star trek tng jellico

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Chain of Command, Part II

• Episode aired Dec 19, 1992

While the humorless Captain Jellico leads the effort to prevent a Cardassian invasion, Picard is captured and tortured by a ruthless interrogator in an attempt to break him. While the humorless Captain Jellico leads the effort to prevent a Cardassian invasion, Picard is captured and tortured by a ruthless interrogator in an attempt to break him. While the humorless Captain Jellico leads the effort to prevent a Cardassian invasion, Picard is captured and tortured by a ruthless interrogator in an attempt to break him.

• Gene Roddenberry
• Frank Abatemarco
• Brannon Braga
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 25 User reviews
• 6 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Capt. Edward Jellico

• Enterprise Computer
• Crewman Martinez
• (uncredited)
• Ensign Kellogg

• Operations Division Ensign
• Enterprise-D Sciences Officer
• Starfleet Ensign
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Actor David Warner took over the role of Gul Madred on three days' notice. He could not learn his lines in that short time, so he had to use cue cards. He said, "Every line I said, I actually was reading over Patrick Stewart 's shoulder or they put it down there for me to do it. After I finished it, I thought it worked, which obviously it did.".
• Goofs When Madred tells Picard "the Enterprise is burning in space", he probably uses a figure of speech rather than the literal meaning of "burning".

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : [shouting defiantly] There... are... *four*... lights!

• Connections Featured in Star Trek: Generations Review (2008)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 25

• Jul 27, 2017
• December 19, 1992 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Chain Of Command, Part I (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and production
• 3.3 Continuity
• 3.4 Reception
• 3.5 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-star
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Library computer references
• 4.8.2 Unused production references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D and an Excelsior -class ship run side by side at impulse speed.

Nechayev beams aboard the Enterprise and unceremoniously greets Captain Picard . In her no- nonsense fashion, she dismisses Commander Riker and informs Picard in his ready room that she has no time for pleasantries and is here to relieve him of command of the Enterprise .

Act One [ ]

Nechayev meets with Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commander Data , and Counselor Troi in the observation lounge and briefs them that the Cardassians have mobilized three divisions of ground troops (having withdrawn the bulk of their forces from the Bajoran sector ) and that their subspace transmissions have increased by 50%. The admiral hopes that the Cardassians are not willing to risk an incursion and possibly war over one system. When Riker asks about Picard, Necheyev tells him that he is to be replaced by Captain Edward Jellico , who is the commanding officer of the USS Cairo . Necheyev also says that their chief medical officer , Dr. Crusher and security chief , Lieutenant Worf , are also being reassigned to a mission. The change of command will occur at 1300 hours.

Since Jellico was instrumental in negotiating the original peace treaty with the Cardassians, Nechayev feels he is uniquely qualified to negotiate with them again. Once Data and Troi leave the observation lounge, Riker reminds the admiral that Jellico can negotiate with the Cardassians without taking command of the Enterprise . Nechayev tells Riker that she wants someone on the bridge who has significant experience with the Cardassians, and tells him that with all due respect, that's not him.

Picard, Worf, and Crusher are training for their secret mission in the holodeck . They are running a program in a series of dark caves including exercises such as escaping Cardassians, setting mobile shield emitters , and other surprises they might run into on the mission. They take turns and try to best each other's times.

Riker and Jellico in the transporter room

Riker meets Captain Jellico in the transporter room . Riker is immediately overwhelmed by his new commanding officer. Admiring the beauty and prestige of the Galaxy -class starship, Jellico surmises that must be why Riker has never accepted his own command. During the short walk to the turbolift , Jellico lists a series of orders including changing the duty shift rotation from three watches to four by 1400 hours and meeting with the department heads at 1500 hours. They arrive at the turbolift, and Jellico asks Riker whether he prefers "Will" or "William." Riker indicates the former, and Jellico asks where his quarters are. Before Riker can finish his reply, Jellico states the deck number for that room. He departs in the turbolift, leaving Riker befuddled.

Picard relinquishes command to Jellico

A ceremony for the Change of Command of the Enterprise is held in Ten Forward . The two captains are in full dress uniforms while the rest of the crew are in standard uniforms (except Troi, who wears her grey unitard). Captain Picard reads the transfer orders from Admiral Nechayev and instructs the computer to transfer all command codes to Captain Jellico. The Enterprise is now Jellico's.

Riker meets up with Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge , and the engineer asks Riker how long he thinks this change of command is going to last. Riker tells him that they usually do not perform this ceremony if it is just going to be a temporary assignment. Meanwhile, Troi spots the exhausted Dr. Crusher sitting in a corner and goes over to sit with her. Troi asks her if she is sore. Crusher tells her that sore does not even begin to describe it. They exchange glances, and the doctor says that she wishes she could talk about the mission but cannot.

Picard and Jellico discuss very specific issues on the ship's systems. Jellico says that he can handle anything that comes his way. They then discuss the specifics of Picard's mission in a somewhat coded fashion. Picard reveals that he wishes he had more current information than the two-year old intelligence reports. Jellico offers to send a Class-5 probe later, and Picard happily accepts.

"He was your first officer for five years? "

Jellico calls for Riker and passes the order to launch the probe during delta shift . Riker informs his new commanding officer that the new crew rotation is not yet ready and that the department heads believe it will put too much pressure and cause significant problems for their personnel. Jellico orders the new duty roster to be ready immediately and be fully manned when they reach their destination. Jellico then dismisses his first officer . Riker leaves, and Jellico makes his dissatisfaction with Riker clear to Picard, who defends his former first officer. Jellico tells Picard that he is sure it will work out.

Act Two [ ]

Jellico records a log entry:

Some time later on the bridge , Jellico, Riker, Data, and Garvey stand over the tactical station . Jellico orders several modifications to the terminal and then proceeds to order changes to Science I and II , making them Damage Control and Weapons Status. He then orders one battle drill for each of the four shifts. He wants Riker to "get it done" by seeing to it personally. Before leaving on the turbolift with Data, he tells Riker he wants "that fish " out of the ready room.

In engineering , Jellico tells La Forge to overhaul the warp coils , as he finds their performance unsatisfactory. The chief engineer insists that the coil's performance is well within specifications, but Jellico is not interested in specs and wants their efficiency improved by at least 15%. La Forge tells the captain that what he is asking will take more than the two days that Jellico is giving him. Data, apparently the only crew member with whom Jellico is impressed, calculates that the required actions are possible in the time requested. La Forge agrees but only if the entire engineering staff works around the clock for those two days. Jellico responds with his signature line, " Get it done. "

Jellico redecorates

Meanwhile, Jellico is redecorating his ready room, sans fish. Troi enters, and Jellico shows her a drawing from his son of what he believes to be an elephant . Troi tries to explain the feelings of the crew to him. While recognizing that he and the crew are still getting used to each other, it is clear that Jellico does not feel there is any time for a period of adjustment. He orders Troi to do what she can to have the crew accept the situation. She turns to leave, and Jellico informs her that he likes "a certain formality on the bridge" and would prefer that she wears a standard uniform while on duty.

La Forge visits Riker in a corridor and complains. La Forge wants to know how he is expected to get his work done with such a heavy load and with one-third of his staff being reassigned to security . Riker makes it clear to La Forge that Jellico will not listen to him or any of the other department heads. La Forge suggests he try to get Captain Picard, who has not left for his mission yet, to help in persuading Jellico to ease up on the crew a little. Riker heeds the engineer's advice and leaves to visit Picard.

Picard practically stumbles into his quarters, exhausted from the training. He admits to Riker that he has not been this tired since he was training for the Academy Marathon . Riker does not want to bother him and leaves without asking his favor.

Picard meets with Captain Jellico in the ready room, and they discuss the mission briefly. Riker calls and informs Jellico that the shuttle is ready for launch. Jellico asks whether he launched the probe as requested. Riker tells him that he has but that he did not know he was supposed to inform his captain about the launch.

After the channel closes, Jellico again expresses his disappointment with Riker to Picard and that he sees why Riker is still only a first officer. Picard reminds the other captain that Riker has been decorated by Starfleet Command on five occasions and been offered command more than once. Picard adds that Jellico will find him to be a very capable officer if given the chance. Jellico tells Picard that negotiations with Gul Lemec will not go too smoothly and that neither side will give up anything very easily, and chances are Picard may not come back from his secret mission into Cardassian territory, so he wants the ship ready for action and he does not have time for Will Riker or anyone else be given a chance. He apologizes to Picard for being blunt, but states that the Enterprise is his now.

Act Three [ ]

Once the members of the commando mission leave the Enterprise on the shuttlecraft Feynman , Picard informs his team of their mission: a secret investigation of the Cardassian planet Celtris III in search of a research facility for metagenic weapons . Starfleet Intelligence believes that the Cardassians are developing a new delivery system that would protect them from accidental exposure to the toxin by using a subspace carrier wave. For the past few weeks, theta-band subspace emissions have been detected coming from Celtris III and those emissions may indicate that a metagenic delivery system in operation. As Picard studied theta-band carrier waves while on the Stargazer , he was chosen for the mission due to his familiarity with the methods used for generating them. Worf is there for muscle, and Crusher is there to locate and destroy any bio-toxins they may find.

DaiMon Solok on Torman V

In order to secure safe passage into Cardassian territory, they travel to the planet Torman V to enlist the help of DaiMon Solok . They meet Solok at a bar and Picard makes the proposal to him, but Solok is worried because Celtris III is in Cardassian territory, and he then accuses the three of being Federation spies. Crusher then begins to charm Solok and even uses oo-mox to convince him to provide passage discreetly.

Riker tells Captain Jellico that Lemec, commander of the Reklar , was beamed aboard and was escorted to the observation lounge. Jellico then announces that he will be waiting in his ready room, confusing both Riker and Troi.

Crusher looks down a very steep cliff on Celtris III

Troi, now wearing a standard uniform, enters the ready room and asks Jellico if there has been a miscommunication. He reveals that this is one of his negotiating tactics. Jellico compares Cardassians to timber wolves in that they're predators who possess an instinctive need to establish a dominant position in social situations. He is making Lemec wait in order to gain the dominant position. After the counselor reminds him that sometimes a wolf ends up dead in the fight for dominance, Jellico tells her that the trick is to be the wolf that is left standing in the end.

After arriving on Celtris III, Picard reminds Crusher to set her tricorder in order to keep a precise map of their route, as it will be very easy to get lost in the caves. She then starts picking up subspace signals , but cannot get a lock on them. By compressing the detection bandwidth, Picard determines that the source of the signal is five hundred meters east and seven hundred meters below their current location. Lynars , which are Celtran bats , fly by them, and Worf pretends not to be afraid of them.

The team comes to a precipice and needs to descend the rock face to the floor, which is over five hundred meters below. As they prepare their fusing pitons for the long rappel down with rope , Worf asks Crusher if she is afraid of heights, and she sarcastically says that she is not. The three of them begin rappelling down the cavern.

Act Four [ ]

The Cardassian Galor -class warship Reklar

Jellico has been keeping Lemec waiting for over an hour. Also, the fact that he brings Riker and Troi with him to the negotiating table infuriates the Cardassian. Jellico tells him that if he cannot negotiate anything other than minutiae, then maybe he is not serious about these talks. Jellico then storms out of the room and onto the bridge.

Jellico discusses tactics

Riker and Troi follow him, and he almost gleefully shares his plan of attack. Jellico tells Riker and Troi to let Lemec stew for a few minutes and then to tell him that Jellico is a loose cannon , but he has agreed to meet again. They are to explain to Lemec that he needs to be more reasonable since Jellico is such an unreasonable man and that he can include no more than two aides. After Jellico walks away, Riker notes that the captain is very sure of himself. Troi reveals that he is in fact not.

On Celtris III, the team has finished rappelling, and they are only three hundred meters away from the installation. Picard leads the way, scanning with his tricorder. They encounter a lava tube that runs for seventy-five meters behind a wall. Worf notes that a phaser set to Level 16 should suffice. He then blasts a hole in the wall to reveal the tube.

Lemec introduces his aides

Meanwhile in the Enterprise observation lounge, Lemec introduces Captain Jellico to his aides, Glinns Corak and Tajor . Jellico, along with Riker and Troi, sit at the other end of the table and Jellico accuses the Cardassians of massing troops in staging areas, assembling strike forces, and pulling ships off their normal patrols. Lemec insists they are merely routine training operations. Jellico proposes sending a few starships into the sector for their own training operations. Lemec is more concerned about the Federation's refusal to vacate systems that are "clearly Cardassian."

