Picard as Worf's Cha'DIch

[hymer]

In the TNG episode 'Sins of the Father', Worf is challenging Duras (and more or less the High Council) for the recovery of his family honour. His little brother Kurn is to be his assistant of sorts, his cha'DIch. When Kurn is put out of commission by assassins, Worf needs a new cha'DIch and chooses... Picard.

Why not Riker? Picard hints at this himself. Worf and Riker have a bond of mutual respect, with Worf having requested to join Riker's new command if he should choose to take his own ship. Is there any in-universe explanation for this, would you say?

Out of universe, do you think it was supposed to be Riker at some point? There is a line that sounds a little strange coming from Picard ("Hey, I'm your cha'DIch."), but which would fit Riker very well.

[Giggling Ghast]

Besides the fact that Worf does respect Picard, I feel like this may have been a little strategic on Worf’s part. While Duras might be willing to attack and kill a lower-ranking Starfleet crewman, he might hesitate at assassinating a Starfleet captain.

[hymer]

I certainly didn't mean to imply that Worf respects Picard less than Riker.

As to being strategic, it's definitely a thought. Though Duras seems to send assassins after Picard just the same, Worf may not have realized how desperate Duras and the High Council were to keep a lid on things. He did not yet know what was going on.

[Honest Tiefling]

Wasn't Riker more reckless while Picard usually tried to keep things more within the laws of the Federation? If you wanted one to uphold the local laws and to argue matters of honor and duty, Picard makes a bit more sense.

Choosing Picard has an other advantage, in that his ranks means that Worf has earned his captain's respect. If he hadn't picked Picard, it might have been thrown into Worf's face.

Riker also couldn't go five minutes without flirting with a Klingon when he was on their ship. Maybe keeping him away from the Klingon homeworld was just to keep him from embarrassing Worf.

[Inchhighguy]

I'm sure this was all out of universe. Giving Patrick and Mike an epsiode together.

Plus you want to have the Picard speech at the end.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I can't remember off the top of my head. Is this one of the episodes Frakes directed? Because that would be another reason to keep Riker off screen.

[hymer]

@ Honest Tiefling: Picard's regard for Worf had already been established before the Council at that time, though.

@ Inchhighguy: Fair enough.

@ Rogar Demonblud: That's a good thought, but it is a Les Landau episode.

[Traab]

Isnt picard himself fairly well respected by the klingons before this? That might be another aspect of choosing him. Like, say you were trying to make an impression in a debate and you had the choice between nelson mandela, and his best friend? Clearly having nelson mandela in your corner would carry a greater impact, even if you might get along better with his friend on a personal level.

[hymer]

Isnt picard himself fairly well respected by the klingons before this?

He had helped the Klingons with a sleeper ship, though he's far from having all the honour from that. And there was that business when Riker served aboard a Klingon ship for a while, although I don't think Picard came off seeming greatly impressive to Klingons from that, even though the Enterprise crew saved the Klingons.

I may be missing some episode(s), but it seems that Picard's standing in the Empire was mostly boosted for his role in Gowron's climb to the throne and revealing Romulan influence in the following civil war. And that came later.