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In which starts to look at what I consider the best long-running theme in TNG. The Klingon arc was good, but its scope felt limited by its dependence on specific individuals. The clashes between Picard and Tomalak always felt as though they were simply examples of similar intermittent stand-offs occurring all along the border.

I always felt that Worf would save the Romulan if Picard ordered him to. Glad to see everyone maintain character in this episode, which also allowed me to get a glimpse into their ideals and attitudes. Geordie is never say die. Worf is fuck the Romulans. Picard cannot take away civil rights even from a military officer. Got a little insight into Romulans too. They destroy "defective" children, but Captain Tomalak will not abandon a crewman. How human of him.

The thing I like about Worf's character in TNG is that he didn't follow heroic tropes, such as in this episode, and in the episode where he finally kills Duras. It would have been so easy for a writer to put in that Worf spared Duras because he cares about life. Or for this episode have Worf sparing in the holodeck an kill an enemy as a sun sets in the East and, change his mind because life is beautiful.

Yeah, those two moment are real defining points for Worf, they give him an edge that he wouldn't otherwise have had.

I hadn't considered Chuck's thinking here that Worf actually wanted Picard to order him to donate, as it would give him an excuse to save the guy without losing face. But of course Picard has his code just as Worf did. I love that, it really gives it an extra layer of depth to think that on some level everybody wanted the guy to live - the Romulan himself, Beverly, Picard, even Worf... but everyone was compelled to let him die by their own code of behaviour. Fascinating dilemma, that.

I always loved this episode. Quite tense, and the Enemy Mine situation on the planet was rather cool.