Jellico is very agitated because he believes the Cardassians are seeking to get those worlds at the bargaining table that they could not take by force. Troi calms Jellico, and Riker states to Lemec that under the terms of the treaty, those worlds are still under negotiation. Lemec reveals that they have reports that a small Federation task force has infiltrated Cardassian territory. He says that this action will likely fail, and if it were to succeed, there would be serious repercussions from the Cardassians. Before they recess , Lemec asks Jellico where Picard is and does so in a way that implies that he already knows. Jellico tells him that Picard has been reassigned. Lemec sinisterly tells Jellico that he hopes Picard's new assignment is not too dangerous and adds that it would be a shame if something happened to such a noted officer.

Picard, Crusher, and Worf break into the lab on Celtris III

On Celtris III, the team crawls through the lava tube with Crusher bringing up the rear. The two men get out safely, but the doctor is covered by rubble during a cave-in. Worf immediately leaps back into the tube and uncovers Crusher. Shaken but unhurt, they move on. They find a maintenance hatch with three proximity sensors around it. Worf sets up sensor echoes so that they can make it through without being detected. The hatch is magnetically sealed , but Worf is able to bypass it.

They go through the hatch to find a room with only a single device, which has been emitting the theta-band waves. There is no lab. It has been a trap all along.

Act Five [ ]

Cardassians suddenly attack Picard and the others. The Federation team responds with phaser fire and hand-to-hand combat. Worf blocks the closing hatch so that Crusher can escape, but Picard is still fighting off Cardassians. Worf is shot, and he falls outside the room while the hatch closes. Picard is captured by four Cardassians and reluctantly drops his weapon. Crusher and Worf realize that they cannot help the captain, and they quickly make their escape. Worf hesitates to leave Picard behind but is ordered by Crusher, his superior officer, to leave immediately.

Gul Madred on Celtris III

Back on the Enterprise , Riker notifies Jellico that there are a lot of coded messages coming from Celtris III. Also, there had been theta-band emissions until just a few minutes ago. Jellico orders Riker to get Admiral Nechayev on a priority two channel. He tells her the mission was apparently successful since the theta-band emissions have stopped. She asks Jellico if there has been any word from "our friends," but there has not been.

In a stark, imposing room, an unknown Cardassian, who is later revealed as Gul Madred , tells Picard that he is the most interesting challenge to walk through his door in years. He cites Picard's name, Starfleet serial number, parents' names, and place of birth. Then he states that he knows of Picard's extensive experience with theta-band subspace carrier waves while captain of the Stargazer . He reveals that this information was used to lure Picard. Picard asks why he was chosen. Madred responds by telling Picard that he is not allowed to ask questions. Only Madred will ask them, and if he is not satisfied with the captain's responses, then Picard will die.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" May I present Captain Jean-Luc Picard. " " Admiral, welcome on board. " " Thank you. That'll be all, Commander. " " Can I get you some coffee , tea … " " Thank you, no, Captain. I'm afraid there's no time for the usual pleasantries. I'm here to relieve you of command of the Enterprise . "

" I wonder how permanent this is gonna be. " " I don't know. They don't usually go through the ceremony if it's just a temporary assignment. "

"He was your first officer for five years… " " One of the finest officers that I have ever served with. " " Of course he is, Jean-Luc. I'm sure it'll all work out… "

" Oh… and get that fish out of the ready room. "

" By the way, I prefer a certain… formality on the bridge. I'd appreciate it if you wore a standard uniform when you're on duty. "

" Get it done. "

" I want this ship ready for action, and I don't have time to give Will Riker or anyone else a chance. And forgive me for being blunt, but the Enterprise is mine now. "

" Well, I'll say this for him – he's sure of himself. " " No, he's not. "

" Gul Lemec has arrived. He's waiting for you in the observation lounge. " " Very good. I'll be in my ready room. "

" It's a trap! "

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

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 6 October 1992 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 14 December 1992
• First UK airdate: 13 September 1995

Story and production [ ]

Michael Westmore applies McFadden's injury makeup

• The episode was originally intended to be a single episode, with Picard rescued at the end of the hour. Michael Piller suggested to split the story into two parts primarily for financial rather than dramatic reasons. Jeri Taylor recalled, " We were in budget trouble and Michael said, 'You know, I think what we could do is make this a two-parter. Have Picard captured and then make it an episode about his relationship with his torturer that takes place in one room. It's a fascinating two-person play and we'll get another episode out of it that way and we'll save a lot of money that will bring us even with the budget.' " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 266)
• Rick Berman pointed out, " I think that money and creativity have never really gone hand in hand when it comes to Star Trek . Episodes like " The Measure Of A Man " was one of our cheapest episodes and one of our best, but an episode like " Yesterday's Enterprise " was quite expensive and it was wonderful. 'Chain Of Command' was a very inexpensive episode and one of the greats. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 267)
• The producers attempted to establish Jellico as more of a "by-the-book" captain than Picard by means of various subtle details. His entry onto the bridge is announced (" Captain on the bridge! "); he himself announces Picard's return at the end of the next episode . He also insists upon crewmembers appearing in full standard uniform when on duty, and has Data wear a command division red uniform when promoting him temporarily to first officer in Part II. His catchphrase " Get it done " when issuing orders was intended to be a counterpart to Picard's somewhat friendlier " Make it so. " He also was a family man; after ordering Livingston 's tank removed from the ready room, he puts up pictures drawn by his son. The writers wished to stress that Jellico wasn't at all ineffective as a captain despite his run-ins with Riker, his approach was just more direct than Picard's. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 228))
• DaiMon Solok was originally intended to be Quark in a crossover with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The decision to show DS9's pilot " Emissary " in January 1993 meant that this was changed, as people would be unaware who Quark actually was. The scene in the bar with Solok was filmed on DS9's Replimat set, although filmed at tight angles to hide this fact. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., pp. 228-229))
• Rene Echevarria elaborated on the planned TNG/DS9 crossover thusly: " We were going to go to DS9 and that's how we were going to get to the planet in the show. The Enterprise was going to come to DS9 and get a ship. The scene with the Ferengi was written for Quark and I don't think Ron [Moore] changed a word except the guy's name. We were going to borrow one of their runabouts which Jellico was going to ask for, but it just didn't work out. Rick [Berman] wanted to wait a little longer before doing a crossover. Actually, it was less expensive, because if you go to Deep Space 9 you have to use at least one of their regulars ". ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 267)

McFadden between takes

• According to Ronny Cox , the removal of Livingston from the ready room had a larger motive. Patrick Stewart hated Livingston's presence in the ready room, and constantly petitioned the producers to remove the fish. Stewart felt that it was inappropriate to have a captive animal in a series that valued the dignity of different species. Cox stated that the producers' decision to temporarily remove the fish was thus a "sort of bone they threw to Patrick". [2]
• Troi began wearing a standard Starfleet uniform in this episode when ordered to do so by Jellico; she had not done so since " Encounter at Farpoint " with the exception of the fantasy universe portrayed in " Future Imperfect ". This was a costume experiment that Ronald D. Moore had wanted to try and Marina Sirtis was eager to oblige. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 228)) Ronny Cox noted, " I think there were a lot of things that [Jellico] did that were really important for that show. Having Troi put on a damn uniform? Give me a break! This is an officer on a ship and she's running around with her boobs hanging out? " [3] Troi continued to appear in uniform while on duty for nearly all of the rest of the series.
• Solok was originally named "Selok", but it was realized that the name had already been used in " Data's Day ". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 229))
• In 2012 , Michael Dorn related a story about the production of this episode to the cast of The Next Generation at the Calgary Expo. During shooting while he, Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden were working in the tunnels of the set for Celtris III at Paramount Stage 16 , Dorn and Stewart started laughing uncontrollably. There were many stray cats roaming around Paramount Pictures and as the set was covered with sand, they frequently used it for cat litter. Dorn asked Stewart what he was laughing about and he said, " I don't know how I got here. I was at a seminar at Santa Barbara, the next thing I know, I'm crawling around in cat shit! " [4]
• A conversation between La Forge and Jellico, cut from the final episode, revealed that Jellico had attended Starfleet Academy together with Captain Zimbata , La Forge's former CO on the USS Victory . Jellico remembered that they had played rugby together and that he had been even worse than Zimbata. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 228))

Continuity [ ]

• This episode and its concluding part set the scene for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , as it is revealed that the Cardassians have left the Bajoran sector . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 228)) Indeed, the writer, Ronald D. Moore, became a senior writer on DS9 after TNG ended.
• Picard tells Jellico that Riker is one of the finest officers he has ever served with, which is almost exactly what he told Sirna Kolrami in " Peak Performance ". Picard also praises Riker to Kargan , captain of the IKS Pagh , in " A Matter Of Honor ".
• This episode marks the first appearance of the iconic style of Cardassian military uniform seen throughout DS9. In fact, the uniforms made their first appearance in " Emissary ", which was filmed before "Chain Of Command", but the audience could see them for the first time here.
• This episode also marks the first appearance of Admiral Alynna Nechayev . She would go on to appear in three more episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as well as two episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
• During the entire time she is on board the Enterprise -D, Admiral Nechayev is not shown wearing a combadge , but once she is back in her office and contacted via subspace radio by Jellico, she is wearing one.
• Although the shuttle that Picard, Crusher, and Worf use is a Type-7 shuttle, the set used for the interior is that of a Type-6 shuttle .
• The static shot of the biosphere in an earlier episode, " The Masterpiece Society ", is re-used in this episode.

Reception [ ]

• Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode (combined with Part II) #10 on their list of "The Top 10 Episodes" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation . [5]

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 68, 7 June 1993
• In feature-length form, as part of the UK VHS release Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Full Length TV Movies : Volume 6, catalog number VHR 4106, 27 March 1995
• As part of the TNG Season 6 DVD collection
• As part of the TNG Season 6 Blu-ray collection
• In feature-length form, as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete TV Movies collection
• In feature-length form, as part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Captain's Log collection
• In feature-length form, as a stand-alone single-disc Blu-ray release, Chain of Command
• In feature-length form, as part of the Star Trek: Picard Movie & TV Collection Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Ronny Cox as Edward Jellico
• Natalija Nogulich as Alynna Nechayev
• John Durbin as Lemec
• Lou Wagner as Solok
• David Warner as Gul Madred

Co-star [ ]

• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Joe Baumann as Garvey
• H. Borgen as Cardassian soldier
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Cullen Chambers as command officer
• Hal Donahue as command lieutenant
• Elliot Durant III as Mizarian bar patron
• Melanie Hathorn as sciences officer
• Gary Hunter as sciences officer
• Arvo Katajisto as Torigan
• Ron Large as command officer
• Dennis Madalone as Cardassian
• M. McMahon as Cardassian soldier
• Michael Moorehead as sciences ensign
• Tom Morga as Cardassian
• J. Napier as Cardassian soldier
• Randy Pflug as Bajoran bar patron
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• Cardassian soldier
• Command officer
• Rotciv bar patron
• Sissy Sessions as operations ensign
• Shawn as Cardassian guard
• Noriko Suzuki as operations ensign
• Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
• Michael Tierney as Tajor
• Uchizono as command officer
• Jana Wallace as command lieutenant jg
• Harry Young as sciences officer
• Command lieutenant
• Holographic Cardassian guard

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Rusty McClennon as stunt double for Michael Dorn
• John Nowak as stunt double for Patrick Stewart

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Cameron – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

2357 ; 2364 ; 2367 ; accusation ; Annotated Shakespeare, The ; armistice ; astrophysics lab ; authorization code ; background radiation ; Bajoran sector ; bat ; battle drill ; bear ; bridge supportive stations ; Cairo , USS ; captain's ready room ; Cardassian ; Cardassian space ; Cardassian Union ; carrier wave ; Celtris III ; Change of Command ; Class 5 probe ; Class of '57 ; crew evaluation ' day ; delta shift ; department ; department head ; division ; DNA ; drawing ; duty roster ; duty watch ; elephant ; engineering department ; Excelsior -class ; exobiology ; Federation ; Federation-Cardassian Armistice of 2367 ; Federation-Cardassian border ; Federation space ; Ferengi ; Feynman ; France ; fusing piton ; Galaxy -class ; Galaxy class decks ; Galor -class ; gamma shift ; geological research ; glinn ; granite ; gul ; Jellico's son ; La Barre ; lava tube ; Livingston ; " loose cannon "; lynars ; main deflector pathway ; McDowell ; metagenic weapon ; meter ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; Mintakan tapestry ; month ; oo-mox ; Picard, Maurice ; Picard, Yvette ; radio silence ; readiness report ; Reklar ; Rockwell X-30 ; Romulans ; Sector 864 ; serial number ; social gathering ; Solok's cargo ship ; space ; Stargazer , USS ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Academy marathon ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet dress uniform ; Starfleet Intelligence ; sunflower ; theta-band ; timber wolf ; Torman V ; tricorder ; turbolift ; Type 7 shuttlecraft ; unnamed Cardassian cruisers ; unnamed sector ; vice admiral ; voice authorization ; warp coil ; watch rotation

