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

Great writing, masterful performances. This is sci-fi - no, television - at it's very best.

[garydiamond · 9/10 · 12 December 2008]

There is no denying that Star Trek: The Next Generation is a groundbreaking show. After a shaky start, slumbering in the shadows of it's predecessor, Riker "grew the beard" and around the same time, early in season two, the real potential began to show. It became obvious that Gene Roddenberry had picked a cast more than able to perform the skilled illusion - making a set of sound-stages, scripts and special effects a plausible glimpse into a potential future, one where some of humanities problems have been solved but some linger and are perhaps worse for it.

But I digress. This is not a review of the show at large. It is intended merely to point out that it could have been a catastrophe, when in fact this show singlehandedly resurrected the entire franchise by taking the fandom of the original series and challenging them. And this is demonstrated to incredible effect with the epic two-part adventure.

It may at first seem implausible that an ageing captain, a doctor with no combat experience and a chief security officer would be sent on a dangerous espionage mission, but thanks to the script good, justifiable reasons are provided and they set the stage. The Federation is finally revealed to be strained; stretching to meet bigger and more avaricious foes. The Enterprise crew is forced to work harder, faster and better to meet the challenge when Picard is replaced. Riker becomes an intermediary, an emissary for the misgivings of the crew. His stunning ambition and Kirk-esquire attitude send sparks flying when Jellico (played stunningly by Ronny Cox) steamrollers over the comfortable routine.

After an immaculate setup, the second part delivers on the promise. Sweeping narrative is something Star Trek excels at, and it is no wonder that that last three seasons of TNG contain more two-part episodes than the four that precede it. The two main plots have been intertwined well - both the away mission to discover a Cardassian base and the shake-up of the Enterprise mirror each other in intention, but work so well because of such contrasting execution - notice the extensive use of dark and light between the plots. Both share a common factor - they are guessing games.

In the second part, they become cat-and-mouse games. Jellico must negotiate a workable agreement with the Cardassians, Picard must endure torture of the most degrading sort - not just physical pain, but mental manipulation too. In both cases, the tormentor and the tormented change during the course of the episode, masterfully. When one appears to be holding all the cards, external factors are altered and force a radical rethinking of survival tactics. Both Captains are forced to look inward, to reconsider what they think is right and to admit at least a little defeat to achieve an advantageous goal (Jellico must barter with Riker, Picard must hold on to his hope while wearing down Gul Madred).

I could single out and extrapolate on so many great nuances of performance in many of the cast, but I would no doubt run out of words to do so. As someone who has a huge amount of respect for Patrick Stewart - not just an actor, but the highest class of the art, a true thespian - I will concentrate on that.

Patrick Stewart has often been responsible for the best moments of any work he happens to be in. Even the more mediocre works can be raised by one of his grandstanding, completely compelling speeches. He had always been a strong lead character and Star Trek gave him the exposure he needed to really capitalise on his skills. Here he is given a sparring partner so evenly matched the tension of his scenes - with David Warner as Gul Madred - are a sight to behold. The facial expressions, the subtle vocal inflections and the haunted look one man demonstrates when the other manages a riposte he could not have anticipated - this raises the medium of the television show to the heights of classical theatre.

Both run the gamete of emotions - anger, passion, love, hatred, despair and many more - and it makes for compelling viewing. The tension between the scenes with Jonathan Frakes and Ronny Cox comes very close to matching these heights too: with both plots seamlessly edited together and topped off with an exceptional musical score, the end result is mesmerising.

I remember seeing these episodes as a child and being completely captivated by the moral questions raised, wondering what I might make of the work the next time I saw it. This has been one of the rare cases where age and experience have barely dented my reactions and enjoyment, still forcing me to turn inwards after viewing and consider what my own passions and commitments might be worth in the grand scheme of things. If that isn't what great works of art are supposed to do, then I suppose I'll never know. Bravo. Hats off to everyone involved.

Great acting, interesting story - based on a pretty weak premise

[sascha-17 · 7/10 · 25 November 2012]

Since everyone seems to have loved this two-parter, I'll play devil's advocate here and point out some of the things that didn't make sense.

Summary: With tensions brewing on the Cardassian border, Picard, Crusher and Worf are sent into enemy territory to conduct a top secret mission. While they do their thing, the remaining Enterprise command-crew (under their new CO Cpt. Jellico) enter into negotiations with the Cardassians.

Things I liked:

The basic idea for the episode is top notch. Replacing Picard with an officer who is pretty much his polar opposite is very interesting. Ronny Cox does a great job of portraying the hard-ass Jellico. His questionable style of command and "diplomacy" put a great deal of stress on the crew (mostly on Riker) and this leads to some pretty tense confrontations - both in the negotiating-scenes and in his general interactions with the crew.

