. There are really two huge ones: How bad was the Klingon homeworld affected by the destruction of the moon Praxis, and what, exactly, was agreed to in this film (and in its immediate aftermath).

As for the homeworld, dialog in this movie indicates that Kronos was to be evacuated, as the destruction of Praxis was making the planet uninhabitable. This is a big part of the movie, in that it makes the Klingon position more vulnerable (beyond the economic issues facing the Empire after Praxis exploded). But, there’s no indication in TNG, DS9 or Voyager that the Klingons moved to another planet — and here and in DS9 and Voyager, the Klingon homeworld is called Kronos (it’s usually called “the Klingon homeworld” in TNG). So, did Federation scientists help the Klingons save their planet? Keep in mind that this isn’t a small point. Remember how big a deal it was when Vulcan was destroyed in the rebooted “Star Trek” in 2009 ?

There’s also the bigger question as to why an empire that’s such a threat to the Federation would be so crippled by the destruction of one moon and the problems it caused on one planet. But, oh, well.

Meanwhile, there’s some confusion about what actually was agreed to during the peace negotiations. It seems like Spock and Gorkon were pushing for an “end to all hostilities” — while some later Trek seems to indicate that the alliance between the Federation and the Klingons was forged here. TNG mostly stays with the ending-of-hostilities point, making assertions that the alliance is about 20 years old in “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and “Samaritan Snare”, among other vaguer instances. More on that when we get to TNG in our reviews.

But, in DS9, (notably in “By Inferno’s Light” ) we hear about the Khitomer Accords in reference to the alliance, presumably a nod to the work negotiated in this movie and immediately after at Camp Khitomer. Also in DS9, Bashir explicit says that there have been “two decades of peace with the Klingons” prior to the events of “The Way of the Warrior” .

Now, you could argue that the peace treaty was negotiated at Khitomer in the 2290s and that it was the site for another set of negotiations that ended some other hostilities in the 2340s or 2350s, presumably after the attack on that planet by the Romulans when Worf lived there in the 2340s . Unfortunately, the Voyager episode “Alliances” has Tuvok tell Janeway about an alliance between the Federations and the Klingons that was spurred by a “visionary” named Spock, when Tuvok was a young man. That’s clearly an allusion to the events of “Star Trek VI” (see more below). Once again, Voyager ruins everything. 😉

The rift causes some issues in early TNG, when we see Klingons ( “Heart of Glory” , “A Matter of Honor”) who are clearly not that comfortable with the alliance. That’s harder to swallow if 80 years had passed, but less so if the alliance was only about 20 years old. In the second scenario, Klingons in their warrior primes would have been old enough to remember a time when the Federation was still, sort of, an enemy — or, at least, not an ally.

It should be noted that the issues with the alliance timeline and the Klingon homeworld aren’t really the fault of this movie — we have been to the Klingon homeworld, though not necessarily Kronos, in TNG, before this film (DS9 and Voyager had not premiered when the movie was released in 1991). But they made the most sense to bring up here.

Last thing: The events here take place six or seven years after the events of “Star Trek V.” I’m guessing that was done in part to explain the aging of the characters, as the second, third, fourth and fifth films all apparently took place within about six months of each other in the Star Trek universe when seven years actually passed (and two more had, by the time “Star Trek: VI” was released). However, it’s odd that we know nothing of what happened since the last film (other than Sulu’s promotion). It’s not that big of a problem, but it would have been nice to know what happened since the Enterprise-A was commissioned other than the weird adventure with Sybok. It’s also odd that Kirk and other crew members returned to the Enterprise-A at the beginning of the film, apparently, after some time away, based on dialog. That works if the characters are channeling the actors, but wouldn’t Kirk be all about getting in some exploring before he’s set out to pasture? Were Kirk and Co. just chilling on Earth, waiting for V’Ger, a 20th-century superman or some whale-lovin’ probe to call them back into service?

Last, last thing: Isn’t it kind of odd that the Enterprise-A, which isn’t more than seven years old, gets decommissioned at the end of this film? We see in other Trek that Starfleet vessels can be around for decades (with refits, at times) including the previous Enterprise. I’ve wondered if the Enterprise-A was actually renamed after this movie, to set up Starfleet for releasing the new Excelsior-class Enterprise-B just a year later (which we see in “Star Trek: Generations” ). More likely, the creators just figured it would be dramatic if the Enterprise-A and the crew were sent out to pasture at the same time, and didn’t care about anything else. Of course, if that were the one and ONLY conceit this movie required, I’d definitely grant it.

Final thoughts

Clearly, I’m kind of ripping this movie. But, there are parts of it that work extremely well. The battle scene with Chang (who is performed with great gusto by Plummer) is truly awesome, the courtroom scene on Kronos is great, it was cool to see Sulu in command (albeit briefly) and the final scene on the Enterprise bridge was a nice sendoff to the original crew.

But beyond the continuity, there are other problems.

Shatner, for whatever reason, really didn’t put in his best performance. It’s a shame, too, because he was so good in the middle Trek films and he had a lot to work with here. He’s especially bad in the briefing room scene early in the movie. Maybe Shatner was still smarting from the bad experience in “Star Trek V”? Or, maybe, he decided a flatter tone was the better way to go during the argument with Spock?

Meanwhile, the insertion of Valeris just doesn’t work that well. Originally, the role was for Saavik, which would have been VERY interesting given the David stuff from “Star Trek: III”. But Kirstie Alley apparently wasn’t available and Robin Curtis (I guess?) wasn’t wanted. So, they rewrote the character. Not knowing why Valeris distrusts the Klingons seriously undercuts the film — whereas Saavik’s past dealings and implied feelings for David could have worked wonders. Valeris comes across as a plot element — and a mostly well-acted one — but nothing more. Could you have imagined a scene where Saavik would have called out Kirk for belittling his son’s memory? Speaking of which, why does Kirk say that the new Klingon chancellor has reaffirmed David’s faith at the end of the film? David never gave any indication that he was all that interested in galactic politics. It’s a glib line that doesn’t, actually, reaffirm David’s faith (unless a lot happened off screen).

It’s not the fault of this film, but later Trek seriously messes with the timeline of “Star Trek VI.” In Voyager’s second season (“Flashback”) we see events as they took place on the Excelsior, through a series of flashbacks brought on by an illness to Tuvok (this sort of ties into the reference above, which comes later in Voyager’s second season, where Tuvok talks about the events of this film when he was a young man). Tuvok was on the Excelsior and witness to much of what happened when and after Praxis exploded. It was meant as a nice tribute, as George Takei and Grace Lee Whitney (who played Janice Rand in TOS and is present on the Excelsior in this film) reprise their roles, as do other actors from the movie.

But the Voyager creators clearly didn’t pay a lot of attention to this film’s story, as they move up the assassination and everything that happening on Kirk’s ship to just DAYS after Praxis exploded. This cuts out a big part of the film’s backstory, in which Spock (on his own and at the request of his father) began a dialog with Gorkon that LED to the peace negotiations weeks, perhaps months, later. As Voyager would have you believe, Praxis exploded and the Klingons immediately asked for a meeting on Earth, like the next day. Note that this flub — which didn’t need to happen, as accelerating the timeline didn’t improve “Flashback” story — isn’t the fault of “Star Trek: VI”, but we don’t have any plans to review “Flashback,” as it’s not important to the general Trek Tapestry and it’s a dumb episode anyway as Tuvok’s illness is caused by some weird parasite that has nothing to do with the events of the movie.

Back to the movie, the most disappointing scene, hands down, is dinner on the Enterprise before the attack on Gorkon’s vessel. It’s hard to explain why — but it really, really doesn’t work. I actually think the direction is the problem, as a lot of the shots are boring and seemed crowded. But it’s possible the writing was too blame. It’s too bad, because that scene could have really rocked — like, it could have been one of Trek’s most famous scenes — but it never quite gets there.

Maybe that’s the way to generally feel about this movie. It’s not a terrible disaster like the previous film or the final two TNG movies — and there are certainly great moments. But it messes up enough smaller points that it really falls short. Shame.

Coming next week …

Back to episodic Trek. A French captain? A blind helmsman? Senior officers dressed like cheerleaders?!

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The IKS Gorkon reading list is centered around the series of novels following the adventures of the Klingon vessel Gorkon. Several novels feature this crew before the formal launch of the series. The series was rebranded KLINGON EMPIRE for its' latest novel. In addition to the main novel line two short stories are connected, one from Tales of the Dominion War , and one from Tales From the Captain's Table. Various characters from the series have since appeared in other novels, and they are included here.

Dark blue denotes the primary narrative. Read these for the bare bones story. Light blue denotes the expanded storyline. Read any or all of these to go a bit deeper. White denotes cameos of Gorkon characters after the end of the series. Hover for notes.

A Song Well Sung
TNG: Diplomatic Implausibility (Good jumping-on-point)
The Final Artifact
A Good Day to Die (Good jumping-on-point)
Honor Bound
Enemy Territory
loDnl'pu' vavpu' je
Klingon Empire: A Burning House
TNG: Q&A
A Singular Destiny
Prey, Book 3: The Hall of Heroes

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Film / Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

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"There is an old Vulcan proverb: only Nixon could go to China ." — Spock

The One With… the Cold War IN SPACE!

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the sixth movie in the Star Trek film series, released in 1991.

It is a grand finale for the classic Trek crew ( as played by the original actors, at least ) which resolves the previously ongoing conflict between the Federation and the Klingons with a Tom Clancy ''IN SPACE!'' storyline. In part because of its more political themes and real-world connections, The Undiscovered Country is Darker and Edgier than its predecessors.

After an environmental calamity, the Klingons' infrastructure collapses and their leader sues for peace. Does this remind you of the end of the Cold War? It should. The Iron Curtain was coming down at the time of production and the Klingons had always been stand-ins for the Soviets. Kirk, ever the cynical cowboy, still doesn't trust the Klingons but is volunteered by Spock to escort their leader to the peace talks without asking him first. But Kirk is not the only one who never wanted peace — a mysterious conspiracy with accomplices from both sides of the conflict means to drive the Federation and Empire into a full-scale war, framing Kirk and McCoy for murder in the process.

Nicholas Meyer, the director of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , returned to the helm for this one. As evidenced by the page quote, the film lacks anything resembling subtlety, but its tongue-in-cheek satire and heavy-handed morality tale are just as good if not better that way. If nothing else, it's considered much better than The Final Frontier . In any case, most fans consider it a worthy send-off for the original cast.

While this is the finale for the majority of the TOS cast, Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov appear in the next film to "pass the torch" of the film franchise to The Next Generation .

The Undiscovered Country includes examples of the following tropes:

2-D Space : Subtly averted. When the Enterprise and Kronos One first rendezvous, they are not aligned in the same plane. Enterprise very diplomatically adjusts to match the Chancellor's ship. Later, the Bird-of-Prey fires one of its torpedoes perpendicularly to the plane of the saucer section of the Enterprise , damaging it extensively, and indicating that Chang is constantly moving his ship around Enterprise to attack it from all angles. It's especially prominent on the one hit we see the Excelsior take; at an almost perpendicular vector to her ventral saucer.
Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene : Before the climactic battle, Kirk and Spock wonder if they've both gotten too old to still be useful in a changing galaxy.
Actually Pretty Funny : During the trial, Chang asks McCoy for his "medical status." McCoy replies "Aside from a touch of arthritis, pretty good." One Klingon in the audience laughs uproariously, everyone else is dead silent. . . but Chang grins in response and congratulates McCoy on his "singular wit", a Stealth Insult that McCoy has used up all of his.
Alien Blood : The Klingons have Pepto-Bismol pink blood in this film (and only this film until Lower Decks used it as well), in order to keep a PG rating. Becomes a minor Chekhov's Gun in the final act when an assassin is identified as not being Klingon because he has red blood, but only in the extended cut. The Star Trek staff (particularly Mike Okuda) Hand Waved this by claiming the pigment change to be a side-effect of microgravity.
All There in the Manual : The bizarre joke the Klingon border guard makes is smuggler's code; he knows they aren't who they say they are but thinks they're just illegal traders and just can't be bothered to bust them.
And the Adventure Continues : The end narration: Kirk: Captain's Log, Stardate 9529.1. This is the final cruise of the starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man, where no one , has gone before.
Apocalypse How : One destroyed mining planet and the near-irrevocable atmospheric desolation of the Klingon homeworld (which, thanks to the Federation, would ultimately be saved).
For her part, when Excelsior takes a hit on the chin, we see the shields dissipate the impact with no visible damage to the hull, although an interior shot demonstrates that her crew has gone into Damage Control mode. note And when you consider what happened when this movie was revisited in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Flashback", where the Excelsior took a lot of damage, this is also a Downplayed Trope as well.
Scotty does note "She's packing quite a wallop," indicating the Bird-Of-Prey's weapons are more powerful than Klingon standard. Though also note, this design of starship could No-Sell V'Ger's One-Hit Kill plasma bolts.
Artificial Gravity : A rare example where artificial gravity actually fails.
Artistic License – History : Valeris repeats as truth the story that the word "sabotage" comes from Luddites throwing their wooden sabot shoes into the machinery during the Industrial Revolution. This is a popular folk etymology, but it is not true. "Sabotage" is derived from the noise and clumsiness wearing the shoes had, which would have a possibility of fouling equipment, but by accident, not deliberately.

Ask a Stupid Question... : When Janice Rand asks if they're going to report the destruction of Praxis to the Federation, Sulu whirls on her incredulously and asks, "Are you kidding ?!"
Burke and Samno are killed by Valeris after the attempt to hide the evidence backfires. Lampshaded in the same scene. Kirk: First rule of assassination: kill the assassins.
Similarly, the commandant of Rura Penthe offs Martia the shapeshifter as soon as their role in Kirk and McCoy 's "attempted escape" is fulfilled.
Bad Vibrations : Captain Sulu's vibrating teacup heralds the shockwave from the exploding Praxis at the beginning of the film.
The strategy works because Chang doesn't have any choice but to fire on Excelsior too. Chang's goal isn't to destroy Enterprise , though he'd be happy to do so, he just needs to keep reinforcements away from Khitomer until the Federation President is dead. To accomplish this he has to keep both ships under fire to prevent them from lowering their shields and beaming security forces to the planet to stop the assassination.
Kirk's plan to draw out the mole (Valeris) by having a "court reporter" summoned to Sick Bay urgently to take statements from the (actually already dead) assassins Burke and Samno .
A failed Batman Gambit exists in the conspirators' original plan. They were banking on Kirk getting gun-happy after Chang got Kronos One back in fighting shape, shooting back, and destroying Kronos One. What happens instead? Kirk surrenders in a hasty attempt to de-escalate the situation. Chang then has to engage in Xanatos Speed Chess to compensate.
The assassins specifically kill Kronos One 's chief surgeon, which leaves Gorkon's fate in the hands of a physician who doesn't know much about Klingon physiology, Dr. McCoy .
Beam Spam : Zigzagged. There are plenty of hand phaser shots, but when it comes to spaceborne combat, only torpedoes are used in the film note This is justified, at least for Chang; leaving his phasers on long enough to do damage would allow the Enterprise to target the beam's source. With torpedoes, he can fire and immediately change course to a new location, giving his enemy no time to react and target him .
Big Bad Duumvirate : Though Chang acts as the main villain for most of the movie, he's part of a larger conspiracy which includes Lieutenant Valeris, Admiral Cartwright, Colonel West, and the Romulan Ambassador.
Sulu and the USS Excelsior swooping in to even up the fight against General Chang and his Bird-of-Prey. While the original plan was to play this trope straight, the end result is a slight subversion; Excelsior doesn't do much but provides a second target at first, giving the Enterprise a much-needed breather. Once Chang's ship is revealed by the first hit on its hull, though, Sulu takes full advantage of the reveal to add his ship's weight to the fight. Sulu states quite explicitly that he knows all the Excelsior is on their arrival is another duck in Chang's shooting gallery. Captain Sulu: Alright... now we've given them something else to shoot at.
In the novelization, Enterprise is specifically described as trying to hold out until Excelsior can arrive with better sensors and stronger shields. Compare Wellington deciding to hold on at Waterloo until Blucher could arrive with the necessary reinforcements to beat Napoleon, but it being the British who, in shooting Napoleon's Old Guard to a standstill, triggered the French rout.
Big "OMG!" : Sulu's reaction to the incoming Planar Shockwave . "My... God ! Shields! Shields! "
Bluffing the Murderer : "Code Blue Urgent: Court reporter to Sickbay. Statements to be taken..."
Brigadier Kerla responds to Excelsior 's message after the explosion of Praxis. Kerla: There has been an incident on Praxis, however, everything is under control, we have no need for assistance.
Starfleet orders the Enterprise to report back after the assassination, but they are still trying to root out the assassins. Uhura: We are experiencing technical malfunction; all backup systems inoperative. Chekov: Excellent. I-I mean — too bad.
The Enterprise wasn't the only one pulling this. Kirk: You realize that by even talking to us, you're violating regulations. Sulu: I'm sorry, Captain. Your message is breaking up. Kirk: Bless you, Sulu.
Borrowed Catchphrase : When Spock invites Doctor McCoy to help him rig up a plasma-seeking torpedo to take down Chang's cloaked Bird of Prey. McCoy : Fascinating!
Broken Pedestal : Valeris to Spock, and vice versa.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer : The main difference between Valeris and Saavik is that Valeris has a tendency to defy regulations. For example, she fires a phaser on the kill setting, which triggers every alarm on the Enterprise , in order to demonstrate why the conspirators didn't just disintegrate the magnetic boots and uniforms used in the assassination. She is also the one who suggests breaking out the very illegal Romulan Ale for dinner with the Klingons. It also counts as Foreshadowing , showing that Valeris is reckless and doesn't seem to care much for rules... or for the safety of her shipmates. Someone like that shouldn't be trusted.

