Star Trek The Next Generation appreciation thread (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

Really?

Really really!

I’m the guy that tends to dislike some of the most highly praised episodes (like Darmok), while I love a bunch of misfit episodes that most people prefer to pretend didn’t happen (like most of season 2).

 

[Sam Favate]

From the same time period as The Defector, I really like The Price. It’s not a Romulan episode but it is a wormhole episode, so there’s the DS9 vibe connection that triggered that thought.

Last night I put on Cost Of Living and Lower Decks. The first I always like because I enjoy Lwaxana Troi appearances. I remember not liking Lower Decks when it first aired - at that younger age I was annoyed to not have an episode focused on the actual main cast - but it’s grown on me over the years. I had watched The First Duty the other night so that kinda completed that story arc.

I absolutely love The Price. One of Frakes’ best performances as Riker, especially when he drinks with Matthew McCoy.

Cost of Living might be the best Lwaxana episode. It’s certainly the first to give her some dramatic stuff to play. This aired not that long after Gene’s death, so Majel was dealing with these things for real.

Lower Decks is another classic.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

After the recent discussion, I couldn't have gone with anything else for...
Tonight's episode: "The Price", from Season 3.

An interesting episode, to be sure. It didn't entirely work for me, but there was certainly a lot to chew on. It basically laid the groundwork for the next two Trek series, by introducing the idea of a stable wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant and by introducing the idea of a ship getting stuck in the Delta Quadrant and having to take the long way home. If I recall correctly, Voyager would actually encounter these two Ferengi at some point, and discover that they had used their replicator to establish themselves as gods to a primitive culture.

It's also the introduction of the Barzans, native to the resource-poor Barzan II -- likely a Class K rather than a Class M planet. Based on the fact that D. Nhan was the only Barzan in Starfleet during the 23rd century, and the fact that Barzan II doesn't join the Federation until the 25th century, contact between the Barzans and the Federation, while not hostile, was probably fairly minimal.

I liked Riker getting to put his poker skills to work, and I really liked Elizabeth Hoffman's performance as the Barzan premier who is trying to get the most possible for her people without alienating anybody that they don't want as an enemy.

Where the episode doesn't quite work for me is Troi's whirlwind romance with Devinoni Ral. In their early scenes together, he comes off as a creep rather than a dashing romantic, and that colors the rest of the relationship for me. We later learn that he's an empath, so he could read Troi's desire for him. But without that context, it reads a bit like him forcing himself on her, first with the kiss in Troi's quarters, and then in the counselor's office, when he starts caressing her hair. Even the way Marina Sirtis plays those scenes, Troi seems more uncomfortable than she does aroused. The later scenes, where lust gives way to something more genuinely intimate, play better. But I found those early scenes so offputting that I couldn't go along for the ride with Troi.

I did enjoy the workout scene with Troi and Crusher, where Crusher emphatically endorses having a firecracker affair that burns bright but burns fast. It's one of the few moments in the Berman era of Trek where a woman's sexual desire is considered on its own terms, rather than in the context of the male series regulars.

The episode does reinforce that hybrids who are three-quarters human and one-quarter Betazoid don't necessarily have the Betazoid eyes. Which helps explain why Kestra Troi-Riker has grayish-green eyes instead of her mother's entirely black irises.

I absolutely love The Price. One of Frakes’ best performances as Riker, especially when he drinks with Matthew McCoy.

That was a terrific scene. Ral thinks he's engaged in a dick-measuring contest, but Riker is genuinely Troi's friend first and ex with unresolved feelings second. Ral thinks he's pressing his advantage, but really he's just revealing the ways in which he is inadequate.

And I was glad that Ral committed to the deal before the LaForge and Data made it back in the shuttle, so at least the Barzans weren't left completely high and dry.

Season	Episodes Revisited
1	3, 8-9, 14, 16-18, 25-26
2	2, 7, 11-13, 15, 18, 21
3	4, 6-8, 11, 18, 22
4	3, 12, 14-16, 24
5	2, 5, 7-9, 12-15, 22-26
6	1, 4-6, 9, 12-13, 18-19, 22, 26
7	1, 7-9, 12-13, 16, 18

Really?

