Episode 6.20: “The Chase”

Scene 36B: Mot, the ship’s barber, visits sickbay so Dr. Crusher can obtain a
Bolian DNA sample for Professor Galen’s ancient puzzle.

Mot heroically offers to assist in the Enterprise’s latest mission, and his bravery deflates when he learns that all Beverly needs is a sample of his skin cells. Crusher asks him to relax, saying the procedure will hurt less than “the pedicure you gave me last week” — to which Mot protests, “That was an accident!”

After the sample has been taken, Crusher enters the scan into her tricorder, wishing out loud that “this might be it!” Mot repeatedly — and understandably — asks the doctor just what in the world she’s talking about, to which she frustratedly gives him the cold shoulder and the Bolian dejectedly shuffles out of sickbay.

This scene really makes Beverly look like a jerk! She pulls the hapless barber into her lab, takes his DNA without explaining why, and then basically kicks him out of sickbay when his sample doesn’t match the program — and he just wants to know what she’s doing with his skin! It’s a funny scene, but really makes the doctor look bad.

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Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 6-7: Riker brings his concerns about Worf’s “sloppy” performance to Picard.

Riker describes Worf’s decreasing job performance to the captain’s attention, which is what inspires Picard to visit Worf in his quarters in the opening scenes of the final episode.

It’s not a huge loss to the episode, and something that was an easy trim.

. . .

Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 25: Worf wants desperately to believe that this man is really Kahless,
and the newcomer says all the right things.

This is an extension of a discussion seen in the final episode, after Kahless tells of his prediction that Worf would do something that “no Klingon had ever done before.” In this restored sequence, Worf goes into detail about how he was the first Klingon to enlist in Starfleet, seemingly fulfilling Kahless’ prophecy. Worf then questions why Kahless appeared to him in the caves, rather than the other Klingons on Boreth — and Kahless draws on Worf’s “heart of a true warrior.”

More extraneous dialogue that was a smart deletion — the audience is smart enough to know that Worf is the first Klingon in Starfleet, and can put the pieces together themselves.

. . .

Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 27: Picard briefs Data, Troi, and Riker on Kahless’ existence, much to their surprise.

In this conversation, Data reveals that the ‘real’ Kahless has been dead for 1,547 years — since the Earth year 823 AD — and Picard describes Gowron’s request for a Starfleet presence at Boreth to mitigate some “political concerns” surrounding Kahless’ return.

Aside from Data’s historical note, most of the dialogue here is repeated in other segments of the final episode.

. . .

Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 37: Worf discusses living a Klingon life among humans.

Worf introduces Kahless to the famous Klingon d’k tahg knife while describing how he has been able to express his Klingon customs and believes aboard the Enterprise — and when Kahless questions how Alexander will fare living among the humans of Earth, Worf believes his son will need to “find his own path.”

This scene is pretty great, as Kahless says everything Worf has always wanted to hear — how even in exile among the Federation, he’s grown into a “true Klingon” in Kahless’ eyes.

. . .

Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 38: Gowron summons the Enterprise to a rendezvous way outside of Klingon space.

A simple procedural scene, where Data reports a message from the Klingon Chancellor requesting a meeting twenty-three light years outside of the Klingon border. This is certainly an easy cut to make in the interest of time.

. . .

Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 47-48: As Worf and Kahless share a drink, they discuss life, death, and Sto-Vo-Kor.

After shuffling his new political advisers out of his quarters, Kahless and Worf share a drink of replicated Klingon warnog as Worf asks him what his time in Sto-Vo-Kor (the Klingon version of heaven). Kahless replies that he is “only a traveler” and has no memory of the afterlife while he exists in the real world. Kahless goes on to say that Worf’s “purity of heart” is what resurrected him from the other side, and that he wants Worf to join him as Kahless forges a new Klingon empire.

More dialogue that would have been nice to keep, if only for the discussion about Sto-Vo-Kor.

. . .

Episode 6.23: “Rightful Heir”

Scene 59: The conflict between Gowron and Koroth comes to a head
before Worf reveals his dramatic discovery.

As Gowron refuses to allow the Enterprise into Klingon territory with Kahless on board, Koroth insists that because the Klingon High Council requested Starfleet’s presence, only they can rescind the invitation. As they continue to bicker and threaten each other, Picard tries to keep the two Klingons from starting a fight in the Observation Lounge — when Worf enters and requests some privacy for his fellow Klingons.

This introductory sequence to the scene eventually featured in the final episode is another bit of polish smartly removed, doing nothing but restating the conflict already apparent.

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