The fourth installment of the Star Trek Fan Collectives is finally out and instead of tackling the Borg, Q, or getting lost in time we have the race that every captain from Archer to Janeway finds themselves dealing with, Klingons. That's right; the newest volume of the fan voted theme collections is all to do with that honorable warrior race.

In Star Trek few alien cultures received as much development and airtime as the Klingons have. From the mythos surrounding Kahless to visions of the afterlife in Gr'ethor; the honorable race is one of the most passionate in the galaxy. Just like the previous Collectives though, the market for these releases is an interesting one. Considering each season of Star Trek has already been released, you have to fit the bill of being a fan on a budget that can't afford to pick them up. Well, that and you have to love Klingons.

Another thing to consider when looking at the Collectives is the fact that fans picked these episodes. That's all well and good but to be frank there were better options out there to represent the Klingons. Some of these episodes are a must when you talk about the race but for some of them their presence here is almost pointless. That's the way the Time Travel collection was though so it really didn't come as a surprise.

Things get started in this collective with "Broken Bow" from Enterprise. If you have seen the episode then you know that the plot doesn't really have a lot to do with Klingons in the first place. Why this episode was chosen to be on this set is beyond me, but I guess you could argue that it is the first times that humans ever met a Klingon. For an opening episode to a new series I didn't think it was all that bad. However, when you compare this particular adventure to other ones on this set its quality is definitely sub-par.

If I had to pick an episode from Enterprise to be in this collection I probably would have gone with "Judgement" where Archer was put on trial by the empire in a very Kirk/Star Trek 6 sort of way. Another good choice from that series would have been the "Affliction" and "Divergence" two parter where we learn why Klingons of the old series looked the way they did. Not like that particular make-up bit really needed to be explained but it still would have fit into this set much better than "Broken Bow."

Two episodes from the original series are present here as well: "Errand of Mercy" and "The Trouble with Tribbles". The first finds Kirk and Spock trapped on a planet that the Klingons are taking over. The residents are a peace loving people and really don't want to get involved with the battle the Federation has with the Klingons. But while they seem like a pretty bland culture they have some secrets that come into play to help stop the battle that is loaming between both sides. Watching this episode one wonders how a peace was ever reached between the two cultures. It is a strong episode and for those trivia geeks out there like me, this is the episode that first featured the race.

And who doesn't know the other episode here. "The Trouble with Tribbles" finds everyone's favorite furry creatures taking over a space station and the Enterprise crew clashing with a Klingon crew. Insanity ensues complete with a bar room brawl. It is a very entertaining episode, but doesn't really tell you much about Klingons. However, there are actually pretty slim pickings from the original series for Klingons. "The Day of the Dove" is a little stronger in the Klingon sense, but for pure viewing entertainment "Tribbles" is the better choice.

Picard's dealings with Klingons offered some of the best moments in this collection, though I still feel some of the picks could have been stronger. "A Matter of Honor" was a good episode that really spotlighted the Klingon culture from a human perspective. In an effort to improve relations Star Fleet and the Empire agree to engage in an exchange program. Riker volunteers to be the guinea pig in this experiment and finds himself serving on board a Bird of Prey. It makes for some amusing interaction and, though he has a rough start, Riker does seem to be accepted by them, especially the ladies.

In "Sins of the Father" Worf is branded a traitor due to the actions of his father, Mogh. It would seem that he conspired with the Romulans and allowed them to destroy a Klingon outpost called Kitomer; or at least that's what the Klingon High Council would want you to believe. Worf discovers that it may be another counsel member's father who is the dishonorable one so he tries to find evidence to clear his name. For my money this was one of the better Klingon episodes on this set and one of the few that actually belonged.

The following episodes on the set are the season finale and premier called "Redemption." In it Worf finds a chance to redeem the honor of the house of Mogh by assisting Gowron in his ascension to leader of the High Counsel. But just as he is about to take over another family challenges his claim as leader. This causes battle lines to be drawn and a full fledged civil war to start. The tale showed a good inside look into Klingon politics and just how easy it is to lose your job in that culture. The plot drags the Duras family along, some Romulans, and introduces Tasha Yar's half-Romulan daughter. The "Redemption" story line was not only a strong one in terms of The Next Generation as a series but also as a piece of the Klingon collection.