Great performances: The scenes between Picard and his torturer (the excellent David Warner) are among the most realistic and disturbing in the entire series. Seeing a Picard who is (literally) stripped of everything and still (barely) stands his ground is enough to give you chills.

Things I didn't like: The entire premise of the show, the things that set the story in motion and keep it going, all don't make sense. So they needed a small team of experts to infiltrate and investigate a hostile planet behind enemy lines, basically a Special-Ops type of mission ... and they turned to a middle-aged starship captain, a middle-aged doctor and a Klingon security chief? I can buy Worf going on the mission, but surely Starfleet must have some specialized group trained for these kinds of missions? Something along the lines of present day Navy SEALs/Delta Force/GSG9?

Naturally, the reasons Picard gives for them having been chosen are laughable: He was picked because he's had experience with a certain type of carrier wave years and years ago. Worf is the muscle (fair enough) and Crusher is there because she knows how to use a tricorder, I guess.

More importantly, Starfleet's handling of the entire situation make them seem rather incompetent.

• They decide to strip the Federation flagship of its CO - not a good idea if you send that ship into a tense situation that might very well lead to a battle or war. They then replace said CO with a guy whose style of leadership is sure to create a number of problems with the crew. This can't be a new personality trait of Jellico's so any higher ranking officer worth his salt should've foreseen the friction he creates on the Enterprise. And all this for no real reason - other than Jellico clearly wanting to establish himself as a hard-ass. There's no payoff to the changes Jellico makes, so they don't seem to have improved the Enterprise's effectiveness. Quite the opposite really, when Jellico first relieves Riker of duty and then has to basically beg the guy to fly a crucial mission.

• Jellico is there because he has extensive experience with the Cardassians - but all he really does in his negotiating scenes is insult the guys. Maybe that's the way to handle Cardassians, but then Troi confirms that Jellico isn't really as sure of himself as he's trying to appear. So he's clearly not the best man for the job - he basically comes across as pretty weak and incompetent. Again: Picard is a highly respected diplomat and someone who knows how to de-escalate a situation. He's not a special-forces operative.. so why use him in this capacity when he would be much more valuable at his usual post? Instead of using him, Starfleet sends in a "diplomat" who is sure to alienate the Cardassians every chance he gets. And these guys want to prevent war? Hmmm..

Finally: The Cardassians' motivation doesn't make sense. They want Picard because they hope to gain information from him regarding the defense strategy for a system they want to invade/annex. They come up with this elaborate plan to lure Picard into a trap. A plan which requires extensive knowledge of Picard. But they didn't know he wouldn't be able to provide them with this information? And said information doesn't seem too important anyway. When they realize they can't get it from Picard, they still seem determined to attack anyway.. so why even go through this elaborate ruse to capture him? And I haven't even mentioned the fact that their entire plan hinges on Starfleet cooperating and sending in Picard to infiltrate the planet.

All that said: I still like Chain of Command a lot. The acting is great, the basic ideas are good and the unusual situations the writers create are interesting to watch and give some new insights into the characters. I just wish they could've come up with a better reason for Picard getting replaced by Jellico and then getting captured and tortured.

All in all: 7/10

Gut Wrenching!

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 25 September 2014]

The first of the two episodes sets things up. It begins with an admiral coming on board and taking the Enterprise away from Picard. He accepts this because there is a serious mission he, Beverly, and Worf are to go on to stop some activities by the Cardassians. Captain Jellico (Ronny Cox) takes over the ship and begins to change everything. He is a tyrant and doesn't care that the crew and especially Commander Riker find him repugnant. He is arbitrary and cruel. He never takes into account that Picard has commanded with honor the flagship of the fleet. Meanwhile, the three mates find themselves on the Cardassian planet, moving through a series of tunnels to find the object of their mission. They are finally ambushed. The Cardassians, who will become more important in other Trek offerings, especially Deep Space Nine, are a nasty bunch, full of hatred because of their war-like history. While negotiations go on on board with the hot headed Jellico leading them into dangerous territory, the away team is in for a nasty surprise. Well set up and captivating.

Great performances all around.

[russem31 · 29 April 2006]

ST:TNG:136 - "Chain Of Command, Part I" (Stardate: 46357.4) - this is the 10th episode of the 6th season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

As the tensions between the Federation and Cardassians rise (foreshadowing the debut of "Deep Space Nine" a few weeks after this 2-part episode), Picard is relieved of command of the Enterprise to go on a secret mission into Cardassian territory along with Dr. Crusher and Worf.