A floor panel explodes in Spock's face, reminiscent of how he "died" in the Kobayashi Maru simulation .
The shot where Spock speculates on the Bird-of-Prey's weakness is from the exact same angle as the one where he speculates on Khan's "two-dimensional thinking" .
Romulan Ale, being both illegal and leaving a terrible hangover.
When Spock wants to go to the Klingon ship but Kirk overrides him, Spock says "Perhaps you're right," and puts his hand on Kirk's shoulder like he's going to administer the nerve pinch... and puts the viridium patch on his shoulder.
The Klingon Ham - bassador from The Voyage Home is back too. And this time, he actually has some valid points to assert instead of just bluster.
The design of the makeup for Christopher Plummer shares a number of similarities with the design of the smooth-browed Klingons from the Original Series, particularly the moustache, and his more subdued ridges.
In TNG's "Unification: Part II", which was made to promote this film , Spock tells Picard that because of how badly negotiating peace with Klingons almost went during this film, he opted to take matters into his own hands trying to negotiate unification between the Vulcans and Romulans . With Gorkon's assassination and Kirk and McCoy almost getting executed, Spock was unwilling to risk anybody's life but his own.
Captain Sulu of the USS Excelsior has the honor of opening the movie this way.
A log entry that Kirk makes early in the movie (about how much he hates Klingons) becomes a Chekhov's Gun when it's used against him at his trial, and a Chekhov's Boomerang when he realizes that Valeris was listening outside his door when he recorded it, and provided the quote to her fellow conspirators .
Kirk ends the movie by recording his final log entry as captain of the Enterprise .
This was at least partially a coincidence, as Brock had already played Admiral Cartwright earlier in the film series, Brock Peters plays an anti-Klingon racist. Brock actually had problems doing Cartwright's anti-Klingon rant during the classified meeting because it was morally unpleasant for him personally. Multiple takes had to be done and pieced together. (That is, he had problems getting the lines out. According to the DVD, he was supportive of the message itself.)
William Shatner also got his start as a Shakespearian actor, and at one point was actually Christopher Plummer's understudy.
Central Theme : Spock joins Kirk in feeling his age and disappointment in time passing them by, and Gene Coon’s Soldier vs Diplomat conflict comes back from the series, Chang taunting Kirk on how they’re both warriors, and Kirk trying to be a diplomat (and surrender instead of fight) proves a Spanner in the Works for the bad guy plan.
Characterization Marches On : Sulu has adopted a more authoritarian, strict (but fair) personality as a captain, contrasting his easygoing, affable one in prior movies and the TV series.
Kirk's personal log. It is initially used to incriminate Kirk at his trial, but comes back later when Kirk realizes that Valeris, who was outside of his quarters at the time of his recording, must have given it to the Klingons.
The pink Klingon blood. Some of it floats into the path of one of the transporting assassins; later, it is discovered on the transporter pad by Chekov and Scotty. In the extended cut, when the "Klingon" sniper is shot at the peace conference, Worf quips that the (red) blood does not belong to a Klingon. It turns out that it is actually human blood, that of Colonel West.
The Phaser Alarms. Firing a phaser on a kill setting triggers the alarms, as Valeris demonstrates in the kitchen when Chekov asks why the assassins didn't vaporize their incriminating clothing. When Burke and Samno are found dead , McCoy wonders why they were not vaporized and Chekov replies (while comically making it sound like a dumb question) that it would set off the alarm. Valeris had used a phaser on stun to the head at point blank range to kill them; her inability to dispose of the bodies leads Kirk to his plan to flush out the assassin by saying that they had survived and were willing to talk about everything.
A Chekhov's Gun example is left hanging on the wall when Kirk pulls out a concealed pistol of identical make: in a Captain's Log , Sulu mentions the Excelsior is cataloging gaseous anomalies. Apparently, the Enterprise had been doing the same, since they have the equipment on board and use it to track the cloaked Bird-of-Prey. note Legend has it that Excelsior was supposed to fire the modified torpedo but Shatner demanded that the Enterprise do it, hence the discontinuity.
Burke and Samno, seen in the transporter room when Gorkon and his party beam aboard, are later revealed to be the two assassins responsible for his death. The extended cut takes this further: they make disparaging remarks about the Klingons after the party has left the room, only to be stopped by Valeris .
Colonel West, seen only in the extended cut. He is the architect of the plan to rescue Kirk and McCoy from Rura Penthe, and is later the sniper shot dead by Scotty .
Admiral Cartwright is another, albeit minor, example: his unease of peace with Klingons makes him a party of the plot to shoot the Federation President .
Chewing the Scenery : Chang in the final showdown; especially " Cry havoc!!! ... and let slip the dogs of war!" where it's not so much that he's shouting it at the top of his lungs, but that he's shouting it at the top of his lungs while spinning in his self-rotating captain's chair . Chang: I am constant as the Northern Star! McCoy : I'd give real money if he'd shut up.
Comic-Book Adaptation : By DC Comics.
Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like : If Spock had waited a few more seconds before his Teleportation Rescue , Kirk would have had the details of who wanted him killed. Kirk: Couldn't you wait for a few more seconds? He was about to explain the whole damned thing!! Chekov: You vant to go beck!? McCoy : Absolutely Not!!! Kirk: It's cold!!!
Sulu mentions at the end of The Voyage Home that he hopes the ship they're being sent to is the Excelsior . In this film he turns up as a starship captain... commanding the Excelsior . Even earlier than that, when the ship is first shown in the beginning of The Search for Spock , Sulu is gawking in amazement at it. Scotty also continues his nonplussed attitude about the ship, preferring to tip his hat to her Captain instead.
During Kirk and McCoy 's trial, General Chang brings up Kirk's demotion in Star Trek IV, simultaneously referring to the events of Star Trek III that precipitated it. Chang: Indeed, the record shows that Captain Kirk once held the rank of Admiral and that Admiral Kirk was broken for taking matters into his own hands in defiance of regulations and the law!! [whirls on Kirk] DO YOU DENY BEING DEMOTED ON THESE CHARGES?! DON'T WAIT FOR THE TRANSLATION!! ANSWER ME NOW!! note Which is a great allegorical reference to the Cuban Missile Crisis , when UN Ambassador Adlai Stevenson was questioning the Soviet ambassador as to whether the Russians were moving missiles to Cuba: "Don't wait for the translation, answer 'yes' or 'no'!"
The Enterprise -A tracks the cloaked Klingon vessel using its emissions, in the same way, the Enterprise -D does in "The Emissary" , set over 70 years later. It's stated in the TNG episode that this is possible due to the age of the Klingon ship, suggesting that this incident might have quietly led Klingon R&D to figure out how to fix that little design flaw.
Kirk takes his own advice from “Balance Of Terror” and keeps his bigotry to his own quarters. Unfortunately for him, Valeris is listening and gives the statement that he’s never forgiven Klingons to the other side.
When Spock is being tested on Vulcan in The Voyage Home , one of the questions has to do with a starship being followed so closely that sensors show it occupying the same space as its pursuer. Here, the first sign anything is amiss comes when sensors pick up a surge in neutron radiation that seems to be coming from the Enterprise, when it's really from the cloaked Bird-of-Prey following her.
Cool Old Guy : Pretty much the main cast.
Cool Starship : Excelsior finally gets to strut her stuff after her Epic Fail three movies ago . McCoy : My God, that's a big ship. Scott: Not so big as her captain, I think.
Covers Always Lie : The main poster has the Enterprise battling a Klingon K'Tinga cruiser and Bird-of-Prey at the same time. It only fights a Bird-of-Prey in the movie, although the K'Tinga cruiser attempts to engage earlier in the film.
CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable : Bones, miracle doctor that he is, can revive someone with no pulse by straddling them and beating on their chest. But only after trying several more sophisticated techniques , including inserting some sort of medical device into the open chest wound. The Klingons who witness this are absolutely horrified. The patient dies after delivering his last words despite the doctor's best efforts.
Crazy-Prepared : Gorkon, according to the novelization. He expected something to happen to him on his way to Earth, so he used his influence among his allies to ensure that Azetbur would succeed him as Chancellor. He also suspected Chang to have a part in a betrayal, hence why he tells someone to find him when Kronos One loses artificial gravity.
Creative Closing Credits : The cast's signatures are written out on screen before the credits.
Creator's Culture Carryover : As unlikely as it may seem, the Klingon court of the 23rd century is shown to be very similar to American courts of the 20th century, with the accused being questioned publically by the prosecutor, defense attorney Worf throwing in an "objection!" every now and then, the judge overruling them, etc.
The space battle has Scotty doing his usual thing while the Enterprise is pummeled by torpedoes. We can also see crewmen running around with fire extinguishers on the Excelsior .
Damage control of the political kind is shown in the opening scene. When Sulu and the Excelsior send a message offering assistance after Praxis explodes, a message from a Klingon miner screaming for help is blocked and replaced by a political response, acknowledging an internal incident, but refusing any assistance.
Deadly Environment Prison : The underground Klingon labor camp Rura Penthe where Kirk and McCoy are imprisoned has nothing preventing prisoners from escaping — except the extreme cold and storms of the surface, where death by exposure would be a certainty (technically, there's also a magnetic field to prevent escape by transporter, but it only extends so far and it would be possible to walk out of it if not for the deadly climate). In fact, prisoners are threatened with expulsion to the surface if they don't work.
Of Kirk again. This time, his Fantastic Racism makes him an easy Fall Guy for Gorkon's assassination.
The Klingons in the original series were based on racist stereotypes and it wavered on whether Kirk and others were right to distrust them (with episodes like "Errand of Mercy" and "Day of the Dove" coming down on the side that Kirk isn't all that different from them), so they were the right candidates for a full-blown racism plot.
Dedication : To Gene Roddenberry, who passed away weeks before the film's release.
Defensive Feint Trap : Kirk attempts one of these when Chang's Bird of Prey attacks the Enterprise upon arriving at Khitomer. He orders the Enterprise into a reverse, confusing Chang momentarily, but only enough to give the Enterprise some breathing room and a few extra seconds for the Excelsior to arrive.
Description Cut : After Kirk and Bones are sentenced to life imprisonment. Spock: If I know the Captain, he is already deep into planning his escape. [cut to Kirk getting his ass kicked]
When meeting Valeris and hearing of her academy accomplishments. Kirk: You must be very proud. Valeris: I don't believe so, Sir. McCoy : She's a Vulcan, all right.
During Kirk and McCoy's incarceration on Rura Penthe. McCoy : Three months before retirement... What a way to finish. Kirk: We're not finished... McCoy : Speak for yourself. One day, one night: [makes throat slitting sound] Kobayashi Maru . Kirk: Bones, are you afraid of the future? McCoy : I believe that was the general idea that I was trying to convey. Kirk: I don't mean this future. McCoy : What is this, multiple choice?
During the battle with Chang, as the general's hammy snippets of Shakespeare are broadcast throughout the Enterprise . Chang: I AM CONSTANT AS THE NORTHERN STAR! McCoy : I'd give real money if he'd shut up.
During the start of that same battle after the first torpedo hit. McCoy : Well this is fun.
Deus ex Machina : The Enterprise is getting owned by the cloaked Bird-of-Prey, and then suddenly the crew realizes the ship just happens to have some never-before-mentioned equipment to catalog gaseous anomalies that can be used to totally obliterate the enemy ship. What makes this particularly bad is that Sulu and the Excelsior are the ones performing this task at the beginning of the film. The true explanation is a combination of executive and cast meddling (Shatner insisted that the Enterprise save itself). This is also explained in the novelization as being Starfleet's current ongoing giant research project of the past few years, so most ships other than Excelsior are carrying equipment for gaseous anomalies. The Star Trek Timeline also establishes this as well, with Enterprise and Excelsior specifically being mentioned so as to explain how Enterprise also had the equipment. Admittedly this could have been somewhat fixed by modifying Sulu's opening narration to something like "for the past three years we have been leading the fleet in cataloguing gaseous anomalies in planetary atmospheres", but alas, l'esprit de l'escalier...
Disposable Woman : The book version has Carol’s settlement attacked by Klingons just as she and Kirk were getting closer (and she’s been avoiding him for three books), just to give him apparently more excuses to hate them.
The whole film is an allegory about the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. It was released less than a few weeks before the Soviet Union actually fell. The coup that briefly deposed Mikhail Gorbachev happened in Real Life while the film was still in production. Gorkon is a clear expy of Gorbachev, as both were reform-minded leaders of a dying empire who felt co-operation with the Federation (or the West) was key for their survival.
In addition, Praxis exploding and contaminating the Klingon homeworld is a clear reference to Chernobyl , which Gorbachev said bankrupted the Soviet Union due to containment and decontamination.
Don't Answer That : Colonel Worf tells Kirk this during the trial. The judge insists otherwise.
Dramatic Downstage Turn : Occurs when Kirk and McCoy are lying in their prison beds.
Dramatically Missing the Point : Spock initially doesn't get Valeris's concern over this upcoming peace. Nicholas Meyer described the scene in Spock's quarters as Valeris having a mental breakdown, which, being a Vulcan, happens so subtly that even Spock fails to notice.
Dramatic Shattering : Sulu's tea cup rattles off the captain's coffee table and falls to the deck when the Excelsior gets buffeted by the shockwave. Not a moment after it's in pieces on the deck, alarms and klaxons start blaring. Notably, it is not the same teacup which Sulu drinks from — the decoration was seen by the prop team as too nice to ruin.
After the disastrous dinner, several still-drunk senior officers immediately return to duty. Chekov, in particular, is noticeably struggling to make it through his watch. Later, Chang uses this as evidence against Kirk and Bones during their trial. Kirk : Valeris, you know anything about a radiation surge? Valeris: Sir? Kirk: Chekov? Chekov : Only the size of my head. Kirk: (rubbing his head) I know what you mean.
The watchman at the Klingon observation post is clearly hammered, which makes Uhura's task easier when she has to bluff her way past him in Klingon without the aid of the universal translator.
Earth-Shattering Kaboom : The explosion of Praxis that kicks off the events of the movie. Excelsior's visual enhancement shows that more than half the moon has been vaporized. The real-world analogue is the Chernobyl plant disaster that weakened the Soviet Union just enough to get the ball rolling.
Eiffel Tower Effect : The Office of President of the Federation is in Paris.
Elderly Ailment Rambling : Invoked by McCoy when he and Kirk are on trial for murdering Chancellor Gorkon, and he's asked about his medical standing. He replies, "Aside from a touch of arthritis, I'd say pretty good." His effort at levity actually does get one Klingon to laugh.
In-Universe , this is the end of the cold war between the Federation and Klingon Empire, which has defined Alpha Quadrant politics for decades. Going forward, the Federation and Klingons will be occasionally frosty, but ultimately solid friends and allies.
Out of universe, this movie marks the end of the TOS era. Going forward, the TOS characters are largely relagated to cameos and guest roles on future Star Trek productions, at least until the reboot (which is an Alternate Universe created by time travel anyways).
End-of-Series Awareness : While the films that continued in the original timeline after this would focus on the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and there's later be Kelvin timeline 's Continuity Reboot , this film was the last adventure that the entire original crew would have together and, as seen by Kirk's final lines, it wasn't subtle about it, either.
Engineered Public Confession : During the trial, Kirk's log entry in which he says, "I have never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I've never been able to forgive them for the death of my boy," is presented as proof of his motive for assassinating Gorkon. This fact is later used to incriminate Valeris as a conspirator, since it was she who was outside his quarters' open door unnoticed at that moment.
For all the Jerkass tendencies that Kirk has about "letting the Klingons die", he turns a complete 180 when Gorkon's ship is attacked, and not of his own doing either. While Shatner's recoil was cut, Spock's aghast reaction makes Kirk look down, still ashamed of himself.
Valeris falls for a trap that exposes her as the mole. Spock is part of the trap. He tells her that logically she must shoot him to have a chance of getting away. She cannot bring herself to do it.
The conspirators need to get rid of the magnetic boots, but can't throw them out or destroy them. Rather than let a random innocent be accused, they hide the boots in the locker of a crewman whose species' feet are so large and abnormally shaped (compared to humans) that it is flatly impossible that he could have worn them.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good : The first thing that throws a wrench into the conspirators' plan- they assumed that, with Kronos One bearing down on him preparing to fire with a snarling General Chang spitting vitriol at him, noted Military Maverick and Klingon-hater James T. Kirk would leap at the chance to fight the Klingons again. They underestimated Kirk's actual sense of duty and dedication to the ideals of the Federation, preferring to surrender if it was the only way to prevent a war.
The Romulans are also involved, likely just to destabilize the other two major powers of the Alpha Quadrant.
Evil Twin : Martia, the shapeshifter who takes on Kirk's shape during their fight.
Explosive Overclocking : The Excelsior is really bookin' it to Khitomer in the climactic scene, with galactic peace hanging in the balance. (The entire ship is rumbling from exceeding maximum safe warp speed.) Sulu: In range? Helmsman: Not yet, sir. Sulu: Come on, come on! Helmsman: She'll fly apart! Sulu: Fly her apart, then!
Valeris, for Saavik.
In relation to Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Spock is Holmes and Chekov is his Watson.
Eye-Dentity Giveaway : No matter which form she takes, Martia the shapeshifter keeps her eye color.
Face Death with Dignity : Chang. Offering only a resigned, "to be, or not to be."
Face Palm : Uhura's response to Chekov believing he has the culprit and missing the very obvious fact that their suspect can't fit in the incriminating boots.
"Facing the Bullets" One-Liner : Chang : "To be..." ( seeker torpedo careens about on the view screen looking for a target) Chang : "Or not..." (seeker torpedo gets a bead on their ship's exhaust trail, bridge crew braces for impact) Chang : "To be...?" (seeker torpedo flies straight towards the viewscreen's point of view, Chang averts his gaze, the whole bridge explodes on the torpedo's impact)
