‘THE BONDING‘ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
‘The Bonding’ focuses on a 12-year old boy who loses his mother after she gets killed during an away mission on an alien planet. This is an intriguing and emotionally-driven story about sadness and loss.
In the episode, Worf leads the Enterprise away team on a planet once occupied by the Koinonians. During the mission, the away team triggers an ancient mine which kills Lt. Marla Aster in the process.
Marla Aster is transported to sick bay aboard the Enterprise as well as Worf and the others. She is confirmed dead and survived by her son Jeremy. Picard has to tell Jeremy the sad news of his mom.
I like how this episode touches on every regular character in reaction to Marla Aster’s death as well as Jeremy. Certain groups talk about how this death affects them even if they didn’t know Aster well.
Data becomes curious about Marla Aster’s death and talks about it to Riker in Ten Forward. I like the comparison Riker makes to Data on how they felt about Tasha Yar’s death as Data was closer to her.
The most important regular character affected by this is Wesley. In the episode, Wesley recalls how Picard had delivered the news of his father’s death and that he led the away mission that killed him.
The scene where Picard and Deanna Troi tell Jeremy the news of his mother’s death was interesting. Jeremy seems to take it rather well, since he was trained to be prepared for anything tragic like this.
Worf meanwhile is deeply affected by Lt. Marla Aster’s death and feels responsible. He expresses his desire to make R’uustai, a Klingon bonding ritual, to help Jeremy recover, as they are both orphans.
It was interesting how Worf feels this way about Jeremy’s mother and wants to connect with him this way. Deanna advises Worf to take this a step at a time, as Jeremy isn’t ready to ‘bond’ with him.
Gabriel Damon guest stars as Jeremy Aster in this episode. I like how Jeremy behaves in this episode. It is a subtle performance on Gabriel Damon’s performance in how he reacts to his mother’s death.
Eventually, a presence comes aboard the Enterprise and it takes the form of Jeremy’s mother, Marla. Susan Powell guest stars as Marla and it was intriguing how this ‘Marla’ was unveiled in the episode.
‘Marla’ attempts to take Jeremy away with her from the Enterprise and down onto the planet. The Enterprise crew soon find Jeremy with the ‘fake’ Marla, as they prevent her taking Jeremy with her.
The way this episode is written is very well-done. It’s an episode how Jeremy needs to overcome his mother’s loss and move on. The Enterprise crew assist Jeremy to overcome the anger and sadness.
‘Marla’ attempts to make Jeremy happy by recreating his fond memories of when he was at home with his mother. But all these memories turn out to be false, as the Enterprise crew intervene here.
I like how the episode concludes with Picard confronting the entity possessing as ‘Marla’. He learns from her about the history of her alien race and planet and why she tries and takes Jeremy with her.
Wesley is soon brought in to help with Jeremy’s predicament as he reveals how he dealt with his father’s death. Wesley reveals that he was angry with Picard when he was told of his father’s death.
It transpires that Jeremy is angry and hates Worf that he led the away mission and that his mother was killed. I like how it builds to the reveal that Worf also lost his parents just like Jeremy did in this.
I also like how Worf tells Jeremy that humans helped him when he lost his Klingon parents. Worf expresses to Jeremy on how he wants to help Jeremy in return by doing the Ruustai ritual with him.
I like how the episode ends with Worf and Jeremy doing the R’uustai ritual together. It’s very subtle and moving to see, as Worf says some Klingon words with Jeremy asking him what the words mean.
Colm Meaney guest stars in this episode as Chief O’Brien. O’Brien doesn’t have a major role to play in the episode, but he does get to see ‘Marla’ trying to take Jeremy with her in the transporter room.
‘The Bonding’ is a well-written, deep, thought-provoking episode about sadness and loss. It’s also an episode about how to move on with loved ones we’ve lost and this ‘TNG’ episode does it in spades.
‘The Bonding’ (TNG) rating – 8/10
| The previous story
For ‘The Next Generation’ was |
The next story
For ‘The Next Generation’ is |
| Return to Star Trek | |
| Return to Sci-Fi |
Bradley's Basement 