‘ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This episode features the last appearance of John Colicos as Kor in ‘DS9’. Kor first appeared in ‘The Original Series’ episode ‘Errand of Mercy’. He later did two more ‘Star Trek’ episodes in ‘DS9’ itself. 🙂
They were ‘Blood Oath’ and ‘The Sword of Kahless’. In the recent episode, Kor was joined by Worf and Jadzia Dax to find ‘the Sword of Kahless’! Here, he reunites with Worf and asks for his help here.
Kor has lost influence in the Klingon Empire. This is due to him being aging and increasingly senile. He asks Worf to help him secure a Klingon ship to command and the chance to die in glorious battle.
Worf meets up with J. G. Hertzler as General Martok to bring the request, but Martok angrily rejects it. Worf is surprised by Martok’s outburst. He makes the request to Martok again on his ship’s bridge.
It’s revealed that Kor once rejected Martok’s application to become an officer in the Klingon Empire. This was based on Martok’s lower-class lineage. General Martok still holds a grudge against Kor here.
Worf compromises by appointing Kor as the third officer of Martok’s ship, the Ch’tang. Martok puts up with having Kor on his ship as they’re about to make a raid into Dominion space in the episode. 😐
On board the Ch’tang, the crew are enthused to have a living legend like Kor among them. Kor recounts old war stories to the Ch’tang crew, which does put Martok out whenever he’s in the room.
The crew’s enthusiasm for Kor soon diminishes when the Ch’tang’s first battle takes place. Martok and Worf are temporarily incapacitated, which gives Kor the chance to take command in this battle.
Kor’s senility becomes the better of him when he relives an old battle and gives out inappropriate commands. Thankfully the disaster is averted once Martok and Worf recover and resume command.
It’s sad how Kor has turned out in this episode. I imagine he was a great Klingon commander who knew his own mind in the days of ‘The Original Series’ before he became older and senile in ‘DS9’. 😦
Kor’s pride gets severely hurt when Martok and much of the crew mock him. Worf is forced to remove Kor from his duties and he blames himself for placing him in a really unsustainable situation.
It’s interesting how Martok comes to realise that mocking Kor brought him no pleasure. Quite a contrast compared to how Martok held a grudge against Kor for rejecting his application years ago. 🙂
Martok and Worf agree to appeal to Chancellor Gowron to find a worthy and suitable place for Kor. But as the Kingons return to friendlier space, they discover ten Dominion ships chasing after them. 😐
The Dominion ships will intercept the Klingons before they can reach safety. Worf prepares to embark on a suicide mission in one vessel to delay the pursuers and to allow the Klingons to escape.
Kor hears about Worf’s plan from Martok’s aide, Neil C. Vipond as Darok. Darok is of Kor’s age and he’s sympathetic to his plight, encouraging him not to lose heart about having his honour restored. 🙂
With his pride rekindled, Kor meets up with Worf who’s about to go to the warrior’s death he’s longed for. Kor sedates Worf and takes his place on the mission to delay the Dominion ships in space.
I liked it when Kor assured Worf whilst he was sedated that when he reaches ‘the halls of the honoured dead’, he will find Worf’s late wife Jadzia and tell her that Worf still loves her. Aww, nice! 🙂
Martok and his crew observe the battle whilst on the Ch’tang. Kor succeeds in delaying the enemy, dying in the process. Martok is the first to toast Kor’s bravery and the crew sing to Kor’s victory here.
I would have liked it if we saw Kor fighting in the battle against the Dominion and dying in the process, rather than seeing it from a distance. It would have been more dignified to see him dying. 😐
There is a mini-subplot where Ezri Dax shares to Kira about meeting up with Kor. Quark overhears and makes the assumption she’s pursuing another relationship with Worf, which is totally incorrect.
‘Once More Unto the Breach’ is a good send-off for Kor’s character in the ‘Star Trek’ series. I wish we could have seen his demise rather than from a distance, but generally, it’s a decent closure for Kor. 🙂
‘Once More Unto the Breach’ (DS9) rating – 7/10
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