Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Chain of Command, Part II (1992) User Reviews

Unusual Integrity

[khono · 10/10 · 6 August 2013]

Torture is a common plot device in American media. It is powerfully provocative. But while most media portray torture, falsely, as effective and fast though messy, TNG portrayts it truthfully as unreliable and spoiling of potential intelligence as well as a horrible crime.

Besides the incredible integrity shown in this episode so characteristic of the Star Trek franchise, and TNG especially, this episode contains superb acting and writing. The primary characters all appear to have depth and aren't easily distinguished as the "evil enemy" and the "great hero". It really goes to show that expensive production costs are not required for great dramatic performance.

One of the finest performances in TNG

[jswhalen1 · 10/10 · 2 June 2011]

By far, one of the best episodes of all TNG. While the regular cast was good, the performance by Ronny Cox and particularly David Warner were terrific. Warner's performance was superb as Gul Madred as he held and tortured Picard, most of it psychologically and emotionally. Two scenes were especially good, one with Gul Madred's daughter and the other with the starving Picard eating a raw Cardisian dish. Cox, playing Captain Jellico, gave a very solid performance as the arrogant captain who replaced Picard. The confrontations between Cox and Frakes were almost as compelling as the interaction between Warner and Stewart. Definitely one of the best performances for acting of all TNG episodes.

And now, the (superb) conclusion

[Mr-Fusion · 10/10 · 27 July 2017]

Now this is exactly the reason people remember "Chain of Command"; the superior second part. And right from minute one, it's hard to watch because of the subject matter: Captain Picard being tortured by a Cardassian officer (David Warner) while Jellico (Ronny Cox) is gumming up the works on the Enterprise. But it's not the physical abuse that's so effective here, rather the psychological results. It's miserable to see Picard's systematic dehumanization and just as hard to see him in such a weakened state. It's the acting here that really sells this' Warner offers up one of the great TNG villains in a performance that varies from affectionate to sheer menace. And Stewart is his equal, no question. Even Ronny Cox turns the one-note Jellico into someone interesting.

I've seen this before (several times) and it never once fails to suck me right in. It's cold, vicious and undeniably powerful.

10/10

There Are Four Lights!

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 25 September 2014]

In the conclusion of this episode, we are toggled between the Enterprise and the imprisoned Picard, kept by Cardassian torturers on the surface. Picard is first drugged and then stripped and subjected to horrors. I came to realize that this was not unlike Winston Smith in Orwell's 1984. The Cardassian commander is seeking information from Picard and he uses every bit of subterfuge he can, including a torture device implanted in the Captain which sends him into agony. He continually asks Picard how many lights are above him. There are four and Picard continues to affirm this. But the commander wants him to change his mind (true brainwashing). Patrick Stewart gives the performance of a lifetime (and he has been good in lots of performances). Meanwhile, the crew is trying to figure out how to outfox the evil Cardassians. Picard begins to sense little bits of weakness in the commander and his race and plays on that. While it just results in more pain, he is making inroads into his psyche. The conclusion is excellent and sets up future encounters. There is also a great scene between Commander Riker and Captain Jellico.

A superlative episode of TNG

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 6 August 2015]

Following on from the events of the previous episode Capt. Picard is in the custody of Cardassian interrogator Gul Madred. Madred starts asking him questions. At first he asks about Federation defences but then he turns on four lights above his head and asks Picard how many there are and when he replies 'four' he is corrected… he expects the answer 'Five'. That is just the start; stripped, physically tortured by a 'pain implant' and exhausted he continues be questioned. Back on the Enterprise the Cardassians claim to have captured Picard but his actions are disavowed leaving him with no legal protection. Riker confronts Capt. Jellico, suggesting that a rescue mission be planned, their discussion gets heated and Riker is relieved of duty. That doesn't mean that nothing will be done though; Jellico orders Geordi to scan the Cardassian ship for any hint of where it has been; there are signs that it has been in a nearby nebula… the perfect place for an attack fleet to hide. Jellico orders the deployment of mines in the nebula; something sure to get the Cardassians attention.