Faking Engine Trouble : Starfleet orders the Enterprise to return to Spacedock, but since Chancellor Gorkon's assassins are on board, to keep them from escaping the crew keep coming up with reasons not to return, at one point telling Starfleet Command the warp drive is malfunctioning.
False Flag Operation : The two assassination attempts. General Chang's special Bird-of-Prey makes it look like the Enteprise fired on Kronos One . Towards the end, Colonel West disguises himself as a Klingon and attempts to shoot the Federation President.
Fantastically Challenging Patient : When Bones tries to save the wounded Klingon Gorkon, he doesn't actually cut Gorkon open, but he does insert some sort of medical device into the open chest wound. As Bones points out while trying to treat Gorkon, Klingon anatomy is not the same as Human anatomy, and Bones has no medical training in helping Klingons. Gorkon ends up dying of his wounds .
The film really runs with this, which even caused some behind the scenes problems for most of the cast. In the film, it provides Character Development for some, especially Kirk. He goes from " Let them die" and "I never could forgive them for the death of my boy," to "I was used to hating Klingons" and "Gorkon had to die before I realized how prejudiced I was." By the end Kirk realizes that while he didn't kill Gorkon, he had an indirect involvement in his murder due to his reputation. Gorkon's sincere wish for peace and imploring of Kirk to see it through with his last breath moves Kirk to re-evaluate the Klingons as a whole, as well as himself.
With regards to the behind the scenes problems, according to director Nicholas Meyer, Brock Peters found Admiral Cartwright's words during the briefing scene to be so offensive he needed several takes to get them all out note Though he was supportive of the message itself, and apparently agreed having his character voice it would add to the impact . In a similar vein, Nichelle Nichols refused to speak the line "Guess who's coming to dinner?" — an intentional reference to Guess Who's Coming to Dinner — which is heard prior to the Klingons' visit to the Enterprise . The line was instead given to Walter Koenig.
Fate Worse than Death : Being sent to Rura Penthe . Uhura: (quietly) Rura Penthe? Chekov: Known throughout the galaxy as "The Aliens' Graveyard". Scotty: Better to kill 'em now and get it over with.
Likewise — or at least during the original release in late 1991 — it was a foregone conclusion that Bones and Spock will at least both survive the events of the film given their crossover appearances decades later in TNG's Pilot episode and "Unification".
While Kirk and Spock are arguing about the mission after the briefing, notice the figure standing in the shadows behind Kirk? It's Valeris, setting up her role in the movie.
After the Klingon party leaves the transporter room, crewmen Burke and Samno make vaguely racist comments about the Klingons until Valeris starts bossing them around. All three are conspirators.
Gorkon has a pretty good idea as to who betrayed him once the shooting starts.
Spock and Scotty discuss the possibility that someone has hacked the Enterprise 's computers. Then Valeris slides down into the room.
Kirk's Captain's Log entry about how much he hates Klingons is used against him at his trial. Who heard him recording that log? Valeris.
One of the missing magnetic boots is found in Dax's locker, seemingly implicating him in the assassination...except his bizarre feet prove that he couldn't have worn it. Guess whose visibly dismayed look the camera focuses on. It's...well, you get it by now...
Final Speech : Gorkon begs Kirk with his dying breath to save the peace process, leaving Kirk shocked by cognitive dissonance. It also serves as emphasis to the foreshadowing above. He knows Kirk didn't pull this stunt. Gorkon: [weakly] Don't let it end this way, Captain...
Freeze-Frame Bonus : As Kirk declares that he needs to board Kronos One after the torpedo hits, watch Spock's right hand as he slips a viridium patch on Kirk's shoulder. It's easy to miss as you are likely to pay more attention to Kirk ordering Uhura to tell Kronos One that he is coming aboard to assist.
From Bad to Worse : Disaster steadily builds throughout the film, with Kirk and Spock arguing over saving the Klingons, a drunken dinner that goes very badly, the Enterprise firing on the Klingon ship, a Kangaroo Court for Kirk and McCoy's trial, them only getting out thanks to a Bed Trick played on Kirk, and Spock having to Mind Rape Valeris, looking like he’d rather die than have to do it.
The Guards Must Be Crazy : The Klingon border guards are shown to be quite amused at the crew's stumbling Klingon, but then make a weird joke about it and send them on their way anyway. The explanation didn't make its way into the movie, but basically they're just lazy ( and drunk ) and think the crew is part of a smuggling ring that's bribing them.
Gender Is No Object : Scenes of the crew quarters aboard both Enterprise and Excelsior reveal that enlisted crew share bunk space regardless of gender, rather than having segregated male and female berths.
General Ripper : Chang. And Admiral Cartwright too, it seems.
The Girl Who Fits This Slipper : Subverted. The boots of the conspirators are found in the locker of Crewman Dax ( no relation )... who has large webbed feet that don't fit. Chekov: Perhaps you know Russian epic of Cinderella ? If shoe fits, wear it. [drops magnetic boot at Dax's feet and smiles triumphantly] Spock: Mr. Chekov... [gestures at Dax's decidedly nonhuman feet. Uhura facepalms.]
Glass Cannon : Chang's Bird-of-Prey may be able to use its weapons while cloaked, but it still can't use shields at the same time. Although it's able to do quite a lot of damage to both the Enterprise -A and Excelsior while they're unable to effectively fight back, once they do pinpoint its location, they make short work of it.
Godwin's Law : Kirk makes a comparison between the Klingon's request for "living space" with Hitler's demands for Lebensraum at the diplomatic dinner (whilst not being very diplomatic). Needlessly to say, this comparison goes down really really badly. Becomes worse when the two Klingons most likely to get it are the traitorous conspiratorial one obsessed with Earth culture and the one who had probably done his research on their planet and history for the forthcoming peace talks. I.e. the two worst of the group to offend with the comparison. However, the latter understood Kirk's old prejudice perfectly and didn't hold it against him, and the former probably goaded Kirk to say that.
Got Volunteered : Kirk and the Enterprise are volunteered to escort Chancellor Gorkon to the peace conference without his knowledge, with Spock "personally vouching" for him. He is not amused. Spock: I have personally vouched for you in this matter, Captain. Kirk: You have personally vouched...? [...] How could you vouch for me? That's...arrogant presumption.
Grand Finale : Advertised as such, with Star Trek: The Next Generation going strong and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in development, this movie was intended as a swan song and made explicit in the end. The following Trek movie Star Trek: Generations serves as more of a coda for Kirk.
Groin Attack : Kirk gets in a fight with a big blue alien and ends it by kicking the alien in the knee. Or so he thinks. Martia: That was not his knee. [beat, Kirk and McCoy look confused] Martia: Not everybody keeps their genitals in the same place, Captain. Kirk: Anything you wanna tell me? Martia: [big grin]
Gunship Rescue : Downplayed, as the Excelsior arriving on the scene in the climax doesn't do much more than give Chang another target (although it does take some heat off the battered Enterprise ). Once they find a way around the cloak, however, their combined firepower makes short work of the Bird-of-Prey. Sulu: Target that explosion and fire .
William Shatner vs. Christopher Plummer. The survivors likely envy the dead.
At one point it's Shatner vs. Shatner, which reaches hamageddon levels. Kirk: I can't believe I kissed you. Martia-as-Kirk: Must have been your life-long ambition!
Hangover Sensitivity : Poor Chekov is visibly struggling to make it through his bridge watch after the Romulan Ale-soaked diplomatic dinner; prompting Kirk to grumble about his own hangover.
Hard-Work Montage : The crew of the Enterprise searching for uniforms with Klingon blood.
The Heavy : General Chang is the most prominent antagonist for the Enterprise , but he is really only the enforcer of an interstellar conspiracy, not its leader. It's not even clear if he is the most highly-ranked Klingon who is party to it, or which side initiated the conspiracy in the first place.
Heel Realization : Kirk realizing his intolerance of the Klingons made him the perfect patsy for Chancellor Gorkon's assassination . During his prison stay, Gorkon's last words haunt him as well. Kirk: Gorkon had to die before I realized how prejudiced I was.
He Knows Too Much : The assassins are killed before they can be discovered and interrogated. Valeris is nearly killed herself at the end, when she's presented as evidence against the conspiracy, but Scotty shoots the would-be assassin first.
High-Tech Hexagons : Sulu's tea table on the Excelsior 's bridge is an illuminated oblique hexagonal prism. note Behind-the-scenes, this helped mask one of the gimbals used to shake the bridge set.
His Name Is... : The warden of Rura Penthe engages in a little Just Between You and Me with Kirk and McCoy , but an inopportune rescue by Spock ruins the reveal.
Hoist by His Own Petard : Kirk and McCoy would have never escaped if Chang hadn’t ordered the Gulag warden to help them escape. Instead, Kirk and McCoy would have simply languished in prison, the Enterprise would have been waiting around in Klingon space for nothing, the Federation President’s assassination would have gone on as planned, and Chang and his crew would have lived... at least until the Federation–Klingon War.
Hold Your Hippogriffs : Colonel West: ...Now, we have the technology to— President Ra-ghoratreii: Yes, yes I know. But suppose you precipitate a full-scale war? Colonel West: Then quite frankly, Mr. President, we can clean their chronometers * clocks .
Homage : The speech that the warden gives Kirk and McCoy upon their entry to Rura Penthe is a paraphrase of Colonel Saito's speech to captured British P.O.W.s in The Bridge on the River Kwai . For comparison: Colonel Saito: If you work hard, you will be treated well. But if you do not work hard, you will be punished! A word to you about escape. There is no barbed wire, no stockade, no watchtower. They are not necessary. We are an island in the jungle. Escape is impossible. You would die. Rura Penthe Warden: This is the gulag Rura Penthe. There is no stockade. No guard tower. No electronic frontier. Only a magnetic shield prevents beaming. Punishment means exile from prison, to the surface. On the surface, nothing can survive. Work well, and you will be treated well. Work badly, and you will die.
Spock's briefing indicates that saving Qo'noS is economically impossible for the Klingon Empire, which spends far too much on the military, not that it's technologically impossible, echoing a common understanding of reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union. With the peace treaty and eventual integration into the Federation, saving Qo'noS presumably became a more realistic prospect.
Homing Projectile : Enterprise is only able to counterattack Chang's cloaked Bird of Prey by mounting equipment for gaseous anomaly tracking into a photon torpedo's guidance system. Once launched, the torpedo follows the invisible trail of plasma exhaust from the Bird of Prey's impulse engines until it hits its target.
Honor Before Reason : General Chang hailing Captain Kirk before attacking counts as this as well, as he risked sacrificing the element of surprise to do so even considering his ship's advanced cloaking device. Then again, he considers Kirk a Worthy Opponent and presumably saw it fitting to formally challenge him before engaging him.
Human Outside, Alien Inside : As Bones points out while trying to treat Gorkon, Klingon anatomy is not the same as Human anatomy, and Bones has no medical training in helping Klingons. Gorkon ends up dying of his wounds.
Valeris argues that the Klingons are untrustworthy because they've conspired with the Federation to assassinate their own chancellor, when that very same conspiracy plans to assassinate the Federation president. Not to mention the fact that she herself is in on the conspiracy...
Azetbur accuses the Federation of this in her Inhumanable Alien Rights rant, saying they profess a dedication to equality but are really a " Homo sapiens only " club. Another Klingon immediately acknowledges the presence of Spock, who is half-Vulcan (and identifies as Vulcan rather than human). But then again, getting into the reasons why Spock serves with a human crew and not a Vulcan crew wouldn't help the Federation's case either.
I Did What I Had to Do : Spock's reaction to the forced mindmeld with Valeris is made entirely of this trope.
Identical Grandson : Michael Dorn portrays Colonel Worf, the grandfather and namesake of his TNG -era character. There was going to be a scene showing Colonel Worf talking with his young son, Mogh, but it was unfortunately cut. Downplayed in that the make-up for Dorn was significantly different than the TNG Worf note TNG Klingon make-up generally enlarged the size of their head with large crests, whereas Klingons in this film were more subdued which in turn makes it more of a family resemblance than actually being identical.
IKEA Weaponry : The sniper rifle used at the conference.
Inciting Incident : The Praxis explosion and resulting Planar Shockwave .
Inconvenient Summons : Kirk and McCoy are caught by the warden of Rura Penthe trying to escape, and are about to be executed, so Kirk figures he might as well ask who's behind the conspiracy. The warden decides to oblige. Hilarity Ensues . Kirk: "Killed while trying to escape." McCoy : Damned clever if you ask me. Kirk : It's a classic. Klingon Warden : That's what he wanted. Kirk : Who? Who wanted us killed? Klingon Warden : Since you're all going to die anyway, why not tell you ? His Name Is... Enterprise : (transporter beam!) Kirk: [dematerializing] Oh! Not... SON OF A... Klingons : [start shooting futilely] Kirk : [rematerializing back on the Enterprise ] OF A BI... BI... BI... Dammit to hell! Of all the... son of a... Couldn't you have waited two seconds? Spock : [utterly perplexed] Captain...? Kirk : He was just about to explain the whole thing! Chekov : You vant to go beck!? McCoy : Absolutely not! Kirk : ...It's cold!
I Need a Freaking Drink : Just after the diplomatic dinner on the Enterprise , McCoy leaves the transporter room proclaiming, "I'm going to go find a pot of black coffee." Ironically, he's already drunk at the time, making this "I need to sober up" .
Instant Emergency Response : Valeris firing a phaser set to disinergrate not only sets off an alarm, but summons security along with half the ship.
Though it has been pointed out that the Germans made the same claim in the 1930s and that in conjunction with Chang's echoing of Nazi talking points was an intentional choice to by the production staff to lead into Kirk's retort.
Likewise, Spock's deadpan humor is on display when he says that "Only Nixon could go to China" is an "old Vulcan proverb."
Spock gets in another one when he quotes Sherlock Holmes as something an ancestor of his said. Either he's saying a Vulcan had the same thought, or he's related to Arthur Conan Doyle on his mother's side.
Chekov gets one more "invented in Russia" gag in this, the final TOS movie. Chekov: Perhaps you have heard Russian epic of Cinderella ? If shoe fits, wear it!
Incoming! : Chekov when the Bird-of-Prey is blasting away at them. Rather than shouting it, he mutters it with resignation .
Incoming Ham : "I can see you, Kirk. Can you see me?"
Invisibility Flicker : Klingon warships have to decloak before they can fire. Except Chang's. Even then, the exception is briefly lit up by its own torpedoes every time it fires one.
Several times Valeris asks Spock, "A lie?" and he responds that it is something else (e.g. "An error"). After she is caught as a traitor , he asks her, "A lie?" and she responds, "A choice." Which is a callback to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan : Saavik: You lied? Spock: I exaggerated.
When Kirk and Chang first meet, Chang says "I've always wanted to meet you, Captain. One warrior to another?" Later, during Chang's Incoming Ham moment he says, "Now be honest Captain, warrior to warrior. You do prefer it this way, don't you? No peace in our time, as it was meant to be." His last sentence is also a Call-Back to Kirk calling him out on demanding "breathing room" earlier via Godwin's Law .
Ironic Echo Cut : Spock: "If I know the Captain, by this time, he is deep into planning his escape." Cut to Kirk getting the crap kicked out of him in a prison brawl.
Irony : The conspiracy to prevent Klingon/Federation cooperation proves Klingon/Federation cooperation is possible.
Kirk believes this, for not taking Gorkon at his word, and also for his prejudice as a whole against Klingons.
Spock blames himself for being too idealistic and putting Kirk in a nearly untenable position, and for being blinded by pride for his protege, who turned out to be a traitor .
I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine : William Shatner was once Christopher Plummer's understudy. Here they play enemies.
General Chang was actually confused over his silverware napkin roll until he watched the Federation delegation use theirs.
Jerkass Has a Point : The Klingon ambassador is an ass, but even Sarek has to admit that he's correct in his legal interpretation that the Klingons have every right to try Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy for Gorkon's assassination. Of course, that was General Chang's plan all along.
Just Between You and Me : Subverted; Kirk and McCoy are beamed out before the warden can give them a name.
Kangaroo Court : Kirk and McCoy's "trial". At least their defense lawyer (Worf's Identical Grandfather and namesake, Colonel Worf) is actually trying. Indeed, his efforts are likely the only reason they aren't executed immediately.
The Kingslayer : The assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon threatens to derail the burgeoning peace process between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. While Kirk initially takes the fall for it, Spock launches an investigation aboard the Enterprise to find the two hitmen, which he does... though only after they've been killed to protect the rest of the conspirators.
Kirk Summation : Happens one last time. Kirk and Spock set a trap for The Mole on the Enterprise sabotaging peace talks between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Spock sees it's Valeris. Spock: You have to shoot. ( Valeris stares in shock ) Spock: If you are logical, you have to shoot. Valeris: ( pause ) I do not wish to . ( Spock gets out of of the biobed and imposes himself at Valeris, daring her to shoot him square in the chest ) Spock: What you want is irrelevant , what you've chosen is at hand ! Kirk: (popping up out of another biobed) I'd just as soon you didn't. ( Spock angrily smacks the phaser from Valeris' hands ) McCoy : (emerging from shadows) The operation is over.
Large Ham : Christopher Plummer as Chang, rivaling even Khan. Lampshaded when McCoy exclaims, "I'd give real money if he'd shut up."
Laser Cutter : The prisoners on Rura Penthe are shown using laser guns to burn away the rock around dilithium crystals.
Latex Perfection : The Klingon assassin is Starfleet's Colonel West with some rubber on his forehead .
Leaning on the Fourth Wall : The TOS cast was aware that this would be their last story together, and it shows in the film.
Lensman Arms Race : The Fire-While-Cloaking device is a game-changer, allowing klingon ships to not even need to decloak to engage a target. A klingon warship so equipped could simply fire just one torpedo and move to another position to become untouchable, as the Enterprise and Excelsior experienced. Unfortunately, it was doomed before the end of its first real engagement: Not only did peace breaking out make it unneeded, but Starfleet ingenuity developed a hard counter on the fly with off-the-shelf parts in the first engagement by adapting gaseous anomaly cataloguing sensors to a photon torpedo guidance system , homing in on the impulse exhaust trail that not even cloaked ships can avoid emitting.
