{"id":6495,"date":"2016-06-13T06:28:42","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T06:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/610-Chain-of-Command-Part-I"},"modified":"2016-06-13T06:28:42","modified_gmt":"2016-06-13T06:28:42","slug":"610-chain-of-command-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2016\/06\/13\/610-chain-of-command-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"6.10 — \u201cChain of Command, Part I\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

6.10 — \u201cChain of Command, Part I\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plot:<\/strong> Picard is relieved of his command of the Enterprise<\/em> in favor of Captain Jellico. The new captain proceeds to make waves with the crew, who seem peeved. Picard, Crusher, and Worf are assigned to a secret mission to infiltrate a hidden laboratory in Cardassian space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thoughts:<\/strong> I like it when TNG gets motivated to try something different. My stream of consciousness observations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is a very short teaser. TNG doesn\u2019t have time for the usual pleasantries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Starfleet is suddenly being very peremptory and militaristic. This wouldn\u2019t have been out of place in TOS, where the characters frequently grumbled about their orders like good soldiers, but it is not what we have been trained to expect in TNG. I like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I also like of Capt. Jellico, even though he\u2019s insufferable and you want to punch him most of the time. He is not simply a jerk, he approaches command from a different paradigm, which is fully realized in the script. The actor, Ronny Cox, says in interviews that he doesn\u2019t see Jellico as a villain, and that\u2019s quite right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And while Jellico may have shortcomings, the crew is not exactly being fully professional either, are they? Frakes plays Riker’s petulance as way over-the-top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jellico makes history taking formal command of the Enterprise, joining April, Pike, Kirk, Decker, and Picard. Does anyone remember if we got the name of the Captain of NCC-1701-C during \u201cYesterday\u2019s Enterprise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The spaceport scene with the Ferengi–fail! Was this supposed to resemble the Cantina scene in Mos Eisley? The depiction of the Ferengi better not be the same approach they take with Quark in DS9, or I am going to sour on that show quickly. Ugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LOVE the crocodile smile on the lead Cardassian (Gul Lemec) when he is threatening Jellico, Riker, and Troi with his apparent knowledge of Picard\u2019s secret mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Picard, Worf, and Crusher are a strange commando team. Worf kind of makes sense, but the show constantly undermines him, like by making him afraid of Cardassian bats. The other two don’t belong at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the trio find the lone machine in the underground chamber, I thought \u201cIt\u2019s Landru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the final battle, the Cardassian phasers are evidently tuned to the little-used \u201cOuch! That hurts!\u201d setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This episode is excellent for mostly dramatic reasons, not because it showcases timeless questions or epic ideas like TOS is known for. That’s fine, but it makes the episode hard to review. I\u2019m looking forward to part two. TNG has broken the curse of two-part episodes that seem padded with filler to extend them for 90 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4.5 of 5 underground rappelling scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Chain_of_Command,_Part_I<\/a>