Meanwhile, Captain Jellico (played smartly by Ronny Cox of "Beverly Hills Cop", "Robocop", "Total Recall" fame) is given command of the Enterprise by Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev (played by Natalia Nogulich, in her first of 4 TNG performances). Tensions immediately rise between the new captain and Riker.

However, after Picard and crew arrives at the forbidden planet, Picard walks into a trap and is captured by the ruthless Gul Madred (played ingeniously by Star Trek veteran David Warner).

Trivia note: Riker notes that there is a standard 3 shift rotation on the Enterprise. This is also the episode where Troi starts wearing her standard uniform (because of Jellico's rules).

One of the Best Episodes of the Entire Series

[gavin6942 · 10/10 · 6 July 2008]

Note: This review covers both parts of "Chain of Command".

Picard is replaced as captain of the Enterprise. He, Lt. Worf and Dr. Crusher go on a secret mission into Cardassian space. His replacement, Capt. Jellico, meets his new command with some resistance from the crew. The Cardassians use theta band emissions as a ruse to lure Capt. Picard into their hands and begin brutal rounds of torture to gain the information they seek.

Why is this one of the best episodes of the entire series? Because it has plenty of action while not holding back on quality writing. We get more insight into Riker's personality and how emotional he can get when confronted with an authority he doesn't respect. And we further learn to what lengths Picard will go to defend the Federation and Dr. Crusher. How one interprets Riker is open to debate -- is he a loose cannon, a maverick? Is he unreliable? Or is he simply confident? Picard insists time and again that "there are four lights" (which is true) despite intense pain all over his body. He has a great dedication to his crew, his mission and the truth. We really see that he can be both tough and compassionate at the same time.

As with many "Next Generation" episodes, a series of moral and philosophical questions are raised. Who is the good guy and who is the bad guy here? From our perspective, the Federation is in the right and the Cardassians reveal their ruthlessness through torture and lies. But can the Federation be absolved of all wrongdoing? They crossed into Cardassian space and took covert action, clearly a violation of armistice rules.

Is the Federation plagued with hypocrisy -- claiming to be a peaceful alliance but secretly breaking laws when it's convenient? (In the grand scheme, we notice that the Federation loves to add new members to their side, as long as they stop their traditional ways of life. The striving for hegemony and assimilation is as far-reaching as the Borg, but more discreet.) Keep that in mind when watching this one... our heroes are strong and have an admirable character. But is it possible that unintentionally they are advancing a sinister or divisive objective?

Great acting

[Deusvolt · 10/10 · 15 May 2011]

As soon as I saw that David Warner was in the cast, I knew that there would be great acting based on a profound script in these episodes (parts I & II). Not that Warner did all of the good acting exuding malevolent gravitas with a touch of ironic and perverse bonhomie; it just seemed that his presence inspired the others to even better acting. Stewart as Picard was at his Shakespearean best. There was also the redoubtable Ronny Cox, whose acting talent has allowed us to suspend disbelief in so many movies. His portrayal of a harsh, by-the-book, unfeeling officer in command undoubtedly made audiences hate him at first. That is, until the end when his actions revealed that he cared for the welfare of Captain Picard after all.

Although broadcast in 1992, I couldn't help but be struck by the immediate currency today (2011) of the moral, legal and psychological issues put forth in the story - torture sanctioned by government, the reliability of information obtained under torture, the psychology of the torturer and the tortured.

In relating his experience under torture to Counselor Troi, Picard brought to light one of the effects of torture that had been in the peripheral vision of my mind but had never articulated: It is often said that the tortured would confess or reveal anything his handlers would like to hear just to stop his torment. But Picard shows that the victim himself would get to believe the lie that he is forced to confess. In other words, he would not be lying but telling the truth as he believes it as a form of psychological defense. In essence, therefore, brainwashing is a consequence of torture. And that is exactly, how some misguided authorities use it - to brainwash.

So in the story, it became obvious, that the purpose of David Warner's character was not to get any kind of truth from Picard, but to brainwash him to get him to confess to some kind of Federation transgression of its treaty with the Cardassian Empire. In that way, the Cardassians may be able to intimidate the Federation into ceding territory to them.

For more about brainwashing in movies, see John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Laurence Harvey in the anti-hero role and also the Ipcress File.

Get it done

[snoozejonc · 9/10 · 19 November 2021]

Captain Picard is relieved of command and sent on a secret mission into Cardassian territory.

This is strong episode with a compelling story and a great guest character.

