I think a lot of us had the same reaction as Worf to Okana being in this story.
Star Trek: The Next Generation #25
DC Comics (November, 1991)
“Wayward Son”
WRITER: Michael Jan Friedman
PENCILER: Peter Krause
INKER: Pablo Marcos
COLORIST: Julianna Ferriter
LETTERER: Bob Pinaha
EDITOR: Robert Greenberger
One of Worf’s people has a baby, which reminds him that his son Alexander and bond-brother Jeremy are going to be meeting soon and he won’t be there to see it. Jeremy arrives in Russia to visit Alexander and Worf’s adoptive parents, and learns that unlike his father Alexander is more than willing to be around humans and ignore any aspect of his Klingon heritage, but Worf’s dad thinks it’s not so much about wanting to be human as not wanting to be Klingon due to his various life experiences. Meanwhile the Enterprise comes upon the derelict Erstwhile, the ship owned by Thadiun Okana, someone the crew came across once in the first season of the show. They follow back to his last known coordinates but when Troi, Worf, and Crusher beam down their clothes are replaced and their gear missing, but they do find Okana. So nothing went right for them.
What they got right: I like the idea of Jeremy and Alexander meeting, as both boys are important to Worf’s life but for different reasons can’t live with him. (Jeremy has family and Worf’s duties make raising Alexander difficult.) We also see Data with his surrogate little brother Andrew, which was a nice touch. And we get to see what happened to Jeremy after he left the ship.
What they got wrong: I don’t hate Okana but I had no interest in seeing him again. He’s like a less interesting Harry Mudd but with a conscience…relatively speaking. Riker also says that the boys would be better off with Worf not there and clearing dealing with his own daddy issues because his dad was controlling, but even Worf’s statement about the security officer’s new baby making a fine security officer is taken as being pushy even after he explains what he actually meant by the statement. At least he’ll be too busy to worry about it.
Recommendation: A good start to the Earth plot and a fair mystery in the space plot. Might be worth checking out if the ending holds up.
