Anyone else find Gowron's death somewhat ironic?

[The_Emperor]

I was rewatching his death on DS9, again, and I thought it was pretty amusing how he died. Think about it.

Soon after meeting Worf, Gowron ends up with Worf aboard his ship just as the Klingon Civil War begins. Gowron's ship is getting pounded, and their shields are disabled. Gowron says to continue firing, but Worf says no. He says they should lull the enemy ships into thinking they were defenseless. So when they approached within transporter range to board Gowron's ship, Worf fired the disruptors manually and destroyed one of the enemy Birds of Prey.

Fast forward to Gowron's last episode. He and Worf are fighting, and Worf's batleth gets smashed, reducing him to two small teeth. He gets knocked through a plate glass window and just lies there, apparently knocked senseless. Gowron then moves in close and goes for the kill. That's when Worf, after looking weak and defenseless, springs up and stabs Gowron, killing him.

I don't know if Worf feigned weakness or not, but wouldn't it be amusing if he did? That he used that tactic (feigning weakness and letting your opponent become overconfident and get close before you kill him) to save Gowron's life early on, and then used that very same tactic to kill Gowron years later? I wonder if Gowron realized it as he was dying? Either way, I thought it was pretty interesting, how things essentially came full circle in that situation.

Of course, I may simply be crazy, and seeing things that aren't there...

 

[SilentP]

It's a bit of a long shot, in terms of making connections, but it definitely works.

It's also funny to note, now that I'm thinking about it, that Worf killed both of the original successors to the post of Chancellor, after K'mpec's death, i.e. Duras and Gowron. That, and being instrumental to the reinstatement of the position of Emperor, and Kahless II's assuming of said post, it seems Worf is like an engine of political disruption and change. Quite the busybody.

 

[Anwar]

I thought a lot of stuff Gowron did in DS9 S4 onwards when you think back to "Reunion". K'mpec told Picard that whoever poisoned him would be capable of war with the Federation. They all assume it's Duras.

And what exactly does Gowron do in "Way of the Warrior"?

 

[Jbarney]

I found the transformation of Gowron to be sad. I loved the character in TNG and even thought the "Way of the Warrior" was really good.....but after that it seemed like he was a character being written to do certain things rather than coming across as the Klingon leader. Just my opinion.

 

[RobertScorpio]

It's a bit of a long shot, in terms of making connections, but it definitely works.

It's also funny to note, now that I'm thinking about it, that Worf killed both of the original successors to the post of Chancellor, after K'mpec's death, i.e. Duras and Gowron. That, and being instrumental to the reinstatement of the position of Emperor, and Kahless II's assuming of said post, it seems Worf is like an engine of political disruption and change. Quite the busybody.

Worf is part of the Illuminati!

Rob

 

[Timo]

More like he was being led on a leash by a succession of powerful women...

Yeah, I'm sure Gowron was the contestant behind K'Mpec's poisoning, even if Duras was responsible for the bomb attack. Although I don't find it impossible that Gowron could also have done the bomb thing, knowing that the combination of using Romulan explosives technology and one of Duras' own men would be enough to frame the poor guy.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[RobertScorpio]

More like he was being led on a leash by a succession of powerful women...

Yeah, I'm sure Gowron was the contestant behind K'Mpec's poisoning, even if Duras was responsible for the bomb attack. Although I don't find it impossible that Gowron could also have done the bomb thing, knowing that the combination of using Romulan explosives technology and one of Duras' own men would be enough to frame the poor guy.

Timo Saloniemi

Before they made Gowron into a bafoon, I wouldn't have thought he would have done it. I thought GOWRON seemed honorable back then. But, with the way he became (and maybe he was a changeling all the while) I could see him doing it as well..

Rob

 

[Timo]

With that idea in mind, "Reunion" could actually be read in all-new light, with Duras as the downright honorable guy. He does agree to a highly honorable duel with Worf in the end, after all - and if he didn't poison and didn't bomb, there's nothing dishonorable that we could blame him of.