Library computer references [ ]

Starship mission status : Ajax , USS ; Alderaan ; Alpha Laputa IV ; Ambassador -class ; Apollo -class ; Aries , USS ; Berlin , USS ; Beta Cygni system ; Bradbury , USS ; Bradbury -class ; Charleston , USS ; Constellation -class ; Excelsior -class ; Fearless , USS ; Goddard , USS ; Hood , USS ; Korolev -class ; Merced -class ; Merrimac , USS ; Monitor , USS ; Nebula -class ; New Orleans -class ; pulsar ; Renaissance -class ; Repulse , USS ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; sector ; Sector 21396 ; Sector 21538 ; Sector 22358 ; Sector 22846 ; Sector 22853 ; Sector 23079 ; Starbase 134 ; Starbase 434 ; Thomas Paine , USS ; Trieste , USS ; Victory , USS ; Vulcan Science Academy ; warp drive ; Zhukov , USS

Unused production references [ ]

rugby ; Zimbata

External links [ ]

• " Chain of Command " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Chain of Command " at Wikipedia
• "Chain of Command, Part I" at StarTrek.com
• " "Chain of Command" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Chain of Command, Part I" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Den of Geek

Star Trek: The Next Generation Actor Defends His Character’s Controversial Actions

Captain Edward Jellico may have made waves in his classic Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter. But as he makes his return for Star Trek: Prodigy, Jellico performer Ronny Cox wants to set the record straight.

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In the future universe of Star Trek , humanity has grown out of its infancy, eliminated hunger, want, and the need for possessions. But people still make a lot of upsetting decisions, especially Starfleet captains. Trekkers regularly debate the merits of Sisko manipulating the Romulans into the Dominion war, Kirk seeking vengeance against a blood-sucking space cloud, and Janeway … well, doing lots of things, but let’s just say “solving” Tuvix.

But just looking at the ratio of screen time to controversial decisions, it’s hard to outdo Captain Edward Jellico, who took command of the Enterprise-D in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter “Chain of Command.” The tenth and eleventh episodes of Next Generation ‘s sixth season, “Chain of Command” parts one and two found Captain Picard, Lieutenant Worf, and Dr. Crusher sent by Starfleet on a secret mission in Cardassian space. In Picard’s absence, Starfleet installs Jellico as new Captain of the Enterprise. Immediately, Jellico’s no-nonsense style bristles the crew, particularly Commander Riker, and the ill will continues after the Cardassians capture Picard.

But as Jellico returns to screens after a long absence, his actor Ronny Cox has come to the defense of the short-lived Enteprise captain. Speaking to Trek Movie about his performance as now Admiral Jellico on Star Trek: Prodigy , Cox argued that his character improved the Enterprise in many ways. “If you go back and look at what he did, he achieved a great deal of things there,” Cox argued.

Specifically, Cox points to Next Generation’s (in)famous mandate from creator Gene Roddenberry that evolved beings would not have internal conflict between them. “That robbed them dramatically of conflict among characters,” Cox contends. “And when Jellico came in, they were able to institute that. So his sort of beef with Riker brought a new dimension to the show.”

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We’re not sure we agree with him there. While nearly all agree that Rodenberry’s rule hamstrung Next Generation ‘s first season, it was non-existent by the time “Chain of Command” aired in season six. Even season two featured numerous episodes with conflict between Starfleet officers, most notably “The Measure of a Man.”

Despite his character’s “my way or the highway” attitude, Cox also reminded readers that Jellico’s decisions made life better for the series regulars. Perhaps the most notable was his command that Counsellor Troi abandon the skin-tight bodysuits she had been wearing for a standard Starfleet uniform. “Jellico gets a bunch of beef pork for making her put on a uniform, but [Troi actor Marina Sirtis] asked for that and she got a lot more stuff after that,” he contended.

Cox also defended Jellico’s command to remove Picard’s fishtank from the Enterprise ready room. According to Cox, “Patrick Stewart always hated the fish in the ready room.” Stewart argued that people who defended “the dignity of all creatures in the universe” would keep captured fish on their ship, but the producers liked the visual flourish it provided. So when he ordered the fish be removed from the ready room, “Jellico did that for Patrick!” joked Cox.

Even before he made his first onscreen appearance since “Chain of Command” in the recent Prodigy episode “Masquerade,” Jellico continued his controversial ways. According to Star Trek: Lower Decks , one of Jellico’s first actions as Admiral was banning the Zebulon Sisters from Starfleet ships. As of this writing, Cox has not yet defended that decision.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

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Interview: Ronny Cox On Jellico’s Enduring Legacy In ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ And ‘The Next Generation’

| December 1, 2022 | By: Anthony Pascale 31 comments so far

In October at New York Comic Con, the big midseason announcement for Star Trek: Prodigy was the return of Ronny Cox as Edward Jellico. His no-nonsense Captain Jellico in the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation two-part episode “Chain of Command” is still remembered (and debated) to this day. 30 years later, Ronny Cox is voicing Admiral Jellico, Starfleet’s commander-in-chief and Vice Admiral Janeway’s boss on Star Trek: Prodigy . In an exclusive interview with TrekMovie, Cox talks about the impact of his original run on TNG, his return to the franchise, and why he thinks everyone would be better off if they just listened more to Jellico.

It’s been 30 years, so did you have to go back and watch “Chain of Command” to get into character?

No, I didn’t. In my bones, I knew where he was coming from back then, and it’s the same place now.

A good amount of time has lapsed for the character so did the producers have any briefing or backstory for Admiral Jellico or was it just to do the same kind of thing?

We just jumped in and did it.

The producers have talked about how Jellico has some conflict with Janeway . Do you see him as an adversary?

All they have to do is do what Jellico says to do, and things will be fine.

Ronny Cox as Admiral Jellico speaking to Vice Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in “Masquarade”

How do you see him as a leader and a person? Is he someone you would like to meet?

He’s very competent and knows what he’s doing and a bit of an authoritarian in that he sort of gets an idea about how things should be done, and really doesn’t have much tolerance for anyone going against that. So, therefore, again, if you just listen to what he’s saying, and follow through on what he’s doing, and look at the logic of what he’s doing, you will realize that he’s right.

Jellico’s original appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation is kind of polarizing. Have you followed the fan debates?

Oh sure. They either hate him or there are other people who think he’s the greatest captain there ever was. So if you go back and look at what he did, he achieved a great deal of things there. One of the things that was different about “Chain of Command” is that the original producers didn’t like internal conflict among the characters. That robbed them dramatically of conflict among characters. And when Jellico came in, they were able to institute that. So his sort of beef with Riker brought a new dimension to the show.

Marina Sirtis has talked about how important this episode is because Jellico got Troi to start wearing a Starfleet uniform.

Exactly! That’s another thing that Jellico did that scratched a lot of it. She actually asked. Jellico gets a bunch of beef pork for making her put on a uniform, but she asked for that and she got a lot more stuff after that. And the fish in the ready room. Patrick Stewart always hated the fish in the ready room. He said, “We’re doing a series about the dignity of all creatures in the universe and we’ve got captured fish in the ready room?” But the producers like shooting through the fish swimming around there. So Jellico did that for Patrick! [laughs]

Ronny Cox as Captain Jellico with Marina Sirtis (Troi) and Jonathan Frakes (Riker) in TNG “Chain of Command”

So you are saying you came in and fixed the show?

Exactly! Certainly things that people have brought up.

We’ve seen Jellico a little bit so far, but can you give us a preview of what is to come for the rest of the season.

No. [laughs]

Can you say if you are back for season 2?

I can say yes, probably.

Jellico has actually been mentioned on another Paramount+ animated show which is more of a comedy called Lower Decks , where as head of Starfleet he has done things liked banning singing.

Yeah, he hates music. Which is ironic. [Ronny Cox is an active folk musician ]

Ronny Cox’s 2014 “Live in Concert” album

Could you see finding some humor with Jellico if they asked you to do Lower Decks ?

Who knows? Everybody has humor. The secret to humor is the writing… and simplicity.

At New York Comic Con the return of Jellico was the big announcement for Prodigy . Were you surprised that the character is still so well known after all these years?

No, not at all. Because of all the Jellico memes that have been around for years. I mean, Jellico has his detractors and fans of his go back and forth. Some people hate Jellico. Some people think he is the greatest thing in the world. So it has been satisfying for me to ride along with Jellico.

Could you imagine doing Jellico again, in live-action?

Ah, it would depend on the script. It would depend on what he has to do and whether it’s interesting or not. That’s what it always comes down to with me. Is it interesting? Is it something I want to do? I have to tell you the truth, I never just taken a job just for the money or to be working. Now that’s not to say I don’t do crap. I just don’t do crap on purpose. [laughs]

Did it take much for the Prodigy producers to convince you?

No. They wanted me to play Jellico and I said, “Wow, that’s sounds like it’s going to be fun.”

Jellico, like many characters you play, is a bit of a hardass. Is it more fun to play a hardass?

They’re the most fun to play. The difference between playing good guys and bad guys I liken it to painting. The good guy gets three colors: red, white, and blue. The bad guy gets the whole palette.

But do you see Jellico as a bad guy?

No. If people just paid attention to him and did what he said, everything would be fine.  

Ronny Cox as Admiral Jellico on Prodigy

New episodes of  Prodigy  debut on Thursdays exclusively on  Paramount+  in the U.S., and on Fridays in Latin America, Australia, and the U.K.  The series will air later in the year in South Korea, Germany, Italy, France, Austria and Switzerland.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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I would have loved to see Admiral Jellico command a fleet in DS9. Jellico and Sisko would be an interesting pair. #JellicoRocks!

It would have been awesome to see Jellico lay mines secretly lay mines on top of the dominion fleet in the middle of the wormhole before they could reach the Alpha quadrant. The Jellico Maneuver!

All you need to know is Jellico is still an asshole. End of Story

That’s Commander in Chief A$$hole, thank you very much…..

While he is a four-pip-admiral, I think the Commander-in-chief of Starfleet at that time is Admiral Victor Bordson.

I loved the Prodigy ep Jellico was in and believe it or not I liked Jellico in in Chain of Command. I thought Riker came off like a spoiled brat. But if I have one nit pick I really didn’t think the animation of Ronny Cox looked like the man himself at all.

Picard is a diplomat first. The Federation kids sleeping soundly in their beds do so because people like Jellico and Sisko do the work that needs to be done.

Christ, what an idiot. In your world diplomats do nothing to help people sleep soundly in their beds?

diplomats don’t always get it right in ST. the treaty regarding the cardassians and the DMZ turned out to be a mistake in the long run

picard talks softly but carries a complement of torpedoes and phaser banks

The voice isn’t even familiar. Too many years has passed for his vocal chords. Like Quark in Lower Decks. Didn’t sound like him at all.

Well, it sounds like him now.

That a pretty bad animation fail by the Prodigy team…looks NOTHING like the live action character. Weird?

Agreed, that’s the first thing I thought. And Cox sounds nothing like he did back on TNG, but it was still cool seeing the character in the episode.

Generally I can see Ronnie Cox there, but if we’re talking character design, I’ve always had trouble seeing the resemblance to other Tellarites in Jankom’s appearance.

Best captain, err admiral in the fleet!

Although I’ve always been more on the negative side of the character, I generally do like him overall and so happy he’s back in Star Trek!

I have always joked if Jellicoe was Captain of Voyager when it got lost in the Delta Quadrant, he would’ve either got them back home in the first season or destroyed in the first season. There is really no other options. ;D

And I always regret he never appeared on DS9 during the Dominion War. Now THAT would’ve been fun to watch too.

Oh he would have he would have sent VOY home in the first EP and sent aft tricobalt weapons behind him for the caretaker’s trouble LOL

LOL also true!