It reminds me of 'The Best of Both Worlds' as Picard is taken out of the picture and there is an excellent, antagonistic presence in Captain Jellico on board the Enterprise for Riker to contend with, a bit like Shelby. However Jellico, being Captain, obviously impacts everybody in the crew. He is an entertaining character who shakes up the established order of the Enterprise with a no-nonsense approach. All his scenes are excellent and Ronny Cox is a breath of fresh air amongst the established cast.

The plot has a nice level of intrigue and although you may probably see there is some sort of twist coming, it is still good when it comes.

It is slightly comical seeing Picard, Worf and Crusher dressed like the Milk Tray man on a Bond type mission, but this is only a problem if you take television way too seriously. For me it's part of the fun.

All cast are on good form, particularly Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden. The bit where Crusher has to influence a Ferengi with her feminine charms is very amusing. However, it is definitely Cox who is head and shoulders above everyone with all the best material and the most memorable performance.

For me it's an 8.5/10 but I round upwaords.

A worthy villian.

[thevacinstaller · 9/10 · 18 April 2021]

The Next Generation has done an admirable job of setting up the Cardassians as a compelling antagonist. With star trek, it is generally the 'good guys' who have all the answers and are one step ahead of the bubbling villains. In this first part the Federation are played by the Cardassians to conduct a secret spec op mission to uncover a fabricated WOMP facility.

The design of the Cardassians is wonderful as well. They look like snakes and they have rigid black uniforms that suggest a militaristic society.

The shining star of the first episode is Ronnie Cox's performance as a 'hard ass' replacement captain for Picard. The performance could have easily become the ole 'captain with a stone to grind' story but he's just an officer who has a severe micro management disorder and is doing what he feels is necessary to deal with the Cardassian threat. I also enjoyed the scenes of him using psychology in dealing with the Ambassador ---- This man is smart and does his homework. At times I find myself wondering if this man is truly a hard ass or if all his orders and changes are meant to establish himself as an alpha predator to the Cardassians ---- In reality..... The man is probably a hard ass but not to this extreme. When an episode gets me to ponder such questions you know they have succeeded in character development.

A wonderful set and beautifully executed.

Be careful, thems Cardassians are tricksy!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 28 November 2014]

This is the first of a two-part episode about the Cardassians. It appears to have been timed to coincide with the beginning of the spin- off series, "Star Trek: Deep Space 9"--as the Cardassians were HUGE adversaries throughout that series.

The show begins with an admiral visiting Captain Picard. It seems he's begin reassigned, at least temporarily, on a special mission with the Doctor and Worf. And, instead of making Riker the new captain of the ship, a new captain (Ronnie Cox) is brought in--ostensibly because of his toughness and prior experiences with the Cardassians.

The special assignment turns out to consist of the three infiltrating a Cardassian base which might have banned weapons. However, it really made NO SENSE why these three (especially the Doctor and Picard) would be in on such a mission. Why not some sort of 24th century Seal team or the like?! How tough is Dr. Crusher?! And, Picard appears to be about 50! Overall, it is an interesting episode will stupid casting for the team. Part two is a bit better.

Picard 's Secret Mission

[Samuel-Shovel · 10/10 · 17 June 2020]

In "Chain of Command, Part I" Star Fleet sends Picard, Dr. Crusher, and Worf on a secret (some would say "suicide") mission to look into reports that the Cardassian's are developing a banned chemical weapon as they load up troops on the edge of Federation space and seem to be preparing for war.

Picard is replaced as captain of the Enterprise by Cpt. Jellico, an old hand with plenty of experience in dealing with the Cardassians. He quickly clashes with Riker over how to run the ship. Part I ends with the chemical weapons lab proving to be a trap. Worf and Crusher escape but Picard is captured and threatened as we cut to credits.

Not only is this episode written and directed to perfection but what a stacked guest cast! Ronny Cox AND David Warner are in this first episode, wow! Ronny Cox absolutely makes this episode. I love every scene involving him and Frakes playing off of each other. Even though Star Fleet is a science and exploration-based governmental body (on paper), it's always fun to see their military side occasionally. I'm glad this show isn't always militaristic (which is one of the problems with the show Star Trek: Enterprise) but it's always fun to dip a toe in the water once in a while. Great stuff!

Exemplary guest stars

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 27 July 2017]

Picard, Dr. Crusher and Worf as a strike team? Even though the mission is eventually justified, I've always thought these were unlikely candidates for a stealth job. What it really does is sideline the captain of the Enterprise for an abrasive replacement (Ronny Cox), someone who runs counter to everything that makes the ship run smoothly (almost an affirmation of the writers' need to shake things up on an long-running show), and that just makes for good drama; we want this guy to take a hike and get the ship back on a smooth course.

But this episode exists almost purely as setup for Part II, and to that end, the best scene is saved for last. David Warner is that classic psychotic interrogator, one who deals in mental warfare more than anything.