Worf's adventures continue even beyond the Enterprise when he finds himself working on Deep Space Nine. He arrives on the scene in "The Way of the Warrior". In this two hour episode we see the Klingon Empire trying to do the Federation a favor by staging a pre-emptive strike against the Cardassians who they believe have been taken over by shape shifters from the Dominion. Only thing is, they can't prove it. Sisko and company pass on the invasion which angers the Klingons greatly. Not sure how to deal with the situation they call up the only Klingon they know who might be able to help, Worf. While he is prepared to lend a hand it doesn't take long before the poor guy is again forced to choose between Starfleet and his homeland when he is asked to join in the invasion himself. As Klingon episodes go this one is pretty good with some nice interaction between the station crew and the fleet. I never really understood why Worf had to join the cast of Deep Space Nine in the first place, but in the end it did no harm and maybe a little good.

Even though Kahless (a legendary Klingon warrior) is not featured on this set, his sword is. In "The Sword of Kahless" Worf and an elderly drunken Klingon set off to find the ancient weapon with Dax in tow. Both of the men have their own ambitions at heart though in the end they each see the sword as a symbol that will bring glory to the empire. I enjoyed this episode for what it was but in all honesty without seeing Kahless on this set for context to the character it doesn't really hold as much value. The other episode from Deep Space Nine is the regurgitated (from the Time Travel set) "Trials and Tribble-ations." It doesn't need to be here. There were much better choices available.

The last episode on this collection is the only one that appears from Voyager. "Barge of the Dead" follows B'Elanna Torres as she has a near death experience that leaves her on the barge of the dead traveling to Gre'thor, or Klingon hell. While there she finds her mother. Convinced that it was more than just a vision she tries to go back and find a way to help her mother rid herself of her dishonor by taking her place. The episode itself wasn't very riveting but I think out of every episode on this set, this one fits the bill for showing us Klingon mythology. Learning more about their afterlife and seeing the continuity from previous Star Trek episodes really helped to flesh out many of these scenes.

Once again the Fan Collective offers a mixed bag of quality in terms of the episodes available. Stuff like "Broken Bow", "The Trouble with Tribbles", and "Trials and Tribble-ations" may all be decent episodes, but why are they included on this set? I understand that fans voted for these episodes as their favorite Klingon pieces, but I don't understand the reasoning behind it. Several of them are good, but when all you can really say about an episode is "hey look, there's a Klingon!", what's the point? Where are "Reunion", "Rightful Heir", "The House of Quark", and "Blood Oath"? Those episodes really get into Klingon culture and will teach you more than these other offerings. Due to the focus of the subject matter this Fan Collective falls short compared to its brethren.

With such a wide range of production dates as this set has the video quality is quite good. Each episode is presented with its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and looks as fine, if not better than it did when it was broadcast. The original series features the most grain and the softest image, but I was impressed with how a show from the 60s could be cleaned up so nicely. DS9 and Voyager offered the best picture though The Next Generation wasn't too far behind. These each appear to be the same transfers from the complete boxed sets and I didn't really notice any disparity between the two.

The episodes here are presented with options for 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Digital English tracks. The quality was very good with an overall clean presentation and fine channel separation. The audio could have been more pronounced but as it stands fans of the shows will be very pleased. There are also some optional English subtitles included on the set if you want to watch it with those on.

Like the previous Collectives the Klingon one includes a plethora of commentaries ranging from audio to text. "Broken Bow" is the only episode that sees the audio commentary by Brannon Braga and Rick Berman. Meanwhile Michael and Denise Okuda offer text commentaries for "Broken Bow", "The Trouble with Tribbles", "Sins of the Father", "The Sword of Kahless", and "Trials and Tribble-ations." I've always enjoyed the text commentary tracks since they are both humorous and informative. This batch is no different than the past ones in that regard.

If you already own Trek seasons or plan on buying them there's not a lot of point to picking up the Fan Collectives. If you're a fan on a budget or a casual viewer though, they do make for a pretty tempting release. Unfortunately the Klingon set here doesn't have a lot to do with its namesake. Yes each of these episodes features Klingons and some story related to them (even if loosely) but there were better episodes out there to pick. The set itself is fine but I was completely under whelmed with the choices that reside here; especially for $40.

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