The Klingon Forehead Mystery! by CrevanReaver

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The Klingon Forehead Mystery!

POSTED BY: CREVANREAVER
UPDATED: Friday, March 4, 2005 05:05
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VIEWED: 4748
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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 8:16 PM

Most of you fellow trekkies, Enterprise-watchers, and overall scifi geeks already know this, recently Star Trek: Enterprise has revealed what happened to the Klingon ridges during The Original Series.

This was the most discussed mystery in Trek lore, and now we know what happened. For those of you who missed the last two episodes of Enterprise, here it is...

Select to view spoiler:

In 2154 after the Augment crisis involving genetically engineered humans from Earth's Eugenics War, the Klingons attempted to create their own Augments to combat the humans, believing that Starfleet would place Augments on their ships and put the Klingons at a severe disadvantage. They were able to retrieve multiple embryos left over in the debris of the Augment stolen Bird-of-Prey and implemented their DNA in certain Klingons. However, due to the agressiveness of Augment DNA, the cranial ridges started to dissolve and the Klingon Augments completely lacked ridges on their foreheads.

These subjects did gain increased strength and intelligence, but then their neural pathways started to degrade and they died in agony. One of the subjects was suffering from the Levodian flu, which was modified by the Augment genes to become a deadly, airborne plague that spread rampantly among the Empire, from world to world. In the first stage of this plague, Klingons lost the ridges on their foreheads and began to look more human-like.

With the help of a Klingon scientist named Antaak, Dr. Phlox was able to formulate a cure that halted the genetic effects of the virus in the first stage, however it left the changes in appearance along with some minor neural re-ordering, but with no development of stage two characteristics, such as enhanced strength, speed, or endurance. This left millions of Klingons without their ridges. Due to the viral effects being genetic, this alteration was even passed on to their children.

And obviously sometime during the early 2270s a treatment was developed that reversed the cosmetic effects of the virus, even on the genetic level. This allowed every Klingon to return return from smooth to ridged foreheads, even those born with a smooth forehead such as Kang, Kor, and Koloth.

It's good they managed to tackle this subject before the series ended.

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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 8:46 PM

RAT

Thinks, I had not seen this, as I watch StarGate, in that time slot!

-Ratboy

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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 8:49 PM

MACBAKER

That's what I've liked about Manny Coto's work this season. He's trying very hard to fix as much of Berman and Braga's continuity errors as possible. This has been easily the best season of Trek since DS9 ended. It's a shame it will end on a sour note, with the final episode being written by B&B!

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 9:12 PM

ANOTHERFIREFLYFAN

Alright, apologies, but that has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard! I mean.. what a load of BS! So they redefined the look of klingons in the later shows. Geez... Joss has really spoiled me for techno-babble.

It is pretty funny though. ;)

Keep flying

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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 10:48 PM

RAT

Quote:
Originally posted by AnotherFireflyfan:
So they redefined the look of klingons in the later shows.

Did you ever see that episode of DS9(Trials and Tribble-lations) where Warf said "We do not discuss it with outsiders", it needed to be explaind!

-Ratboy

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Tuesday, March 1, 2005 10:56 PM

ANOTHERFIREFLYFAN

Yeah, that was just supposed to be a joke. It was pretty funny, and very creative. I suppose setting a series in the past does have to deal with continuity issues like that.

Keep flying

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 4:13 AM

RYCE

That's one of my favourite DS9 episodes. I love how instead of coming up with some grand problem like genetic mutation or something, Worf just dismisses it!

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 4:21 AM

STATIC

I agree! It was a fun episode for them to go to the past, and they knew there were going to be questions raised about WHY there was a difference. They couldn't bloody well say, "Because when we started making movies, we decided that ridged foreheads would look cool!", so they made a joke out of it by having Worf say what he did. I honestly think it was never meant to be taken seriously.

THIS is why I love Joss's stuff so much. I can just picture him doing the SNL "Star Trek Convention" thing at some con someday, "Why do vampires clothes dissolve? WHAT??? I give you episode upon episode of deep, emotionally conflicted characters with REAL ISSUES and you're worried about why in the frak their CLOTHES dissolve when they get staked??? Get a LIFE, you folks!!!!"

That was one of the funniest SNL skits ever.

==================================================
"Wash. . .we got some local color happening. A grand entrance would not go amiss."

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 4:31 AM

CYBERSNARK

Two things bugged me about the episodes:

First, there's no reference to the plague having any sort of dormancy period. It'd have to be in the nature of weeks or even months, otherwise it wouldn't have the opportunity to spread to different planets. It would've have to have been undetectable, to allow the carriers to roam freely through Klingon society. Even if it's in the air, it's simple enough to board an infected ship in environment suits, kill the crew, and expose everything to vacuum before repressurizing it. If anyone would be willing to quarantine entire fleets and planets, it'd be the Klingons.

The DS9 episode makes it clear that the Federation (even history buffs like Julian and Sisko) don't know about it, which means that the records of Phlox's experiences on Qu'vat should never have reached Earth. It would've been more effective (and appropriate of the TOS-style Klingon visciousness) to have Phlox killed off somehow before he could return to Enterprise. Or at least sworn to secrecy. Don't get me wrong, I like Phlox, but I think it would've gone a long way toward reminding the audience that these Klingons are not such upstanding citizens.

I dunno. I like Manny Coto's work, but I'm actually finding more continuity glitches in his stuff than in previous seasons. He's actually a bit too fannish at times.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 6:06 AM

THATWEIRDGIRL

I thought it was a good way to play with our Trek history without screwing it up like they had the previous three seasons. And there aren't records available to the general Starfleet population. Don't you remember Section 31? They handled the earth side of the equation.