It’s a well-worn trope when a new leader pretends to be reckless/impulsive, to rattle the enemy and provide deniability if drastic measures are needed (the “he crazy” defense). This backstory must have been cut for time, making Jellico’s behavior inexplicable. His character would have made much sense if we saw the backstory, where he was chosen to helm the Enterprise in order to intimidate the Cardassians while Picard was on his mission.

but jellico said he knows that Cardassians negotiate through posture of strength, antagonism. so he matched them that way at the table

The entire point is that when there is a change of command, a ship’s crew, even senior officers, don’t have the same implicit understanding of how their commanding officer will think and strategize.

The Enterprise had become so much Picard’s ship that its officers struggled to comply with a new leader, despite the formal change of command.

They didn’t know Jellico or his backstory so neither should we the audience.

It was a great scenario and one that’s very common in any military, corporate or bureaucratic organization. But in a quasi-military one, the officers are expected to comply during a threat situation, not show resistance to change.

Please come in if you recognize what I’m trying to reference here…

I like that Cox sees Jellico as what the whole thing is about… there’s some yarn about a bit player seeing the stageplay as all about him… the guy with one line, not Hamlet, or whatever the main character is.

Now I am NOT (repeat NOT) saying Cox is a bit player… but like the actor with the tiny role in a great masterpiece, IMHO part of what makes the character work is that the actor chooses to frame everything as if he were the ultimate center of the narrative or the driver of the story (whether that’s objectively accurate or not). It makes Jellico (or the guy with one line in Hamlet) real, and dimensional, and consequential.

Er… “chime in.” My phone apparently doesn’t approve of the expression… hopefully there aren’t any other typos I missed! 😀

just get it done. in uniform. and lose the fish

 look at the logic of what he’s doing, you will realize that he’s right.

Jellico would thrive on a Vulcan ship. I wonder if there is a backstory to that. Did he serve on one? Things like that need to be fleshed out. It may be that his commanding style is informed by an admiration for Vulcans.

Jellico needs to appear on Picard.

Sure, make “Picard” even worse.

“ But do you see Jellico as a bad guy? No. If people just paid attention to him and did what he said, everything would be fine. “ Hahahhaa Now that’s funny.

just like ripley in ‘alien’

Seeing how Jellico acted made the Enterprise crew look a bit pampered, and IRL showed that the no conflict rule was limiting. I liked how he did not have a problem with Data, because Data didn’t have a problem with him. Jellico is the kind of person you would want as a captain, just not YOUR captain.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 6, Episode 11

Chain of command, where to watch, star trek: the next generation — season 6, episode 11.

Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 6, Episode 11 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

Cmdr. William Riker

LeVar Burton

Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

Gates McFadden

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi

Episode Info

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from games
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• Starfleet personnel
• Starfleet personnel (24th century)
• Starfleet commanders
• Starfleet captains
• Starfleet admirals
• USS Enterprise-D personnel
• Starfleet commanders in chief
• USS Cairo personnel
• 2311 births
• Humans (24th century)

Edward Jellico

• View history
• 1.1 Early career
• 1.2 Dean of Students, Starfleet Academy
• 1.3 USS Cairo and the Cardassians
• 1.4.1 Starfleet Command
• 1.4.2 Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet
• 1.5 Interests
• 1.6 Alternate realities
• 3 Starfleet service record
• 4.1 Connections
• 4.2.1 Appearances
• 4.3 External link

Biography [ ]

Early career [ ].

Jellico was born in Houston , Texas , on Earth in 2311 . At the age of 18 , Jellico entered Starfleet Academy , and he graduated in 2333 in the 85th percentile. Ensign Jellico was assigned as a shuttle pilot on the Jovian Run between Jupiter and Saturn .

However, by the end of the year, Jellico was promoted to lieutenant, junior grade and assigned to the USS Memphis as a junior conn officer . By 2344 , Jellico was still serving aboard the Memphis but had risen to the rank of full lieutenant . That year, the Memphis suffered heavy damage as a result of an attack by Cardassian forces. During the battle, the tactical officer was killed, and Lt. Jellico assumed her position, successfully devising a strategy to defeat the Cardassians. ( TNG video game : Starship Creator )

In 2349 , Jellico took a year out of space service to attend tactical training on Earth . Following the completion of his training in 2350 , Jellico was promoted to lieutenant commander and was assigned to the USS Cairo as tactical officer.

In early 2354 , Jellico was promoted to commander and assigned as first officer aboard the Cairo , when the former first officer was killed during an away mission in which he was ambushed by Cardassians .

Dean of Students, Starfleet Academy [ ]

After some time aboard the Cairo , Jellico took a position at Starfleet Academy as the dean of students. Also at the Academy at that time was young Mackenzie Calhoun . ( ST video game : Starship Creator and NF novel : Stone and Anvil )

USS Cairo and the Cardassians [ ]

By 2357 , Jellico was once again serving aboard the Cairo as first officer. In that year, Captain Ashford was killed during a Cardassian attack, and Jellico was promoted to captain for his "efficient, demanding style of command". However, Jellico still had time to consider creating a family, and in 2359 he married a human woman named Deborah , and two years later , their son, Franklin Paul Jellico was born.

In 2367 , Captain Jellico was called into aid the negotiators to end the Federation-Cardassian War , because of his vast experiences with the Cardassians. ( ST video game : Starship Creator )

Jellico's negotiations with the Cardassians allowed him to work with Ambassador Karrig of the Federation Diplomatic Corps . ( DS9 video game : Harbinger )

After commanding the Cairo for many years, he assumed temporary command of the USS Enterprise -D in 2369 . During that mission, he was assigned to negotiate an agreement with the Cardassian Central Command to defuse rising tensions between the Cardassian Union and the United Federation of Planets . Jellico butted heads several times with Enterprise executive officer William T. Riker , eventually relieving him and replacing him with Lieutenant-Commander Data . Despite these tensions, Jellico devised a plan to plant mines amongst the Cardassian fleet hiding in the McAllister C-5 Nebula . Demonstrating to the Cardassians his ability to destroy their ships at will, he successfully forced a withdrawal of the Cardassians to their nearest starbase and the return of captured Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard , who shortly thereafter resumed command of the Enterprise . Jellico then resumed command of the Cairo . ( TNG episode : " Chain of Command ")

Jellico was placed in command of Deep Space 5 in 2371 . ( ST video game : Starship Creator )

Admiralty [ ]

Following the destruction of the Enterprise -D at Veridian III in 2371 , Admiral Jellico was one of the three flag officers presiding over the investigation of conduct of Captain Picard and Commander Riker. ( TNG - Imzadi Forever novel : Triangle: Imzadi II 0

In 2373 , Admiral Jellico was part of the delegation at Deep Space 5 that formulated the Federation's response to the collapse of the Thallonian Empire in Sector 221-G . He later supervised Starfleet operations in that sector, including the mission of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the USS Excalibur , from his office in San Francisco . He and Calhoun often came into conflict over the next six years. ( NF novel : House of Cards , et al )

Starfleet Command [ ]

In 2379 , Admiral Jellico was assigned to Federation Starfleet Headquarters on Earth . That year, he was one of five Starfleet admirals who along with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Ambassador Lagan Serra decided the fate of Federation President Min Zife after the disastrous Tezwan affair. Jellico was initially unsure that they had the right to do anything to Zife nor was he sure that they even should do anything. But eventually he was persuaded by the others that they should force Zife, Koll Azernal , and Nelino Quafina to step down. ( TNG novel : A Time to Heal )

Sometime after this, Jellico, along with Admiral T'Pax and Commander M'ibas were then introduced by Dr. Alyssa Wyatt of the Daystrom Institute to the starship Paradox . After witnessing a demonstration of its shunt drive , he stunned T'Pax, Wyatt and then wounded M'ibas. He then took the Paradox away. Jellico then found the IRW Spectre under the command of Romulan legate, Soleta . He then took her from the Spectre . It was then revealed that the Adm. Jellico in command of the Paradox was not the real one but one from another universe or dimension .( NF comic : " Turnaround ")

In 2380 , Admiral Jellico was one of the chief organizers of Starfleet's response to the Borg supercube crisis. ( TNG novel : Before Dishonor )

Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet [ ]

The next year , Jellico was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Starfleet , placing him in overall command of Starfleet's response to that year's Borg invasion . Although Jellico's demanding command style and 'get-it-done' attitude ultimately served both Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets well during the crisis, he was reluctant to accept the promotion; he wished to be on the front line, in command of a starship . He spent many nights in his office at Starfleet Command Headquarters , so many that Alynna Nechayev found it necessary to convince him to delegate Starfleet's planning tasks and get some rest. Jellico was also involved in a high-level Starfleet Command meeting that included Admirals Hastur , Nakamura , and Nechayev, as well as government representatives Jas Abrik and Seven of Nine . Jellico agreed with Seven's declaration that Picard's plan was fatally flawed, but dismissed her suggestion to abandon the Milky Way Galaxy through one of the subspace tunnels discovered in the Azure Nebula . Feeling her points were not being taken seriously, Seven grabbed Jellico around the neck and extended her assimilation tubules . Jellico had her escorted out for her demonstration. ( ST - Destiny novel : Mere Mortals )

In the final hours of the Invasion, as the Federation was being systematically exterminated by the Collective, Admiral Jellico issued an order countermanding Admiral Nechayev's ban on over-reliance upon transphasic torpedoes, transmitting the design specifications for the weapon throughout the Federation Starfleet and to the Klingon Defense Force in a desperate attempt to stop the invasion force. Acknowledging that this was a gamble, Jellico simply noted that if it failed and the transphasic torpedoes were rendered useless due to Borg adaptation, there was no one to blame but himself. Jellico also issued the USS Enterprise -E and USS Aventine new orders after contact was reestablished with the two vessels at the Azure Nebula ; their orders were essentially to do anything that they could, as Starfleet had run out of ideas. He urged the two captains to prepare an exit strategy, should Earth fall. Jellico also deployed the USS Tempest and its battle fleet to aid the Klingons in defending Qo'noS , but Fleet Admiral Leonard James Akaar was doubtful it would arrive in time. He, along with Admirals Nechayev and Nakamura, monitored the attacks on Vulcan , Andor , Coridan III , Rigel , and Qo'noS from the secure bunker in Starfleet Command Headquarters, hoping that history remembered that at least they tried to fight the Borg. They enjoyed a momentary swing of momentum when the Borg began to suddenly fire upon each other; Jellico issued orders for all assets to engage, but this advantage was short lived. ( ST - Destiny novel : Lost Souls )

Following the invasion, Admiral Jellico tendered his resignation to Federation President Nanietta Bacco , believing that his personal honor demanded it. ( TNG novel : Losing the Peace )

His role in the removal of Min Zife was revealed following the exposure of Section 31 and Uraei in 2386. A short time later Jellico was arrested by Federation Security Agency officers on criminal charges related to his involvement with 31. After Admiral Ross was assassinated by a grieving widow whose husband died at the hands of 31, the FSA and Starfleet took measures to ensure the safety of other 31 agents taken in to custody. ( TNG novel : Available Light )

Interests [ ]

Jellico's interests included swimming , spelunking and racquetball . ( ST video game : Starship Creator )

Alternate realities [ ]

In an alternate reality , Jellico served as captain of the US Enterprise . After science officer Jean-Luc Picard came to his attention for his work on the survey of Selcundi Drema , he made him the Enterprise 's second officer . Jellico was succeeded as captain by Wesley Crusher . After Data was killed by the Reman usurper Vkruk in 2379 , Picard became first officer. ( TNG novel : Q & A )

In another alternate reality, Captain Jellico was commanding the USS Cairo in 2367 when he was considered for command of the USS Enterprise -D after the death of Captain Picard at the hands of the Borg. When Captain William T. Riker was ultimately allowed to stay on as the flagship's captain, Jellico was promoted to Rear admiral . Riker had heard rumors that Jellico's promotion was something of a consolation prize for not getting the Enterprise , but nobody official would admit that. ( TNG novel : Headlong Flight )

Starfleet service record [ ]

Appendices [ ], connections [ ], appearances and references [ ], appearances [ ], external link [ ].

• Edward Jellico article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
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• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Tzenkethi

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Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E10 "Chain of Command"

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Jellico: Lemec is a Cardassian, and Cardassians are like timber wolves, predators. Bold in large numbers, cautious by themselves, and with an instinctive need to establish a dominant position in any social gathering. Troi: So you're trying to establish a dominant position by making him wait for you. The trouble with wolves is that sometimes in the fight for dominance, one of them ends up dead. Jellico: In that case, the trick is to be the wolf that's still standing at the end.

