We pick-up where we left off in the previous episode, with Picard captured by a Cardassian leader on a remote outpost, Picard has been drugged to give up information that the Carsassians want. Later, after being questioned, Picard is stripped of his clothes and told that there he enjoys no privilege of name or rank and is only there to answer the questions he is asked at the whims of Gul Madred.
As Picard's stay wears on it becomes more and more clear Madred is less interested in any information Picard may have and more interested in simply defeating Picard psychologically. He's installed a pain-inducing implant into Picard; and shows Picard a bank of four lights behind Madred's desk. He asks Picard how many lights he sees, when Picard answers "Four" Madred insists Picard is mistaken and induces the pain.
Madred continues to play a battle of wits with Picard as Picard remains resolute in his defiance of Madred, even questioning Madred's "masculinity" and steadiness after Madred relates a childhood story.
Meanwhile, Jelico continues the negotiations and political battles with the Cardassians in space. Riker questions Jelico's command decisions one too many times and is relieved of duty, advancing Data to First Officer.
The Cardassians use Picard's interrogation video as evidence of him being captured and insist that Picard's team could be interpreted as an act of war, pushing Jelico in a corner. If he admits Picard's team was there as part of a covert operation it'd be an act of war but Picard would get the protections of a Geneva Convention-like treaty between the Cardassians and Federation. Without admitting that Picard was under orders, Picard is treated simply as an independent terrorist and has no such protections.
.... Hmmmm.
Anyway, Jelico maintains he has know knowledge of what Picard was doing on the Cardassian planet.
(Worf and Crusher have managed to return safely to the ship.)
Evidence is found on the hull of the Cardassian ship that it has been in a nebula near one of the disputed planets, the Enterprise goes there and finds more hidden Cardassian ships. Geordi comes up with a plan to mine the nebula but needs the help of Riker's piloting skills to safely navigate the asteroid. Jelico, reluctantly, goes to Riker where both speak freely on their feelings of the other. Neither believing the other one to be good at their respective jobs. Jelico accuses Riker of being arrogant and insubordinate and Riker accuses Jelico of also being arrogant but also only able to lead by winding people up into tension as opposed to inspiration of leadership.
Riker agrees to do the mission, only if Jelico asks.
Riker and Geordi successfully mine the areas of the nebula near the Cardassian ships and Jelico uses them to convince the Cardassians to pull out of the area and to return Picard.
Before Picard is informed of his release, Madred gives Picard one final chance. Either remain in captivity, or admit to seeing five lights and get to live a life of relative comfort and scholarly enlightenment on the Cardassian planet. Picard considers the lights, and his options, before two other Cardassian soldiers come in to clean Picard up and get him back to the Enterprise. Before leaving, Picard shouts that there are four lights.
Back on the ship, Jelico transfers command back to Picard and departs the ship. In a private session with a properly uniformed Troi, Picard tells her of his time with Madred and says that he considered saying he saw five lights to get the life of comfort and even believes he saw five lights.
----
Much discussion was made in the other thread about the command differences between Jelico and Picard and on how Riker handles the situation in the two episodes, particularly in this one where Riker is relieved of command.
But the episode still gives us a touch more information -brought up in the other thread.
In the other thread I talked about the movie "Crimson Tide" where a first officer of a nuclear submarine defies his captain over a disputed order -this one involving the launching of nuclear weapons. The captain cannot launch without the consent of his XO and series of mutinies result as the two men battle to see their version of events carry out. At one point the captain -played by Gene Hackman- even attempts to get his way by relieving his XO and appointing a new one. (Even though this is against Marine protocol.)
The same thing happens in this episode. Riker may be out of line in his questioning Jelico's orders or refusal to admit anything in order to get Picard the political protections but as Riker points out, that's his job. It's his duty to see the protection of crew members and to speak-up when he thinks the Captain is behaving out of line. Jelico's answer to this? Dismiss Riker and put someone in who *WILL* do what he wants.
Hard to see how this is the right way to do things. If Riker's right and is truly doing his job in reminding the Captain of his duties and obligations, even if they conflict with what the Captain currently wants, then Jelico is a touch out of line in simply dismissing Riker and installing someone who will back him up. I say again, Jelico didn't want a first-officer, someone to question him and bring him other solutions or remind him of his duties. He wanted to hear his own ideas repeated back to him. He wanted a Yes Man.
Some also said that the rest of the crew seemed more willing to work with Jelico once Riker was out of the way. That doesn't seem entirely true. We're not given much opportunity to actually see how the crew behaves once Riker is stepped aside. The most cooperation we really see is Geordi working with Jelico in setting up the mine field. But they do seem to question Jelico's orders in one of their conferences and Crusher even shows some annoyance for the battle likelihood and dealing with the casualties.
All of that aside, this real focus of this episode comes in the form of Picard's captivity. It's interesting to see how solidly Picard keeps his ground while in captivity. At one point Madred even offers to release Picard but, instead, says they will torture information out of Crusher -Picard not knowing she's back on the ship- and we see Picard willing stay with his torturer in order to prevent harm from coming to Beverly.
The scenes between Madred and Picard are some of the best in the series.
But, in the end, is it or.... Is nothing resolved?
It doesn't seem like border dispute is ever really solved. In fact the Enterprise[/b] seems to leave the Cardassian capital ship pretty quickly to go to the nebula when up until that point they remained there for the negotiation appearances.
The Cardassians offer to return the captive Picard but doing so means admitting the covert operations which would greatly increase tensions and having to give up the disputed territory.
The Cardassians remain pretty steadfast in not giving up the disputed territory as does Jelico. But after the encounter in the nebula the Cardassians just.... leave?
When was the territory dispute ever resolved?
And, um, was Picard going commando under his, er, commando suit?
Anyway, another good episode.
