Chain of Command, Part I

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

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.

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.

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.

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.