The writers of Star Trek: Enterprise (hereinafter referred to as ENT) are going to explain why the Klingons in the Original Series (hereinafter referred to as TOS) didn’t have ridges, then suddenly sported them for the first movie, and why they had ridges in the first season of ENT. This question has vexed Star Trek Fandom for years, with many explanations. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, once said that the movie Klingons looked the way they did because he had a bigger makeup budget, and should have always looked like that. So I had no problem with pretending there was no difference between the makeups.

On the Star Trek site I frequent, someone suggested that the episode, titled “Affliction,” was proof that Star Trek was dead. Someone wondered about the TOS episode “The Savage Curtain,” and why Kahless, the historical spiritual leader of the Klingons, appeared without ridges. (Yes. I know. It’s a TV show. Bear with me.)

I posted a comment to thread, and a guy by the handle of MaxPower decided to respond. What follows is an edited version of the threads. I have deleted MaxPower’s more personal attacks, and his profanity. But where his comments required a response or a restatement of my main points.

I was thinking about the Kahless question as well. If "Affliction" explains head ridges, it must also explain the following:

1) Why doesn't Kirk or Spock comment that the representation of Kahless does not match the historical records, or "Where are his ridges?" Or is the affliction retroactive to Kahless' time as part of the Temporal Cold War?

Yes, the Excalbians took the images of their friends and foes from the minds of Kirk and Spock, and neither one of them knew Klingons once had ridges? C'mon, Spock recognized Brahm's handwriting in "Requiem for Methuselah" and he never, ever researched Klingons? Could it be that Star Fleet forgot Klingons used to have ridges?

2) Why did Star Fleet forget that Klingons didn't have ridges, as evidenced by O'Brien's reaction to the Klingons on K7 during the "Trials and Tribble-ations" Deep Space Nine episode (DS9)?

Just because O’Brien didn't know? What's your point? MaxPower

NO ONE KNEW is the point.

The waitress tells Odo, Bashir, O'Brien and Worf that if she has to tell anyone else they don't carry raktajeno, she'll . . .

Odo asks, "Who ordered the raktajeno?"

The waitress says, "The Klingons."

Odo looks over his left shoulder and the waitress says, "Not over there. Over there." The camera cuts to a shot of three Klingons.

Bashir asks, "Those are Klingons?"

After the waitress says "You boys have had enough," everyone looks at Worf for an explanation. He says, "They are Klingons." Then there's a fight.

The only explanation for that is that Star Fleet forgot that Klingons had ridges.

3) Why did the Klingons forget they have ridges, since none of the 23rd century Klingons mentioned it while fighting Worf?

In "Trials and Tribbleations" Worf's ridges were concealed, barely. A couple of Klingon ridges poked out from under his hat/scarf, and his nose ridges were completely exposed. If Klingons remembered they had ridges, wouldn't they be curious as to how someone managed to retain theirs? So did the Klingons forget they had ridges along with Star Fleet?

4) And explain what caused the disappearance and reappearance of the Romulan ridges; the evolution of the Trill ridges into spots; why the Ferengi walked upright in 2151, crawled about like apes in early 2364, and then began walking upright again; and why the andorians went from smooth, mobile antennae, to ridged, stationary antennae.

Now that would be silly. MaxPower

Exactly my point. It's a silly exercise.

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