For what it's worth, I really like Lwaxana Troi too. Although I don't think the character was used to full potential until she was paired with Odo on DS9. Majel Barrett is just having fun as the character on TNG, really playing up her status as habitual maneater and overbearing mother. Which in turn makes the darkness in "Dark Page" particularly shocking, when she really sells the hell out of the trauma over having lost a child in such a horrific way. And she acted the hell out of her scenes in DS9, too.

In my head canon, the reason she's not around in the "Picard" era is because losing a grandchild was just one tragedy too many, and too much to bear.

 

[Sam Favate]

Cost of Living might be the best Lwaxana episode. It’s certainly the first to give her some dramatic stuff to play. This aired not that long after Gene’s death, so Majel was dealing with these things for real.

Sorry, I was confusing this with Half a Life. That was the one with the meaty dramatic stuff for Majel. Cost of Living is good, but Half a Life is better.

 

[benbess]

One of my favorite episodes from the later seasons is Frame of Mind. If you haven't already done that one, Adam, I hope you'll post your thoughts on it someday. If I missed your essay on it I'd appreciate a link, since I'm not finding it with the search function.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Tonight's episode: "The Dauphin", from Season 2.

I'd been forewarned that this was one of TNG's all-time stinkers, but I found myself enjoying it far more than most Wesley-centric episodes. I think a big part of its bad reputation comes from the eight-foot-tall woodchucks in monster costumes barely better than what we got in the original series.

But storywise, it really worked for me. I liked that there was no external antagonist; the whole episode is basically just a taxi ride from one planet to another. And I believed the central romance between Wesley and Salia, two isolated teenagers who had spent the vast majority of their lives without anybody their own age. Instead of being a Mary Sue, Wesley acts his age this episode, as a hormonal boy with the hots for a pretty girl. And he has the advantage of being a city boy who gets to be the first to show this country girl from the sticks all of the sights.

At the same time, even though their peers in age, in some crucial ways Salia is a woman while Wesley is still a boy. His mother protected his childhood after his father's tragic death, and his status as a Federation citizen ensures an open vista of possibilities for his future. By contrast, Salia has been raised from birth to shoulder the weight of her world. Wesley offers a tempting escape, but she ultimately will not abandon her duty.

Jamie Hubbard was in her late twenties when she made this episode, and wasn't especially credible as a 16-year-old acting opposite a Will Wheaton who was actually the age he was playing. But Hubbard is tall and regal in a way that serves the character, and the nature of her actual physiology explains why she doesn't look exactly like a human 16-year-old would. There have been a number of humanoid species in Trek that don't even have bumpy foreheads or pointy ears to differentiate them from humans, but this was one of the few cases where the episode provided a decent explanation. I appreciated that these shapeshifters felt so different than the Changlings from DS9, some intermediate step in evolution between organic lifeforms and beings of pure energy like the Q.

And it was effective seeing Wesley react to the fact that the girl he had a crush on wasn't actually the pretty girl she appeared to be. His behavior is superficial like most boys his age would be, and then to his credit he is able to expand his appreciation of what a pretty girl can look like.

The only thing that didn't quite work was that Salia and Anya remained human even when alone in their quarters. Further distracting was the blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by Mädchen Amick when Anya was a teenage girl acting in friend mode rather than governess mode for Salia. Of course, they had to stay in human form to preserve the twist, but it didn't make sense in story.

It was another good Whoopi appearance as Guinan, too. I had a ball with the flirt-off between Riker and Guinan, and laughed out loud when Guinan told Wesley to "beat it, kid" when he interrupted Riker's latest over the top compliment. Someone with as many marriages as Guinan has had would know something about falling in love and moving on.

I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Worf and the governess Anya. Their respective duties put them at odds with one another, but you can tell they're both enjoying clashing with one another. And his horny explanation of Klingon mating rituals was hilarious.

