Chain of Command (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that Edward Jellico be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Star Trek: TNG episode
"Chain of Command"

Episode no.	136 (Part 1) #137 (Part 2)
Prod. code	236 (Part 1) #237 (Part 2)
Airdate	December 14, 1992 (Part 1) December 21, 1992 (Part 2)
Writer(s)	Frank Abatemarco Ronald D. Moore (Part 1)
Director	Robert Scheerer (Part 1) Les Landau (Part 2)
Guest star(s)	Ronny Cox John Durbin Lou Wagner Natalija Nogulich (Part 1) Heather Lauren Olson (Part 2) David Warner (Part 2)
Year	2369
Stardate	46357.4 (Part 1) 46360.8 (Part 2)
Episode chronology
Previous	"The Quality of Life"
Next	"Ship in a Bottle"

"Chain of Command" is an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that aired in two parts during the sixth season of the series. It was developed to establish the Cardassians as the main villains of the then forthcoming Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

A new captain, Edward Jellico, is assigned to the Enterprise, while Picard, Worf and Dr. Crusher are re-assigned to an undercover mission crossing the Cardassian border. Much of the episode revolves around the differences between Jellico's and Picard's command styles. Picard's, while reserved, had also been somewhat relaxed, relying on the professionalism of his subordinates. Jellico's is much more authoritarian, demanding strict obedience and exact execution of his orders. He dislikes and eventually relieves Will Riker as executive officer. However, Jellico is later forced to ask Riker to pilot a shuttlecraft to lay mines amongst a fleet of Cardassian ships. Riker uses this opportunity to point out Captain Jellico's flaws and forces him to personally ask for Riker to pilot the shuttle, rather than commanding him. This goes against Jellico's typical authoritative figure.

While on-board the shuttle, they execute a strategic attack to disable the Cardassian ships inside the nebula. With only a proximity alarm, they must use magnetic mines that are placed within 2 KM of the Cardassian vessels to force them to withdraw from the nebula. Back on the Enterprise, Jellico negotiates with the commander of the Cardassian fleet to withdraw from the nebula, eject their phaser cores, and release Captain Picard.

In the part of the story set in Cardassia, Picard is tortured by his interrogator Gul Madred (David Warner), who at first seeks information about the Federation's defense plans for Minos Korva, but instead soon tries to warp Picard's perception of reality by coercing him to say there are five lights where there are only four lights shining upon him. At the conclusion of his torture, Picard finds that he wants so badly for the torture to stop that he gives in. But before he has a chance to say there are five lights, Cardassian officers come to return Picard to the United Federation of Planets as per a surrender agreement Jellico imposed. Triumphant, Picard shouts his seemingly unbowed defiance to his torturer, but later privately admits to his counselor his moment of weakness. The sequence recalls the exchange between Winston and O'Brien in Orwell's 1984 in which Winston sees O'Brien display five fingers, when there are in fact only four. The Cardassian interrogator enjoys the company of his daughter in the interrogation room in between torture sessions, making for a stark contrast between his devotion as a father and Picard's cruel torture at his hand.