This is a great conclusion to this two part story. The scenes between Patrick Stewart and David Warner as Picard and Madred are top notch with some of the most disturbing scenes of the series… possibly even more disturbing now than when the episode was made as the way a naked Picard is suspended is very reminiscent of the infamous photographs of a prisoner in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. These scenes are effective because the way Madred is portrayed as a man going about his work; calmly and professionally rather than as a ranting psychopath. Another fine guest performance comes from Ronny Cox who plays the somewhat ambiguous Jellico; it is hard to tell if he is a martinet or merely somebody with different ways but who is still a good officer who gets results. The outcome of the episode won't come as much of a surprise as we all know Picard will ultimately be okay but there is a chilling epilogue where he talks to Counsellor Troi and tells her that not only was he ready to say he saw five lights but more disturbingly that he believed he was seeing that many. Overall one of the best episodes in the series.

Brilliant performances

[snoozejonc · 10/10 · 20 November 2021]

Captain Picard is in the hands of the Cardassians, whilst Captain Jellico continues to run the Enterprise in a dictatorial style.

This is one of the classic episodes of Star Trek with a great double plot of Picard's torture by Gul Madred and Jellico's time aboard Enterprise.

Jellico's command continues to be a fascinating story of the ship run in a strict military style by a direct and controlling leader. His style is domination and there are numerous great scenes of his combative exchanges with characters. The best moment for me is his cap-in-hand return to Riker where the two exchange honest opinions of each other. Ronny Cox is excellent once more and Jonathan Frakes is also great.

The stars of the show are Patrick Stewart and David Warner in their intense scenes of torture. There is nothing gratuitous about what happens but a lot of the psychological and physical torment is conveyed through Stewart's great performance. Warner is suitably cold and malevolent in his portrayal.

It is quite reminiscent of 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' with Madred's questioning style. He tries to break Picard to the point he might do and say anything to avoid suffering. This, in an extreme way, parallels the will Jellico has for domination over subordinates and enemies, and both stories parallel each other superbly. As nasty as it is, it ends in a far more upbeat way than Winston Smith's experience at the Ministry of Love.

It is not perfect. I think the notion of Riker suddenly being the best pilot around is a lazy plot contrivance, but as it leads to one of the best scenes in the episode it is forgivable.

This is one of the best acted episodes of the franchise. Stewart, Warner, and Cox are all fantastic as you would expect with this kind of material. Also regular cast members like Jonathan Frakes are at the top of their game.

Visually everything works perfectly for the intended purpose. The torture scenes are not particularly violent, but the use of lighting, stripping Stewart naked and the set design of Madred's office have the psychological affect of making it feel quite brutal.

'Chain of Command part 2' is not a pleasant experience, but sadly neither is life for people who endure suffering at the hands of others. One job it does well is set the scene for 'Deep Space Nine' where these themes and narratives involving the Cardassians are expanded.

It's a 9.5/10 for me but I round upwards.

He's shown 4 lights in front of him and asked, "How many lights are there"? When Picard says "4" he's subjected to extreme pain.

[magicsinglez · 9/10 · 6 January 2010]

In 'Chain of Command' Captain Picard (who knows Starfleet's battle plans for this sector of space), is captured by the Cardassians who are planning a surprise attack.

The entire episode consists of Picard being tortured by Cardassians. He's shown 4 lights in front of him and asked, "How many lights are there"? When Picard says "4" he's subjected to extreme pain. He's told, "you see 5 lights Captain, tell us how many you see". There are 4 lights, and Picard continues to tell him there are 4.

Other reviewers have said this is a scene taken from the story '1984' by George Orwell. Perhaps to highlight or explain the 'Orwellian' idea in the book, of being told one thing, while reality is something else. I did not notice this connection myself watching the episode, having never read '1984'.

Apparently, for the Cardassians, getting him to admit to something he knows is not true, even something as meaningless as this, is the first step in his brainwashing. They never ask Picard about battle plans, Starship numbers, or anything, but the number of lights. He's continuously subjected to extreme pain but even after extreme torture they can never get Picard to say he sees 5 lights. This is a terrible episode for the character of Picard, ranking up there with the one where Picard is assimilated by the Borg against his will.

After being rescued from the ordeal, Picard is counseled by Deanna Troi back aboard the Enterprise. He says, "You know, near the end. I could see 5 lights". Obviously with the torture he could 'see' 5 lights, something that wasn't even there (a powerful statement on it's own), but he continued to tell his captors he only saw 4.