Lethal Harmless Powers : Even when set on "stun", a phaser can be deadly at extreme close range. Yeomen Burke and Samno find this out the hard way.
Like a Surgeon : The modification of a torpedo to target a cloaked ship is treated like a surgery, mainly to justify McCoy assisting Spock with it and to toss in some jokes.
Literary Allusion Title : To William Shakespeare . Allusions to Shakespeare were a regular occurrence in episode titles in The Original Series . The Undiscovered Country was likely intended to be a nod to tradition. Gorkon's Title Drop during the dinner on board the Enterprise directly references this allusion.
Macross Missile Massacre : Once Chang's Bird-of-Prey is revealed, the Enterprise and the Excelsior torpedo the hell out of her until she explodes. Downplayed, as it's something like a total of seven torpedoes.
Magic A Is Magic A : It's once again emphasized that a bird-of-prey must decloak before it can attack. The existence of a bird-of-prey that isn't so limited is a major game-changer and a dire threat that our heroes are scrambling to overcome.
Make It Look Like an Accident : Subverted. Once outside the Rura Penthe shield, Kirk notes that they couldn't just have himself and McCoy killed in an "accident". Martia clarifies that an accident would have only been reasonable for one, so the conspirators required a more "convincing" alternative. Kirk: An accident wasn't good enough. Martia: Good enough for one. Two would have looked suspicious. Killed while [transforms into Kirk] attempting to escape? Now that's convincing for both .
Make Sure He's Dead : Part of Kirk's effort in Bluffing the Murderer . Valeris is forced to enter sick bay in order to "finish" the job of "killing" Burke and Samno, who are actually already dead.
Make the Bear Angry Again : A Recycled In Space variant.
Sulu and everyone else on the Excelsior bridge at the beginning, when they see the Praxis Shockwave hurtling towards the ship: Sulu: My... God! Shields! SHIELDS!
The entire senior staff of the Enterprise has one at around midnight, all severely hung over (Except perhaps Spock). Spock talks about a peculiar sensor signature, they all commiserate about their hangovers... and then a torpedo comes seemingly out of the Enterprise and slams into Kronos One . Kirk: What's happened?! Spock: We have fired on the Chancellor's ship! (Bridge crew all start scrambling at their stations to assess the situation)
When Kirk's log entry, in which he says "I have never trusted Klingons, and I never will..." is played in the trial, everybody in the Federation realizes how screwed Kirk and McCoy are now. (Not to mention revealing that The Mole is aboard the Enterprise .)
Chang and his crew slowly gets this look all over their faces during the finale when the Enterprise fires out the Homing Projectile that gradually works its way toward them...
Meaningful Name : "Praxis" is an accepted custom or practice. When the Klingon moon Praxis is obliterated, it makes the Klingon Empire reconsider their longtime hostilities with the Federation, making them do the same towards them.
Metaphorically True : Spock says that his lies are "An error" and "An omission." Valeris then says that her lie is "A choice."
In the novelization, it's very different: Valeris is terrified by the knowledge that Spock could force his way into her mind with his superior mental training, but Spock doesn't do this. He gently inquires telepathically and she is so relieved that she yields without resistance. As to whether the threat of mind rape is morally superior to actual mind rape, YMMV.
In a promotional interview for the film, Cattrall revealed that her character and Nimoy's have a mind meld, and then crowed "I got to have safe sex with Mr. Spock!" Um...yeah, not so much.
It has to be added that the actual scene is not as bad as this exchange makes it sound. Nimoy's acting make it painfully apparent that it isn't something Spock takes on lightly, and he is almost as badly affected as Valeris. His voice cracks badly as he delivers the information ( especially when concluding after deep-digging that she doesn't know the conference's location), and he is clearly struggling to hold it together himself.
The Mole : Valeris.
Mood Whiplash : Kirk and his officers are on the bridge, struggling to make it through their shift while in the grip of a Romulan ale hangover, when a photon torpedo suddenly hits Qo'noS One .
Morton's Fork : Chang gets Kirk to admit that he's disobeyed orders in the past, then asks him if he was either obeying or disobeying orders when he arranged the assassination of the Chancellor. Such a blatant trap is easily avoided by Kirk (he cannot speak to actions he did not witness), but in turn allows Chang to lead him into admitting that he would be responsible if his men were involved (which they were).
Murder by Inaction : Kirk refuses to help the Klingon by proclaiming they can just die for all he cares.
Spock has this aura to him after he Mind Rapes Valeris to get the information to spot the Presidential assassination.
In a more minor example, Kirk has this reaction after he bites out "LET them die!", especially when the words are later thrown back in his face by Valeris .
The novelization, at least, provides a slightly more rational explanation for why they were scrambling to look up Klingon phrases in old paper books, instead of using the Universal Translator — namely, that the same saboteur(s) who had altered the ship's logs to make it look like the Enterprise had fired on the Chancellor's ship also wiped the Klingon language data from the memory banks to keep the Enterprise from crossing Klingon space without giving themselves away as soon as someone tried to establish communications with them. The books were part of Uhura's personal collection, not part of the ship's library, so the saboteur presumably didn't know about them, or didn't have any opportunity to destroy them.
Nichelle Nichols has previously pointed out the obvious logical flaw about the scene: Given that Uhura was the ship's communications officer, and that the Klingon Empire was a hostile foreign power, she would have learned the Klingon language as part of her training. It simply makes no sense that Starfleet would send the Enterprise on such a delicate diplomatic mission without proper preparation.
Worf's Identical Grandfather .
Bones' exasperated, "What is it with you?!'' after Kirk kisses Martia . Kirk: Still think we're finished? Bones: More than ever.
This exchange: Kirk: I can't believe I kissed you! Martia (as Kirk): Must have been your life-long ambition!
Near-Villain Victory : The Big Bad nearly destroys the Enterprise and the conspirators nearly succeed in assassinating the Federation President, but the Excelsior helps buy the Enterprise time to complete its Plasma-Seeking Torpedo to find and kill Chang so they can get to the planet in time to save the day .
Never Trust a Trailer : Trailers for the movie showcased a scene of Kirk getting phasered and vaporizing . Turns out it was just a shape-shifter . Also, the shot used in the trailer lasts a lot longer than the near-instant fate of the character involved.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain : Kirk and McCoy wouldn't have been able to escape Rura Penthe if not for the villains' plot to engineer an escape attempt to have an excuse to kill them.
No Gravity for You : One Klingon tactic involves doing this to an entire boarded ship.
No-Paper Future : Subverted when Uhura is trying to pass for a Klingon ship at Morskika Post. Since she can’t use the Universal Translator , she and the crew flip through Klingon books to formulate a proper Klingon response.
No, You : When Admiral Cartwright demands the crew of the Enterprise arrested for crashing the Khitomer Conference, Spock responds by saying, "Arrest yourself!" while holding up Valeris, revealing to him that they know everything .
No OSHA Compliance : This is cited as one of the reasons for Praxis exploding. Overmining and under-regulation turned it into a disaster waiting to happen, just like its real-life inspiration .
Noble Bigot : Despite their grievances against the Klingons, the Enterprise crew, including Kirk, who initially was unable to forgive the Klingons for his son's death , still pursue their crusade for interstellar peace between Starfleet and the Klingons.
Brigadier Kerla's voice is full of panic when trying to communicate to the Excelsior and telling them not to intervene.
Spock is legitimately angry when Valeris is revealed to be The Mole and it shows when he slaps the phaser out of her hand with a clear look of anger on his face.
Official Presidential Transport : The Klingon battlecruiser that carries Chancellor Gorkon to the rendezvous with the Enterprise is Kronos One ( Qo'noS Wa '), Kronos (also rendered as Qo'noS) being the name of the Klingon homeworld.
That Ominous Klingon Chanting is actually Hamlet's To be, or not to be? in its original Klingon .
KIRK! KIRK! KIRK! KIRK! KIRK! KIRK!
Kirk gets two of them during the movie: Once, when McCoy tells him that he doesn't know anything about the Chancellor's anatomy, let alone if the Klingon leader will live, and the second when he is being questioned and Chang forces him to admit to guilt by association in the Chancellor's death.
When Crewman Dax is questioned about the assassination after the gravity boots were found on his locker, the crew realize his webbed feet cannot possibly fit into those boots. Cut to Valeris having a dismayed reaction on her face. We later find out that she too was in the plot, and her face was actually a very subdued Oh, Crap! when she realizes Burke and Samno clumsily disposed of evidence that can now be used against (potentially) all three of them. This sets her off to kill both Burke and Samno in an effort to hide her role in the assassination. She gets another one of these moments when she is exposed as The Mole in Sick Bay.
Chang has a brief moment when Enterprise fires the torpedo that can home in on his ship...but rather than freak out about it, he decides to Face Death with Dignity .
Admiral Cartwright has this expression when Spock shows up with Valeris in tow, as the whole conspiracy is about to be revealed. And then again when he tries to book it , only for Captain Sulu and two of his men to beam down with phasers drawn, cutting off his escape.
Older and Wiser : The TOS crew by this time. Spock shows this in his private conversation with Valeris: Spock: History is replete with turning points, Lieutenant. You must have faith. Valeris: Faith? Spock: That the universe will unfold as it should. Valeris: But is that logical? Surely we must— Spock: Logic, logic, logic ... logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end.
One Dialogue, Two Conversations : Kirk and Spock's chat before the final battle. Kirk is regretting that his distrust towards Klingons made him the perfect patsy for the assassination and made refuse to see Gorkon as earnest, while Spock is beating himself up about being too biased towards Valeris and her achievements to notice her hidden agenda. .
Only One Finds It Fun : When McCoy is on the witness stand during the trial, he is asked about his medical status. He answers, "Aside from a touch of arthritis, I'd say pretty good." One Klingon laughs, but everyone else is silent.
Only One Plausible Suspect : Towards the end of the movie we discover there's a traitor aboard the Enterprise . Since the movie has only one major character among the Enterprise crew who's not a series regular , it's not very hard to guess who the traitor could be. If they'd gone with the original plan for Valeris to be Saavik instead it might have been harder to predict, not to mention considerably more shocking.
Only Sane Man : Chancellor Gorkon.
The Klingon miner on Praxis shouting for help just before the moon's explosion. In the novelization , Sulu reflects that he's never seen abject terror on a Klingon's face before and never thought he would.
Later, when he's about to interrogate Valeris via a non-consensual mind-meld , he roughly yanks her around to face him, and pulls her close when she tries to get away.
When Kronos One recovers from the attack it turns around ready to attack the Enterprise , with Chang vowing revenge. Kirk immediately surrenders rather than raise shields, as submitting to them is the only course of action to continue peace talks. The crew knows the reasons why, but are stunned because this is Captain James Tiberius Kirk surrendering to the enemy.
Orbital Shot : The forced Mind Meld.
Our Presidents Are Different : President Target of the United Federation of Planets and Chancellor Target of the Klingon Empire.
Kirk surrendering the fight when the Klingon ship recovers and prepares to return fire. The Enterprise almost certainly would have won, but in doing so would have kicked off a war between the two powers (undoubtedly the conspirators' plan). He is doing everything possible to keep the chance for peace alive after what happened. Uhura's response says it all. Kirk: Signal our surrender. Uhura: Captain!? Kirk: We surrender!
Spock is legitimately hurt and angry over Valeris' betrayal, and makes no attempts to hide it. Even throwing logic in her face by outright daring her to shoot him. You can see the scorn on his face as he slaps the phaser out of her hand.
During the climax as the conspirators are preparing to kill the Federation president, one of them, Admiral Cartright , is shown with sweat soaking his face.
One of the engineers in the Enterprise 's engine room is dripping nervously as well, as an invisible foe is probably lurking around Khitomer, waiting to tear the Enterprise apart.
Peace Conference : The First Khitomer Accord, ending decades of hostility between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
Pre-Asskicking One-Liner : Sulu: Target that explosion and fire.
Precision F-Strike : Though remarkably tame, it is certainly one for Spock after hearing the Enterprise is to be decommissioned : Spock: If I were human, I believe my response would be, "go to hell." ... If I were human.
Prevent the War : The Enterprise 's crew has to figure out the plot to assassinate Gorkon and jail Kirk in order to save the peace conference and stop war from breaking out.
Properly Paranoid : In a subtle moment, Spock refuses to explain how Enterprise will be able to track Kirk and McCoy , only that they can, no doubt holding his cards close to the vest since he knows Enterprise has a mole on board. As it turns out, he's standing in front of the mole without even realizing it, making any such paranoia even more justified.
Public Domain Canon Welding : Hinted at when Spock states that, "An ancestor of mine maintained that when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." This is, of course, a Sherlock Holmes quote. Since Holmes is established as fictional in other Star Trek media, fans usually interpret this as Spock declaring himself to be a descendant of Arthur Conan Doyle via his mother.
Questionable Consent : The book makes it more explicit that Martia pushes themself on Kirk, kissing and “spooning”, and he doesn’t resist due to wanting to get out of there, but still feels sick whenever they touch him or leer after.
Realpolitik : Kirk is among the more skeptical officers when it came to the Klingon peace treaty, but is volunteered by Spock to lead the first diplomatic envoy. The fact Kirk was anti-Klingon was being used to give legitimacy to the peace talks, a more compliant officer would have made the Klingons question their commitment and the Federation would worry about being too submissive. When Kirk objects, Spock quotes an Old Vulcan Proverb "Only Nixon could go to China," making it absolutely clear what the movie was trying to reference.
Recycled In Space : Although the theme of the movie is an allegory for the end of the Cold War , the plot is basically the trope Make the Bear Angry Again (a popular plot in contemporary thrillers) applied to the Klingon empire.
Revenge Before Reason : Kirk certainly walks the line at first. Kirk: They're animals! Spock: Jim, there is an historic opportunity here. Kirk: Don't believe them! Don't trust them! Spock: They're dying. Kirk: Let them die!
Revision : This is the first Trek production to establish "Chancellor" as the title of the leader of the Klingon empire — in the second-to-fourth seasons of TNG note chronologically after this film, of course, but made and released before it , Klingon leaders K'mpec and Gowron had been referred to only as "Leader of the High Council". note In fact, the title of chancellor wouldn't resurface until DS9 's The Way Of The Warrior . It's also the first time the Klingon homeworld is named as "Qo'nos" (Kronos); an early TNG episode had previously suggested it was called " Kling ".
After Gorkon and his staff leave the transporter room on the Enterprise, the two Starfleet security officers left behind begin talking to each other about how disgusting the Klingons are , only to be brought up short by a disapproving Valeris who tells them to get on with their work. Watching it with the knowledge that these two, Burke and Samno, would be the assassins of Gorkon and Valeris is their superior in the conspiracy means that what Valeris actually means is "Stop clowning around making yourselves look suspicious and get ready to carry out your mission".
After it's shown that Crewman Dax, whose locker the magnetic boot was found in, couldn't possibly have been the one who wore it, we cut to Valeris, who has a look of obvious dismay on her face. Knowing the above point about her role in the conspiracy, it's likely she was thinking "Those idiots !"
Riding into the Sunset : In this case, going to warp toward a nearby star. Or Neverland , as Kirk alludes.
Rousing Speech : Kirk, in the aftermath of averting the assassination, though it's rather more poignant than rousing. Azetbur: What's happened? What's the meaning of all this? Kirk: It's about the future, Madam Chancellor. Some people think the future means the end of history. But we haven't run out of history just yet. Your father called the future "the undiscovered country." People can be very frightened of change. (Azetbur glances at Lt. Valeris held in Spock's custody) Azetbur: You've restored my father's faith. Kirk: And you've restored my son's.
Running Gag : Multiple people come charging into the galley wondering why a phaser discharge alarm sounded in there after Valeris demonstrates to Chekov how the assassins couldn't simply vaporize their incriminating footwear with a phaser; Uhura, Scotty, a security offer decked out in armor with his own phaser in hand... Chekov spends the rest of the scene having to tell everyone it's alright each time it happens. It does conveniently bring Uhura down with news about Starfleet Command's increasingly demanding order to return to port, as well as Scotty so Spock can solve the problem by order him to "have trouble with the warp drive" .
Scenery Porn : The aerial shot of Kirk, McCoy and Martia trudging across the wastes of Rura Penthe (in actuality the Knik Glacier in Alaska) is stunning.
Praxis must be really close to the neutral zone in order for the Excelsior to have been caught in the Planar Shockwave . (It is said to be a subspace shockwave rather than a plain old STL shockwave.)
The Excelsior is said to be returning home on impulse power, which is unlikely unless they were already near their destination (or taking some time to perform maintenance on their warp drive). It would take years to travel between stars at sublight speeds note The distances are so great, in fact, that any sublight travel is, effectively, not traveling at all compared to warp speed . This is likely out of necessity to the plot as it would be the ship being hit by the Planar Shockwave . note During production of Star Trek: The Next Generation , there were a lot of shots of the Enterprise -D on impulse power, and a behind-the-scenes Technical Manual explained that warp speeds can only be sustained for periods of time before they need to drop out of warp and recalibrate. The producers indicated that warp effects were actually expensive to produce which is why these stock impulse shots were used. Presumably the Excelsior needs to do this as well, given that it is an earlier vessel than the Enterprise -D.
The image is obvious CG. It’s not an actual photo of Praxis, but a computer representation of what remains of Praxis given various data available from the sensors.
Screen Shake : Present as usual for Trek — and also enforced , as the bridge sets were built on gimbals to allow them to actually shake.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here : Admiral Cartwright tries to high-tail it as The Plan to assassinate President Ra-ghoratreii falls apart — only to run into Captain Sulu and his team, phasers at the ready.