Season	Episodes Revisited
1	3, 8-9, 14, 16-18, 25-26
2	2, 7, 10-13, 15, 18, 21
3	4, 6-8, 11, 18, 22
4	3, 12, 14-16, 24
5	2, 5, 7-9, 12-15, 22-26
6	1, 4-6, 9, 12-13, 18-19, 22, 26
7	1, 7-9, 12-13, 16, 18

One of my favorite episodes from the later seasons is Frame of Mind. If you haven't already done that one, Adam, I hope you'll post your thoughts on it someday. If I missed your essay on it I'd appreciate a link, since I'm not finding it with the search function.

It's one I've held off on because it looked intense from the synopsis, and my own past struggles with mental health have made stories about institutionalization kind of fraught. I can and do enjoy those kind of stories, but not right before bed, which is when I've been revisiting most of these episodes.

That being said, based on your recommendation, I'll make it a priority for this week.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

But storywise, it really worked for me.

Me too! I think it’s a delightful little episode and one of the season’s hidden gems. The flirting lesson alone is worth the price of admission, as are Worf’s insights, but the rest is really solid too. It’s nice seeing Wesley do something other than excel at Starfleet for a moment, but to do it in a framework of the show’s sci-fi storytelling rather than beside it.

 

[Jason_V]

Sorry, I was confusing this with Half a Life. That was the one with the meaty dramatic stuff for Majel. Cost of Living is good, but Half a Life is better.

Agreed. "Cost of Living" has some great stuff about growing older alone and what we all do in order to avoid that happening. The holodeck part of the story is boring for me, but it looks good.

"Half a Life" is just heart breaking for me. Here is this woman who has always been after a husband who finally meets someone she jives with and who genuinely likes her. Only to find one of his traditions will force them apart. I can't imagine meeting my fiance, having that connection and then knowing he won't be around in X amount of time because society will deem him a burden. Especially considering there is no illness to worry about.

This is one of the best underrated Trek stories: a blustery character coming to accept another society's rules even though she does not like it. At all. The end of Season 4 was a really solid, wonderful time for this show. From "Qpid" to "Redemption," I think the only episode I'm not fond of is "In Theory."

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Tonight's episode: "Frame of Mind", from Season 6.

On paper, this feels like a mishmash of two fourth season episodes: "First Contact", in which Riker's undercover mission goes south on an alien world), and "Future Imperfect", in which Riker is trapped in a complex simulation that challenges his sense of reality.

What sets this one apart is the real horror movie quality it brings to the table, and the ways it destabilizes the audience's understanding of what is going on, starting with the opening scene: We appear to be picking up with Riker in medias res, in a climactic showdown between him and his jailer. But then we hear Data's voice as the psychiatrist, which hints that something is wrong, and indeed it is shortly revealed that the whole scene is a performance in Dr. Crusher's play, her take on a Suddenly, Last Summer-style play. But what neither Riker nor the audience will learn until the end of the episode is that in fact, our initial assumption was correct: In actuality, we are picking up with Riker in medias res, days after his away mission went terribly wrong. But he is not equipped to realize that because he has been drugged, placed into a simulation, and had brain damage inflicted upon him.

The one way the episode plays fair with the audience is that it continues the convention of not having an exterior establishing shots of the Enterprise during the scenes when Riker is unconscious. Other than the the credits sequence, I'm pretty sure the only exterior shot of the ship is the final shot of the episode.

There were moments of brilliance in Frakes's performance in this episode, but also quite a bit of overacting. It's a hard thing to calibrate; when you don't know what's real and what's not, hysteria is a natural response and it's hard to get the balance of that right. One thing his performance did well was keep us in Riker's headspace; Television, and episodic procedural television in particular, is very plot-driven and external. But this episode was almost entirely character-driven, and very internal. And it did a good job of ensuring that that stakes were real, even if the events unfolding were not.

