2x08 A Matter of Honor

[7.7/10] Cultural exchange is perpetually tricky in Star Trek. Sometimes the show franchise is remarkably ecumenical, finding depths in other species and taking a non-judgmental approach to their cultures. Sometimes it depicts every member of a species as having the same essential traits and pats humanity on the back for how much better we are then our funny-foreheaded friends.

“A Matter of Honor” is...a little of each. The Klingons are bloodthirsty warriors who launch torpedoes at allies first and ask questions later. But they’re also individuals who can feel shame and brotherhood and even laugh. Benzites are officious fixers who think they know best and don’t follow protocol. But they’re also just socially awkward nerds who can be assets to any crew when shown a little friendship and gentle instruction as to the ways of Starfleet.

Those contrasts are brought to bear in two cultural exchange plots within the episode. In the first, Riker temporarily becomes first officer of the Klingon vessel Pagh as part of an officer exchange program. In the second, Mendon (a lookalike to Wesley’s Starfleet entrance exam pal from “Coming of Age) represents the Benzites as part of a similar program on the Enterprise. Both have to adjust to their new surroundings, not to mention superior officers and colleagues who do things very differently than they’re used to.

It’s a lot of fun! Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of meat to this one. “A Matter of Honor” spins a solid little plot about some atomic corrosion affecting both the Federation and Klingon vessels and their different responses to the problem. There’s also plenty of thematic heft from watching Riker and Mendon try to acclimate to their new situations and finding both differences and common ground with their new crewmates. But part of what makes the episode work is that it doesn’t rush these things, and often cakes them in humor or at least levity.

There’s something really amusing about Mendon’s superciliousness and blithe sense that as soon as the crew of the Enterprise starts listening to him, things will be in tip top shape. It’s especially funny when he runs headlong into the buzzsaw that is Lt. Worf, whose steady walk and utterance of “Impress me” may be the comic line of the episode. There’s a bit of a sitcom vibe to some of these scenes, but they work as a bit of lightness in the often staid confines of the bridge.

At the same time, it’s really enjoyable watching Riker break bread with the Klingons on the Pagh. There’s a mutual jovialness and feeling each other out in the scene, with the Klingons nudging Will over the food and his suspected coital fragility, while Riker gamely responds by taking big bites of, shall we say, challenging looking Klingon meals and ribbing right back over the prospect of his would-be admirers. It’s a bit crass, but it’s also fun to see Riker adjusting and thriving in a different environment.

In fact, it’s one of the times where Riker as Kirk 2.0 really pays off. To be candid, I don’t miss Kirk, and I appreciate the more thoughtful approach taken by just about everyone on the Enterprise-D. But this is the sort of scenario that ol’ James Tiberius would thrive in, having to prove his mettle with a bunch of rough-and-tumble aliens. Riker is no different, understanding the unique wrinkles of the Klingon chain of command, the need to prove he’s a big dog among these warriors, especially since he’s a human, and the way to work within that system to achieve the outcomes that he thinks are smart and just, even if he has to come at them sideways. These are very different plot obstacles than we normally get -- no space anomalies or god-like beings to be found -- because they’re mainly culturally-based, rather than external threats.

We see it with Mendon. His issue isn’t intelligence or aptitude; it’s protocol. He doesn’t alert Worf or Picard when he notices the molecular deterioration in the Klingon ship because it would violate Benzite protocol, but gets a dressing down for it on the Enterprise. And yet, contrary to his belief that it’s an impossible-to-overcome failure, a little encouragement from Wesley (who’s improved by leaps and bounds in season 2) gives him the resolve to keep going and appreciate that an error isn’t the end of the world. He ends up isolating the cause of the deterioration and the solution, earning a “good work” from the Captain himself.

There’s a little bit of human favoritism here, with Wesley’s conversation suggesting that the Enterprise’s ways are inherently better. But it’s also a heartening story of Mendon giving something different a try, adapting to his circumstances, and finding success.

That goes double for Riker on the Pagh. Honestly, I wish we got more time with him on the Klingon ship. Likewise, there’s a certain amount of “humans are the best” here, with Riker trying to persuade a budding Klingon friend that he should reconnect with his father and questioning the judgment of aggressive Klingon decision-making.

At the same time, though, there’s a lot of true-to-life moments where both Riker and his Klingon shipmates realize that they’re not so different, or at the very least, that there’s more to their cross-species crewmates than each might have thought. We see Riker develop a friendship with Klag, one that’s contentious at first, but eventually one of mutual respect and understanding, much like Riker’s accord with his Ferengi counterpart in “The Battle”. We see him navigate the politics of the ship, both by fighting Klag when he challenges Riker’s authority, and by allowing Captain Kargan to wallop him, even after Riker’s figuratively depantsed the Klingon leader, to regain some of his mojo and status among his subordinates.

It’s especially engaging to watch Riker balance his conflicting loyalties and principles. He affirms his loyalty to the Pagh and its captain, but refuses to divulge any Federation secrets, earning plaudits from Kargan. He finds a crafty way to use Worf’s transponder to relieve Kargan of duty and take command, a neat twist on the “defeat your commanding officer if you think he’s become weak” principles of the Klingon Empire. Riker has to walk a thin line here, being forceful and loyal enough to his Klingon hosts so as not to seem weak or, worse yet, a traitor, but also true to his Starfleet orders and ideals in a tense situation.

The Klingons’ fears over the molecular disintegration are a little contrived (though there’s a nice setup and connection with Mendon performing an extra scan without telling anyone), but the ensuing stand-off is tense, and Riker’s solution is as cunning as it is silly. In the end, both he and Mendon earn their place on their new vessels, by finding ways to blend their talents and openness to new experiences with their unusual surroundings and differing set of expectations.

That’s the positive side of Star Trek, a franchise that always held to the ideal of cultural exchange being not just positive, but necessary, even if its realizations of that notion didn’t always nail the landing. Riker and Mendon’s exchange student experiences here not only set the tone for Klingons in the TNG era, but they’re a memorable and winning change of pace for the characters themselves and the show they appear on.