I may have been wrong about season 2 being the consistently worst season of Trek. I hope I am not wrong that it contains several of the all time worst episodes, but it also has some of the best. If anyone can point to a better Riker episode I will buy you a drink because this is the best I have ever seen him. Riker is one of those characters who can flounder around and just do his job most of the time, but when the time comes he will rise to the occasion and exceed expectations. It is episodes like this that show why he deserves the job of first officer on the Federation flagship.
The Enterprise is stopped at a starbase to pick up some exchange officers. One of them is a Benzite named Mendon who looks like the Benzite Wesley met while trying to join the academy, but this one is WAY more annoying. While relaxing at the phaser range with the captain the topic of officer exchange comes up again when Picard asks Riker if he would be interested in being the first ever Federation officer to serve aboard a Klingon ship. Riker is eager to give it a shot since no one has has ever done it before. Riker starts studying for the job by horrifying Pulaski by eating Klingon food and learned that it is his job to kill the captain of the Klingon ship if necessary from Worf. Worf also gives him an emergency transponder just in case.
On the bridge Mendon is pissing everybody off by telling them that he could do their job better than them and generally being a pain in the ass. Worf detects something decaying the hull of the Enterprise but of course Mendon detected it both on the Enterprise and the Klingon ship but didn't bother telling anybody. On the Klingon ship Riker is getting along fine eating live Klingon food and joking about Klingon three ways which is definitely helping him fit in. The captain doesn't trust that he will serve the Klingon ship if there is a conflict with the Enterprise which is quickly tested when the Klingons also detect that their ship is being torn apart by the space bacteria. The Klingon captain assumes the bacteria is an attack by the Enterprise and tries to get Riker to tell them how to best attack, but he refuses which actually impresses them more than pisses them off.
Back on the Enterprise Mendon figures out a way to destroy the bacteria and Picard starts transmitting that message as they look for the Klingon ship. The Klingons are cloaked and preparing to attack the Enterprise. The Klingon captain orders Riker to command the attack and Riker gets them good and close before handing the transponder to the captain. Worf detects it and beams the captain to the Enterprise leaving Riker in command of the Klingon ship. The decloak and demand the Enterprise surrender which of course Picard is happy to do. After a good slap to the face Riker is thrown off the Klingon ship, but he is pleased as punch with himself.
Review: The parts where Riker is on the Klingon ship are both great for Riker and also start establishing better the Klingons are they are portrayed from TNG onward. No longer are they a race of pure savages, instead the obsession with honor is taking over and that is a good thing in my opinion. Even the Benzite subplot pays off pretty well and Pulaski's only job is to grimace as Riker eats which is fantastic.
8 out of 10
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