He is ideal for the dark hour that's to come.

7/10

Captains Picard and Jellico

[CinefanR · 10/10 · 4 October 2012]

"Chain of Command" was an awesome episode (Part 1 and 2), it was very well acted, especially from Ronny Cox and Patrick Stewart, but also David Warner. The fact that the writers made Jellico an antagonist, not a villain, was a masterstroke. The weaknesses of the Enterprise crew were revealed, and it was great to see all those energies crossfire.

Although Jellico may seem unlikable at first, I have to say his approach is correct. The crew was all whiny and pretty unprofessional. In war time, people usually die, and they will die for sure if they are unprepared. That was the Captain's responsibility and he had to take measures. So complaining about hard work and the lack of "rest & relaxation" in such times is unacceptable for a military-trained crew.(Yes, Star Fleet is a military organization, even if its main goal is exploration).

Jellico is a very interesting, multi-dimensional character, and it would have been extraordinary to see more of him in later episodes. Great acting, great story. This is TNG's tribute to "1984".

Picard on detached assignment

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 13 August 2018]

This first of a two part story finds Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, and Gates McFadden on detached assignment from the Enterprise. For this occasion Starfleet has sent another captain played by Ronny Cox to relieve Captain Picard of command of the Enterprise.

Good thing Picard took Worf as part of his mission team because Cox really would have had trouble then. As it is the crew is really under a strain with a captain who wants things done yesterday. The one Cox really gets at odds with is Jonathan Frakes.

As for Picard, Worf and Dr. Crusher the mission is a bust and Picard is captured by a nasty Cardassian played by David Warner who must have read up on Dr. Mengele and refined some of his torture experiments.

Cox plays someone who overcomes doubts with bravado and Warner is playing one of his usual patented heavies.

Things are looking tense at the end of Part I.

Suspension of disbelief is beyond the norm

[ghatbkk · 3/10 · 18 August 2018]

Let's see...

We're supposed to believe:

Starfleet chooses to send a Ship's Captain, a Ship's Doctor and 1 security officer (even if it is Worf) on a commando raid deep into Cardassian space with no current intelligence and no real idea of a mission. The Federation of a thousand planets can't put together an actual commando force?

Then we have assigning a new Captain to the Enterprise while Picard is away on his raid, despite having a first officer who is well-trained, experienced and has demonstrated numerous times his ability to handle the Enterprise.

Fundamentally, this episode (both parts) is stupid. The script is ridiculous.

Absolutely one of the best episodes in the entire series

[saravanan1966 · 10/10 · 30 November 2012]

Please note - I am reviewing Part One and Part Two as though they were one episode.

With a superb guest cast, including David Warner and Ronny Cox, this is, I believe along with Jeremy Kemp's turn with Patrick Stewart in the episode Family, the best acted piece within the TNG series.

Cruel,gripping, sadistic, well written, real are all descriptors that come to mind. Warner always brings something special to every role he takes on, but the scenes with he and Stewart are some of the finest tit for tat toe to toe, between oppressor and the tortured that I have ever seen. It is hard to believe that he only had three days to prepare for his role as he plays the interrogator with such steel one assumes that he must have had months to get in character. Many episodes don't really give Stewart the fullness of range a character actor such as he needs, but this one wholly does. Having Warner as his foil, a reason to rise above the norm, Stewart continually being asked how many lights he sees, brought a tear to my eye.

A must view, even if you aren't a fan of Star Trek or TNG.

1984

[ericpeterson999 · 10/10 · 1 February 2020]

Great episode. It is 1984, a la Star Trek. If it inspired anyone to read 1984, then it was worth it.

A new captain for the Enterprise

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 5 August 2015]

As this, the first part of a two-part story, opens Capt. Picard is relieved of his command and replaced by Capt. Jellico; a man with a very different attitude to command. Jellico has been given the position because it looks as if the fragile peace with the Cardassians is about to break down and he has experience of dealing with them. Before he can even think about dealing with the Cardassians he must mould the Enterprise's crew into the crew he wants; something that might be tricky given their loyalty to Picard and his way. Meanwhile Picard, Worf and Dr Crusher are preparing for a secret mission that will take them into Cardassian territory to investigate the possible development of an illegal biological weapon.