Original air date: December 14, 1992

Jean-Luc Picard, Worf, and Beverly Crusher are assigned by Starfleet on a covert mission to seek and destroy a Cardassian biological weapons installation on their border world, Celtris III. In Picard's place, Starfleet assigns Captain Edward Jellico, who has a vastly different style of command and decorum than the Enterprise crew, particularly William Riker, are accustomed to. Under Jellico, the Enterprise patrols the border near Minos Korva, a tactically significant Federation planet, and holds negotiations as to the fate of the planet with Cardassian representatives.

After intensive training in the holodeck, Picard, Worf, and Crusher discreetly arrive on Celtris III and infiltrate the base. However, they find no signs of biological weapons, and suspecting a trap, they attempt to flee. Worf and Crusher escape, but Picard is taken prisoner and brought to Gul Madred, who informs him Celtris III was a trap designed to capture Picard. Gul Madred is already quite familiar with Picard and his service history as a Starfleet officer, and even talks about his deeds with a hint of admiration, calling him the most interesting challenge to walk through his door in years.

Original air date: December 21, 1992

Madred uses a number of torture methods, including sensory deprivation, sensory bombardment, forced nakedness, stress positions, dehydration, starvation, physical pain, and cultural humiliation to try to gain knowledge of the Federation's plans for Minos Korva. It quickly becomes clear that Picard legitimately does not know any information that is helpful to the Cardassian, but Madred stubbornly refuses to accept this. Madred attempts another tactic to break Picard's will: he shows his captive four bright lights, and demands that Picard answer that there are five, inflicting intense pain on Picard if he does not agree.

Meanwhile, the Cardassians inform the Enterprise crew that Picard has been captured. Jellico refuses to acknowledge that Picard was on a Starfleet mission, an admission necessary for Picard to receive the rights of a prisoner of war rather than being subjected to torture as a terrorist; this leads to a heated argument between Jellico and Riker upon which Jellico relieves Riker of duty. The crew observes signs of residue from a nearby nebula on the hull of a Cardassian ship, and Jellico suspects a Cardassian fleet may attempt to use the cover of the nebula to launch an attack on Minos Korva. Jellico determines their best course of action is to place mines across the nebula using a shuttlecraft. However, Riker is the most qualified pilot for the mission. Riker candidly criticizes Jellico's command style and only accepts the assignment once Jellico personally asks him to pilot the shuttle instead of ordering him to do so. note  Legally, Jellico can't order Riker to take the mission. Riker is relieved of duty as punishment for insubordination which means he can't perform any military assignments unless Jellico rescinds his prior order and restores Riker to duty. Riker successfully lays the minefield, and Jellico uses the threat of the minefield to force the Cardassians to disarm and retreat, also demanding Picard's return.

With word of the failure of the Cardassians to secure Minos Korva, Madred attempts one last ploy to break Picard, by falsely claiming that Cardassia has taken the planet and the Enterprise was destroyed in the battle. He offers Picard a choice: to remain in captivity for the rest of his life or live in comfort on Cardassia by admitting he sees five lights. As Picard momentarily considers the offer, a Cardassian officer interrupts the process and informs Madred that Picard must be returned now. As Picard is freed from his bonds and about to be taken away, he turns to Madred and defiantly shouts, "There are four lights!" Picard is returned to the Federation and reinstated as Captain of the Enterprise. Picard admits privately to Deanna Troi that he was saved just in the nick of time, as by that point he was broken enough to be willing to say anything to make the torture stop, and for a brief moment he actually did see five lights.

Tropes featured in "Chain of Command":

