Riker serves as an exchange officer on a Klingon warship.
Commander Riker joins the Klingon warship Pagh as part of an officer exchange program, while a Benzite officer named Mendon takes his place on the Enterprise. Riker has to adapt to Klingon customs, including their food and hierarchy, and he must earn the respect of a crew that is suspicious of him.
As events unfold, the Klingon captain becomes convinced that the Enterprise is a threat, and Riker faces a conflict between duty to his host ship and loyalty to his own. Meanwhile, Mendon's ambition causes friction on the Enterprise. The episode is warmly regarded for its humor and for giving the audience a closer look at Klingon culture, which would become one of the series' richest threads.