New Ground (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"New Ground" is the 110th episode of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The tenth episode of the fifth season.

Worf is less than thrilled when his foster mother, Helena, arrives with his son Alexander. Although Helena and Worf's foster father, Sergey, had agreed to raise the boy after K'Ehleyr's death, Helena now reports that Alexander is having difficult time adjusting to his new life; he needs to be raised by his father on the Enterprise. Predictably, Worf, and Alexander have a difficult time adjusting to one another- a situation aggravated by a ship-based experiment that becomes life-threatening.

Plot

La Forge is excited about the first trial run of soliton wave transportation technology that the Enterprise will be assisting. La Forge notes that witnessing the Soliton wave transportation would be like witnessing Zefram Cochrane engage the first warp drive. His excitement is not met by Data and Worf. Worf receives a communication from his human mother who requests to visit with his son Alexander. On arrival, Alexander reveals that it was not intended for him to go back.

Worf's mother explains that Alexander is too much of a burden on them. After enrolling Alexander in school, Worf finds many new problems with the arrival of his son. Alexander soon lies and steals during a school field trip.

During the science experiment of the wave transportation, the Enterprise experiences a distortion and is damaged and the test ship explodes. The wave exponentially increases in power and speed, and is on a collision course with a colony at Lemma II.

Alexander continues to cause problems in school, and Worf reviews his parenting habits. He decides to send Alexander to a Klingon school, believing that it is best. However, Alexander feels he is being rejected by Worf.

The Enterprise dissipates the wave with photon torpedoes. Alexander is saved from a damaged area of the Enterprise by Riker and Worf. Afterwards, Worf lets Alexander stay on the Enterprise.

References

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 5, disc 3, selection 2.

External links

• "New Ground" at the Internet Movie Database
• "New Ground" at TV.com

• New Ground at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

• New Ground at StarTrek.com