After reaching the Starbase, the Enterprise welcomes aboard a special advisor who will brief Riker on the mission he’s up for. And it turns out to be Riker’s dad, Kyle Riker! Who doesn’t love it when the parents visit? It’s like the number one TV trope for guaranteed hilarity. Oh wait, they’re arguing already, this isn’t fun! This is depressing!

Elsewhere, Wesley bugs Worf until he snaps and tears his head off. No, not really. Although he seems to come close. Confused by Worf’s unusually hostile attitude, Wesley decides that meddling is the best step, and ropes in Data and Geordie to help him investigate, because what else would two of the highest-ranking Enterprise crew members be doing anyway?

O’Brien and Riker are having a drink in Ten Forward when they notice Kyle and Pulaski getting friendly. It turns out they know each other and it’s just never come up. Because you know, it’s not like you’d ever mention to someone that you almost married their father if you saw them every day and had literally nothing else in common. Riker gives Pulaski a jab over this fact and then leaves. Over the other side of Ten Forward, Data and Geordi observe Worf, who gets annoyed by their irritating behaviour. Don’t we all?

Riker retires to his quarters when Worf drops by, asking to join Riker on the guaranteed suicide mission he’s been offered. Riker is understandably not keen on this assessment and shouts at Worf until he leaves. Riker then goes to meet his father for the briefing meeting, only to discover that it’s all flimsy pretext. You don’t say?

Pulaski tricks Kyle into attending a psychotherapy session with Troi, but he just ends up infuriating her. Still, it filled a few minutes of screen time. Turns out you can’t cure decades of resentment in one surprise meeting. After chatting with Pulaski about the kind of man his father really is, Riker decides to work out his baggage and the two agree to an Anbo-jitsu fight. More of which later.