Chain of Command, Part I

DVD, TNG S4 (Chain of Command, Part I)

Commando missions, a new captain for the Enterprise and the possibility of new hostilities with the Cardassians all add up to quite a mix. I prefer it when a two-parter isn't flagged up by the title having a 'Part I' attachment as it keeps the surprise going if you've never seen it before, but on the other hand at least you engage with what is a fairly fast-paced story for 'TNG' and don't stop to question why things aren't getting resolved as time ticks away. This doesn't have the draw of some earlier two-parters such as the Borg encounter, but it certainly doesn't stand still or make the series look old and tired. Captain Jellico is a perfect example of this, his character summing up the episode: brisk and breezy, energetic, takes no prisoners - everything that Picard isn't (until pushed), including an inability to connect with the crew and a personality that steamrollers over his officers at warp speed. Almost before the crew realises what's happening he's moved in and made himself at home, with a level of sympathy afforded him thanks to his mostly friendly way of giving his orders (until a hint of a problem brings out his steeled control that brooks no nonsense whatsoever), and his child's drawings to make him human. It would be interesting to make Shelby First Officer if she were still around - they'd probably work well together, and if not it would serve them right to have to work together!

It's always fascinating to see two captain's on the same ship as they so rarely get to speak to someone on their level. Ironically Picard is too whacked out to have much to do with his successor, the best he can do being to advise Jellico to give his crew time, something the latter claims not to have. It's not something I imagine he ever has much of since he's forever dashing around, his sprightliness and energy belying his age, only pausing to infuriate the Cardassian delegation by making them wait. He certainly seems to know how to handle Cardassians, putting Gul Lemec on the back foot with his intimidation tactics, though one query I had while watching, which was answered before the end, was how anyone wouldn't know Picard had been captain of the Enterprise until recently, or not recognise him when he's hanging out in shady alien bars. Cardassian record-keeping and intelligence being what it is, they of course did know everything that was going on. Picard should feel honoured they think so highly of him that they want him captured.

The crux of the story, Picard's necessity for being on the commando mission, is a bit flimsy - so many episodes have seen Riker reminding Picard he can't go on the Away Mission because he's the captain, and Worf's stepped forward to protect his captain numerous times, but here it's Picard who's ordered to take on this black ops undercover mission, when he's not a trained expert and is one of the most recognisable captains in Starfleet! But that doesn't matter because we get him training for a strenuous mission with Worf and Crusher, and then they're off abseiling down underground rock faces, flitting through caverns and getting buried in rock falls - how is it that Crusher didn't become her namesake, i.e., crushed? I also felt that Picard should have been the one leaping in to pull the rocks off her instead of hanging back and letting the sensible choice, Worf, do the lifting. He should have been almost half-crazy with anxiety that she was okay, but I suppose the mission came first. It's alright though as she repays him by forcing Worf to escape instead of trying to go back for Picard at the end!

Jellico upsets a lot of people, changing duty shifts and the way the ship runs, and it seems unsurprising that the orders came from Admiral Nechayev, who would go on to be a thorn in both Picard and Sisko's sides. She was a good Admiral because she more than held her own with the burly men around her, even when Riker's belligerently towering over her she's the one in control, but she's a spiky person that was never going to be a loveable type. One of Jellico's orders is to force Troi to wear a standard Starfleet uniform. This is something I've wondered about: why doesn't she wear the same as most of the crew? I can understand for her job as Counsellor she would wear comfortable clothes, less restrictive and more casual to help create a serene and relaxed atmosphere, but I'm with Jellico that she should wear a uniform on the bridge! She actually started out wearing a skirt uniform in the pilot episode, but I don't think she's worn official garb since then.

David Warner, best known for playing St. John Talbot in 'Star Trek V' and Chancellor Gorkon in 'Star Trek VI,' doesn't have much to do in this first part, though that would quickly change for Part II, though his presence, like Jellico's, is immediately commanding and icy. I wonder if he's a member of the Obsidian Order? A lot about the Cardassians didn't get revealed until 'DS9' came along, but this is only the second time the race had appeared so it's good that they were beginning to gear up for the new series by reminding audiences about this race they'd created in Season 4. Lemec is no Dukat, but he does the archetypal sneering well enough and continues the reptilian mannerisms begun in 'The Wounded.' The episode would have been improved by Chief O'Brien's presence, but they may have felt he could have taken away from the other story lines.

The scene when Picard and his officers go to the alien bar is quite fun, though the shots we get of it are so small you don't get the sense that this is a thriving waterhole. You can spot a Mizarian on the way in, and the Ferengi Beverly charms into helping them seems to be in conversation with a Bajoran until they interrupt. He was quite recognisable as another Ferengi, Krax, in 'DS9' episode 'The Nagus' which would have been shot only a few months later. John Durbin, who played Lemec would also appear in 'DS9,' but not until Season 5 ('A Simple Investigation'). The handing over ceremony shows that ritual for the first time, I believe, and was seen again in 'Star Trek XI'. It's a nice moment if slightly depressing for the crew, but you can just catch Jellico saying that wearing the dress uniform reminds him of his Academy days. In a rare 'Stargate' crossover Ronny Cox, the actor who played him, would go on to be better known as villainous Senator Kinsey from the first season of 'SG-1' onwards. There's certainly novelty value in grouping Picard, Crusher and Worf and sending them off on a mission, and the cave set doesn't restrict things too much, but even though there's a lot to like I wouldn't say this was a classic. I think most people would cite Part II as the biggie, but that remains to be seen.

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