This episode is very much setting things up for a more dramatic second part but that doesn't mean it isn't an exciting episode; far from it. The end scenes where Picard and his team enter the Cardassian facility is definitely exciting. The make up of the away team is a little surprising at first but it is explained that Picard's prior experience on the USS Stargazer makes him essential and Beverly's medical knowledge makes her the logical choice to identify any biological weapons. Patrick Stewart showed that he could play a believable action-man and it was nice to see Gates McFadden's character, Dr Crusher, out of sickbay in a proper action situation. The events on the Enterprise are no less interesting; Ronny Cox's Capt. Jellico certainly contrasted with Picard; he is essentially a military man rather than an explorer. His style quickly rubs the crew up the wrong way leading to some interesting scenes and even one noticeable change… Counsellor Troi is told to wear a standard uniform rather than her usual costume... to my mind an improvement! As the episode comes to a close the tension is high and Picard is captured… I can't wait to see how the story concludes.

Enterprise crew revealed to be a bunch of pampered spoiled brats

[PWNYCNY · 9/10 · 15 September 2016]

This is part 1 of a two-part episode. A re-visit to these episodes reveal major flaws in the story. First, why is Captain Jellicoe negotiating with anyone? His job is to prepare for the possibility of war with the Cardassians. Second, why send Picard, a high ranking commanding officer, on an extremely risky spy mission? Third, how could the Federation let itself be so thoroughly duped by the Cardassians? Fourth, why was Ryker so upset? He had no cause to be upset. He repeatedly disobeys orders and generally behaves obnoxiously. Fifth, in this story the Federation does not occupy high moral ground. Further, the Federation is revealed to have major flaws. It makes strategic decisions on faulty information,its attitude is belligerent, both Starship captains have major issues - Jellicoe negotiates in bad-faith, Picard is a spy, and members of the crew are willful and obstinate. Why Ryker is not brought up on charges is a mystery.

Wow, what a strong episode. Ryker reveals himself as being a real twerp. A new captain comes on board and Ryker immediately cops an attitude. He reacts like a child. He doesn't like taking orders. He is inflexible and selfish. Instead of trying to help the new captain, Jellicoe, Ryker pouts and sulks. All this while Jellicoe has to negotiate with a belligerent alien race that is openly hostile and threatening to invade a planet. The rest of the crew isn't any better. They are serving on a warship, yet are openly annoyed and distressed at Jellicoe who wants to prepare for the possibility of war. The only way to get the aliens to back down is to show them that the Federation will not budge. Instead, Jellicoe is getting no support from the crew, which makes it even harder for him to deal with his adversary, and which puts the ship at risk. For a television sci-fi series, the dialog is excellent, and the story intense. That is surprising.

Horrible. Don't Watch.

[codymeek · 30 May 2020]

The worst 2 part episode of the entire goddamn series. Nothing is accomplished.

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.

Great guest performances and a wonderful twist.

[amusinghandle · 9/10 · 9 April 2024]

Another wonderfully written episode that is elevated by the wonderful performances of the prickly Ronnie Cox and calculated evil of david warner.

I always wonder if Jellico is really such a ball breaker or if he was putting on a spectacle to keep the Cardassians off balance ---- probably just amplified his hard ass qualities? It takes you back doesn't it? You get the feeling that Captain Kirk would personally execute anyone who committed true mutiny aboard the enterprise while life of TNG seems like a space adventure aboard a luxury cruise liner ---- well, not so with Jellico at the helm.

I found myself contemplating David Warner's performance as Gul Madred ---- a broken man due to the traumatic events of his childhood now lashing out and delivering the pain he experienced in his youth. I am not a criminologist but I do believe there is a correlation between teasing/trauma experienced at an early age and mental health deterioration that can in extreme cases lead to horror / mass shootings / taking delight in torture/dominating others. It's just a great performance that is all the more menacing due to Warner's understated professional affluent delivery throughout his scenes.

I like a good villain ---- Nazi's are a great villain and the cardassians are clearly the spiritual successors ----- a society bankrupt and impoverished by war who is lifted up through military control and conscription.

This one is neck and neck with Best of Both Worlds for the best 2 part episode thus far.

A big pat on the back to our man Jellico for swallowing his pride and getting Riker to pilot the shuttle..... I would have gone with Geordi and let Riker blow his horn!

The federation is an aggressive and imperialist power

[snarky-trek-reviews · 6/10 · 16 May 2021]

Lets consider the behavior of federation leadership in this episode. Captain Picard, a calm, level headed, and skilled diplomat, is assigned to a search and destroy mission behind enemy lines while his ship is handed over to a hot headed, insecure captain clearly itching for a fight who is supposed to take the lead in negotiations.