Agreed, Coto has made a good difference. Just too late.

www.thatweirdgirl.com
---
After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
--Aldous Huxley

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 9:25 AM

CALIGARI

Because nobody dosen't like Regrettable Foods, and it's kinda on topic, if one squints a bit....

http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/knox/7.html

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 11:08 AM

CREVANREAVER

Quote:
Originally posted by Caligari:
Because nobody dosen't like Regrettable Foods, and it's kinda on topic, if one squints a bit....

http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/knox/7.html

FUNNY.

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 11:32 AM

MACBAKER

Let's remember that Joss doesn't have almost 40 years, and 28 seasons of the Buffyverse to keep track of. Continuity on this scale is almost impossible, but at least Steven Ira Behr (DS9) and Manny Coto (this season's Enterprise) respect it enough to try to maintain some semblence of continuity.

Last time I checked, there wasn't a Eugenics War in the Nineties, and NASA never launched any submarine shaped DY-100 sleeper ships at the turn of the century.

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 11:50 AM

DIEGO

One wonders if any of the Klingons born in the 23rd century might decide that they like the smooth look. It's the appearance they would be used to. I could just see a massive government "Klingon purity" movement in the 2270s to coerce complacent individuals to get themselves altered (or I suppose they could just use another deus ex machina pandemic).

Yes, this whole thing is complete treknobabble gobblety-gook, but I am pleased to hear that Trek is making more of an effort these days. It's ALMOST enough to make me consider watching Enterprise (I couldn't make it past the first few episodes of the first season).

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 6:00 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC

I think the ridges thing could be looked upon as an insight into the Klingons hatred of humans. They were always shown as a proud people, to be reminded of a mass lessening of the species every time the looked in a mirror or saw a picture would grate on them over the course of the decades, every flathead species would become the subject of hate, humans most of all.

Naturally the moment that they found a way to restore the appropriate genetics it would be spread throughout the empire, no Klingon that had not been seriously dishonored would have the “cure” (loose term) withheld, and none raised into the self-loathing society would think of refusing it.

I have just totally failed to explain my thinking, but maybe you can sort it out. Trust me, it does make sense in a very simple and logical way.

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Wednesday, March 2, 2005 6:18 PM

EMBERS

well I was delighted with the explanation...
it fit, IMO
It made sense to me that section 31 would keep it quiet around Earth,
and that the Klingons would be deeply ashamed,
I'll bet they even thrust most with the human look into the most dangerous missions...
forcing them to prove themselves worthy of being Klingons.

I don't think that this season was very good,
and I'm not surprised that the lack luster 'Enterprise' is being cancelled
(frankly I'm surprised it survived it's first season)
but I was pleased with this attempt at a connection with a past oft discussed issue.

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Thursday, March 3, 2005 12:19 AM

SKYWALKEN

Quote:
Originally posted by embers:
I'll bet they even thrust most with the human look into the most dangerous missions...
forcing them to prove themselves worthy of being Klingons.

Good theory on why those were the only Klingons seen in the original series.

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Thursday, March 3, 2005 6:03 AM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by MacBaker:
Last time I checked, there wasn't a Eugenics War in the Nineties,

Sure there was, it just wasn't fought openly, but by men in black suits and hidden bunkers. It's one of the main reasons Charlie X was sent to Earth.

Hunt down Richard Cox's Eugenics Wars books. They rock. They're like Star Trek does X-Files. The Charlie X Files in this case. . .

Quote:
and NASA never launched any submarine shaped DY-100 sleeper ships at the turn of the century.

NASA, no. It came from Area 51.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Thursday, March 3, 2005 6:16 AM

MACBAKER

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:
Quote:
The Charlie X Files in this case. . .

Charlie X? I think you mean Gary Seven! The guy with the cat Isis, the super computer and transporter hidden in his office, and that nifty multi purpose Pen?

You're right, the "Eugenic's Wars" books were very well written, and I loved some of the camoes that popped up throughout.

I'd given some thought to movin' off the edge -- not an ideal location -- thinkin' a place in the middle.

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Thursday, March 3, 2005 7:54 AM

RHUTTNER

This doesn't explain why the recreation of the historical Klingon Kahless in TOS episode The Savage Curtain looked like every other TOS Klingon.

I doubt the creature that made Kahless would have changed Kahless' appearance to be consistant with modern Klingons for the sake of Kirk and Spock.

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Thursday, March 3, 2005 11:33 AM

SKYWALKEN

Quote:
Originally posted by rhuttner:
This doesn't explain why the recreation of the historical Klingon Kahless in TOS episode The Savage Curtain looked like every other TOS Klingon.

I doubt the creature that made Kahless would have changed Kahless' appearance to be consistant with modern Klingons for the sake of Kirk and Spock.

The creature didn't know what Kahless actually looked like, just what Kirk imagined he looked like. And that's what was saw in The Savage Curtain, Kirk's vision of Kahless.

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Friday, March 4, 2005 4:37 AM

CYBERSNARK

Quote:
Originally posted by MacBaker:
Charlie X? I think you mean Gary Seven! The guy with the cat Isis, the super computer and transporter hidden in his office, and that nifty multi purpose Pen?

*wince*

Yeah, I meant Gary Seven. I'm pretty sure I got the author's name wrong too. This is what I get for having to keep my books in another city.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Friday, March 4, 2005 5:05 AM

EMBERS

Quote:
Originally posted by Cybersnark:
Quote:
Originally posted by MacBaker:
Charlie X? I think you mean Gary Seven! The guy with the cat Isis, the super computer and transporter hidden in his office, and that nifty multi purpose Pen?
*wince*

Yeah, I meant Gary Seven.

I loved Gary Seven, and I loved Teri Garr in that episode (the 'temp' secretary?)
that was actually an idea for a spin off show...
I wish they had made it,
I would have loved it.

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