See the Invisible : Once the plasma-homing torpedo hits Chang's Bird-of-Prey, the Excelsior and the Enterprise are able to target the resulting explosion. Their continued fire soon knocks out the cloaking shield, rendering the Bird-of-Prey visible just before it comes apart.
Shapeshifting Squick : Kirk is a little weirded out when the female alien he made out with shows up as a furry male alien. McCoy : What kind of creature is this? Last night, you two were— Kirk: Don't remind me.
Ship Tease : Very subtly between Spock and Valeris, reflected in their UST-filled nightcap and his emotional response to her betrayal. This is likely a remnant of the original script, which was to have the established character of Saavik instead of Valeris (reflecting the fact Spock and Saavik were strongly implied to have mated in Star Trek III and a deleted scene in Star Trek IV had established that Saavik was pregnant with Spock's child; in the Expanded Universe novels, Spock and Saavik eventually marry.)
The last line before the final voice over is a reference to the 1953 Disney film Peter Pan (the directions to Neverland). Kirk: Second star to the right ... and straight on till morning.
To Sherlock Holmes , when Spock says, "One of my ancestors once said, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'" Gene Roddenberry had established as part of Spock's Backstory that Arthur Conan Doyle , creator of Sherlock Holmes, was one of Spock's ancestors on his mother's side.
Chang's demand that Kirk not wait for the translation of a question, but answer it immediately, is straight from an earlier (pre-TOS, in fact) US-Soviet confrontation, the Cuban Missile Crisis . In that case, it was Adlai Stevenson insisting that the Soviet delegate to the UN answer simply yes or no as to whether they were putting missiles in Cuba.
The Warden's speech is almost a word-for-word paraphrasing of Saito's "There is no escape" speech from The Bridge on the River Kwai .
The Translation Convention device listed below that demonstrates the Klingons at Kirk and McCoy 's trial are speaking their own language through interpreters. A very similar device was used several decades earlier in the 1961 film Judgment at Nuremberg (which incidentally featured a young William Shatner in a supporting role).
Rura Penthe shares its name with the penal colony from the 1954 film adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea .
Its very title is from Hamlet : "[D]eath — the undiscovered country, from whose bourne/No traveler returns". (III.i)
Martia: I thought I would assume a pleasing shape.
Gorkon: A toast. To the undiscovered country — the future!
Chang: To be... or not... to be...
Chang: Have we not heard the chimes at midnight? note A slight misquote converting the original play's statement, "We have heard the chimes at midnight..." into a question.
Chang: Once more unto the breach, dear friends.
Chang: The game's afoot.
Chang: Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!
Chang: I am constant as the northern star. note Bones: I'd give real money if he'd shut up .
Chang: Tickle us, do we not laugh? Prick us, do we not bleed? Wrong us, shall we not revenge? note He abbreviates the delivery a bit and leaves out "Kill us, do we not die?".
Chang: Let us sit upon the grass and tell sad stories of the death of kings.
Chang: Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Chang: Our revels now are ended.
Silent Whisper : Right after the bodies of Chancellor Gorkon's killers are found, Kirk takes Spock aside and they have an inaudible conversation. At the end Spock says, "Possible." It turns out to be an idea to lure the killers' killer out.
Sixth Ranger Traitor : Valeris.
Slasher Smile : William Shatner gives a great one as Martia!Kirk, when saying, "killed while trying to escape."
Slow Clap : After Kirk saves the peace summit, the participants all start up. Including the "Ass" in Ambassador who hates him.
Snowy Screen of Death : From what's left of Praxis, followed by a transmission from Brigadier Kerla saying that everything's under control .
So Once Again, the Day Is Saved : Having saved the Federation so many times, the TOS crew can joke about it: Kirk: Once again, we've saved civilization as we know it. McCoy : And the good news is, they're not going to prosecute!
Space Cold War : One of the more blatant allegories to come out of this period.
Nothing new to Trek , but this movie subtly does a lot to give the feeling that the Enterprise is a naval vessel in space, right down to the computerized ship's bell dinging in a few scenes.
Even moreso for this movie's Bird-of-Prey, which is the only one in the entire franchise to use a large ship's wheel at the helm.
The explosion of Praxis sends out the space equivalent of a tsunami, which happens to be at the exact height in space to hit the Excelsior .
The climactic battle gives the impression of two surface warships attempting to hunt down an enemy submarine. It does have 3D aspects, as enemy fire comes from all directions and heights. No one ever saw, for instance, the saucer section of the Enterprise being struck from below . The torpedo tearing through the saucer is inspired by cannonballs tearing through wooden ships.
If ships having to uncloak to attack are like a diesel submarine needing to surface for air and to run the engines, then a ship that can fire while cloaked is like a nuclear submarine, with no need to surface at all. Thus, the gas-seeking photon torpedo is like an acoustically-guided anti-sub torpedo.
Azetbur's ascension to the Klingon Chancellery also ends up being a major wrench in the conspiracy. She continues the Gorkon initative rather than abandon it out of vengeance or wrath against the Federation for her father's murder. This, combined with Colonel Worf's defense, results in the Klingon Judge commuting Kirk and McCoy's death sentences to life imprisonment during the Trial in the interest of the peace process. Look closely at Chang's reaction after the Judge's commutation; he's not happy, and knows this has just made things more complicated for the conspirators.
Spot the Imposter : The reason Martia is able to escape is the same reason the Warden is able to figure out she isn't Kirk when he kills her: she took off her leg cuffs. Of course, given the Warden's plans for Kirk and McCoy , it wouldn't matter if he chose wrong anyways. There are a couple other giveaways as well: Martia always has gold eyes, and she points above Kirk instead of at him, since she is used to being shorter than him.
State Visit : In the aftermath of the Praxis explosion, the Federation extends an invitation to the chancellor of the Klingon Empire to come to Earth to initiate negotiations that would result in the end of the Space Cold War .
Standard Female Grab Area : Spock to Valeris when they mind-meld and after she's revealed as the traitor .
Sticky Shoes : The assassins boarding Kronos One after the artificial gravity is disabled wear magnetic boots, allowing them to calmly stomp around shooting everyone in their path as they flail about helplessly.
The scene where the Enterprise glides towards the spacedock doors is a reuse of the "zoom in on Enterprise " shot from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , just with the Excelsior removed and the background tint changed to blue.
The second trailer has a minor scene from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , of the Enterprise getting shot by a torpedo.
The Excelsior racing at top speed and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey exploding are re-used as stock footage in the next movie, Star Trek: Generations .
Suicide by Cop : The book has Kirk briefly consider suicide by fighting with Klingons, as it’s preferable to retiring and dying an old man in bed, before deciding he can’t drag his crew down with him.
Kirk and his officers are visibly hung over at their bridge shift after drinking too much Romulan ale — until a photon torpedo suddenly hits Kronos One . Then again, nothing suddenly causes you to gain focus like the prospect of interstellar war starting on your watch...
Unfortunately subverted in the case of Dr. McCoy trying to revive Gorkon. In combination wtih his lack of working medical knowledge of Klingons, his hands are unsteady and slightly clumsy, still affected by the Romulan Ale he drank during the state dinner. No matter how shaken awake by the whole diplomatic catastrophe unfolding he may be, his mental acuity and motor skills are still impaired by intoxication. Chang is quite ready to bring that up during the show trial .
Suspiciously Similar Substitute : Valeris in place of Saavik.
Swivel-Chair Antics : Chang is so hammy that he spins his chair in ecstacy during the battle. Chang: CRY HAVOC! And let slip the dogs of war! ( Evil Laugh )
Tactful Translation : The subtitles compensate for the Klingon listening post operator's lazy apathy by translating his simple utterance of just the post's name (Morskika) into, "This is Listening Post Morskika."
It's quite nicely worked in, but Kirk's remark in the end speech that "some people think change means the end of history" is likely a jab at neo-conservative Francis Fukuyama's proclamation (and epynonymous book) that the collapse of Soviet communism meant that liberal bourgeois democracy was the only option for developing countries and was, thus, "the end of history".
Starfleet Colonel West is inspired by USMC Col. Oliver North, who was implicated in the Iran/Contra scandal.
Teleportation Rescue : Kirk and McCoy are saved from their impending murder "for attempting escape" at the hands of the Rura Penthe warden by the transporters. Shame about the timing, though.
There Is No Kill Like Overkill : After the modified photon torpedo hits and disables the cloaked Bird of Prey, it is dead in the water but still intact. Sulu's response with the Excelsior , and then Kirk's with the Enterprise-A , is to then pound it with torpedo after torpedo until it is completely obliterated. Slightly justified though because while the torpedo crippled the Bird of Prey and, presumably, killed Chang, it was still cloaked — just briefly exposed by the explosion — and so could still potentially be a threat.
When The Excelsior finally gets on the scene at Khitomer in the climax, Captain Sulu knows that all he and his ship and crew can do at that time is be another target for the invisible foe and take pressure off the battered Enterprise . True enough, moments later, Chang orders a torpedo strike that uppercuts right into Excelsior 's saucer section, sending damage control teams scrambling and emergency bulkheads dropping. Sulu: All right... now we've given them something else to shoot at.
Non-Verbal example — as Chang speaks his "Facing the Bullets" One-Liner while a torpedo streaks towards them, two of his men can be seen behind him bracing themselves for the impact of the torpedo and the subsequent barrage to follow.
Title Drop : Subtitle Drop. In the ill-fated dinner scene , Gorkon proposes a toast to "the undiscovered country," earning bemused stares from the audience as well as the main cast before he explains he meant "the future." The cause of the confusion is that within the context of Hamlet 's speech, "the undiscovered country" is death . Which Spock himself points out in the novelization. Gorkon's counter-argument has a good point. And, considering what happens to Gorkon in his next scene, actually makes quite a bit of sense .
Too Good for This Sinful Earth : Chancellor Gorkon. Dr. McCoy describes him as "the last, best hope for peace."
Too Good for Exploiters : The Klingons sue for peace, because their hostility toward the Federation is unsustainable in light of the accident on Praxis, their moon and previously-key-energy-production facility. Unfortunately, there are those on all sides, Humans, Klingons, and even the Romulans, that want the hostilities to continue, because they exploit the benefits, jobs, and even the control, that come with their current political position.
Took a Level in Jerkass : Admiral Cartwright. He was previously shown in a more heroic light in Star Trek IV . However, here he comes off as a racist jerk during the briefing, and this is even before we find out he is a part of the conspiracy .
Touch Telepathy : After Spock realizes that Valeris is a traitor and murderer , he grabs her by the head and performs a forced Mind Meld on her to learn the details of the conspiracy .
Tracking Device : The viridium patch that Spock slaps on Kirk's back just before he and McCoy beam onto Kronos One .
Trailers Always Spoil : The fact that there is a Bird-of-Prey involved, and that Chang is commanding it.
During the trial, the Klingons begin in their own language, then the camera cuts to a box where translators are giving a running translation in English, which is being piped through radio-like devices that Kirk and McCoy are listening to. When the camera cuts back to General Chang, all spoken dialogue for the rest of the scene is in English, but it's still clear the Klingons are speaking their own language, particularly when Chang yells at Kirk not to wait for the translation before answering a question.
This trope is mostly avoided for all other scenes involving the Klingons on their own, however. Subtitles are used in all-Klingon scenes in almost all movies.
For some reason, it almost always switches to English whenever Chang starts talking, sometimes right after some untranslated Klingon. Maybe Christopher Plummer had trouble chewing scenery in Klingon.
Tricked into Escaping : The villains want Kirk and McCoy dead, not just imprisoned, but don't want to be too obvious about it. They arrange for the pair to meet someone with whom they can team up in an "escape attempt", which the commandant can then violently quash. Kirk eventually realises that the situation didn't add up. (Kirk, of course, would certainly have attempted escape on his own, but it would have taken time to learn the layout and find his best option.) Kirk: She didn't need our help getting anywhere. Where did she get these convenient clothes? And don't tell me that flare is standard prison issue. It's to let them know where we are. [...] An accident wasn't good enough. Martia: Good enough for one. Two would have looked suspicious. [shape-shifts into Kirk] Killed while attempting escape? Now that's convincing for both.
The first is Brigadier Kerla admitting that "there has been an incident on Praxis." Yeah, an entire moon exploding goes well beyond just "an incident."
The second is Spock opening a briefing at Starfleet Command with "Two months ago, a Federation starship monitored an explosion of the Klingon moon Praxis." By "monitored," he means that the Excelsior was knocked off course and nearly shaken to pieces by the Planar Shockwave .
Unwanted Rescue : At least not for a few more minutes after Kirk's captor explains the plans.
Villain Has a Point : Both sides of the conspiracy to assassinate Chancellor Gorkon and the Federation President are partially proven to be correct in their paranoia, when Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine later show their fears coming true. The Federation does corrupt Klingon society to the point that a Starfleet officer later becomes the one to decide who would become the next Klingon chancellor, while the Klingons later betray the Federation and launch a war against them after abandoning the Khitomer Accords (albeit, largely due to the influence of a Changeling mole ).
Wasn't That Fun? : After General Chang's Bird-of-Prey first opens fire on Enterprise at Khitomer: McCoy : This is fun.
We Need to Get Proof : Spock logically figures out that the only ship that could have torpedoed Kronos One is a cloaked bird-of-prey, but as they're not supposed to be able to fire while cloaked, it will take more than their word to convince Starfleet. Valeris: We must inform Starfleet Command— Scotty: Inform them of what ? A new weapon that is invisible? "Raving lunatics", that's what they'll call us! They'll say that we're so desperate to exonerate the captain that we'll say anything. Spock: And they would be correct. We have no evidence. Only a theory which happens to fit the facts.
We Will Use Manual Labor in the Future : Or at least the Klingons will on their prison planets. Then again, it's Rura Penthe, the Klingon equivalent of a gulag. The warden outright calls it "the gulag Rura Penthe" during his introductory resistance is futile speech. Hardly meant to be comfortable.
"Signal our surrender." Derails the firefight between Enterprise and Qo'noS One that the scene appeared to be leading to. It even shocks the bridge crew: Uhura: Captain? Kirk: We surrender!
During the last scene: Uhura: Captain, I have orders from Starfleet Command. We're to put back to Spacedock immediately... to be decommissioned.
Wham Shot : The torpedo hitting Kronos One .
Spock's disturbed reaction to Kirk's desire to see the Klingons die off. note In commentaries, Shatner expressed dismay that they cut out a subsequent self-dismissive gesture from Kirk suggesting it was impulsively said.
This was prompted by Spock "volunteering" the Enterprise and crew for the peacekeeping mission. Considering just two films ago, Kirk was accused by the Klingons of developing the Genesis device as a superweapon, he seems like a poor choice — but the implication is that the Klingons respect Kirk's legendary fighting abilities and will deal better with a tough guy than a nice guy. The conspirators have no problem leveraging this reputation to frame Kirk for Gorkon's murder.
The dinner scene spreads a lot of the blame around to all of the main characters — with the exception of Spock, who really is trying — who drink too much Romulan ale and come off as bigoted against Klingons. That most of Enterprise 's senior staff returned to duty still drunk from dinner is used as evidence of gross negligence against Dr. McCoy in their trial.
Spock seems to be giving himself one after he publicly Mind Rapes Valeris for information on the conspiracy .
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? : When the prison warden finds Kirk and McCoy outside, he shoots the shape-shifter who was helping him immediately, but inexplicably agrees to explain who is behind the conspiracy before shooting Kirk and McCoy . This gives them enough time to escape.
Why Isn't It Attacking? : The climactic Battle of Khitomer has the Enterprise under attack from General Chang's bird-of-prey, which can stay cloaked while attacking, causing Kirk to initially order his ship to pull back. Both commanders on either side ask this question about the other: Kirk wonders why Chang does not press his advantage; Chang wonders if the Enterprise is backing up because they detect him, and wants to make sure they cannot ascertain his exact location before attacking the larger ship.
Why We Are Bummed Communism Fell : The whole film is a metaphor for the fall of communism, and even seemed to predict the failed coup that preceded the final collapse of the USSR.
Wicked Cultured : General Chang might be willing to plunge the quadrant into war, but damn if he can't quote Shakespeare with the best of them!
Wild Hair : The Federation President's mustache almost earned its own acting credit.
Worthy Opponent : In the novelization, Chang spends his last seconds reflecting on his own mortality, and that being beaten by the likes of Kirk is no disgrace. Even in the film, the mere fact that Chang considers Kirk a "warrior" is a testament to his respect for him as an adversary.
Would Hit a Girl : Kirk punches Martia. Of course, she’s a shapeshifter, so he doesn’t know whether she’s really female or not.
Wrong Genre Savvy : Kirk still thinks he can do what he did constantly in the original series, and seduce someone to help get out of a bad situation. Not so much, as she's a shapeshifter setting him up, and even calls him out for his narcissism.
They are expecting Kirk to fight it out after the Chancellor is killed, but when he surrenders they put him in a show trial and schedule a new assassination attempt at the peace conference.
They send Kirk to an inescapable Penal Colony but know he would probably find a way to escape, so they use a stooge to "help" him and betray him later.
They believe Kirk would never find the location of the conference, but have a ship ready to deal with him if he does.
You Cannot Kill An Idea : Gorkon's fight for peace continues on despite his assassination. His daughter Azetbur, who becomes chancellor, continues his efforts, and Gorkon's sacrifice challenges Captain Kirk's prejudice against Klingons. Gorkon: Don't let it end this way, Captain .
Your Approval Fills Me with Shame : A downplayed example, but Kirk is obviously not thrilled to be greeted by Chang "from one warrior to another".