• 2 + Torture = 5 : "How many lights do you see?" There are four, but the "correct" answer is "five".
• Ace Pilot : Riker is the best pilot on the Enterprise (this assessment from Geordi La Forge, who used to be the ship's helmsman).
• Aggressive Negotiations : With the help of a few magnetic mines, Jellico finally takes the dominant position in negotiations.
• Agony Beam : The implant Madred uses to torture Picard amounts to this.
• All There in the Manual : Madred's name is never spoken onscreen. It's only shown in the credits.
• Ambiguous Situation : We never saw the lights the final time Picard was asked how many lights, and he did admit to seeing five lights, perhaps Gul Madred did show him five lights at the end to mess with him.
• Apologetic Attacker : Madred apologizes to Picard the first time he activates the pain device, claiming that he doesn't enjoy using it. Yeah, right.
• Audience Surrogate : Worf is this on the shuttle while Picard and Crusher explain how metagenic weapons work.
• Beneath the Mask : Jellico makes a big show of storming out of negotiations with the Cardassians, then makes a number of predictions and orders to his support staff about what to do next. The nonplussed Riker says that at least Jellico is confident that his actions are correct, but Troi soberly reveals that he's not at all.
• Berserk Button : Picard manages to press two of Madred's during the torture sessions, first by challenging his belief in the benefits of the military control of Cardassia, and later, by seeing through Madred's justifications to see him for what he really is: a scared boy taking his pain out on others.
• Bittersweet Ending : The ending begins on a victorious note, as Picard is released from captivity and is even able to make one final gesture of defiance at Madred as he leaves. However, Picard ends up privately telling Troi that had his torture continued any longer, he would have given in and said anything to end the pain. Worst of all, he admits that — for a brief moment — he actually could see five lights.
• Gul Lemec claims that Picard, Crusher, and Worf attacked a Cardassian outpost and killed 55 people unprovoked. He clearly doesn't expect Riker and Jellico to believe it but uses the so-called war crime as a bargaining chip.
• Madred claims, at first, that a message has been sent to a neutral planet when Picard requests a representative. He later admits to the lie; when Picard again requests a neutral representative, Madred coldly tells him "there is no such person".
• Just before using the torture implant for the first time, Madred tells Picard "I don't enjoy this".
• In a final bid to break him, Madred tells Picard that the Enterprise has been destroyed and that Picard is doomed to remain at Madred's mercy unless he gives in to the torture. The truth is that the Cardassians' plans have fallen apart and Madred is being forced to return Picard to the Federation.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality : Picard is disturbed that Madred's daughter casually visits him while Madred tortures Picard. Madred defends the practice, saying that Cardassian children are raised to believe that the enemies of the state deserve whatever fate befalls them, which curtails into a lot of justifications and cultural posturing on Madred's part. Picard : I am surprised that... you let her come in here. Madred : Why? Picard : To expose a child to... this... to someone who is suffering, to see that it... it is you who inflict that suffering... Madred : From the time Jil Orra could crawl, she's been taught about the enemies of the Cardassians, and that enemies deserve their fates. Picard : When children learn to devalue others, they can devalue anyone. Including their parents. Madred : What a blind, narrow view you have. What an arrogant man you are.
• Both Sides Have a Point : Riker feels that Jellico's expectations are unreasonable and damaging to the crew's morale. Jellico believes it is more important to have the ship at peak efficiency before confronting the Cardassians, and that the crew should suck it up and do their jobs. Maybe his demands would have given them the winning edge if it came to battle, or maybe the crew would have been too burned out to fight. We'll never know.
• Break the Badass : Madred recognized Picard as a competent officer and wanted to break his will. In reality, Madred couldn't care less what Picard knew or didn't know. For him it was all about proving that he could break the strong-willed human mentally.
• The Bully : Madred was a victim of them in his youth, and as an adult, this is what he's become: a sadist inflicting pain on helpless victims to try and forget that he was once a helpless victim himself.
• Captain's Log : Recorded by Jellico instead of Picard because he is the new captain.
• Casual Interplanetary Travel : A job for rookie Starfleet pilots is the "Jovian Run", a daily flight between Jupiter and Saturn.
• Catchphrase : Jellico says "Get it done" after giving orders. This is a deliberate contrast to Picard's usual "Make it so", as Picard is often deciding on a course of action suggested by a subordinate.
• Even so late in TNG's run, this still pops up with the Ferengi. When we first see Solok, he's offering to send "three large Ferengi" to act as debt collectors for a client. Their future appearances in the franchise would almost always have them hiring members of more physically intimidating races — usually Nausicaans or Klingons — to act as thugs or bodyguards.
• This episode really highlights the change in Picard's personality from his introduction, when he was arguably more gruff and authoritarian than Jellico.
• Character Tic : Jellico has a way of swooping around as he walks with his shoulders forward. It shows his brisk, determined personality in contrast to the more sedate and thoughtful Picard.
• The Chessmaster : The Covert Mission that Picard, Worf, and Crusher are sent on turns out to be a major part on the plans of the Cardassians. Picard is only one of three people with experience in theta-band emissions, with the other two people no longer in Starfleet. By making the Federation believe that the Cardassians are developing metagenic weapons, they order Picard to lead the expedition to Celtris III, not being aware that Picard is being Lured into a Trap .
• Cold-Blooded Torture : Electric shocks, mind games, starvation etc.
• Command Roster : Riker's blatant insubordination gets him removed from The Chain of Command entirely by Jellico, who promotes Data to Number Two in Riker's place. Neither move involves a promotion or demotion in rank. Data also changes his uniform from the standard Ops yellow to the Command red, before it all reverts back to normal when Picard returns at the end of the episode, with the exception of Troi wearing a standard medical blue uniform.
• Control Freak : Jellico is clearly competent, well-prepared, and well-informed, but is a strict martinet who rarely seeks input or analysis from his subordinates, and who has no patience for criticism or delays in the fulfillment of his orders.
• Custom Uniform of Sexy : Defied . Jellico asks Troi to wear a standard uniform, which she does for the first time since "Encounter at Farpoint".
• Dark and Troubled Past : Gul Madred grew up on the streets, once badly beaten when he found some aforementioned Taspar eggs. Picard, however, calls him out on it because of how he became a torture technician.
• Defiant to the End : Deconstructed with Picard's famous "There are four lights!" rebuttal to Gul Madred. After being tortured for days on end Picard is at his wit's end, mentally and physically drained of all his power to resist, let alone move, and Madred tries one last time to get him to yield by giving him an ultimatum: Relent and you will be given all the comforts Cardassia can give you, or continue resisting and your unbearable torture will continue. Just as Picard is about to give his answer, Cardassian guards come in to retrieve Picard, telling Madred that their superiors made a deal with the Federation for his release, but just before leaving Picard defiantly says that he sees four lights to rub it in Madred's face that he was not broken by the torture. The deconstruction comes when Picard discusses the torture with Troi in private and tells her that not only he would have said there were five lights if the guards had not arrived then, he would have said and done anything to make the pain stop, and worse yet; he was so much at his wit's end he actually for a moment saw five lights instead of four. The moral of this is to show that torture is so dehumanizing and brutal that it can break any man's will if inflicted long enough, even seemingly superhuman examples of moral virtue like Picard.
• Double Speak : Admiral Nechayev, the Obstructive Bureaucrat , when she's briefing Data, Riker and Troi. Riker: Are the Cardassians ready for a war? Nechayev: I didn't say war, Commander, I said incursion.
• Eat That : Gul Madred serves Picard a raw Taspar egg as an attempt at degrading him. Although clearly disgusted, Picard, starving after days of torture, eats it. Madred admits he did the exact same thing himself when he found some as a boy.
• En Route Sum-Up : Picard explains the mission to Worf and Crusher after they've left the Enterprise . It's Justified as a security precaution.
• In an in-universe example, Jellico firmly establishes himself to Gul Lumec. He keeps him waiting over an hour, takes Lumec's seat from him, then storms out only moments after arriving, all to put Lumec on his heels. It works, at least at first.
• "Evil" may be pushing it, but Jellico's decoration of the ready room includes drawings made by his young son.
• Gul Madred is briefly visited by his young daughter as he's interrogating Picard. His affection is obvious and deep, and he briefly opines about how moving it is to be a parent. When Picard asks why he exposes her to the victims of his torture, he confidently replies that she's well aware what happens to the enemies of Cardassia.
• Even Evil Has Standards : Lemec expected Gul Madred to have Picard clean and ready to return to the Federation when they came to retrieve him, but find him making one last effort to break Picard's will. Lemec isn't pleased with this.
• Evil Is Petty : Despite all of his rhetoric and courtesies, Madred proves to be a deeply petty man; after Picard challenges his beliefs about the Cardassian way of life, Madred slaps him in the face rather than respond to the argument. Later, when Picard manages to get under his skin, Madred continues and intensifies the torture out of nothing but spite. In the end, when he's ordered to release Picard, he rushes in for a final session of torment, in an attempt to prove he's actually broken his prisoner.
• Faux Affably Evil : Madred tries to present himself to Picard as a noble man forced to perform an ugly duty , but Picard quickly notes that Madred enjoys making others suffer in his position.
• Foil : Jellico is a deliberately different captain next to Picard and done in such a manner that it serves as contrasting but largely equal forms of leadership. Picard was even tempered and patient, encouraging collaboration, contribution and being free to suggest ideas among the crew. While not especially warm or jovial, the mutual respect makes him A Father to His Men . Jellico has a "don't contribute unless asked to" approach and micromanages department business, expecting constant updates directly to him and for everyone to follow his lead without question. This makes him much harder to like, but he is a Consummate Professional , proven tactician and slightly more of a Frontline General compared to Picard. This is reflected in their respective Catchphrase in affirming a direct command, Picard says "Make it so" while Jellico says "Get it done."
• Foreshadowing : Early on, Nechayev mentions "the Cardassian forces which were recently withdrawn from the Bajoran sector". Between this episode and the next, Deep Space Nine would premiere, establishing that the Bajorans have now gained their independence from Cardassia. * The vague wording makes it unclear whether this was the Withdrawal or merely a redeployment of forces they felt were unnecessary, but if the latter, this likely helped to weaken the occupational forces enough for the resistance to finally gain the upper hand. Especially since those same ships ended up having to crawl home without their phaser coils.
• Food Interrogation : Subverted. Picard is deprived of food during his imprisonment. However, at the beginning of one session, Madred offers him breakfast—a nice, normal Cardassian breakfast of a raw Taspar egg . Picard is so desperate for food that he eats it anyway.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse : Madred defends his actions by invoking his Dark and Troubled Past . Picard retorts that Madred is simply a sadist, using his position take out his past suffering on others.
• Gaslighting : "There are five lights! How many do you see now?" Then there's his lie that Crusher was also a prisoner when she escaped.
• Gilded Cage : At the end, Madred lies to Picard that the Enterprise has been destroyed, so nobody is coming to rescue him. Further, Picard's best hope at this point is to be assigned to a relatively comfortable prison to live out his days rather than face execution or a Hellhole Prison , he just has to convince Madred that he truly believes there really are five lights.
• Good Cop/Bad Cop : A diplomatic variant: while negotiating with Lemec, Riker and Troi are the good cops while Jellico is the bad cop.
• Ham-to-Ham Combat : Jellico and Lemec compete to see who's the bigger "Ass" in Ambassador .
• Heroic Seductress : Crusher of all people briefly plays this role when she, Worf and Picard need to gain passage to Cardassia on a Ferengi trade ship. The commander, DaiMon Solok, isn't exactly happy at the prospect of transporting spies, but he quickly crumbles when she tells him how... grateful it would make her. While stroking his lobes. (Which, in case anyone's forgotten, are an erogenous zone for the Ferengi.)
• Hope Spot : Deliberately invoked by Madred partway through. He tells Picard that he's clearly much too strong-willed and that there's no point holding him any further. Picard picks himself up and starts staggering toward the door... and then Madred tells him (falsely) that Dr. Crusher is also a prisoner and he'll have to get what he needs out of her.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : In contrast to Picard, who is A Father to His Men , Jellico is businesslike and authoritarian, which inspires no loyalty or trust from his men. However, everything he does has a valid reason behind it . He also covers his office with pictures drawn by his young son, showing that there's a soft spot beneath the hard exterior.
• When Riker requests a rescue mission to recover Picard, Jellico turns him down, correctly pointing out that such a mission has no chance of success. Jellico is actually uncharacteristically gentle with Riker at first, only reverting to his harsher tone when Riker presses the issue.
• Riker is disgusted that Jellico is willing to risk Picard's life in his negotiations with Gul Lemec, but as Jellico points out, giving in to the Cardassians' demands, or even showing a willingness to, is not an option. Admitting Picard was on a secret mission to infiltrate Cardassia would be a disaster , both diplomatically and militarily.
• Karma Houdini : Gul Madred is left completely unpunished for his actions.
• Lured into a Trap : One tailor-made for Picard because the Cassardians want information that they think he has.
• The Main Characters Do Everything : Why else would Starfleet send three senior officers (two of whom are middle-aged and one of whom is a medical doctor) on a guerrilla raid instead of a team of Space Marines ?
• Mildly Military : Inverted. Jellico has a much stronger military bearing than we're used to seeing in Starfleet, as shown by Data always announcing his arrival on the bridge.
• Military Coup : It's revealed that the Cardassian government is a fairly new military regime that took power through a coup.
• No One Gets Left Behind : Subverted —Crusher and Worf are forced to flee after Picard is captured. The writers really had to push things to put Worf in a position where he would believably leave Picard behind.
• Number Two : Riker is demoted, and Data promoted, into this position by Jellico. It snaps back at the end of the episode when Picard returns.
• Playing Pictionary : Troi and Jellico looking at a picture drawn by Jellico's son. Jellico: It's an elephant... [rotates it 90 degrees] I think. Troi: Definitely an elephant.
• Proscenium Reveal : Right after Nechayev informs the bridge crew that the notably absent Picard, Crusher and Worf have been reassigned and that Jellico is being put in charge, we cut to the three running through a tunnel in commando gear and being chased by a Cardassian soldier. However, this turns out to be a training simulation on the holodeck, not the actual mission.
• Publicly Discussing the Secret : Jellico and Picard discuss Picard's secret mission in the open after the transfer ceremony. They do however keep their voices down to a whisper, and it is only in front of the senior officers.
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis! : "THERE! ARE!... FOUR ! LIGHTS!"
• Race-Name Basis : Madred says that he'll only address Picard as "Human", telling him that he has no other identity.
• Recycled In Space : The Picard torture subplot is Nineteen Eighty-Four IN SPACE !
• Picard dishes one out to Madred after hearing of his experiences as a child , cutting through all of the Cardassian's justifications for his cruelty and seeing him for the scared, helpless boy he used to be. It triggers a Villainous Breakdown for Madred, and an extended bout of torture for Picard, but it's an impressive turning of the tables for however long it lasts. Picard : Must be rewarding to you to... to repay others for all those years of misery. Madred : What do you mean? Picard : Torture has never been a reliable means of extracting information. It is ultimately self-defeating as a means of control. One wonders that it's still practiced. Madred : I fail to see where this analysis is leading. Picard : Whenever I... look at you now, I won't see a powerful Cardassian warrior, I will see a six-year-old boy who is powerless to protect himself. Madred : Be quiet ! Picard : In spite of all you have done to me, I find you a pitiable man. Madred : Picard, stop it , or I will turn this on and leave you in agony all night. Picard : Haha, you called me "Picard"! Madred : What are the Federation's defense plans for Minos Korva? Picard : There are four lights! Madred : [triggers the Agony Beam ] There are five lights! How many do you see now ? Picard : [sobbing through the pain] You are six years old! Weak and helpless! You cannot hurt me!
• Riker and Jellico give one to each other, largely based around I Don't Like You And You Don't Like Me . Jellico: Let's drop the ranks for a moment. I don't like you. I think you're insubordinate, arrogant, willful, and I don't think you're a particularly good First Officer. Riker: Well, now that the ranks are dropped, Captain, I don't like you, either. You are arrogant and closed-minded. You need to control everything and everyone. You don't provide an atmosphere of trust, and you don't inspire these people to go out of their way for you. You've got everyone wound up so tight, there's no joy in anything. I don't think you're a particularly good Captain. note  Subverted in that not only does Jellico's plan work perfectly , faced against a superior Cardassian fleet, but he even gets Picard back. (Though Jellico was able to win because he needed Riker to plant mines on the hulls of the Cardassian ships, not because the Enterprise crew was able to man their battle stations several seconds faster and/or handle battle damage/repel boarders better after Jellico's intense preparation to get the crew ready with battle drills and sudden changes to job assignments)
• Sadist : Beneath his cultural interests and affectation of courtesy, this is what Gul Madred boils down to: a cruel man taking out his own troubled childhood on those who are now at his mercy.
• Scenery Censor : During one of the torture scenes, Picard is fully naked and has his genitals covered by Madred's computer terminal.
• Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale : Apparently, Picard, Crusher, and Worf brought enough rope to rappel half a kilometer .
• Shameful Strip : Madred does this to Picard to further denigrate him.
• Shame If Something Happened : Lemec not-so-subtly letting on that he knows about the secret mission.
• Shout-Out : In Nineteen Eighty-Four a torturer asks how many fingers he's holding up, while trying to make his victim see five, when he's holding up four. Winston Smith: Freedom is the ability to say that two plus two equals four.
• Shown Their Work : All the torture practices Madred uses on Picard, including feigning a shared interest and threatening one of his friends, are taken directly from Amnesty International archives. Even the pain-inducing implant has a basis in the usage of electricity to shock prisoners into compliance. Patrick Stewart , who is a strong supporter of Amnesty International, was pleased by this, as he studied psychological profiles for torture victims.
• Shut Up, Hannibal! : At one point in the battle of wills, Picard flat-out refuses to play Madred's game any more, in the most Picard way imaginable. Madred: *turns on lights* How many lights do you see? Picard: *sneering* What lights?
• Smug Snake : Gul Lemec gets a massive grin on his face the minute he has some weight to throw around in his negotiations with Jellico. It disappears in a hurry when Lemec loses the advantage.
• Spaceship Slingshot Stunt : Geordi and Jellico mention doing the "Titan's Turn": a risky move done by shuttle pilots doing the Jovian Run between Jupiter and Saturn where they would accelerate towards Titan and then graze the atmosphere before turning sharply around the limb of the moon. It's implied to be illegal as the pilot's next action would be to pray that nobody saw them.
• Stock Footage : The matte painting depicting Torman V is a reuse of the Moab IV painting from " The Masterpiece Society ".
• Sudden School Uniform : Jellico comes down hard on a number of the Enterprise crew, but one of the most immediately visible is his insistence that Deanna wear her duty uniform from now on, after six seasons of her alternating between different types of casual outfit.
• Survival Mantra : Picard: You are six years old! Weak and helpless! You cannot hurt me!
• Sympathy for the Devil : Picard to Madred, though it ties into his survival mantra. Picard: In spite of all you've done to me, I find you a pitiable man!
• Think of the Children! : Picard and Madred get into an argument over this due to Culture Clash . This starts a running theme in Deep Space Nine where "the children" is used to excuse various Cardassian atrocities. Picard: Her belly may be full, but her spirit will be empty.
• Temporary Substitute : Of sorts; originally, the plan was for Picard, Worf, and Crusher to have a brief crossover scene with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , as they would visit the titular space station, meet with Quark at his bar, and arrange their secret trip to Celtris III with him. The plans for the crossover would ultimately fall through, as such, the character of DaiMon Solok — another shady Ferengi bartender, who happens to run his business on the edge of the Federation-Cardassian border — was quickly put together to fill in Quark's role in the script, with the planet of Torman V put together as a quick replacement for Deep Space Nine.
• Torture Chamber Episode : The Cardassians put Picard in one involving Unwilling Suspension , lots of darkness, and little food.
• Torture Is Ineffective : Picard tells Gul Madred that torture has historically been an ineffective way of obtaining information, and in this case it also helped that he didn't know the specific information they wanted (Federation defense plans for a disputed planet). However, at the end of the episode, Picard confesses to Troi that he had indeed been broken by the end of his imprisonment: only being informed of his freedom at the last second brought him back to his senses long enough to shout defiance at his captor. Of course, there is also the fact that for Madred, the whole thing quickly stopped being about getting information, and became entirely about his own pride. By the end, Madred's real goal was to prove that he was stronger than Picard and could break his will.
• Torture Technician : Gul Madred has the knowledge and experience to break people mentally. He uses real tactics here. By the end, the whole situation stops being about information extraction, and just becomes about Madred wanting to prove how good a technician he is by breaking Picard.
• Truth Serum : Madred uses some on Picard during his first interrogation. It fails to reveal any information regarding the Federation's defense plans for Minos Korva, but this is because Picard actually doesn't know anything about the subject.
• Tyrant Takes the Helm : How the main crew, particularly Riker, sees Jellico, because he is far more strict, controlling, and abrasive than Picard.
• Villain Ball : Gul Madred is too easily goaded for an experienced torturer.
• Villainous Breakdown : When Picard refuses to answer how many lights he sees, Madred physically strikes Picard and addressed him as such after previously declaring he'd only be referred to as "Human". Madred also notably completely loses his cool briefly, when him and Picard discusses his daughter, and Picard remarks that "Her belly may be full, but her spirit will be empty."
• Well-Intentioned Extremist : In a debate with Picard, Madred paints the Cardassian military as this, using their warmongering and (implicitly) atrocities like the Bajoran occupation as a means of providing for their people. Picard argues that the ends don't justify the means, and gets a backhand to the face and another round of torture for it. Madred : What do you know of Cardassian history? Picard : I know that once, you were a peaceful people, with a rich spiritual life. Madred : And what did peace and spirituality get us? People starved by the millions. Bodies went unburied, disease was rampant, the suffering was unimaginable. Picard : Since the military took over, hundreds of thousands more have died. Madred : But we are feeding the people. We acquired territory during the wars. We developed new resources. We initiated a rebuilding program. We have mandated agricultural programs. That ... is what the military has done for Cardassia. And because of that, my daughter will never worry about going hungry. Picard : Her belly may be full, but her spirit will be empty. [ Madred slaps Picard in the face ]
• Wham Line : In one of the shortest teasers of the franchise, Admiral Nechayev comes into Picard's ready room, and suddenly and bluntly states that he's being relieved of command of the Enterprise .
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? : Apparently, Worf hates bats.
• The Worf Effect : The Trope Namer gets shot (not fatally), but not before taking out at least one Cardassian.
• You Do Not Want To Know : When Riker barely dodges a Cardassian ship in the nebula: Geordi: Do I want to know how close that was? Riker: No.