Except perhaps the fact that he lived with the knowledge of his father's guilt on the Khitomer affair, and didn't come out with the truth. But we don't know if he did that because he was a bad guy, or because he was an anguished good guy who didn't want to tarnish any reputations attached to that of his secretly traitorous father. Perhaps he was under the same sort of pressure that Worf was for keeping the shameful secret?

There could have been dozens of reasons why he should have killed K'Ehleyr (no doubt in yet another honorable duel) if covering for his father wasn't enough. And there's always the possibility that in fact Gowron was behind the slaying; Duras never admits guilt on it, after all - he merely accepts the duel challenge. And the exchange between Worf and the dying K'Ehleyr is far from conclusive. Worf suggests "Gowron?" and K'Ehleyr goes "No..." to which Worf goes "Duras!". Hell, the lady could have meant that Duras, not Gowron, should inherit the Chancellorship! Or then "No..." was the beginning of "Nobleman, my ass! The traitor just killed me! Now go avenge me, you big stud!"

Timo Saloniemi

 

[JB2005]

Worf: Gowron?
K'Ehelyr: No...
Worf: Duras!
Storms out...
K'Ehelyr: ...it was Wesley Cru...hey where'd he go?

 

[Daneel]

I never really thought about it in the way the OP suggests, but that's certainly one way of looking at it.

I found Worf killing Gowron kind of amusing in light of their parting in "Apocalypse Rising":

GOWRON: "And as for you..." (speaking to Worf) "You should have killed me when you had the chance. I guarantee you will not have another."

Shows what you know, dumbass.

 

[ATW]

I found the transformation of Gowron to be sad. I loved the character in TNG and even thought the "Way of the Warrior" was really good.....but after that it seemed like he was a character being written to do certain things rather than coming across as the Klingon leader. Just my opinion.

Gowron became a leader that was being outshone by one of his subordinates, which, making it worse was the fact it was one not of his own Class and in a civilisation like the Klingons that is political suicide.

Not to mention the saying:

"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it; and this I know, my lords, that where laws end, tyranny begins." - William Pitt the Elder 1770 -

Also, even not taking into the account this, Gowron was on a hiding as it was, under his leadership the Klingon Empire had:-

Faced a Civil War
Rebellion(s) across the Empire (or was that K'mpac?)
Been hurt by the Cardassian/Dominion Alliance
Then as I said you then add Gowron was sitting on his nice little thrown on Qo'noS while Martok were leading the Warriors of the Empire to war, winning a few victories on the way, and becoming the revered one to those same warriors.

Also, I think Ezri Dax summed it rather well when she said something like the Klingon Empire deserves to die, she summed up Gowron and the High Council very well...

As for the OP, I think it's far fetched, as it has been used a few times in Star Trek (and many other TV shows) the "pretend to be weak and then strike scenario". Although it as good as a any I guess.

 

[Navaros]

Gowron's death is ironic, and not in a good way, in how it violates canon in that according to canon, Klingon rules state that Worf was only allowed to challenge his direct superior, aka Martok, not Gowron.

 

[The_Emperor]

With that idea in mind, "Reunion" could actually be read in all-new light, with Duras as the downright honorable guy. He does agree to a highly honorable duel with Worf in the end, after all

So did Gowron, and he did so when he didn't have to, so that doesn't really mean anything. He probably only accepted because refusing a public challenge like that would've meant disgrace for him. Remember, also, that in the fight he tried to bribe Worf to spare his life. Hardly very honorable. Even Gowron, at his lowest, didn't do that, as he fought Worf to the death twice without once asking Worf to spare his life.

- and if he didn't poison and didn't bomb, there's nothing dishonorable that we could blame him of.

Except perhaps the fact that he lived with the knowledge of his father's guilt on the Khitomer affair, and didn't come out with the truth. But we don't know if he did that because he was a bad guy, or because he was an anguished good guy who didn't want to tarnish any reputations attached to that of his secretly traitorous father. Perhaps he was under the same sort of pressure that Worf was for keeping the shameful secret?

