6.10 & 6.11: Chain of Command (Pts 1&2)

[Dave]

I really liked this tale of the nasty torturing Cardassians. It really gave Picard a script to work with, and there was some light relief from "Get that fish out of my ready-room" Jelico.

I especially liked the torture scenes though, which IIRC either won some award from, or else where made with the help of Amnesty International.

I was therefore very surprised to find while reading George Orwell's "Nighteen Eighty Four" that the scene was taken almost word-for-word from that book!

Gul Madred is shown in most of the shots standing behind his desk in the middle of the lights, with two lights on either side of him. He demands that Picard admit that the two lights to the left and the two lights to the right add up to five lights.

During the 'Ministry of Love' torture scene in '1984', O'Brien holds up the four fingers of one hand, and demands that Winston Smith admit that there are five fingers (pages 200-202.) But the theme of "Freedom is being able to say that 2+2=4" also runs throughout the whole book.

Both victims are naked or in a state of undress, both obviously beaten beforehand (the beating are described in detail in '1984'), both are drugged using needles, and both are tortured during the "2+2=5" sequence using an electrical device to cause the pain. (Maybe those things are just standard practise.)

Fortunately for Picard, he is freed before he breaks and learns to love Cardassian Central Command.

 

[jwells]

Great Episode!

Yeah, I too like that story. I really should watch the DVD at some point!

I think Patrick Stewart got advice from Amnesty International on how to portray POWs who are tortured.

Stewart gives the performance of the century in this episode. I think he says something on the DVD Special Features for Season 6 that he used to either act alongside David Warner or used to see David Warner in plays and used to admire his acting. So this chance to work opposite him was rewarding for him. Indeed, David Warner also gives an excellently subdued performance in this without going OTT and getting hammy.

I don't think any of us are likely to get over seeing Picard hanging naked anytime soon!

I especially liked the bit where, despite being under extreme pain, Picard say's, "YOU...ARE...A...CHILD...WEAK...AND...HELPLESS!" and then tries to sing a French song.

Who could forget that immortal line, "THERE...ARE...FOUR...LIGHTS!" and the later confession to Troi that he did indeed see FIVE lights!

As a final point, it made a change seeing Ronny Cox commanding the Enterprise, playing a part which you could say was the forerunner of his Stargate SG-1 part of Senator Kinsey. Who could forget the fact that he was the one who forced Troi to finally get into uniform!

 

[Commander Cavit]

Stewart is a long time AI member and spokesman, which (he has said in interviews) especially attracted him to this script.

"Get that fish out of my ready room."