The most powerful scene for me was the concluding one, in which Riker violently tears down the play's sets; it felt like a viscerally true response to what he had endured, to assert control over an environment that had deprived him of control, and tear down this awful experience to put it behind him. The simulation would never have allowed him to do that; in fact, it was only when he started burning everything down with the phaser that he was able to shake loose of the simulation and regain consciousness.

The creepiest part was the way Suna kept appearing and staring at Riker silently, in the science uniform that was just a shade or two off from the other science uniforms. He reminded me in those beats of the highway patrol officer in the first half-hour of Psycho.

Season	Episodes Revisited
1	3, 8-9, 14, 16-18, 25-26
2	2, 7, 10-13, 15, 18, 21
3	4, 6-8, 11, 18, 22
4	3, 12, 14-16, 24
5	2, 5, 7-9, 12-15, 22-26
6	1, 4-6, 9, 12-13, 18-19, 21-22, 26
7	1, 7-9, 12-13, 16, 18

 

[Sam Favate]

I remember liking Frame of Mind when it aired, but I don’t think it holds up to repeat viewings. It’s yet another Brannon Braga script that uses his “what is reality?” template. I’ve really come to dislike Braga’s writing. Seeing his name in the credits usually just turns me off.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

And because I came across a clip while browsing through YouTube and got sucked in enough to want to revisit the whole thing:

Tonight's bonus episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise", from Season 3.

This is one of my all-time favorites. I love how it fills in some of the gap in the timeline between the Enterprise-A and the Enterprise-D, how the ship looks like it fits in between the Enterprise-A and the Enterprise-D in terms of technology and design, and the way that it understands how the sacrifices of a handful of individuals can change the course of history. With the explosion of new Trek content in the Paramount+ era, the thing I want most is an Enterprise-C miniseries with a young Captain Garrett. I feel like that era, when the Wrath of Khan red uniforms were still in use but the undershirts with the ribbed collars had been retired, is one of the most unexplored eras in the canon.

And it's especially unusual because our point of view character is the normally enigmatic and mysterious Guinan. Even though she has relatively little screen time in the episode, putting Whoopi at the center of the episode the same year she'd give an Oscar-winning performance in Ghost instantly elevates the episode. And whereas usually Guinan shares only a tiny fraction of what she knows, here she's butting up against the limits of her El-Aurian extrasensory perception; her memories have been overwritten by the new timeline just like everybody else's, but she has a vague instinct that points her to what has changed. It says volumes about the Picard/Guinan relationship that this Picard trusts her with so much on the basis of so little.

It's one of the few examples of time travel in Trek where time is explicitly rewritten rather than branching off. Star Trek: First Contact was similarly timey-wimey, but the Enterprise-E followed the Borg into the past so quickly that there wasn't time to consider whether they were in an alternate universe or a rewritten timeline. This episode makes sense if you accept the "Loki" model of time travel, in which changes to the past spiral off into alternate timelines unless intervention steers things back on course; by pruning these alternate timelines like a gardener, you can preserve a single, authoritative timeline. The events of the episode are a closed loop, self-correcting. The alternate timeline of this episode only exists for the several hours required for the Enterprise-C to complete its brief visit to the future.

It's also a unique episode in that it shows an alternate timeline that diverged fairly recently, such that some of the older characters had already reached adulthood by the time it happened. This Picard is a wartime captain with very different responsibilities and experiences than "our" Picard. But the two Picards were one and the same for nearly the first four decades of their lives. At the point of divergence, Picard had been a Starfleet officer for 17 years, and had been the captain of the Stargazer for over a decade. So he remembers what Starfleet was before the war with the Klingons, what it was supposed to be.

It also gives the writers a do-over when it comes to the end of Tasha Yar's story, after the shocking but empty way she died in the first season after Denise Crosby asked to be released from her contract. The Prime Tasha Yar died by errant energy blast. This Tasha Yar sacrifices herself to save billions.