Video Example(s):

There are four lights.

In "Chain of Command, Part II" from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Captain Jean-Luc Picard is captured by the Cardassian Gul Madred. Madred subjects him to torture - using a device to cause him pain and trying to get him to tell him that he sees five lights when there are, in fact, only four. Seemingly defiant to the end, as he is being released, he shouts at Madred that there are four lights. Afterwards, however, on the Enterprise-D, he admits to Troi that what he didn't put in his report was that he was given a choice: to keep saying there were four lights, or give in and get a life of comfort. He tells her that he was ready to say that there were five lights, just to the end the pain, but more than that, he actually could see five lights.

Example of: 2 + Torture = 5

• Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E9 "The Quality of Life"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E11 "Ship in a Bottle"

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command (1992)

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Tensions rise as a possible Cardassian attack looms, and Picard, Dr. Crusher and Worf are sent on a secret mission to find and destroy suspected biological weapons. The headstrong replacement captain, Edward Jellico, is cold and demanding - to the dismay of the remaining crew. But when Picard is captured by the Cardassians and tortured for information, dismay turns to anger and resistance as Jellico's plans exclude a rescue mission. With his options running out, Picard must fight to save his sanity and ultimately, his life.

Robert Scheerer

Top Billed Cast

Patrick Stewart

Capt. Jean Luc Picard (archive footage)

Jonathan Frakes

Cmdr. William Riker (archive footage)

LeVar Burton

Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge (archive footage)

Michael Dorn

Lt. Worf (archive footage)

Gates McFadden

Dr. Beverly Crusher (archive footage)

Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi (archive footage)

Brent Spiner

Lt. Cmdr. Data (archive footage)

Capt. Edward Jellico (archive footage)

Natalija Nogulich

Adm. Alynna Nechayev (archive footage)

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Published Dec 5, 2022

WARP FIVE: Ronny Cox on Introducing A New Audience to Admiral Jellico

The legacy actor reflects on Jellico's appeal and the 30th anniversary of 'Chain of Command.'

Getty Images / StarTrek.com - Rob DeHart

Welcome to Warp Five, StarTrek.com's five question post-mortem with your favorite featured talent from the latest Star Trek episodes.

In the past few episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy , our unseasoned crew seeks refuge in the Neutral Zone after a brief tussle with the U.S.S. Dauntless, helmed by Vice Admiral Janeway, which has left the Protostar damaged and in need of repairs.

Squaring off with the Romulans, Janeway wants to pursue the Protostar ; however, Admiral Edward Jellico is adamant she hold her position. Despite their historic untrustworthiness, the Federation and Romulans are finally working towards peace. As a result, her request is denied. While he is aware of the risks if the Romulans get their hands on the Protostar technology, Jellico is concerned her "professional obligations" have been compromised by her personal feelings for Captain Chakotay.

StarTrek.com had the pleasure of speaking with legacy actor Ronny Cox , who reprises the role of Jellico, for Star Trek: Prodigy .

StarTrek.com

Star Trek: Prodigy has made a monumental effort in utilizing legacy cast to help usher in the next generation of audiences. In addition to the incomparable series regular Kate Mulgrew who plays double duty in the series as Hologram Janeway and Vice Admiral Janeway, Ronny Cox joins Billy Campbell as another The Next Generation alum for its second half of the season.

Cox made his debut as Captain Edward Jellico in the iconic two-parter, " Chain of Command ," which premiered 30 years ago next week on December 14, 1992. Cox's stern, by-the-books Jellico is one of the series' and franchise's most memorable guest character. Not only that, Cox recognizes the two-parter is often cited among fans as "among the highest rated of The Next Generation ."

Reflecting on "Chain of Command," Cox tells StarTrek.com, "Those two episodes were good for putting the ship in a different mode than they had been before," crediting the writers for punching up the conflict on the Enterprise . It was the conflict that drew him to the role, in addition to working alongside Patrick Stewart.

Cox recalls another series regular he loved working with — Jonathan Frakes — despite how their two characters were at odds with one another, commenting, "Jonathan Frakes and I became fast friends. He actually directed me in a little television movie later on."

While Jellico's no-nonsense sensibility wouldn't land him on Star Trek 's list of Bad Admirals , his rigid demeanor has long drawn the ire of fans for disrupting the dynamic on the Bridge.

As Cox jokingly quips, "Things are very clear to him. If people would just listen and do what he says, things would get done right."

Cox is firm that Jellico's assessments and orders were correct on The Next Generation as they are on Prodigy, noting the strengths in the Starfleet commander's competency and logic.

Admiral Jellico is a role Cox had no qualms reprising three decades after his introduction, stating, "It's been fun because Jellico is a character that they all love to hate. Either they think he's the greatest captain ever or that he's the worst. I happen to think he's one of the best, but then I'm biased."

On embodying the hard-ass, Cox shares, "The joy for me is just attacking a character and finding ways to make a character work. I work from a simplistic point of view, and the fun thing about playing Jellico is he's a very straightforward character."

In fact, Cox believes it's Jellico's stern competency that has led to his promotion in Starfleet, delighting in the opportunity to introduce this character to a different audience.

In his career, following his stint on TNG, Cox would go on to play another no-nonsense hard-ass — Robert Kinsey on Stargate SG-1 .

"To tell you the truth, playing the hardass characters and the bad guys is about 1000 times more fun than playing the good guys," Cox affirms. " Because the good guys, they do the right thing; now sometimes they go down the wrong path for a little while. The good guy gets three colors — red, white, and blue. The bad guy gets the whole palette."

Is there a reason Cox is drawn to these authoritarian figures? "Early in my career, I played nothing but sweet, nice guys," reflects Cox. "In my first film Deliverance , I was the sensitive one. Back in the day, if you played a sweet, nice guy, that gets equated with weak and soft. It was a frustration for me to never get to play the hard-edged characters."

"I've been all over the place on so so I can tell you the truth," continued Cox. "A lot of people sort of play themselves or play a persona. And I have no interest in playing myself. I go the farthest away from myself, and I attack a character. I try to get myself into his psyche and where he is and what's going on with him. But there are too many other things to worry about rather than trying to become that character."

Asked whether he could tease what more we can see from his Jellico on Star Trek: Prodigy , like his character, Cox declines, stating, "No, I choose not to give anything away."

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Christine Dinh (she/her) is the managing editor for StarTrek.com. She’s traded the Multiverse for helming this Federation Starship.

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix outside of markets including Canada where it is available on CTV.ca and the CTV App, France on France Televisions channels and Okoo, in Iceland on Sjonvarp Simans Premium, as well as on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Prodigy is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

30 years later, Star Trek is about to prove its worst captain wasn't that bad

Edward Jellico is back! Isn’t he the bad guy?

The worst starship captain in Star Trek history is back. But will Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) return as a great Star Trek villain, or will Jellico’s comeback actually prove that this guy was never all that bad? Here’s why new episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy could be the second coming of Jellico.

The science fiction filmography of Ronny Cox established a certain kind of science fiction villain. In both RoboCop and Total Recall , Cox played a specific kind of insider baddie, a person who works for the establishment, but has a darker, amoral side. So, when it came time to cast a gritty temporary Enterprise captain in The Next Generation’s famous 1992 two-parter “Chain of Command,” Ronny Cox was perfect. At first, Jellico seems like a bossy chump, but, by the end, after Jellico outwits the Cardassians, Riker, Troi, and the crew all gain begrudging respect for Jellico, even if they don’t like him.

The existence of Jellico as a one-time, cranky captain of the Enterprise is a long-running inside joke in Trek fandom. The popular Twitter account “Captain Edward Jellico” ( @STDeltaShift ) frequently posts memes of Jellico telling pun-laded dad jokes to Riker, Data, Troi, characters from other Trek series, and sometimes, other franchises. In Lower Decks Season 1, Mariner quips that when the Cerritos is assigned a temporary captain , she’s worried about a “babysitter Jellico type.” So, in bringing back Jellico to Star Trek: Prodigy , showrunners Dan and Kevin Hageman totally knew what they were doing.

Jellico’s return to Star Trek

Ronny Cox as Admiral Jellico in 'Star Trek: Prodigy.'

As revealed at New York Comic Con 2022 , the upcoming 10-episode second half of Prodigy Season 1 will introduce a few new characters, including She-Hulk’s Jameela Jamil as the voice of Ensign Asencia, a navigator on the USS Dauntless . At this point in Prodigy’s storyline, the teen heroes on the USS Protostar are actually being pursued by the real Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) on the Dauntless , even though a hologram of Admiral Janeway is assisting them. Enter Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox), who is also an Admiral now, since Prodigy is set in 2383, about 14 years after Jellico’s last appearance in The Next Generation .

As co-showrunner Kevin Hageman explained of Jellico’s return, “Admiral Janeway needs to have a foil. She needs to have a boss who makes things hard for her.”

This detail is interesting, simply because of Admiral Janeway’s role in Prodigy at this point. We know Janeway is pursuing the USS Protostar because Chakotay (Robert Beltran) was previously in command of it. But this put her at odds with the heroes of the show, and in a sense, makes Janeway an accidental enemy of the crew.

The Protostar crew attempt to unravel various mysteries, hopefully, with the help of Starfleet.

So, if Jellico is trying to reign in Admiral Janeway, or, trying to get her to lay off the Protostar , he could end up being the good guy here. The larger Prodigy story, so far, relies on several people missing key pieces of information. Dal (Brett Gray) doesn’t know where he comes from. Gwyn (Ella Purnell) lost some of her memories. Admiral Janeway doesn’t know what happened to Chakotay, and Hologram Janeway doesn’t remember how the Diviner captured the Protostar. Meanwhile, the kids themselves don’t know much about Starfleet, even though they want to join Starfleet.

In “Chain of Command,” as the temporary captain of the Enterprise , Jellico ended up making great decisions even though he didn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle, and was the person who got the Cardassians to give-up Picard as a prisoner. All of this means Jellico’s track record is similar to his catchphrase — “get it done.” When it comes to unraveling the complicated plot thread of Prodigy , Jellico might not be the hero this Trek series wanted, but he’s certainly the one it needs.

Star Trek: Prodigy returns Thursday, October 27 on Paramount+.

• Science Fiction

Nearly 50% Of Fans We Polled Said This Was The Best Star Trek Captain

(Welcome to Survey Says , a feature where we conduct a movie-related survey for a random group of people and explain why they're completely right, completely wrong, or somewhere in-between.)

Greetings, Jellico fans! Our time has arrived! 

The good people at /Film have conducted a poll of their favorite "Star Trek" captains, and I suspect a new epoch is nigh. Everyone's favorite captain, Captain Jellico (Ronny Cox) is undoubtedly at the top of this list, and we, his legion of fans, will be able to solider into the thicket of this article, comforted that the unvarnished truth shall be revealed. Captain Jellico, the stern, unfatherly, angry, ultra-professional who took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the two-part episode of " Star Trek: The Next Generation " called " Chain of Command ," is — without argument — the single best character in "Star Trek," making him perhaps one of the single greatest creations in all of fiction. Becky Sharp, Atticus Finch, Falstaff, Electra, and Raskolnikov can retire now. They are no longer needed. We have Capt. Edward Jellico and we need nothing more. 

So let us take a look, my Fellicows (a portmanteau of Jellico and fellows; it's what we call our tribe), and see the truth come to light. Let us see the facts laid bare. Let the veil drop from the eyes of a blinded planet, and let them come in. Let us all join together in a celebration of Edward Jellico. All power to Jellico. 

