This is the Daystrom Institute Episode Analysis thread for Lower Decks 5x04 A Farewell to Farms.
Now that we’ve had a few days to digest the content of the latest episode, this thread is a place to dig a little deeper.
Who actually was Bargh? He’s the “leader of the Klingon Oversight Council,” who are supposedly tasked with approving the eligibility of officers. That doesn’t sound like a body which would actually command ships or fleets directly, but Ma’ah describes his ship as being part of Bargh’s fleet. Bargh’s death is also not presented as something that would significantly shake the Klingon government. Kor had been on this council (and rejected Martok) in 2345, but Kor would have been approaching 100 at that point and likely wasn’t especially active in day-to-day military command.
So is Bargh essentially a minor administrator on a power trip, or a person of significant status and power who commands fleets but also has a role on this relatively minor council? My inclination is the former, and Ma’ah is expressing some sour grapes in referring to “his” fleet, but it’s not clear.
Ma’ah’s brother says all the “I can see the original Kahless” stuff at the end of the episode. That means that Kahless II being a clone is common knowledge. I wonder when that happened, though Kor seemed aware of it in DS9:”The Sword of Kahless”.
Worf insists that the truth about the cloned Kahless be revealed to the people at the end of “Rightful Heir”, so I assume that info was part of the press release when Kahless was crowned.
I’ve always liked the idea that the Klingons are passionate enough about Kahless’ promise to return that they’re completely satisfied that the clone fulfils the prophecy.
I know these things tend to be fuzzy when the Klingons are involved, but…is being directly involved in the death of a high-ranking Klingon a Prime Directive issue?
Is this season secretly building to an extended hearing on the multiple violations committed by the Cerritos crew over the course of ten episodes?
Seinfeld style finale?
