Blood Oath

**** (4 stars out of 5)

Today's episode of Deep Space Nine is brought to you by the letter 'K'.

Three Klingons well into their dotage arrive in search of Curzon Dax. They'll be somewhat familiar to long-time viewers: Kor, Koloth, and Kang all matched wits with Captain Kirk over a hundred years ago. As everyone will be quick to point out, their Klingon foreheads grew in at some point. What most people don't notice is that Kor and Koloth aren't wearing their purple vests from their previous on-screen appearances... in the Animated Series. Why does no one raise a stink about that?!

Round about 2290, the triple K's firstborn sons died of a virus engineered by an albino pirate called 'The Albino'. Before you ask, it's the 24th Century, so yes, he IS the only Albino ANYWHERE.  It's not an offensive slur to the differently pigmented NOW, is it?

Curzon and his drinking buddies swore among themselves to cut the heart from this villain and eat it in front of him. But he had an unlisted number, and Kang's wife Mara made him clean the rain gutters instead, and one thing led to another until 80 years went by.

Will Jadzia fulfill Curzon's murderous oath? Will the chauvinistic Klingons permit her to come along if she makes them coffee? Will Sisko give her Starfleet's maximum allowable penalty for running off on a vigilante justice killing spree: a disappointed look?

Fortunately, the weatherman declared it would be a good day to die, because even with Dax's sneaky peeky science trickery Koloth and Kang meet their end just after the 'killer of children'.

(Since Kor is Klingon Orthodox, he sings for the dead instead of howling a warning to the afterlife.)

"Blood Oath" is a treat for fans and rip-snorting action for all. Colicos, Campbell, and Ansara originated the role of Klingons and update themselves well for the latest generation.
Have fun stormin' the castle!

Day of the Dove

**** (4 stars out of 5)

"Day of the Dove" brings back the Klingons for the final time in the original series. Michael Ansara is towering as Kang. Just awesome. He either gets all the best dialogue or he makes it the best with acting brilliance.

Kang and Kirk were both lured in to Beta XII-A by distress calls. 100 imaginary Human colonists dead, 400 real Klingons dead, and it's only 7 pm.

Kang's not buying the accusation that he's just destroyed "A colony of the invisible?" He backhands and captures Kirk.

"Go to the devil," Kirk mutters.

"We have no devil, Kirk, but we understand the habits of yours."

Chekov rushes Kang's goons, screaming revenge for the Archanis IV massacre.

"You killed my brother, Piotr!"

"So you volunteer to join him. That is loyalty."

Kirk turns the tables with the transporter. The Klingon survivors, including Kang's hot science officer wife, Mara, are now the prisoners. Sulu destroys their empty enemy vessel.

A swirling goblin made of light like the rainbow wheel cursor creeps around the halls of Enterprise. It shuts down the communications, seizes the engines and races for the extra-galactic void at warp 9. Most of Enterprise crew is locked in their rooms, with equal numbers on each side free. Phasers transmute into swords. Most everybody starts in with the stabbing. Kang finds this "delightful".

Spock points out that neither side has transmuting ability, and that if the Klingons COULD do it, why would they arm both sides? And why are all the plowshares missing?

Sulu points out that Chekov is an only child- there never was a Piotr.

Perception can't be trusted- even McCoy is baying for the blood of every Klingon. Scotty and Spock voice race hatred against each other. And stab-happy Chekov tries to force himself on Mara.

Oh, and now Johnson's back from the dead again. "Kill the Klingons! It's them or us, isn't it?"

Kirk uses rare and risky intra-ship beaming to go unarmed into Kang's camp and return Mara.

Inevitably, he gets into a swordfight.

"We can't be killed!" Kirk tries to explain to Kang.

"Then no doubt you will reassemble after I've hacked you to bits."

Kang does the hardest thing a Klingon can do and calls truce, rather than be a pawn killing for another's purposes. Good spirits, even ringing false, drive the manipulative pinwheel away.

"We need no urging to hate humans. But for the present, only a fool fights in a burning house."