Wait... It's James T. Kirk?

According to /Film's poll of 619 random people, 49.92% voted for ... hmm, I would think Edward Jellico would have commanded a greater percentage than 49.92%. I suppose some have yet to see the light. Anyway, Jellico received ... Wait, the 49.92% went to Capt. James T. Kirk. 

James T. Kirk, the third captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise (after Capt. Robert April and Capt. Christopher Pike) will be born in Riverside, IA on March 22, 2228. You can visit his birthplace today. Played by William Shatner, Chris Pine, Jimmy Bennett, Vic Mignogna, James Cawley, Paul Wesley , and several others, Kirk was the first captain seen on screen by the public. While Kirk has a pop culture reputation for being a reckless cowboy who regularly breaks the Prime Directive, Kirk was, in fact, a judicious and sterm captain who regularly enforced rules and brought an essential balance to the ship. His first officer, Spock, offered logic and intellect. His best friend, the ship's CMO Dr. McCoy, offered gut feelings and anger. Kirk was able to listen to both and choose a path forward. He was authoritative and largely clear-headed, rarely giving over to passions in a crisis. His reputation as a ladies' man, however, is a matter of record. 

I have heard it said that Kirk was the best role model of all Trek's captains, and emulating his confidence and behavior would be very becoming an authority figure. The character has been part of the popular consciousness for 55 years. I suppose we Jellico fans can let this one slide.

The other Star Trek captains

In second place, Jean-Luc Picard earned 30.37% of the vote, although those polled clearly meant to vote for Edward Jellico. Picard (Patrick Stewart) was Jellico's colleague, and he commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise-D and -E in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as well as the films based on that show. If one is in a management or command position, one couldn't do much better than to emulate Jean-Luc Picard. He is open to ideas from his crew, always quick to make a wise command decision, and aloof enough to keep the bridge of his ship professional at all times. Picard is the professor you do not want to disappoint because you admire their intelligence so much. Picard is such a beloved character, he was the first to get a TV series devoted exclusively to him. 

In third, with a mere 7.59% was Christopher Pike. Played by Jeffrey Hunter in the original "Star Trek" pilot, Pike stumbled his way into "Trek" canon when the episode was edited into a two-part episode called "The Menagerie." The fate of Pike was to end up severely scarred and bound to a wheelchair. This fate was glimpsed by the new version of Pike (now Anson Mount) on "Star Trek: Discovery." Hunter was an aggressive, angry captain. Mount plays Pike as far more dashing and personable. He'll soon be seen turning on the charm in " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ." 

Fourth place goes to Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), the captain of the Enterprise in, well, " Enterprise ." He gained a mere 5.33% of the vote. Deliberately archetypal, Archer rested on a matrix somewhere between a Kirk-like Starfleet captain and a chuckling old-world NASA astronaut. In fifth was Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from " Star Trek: Voyager ," with 3.88% of the vote. Janeway was a bold authoritarian who puts her crew in danger to get coffee. And in last place is Capt. Benjamin Sisko from " Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ," with 2.91% of the vote. Even Jellico fans can see Sisko's low rank on this list as a grave injustice. Sisko's passion and willingness to put himself in difficult command positions made for a vital strength in an unstable time. 

Captains left off

I have come to peace that Jellico did not appear on this poll. That is my burden to endure. Perhaps it's like leaving " Citizen Kane " off of lists of the best movies of all time: It's simply too obvious to include. Yes, that's it. Jellico was too obvious a choice, so the rest of the poll is a runners-up list. Yes, that is how it goes. In my mind. 

Also excluded from the list is Capt. Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), Capt. Saru (Doug Jones), Capt. Lorca (Jason Isaacs), and star Capt. Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) from "Star Trek: Discovery." Capt. Carol Freeman (Dawnn Wells) from "Star Trek: Lower Decks" is also absent, as is Capt. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) from the same show. Capt. Rios (Santiago Cabrera) from "Star Trek: Picard" is not on this list. Capt. Hikaru Sulu of the U.S.S. Excelsior is not here, nor is Will Decker (Stephen Collins) from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." Capt. Richard McKenzie, who blew up on the U.S.S. Yamato, is not polled. Commodore Decker (William Windom) wasn't technically a captain, even though he was in charge of the Enterprise and the Constellation. There's no word of Capt. Balthazar Edison (Idris Elba), who was transformed into the evil villain Kroll in "Star Trek Beyond." I do love me some Capt. John Herriman (Alan Ruck) from "Star Trek: Generations," as he was in command of the Enterprise-B. Although credit to Capt. Rachel Garrett (Tricia O'Neil) of the Enterprise-C for enduring what she had to. 

And that's just captains of Starfleet vessels. Klingons and Vulcans also used "Captain" as a rank. Absent from the list are Guls, Daimons, Commanders, and other species' command structures. 

I think we need to go back in. For the good of Jellico.

Giant Freakin Robot

Star Trek's Newest Captains Prove Fans Tired Of Classic Heroes

Posted: April 13, 2024 | Last updated: April 13, 2024

Star Trek’s Newest Captains Prove Fans Tired Of Classic Heroes

It’s not a coincidence that Star Trek series have always been filled with evil admirals and other corrupt Starfleet officials: franchise creator Gene Roddenberry believed that humanity had evolved so much that he didn’t want to portray our heroic characters as having any kind of interpersonal conflicts. Therefore, whenever we saw a Starfleet character who wasn’t squeaky clean, they were either coded as jerks for us to hate or even written as explicit antagonists. However, the popularity of newer Star Trek captains such as Shaw and Rayner is proof that fans want more three-dimensional characters than Roddenberry wanted to give us.

Star Trek Captains Used To Be Either Saints Or Sinners

While the characters of Star Trek: The Original Series rarely clashed outside of extenuating circumstances (like Spock undergoing pon farr in “Amok Time”), Roddenberry became adamant about his rule against personal conflicts when creating The Next Generation. Some of the writers sarcastically dubbed this “the Roddenberry Box” because it was very difficult to tell great stories involving complex characters when they were never allowed to argue or even stridently disagree with one another. 

That’s why Star Trek: The Next Generation mostly had captains who were paragons of virtue like Picard, and if we got someone who was rougher around the edges (Captain Jellico is the best example of this), it’s because he is meant to be someone the audience can jeer at. While the failing health and eventual death of Roddenberry allowed more conflict, this tradition continued, and more antagonistic admirals (like Admiral Marcus in Star Trek Into Darkness) almost always ended up being explicit bad guys.

In fact, it wasn’t until the third season of Star Trek: Picard that we got a Captain who broke this mold. Captain Shaw is introduced to us as a character with a major chip on his shoulder when it comes to both Picard and Seven of Nine. Fans hated him at first, but after he revealed his tragic Borg backstory, praised Seven as Captain material, and gave his life saving our heroes, this complicated character became a true fan fave.

For this Star Trek captain, “complicated” Is the perfect description: Shaw wasn’t some mustache-twirling evil officer bent on dominating the galaxy. Instead, he was an essentially good guy with bad communication skills who understandably holds a grudge against Picard for the more than 11,000 Starfleet officers lost at the Battle of Wolf 359. He was the most realistic Star Trek character we’ve gotten in decades, and the overwhelmingly positive fan response shows how much audiences related to him.

Captain Rayner

Shaw is no longer with us (RIP, cranky king), but Star Trek: Discovery has delivered his spiritual successor in the form of Captain Rayner. He’s a grizzled captain who isn’t afraid to make hard calls when the mission is important, and this wartime veteran inevitably clashes with Starfleet admirals who prefer squeaky-clean officers like Tilly. It’s only fitting that he reluctantly becomes first officer to Michael Burnham, a captain who understands more than anyone why someone has to make the hard decisions.

Fans Love Rayner And Shaw

Star Trek fans have been quick to embrace Rayner just as they did Shaw, and for precisely the same reason: these captains are flawed heroes who nonetheless work to better themselves and the world around them. They aren’t evil characters in search of a redemption arc so much as they are cynical characters fighting to see the best in themselves. Frankly, that’s how it feels to be a fan of this optimistic franchise in these pessimistic times, so it’s no wonder the fandom has embraced these characters so wholeheartedly over “can never do anything wrong” characters like Picard.

Paramount Needs To Learn From This

Now that Star Trek: Discovery is wrapping up, Paramount needs to learn from the popularity of these captains before launching another new show. Fans are frankly tired of characters who are one-dimensionally perfect and crave characters who are compelling not in spite of, but because of their flaws. If Paramount can’t manage to deliver, then it will prove that not only is the Roddenberry Box alive and well but it is as implacable and inescapable as a Borg Cube.

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery finally reveals what happened after tng’s “the chase”.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 provides new details on what happened after Captain Picard saw the Progenitor in Star Trek: TNG's "The Chase."

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

• Discovery season 5 continues the chase for Progenitors' technology, introduced in TNG's "The Chase".
• Janaal reveals how Federation handled Progenitor discovery, keeping technology hidden for peace.
• The Federation's past missteps led to hesitation in trusting Starfleet with powerful technology.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Chase" introduced some big ideas to the Star Trek universe that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is finally following up on. Discovery season 5 involves a literal chase in Star Trek 's 32nd century, as Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the crew of the USS Discovery race to find the Progenitors' treasure before the villainous Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis). Although unnamed at the time, the Progenitors were first introduced in TNG season 6, episode 20, "The Chase," when Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) helped uncover a message left by one of the ancient humanoids.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3 , "Jinaal," written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, Captain Burnham and her crew continue to gather the puzzle pieces that will presumably lead them to the Progenitors' technology. This journey takes the USS Discovery to the planet Trill, where Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) acts as a host for the consciousness of an 800-year-old Trill named Jinaal Bix. Jinaal reveals more information about what happened after Picard received the Progenitors' message in the 24th century. While "The Chase" explained why many Star Trek aliens are humanoid, the implications of Picard's discovery were never fully explored.

Star Trek: Discovery’s TNG Connection Explained - "The Chase" & Who Are The Progenitors?

Star trek: discovery finally updates what happened after tng’s “the chase”, the federation didn't ignore captain picard's discovery..

When Captain Picard unlocked the Progenetors' message in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Chase," the Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans also had representatives present. In the message, the ancient humanoid (Salome Jens) revealed that Progenitor "scientists seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds," meaning all humanoid life originated from a single ancestor. The Progenitors hoped this information would bring peace among humanoid species, but the Cardassians and Klingons reacted negatively to the message. Nevertheless, the United Federation of Planets and many other species would undoubtedly be interested in these Progenitors and the technology that allowed them to create all humanoid life.

The Federation President during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber), and he may have been who oversaw finding the Progenitors' technology.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is finally addressing this mystery, and Janaal reveals more about how the Federation responded to the discovery of the Progenitors. The Federation President secretly assembled a team of six scientists from different Federation and non-Federation worlds, including Janaal and the Romulan Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) , to research the Progenitors and the message Picard found. This team eventually found a technology "beyond anything [they had] ever seen," but one of the scientists was horribly killed when he tried to activate it. The scientists then made a pact that they would do everything in their power to keep the Progenitors' technology hidden until some future date when the galaxy was at peace.

Janaal does not reveal the names of the other scientists, and he says that they removed their names from "every database [they] could access." This explains why these characters and their mission have never been mentioned in Star Trek before.

How “The Chase” Tied Into DS9’s Dominion War & Star Trek: Insurrection

Why didn't jinaal give the progenitor technology to the federation.

After Jinaal reveals how he and his fellow scientists hid the Progenitor technology, Captain Burnham asks why they didn't give it to the Federation. Jinaal responds that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War was raging at the time, so "everyone saw an enemy in everyone else." Despite the trust Michael places in the Federation and Starfleet, these organizations have not always been above reproach. During the Dominion War, there were fears that Changelings could infiltrate the Federation even at the highest levels, but it wasn't just Changelings that posed a threat. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4, episode 11, "Homefront," and episode 12, "Paradise Lost," for example, Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth) staged a coup against Federation President Jaresh-Inyo.

Starfleet could not be trusted with technology as powerful as the Progenitors'.

Leyton's plan to initiate a military takeover of Earth ultimately failed, but it proved that Starfleet could not be trusted with technology as powerful as the Progenitors'. In Star Trek: Insurrection , another Starfleet flag officer, Admiral Dougherty (Anthony Zerbe), attempted to forcibly move the peaceful Ba'ku people in order to access the healing properties of the area of space known as the Briar Patch. The Federation of the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery seems better prepared to safeguard the Progenitors' technology, but the high-stakes treasure hunt still has everyone on edge.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery air Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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