Right before Picard leaves on his mission Jellico makes his position clear. He is certain the Cardassians are not going to listen to reason and the Federation has no intention of making any concessions. That is not the mindset of a man preparing for a negotiation. That is the mindset of a man preparing for war and all of his actions in this episode align with that intent. Jellico's intent is made all the more obvious during his meetings with Gol Lemec. It seems Jellico, and by extension the Federation, is not at all satisfied with the results of the armistice two years ago and is out to extract further gains from the Cardassians. Despite all his bluster and alpha posturing, Lemec easily maintains the upper hand throughout their meetings.

Perhaps you think Jellico and the federation are justified. After all, Federation intelligence is pretty sure the Cardassians are developing a weapon of mass destruction outside the boundaries of interstellar agreements. If you love this episode and think Captain Jellico "is actually pretty awesome", but hated the Bush administration and the disposition of the United States towards the middle east, you might want to take a good look in the mirror.

It's an engaging episode. Captain Jellico would make an excellent war time Captain, and I really like the way he handles Diana. Riker and the rest of the crew are slow to adjust to the change in command, but Jellico does absolutely nothing to establish their trust. He could have at least made an honest statement of intent and their mission when command of the Enterprise was formerly handed over to him. The only member of the crew he seems to get on with well is the emotionless machine. If that's not a red flag for leadership style I don't know what is.

The Cardassians aren't completely innocent here, but their skepticism of the Federation is completely justified and they have every right to protect the integrity of their territory. I think its time we stopped thinking of the Federation as the good guys and instead start looking at them like the aggressively imperialist power that they are. Sure, they may be imperialist for values that you cherish, but their diplomacy-first-live-and-let-live attitude is a charade meant to lull their galactic neighbors to sleep.

New Captain, different crew

[makiefer-87128 · 8/10 · 13 March 2024]

Hostage situation. Cardassians kidnap the Captain of Starflleet's flagship. For ransom (really). Starfleets needs to respond, and drive a harder bargain on that hostage price. The Enterprise's new captain is ruthless. Replacement Captain Jellico, a borderline-scumbag, repeatedly cancels negotiations with the Cardassian kidnappers. To the dismay of the rest of the crew, Picard's incumbent faction. First Officer Riker even quits his job. --- very cool how the episode takes this hostage situation seriously. Effectively, we get a new crew in this instalment, given the command of the flagship swaps hands. Captain Jelico takes over, along with a new first officer. Note that the Borg two-parter 'Best of both worlds' two seasons earlier refused to go there: We didn't get a new tailor-made battle crew that replaced the usual explorers. Conversely in this episode, we see a new Captain that even alienates his crew just to reduce the price of that hostage, the previous captain. Superb. Note that Jellico can only loose, here. If his bargain is too hard, Picard dies, and his crew will hate him forever. If Picard lives, Jelico will leave, and be forgotten as quick as possible. The only thing that this episode probably lacks is diversity and dynamic. You would expect a lot of previously-junior staff to follow the new captain. It is very honorable by Riker to display his disapproval of the new captain, by stepping down. However, realistically, those boots would be filled quickly with backbenchers. Those backbenchers have every reason to follow Jellico, because Riker just proved that the old networks don't count any longer. Jellico does have credibility even among the incumbent senior staff. He orders Counselor Troi to wear standard uniform. She complies and follows the order for the rest of the whole series. As a result of Jellico's underrated standing, you would see more changes among the crew, than the episode allows. --- the episode's theme is highly practical, not just for hostage situations. Many investment funds have 'investment committees.' Once you negotiated an investment with a fund's management, they pass you on to that committee. A new 'captain.' That committee will outline to you how your ideas are actually not that great. They'll pay less. Absolute negotiation text book.

Disappointing cave scenes. Probably should have been one episode.

[wwcanoer-tech · 7/10 · 7 February 2022]

We see the covert team training at negotiating a tunnel course within a tight time frame but when they reach the planet they do nothing remotely similar. They move slowly and reach obstacles that are nothing like their training. Plus, most annoying, was the 5 year old level of their conversation where they have to explain to the audience everything that they are doing. The dialog was horrendous. Beverly shaking off being crushed by rocks as if they were Styrofoam was ridiculous. An accident should have a plausible consequence.

Far more logical would be for us to see them appear in the cave, confirm that it looks like their map, run through the tunnels exactly the same as their training and THEN run into a problem, such as a cave-in that blocks their planned route. They then must go around it, so they they state that they will have to take the cliff route. Because a 500 m cliff and cavern doesn't magically appear within a year. And magically lead to the same place. In fact most logical would be having to go down 500m and then back up to get back to join where they want to be. It is possible to write plausible scripts and dialog.

Some reviewers complain that it is implausible that Picard, Warf & Beverly would lead this covert team, but it's Star Trek, of course the main characters are going to be performing the key roles, so most of the audience will accept this.