It's also satisfying to see more than just cosmetic changes. Shows can rarely afford to bring back past cast members or bench current series regulars, but in this case it made sense: Crosby was willing and able to come back, and the more militarized Starfleet evidently didn't have counselors in their senior staff, so no Troi and thus no emergency over Vagra II. Likewise, it makes sense that Worf would not be an officer in Starfleet in a timeline where the Federation had been at war with the Klingons for so long. It's one of the things that bugs me about the Mirror Universe, that two timelines that diverged thousands if not millions of years prior would produce near identical ships with the same senior officers.

And there's something powerful and heroic about the crew of the Enterprise-C, confronted with a no-win scenario, choosing to do their duty and sacrifice themselves for billions of people they've never met. By losing the battle, they win the war before it even starts.

One observation that stood out to me this time around: The militarized version of the Enterprise-D bridge in the alternate timeline has a lot in common with the design of early 25th century Starfleet bridges: The dim lighting, with the glowing LCARS as the primary source of illumination; the captain's chair on a raised platform, with a handful of steps down to the conn and operations station; and the dark flooring. Given the rough few decades in the Prime continuity -- battles with the Borg, the Dominion War, the destruction of the Utopia Planitia Fleetyards on the surface of and in orbit around Mars, the aborted evacuation of the Romulan Star Empire and its subsequent collapse following the Romulus's star going supernova -- it makes a certain amount of sense that the Prime Starfleet would feel a bit more like the alternate Starfleet of this episode. I'm hoping that after a period of peace and regrouping, Starfleet will get back to a more optimistic place, with a design aesthetic to match.

Season	Episodes Revisited
1	3, 8-9, 14, 16-18, 25-26
2	2, 7, 10-13, 15, 18, 21
3	4, 6-8, 11, 15, 18, 22
4	3, 12, 14-16, 24
5	2, 5, 7-9, 12-15, 22-26
6	1, 4-6, 9, 12-13, 18-19, 21-22, 26
7	1, 7-9, 12-13, 16, 18

 

[Sam Favate]

The militarized version of the Enterprise-D bridge in the alternate timeline has a lot in common with the design of early 25th century Starfleet bridges: The dim lighting, with the glowing LCARS as the primary source of illumination; the captain's chair on a raised platform, with a handful of steps down to the conn and operations station; and the dark flooring.

I think the powers that be saw how good the sets looked in this episode and wanted that look carried over into the shows. While I think this episode looks stunning, I regret that they carried this over, and in fact, overdid it. It's now the de facto look for all starships. No one has the Enterprise-D's clean, bright look, and I miss that.

Yesterday's Enterprise is a 5-star classic, and it hits every great Star Trek tradition. That said, it has several elements I never want to see again, particularly the grim, war-torn alternate reality. The various Treks have beaten that particular horse to death, especially with the Mirror Universe.

The episode also has some great performances, from Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg (perhaps her best appearance in Star Trek), Christopher McDonald, Tricia O'Neil, and yes, Denise Crosby. I'm sorry to say I always thought Crosby was the weak link in the original TNG cast, but she more than makes up for it here. She's terrific.

I do wish the writers had not chosen to revisit this timeline in later episodes, with the addition of Sela to their rogues gallery. The episode was perfect as it was. When you have an episode like this, there is always the urge to play in the sandbox, but some things should be left alone.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

One of my favorite episodes from the later seasons is Frame of Mind. If you haven't already done that one, Adam, I hope you'll post your thoughts on it someday. If I missed your essay on it I'd appreciate a link, since I'm not finding it with the search function.

View attachment 175804

That was a freaky episode.

"Half a Life" is just heart breaking for me. Here is this woman who has always been after a husband who finally meets someone she jives with and who genuinely likes her. Only to find one of his traditions will force them apart. I can't imagine meeting my fiance, having that connection and then knowing he won't be around in X amount of time because society will deem him a burden. Especially considering there is no illness to worry about.

"Half a Life" is just a heartbreaking episode to me.