The episode is done in such a way that the end is really an awakening of sorts, and potentially a beginning. There was never any doubt in my (overconfident) mind that they intended to make some kind of statement at the end. I've only seen the episode once, but I knew that what I felt at the end was not a figment of my imagination or something subjective or personal.

When the show ends; when Picard says those last lines to Deanna Troi, about being alone on the prison planet, he's looking almost directly into the camera and not at Deanna, "Near the end. I could see five lights". When he says those last lines at the end... we know he's talking to us.

Based on Orwell's 1984

[ohiodude · 9 April 2006]

This episode sees Captain Picard trapped by the Cardassians and the dreaded Gul Madred, played with chilling poise by David Warner. Picard is being interrogated by Madred and, as in the book 1984 by George Orwell, is asked, "how many lights are there?" Picard answers that there are four and the Cardassian devil continues to torture him until Picard says otherwise. All the while, Picard has been free to go, and never once there is anything but four lights. It is truly a demonstration of how much Picard is made of. He withstands the insults, the torture, and the hatred--but there are still four lights. There has never been a greater demonstration of what makes a captain and why they are ensured the care of all under their command.

Captain Picard gets tortured...

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 28 November 2014]

This is the second part of a two-part adventure involving the Cardassians--the new villains for the spin-off series, "Star Trek: Deep Space 9". It begins with Captain Picard in custody after a screwed up mission falls apart. Now the Cardassians are going to torture him to try to get him to betray secrets. At the same time, the Enterprise's new captain, Jellico (Ronnie Cox), is trying to somehow take a total screw-up and turn it into a Federation victory...something which seems impossible.

This is a gritty episode and much of it consists of Picard stripped naked and being tortured. There is some nudity but it isn't gratuitous and the show is very compelling--and occasionally tough to watch.

Disagree with Rich Evans of RLM

[derekcharles · 9/10 · 18 July 2022]

Like many TNG fans I've see every episode several times over but I'm doing a re-watch for the first time in about twenty years and loving every second of this show. Having watched RLM's TNG best-of discussion recently I was intrigued by Rich's take - that Jellicho was right about everything and that the Enterprise crew, Riker especially, were the asses. Remembering much of the plot and being a big Ronny Cox fan I could see how he might have a point. I remembered him being an ass but perhaps I was wrong. After all, Jellicho plays the Cardassians just right and gets Picard back and stops an invasion.

So when this episode came up I sat down, all too happy to change my view of Jellicho accordingly. Alas, I feel Rich may have missed some important clues to the point of this two-parter. Firstly, Jellicho begins riding roughshod thru the ship as soon as he beams over and while time was of the essence, there's an undeniable insecurity to the way he handles things. There seems to be a chip on his shoulder regarding this elite ship and its crew and this creates a tension that begins hampering his efforts to get the job done. He constantly implies Picard is wrong in the way he runs his ship by questioning everything from his choice of first officer to the leeway he gives his officers. Being captain of a mere Excelsior class ship, it is very interesting that he consistently dismisses Picard's advice, finally telling him to his face that he is plain wrong. After all, Picard is the best of the best, the captain of a Galaxy class ship and the flagship at that. Surely his opinion is worth at least considering.

There are numerous incidents which confirm that this is exactly what the writers were getting at: When Riker tells Troi "I'll say one thing for him-he's certainly sure of himself." Troi the empath replies "No, he's not." Furthermore, when Jellicho's Cardassian counterpart points out that Picard is a "noted" captain among Starfleet captains, the barb seems to cut Jellicho deeply. And then there's Jellicho's final interaction with Picard at the end of the episode-I mean who tells a man who has *just been tortured* that he may find his ship in even better shape than he left it??

The insecurity that runs thru the Jellicho character is fascinating from a writing point of view and of course wonderfully paralleled by the great David Warner's petty interrogator. The difference between Jellicho and the latter is that Jellicho manages to swallow his pride enough to allow his otherwise keen instincts to achieve the results he wants. Going to Riker hat in hand clearly pained him yet he was a starfleet captain after all, and while perhaps not Galaxy Class material, he was ultimately good enough to justify holding the big seat on the Cairo.

4 Words 4 Lights

[babcogeemail · 10/10 · 13 November 2017]

"There are 4 lights."