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Shakespeare, in the original klingon.

Sarah Hovde

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Shown from left: David Warner (as Chancellor Gorkon), Christopher Plummer (as General Chang), William Shatner (as Captain James T. Kirk), Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy (as Captain Spock), Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan. Paramount Pictures.

Did you celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Star Trek episode last week? You’ll be happy to know that Star Trek has a place in the Folger collection!

Like most libraries, the Folger has a collection development policy that helps us choose what materials to acquire; this makes sure that we use our budget and our space effectively. We have several major areas that we focus on: materials that help us understand the world Shakespeare wrote in (such as personal letters and 16th-century recipe collections), materials that demonstrate the impact Shakespeare has had on popular culture (such as many of the items featured in our exhibits this year), and of course, editions of Shakespeare’s works themselves.

We especially try to collect editions of Hamlet : we have over 500 printed copies of that play alone, including manuscript copies, promptbooks used in plays as early as the 18th century, translations in several dozen languages, and even a copy in the original Klingon!

You read that right, the original Klingon! At least, that’s what its introduction says. This volume is actually a translation produced by the Klingon Language Institute in the mid-1990s, and published in paperback in 2000. Luckily, it shows the English and Klingon Hamlet s on facing pages, if your Klingon is a little rusty.

The Klingon Hamlet was inspired by a popular line in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , in which the Klingon chancellor Gorkon comments to Captain Kirk that “You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon.” (The phrase “the undiscovered country” is itself a phrase from Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” – or in Klingon, “taH pagh taHbe'” – soliloquy.) The Folger owns The Undiscovered Country , on both VHS and DVD , as it’s one of many examples of Shakespearean themes, and even direct allusions, in television shows and movies.

Many of us have memorized lines from Shakespeare for school recitations – if you’re up for a new challenge, try it in Klingon!

was a cataloger at the Folger Shakespeare Library, primarily working with modern materials (anything created after 1830). — View all posts by Sarah Hovde

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One of the special editions of the DVD for the film includes a full video extra called Klingons and Shakespeare where they show some of our being performed on stage. I can’t find the information on just which version it is, but you may want to look for it for your collection. In the meantime, someone has posted it to YouTube: https://youtu.be/RF0k4qV1I1Y

Jeremy Cowan — December 13, 2016

Howdy. I actually have the limited 1996 hardcover edition of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark in Klingon. It’s a hoot. I think my copy is number 683 / 1000. It’s just been sitting in a protective bag in a box since I got it in 1996-ish. I’ve never even opened it all the way so the spine isn’t creased. The collector in me wouldn’t let me read it.

Mike — November 11, 2018

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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

William shatner: kirk.

Photos (70)
Quotes (58)

Photos

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Quotes

[last lines]

[Kirk's final Captain's Log]

Captain James T. Kirk : Captain's Log, stardate 9529.1. This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun, and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man... where no *one* has gone before.

General Chang : "To be or not to be?" That is the question which preoccupies our people, Captain Kirk. We need breathing room.

Captain James T. Kirk : Earth, Hitler, 1938.

General Chang : I beg your pardon.

Chancellor Gorkon : Well... I see we have a long way to go.

Captain James T. Kirk : Spock, you want to know something? Everybody's human.

Captain Spock : I find that remark... insulting.

[Kirk and company have prevented the assassination attempt at Khitomer]

Azetbur : What's happened? What's the meaning of all of this?

Captain James T. Kirk : It's about the future, Madame Chancellor. Some people think the future means the end of history. Well, we haven't run out of history quite yet. Your father called the future - "the undiscovered country". People can be very frightened of change.

Azetbur : You've restored my father's faith.

Captain James T. Kirk : And you've restored my son's.

General Chang : I can see you, Kirk.

Captain James T. Kirk : Chang.

General Chang : Can you see me? Oh, now be honest, Captain, warrior to warrior. You do prefer it this way, don't you, as it was meant to be? No peace in our time. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends."

[Dictating his personal log]

Captain James T. Kirk : Captain's log, stardate 9522.6: I've never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I could never forgive them for the death of my boy. It seems to me our mission to escort the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council to a peace summit is problematic at best. Spock says this could be an historic occasion, and I'd like to believe him, but how on earth can history get past people like me?

[on whether to help the Klingons]

Captain James T. Kirk : They're animals.

Captain Spock : Jim, there is an historic opportunity here.

Captain James T. Kirk : Don't believe them. Don't trust them.

Captain Spock : They're dying.

Captain James T. Kirk : Let them die!

[pauses... Spock cocks his head in surprise. Kirk recoils and proceeds]

Captain James T. Kirk : Has it occurred to you that this crew is due to stand down in three months? We've done our bit for king and country! You should have trusted me.

Captain James T. Kirk : [In a conversation with Spock] You're a great one for logic. I'm a great one for rushing in where angels fear to tread. We are both extremists. Reality is probably somewhere in between. I couldn't get past the death of my son.

Captain Spock : I was prejudiced by her accomplishments as a Vulcan.

Captain James T. Kirk : Gorkon had to die before I understood how prejudiced I was.

Captain James T. Kirk : Valeris, know anything about a radiation surge?

Lieutenant Valeris : Sir?

Captain James T. Kirk : Chekov?

Commander Pavel Chekov : Only the size of my head.

Captain James T. Kirk : [to himself] I know what you mean.

Uhuru : Captain, I have orders from Starfleet Command. We're to put back to spacedock immediately to be decommissioned.

Captain Spock : If I were human, I believe my response would be... "go to hell." If I were human.

Commander Pavel Andreievich Chekov : Course heading, Captain?

Captain James T. Kirk : Second star to the right and straight on till morning.

[after Kirk wins a fight against an alien twice his size]

Martia : They'll respect you now.

Captain James T. Kirk : That's a comfort. I was lucky that thing had knees.

Martia : That was not his knee.

[Kirk looks at Martia in surprise]

Martia : Not everyone keeps their genitals in the same place, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : Anything you want to tell me?

[Martia smiles at Kirk]

Captain James T. Kirk : I'm going to sleep this off. Please let me know if there's some other way we can screw up tonight.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : I'm gonna find myself a pot of black coffee.

Captain James T. Kirk : [on the viewscreen] Captain Sulu! You realize that just by talking to me, you're violating regulations?

Captain Hikaru Sulu : I'm sorry, Captain, your message is breaking up...

Captain James T. Kirk : Bless you, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : Bones, are you afraid of the future?

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : I believe that was the general idea that I was trying to convey.

Captain James T. Kirk : I don't mean this future.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : What is this, multiple choice?

[the crew enter the bridge]

Kirk : Once again, we've saved civilization as we know it.

McCoy : And the good news is they're not going to prosecute.

Uhuru : They might as well have prosecuted me. I felt like Lt. Valeris.

McCoy : [looks at Spock] Well, they don't prosecute people for having feelings.

Chekov : Just as well, or we'll all have to turn ourselves in.

Captain James T. Kirk : Bones, I'm wearing a veridium patch on my back! Spock slapped it there just before we went on Gorkon's ship!

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Why, that cunning little Vulcan!

Martia : Come on! We're in the clear!

Captain James T. Kirk : Now that we're outside the shield, they'll be able to locate us two sectors away.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : If they're even looking for us.

McCoy : [after Kirk and Martia kiss passionately] What IS it with you, anyway?

Kirk : Still think we're finished?

McCoy : More than ever!

[Kirk is fighting with Martia disguised as Kirk]

Captain James T. Kirk : I can't believe I kissed you.

Martia (appearing as Kirk) : Must have been your lifelong ambition.

Captain James T. Kirk : [dictating his personal log] The Enterprise hosted Chancellor Gorkon and company to dinner last night. Our manners weren't exactly Emily Post. Note to the Galley; Romulan Ale no longer to be served at diplomatic functions.

Captain James T. Kirk : Names, Lieutenant!

Lieutenant Valeris : I do not remember.

Captain Spock : A lie?

Lieutenant Valeris : A choice.

Captain James T. Kirk : Spock?

[Valeris recoils as he tries to mind-meld, but he restrains her]

Lieutenant Valeris , Captain Spock : Admiral... Cartwright.

Chekov : From Starfleet?

Captain James T. Kirk : Who else?

Lieutenant Valeris , Captain Spock : General... Chang.

Lieutenant Valeris , Captain Spock : Romulan... ambassador... Nanclus.

Captain James T. Kirk : Where is the peace conference? Where is the peace conference?

[as Valeris gasps in pain, Spock lets her go]

Captain Spock : She does not know.

Scotty : Then we're dead.

Captain Spock : I've been dead before. Contact Excelsior. She'll have the coordinates.

Captain Spock : The lieutenant was the first Vulcan to be graduated at the top of her class at the Academy.

Captain James T. Kirk : You must be very proud.

Lieutenant Valeris : I don't believe so, sir.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : She's a Vulcan, all right.

Captain James T. Kirk : Mr. Scott?

Captain Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott : [over intercom] Aye, sir?

Captain James T. Kirk : Did you find the engine room?

Captain Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott : Right where I left it, sir!

Captain James T. Kirk : Where's that damn torpedo?

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : It's ready, Jim. Lock and load!

Captain James T. Kirk : [clenches fist] Fire!

Chancellor Gorkon : And this is General Chang, my chief of staff.

General Chang : I have... so wanted to meet you, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : I'm not sure how to take that.

Captain James T. Kirk : [Spock has beamed Kirk and Bones aboard just before they find out who framed them] No! No! Of all the - son of a - Couldn't you have waited two seconds?

Captain Spock : Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : He was just about to explain the whole thing.

Commander Pavel Andreievich Chekov : You want to go back?

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Absolutely not!

Captain James T. Kirk : [whispering] It's cold.

Captain James T. Kirk : [Valeris has just engaged thrusters to take Enterprise out of Spacedock] Thank you Lieutenant, ahead one quarter impulse power

Lieutenant Valeris : [spins in chair to face Kirk] Captain, may I remind you that regulations specify thrusters only whilst in spacedock.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : [the bridge crew cough loudly, Chekov shakes his head, Uhura tuts softly. McCoy leans in to tease Spock] Jim?

Captain James T. Kirk : You heard the order, Lieutenant...

Lieutenant Valeris : Aye, sir!

Martia : You're Kirk and McCoy, I presume.

Captain James T. Kirk : How did you know that?

Martia : We don't get many presidential assassins.

Captain James T. Kirk : We didn't kill Gorkon!

Martia : Of course not. But there is a reward for your death.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : That figures.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Are we firing torpedoes?

Captain James T. Kirk : I wish I knew.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Well, it sure looks like it.

