Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 136: Chain of Command, Part I [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jean Luc Picard is captured by Cardassians and interrogated by a nasty Gul played beautifully by Star Trek V & VI alum, David Warner. On the Enterprise, Captain Jellico (Ronny Cox) has taken command. The highlights - the interrogation scenes between Warner and Stewart are first rate. Jellico making changes that stayed with the show. Deanna switching to a conventional uniform. One change that didn't was "losing the fish" in the Captain's Ready Room. Fun to watch - Riker's run ins with Jellico. A wonderful dramatic piece with outstanding Warner and Stewart with good support from Cox.

The Federation discovers a dubious plot by the Cardassians as they have several troop movements and rotations and nefarious dealings with other races. They have strong suspicions that they are developing a Metagenic weapon. Metagenic weapons are the epitome of biological warfare. When dropped onto a planet, they seek out, feed on and destroy anything with DNA - so all things with life are killed and gone. After a few weeks, the metagenic agent becomes inert, allowing those who deployed it to take over the planet - no hostile animal life, no people, just buildings and technology to take as they choose.

Picard wrote the book on the types of emissions coming from the secret Cardassian base. Dr. Crusher is an expert on identifying and destroying metagenic organisms and Worf is a big guy, able to take one two Cardassians with one head-butt.

Picard, Crusher and Worf train for days, without the crew's knowledge. By Federation order, Captain Jellico (Ronny Cox) captains the Enterprise. Starfleet probably has their counterpart to "Navy Seals," but instead they send some of the top officers from their flagship by themselves to take on such a task - a bit corny if you ask me.

Jellico is a micromanager and worse, he doesn't explain to his new crew why he adds shift rotations or has to have certain things a certain way. He wants Picard's fish removed from the Ready Room - Picard is still onboard, but Jellico believes his fate is sealed, since it's unlikely Picard will survive his mission, even if he is successful in finding and destroying the weapon.

Jellico makes the crew jumpy and annoyed - but other than Data, they are less than professional in their response. Geordi is a bit whiny - "but we'll have to work all around the clock!" They may be a research vessel, but they're also armed to the teeth for their various encounters... on occasion, their research vessel becomes a warship, but Geordi doesn't seem to remember that from previous battles or from his Starfleet Academy training.

Counselor Troi tries to help Jellico see the error of his ways and he turns the tables on her - telling her since she's the expert, it's up to her to keep morale up, because he doesn't have the time to "have a honeymoon" with the crew... and then he tells her that she isn't dressed professionally (I must say, I had been thinking this for years!) and needs to wear a standard uniform... thus forever setting the course in which she wears professional attire on all shows. Hallelujah. Even still, Jellico is a jerk of the highest order.

He expects everyone to obey without knowledge or questions and puts everyone in perplexing situations and makes the crew generally disdainful and uneasy around him. Jellico was chosen because he supposedly has so much experience with Cardassians, but his experience would appear more book knowledge than from real dealings - because as Troi is able to detect, he is far from sure of himself.

As Jellico, Riker & Troi try to do a dance with Cardassians at the border, Picard's team of 3 (including himself) acquire a Ferengi transport to the Cardassian world supposedly storing the Metagenic weapon. They have to repel down caves and fend off giant alien bats. They find the supposed area where the weapon is held and suddenly they find themselves surrounded by Cardassians. It's a trap!

Worf & Crusher are able to escape, but Picard is caught and brought to Gul Madred (superbly acted by David Warner). All Federation citizens know that to be interrogated by the Cardassians is a euphemism for torture and a cruel death. Picard steeles himself, preparing to be beaten & interrogated for Federation secrets when Madred explains that there never was a Metagenic weapon, but made it appear they did so they could capture Picard. But why? Is this a personal grudge? What does Gul Madred want from Picard?

Will Jellico continue as captain of the Enterprise? Will their be a war with the Cardassian Empire after years of an uneasy peace? Will Jellico, obviously disgusted with Riker, have Riker demoted or transferred? Talk about a crazy shake-up!

This episode has a million nuggets of awesome packed into every minute... but you won't know what happens until you see part II!

This is one of the better two parters. Picard, Worf and Dr Crusher go on a secret mission into Cardassian territory, while the Enterprise comes under the command of Admiral Jellico. Although Chain of Command focuses mainly on Captain Picard, important parts are played by Riker, Troi, Worf, and Dr Crusher.

The best parts of the episode were the interrogation of Picard by the Cardassian, and the interaction between Admiral Jellico and Riker. I think of all the 'bad guys' on Star Trek, the Cardassian's are pretty good, although no where near the standard of the Dominion or the Borg. This episode does mark a turning point in one respect, as it's the first in which we see Troi in uniform.

Overall, this episode turned out very well and is quite dramatic, as well as giving us a nice insight into Federation and Cardassian relations. People who buy this will have to get part 2 as well, which continues the story, as you'll need to know what happens to Picard.

I recommend it to all Star Trek fans, regardless of whether you're a collector or who your favourite character is, though if you like the Cardassians, this is a must have.

This two-parter was a terrific season-ending ST-TNG episode, featuring a duel with the Cardassians, Captain Picard in jeopardy and a new commander for the Star Ship Enterprise.

And the Enterprise crew really let us down. Rather than exhibiting military professionalism and backing to the hilt their new commander -- Capt. Jellico, magnificently portrayed by Ronny Cox -- they fought him every step of the way. The story had a strong emotional pull on the viewers, thus the obvious course was to sympathize with the crew's irritation at their new boss, whose personality was far different from that of Capt. Picard. However, that crew was placed on that ship to carry out orders issued by their captain, to the letter and spirit of his or her desires. Possibly their long association with Capt. Picard had made them too buddy-buddy with him, somewhat slack in their militarism, and weak in adapting to a personnel/command change.

Here's a new (though experienced) commander placed in charge of a crew whose former commander had been drafted for a special mission. Capt. Jellico too had a special mission, a head-to-head negotiation with hostile Cardassians. Rather than being completely free to concentrate on that mission, Capt. Jellico had to deal with the distractions of crew sensitivity and grudging cooperation, which extended to Executive Officer Riker's outright insubordination (for which he was quite properly relieved!). And Jellico was eminently appropriate in ordering Deanna to dress more professionally, rather than prancing around in her skin-tight slack-suit.

At first glance, combined with the history of being emotionally connected to the Enterprise crew, it could have been perceived that Capt. Jellico was being harsh and/or unfair -- but further thought, coupled with an understanding of how a military chain of command functions, illuminates only the fact that Riker, Deanna and the others truly reflected poorly upon Capt. Picard, who should have nurtured in them the ability to conform professionally to whatever martial situations they encountered. Instead, they acted like a bunch of whiny teenagers.

Capt. Jellico, upon his departure, told the crew it had been a privilege to serve with them. Later, however, I bet he subtly, quietly passed the word in his professional circle that the Enterprise command crew was a gaggle of spoiled brats, and working with any of them on a future assignment should probably be avoided. I believe that is what I would have done.