A 4 second performance. The last time Captain Picard / Patrick Stewart pronounces the words has to be one of the greatest acting performances ever. He must have spoken to a P.O.W. before he did this bit to know what it's like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npL-TNFOAQ

Picard is tortured

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 13 August 2018]

In this second part of a two part TNG story we learn a bit of Cardassian history and culture. Turns out they weren't always the ruthless warriors TNG fans came to know. In fact they were at one time a planet of poets and philosophers.

All that's changed now as Patrick Stewart learns that the tip about Cardassians building biological weapons is a hoax. It was all to lure Jean Luc Picard into hands that would deliver him to the Cardassians. They want information on Starfleet defenses and aren't to squeamish on how they get it.

As for the Enterprise the crew grumbles under Ronny Cox but in the end he proves to be a wily adversary for the Cardassians.

One of the better TNG stories out there.

Some of the best acting performances in TNG series, and one of the stupidest plots

[bbdd4018 · 3/10 · 14 August 2020]

So this new captain orders military actions with very limited evidence, and yet this is encouraged by the StarFleet command?

Great performances continued.

[russem31 · 29 April 2006]

ST:TNG:137 - "Chain Of Command, Part II" (Stardate: 46360.8) - this is the 11th episode of the 6th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Picard, who is on a secret mission for Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev (played by Natalia Nogulich, who appeared in Part I of this 2-part episode), having had to relinquish his command of the Enterprise to do this, continues his amazing performance as he is ruthlessly tortured by the Cardassian Gul Madred (played ingeniously by Star Trek veteran David Warner).

Meanwhile, Captain Jellico (played smartly by Ronny Cox of "Beverly Hills Cop", "Robocop", "Total Recall" fame) and Riker continue to conflict, since Jelico is more stern and hot-headed than Picard ever was.

Watch this exciting conclusion to a spectacular 2-part episode.

The will to dominate.

[thevacinstaller · 9/10 · 18 April 2021]

We have an embarrassment of riches in this episode. The performances of Gul Madred, Picard and Jellico are all fantastic. What I love about the episode is that Gul Madred knows (and has known for sometime) that Picard has no useful information for him; he just desperately wants to break Picard. The reason he wants to break Picard? He lived a life of desperation and starvation and endured pain throughout his childhood --- the victim now becomes the aggressor.

Jellico is great as well ---- He figures out what the Cardassians are up to after a quick briefing with Data. In fine captain fashion, he even swallows his pride and asks (on bended knee) for Riker's help in piloting the shuttlecraft because Riker is the best pilot for the job.

The best star trek made is psychological. This episode has to be on the short list as some of the best psychological work done in the franchise.

The only negative? No additional appearances by David Warner and Ronnie Cox.

Four lights...

[pengwenc-70636 · 9/10 · 19 October 2018]

One of the most phenomenal episodes in TNG, this is one of the few episodes where the second part is better than the first part in TNG, seeing how The Best of Both Worlds Part I was better than Part II. Well, anyways, this is one of the most gripping episodes. This really sets up the Cardassians for DS9, as this is the episode before DS9 started. The torture scenes with Picard was really deep, with Picard being told there were five lights instead of four, and if he said four he is subjected to pain. The other half of the episode was with Jellico and the Enterprise. You can tell the different style with how Jellico leads opposed to Captain Picard, with Jellico wanting everything to be done. The dropping mines with a shuttlecraft bit was pretty neat, and it shows how the Cardassians withdrew from the nebula, which also explains the start of DS9, too. One of the classic episodes, and always fun to rewatch.

One of the Top Two-Parters in Star Trek History

[Samuel-Shovel · 8/10 · 26 June 2020]

In "Chain of Command, Part II" with Picard captured and negotiations with the Cardassians stalled, the Enterprise attempts to ward off a Cardassians invasion. Meanwhile, Picard resists torture and interrogation techniques with the purpose of him spilling Star Fleet secrets.

While not as great as Part I, the second half of this storyline still packs a punch. Basically a setup for DS9's overarching plot, the Cardassians are a great foil foro the Federation. Stewart is great in his role here and is the shining star of the episode by far. One of the best two parters that any Star Trek series has ever done. I give this one an 8 and part 1 a 10, averaging it out to a 9 which feels fitting.

REVIEW 2022

[iamirwar · 10/10 · 25 September 2022]

A Rendezvous with the starship Cairo, like ships that pass in the night. We are near Cardassian space so best keep our eye's-open.