Captain James T. Kirk : I'm going aboard. Spock, you have the conn.

Captain Spock : I'm responsible for involving you in this. I will go.

Captain James T. Kirk : No, I'll go. You'll be responsible for getting me out of this. We'll not be the instigators of full-scale war on the eve of universal peace.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : I'm going, too. They may need a doctor.

Captain Spock : Perhaps you're right.

Captain James T. Kirk : Uhura, tell them we're coming, and tell them we're unarmed.

Lieutenant Valeris : I did not fire. You cannot prove anything.

Captain James T. Kirk : Yes, I can. At my trial, my personal log was used against me. How long did you wait outside my quarters before I noticed you?

Lieutenant Valeris : [to Spock] You knew? I tried to tell you, but you would not listen.

Captain Spock : Neither of us was hearing very well that night, Lieutenant. There were things I tried to tell you about having faith.

Lieutenant Valeris : You have betrayed the Federation... all of you.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : And what do you think you've been doing?

Lieutenant Valeris : Saving Starfleet. Klingons cannot be trusted. Sir... you said so yourself. They killed your son. Did you not wish Gorkon dead? "Let them die," you said. Did I misinterpret you? And you were right. They conspired with us to assassinate their own chancellor. How trustworthy can they be?

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Klingons and Federation members conspiring together?

Captain James T. Kirk : Who is "us"?

Lieutenant Valeris : Everyone who stands to lose from peace.

Kirk : [6:58] What are we all doing here?

McCoy : Maybe they're throwing us a retirement party.

Scotty : That suits me. I just bought a boat.

Uhuru : This had better be good. I'm supposed to be chairing a seminar at the Academy.

Chekov : Captain, isn't this just for top brass?

McCoy : If we're all here, where's Sulu?

Kirk : *Captain* Sulu, on assignment. Where's Spock?

Captain Spock : Is it possible that we two, you and I, have grown so old and so inflexible that we have outlived our usefulness? Would that constitute... a joke?

Captain James T. Kirk : Don't crucify yourself. It wasn't your fault.

Captain Spock : I was responsible.

Captain James T. Kirk : For no actions but your own.

Captain Spock : That is not what you said at your trial.

Captain James T. Kirk : That was as captain of the ship. Humans beings...

Captain Spock : But, Captain, we both know that I am not human.

Captain James T. Kirk : Signal our surrender.

Uhura : [shocked] Captain?

Captain James T. Kirk : We surrender!

Uhura : [to Gorkon's ship] This is Enterprise. We surrender.

Captain James T. Kirk : [Spock volunteered him to escort the Klingon Chancellor to Earth for peace talks] How could you vouch for me? That's arrogant presumption.

Captain Spock : My father requested that I open negotiations...

Captain James T. Kirk : I know your father is the Vulcan ambassador, for heaven's sake, but you know how I feel about this.

Captain James T. Kirk : Some people are afraid of what might happen. I was terrified.

McCoy : What terrified you, specifically?

Captain James T. Kirk : No more Neutral Zone. I was used to hating Klingons. It never even occurred to me to take Gorkon at his word. Spock was right.

McCoy : Try not to be too hard on yourself. We all felt exactly the same.

Captain James T. Kirk : No. Somebody felt a lot worse. I'm beginning to understand why.

McCoy : Well, if you've got any bright ideas, now's the time.

Captain James T. Kirk : Time's the problem. You and I are nothing. But you heard the judge. The peace conference is on again. Whoever killed Gorkon is bound to attempt another assassination... unless we can get out of here.

Captain James T. Kirk : Where is the peace conference? They're going to attempt another assassination.

Captain Hikaru Sulu : The conference is at Camp Khitomer, near the Romulan border. I'm sending the exact coordinates on a coded frequency.

Captain James T. Kirk : I'm afraid we're gonna need more than that. There's a Bird of Prey on the lookout for us, and she can fire while cloaked.

Captain Hikaru Sulu : Surely not.

Captain James T. Kirk : Hold on. How many of those things are there? Come on, Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Valeris : Just the prototype.

Captain James T. Kirk : You hear that?

Captain Hikaru Sulu : I'm getting underway now, but we're now in Alpha quadrant. The chances of our reaching the conference in time are slim.

Captain James T. Kirk : When does this conference start?

Captain Hikaru Sulu : According to my information, today.

Captain James T. Kirk : Thank you, Captain Sulu.

Captain Hikaru Sulu : Don't mention it, Captain Kirk.

Captain Spock : You were right. It was arrogant presumption on my part that got us into this... situation. You and the doctor might have been killed.

Captain James T. Kirk : The night is young. You said it yourself; it was logical. Peace is worth a few personal risks.

Captain James T. Kirk : [Fighting Martia who has changed to look like him] Isn't it about time you became something else?

Martia (appearing as Kirk) : I like it here.

General Chang : There we have it, citizens. We have finally established the particulars of the crime. And now we come to the architect of this tragic affair: James Tiberius Kirk. What would your favorite author say, Captain? "Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings." Tell us your sad story, Kirk. Tell us that you planned to take revenge for the death of your son.

Captain James T. Kirk : That's not true.

Klingon Defense Attorney : Objection! Captain Kirk has not been identified as the assassin.

Klingon Judge : Sustained.

General Chang : I enter into the record this except from the captain's personal log.

Captain James T. Kirk : [voice recording] I've never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I have never been able to forgive them for the death of my boy.

Klingon Translator : [clamoring from the Klingon gallery] Again! Again!

General Chang : [the recording repeats] Are those your words?

Captain James T. Kirk : Those words were spoken by me.

Klingon Defense Attorney : Objection! My client's political views are not on trial.

General Chang : On the contrary! Captain Kirk's views and motives are indeed at the very heart of the matter! This officer's record shows him to be an insubordinate, unprincipled, career-minded opportunist with a history of violating the chain of command whenever it suited him!

Captain James T. Kirk : [after Kronos One is fired on] Torpedo bay, did we fire those torpedoes?

Captain Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott : Negative, Captain. According to inventory, we're still fully loaded.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Chancellor Gorkon.

Captain James T. Kirk : My god. What has happened here?

General Chang : You dare to feign ignorance?

Captain James T. Kirk : What happened?

General Chang : With a direct torpedo hit, you crippled our entire gravitational field! And two of your Starfleet crew beamed aboard wearing magnetic boots and did this.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Aren't you carrying a surgeon?

General Chang : We were until this disgrace.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Well, then for god sakes, man, let me help.

Captain James T. Kirk : Chancellor, we've been ordered to escort you through Federation space to your meeting on Earth.

Chancellor Gorkon : Thank you, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : Would you and your party care to dine this evening aboard the Enterprise with me and my officers, as guests of the United Federation of Planets?

Chancellor Gorkon : We would be delighted to accept your gracious invitation.

Captain James T. Kirk : We'll make arrangements to have you beamed aboard at 1930 hours.

Chancellor Gorkon : I shall look forward to that.

Captain James T. Kirk : [heading for the turbolift, he passes by Spock] I hope you're happy.

Captain Spock : I find this curious.

Captain James T. Kirk : Spock, I'm really tired.

Captain Spock : We are reading an enormous amount of neutron radiation.

Captain James T. Kirk : [his interest piqued] Where?

Captain Spock : Strangely enough, it appears to be emanating from us.

Captain James T. Kirk : The Enterprise?

Brigadier Kerla : Captain Kirk, I thought Romulan ale was illegal.

Captain James T. Kirk : One of the advantages of being a thousand light-years from Federation Headquarters.

Captain James T. Kirk : On occasion, I have disobeyed orders.

General Chang : And were you obeying or disobeying orders when you arranged the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon?

Captain James T. Kirk : I didn't know about the assassination until we boarded the ship.

General Chang : You still deny the Enterprise fired on Kronos One?

Captain James T. Kirk : Well...

Klingon Defense Attorney : Your Honors, please!

General Chang : And you still deny your men beamed aboard and shot the chancellor?

Klingon Defense Attorney : Objection!

Captain James T. Kirk : I cannot confirm or deny actions I did not witness.

General Chang : Captain Kirk, are you aware that as the captain of a starship, you are required to be responsible for the actions of your men?

Captain James T. Kirk : I am.

General Chang : And if it should be proved that members of your crew did in fact carry out such an assassination...

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Jim, they're setting us up. Your Honors...

Klingon Defense Attorney : Do not answer!

Klingon Judge : Captain Kirk, you will answer the question.

Captain James T. Kirk : As captain... I am responsible for the conduct of the crew under my command.

General Chang : Your Honors, the State rests.

General Chang : Have you not a shred of decency in you, Kirk? We come in peace, and you blatantly defile that peace. For that, I shall blow you out of the stars.

Captain James T. Kirk : We haven't fired.

Captain Spock : Captain. According to our databanks, we have. Twice.

Admiral Cartwright : To offer Klingons safe haven within Federation space is suicide. Klingons would become the alien trash of the galaxy. And if we dismantle the fleet, we'd be defenseless before an aggressive species with a foothold on our territory. The opportunity here is to bring them to their knees. Then we'll be in a far better position to dictate terms.

Captain James T. Kirk : Sir?

Chief in Command : Captain Kirk.

Captain James T. Kirk : The Klingons have never been trustworthy. I'm forced to agree with Admiral Cartwright. This is a terrifying idea.

Captain Spock : It is imperative that we act now to support the Gorkon initiative, lest more conservative elements persuade his empire that it is better to attempt a military solution and die fighting.

Chief in Command : You, Captain Kirk, are to be our first olive branch.

Captain Spock : We have volunteered to rendezvous with the Klingon vessel which is bringing Chancellor Gorkon to Earth and to escort him safely through Federation space.

Captain James T. Kirk : Me?

Chief in Command : Well, there are Klingons who feel the same way about the peace treaty as yourself and Admiral Cartwright. But they'll think twice about attacking the Enterprise under your command.

Captain Spock : I have personally vouched for you in this matter, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : You have personally vouched?

Chief in Command : You will extend Chancellor Gorkon full diplomatic courtesy, Captain Kirk.

Captain James T. Kirk : But a full ambassador would be better equipped...

Chief in Command : If there's no further business, I wish you and your crew godspeed.

Captain James T. Kirk : Reverse engines. All astern. 1/2 impulse power. Back off! Back off!

General Chang : [in Klingonese, watching the Enterprise reverse course] What's she doing?

Captain James T. Kirk : What's she waiting for?

Captain Spock : Probably attempting to ascertain why we are reversing. Wondering whether we detect her.

Kirk : [after kicking an alien in its genitals during a brawl] Bones, why don't you see what you can do for him. Let him know we're not holding a grudge.

McCoy : Suppose he's holding a grudge?

Martia : We're outside the shield. Now it's your turn, Captain.

Captain James T. Kirk : If you say so.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : [watching Jim punch her] Are you crazy?

Captain James T. Kirk : She didn't need our help getting anywhere. And where'd you get these convenient clothes? And don't tell me that flare is standard prison issue. It's to let them know where we are. Ask her what she's getting in return.

Martia : [wiping blood from her mouth] A full pardon, which doesn't cover this.

Captain James T. Kirk : An accident wasn't good enough. Come on, Spock.

Martia : Good enough for one. Two would have looked suspicious.

[shifting into Kirk as she talks]

Martia (appearing as Kirk) : Killed while attempting escape. Now, that's convincing for both.

Martia : When whoever it is makes their move, you won't be here to ask if he's the one. Do you want to get out of here?

Captain James T. Kirk : There's gotta be a way.

Kirk : [coming across an alien that towers over him] Oh, my god.

[the alien says something in its native language]

Kirk : Uh, the, um, universal translator's been confiscated.

[the alien says something again]

Kirk : I'm sorry.

McCoy : [it continues to growl] He's definitely on about something, Jim.

Kirk : [the alien picks him up] If this is your spot, we'll move on.

Martia : He wants your obedience to the Brotherhood of Aliens.

Kirk : He's got it.

Martia : And your coat.

Kirk : I'm afraid not. Besides, it wouldn't fit.

Captain James T. Kirk : [of the prototype Bird of Prey] She's out here somewhere.

Chekov : But if she is cloaked...

Captain James T. Kirk : Then all we have is a neutron radiation surge, and by the time we're close enough to record it, we're ashes.

Captain Spock : 2:09. 2:06. 2:03.

Captain James T. Kirk : Close enough to beam down?

Captain Spock : Not yet, Captain. In two minutes.

Martia : No one has ever escaped from Rura Penthe.

Captain James T. Kirk : Except us.

Martia : It is possible. I know how to get outside the shield.

Captain James T. Kirk : How do we fit in?

Martia : Getting outside the shield is easy. But after that, it's up to you to get us off the surface before we freeze. Can you?

Captain James T. Kirk : It's possible.

Martia : I can't make it alone, and you're the likeliest candidate to come in this hellhole for months.

Captain James T. Kirk : Candidate for what?

[as she kisses him, Bones rolls his eyes]

Martia : Go to lift seven in the morning for mining duty. I'll see you there. Don't disappoint me.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Would you mind explaining that little trick you do?

Martia : I'm a chameloid.

Captain James T. Kirk : I've heard about you. Shapeshifters. I thought you were mythical.

Martia : Give a girl a chance, Captain.

[shifting into her normal appearance]

Martia : It takes a lot of effort.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : I don't doubt it. Stop me if I'm wrong, but do we have any way of knowing whether this is the real you?

Martia : I thought I would assume a pleasing shape.

Klingon Commander : No witnesses.

Captain James T. Kirk : Killed while trying to escape.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Damn clever, if you ask me.

Captain James T. Kirk : It's a classic.

Klingon Commander : That's what he wanted.

Captain James T. Kirk : Who? Who wanted us killed?

Klingon Commander : Since you're all going to die anyway, why not tell you? His name is...

[Kirk and Bones are beamed away]

Captain Spock : The Klingons have a new weapon: a Bird of Prey that can fire when cloaked. She torpedoed Gorkon's ship.

Captain James T. Kirk : So that's it.

Captain Spock : Not entirely. I have reason to believe that Gorkon's murderers are aboard this vessel.

Captain James T. Kirk : I have a thought about that. Has the peace conference begun?

Chekov : Who knows? They're keeping the location secret.

Captain James T. Kirk : There's always something.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : [learning Martia is a shapeshifter] What kind of creature is this? Last night, you two were...

Captain James T. Kirk : Don't remind me.

Scotty : Captain! Oh, Mr. Spock! I found the missing uniforms with the Klingon blood on them.

[a door opens, revealing two crewmen dead on the floor]

Scotty : But the uniforms belong to these two men: Burke and Samno.

Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : [inspecting a wound] Not anymore. Phaser on stun at close range.

Captain James T. Kirk : First rule of assassination: kill the assassins.

Scotty : Now we're back to square one.

Captain James T. Kirk : [to Spock] Can I talk to you?

[they walk a few feet away to talk privately]

Scotty : I wonder why they weren't vaporized.

Chekov : It would set off the alarm.

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Captain’s Maneuver

Quick Victory – Gorkon increases the chances of dealing a Critical Hit by 10% for the first 2 Rounds.

Gorkon’s captain’s maneuver is good for hostiles, and where battles are quick. Not so great for PvP, where the battles last longer. So your opponent’s captain’s abilities will keep firing, and yours is done in two rounds.

During the Military Supremacy! events, when I’ve got to kill 500 level 40s, I’ll put Gorkon’s Hull Breach crew on my Saladin , and save the PMC crew for my Intrepid.

On the Saladin, you’re going to get a chance at a huge Critical Hit with that big gun, and combining him with Kerla and his officer ability to increase the critical hit damage that will amplify this effect. For a third, I use Azetbur and her armor-piercing ability.

Officer Ability of Gorkon

When the ship hits the opponent with a Critical Hit, Gorkon has a (70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%) chance of causing a Hull Breach for three rounds on the opponent’s ship.

The Hull Breach itself doesn’t do any damage. I know, you’d think a hole in the opponent’s ship would itself would be bad for a ship, but it really isn’t. What the breach does is trigger the abilities of other officers.

The problem is that there really aren’t a lot of officers who use Hull Breach. In fact, the officers who defend against Hull Breach might be better than those who use it.

When you compare this with some of the enormous boosts that you can get with morale crews – like Spock’s shield regenerating ability – it’s a bit underwhelming.

The caveat to this would be when using a ship like the D4, which has it’s ship ability contingent on the opponent having a hull breach.

Gorkon Below Decks

When it comes to Armadas and PvP, Gorkon’s biggest impact is probably below decks, where he can provide you with a big boost to your attack stats. So if you’re running Kang, Linkasa, L’Nar, or Six of Ten, whose abilities all rely on the attack stats of your crew, having him on board will be very helpful.