 

[Nelson Au]

Interesting post Adam. I have not seen Yesterday’s Enterprise in a couple of years. For me, its like City on the Edge of Forever and The Inner Light. These are special episodes that stand out from the rest. So I limit how often I watch them to preserve some of the impact.

That said, it is an episode I remember first seeing and being impressed by it and what happens. When Picard admits to Garrett the war is going badly is surprising!

I don’t know the backstage goings on, so the whole Denise Crosby deal was never clear to me. She like other young actors I’m sure we’re very ambitious and wanted to find other opportunities to shine more. Like Terry Ferrell too, it was unfortunate these actors left and didn’t find the success they were after and could have had a better run had they stayed. But Tasha’s death worked out later for Crosby and if her experience with Yesterday’s Enterprise encouraged her to ask for more work back on Star Trek, that’s good for her she got to play another character.

And about the recent multiverse phenomenon, i don’t know if Mirror, Mirror or an even earlier work of science fiction inspired it, but I just never bought the idea. I get it conceptually and it makes for an interesting exploration of the idea. In the Star Trek world, I guess I just prefer to follow the adventures of the prime universe. it’s fun to ponder what would have happened had one turned left instead of right. Who knows alternate universes may exist.

In regards to the aesthetics of the Enterprise D interiors, what I found kind of interesting is on my recent revisit to the NX-01, I was noting the contrast from the luxury liner Enterprise D to the submarine like feel of the NX-01 Enterprise.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Tonight's episodes: The "Chain of Command ", from Season 6.

I don't think I've ever actually watched this one before, though I've encountered plenty of fans shitting on Jellico over the years. It's the kind of story that would be more effective in today's television landscape, where major cast changes happen a lot more frequently. I doubt anyone believed Picard was gone as captain for good, whereas now that sort of thing would be a real possibility.

What I liked about this one is that it's the rare story where the bad guys outsmart and outmaneuver the good guys. The nature of "Deep Space Nine" being set in a stationary location is that there is a great deal more time and effort invested in worldbuilding when it comes to the local neighborhood. Accordingly, the Cardassians are much more nuanced and complex antagonists that anything TNG came up with. One of the fun things about this overlap period between TNG and DS9 is that TNG got to play with some of DS9's toys from time to time.

As for Jellico, I don't think he's a bad captain so much as he is the wrong captain on the wrong ship at the wrong time. The most telling moment in the first episode for me was when Jellico storms out of the initial meeting with the Cardassian representative in a ploy to intimidate him. Riker, who has gotten off to a rocky start with his new captain, remarks, "Well, I'll say this for him – he's sure of himself." But Troi, who can read his emotions, looks worried: "No, he's not."

And that's the crucial problem; the top brass picked him for this assignment because they thought his experience with the Cardassians would give Starfleet an advantage in negotiations. But in fact, the opposite is true: His actions don't make sense unless he goes into the negotiations expecting to fail. Everything he does -- the rigidity of his command style, all of the exhaustive (and exhausting) battle preparations -- presuppose that war with the Cardassians is inevitable.

The larger issue with both Jellico's planning and the admiral's planning is that they assume that they're the ones shaping the narrative, and manuevering their opponent into a corner. When of course the opposite is true; the entire thing was a ploy to compromise one of Starfleet's most celebrated captains and leave the flagship of the fleet in less capable hands.

If you asked the crew of the the USS Cairo about Jellico in the lead up to the events of this episode about their captain, they would have probably said that Jellico is a bit of a hard ass, not much of a people person, and not the best at collaborating. But the fact that he had such a strong record going into this episode, and the fact that he becomes an admiral by the "Prodigy" era, indicates that he's not an inept leader. But the circumstances under which he takes command of the Enterprise serve to bring to the fore all of his worst qualities.

I really enjoyed the deviousness of the Cardassian plot, which is essentially: "Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly. And having the late great David Warner as the spider at the center of the web was just a terrific payoff to take us into the cliffhanger. There's a wonderful matter of factness about the way that he begins to grind Picard down.

