Theme Month: "Klingon-palooza, Part I"

Episodes featuring our bumpy-headed friends.

Episode: "Heart of Glory" - TNG, 120

Airdate: March 21, 1988

Teleplay by Maurice Hurley; Directed by Rob Bowman

Brief summary: "Worf's loyalties to Starfleet are tested when three fugitive Klingons come on board the Enterprise-D."

Background: Maurice Hurley was brought into TNG as the showrunner in the mid-first season after TOS veterans DC Fontana and David Gerrold were pushed out by Gene Roddenberry's lawyer, Leonard Maizlish. He has credits on twelve episodes of TNG and is credited by multiple other writers for making the show difficult to work on, as well as blaming him for their departures. He's also responsible for the firing of Gates McFadden in the second season. Outside of Trek, he worked on The Equalizer, Miami Vice, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Baywatch Nights, 24, and more.

"Story by" credits for this episode are shared by Hurley along with DC Fontana and Herbert J Wright. Fontana and Wright had earlier worked on an unproduced episode titled "Once a Klingon," some aspects of which were carried over here.

Rob Bowman directed thirteen episodes of TNG. He went on to produce and direct many episodes of The X-Files and its first feature film. He also worked on Alien Nation, In the Heat of the Night, Baywatch, and more.

Guest Cast: Vaughn Armstrong (Korris) holds the record for playing the most characters in Star Trek (yes, besting even Jeffrey Combs). He has had an extensive career outside of Trek for over thirty years: Lou Grant, Wonder Woman, The Philadelphia Experiment, Simon & Simon, The Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Cheers, Quantum Leap, Melrose Place, Baywatch Nights, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG, CSI, Mad Men, and many more.

Charles H. Hyman (Konmel) was a character actor in the '80s, appearing on shows like The A-Team, Dukes of Hazzard, Simon & Simon, and Tour of Duty. He also had a lengthy and award-winning career on stage.

David Froman (K'Nera) was also an '80s character actor, but he was best known for his recurring role as Lt. Bob Brooks on Matlock.

Robert Bauer (Kunivas) is best known for playing Johnny Horne on Twin Peaks, but he has had dozens of TV and film appearances as diverse as This Is Spinal Tap, MANTIS, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, before becoming an executive producer in the 2000s.

Brad Zerbst (nurse) appeared in three TNG episodes and several other shows of the period before taking key positions behind the camera, eventually winning two Emmys.

Dennis "Danger" Madalone (Ramos) had multiple appearances on TNG as crewmen before becoming the show's stunt coordinator in season three, later coordinating stunts for DS9 and VOY, too.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Glory_(episode)

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Upcoming episodes in this Theme Month ...

• "Redemption, Parts I & II" - TNG, 426/501
• "House of Quark" - DS9, 303
• "You Are Cordially Invited" - DS9, 607
• "Day of Honor" - VOY, 403

via @welcometoyourdoom

Theme Month: "Alien Aliens, Part I"

Episodes featuring aliens who are a bit extra.

Episode: "Vox Sola" - ENT, 122

Airdate: May 1, 2002

Teleplay by Fred Dekker; Directed by Roxann Dawson

Brief summary: "A symbiotic alien comes aboard Enterprise and captures several of the starship's officers in its web. Hoshi struggles to communicate with the alien invader in an attempt to save the trapped officers."

Background: Fred Dekker was a consulting producer during ENT's first season with co-writing credits on two other episodes. Outside of Trek, he wrote the story for the 1986 horror film House and went on to write and direct Night of the Creeps, The Monster Squad, and RoboCop 3. Dekker shares "story by" credit with both showrunners, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.

Roxann Dawson was, of course, B'Elanna Torres on VOY and that's where she made her directorial debut. She helmed two episodes of VOY and ten of ENT before later directing episodes of Lost, The Closer, Heroes, The Good Wife, and more.

Guest Cast: Vaughn Armstrong appeared in fourteen episodes of ENT as Admiral Forrest, but here, he plays the Kreetassan captain. Armstrong holds the record for playing the most characters in Star Trek (yes, besting even Jeffrey Combs). He has had an extensive career outside of Trek for over thirty years: Lou Grant, Wonder Woman, The Philadelphia Experiment, Simon & Simon, The Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Cheers, Quantum Leap, Melrose Place, Baywatch Nights, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, JAG, CSI, Mad Men, and many more.

Joseph Will appeared as Rostov in three eps of ENT and in two episodes of VOY as other characters. He was also a finalist for the role of Trip Tucker and played a Starfleet officer in Star Trek: The Experience - Borg Invasion 4D. He has been a steadily working actor since the late '90s with roles in Frasier, CSI, 9-1-1, Prison Break, American Horror Story, and more.

Renee Goldsberry (Kelly) has acted in films and TV shows, but she's made a bigger splash on the stage, appearing in famed shows such as The Lion King and Hamilton.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Vox_Sola_(episode)

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As decided by you, here is the ...

Next Theme Month

"Klingon-palooza, Part I" -- episodes featuring our bumpy-headed friends.

• "Heart of Glory" - TNG, 120
• "Redemption, Parts I & II" - TNG, 426/501
• "House of Quark" - DS9, 303
• "You Are Cordially Invited" - DS9, 607
• "Day of Honor" - VOY, 403

via @pikeshorse

via @pikeshorse