It was more problematic that the Federation's flagship would arrive without its well-known captain to negotiate such a serious matter. They didn't have a viable cover story for why he was missing.

Having a well-known human and Klingon walk into a crowded public place to book covert passage into Kardassian space was ridiculous. It would have made far more sense to see another Federation team perform that role in the bar and then see the team boarding the Ferengi ship, with its captain surprised that the passengers where not who he expected. But different actors would have cost more money.

The way that they relieved the captain was also implausible. Why act like he is permanently relieved when the whole crew will see that he's using the holodeck to plan for a specific mission? If they wanted to pretend that, then he should have immediately left on another ship and trained there. (But too expensive.)

It was initially interesting to see how the new captain takes charge of the ship but it quickly went downhill. He gives an order to go to 4 shifts, Riker concludes that it's not feasible but instead of directly informing him, it comes up in a conversation at the ceremony? That's pathetic.

It is common practice that a new commander will make many changes for no reason other than to assert his authority and get people accustomed to following his commands. Some of his commands didn't make a lot of sense, especially changing from three to four shifts because that's a lot of upheaval in a critical time period.

Of course the writers wanted a fight scene, but even a junior Kardassian, would have been able to setup a plan to capture the three of them without any risk. Just turn on a force field to contain them. It wasn't plausible that the Kardassians would simply let Worf and Crusher leave, but they weren't important to the plot anymore.

Once again, an interesting premise and some good points but not nearly as engaging as it should be,

Pretty weak

[merlin4191426 · 3/10 · 28 October 2013]

While I personally feel that TNG is the best of all of the Star Trek series, this is one of many episodes that they did that makes the whole series weaker. In my opinion this is an episode that was just poorly conceived, and the writers decided that people would be too stupid to tell how bad an idea it is.

In summary: Captain Picard is relieved of command of the Enterprise in order to infiltrate a suspected Cardassian weapons laboratory. While he, Lt. Worf and Dr. Crusher are on this mission, he is captured by the Cardassians and subjected to prolonged torture in an attempt to get him to reveal sensitive information. This plan is foiled by the resolve of the Captain and he is sent back to the Enterprise having told the Cardassians nothing of importance apparently.

While this is occurring a new officer is brought in to captain the Enterprise, a Captain Jellico, and the crew struggles to deal with the leadership style of this new captain.

On the surface this seems like a plot that could be interesting. But when the writers decide that they need to have main characters do everything, the plot simply falls apart.

While I have no doubt that virtually any government would see a weapons program like this as a danger that must be dealt with, I highly doubt that any government would choose to send the captain of the flagship to perform covert operations. Especially one as recognizable as Captain Picard, or to be blunt someone as old as Picard.

The writers come up with a flimsy rationale for this, Captain Picard apparently has more experience with Theta waves than any other currently serving captain in the federation. One massive problem with this excuse is that the weapon is not Theta waves, they are only the supposed delivery vector. Another massive flaw with this is that while Picard is the most knowledgeable captain on this subject, there surely must be other people in the federation with similar or superior knowledge of the subject, that are not captains, are not pushing 60, and could not jeopardize entire fleet movements and Federation strategy.

If you need to send someone on a secret mission, you would not send someone that nearly everyone on the enemy's side could immediately recognize. And you especially would not send a person that has information stored in their head that could threaten the entire federation. That is just stupid. You would send trained but expendable members of the military (e.g. Army Rangers), or members a covert organization (e.g. CIA) to do the dirty work because that is what those people do. Someone like Picard should then receive the information and review it due to his apparent expertise, not be sent out to play James Bond.

As for Jellico and the Enterprise, it actually seems like a subplot. To then have that subplot essentially go nowhere is not only frustrating, it makes one feel like an entire episode has been wasted when the main plot is that flimsy. All the Enterprise and it's crew did during the entire two part episode is run around following the seeming whims of a power hungry egomaniac (such as changing duty schedules from three shifts a day to four for no apparent purpose, since he makes everyone in engineering work for 48 hours straight anyway), and complain. They could have left the Enterprise at a space station for all the good it did for the story and delivered mines onto the enemy craft using a shuttle, which they did anyway.

To be fair the acting was well done. Both Jellico and Gul Lemec are loathsome characters that you could see actually existing somewhere, and Patrick Stewart does some fine acting while he is being "tortured". You can feel the anguish with him in several scenes. But good acting cannot make up for a plot that essentially makes no sense.

If they had sent Picard and the Enterprise onto the scene after the secret mission to help deal with the ramifications of running covert operations in territory controlled by a treaty partner, this could have been a very good episode. As it is though this two part episode feels very forced and unbelievable, and is one episode I will not make the mistake of watching again.