There could have been dozens of reasons why he should have killed K'Ehleyr (no doubt in yet another honorable duel) if covering for his father wasn't enough. And there's always the possibility that in fact Gowron was behind the slaying; Duras never admits guilt on it, after all - he merely accepts the duel challenge. And the exchange between Worf and the dying K'Ehleyr is far from conclusive. Worf suggests "Gowron?" and K'Ehleyr goes "No..." to which Worf goes "Duras!". Hell, the lady could have meant that Duras, not Gowron, should inherit the Chancellorship! Or then "No..." was the beginning of "Nobleman, my ass! The traitor just killed me! Now go avenge me, you big stud!"

Timo Saloniemi

Nah, doesn't strike me as terribly plausible. Duras clearly was villainous. He certainly wasn't a "shamed hero" or anything of the sort. And given that it was his man who carried the bomb, he was almost certainly responsible for the bombing. Nevermind that, given how his sisters were allied to the Romulans, he was likely allied to the Romulans, too. And is there any honorable duel that covers killing a woman? I've never seen a Klingon woman engaged in any duel. Would K'Ehleyr have even agreed to a duel? As a matter of fact, did she even have any weapons with her? I've never seen her carrying so much as a knife, much less anything else. Nah, that was straight up murder.

 

[Timo]

Women can be admitted into the Order of the Bat'leth at least. And Duras or Gowron could have fought K'Ehleyr without big swords if she didn't have one at hand at the time.

However, I'm all for the idea that both of the contestants were rotten apples. Whether Gowron was the better choice from the Klingon point of view is debatable. But certainly Worf, Picard and the UFP would have been worse off had Duras gotten the Chancellorship. Which perfectly explains why Worf got away with the murder without as much as a slap on his wrist...

Gowron's death is ironic, and not in a good way, in how it violates canon in that according to canon, Klingon rules state that Worf was only allowed to challenge his direct superior, aka Martok, not Gowron.

Worf could simply have ignored those limitations. It was up to Gowron to accept or decline (that is, accept or delegate the fight to a cadre of his personal guard armed with disruptors). And it is to the credit of Gowron's honor and bravery, but to the obvious discredit of his intellect, that he accepted the unlawful challenge!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[SilentP]

I thought the challenging your direct superior was only a rule for command structures aboard ships and hallenging the Chancellor would fall under a whole different set of rules of 'etiquette'?

 

[ATW]

I thought the challenging your direct superior was only a rule for command structures aboard ships and hallenging the Chancellor would fall under a whole different set of rules of 'etiquette'?

As did I. Although, didn't Worf break some sort of house code, as he was part of the House of Martok, and Martok was against the whole challenging Gowron as it was not the done thing during a War, even if you knew Gowron was making decisions to discredit you or your house (which he was doing to Martok).

 

[SilentP]

As did I. Although, didn't Worf break some sort of house code, as he was part of the House of Martok, and Martok was against the whole challenging Gowron as it was not the done thing during a War, even if you knew Gowron was making decisions to discredit you or your house (which he was doing to Martok).

Good point, I think there probably is something about challenging such a figure without the approval of the Head of your House. Either way, it's all dodgy territory, although maybe in similar cases, the House Head is free to disown an individual for such an action if the House is brought to account on such an action. Seems very convenient though, but then again with a culture based on conflict, maybe such an occurence isn't unusual for Klingons.

 

[Timo]

One would assume that the rules would be made by the rulers; and they would certainly strive to make a rule that limits the number of duels they have to respond to per working day.

Only allowing your nearest inferior to challenge you is a good rule. It keeps the riffraff out, it promotes social climbing, and it keeps the top man or woman wary and alert but not too stressed-out. But sometimes, hiding behind rules is bad form - and Worf was always in a position to embarrass Gowron over the whole Khitomer betrayal affair and its torturous coverup. So Gowron would probably prefer arguing with swords to arguing with words.

Timo Saloniemi