Let's get straight to the point, the no-nonsense Vice-Admiral Nechayev is onboard. Before he's even finished his coffee, Jean-Luc has been relived of command. Wow, I didn't see that one coming. I suppose that's why this ones entitled 'Chain of Command' but it's only part one. So, we know the formula by-now. This episode will be the vehicle from which to build-up the suspense and the plot for the concluding part-two to resolve, but the fact that Cardassian's are involved looks very promising indeed. I will therefore treat this as a double-bill episode and add this review to the part-two IMB page, so as not to give anything away.

It should be noted at this point that Chief Miles O'Brien has already left his post onboard the Enterprise. He's needed elsewhere.

I like Captain Edward Jellico. He gets things done. No molly-coddling of ranked officers. "We're not on a research mission." Actually, I thought we were?... GET IT DONE!... Aye-aye Sir!

He soon shut Troi down and I too expect to see her wearing standard uniform.

What do we know about Celtris III? Picard, Worf and Dr Crusher are heading out that way in Shuttlecraft Feynman. Crusher's purpose, it seems, is to metaphorically stand on the side of the highway with her bare-leg on display in order to flag down a passing ride??? Worf is definitely not amused.

The Cardassian's have been massing troops on their border with Federation territory. The Cardassian's believe that the Federation have already broken the terms of the peace treaty by sending a small team (Picard, Worf, Crusher) who have already entered Cardassian territory. I'm pretty sure that Gul Lemec seems well aware of this action. Even making veiled threats against the good Captain.

Jean-Luc: Serial Number: SP-937-215.

----------------------------------- Part two hits the ball clear out of the park.

It should be noted that Gul Madred (David Warner) and Gul Lemec are the prototype's of what future Cardassian leaders would be. There has been a previous TNG episodes that dealt with Cardassian's, namely the season five episode: Ensign Ro, but these two 'Chain Of Command' episodes serve to accentuate the type of show that Deep Space Nine would prove to be and the type of bad-guy we will be dealing with.

It should also been added that this two-part episode is the best one to date, even more so than the season four finale: The Best Of Both Worlds, I & II.

This episode would prove to be the one that elevated the Cardassian's to the level of enemy that should be most feared across the Alpha quadrant. As far as the Borg were concerned, they merely assimilated Picard into Locutus, the Cardassian's use less complicated but much more painful methods of making one comply.

Brilliant. Where are my live-Taspar eggs?

This Episodes Clue: How many lights can you see there?

(Answer's to all episode clues will appear in the reviews of season seven, episode 25: All Good Things, Part One.)

Excellent Performance by Sir Patrick Stewart

[lathamv · 10/10 · 17 April 2019]

There are several episodes that I love and look for to watch over and over. There are very few that I skip over when streaming. These 2 episodes are the rare times when I have to be in the mood to watch. Patrick Stewarts performance is very moving. Some of his best acting on any of his shows. Hes completely believable as the willing captive (willing only due to his inability to allow his crew to be in his position). He shows how our psyche is so stong while at the same time so fragile. This part of the storyline is what draws me back to watch.

Up to this point, every time Picard has been indisposed, the Enterprise has been turned over to Riker. He has always been the best choice since he knows the crew and day-to-day ops better than anyone else. He has also been in command during fights with the Borg. It greatly annoys me that they turn command over to Captain Jellico for no good reason. This completely upsets the crew and could potentionally cause Picard distraction from his mission which is why the Federation removes him from command in the first place (to allow him to have complete focus on his mission). The Federation leaves Picard with no reason to think he will get his ship returned to him. It throws the whole crew off to the point they can no longer be effective in their very critical jobs.

The writers seem to do this just to cause chaos, let the veiwer believe Picard will never return, and that the crew will split up. It was a cheap way of causing controversy which could have been done in other ways. Since this situation encompasses both episodes, when I watch, I tend to only watch the 2nd episode. At least that way I get to watch Stewarts incredible performance and see Riker take Jellico down a few pegs. If it werent for Picards situation, it would be my least favorite pair of episodes and I would never watch them again.

There seems to be some confusion over the number of lights in Picard's torture chamber

[snarky-trek-reviews · 9/10 · 16 May 2021]

This episode is much better than part 1 as its focus is on Picard and his captor Gul Madred. Their back and forth is masterful and the B plot back on board the Enterprise plays out smoothly. Riker isn't wrong and Jellico isn't right. They both lean into their characters perfectly though one does wish Riker had moved on to captain some other starship when he had the chance.