By the end of the first part, everything had gone according to plan for the Cardassians, and hardly anything had gone according to plan for the Federation.

What I admired about the structure of this two-parter was the symmetry; it wasn't one of those two parters where the cliffhanger at the end of part one presents a seemingly unstoppable disaster that then gets solved in the first five minutes at the beginning of part two. Instead, just as Starfleet's plans steadily unraveled in part one, leading to total victory for the Cardassians, in part two the Cardassians' plans steadily unravel, leading to total victory for Starfleet.

The second episode shows why Starfleet headquarters holds Jellico in such high esteem; while him and Riker don't make a good pairing, and he isn't a good fit for the culture cultivated by Picard aboard the Enterprise, he is a competent captain who gets the job done. Without an emotional attachment to Picard, he is able to focus on the problem at hand, correctly extrapolate the Cardassians' plans from the data that LaForge has collected, and devise an effective counter-strategy.

The revealing moment for his character is when he accepts LaForge's conclusion that Riker is the pilot best qualified to deploy the mines in the nebula. Even though he hates Riker's guts, and even though it's mortifying to go and plead for his help so soon after dismissing him from his duties, he does it because it's in the best interests of Starfleet and the Enterprise. And when he does, Riker doesn't make it easy on him. They exchange some harsh words with a lot of truths in them, and then they set their personal feelings aside and concentrate on the task at hand.

Another revealing moment is what he does when his strategy succeeds in defanging the Cardassians without starting a shooting war. It's a big win for him, and would go a long way toward securing permanent command of the Enterprise. But he stays true to his uniform and the ethos its represents, successfully negotiating for Picard's safe return. On some level, consciously or unconsciously, he probably realizes he isn't a good fit for the Enterprise. But setting that aside, he doesn't let personal ambition get in the way of duty. He wouldn't want command of the Enterprise if the price he had to pay for it was compromising the high standards he holds himself to.

One thing I found telling is the Jellico/Data relationship. The pairing works because Data is efficient and compliant. For a demanding micromanager, that's the dream combination for a second in command. And while Data isn't motivated by ambition, nor does he resist the promotion out of personal loyalty to Riker; he isn't outraged because outrage is an emotion that is, at this juncture, beyond his capabilities.

Elsewhere, the torture scenes between Picard and David Warner's Gul Madred were about as harrowing as this show gets. But they weren't torture porn, because there's a real back and forth. Even though Gul Madred holds all of the cards, Picard succeeds at getting under his skin. He takes the time to understand his torturer, and then targets his vulnerabilities with precision.

The scene where the Gul's daughter briefly interrupts the torture session, and is completely unfazed by the sight of an exhausted and tormented half-naked man chained up in the middle of the room, speaks to the societal consequences of life under a fascist police state. One thing that this episode explores, that fades into the background of DS9, is how much the Cardassian backstory mirrors the Bajorans: They were a peaceful society with a vibrant culture plunged into a war they were not prepared for, with starvation and widespread and extreme poverty resulting. But unlike the Bajorans, who transitioned from the resistance back into some form of a civilian life, the Cardassians embraced a military dictatorship to achieve victory and prosperity at any cost. So now, as Picard says, their bellies are full but their spirits are empty.

The most impactful scene in the entire episode is the very last one, when Picard's first act after resuming command is to have a therapy session with Counselor Troi. He reveals that he was on the verge of breaking at the very moment he was rescued, and indeed had already emotionally broken. His parting declaration that there were four lights was an exercise in intellectual fortitude, because he had already been forced to believe that there were five lights, as his mind played tricks on him in order to end his torment.

I love Kirk and I love Picard, but one of the differences between William Shatner and Patrick Stewart is that Shatner would never have allowed Kirk to make such a vulnerable admission, whereas Stewart clearly relished bringing Picard to such an exposed place.

