Star Trek’s Michael Dorn has ideas for a Worf spinoff series
Michael Dorn thinks Worf needs his own Star Trek spin-off series, and he has the scripts ready for whenever he gets the call from the powers that be. In a recent interview with TrekMovie.com, Dorn revealed that he thinks now is the time to give Worf’s history the spotlight it deserves, and that his story fits perfectly in the growing lineup of new Star Trek series at CBS All Access Paramount+.
Worf, whose character originated on Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) before moving to Deep Space Nine (DS9) and appearing in several of the Star Trek feature films, has a rich history as the first Klingon to join Starfleet, and his background makes him uniquely suited to navigate the complexities of Klingon politics.
Dorn’s script ideas would place the show roughly into the same timeline as the Picard series, as Dorn’s scripts seem to take place long after Worf and Picard served together on the Enterprise. At the moment, the lineup of Star Trek spinoffs are set all over the franchise’s timeline, with Star Trek: Discovery and the upcoming show Strange New Worlds predating The Original Series and the animated Lower Decks set right before the events in Star Trek: Picard. Picard is set in the future after TNG and DS9.
In other words, there are plenty of stories still available to explore in the Star Trek timeline. Though it might seem like the Star Trek landscape is too crowded, Dorn is very correct that presenting Worf’s story as an outsider looking in would be a welcome viewpoint, particularly given the current push to explore complex issues of inclusion and diversity within the Star Trek universe, something that has always been a hallmark of the franchise.
What Would a Star Trek: Worf spinoff look like?
Dorn wants to see Worf challenged by his unique position as a child of two worlds. After his career in Starfleet ends, he’s now a captain in the Klingon Defense Force and he’s tasked with bridging the gaps as the Klingons seek to add new member planets to their alliance, much like the Federation did.
The key difference, of course, is that the Klingons have a very different way of dealing with things, and that’s where Worf’s history makes him the perfect candidate to step in and help.
"Since Worf opened his big mouth and said, ‘This is what we have to do,’ then they [The Klingon Empire] say, ‘Okay, then you’re the guy that has to go out to all these worlds.’ And every world is different. Some worlds are rebelling. Some worlds want to be part of the Klingon Empire. Some worlds want to be independent. And so every episode is that."
The Federation and the Klingon Empire have always had a contentious history we’ve seen played out in just about every Star Trek series to date. Klingons were responsible for killing Captain Kirk’s son in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and the tension continued even while there was a Klingon Starfleet officer serving on the Enterprise in TNG.
Worf’s experience as someone who was born on the Klingon homeworld, raised by humans on Earth and trained at Starfleet Academy is unique enough. Putting him in the captain’s chair of a Klingon vessel and tasking him to be a peacemaker would bring a fresh new spin to the franchise as the perspective shifts away from the Federation and moves to a traditionally underrepresented group.
Star Trek: Picard launched a renewed interest in following the exploits of the NCC 1701-D crew. Former TNG cast members Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes appeared in the spinoff, sending nostalgia into overdrive. If ever there was a time to bring Worf’s story to life, it’s now.
Though Dorn has no idea if his series will ever see the light of day, he’s holding out hope that he will one day get the call. As he notes, he “has the script ready” at a moment’s notice.
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h/t CBR