Turns out you can easily fit 500 anti-matter mines in the back of a class-2 shuttle and it'll look like you are only carrying eight to ten. Titan's turn sounds like a lot of fun and I hope that becomes a real thing in some distant future for our species. There does seem to be some confusion over the number of lights in Picard's torture chamber but reasonable people can disagree on these sorts of things.

To complete our study of Federation leadership compare and contrast how much composure Picard displays while being tortured, versus how little Jellico displays while at the negotiating table. They put their most skilled diplomat in harms way and a war monger at the helm of their most powerful ship. What does the Federation leadership really want? Are they completely incompetent or outright malicious? I suppose it doesn't matter. If an entire fleet of Cardi ships can be spooked into retreat by a few mines they don't deserve Minos Corva anyway. Perhaps at some point in the future they will makes some friends that will teach them how to effectively challenge federation power.

"You cannot hurt me."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 20 March 2024]

Based on the way Part One of this story ended, I expected some skullduggery on the part of Captain Jellico due to that cryptic comment he made speaking to Vice-Admiral Alynna Nechayev (Natalija Nogulich) about 'seeing our friends again'. I thought he might have been working a traitorous angle against the Federation, so in that regard I guess I misinterpreted the statement. Jellico actually had a desperate plan in place to put the Cardassians off their game, but it would take a measure of his forceful, dictatorial style of command to pull it off. That exchange between Jellico and Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) over the fate of Captain Picard could have gone either way if Riker was of a mind to relieve him of duty instead of the other way around. Jellico had to come hat in hand later on when he needed Riker to operate a shuttle into the McAllister Nebula in order to plant detonation devices on Cardassian ships. Meanwhile, Captain Picard was facing torturous conditions at the hands of Cardassian Gul Madred (David Warner), who attempted to break him into submission to reveal the location of a Federation base on Minos Korva. It felt like Picard was close to cracking, something he admitted to Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) once he was safely back on board the Enterprise. This was an especially intense episode given the Jellico/Riker dynamic and the faceoff between Gul Madred and Picard. Excellent portrayals by all the principals made it a gratifying victory for the Federation, even if the opposing parties averted war at the last minute.

Waste of time

[ohdelle · 1/10 · 22 November 2020]

It was a waste of time.. waited for the conflicts of the story to be resolved, but to much dismay, it is just a series of frustrating scenes without a sense of resolution at the end, just an abrupt end.

A Senior Trekker writes.......................

[celineduchain · 23 February 2022]

The Golden Age of Star Trek: we had the 6th Season of The Next Generation and the 1st Season of Deep Space Nice on our televisions, Generations on view in our cinemas and First Contact due out soon. This season of TNG contains some excellent stand-alone episodes and several spectacular two-parters, with only the occasional make-weight. Despite the length of time it had already been on the air, it still represents some of the highest standard of television Science Fiction ever broadcast.

Senior Trekker has been both Sir Patrick and guest star David Warner perform Shakespeare on the English stage and seeing two such acting heavyweights go up against each other in Chain of Command is one of the greatest privileges of the whole season.

It's a difficult watch: the torture scenes were so well researched and written as to linger in the memory long after the intermittent scenes back on the Enterprise have faded. The lack of blood or overt brutality makes it even more chilling and this episode rises to the standards of a top class theatrical performance. Unfortunately Gul Madred's custom of inviting his child into the interrogation room as casually as if it was "bring your daughter to work day" was lifted straight out of Terry Gilliam's film Brazil but, otherwise, the callousness was horrifying. The denouement, in which Picard sees through to his torturer's weakness and uses psychology to turn the tables on him is especially impressive.

Patrick Stewart, as a supporter of Amnesty International, had some prior input into the script and production whereas his colleague and friend, David Warner, came in as a late replacement and had virtually no time to prepare. The unfailingly modest Mr Warner had already appeared in two Star Trek films and numerous Science Fiction roles including the highly acclaimed Time Bandits. He tells many amusing stories of how often he has been called in to substitute for someone else and describes himself as a "letterbox actor"; that is to say, if an offer of work comes through the letterbox, he will probably accept it. Well, there may be one or two stinkers on his resume but he has been a true friend to Star Trek over the years and we thank him for it.

