In the most recent episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, “A Farewell to Farms,” we got to see a whole new side of Qo’noS, the Klingon homeworld. But perhaps the episode has left you hungry for more Klingon action?
Then fix yourself a big bowl of gagh and get ready because this week’s Trek Tuesday, we’re counting down nine great Klingon episodes. One of the best-explored species in the Franchise, there’s no shortage of possible episodes featuring Klingons to watch. Did we include your favorites?
Errand of Mercy
The very first episode to feature the Klingons was Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 Episode 27, “Errand of Mercy.” In this episode, James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) must prevent the Klingons from establishing a base on Organia. However, Kirk and Spock find that the Organians are indifferent about the arrival of the Klingons, led by Kor (John Colicos).
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Over the course of the episode, Kirk and Spock attempt to convince the Organians that the Klingons are a threat to them. However, at the conclusion of the episode, it is revealed that the apparently agrarian Organians are actually a highly advanced race of energy beings. For that reason, their assumption that the Klingons posed no threat to them was correct.
The Trouble with Tribbles
In The Original Series Season 2 Episode 15, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Kirk and his crew also run into some trouble with Klingons. Both the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the crew of a Klingon warship under the command of Koloth (William Campbell) are enjoying shore leave on Deep Space K7. But things are complicated when Cyrano Jones (Stanley Adams) introduces Tribbles to the equation.
However, this episode reveals that there is no love lost between Klingons and Tribbles. When in the presence of a Klingon, a Tribble has an obvious reaction. This reveals that Arne Darvin (Charlie Brill) is actually a Klingon. Disguised as a human, he poisoned a crucial stockpile of grain held aboard the space station. Ultimately, Scotty (James Doohan) beams all the Tribbles onto the Klingon ship, where “they’ll be no Tribble at all.”
Day of the Dove
In The Original Series Season 3 Episode 11, “Day of the Dove,” Kirk and his crew once again come into conflict with the Klingons. In orbit around Beta III-A, the U.S.S. Enterprise faces off against a Klingon battle cruiser. This ship is commanded by Kang (Michael Ansara), who holds Kirk responsible for the damage to his ship.
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Kang and his crew are brought aboard the Enterprise, and tensions run high. But chaos breaks out when all the weapons on the ship are transformed into swords. Soon, the Klingons battle the Starfleet officers using primitive weaponry. Eventually, the source of the transformation is identified: an energy being. However, the discovery that the entity’s power is weakened by a cessation of violence and “good spirits” leads to an amicable end to the conflict.
Sins of the Father
In the 17th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, “Sins of the Father,” Worf (Michael Dorn) meets his brother. After William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) earlier served aboard the IKS Pagh, Kurn (Tony Todd) is temporarily transferred to the U.S.S. Enterprise-D as part of the Federation-Klingon exchange program.
However, things are significantly complicated when Kurn informs Worf that their father, Mogh, has been accused of treason. As the Enterprise heads to Qo’noS, Kurn asks Worf to be his Cha’Dich. But a further complication arises when an injury causes Kurn to fall into a coma. Soon, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has stepped into the role of Cha’Dich in Kurn’s place.
Blood Oath
Everyone knows Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has a cornucopia of episodes featuring Klingons. But one of the most exciting is Season 2 Episode 19, “Blood Oath.” This is because the episode sees the return of Kor, Koloth and Kang, all played by their original actors from The Original Series.
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The story sees Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) assuming the titular blood oath, which was sworn by her symbiote host predecessor, Curzon Dax. The episode offers a perspective on Klingons that had previously been unrepresented in the Franchise.
Barge of the Dead
On Star Trek: Voyager, B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) struggles with her mixed Klingon and human heritage. But in Voyager Season 6 Episode 3, she must confront Klingon religious beliefs in a singular and memorable way.
After a near-death experience aboard a shuttlecraft, Torres experiences a vision of the Barge of the Dead. This vessel transports dead Klingons to Gre’thor, their religion’s version of Hell. Over the course of the episode, the situation becomes more complicated, and Torres must re-evaluate what role Klingon religious beliefs will play in her life … and her death.
Divergence
Curious why the Klingons in The Original Series look different from the Klingons in The Next Generation and beyond? There is a canonical answer to this question. It is revealed in Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4 Episode 6, “Divergence.”
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In this episode, Doctor Phlox (John Billingsley) is kidnapped by Klingons. They hope he will find a cure for the Klingon Augment virus. Eventually, Phlox succeeds. However, the treatment causes Klingon head ridges to become smoothed out. This explains the more human-like appearance of Klingons in The Original Series, which takes place after Enterprise on the timeline.
Will You Take My Hand?
The Klingons appear in many episodes of Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 and Season 2, which depict the Klingon War and its aftermath. However, one of the most important is the Season 1 finale, “Will You Take My Hand?” In this episode, a U.S.S. Discovery landing party visits Qo’noS.
This means Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wise), Mirror Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) get a chance to visit Qo’noS. This results in an interesting glimpse of details like what other species live and operate on the Klingon homeworld at this time, such as Orion. Plus: ever wondered what a Klingon urinating looks like? Wonder no more.
Under the Cloak of War
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War,” the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), welcomes a Klingon defector. Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom) has become an ambassador of peace, denouncing Klingon beliefs in favor of those espoused by the Federation.
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The visit is especially hard for the Enterprise crew members who are veterans of the Klingon War, including Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia). In flashbacks, we witness the wartime experiences of Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Christine Chapel (Jess Bush). But the part of the episode that will really stick with you are the shocking actions undertaken by M’Benga, past and present, and the disquieting final scene of the episode. This is an episode that pulls no punches.
All these Star Trek episodes, and many more episodes and movies featuring Klingons, are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
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