Season	Episodes Revisited
1	3, 8-9, 14, 16-18, 25-26
2	2, 7, 10-13, 15, 18, 21
3	4, 6-8, 11, 15, 18, 22
4	3, 12, 14-16, 24
5	2, 5, 7-9, 12-15, 22-26
6	1, 4-6, 9-13, 18-19, 21-22, 26
7	1, 7-9, 12-13, 16, 18

I don’t know the backstage goings on, so the whole Denise Crosby deal was never clear to me. She like other young actors I’m sure we’re very ambitious and wanted to find other opportunities to shine more. Like Terry Ferrell too, it was unfortunate these actors left and didn’t find the success they were after and could have had a better run had they stayed.

I don't know that the Denise Crosby and Terry Ferrell situations are comparable.

In Denise Crosby's case, she left because she didn't feel like she was getting meaty enough material. And I do think the cast of characters was a bit flabby in those early episodes. Worf was there to show how far humanity had come since the original series, but he didn't really have a defined role. He just stepped in at whatever station got vacated on the bridge. Having the Klingon warrior be the tactical officer just makes a lot more sense, and consolidates the series regulars in an organic fashion. The show didn't need her, and she was smart enough to see it early on.

In Terry Ferrell's case, she was willing to come back after her contract ended, but she wanted a reduced episode count. Rick Berman thought he could bully her into coming back with full availability for every episode, and played hardball. But that was the straw that broke the camel's back; she'd already grown sick and tired of his sexism, and the crass and demeaning comments he'd make about her appearance. So when he refused to accommodate her request, she opted for the "Becker" gig that offered the work/life balance she was seeking and walked.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I don't think I've ever actually watched this one before

That’s funny, I have the opposite POV. I remember exactly where I was when I watched these two parts. I was young enough at the time (10? 11?) that the cliffhanger was totally convincing, that maybe Picard wasn’t coming back. It’s that age where you feel righteous indignation on behalf of your favorite characters for perceived slights, where everything seems more real than staged, and it’s like, what is happening to my crew?!

I see the nuance now as an adult, but as a kid Jellico seemed almost as much a bad guy as the Cardassians.

 

[Sam Favate]

I saw Chain of Command the same weekend in ‘92 that I saw Patrick Stewart in A Christmas Carol on Broadway. He’s never been better (and never had a better weekend IMO). These are great episodes for all the reasons stated. Definitely a high point in TNG and the entire franchise.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

One of the best things about Jellico and "Chain of Command" is that he got Troi out of that catsuit and into a proper Star Fleet uniform.

 

[Jason_V]

I see the nuance now as an adult, but as a kid Jellico seemed almost as much a bad guy as the Cardassians.

Same! I never liked Jellico, probably for the same reason I didn't care for Commander Shelby when she first appeared. These two characters upset the apple cart, so to speak, in the Enterprise universe. They were not "family" and had their own agendas. I don't like that (still don't like that as an adult...but at least I understand WHY these days--all part of my introvert mindset).

I do see the shake up they both brought to the franchise and appreciate it. Ronny Cox is a delight, though, I admit, he was a strange character to bring back for more current Trek (IMHO).

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Tonight's episode: "The Enemy", from Season 3.

This was just a straight-up excellent episode. All three storylines were firing on all cylinders, and two of the storylines were genuinely surprising.

This episode evidently originally aired on November 6, 1989 -- three days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. I mention that because the themes of the episode resonate strongly with that particular moment in history. For all of the classical Roman iconography, the Romulans have always been a useful stand-in for the shadowy Soviet menace.

Historically, the Romulans weren't that enemy. In TOS it was the Klingons that were in brush wars with the Federation (A Private Little War), resource competitions (The Trouble with Tribbles, Friday's Child), almost starting a real war (Errand of Mercy) or other incidents.

The Romulans were the inscrutable Chinese who hadn't been seen in generations and (later) allied with the Federations biggest enemy, the Klingons.

Albeit, by TNG era, the alliance with the Klingons left that role unpopulated.

I also think the Romulans were brought in after the Ferengi failed to be taken seriously in Season 1. Their portrayal in The Outpost was a pathetic joke. They were recast as economical competitors more than combative enemies.