Excellent episode, with certain caveats

[PWNYCNY · 14 August 2011]

As drama, this episode of Star Trek approaches a level of excellence that is rarely even remotely achieved in a television series. It is apparent that the producers of this show actually made the effort to produce something that was worthy of the term drama. Npw, the problem with this episode is that it does not further develop the Jellico-Riker conflict, which revealed a lot about Commander Riker. Coddled by Captain Picard, Riker reveals a nastier side of his personality when placed under the supervision of another captain who wants results, fast, and has no time or interest in trying to elicit cooperation. Riker's fundamental failings are revealed when he has to be relieved of his duties, for cause, rendering himself useless and sabotaging the captain's efforts to prepare the ship for possible war. Captain Jellico did nothing to warrant Riker's antagonism. Riker was argumentative, surly, resistant to supervision, and failed to discharge his duties, proving that he was not fit for higher command. As for Captain Picard, he is tortured by an alien who is trying to extract information. Here, Picard's moral position is not completely tenable. First, he was captured after having infiltrated an alien space ship while negotiations were in progress; a hostile act. Second, it was the Federation that was acting aggressively, not the the aliens, thus, Picard could not claim the moral high ground. Also, the alien is not a human and therefore may have a completely different set of values governing his conduct. Nevertheless, this episode deserves praise for its attempt to examine a number of questions relating to personal conduct and integrity and as such is worth watching.

Psychiatry, advanced applications.

[Blueghost · 11 May 2023]

So Jelico is a "military" officer, which begs the question of what in the world is the Enterprise-D supposed to be anyway? I mean, the thing has weapons, so ... what exactly is Picard?

Regardless what we have here is Captain Picard undergoing behavior modification, often used in psychiatric wards on the tougher patients who refuse to give up their vices or delusions. It's essentially legalized torture, and it's no fun.

Again, this was probably the last of three episodes that I saw of this poorly conceived TV series. Had Kirk been there he would've fought his torturer, jimmied the lock, punched and kicked his way out of the ward, taken a Cardassian weapon, and busted out of that place.

The thing about psychiatry is that even if you know the techniques, as my High School psychology instructor pointed out, they, the psychiatrists or doctors or psych-techs, will still administer the same techniques you see in this episode. If you recall "Plato's Stepchildren" from the 1960's television show, you get to witness the same thing. Only instead of being physically beaten the subject is subjected to a lot of drugs that make him or her susceptible to psychiatric suggestion, and you, or the patient, have to fight to withhold or restrain your desire to act on your inner desires, or suffer the consequences of staying there longer until you are able.

Fans of Star Trek the Next Generation insist that it's a far more "intellectual" show. Eh, maybe. I mean I suppose it is in that Picard doesn't get into fist fights, and the ship rarely does any serious combat, but that doesn't make the show "smarter" per se, just the usual contract with the audience of getting them off the show, or to keep the show in a more reserved perspective than old time fans like I who thought Kirk and Spock were really cool.

Picard plays the cooperative patient who insists that he can out wit and out last his torturer. Does he succeed? Well, if he was trying to quit smoking, drugs, alcohol, surfing online smut or what have you, then I suppose so. But again there's really no point in applying this other than to show the audience behavioral modification as a plot device for an episode to see Picard get psychologically brutalized. A "real" torture session would have some guards beating the tar out of him, or using far more physical painful methods applied to sensitive areas of the body. So, you're seeing (thankfully) a very misapplication of psychiatry for exposition to the audience, without letting the audience in on what is actually going on.

Like I say, this was one of the final three episodes that I ever saw of this series, each time I would tune in I would hope the show had improved. It did, but more in technical ways and taking the basic plots of the story and giving them equal prominence of the personal subplots which acted as the basic story for the first three seasons, and kept the basic presentation formula until the series finale.

So, there's not much else to tell. In a setting where all material wants are met with so-called magic tech that is "replicator" technology, one wonders why the Federation has any enemies if they can satisfy anyone's wants and desires. Why? Because wars are always fought over money or natural resources, and as such there is no need to war with anyone here. So, why are the Cardassians such pains? Because that's what the producers wanted.

Another iffy episode for an iffy show. Again the emphasis is on interpersonal relationships, and not the plot, which does not make for interesting nor compelling viewing.

But, if you're a die hard TNG fan, then you've seen this already and have made up your own mind.