Gorkon Rating

Gorkon is a good officer. He’s not as valuable as Kirk, or Pike, but he brings a lot to the table, in that you can use him to free up those other crews. The Hull Breach is disappointing, but his critical hits in the first few rounds can be very useful. Good but not great.

He is worth spending officer badges on, but he wouldn’t be the first one I’d spend them on. He’d be even more valuable if a few more good Hull Breach officers were added to the game.

David Warner Trivia

Born in 1941 in Manchester , England, the son of a nursing home owner. He trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. He worked for several years in Shakespearean plays in and around London, before transitioning to films and television in the mid-60s.

One of his earliest roles was alongside Bob Dylan in the 1963 play Madhouse on Castle Street . He was in The Omen with Gregory Peck 1976. Warner was regularly cast as villains, in films like Time After Time , Time Bandits and Tron .

In Star Trek

Warner made his Star Trek debut in Star Trek V as the crude, drunk, and depressed Federation Ambassador St. John Talbot.

He was then brought back for Star Trek VI as Chancellor Gorkon.

Gorkon was created by writer Denny Martin Finn as an amalgamation of Mikhail Gorbachev and Abraham Lincoln.

It was co-writer Nick Meyer who decided that Gorkon should be assassinated.

The original choice to play Gorkon was Jack Palance , who was a longtime actor in Westerns, and is probably most famous to people my age for starring in the Billy Crystal movie City Slickers . He later won an Oscar for that performance, and did a one-armed pushup on the stage. Really.

But Palance wanted too much money, and was hesitant to take the role.

So Meyer turned to his friend David Warner, and the role changed accordingly. Gorkon was to be the “peacemaker” Klingon that the audience wasn’t supposed to know if they could trust or not.

Perhaps Warner’s best Trek role is that of Gul Madred in the Next Generation episodes “ Chain of Command, Part I ” and “ Chain of Command, Part II “. It’s the one where he tortures Picard, and tries to get him to say that there are five lights, instead of four.

He based his performance on the “re-educator” from 1984.

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Star trek 6: how christopher plummer's chang inspired discovery's klingons.

As Star Trek VI's General Chang, the legendary Christopher Plummer pioneered the look of the bald Klingon decades before Star Trek: Discovery did it.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 's villain, General Chang (Christopher Plummer), was the first bald Klingon in Star Trek , and he helped inspire the look of Star Trek: Discovery 's controversial Klingons that were retconned earlier into the franchise's timeline. Christopher Plummer died on February 5, 2021 , at the age of 91, and the actor left behind a legendary body of work on stage and screen, including his iconic portrayal of arguably the best Klingon antagonist of the Star Trek movies.

Chang was a prime conspirator in Star Trek VI 's plot to assassinate Klingon High Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) and prevent the Empire's peace negotiations with the United Federation of Planets. The swaggering, one-eyed General also dined aboard the Starship Enterprise in order to confront and size up his nemesis, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Chang's machinations to frame Kirk for Gorkon's murder and have him executed on the Klingon penal planet Rura Penthe nearly succeeded but Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) uncovered the truth behind the assassination. After being rescued, Kirk and Spock rooted out the conspiracy, which involved dissidents within the Klingons, Romulans, and the Federation, including Spock's protégé, Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrall). Under Kirk's command, the Enterprise and the U.S.S. Excelsior led by Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) overcame Chang's advantage of a Bird-of-Prey that can fire while cloaked, and they destroyed the malevolent General before saving the galaxy.

Related: Star Trek Can Fix Its Klingon Problem In Discovery Season 4

General Chang's notable look as the first bald Klingon was the result of Christopher Plummer balking at wearing the wigs and prosthetics that give the warrior race wild, fearsome look with their ridged brows and foreheads. Plummer initially turned down the role because he refused to wear the elaborate get-up, which the actor regarded as "rather phony" . However, Star Trek VI ' s director Nicholas Meyer wrote the part of General Chang for Plummer and he refused to consider anyone else for the role. Back-and-forth phone calls with producer Leonard Nimoy finally got Plummer on board and the decision was made to make General Chang bald, with more subtle makeup and Klingon ridges that blended the modern look of the aliens with the more human-like way they appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series .

By the time, Star Trek: Discovery retconned the Klingons over 25 years later, the decision was made to make their prequel-era Klingons bald , which was just one reason the startling redesign sparked a furor among the Star Trek fanbase. Discovery 's Klingons were considerably more alien than their prior incarnations, although by Star Trek: Discovery season 2, the point was the Klingons started growing their hair after the Empire was united in order to bridge them into looking and acting more like the Klingons Trekkers knew and loved. Continuity-wise, General Chang appeared in Star Trek VI decades after Star Trek: Discovery season 1 so it could be inferred that Chang's look may have derived from Discovery' s bald Klingons, although the order of events is the opposite in real life.

Chang's unique (at the time) look also made other actors who played Klingons in the 1990s jealous of Plummer. John Colicos, who played Kor, the first on-screen TOS Klingon in "Errand of Mercy", reprised his role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . But in his comeback, Kor no longer appeared as he did in TOS and he grudgingly had to don a wig and prosthetics so that Kor's look matched the other Star Trek: The Next Generation -era Klingons. Colicos complained, " I tried to get rid of my wig but they wouldn't go for it. I guess you have to be Christopher Plummer before they'll let you be a bald Klingon ". By Star Trek: Discovery , a bald Klingon was no longer an aberration, although none of them had the swagger, panache, or encyclopedic reverence for William Shakespeare's plays as General Chang.

Next: All 5 Versions Of Star Trek's Klingons Explained

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Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, shake hands over the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at the Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, view the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

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DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.

The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model’s return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he’s thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

AP AUDIO: Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage.

AP correspondent Margie Szaroleta reports on the return of the original model of the USS Enterprise from the TV show “Star Trek.”

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

FILE - Journalist Poppy Harlow poses for photographers as she arrives at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, Saturday, April 29, 2023. CNN says on Friday, April 26, 2024, that Harlow announced her parting from the cable news giant in an email to colleagues.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show’s original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series’ episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can’t get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn’t something he’d thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he’d thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” he said with a laugh.

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Unalaska’s first Star Trek convention brings island’s Trekkies together

Trivia, video clips and Funko Pops abounded at Unalaska’s very first Star Trek convention, held on April 5. The event was organized on something of a whim by the team at the Museum of the Aleutians. Joselle Hale is the museum’s newest full-time employee and a self-proclaimed lover of all things Spock. They said they got into Star Trek during the pandemic. “My uncle made fun of me all the time because I didn’t watch either Star Trek or Star Wars and they were going to take my geek card,”...

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Kronos One personnel

View history

The following is a list of Klingons who served aboard the Kronos One in 2293 .

2.1 Chang's assistant
2.2 Generals
2.3 Gorkon's soldier
2.4 Kerla's soldiers
2.5 Officers
2.6 Transporter officer

Unnamed [ ]

Chang's assistant [ ].

A Klingon soldier

This soldier served as General Chang 's assistant during his time aboard Kronos One . He restored the anti-gravity at Chang's orders. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Generals [ ]

See : Klingon general 1
See : Klingon general 2
See : Klingon general 3

Gorkon's soldier [ ]

This Klingon officer served as Chancellor Gorkon's personal soldier. He was present in Gorkon's stateroom when the anti-gravity failed after Kronos One was hit by photon torpedoes . When the two assassins entered the room he was killed by one of them who fired a phaser onto him. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Kerla's soldiers [ ]

These two Klingon soldiers were putting the dead transporter officer on a stretcher when Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy materialized in the transporter room . At the orders of Brigadier Kerla they guided Kirk and McCoy through the corridors to the stateroom of Chancellor Gorkon where they grabbed their arms and held them while Chang explained what happened. When Doctor McCoy tried to save Gorkon's life they helped to put Gorkon on the table. Following the death of Gorkon they arrested Kirk and McCoy, put them in handcuffs and brought them into the ship's prison .

The second Klingon soldier was later present during Azetbur's speech at the Khitomer conference and protected her during the assassination attempt on the Federation president. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Officers [ ]

The first two officers went through a corridor aboard Kronos One when the anti-gravity went off. Shortly thereafter the two assassins , later identified as USS Enterprise -A yeomen Burke and Samno , fired their phasers and shot them. One of them was later found dead in a corridor when Captain Kirk and Doctor Leonard McCoy went to Gorkon's stateroom.

The third Klingon was lying dead in a corridor when Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy were brought to Chancellor Gorkon's stateroom.

The fourth Klingon was running through a corridor when a photon torpedo exploded in this section.

The other Klingons were running through the corridors and carrying away the dead and wounded while Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy came aboard the Klingon ship. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

Transporter officer [ ]

A Klingon officer

This Klingon officer served as transporter operator aboard Kronos One in 2293. He was drifting in the room after the anti-gravity system was damaged. He witnessed the two assassins beaming aboard and was shot by one of them. ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

COMMENTS

Gorkon
Gorkon in Star Trek vs. Transformers. Gorkon appears in the in the fifth and final issue of the comic crossover mini-series Star Trek vs. Transformers though he is not named in the issue itself. In keeping with the aesthetic sensibilities of the comic drawn in the style of Star Trek: The Animated Series, he was redesigned to resemble the Klingons from that show and his ridged forehead was dropped.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Chancellor Gorkon : And this is General Chang, my chief of staff. General Chang : I have... so wanted to meet you, Captain. Captain James T. Kirk : I'm not sure how to take that. Chancellor Gorkon : [last words to Kirk before death] Don't let it end this way, captain. Captain James T. Kirk : Chancellor, we've been ordered to escort you through ...
USS Gorkon
Appendices [] Background information []. According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 330), the registry number for the Gorkon was NCC-40512.Decipher's Starships sourcebook gave its registry number as NCC-40521.. The Gorkon was named for the Klingon chancellor Gorkon.(Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 309); ) In early drafts of "Descent," this ship was named USS Valiant.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is a 1991 American science fiction film directed by Nicholas Meyer, who directed the second Star Trek film, The Wrath of Khan.It is the sixth feature film based on the 1966-1969 Star Trek television series. Taking place after the events of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, it is the final film featuring the entire main cast of the original television series.
Gorkon, son of Toq
Biography [] Early career []. Gorkon was a Klingon Defense Force officer, and was eventually promoted to the rank of general.He was assigned as commanding officer of the IKS Chech'Iw in the 2250s.As commander of the Chech'Iw, General Gorkon had several run-ins with the USS Dauntless under the command of Captain Diego Reyes.In 2268 conflict with the Chech'Iw' cost the Dauntless eighteen crew ...
Gorkon (David Warner) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Like Kirk, Gorkon comes from a bygone era, one in which Klingons and humans were mortal foes. Now, however, Gorkon realizes that the best thing for his people is peace, and he's willing to fight for that no matter how much it hurts his pride. Of course, Gorkon ends up losing a lot more than his pride due to his efforts—he loses his life.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Captain Kirk's views and motives are indeed at the very heart of the matter! This officer's record shows him to be an insubordinate, unprincipled, career-minded opportunist with a history of violating the chain of command whenever it suited him! Commander Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, M.D. : Chancellor Gorkon.
"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"
'Keptin, ve're about to hit that star.' 'Quiet, Pavel. We need this for our big exit.' Kirk and Co., three months from retirement, are assigned to escort Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) to Earth for historic peace negotiations between the Federation and its long-time nemesis.The talks are spurred by Spock after the destruction of a Klingon moon — witnessed months earlier ...
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Kirk surrenders to avoid a fight, and beams aboard the Klingon ship with Doctor Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) to attempt to save Gorkon's life. The chancellor dies, and Gorkon's chief of staff, General Chang, puts Kirk and McCoy on trial for his assassination.
Celebrating The Undiscovered Country's 25th Anniversary
Star Trek VI guest stars included David Warner as Klingon Chancellor Gorkon, Kim Cattrall as the duplicitous Lt. Valeris and Christopher Plummer as the Shakespeare-quoting General Chang. Notable grace notes included the sight of George Takei as Captain Sulu racing to assist the Enterprise and Captain Kirk, and appearances by Mark Lenard (as Sarek), John Schuck (reprising his Star Trek IV role ...
Kerla
Brigadier Kerla was a male Klingon who served as an officer in the Klingon Defense Force during the 23rd century. He was the trusted military adviser to Chancellor Gorkon, and would continue in that role with Gorkon's daughter, Azetbur. In 2293, Kerla coordinated an official response to the destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis. In communication with the USS Excelsior, Kerla acknowledged that ...
Star Trek IKS Gorkon Reading Guide
Read these for the bare bones story. Light blue denotes the expanded storyline. Read any or all of these to go a bit deeper. White denotes cameos of Gorkon characters after the end of the series. Hover for notes. A Song Well Sung. TNG: Diplomatic Implausibility (Good jumping-on-point) The Final Artifact. A Good Day to Die (Good jumping-on-point)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Film)
The One With… the Cold War IN SPACE! Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the sixth movie in the Star Trek film series, released in 1991. It is a grand finale for the classic Trek crew ( as played by the original actors, at least) which resolves the previously ongoing conflict between the Federation and the Klingons with a Tom Clancy ...
Chang (Star Trek)
General Chang is a fictional character from the Star Trek fictional universe, portrayed by Christopher Plummer as the central antagonist in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, a feature film released in 1991.. In The Undiscovered Country, Chang is Chancellor Gorkon's chief of staff, and subsequently serves Chancellor Azetbur in 2293. He is depicted as being a fan of William Shakespeare ...
Shakespeare, in the original Klingon
Star Trek. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Shown from left: David Warner (as Chancellor Gorkon), Christopher Plummer (as General Chang), William Shatner (as Captain James T. Kirk), Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy (as Captain Spock), Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan. Paramount Pictures.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Some people think the future means the end of history. Well, we haven't run out of history quite yet. Your father called the future - "the undiscovered country". People can be very frightened of change. Azetbur : You've restored my father's faith. Captain James T. Kirk : And you've restored my son's. General Chang : I can see you, Kirk.
How Star Trek 4 Set Up Kirk's Imprisonment In The Undiscovered Country
The plot of The Undiscovered Country involved Klingons led by General Chang (Christopher Plummer) assassinating High Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) and framing Kirk and, by proxy, Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForrest Kelly) for the murders. Their scheme saw Kirk and Bones extradited to the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS, tried in a kangaroo court, and ...
Chang (General)
Played by: Christopher Plummer. " In space, all warriors are cold warriors. - Chang, 2293 ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) General Chang was a Klingon military officer and chief of staff to Gorkon, Chancellor of the Klingon High Council in 2293. In that year, Chang was involved in the Khitomer conspiracy to sabotage peace talks ...
Gorkon
The Basics. Chancellor Gorkon is the leader of the Klingon Patriots or "Hull Breach" crew in Star Trek Fleet Command. He's an epic command officer. You can get Gorkon recruiting shards from the Klingon faction store, Ultra and premium recruiting chests, as well as from Transporter patterns.
Star Trek 6: How Christopher Plummer's Chang Inspired Discovery's Klingons
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country's villain, General Chang (Christopher Plummer), was the first bald Klingon in Star Trek, and he helped inspire the look of Star Trek: Discovery's controversial Klingons that were retconned earlier into the franchise's timeline. Christopher Plummer died on February 5, 2021, at the age of 91, and the actor left behind a legendary body of work on stage and ...
Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from 'Star Trek' boldly
1 of 8 | . The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original "Star Trek" television series — has been returned to Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, the son of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s.
David Warner
David Warner (29 July 1941 - 24 July 2022; age 80) was an English actor who played St. John Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Madred in the Star Trek: The Next Generation sixth season episodes "Chain Of Command, Part I" and "Chain Of Command, Part II". He reprised the role of Gorkon for the video game Star Trek: Klingon Academy ...
Elon, Hold On to Your 'Star Trek' Dreams
The emblem on Musk's bomber jacket showed a picture of the Starship Enterprise, from the original TV series Star Trek. Underneath it was the motto: "Where no man has gone before."
Unalaska's first Star Trek convention brings island's ...
Trivia, video clips and Funko Pops abounded at Unalaska's very first Star Trek convention, held on April 5. The event was organized on something of a whim by the team at the Museum of the Aleutians. Joselle Hale is the museum's newest full-time employee and a self-proclaimed lover of all things Spock.
Kronos One personnel
The following is a list of Klingons who served aboard the Kronos One in 2293. Gorkon Azetbur Chang Kerla Stex This soldier served as General Chang's assistant during his time aboard Kronos One. He restored the anti-gravity at Chang's orders. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) See: Klingon general 1 See: Klingon general 2 See: Klingon general 3 This Klingon officer served as Chancellor ...