Picard's hostility in 'Allegiance'

This somewhat bothers me, in an otherwise OK episode.

In the end when Picard is retuned to the Enterprise by the aliens who captured him, I don't think it's a great way to make first contact with this race by imprisoning them, although it was a way to get his point across. Could he just have explained that what they have done is not acceptable... Or maybe he thought that wasn't enough?

 

Those aliens needed to know what it feels like to be imprisoned. Clearly it wasn't enough just to talk to them - they literally had no idea what the concept meant until Picard actually showed them.

 

Yes they did. Otherwise they wouldn't have said, "Captain, our species cannot bear captivity."

Either way, I don't think Picard was particularly hostile, just a little bit hostile.

He only imprisoned them for all of thirty seconds or so, and just to prove a point. Then he let them go and told them to bugger off.

 

Well, let's just say that even if Picard was hostile...he NEEDED to be. Those aliens deserved it.

 

He attempted to explain that their kidnapping was a hostile act and they responded with scientific curiosity in a follow up study. He had to demonstrate that what they did was not acceptable and warn them that they would fight back,

 

Clearly, they didn't get it until they got it. You also forget that part of the reason he did it was to show them something else about his people they hadn't learned, that they are able to communicate without speaking, with body language & expression & achieve a result. Plus, it gave them sufficient motivation to never do it to anyone again, at least not to anyone in the UFP, given that they showed their capability to return the act equally

 

He had to make it clear that the Federation considers the kidnapping of its citizens an act of aggression. I think he let them off easy considering he could've taken them back to a Starbase to answer charges. When Captain Kirk was abducted by the Klingons, Starfleet Command almost talked the Federation President into going to war

 

It's interesting we never before and never again see this level of covert communication on the bridge. Something you'd think they'd be capable of doing all of the time.

 

I'm surprised it takes that much effort to erect a forcefield. I'd have been more impressed if Picard just gave Worf a look and that was all it took.

 

But the Federation President informed Starfleet that the Klingon Empire was perfectly free to kidnap anyone in the Federation, anytime they wished, then launched in a overly loud version of "Kumbaya."

 

Has anything, ever, anywhere, been written about the aliens from Allegiance? I don't mean the Chalnoth or Mizarians or Bolians, but the unspecified kidnappers who don't, for some reason, understand the concept of imprisonment.

I tried searching, but I can't find a single mention of them in any book, RPG, video game, Star Trek Online, anything.

 

Did they make first contact with Piucard by kidnapping him? True they hit their form but non the less they initiated contact.

 

Are you talking about ST VI? If so, that wasn't kidnapping. General Chang placed Kirk and McCoy under arrest, citing "interstellar law". Chang didn't just run off with them to parts unknown, he arrested them according to specific legal procedures.

True, the charges themselves (and the subsequent trial) were bogus, but the actual arrest itself was legal. Chang had the authority to arrest them and so he did exactly that.

 

I think people sometimes forget that if need be, Picard will respond with force/authority. He's not as vindictive as someone like Janeway but if someone really needs to be forcefully shown the error of their ways he won't take a backward step.

 

I'm reminded of one of Patrick Stewarts song and dance routines on the Enterprise Bridge (youtube it). Maybe singing the alphabet wearing a funny hat and carrying a walking stick is what it takes to tell Worf to erect a forcefield?

 

No, I won't and anyone else shouldn't either.

I've seen few seconds of it and immediately thought "I don't want to watch this, it'll ruin TNG for me forever" and pressed stop.
If I'll ever want to watch it, it'll be on my deathbed.

 

Worf: "Captain, I advise erecting a force field."

Picard: "Not at this time Mr. Worf."

(several second elapse)

Picard: "Mr. Worf, please erect a force field."

Worf: *sigh*

 

Well in fairness, they DID kidnap and imprison him with a number of other victims. He possibly coud have done but when you bear in mind what those aliens did to him and the other victim, in all fairness they probably deserved their temporary imprisonment on the Enterprise.

 

yes absolutely right. They were interested in seeing how humans and other alien species survive in captivity so all Picard did (quite justifiably) was just to give them an physical and real example of what they wanted to see in order to teach them an important lesson.

 

I find this to be an example that action hero picard from the movies isn't too far out of character from the show. He was getting a bit of revenge/justice in the process of teaching them a lesson, and he clearly enjoyed it a bit while being angry at the aliens. He was one step away from another nonverbal gesture for worf to replicate a tommy gun for him.