6.10 Chain of Command (Part 1)

Rating: 3.5

The threat of an insurgence by the Cardassians causes Starfleet to reassign Picard, Worf, and Crusher to a clandestine spy mission, and to appoint Captain Jellico to command the Enterprise. Jellico’s strength is his experience with the Cardassians, but his weaknesses include his lack of social skills and his over-the-top pushing of the crew to work round the clock.

Comments

When this episode first aired, its contrived script would have been less copied and more acceptable. But what are the odds that by simply designing a theta-ray-based weapon, you could have any reasonable chance of snaring Picard, who is an expert in this area? Surely there are many people in Starfleet who would have knowledge of theta rays.

In addition, Picard is painted as angelic and brave, while Jellico is brusque, incapable, and unfit for command. The contrast could have been subtler and it might have been more interesting. It’s a shame, because in reality, this contrived plotting simply clouds the central strong point – the powerful scenes with Gul Madred (David Warner) and Patrick Stewart.

Nits

So why have an older Starfleet Captain and a doctor been chosen for a hazardous and physical undercover mission? Wouldn’t there normally be highly trained specialists (like SWAT teams or Marines) that could be used for this purpose?

When the away mission begins, Picard finally reveals that their purpose if to see if the Cardassians are developing a metagenic weapon. Metagenics are biological weapons that attack DNA, killing every living thing on a planet, then disintegrating, leaving buildings and machinery intact, and the world safe. Worf ponders that a metagenic weapon would pose as much a threat to the attacker as to the target. Crusher responds that this is why they were outlawed years ago. Does this seem right? Are they saying that if someone could come up with a safe delivery system that would ensure the attacker was protected, metagenics would be made legal?

You say tomato…Picard and the Ferengi pronounce Solok as "so lock", but Crusher says, "so luck".

When they are about to rappel, Picard says, "This is sheer granite. We’ll have to use fusing pitons." The granite they climb down, however, doesn’t look sheer at all – there any many nooks and crannies. Also, granite is one of the most easy to climb surfaces, due to its roughness.

Quotable Quotes

"In this room, you do not ask questions. I ask them, you answer. If I am not satisfied with your answers, you will die."
- Gul Madred to Picard