Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Saturday Night Review - "Chain of Command Part II" SPOILERS!
From: Tony Bruno <BRUNO@NDSUVM1.BITNET>
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 22:33:18 CST
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network

-- Regarding the diatribe...oops, REVIEW of COCII --

Pardon my ignorance, but why are you looking for SCIENCE FICTION in
an episode of TNG?  The series long ago established that it has no
regard for any discipline of science (just listen to the technobabble
for that one).  The writers have proved time and again that basic
dramatic structure is beyond their comprehension.  You take away the
science, you take away the fiction, and you end up with a $2 Million
cash cow. :):):)

Seriously, I understand your frustration.  I stopped watching TNG
over a year ago because I had much better things to do with my time.
The only reason I caught COC is that my father saw it on the West
Coast before me and thought I'd get a kick out of it.  I did.  So,
to now actually COMMENT on your review:

1.  I agree.  There was no POINT to the story.  Yes, the torture was
    compelling, but sensationalistic.  Warner and Stewart were magnetic,
    and they actually had a good script to work from, but, as you said,
    it's nothing we haven't seen before.

2.  The Jellico sub-plot was interesting, if only to demonstrate how
    pampered the crew has become.  (Case in point; in part 1 we have
    Geordi objecting that his engines were "well within specifications..."
    Whoa.  WHAT ABOUT TOP NOTCH?  Is that too much to expect from a
    Flagship?  Apparently so...)  Riker has always been a sketchy character
    at best.  Now we see him as an arrogant, undisciplined, insubordinate
    boor.  Gee, neat guy.  If the writers had any leeway, I would love to see
    Mr. Riker shoveling bits behind a desk at Deep Six Nine after this.
    The command crew (with the single exception of Data) was phenomenally
    unproffesional.  I found myself on Jellico's side, if only
    because the crew were so incredibly whiny.  Shees.  All in all, though
    it came to naught.  Picard bounced back from
    yet ANOTHER torture scene right into the Captain's chair.  Uh huh.
    Right.  (Of course, you could make a point that the Mardred/Picard
    power struggle was mirrored to a lesser degree by Riker/Jellico.  Indeed,
    the tension over the "disputed areas" is essentially the same kind of
    power struggle.  However, if that IS the case, it was an incredibly weak
    piece of plotting.)

3.  I found the response to Jellico amusing.  I saw the first episode and
    thought that he was terrific.  Yes, he wanted things done his way,
    but guess what?  That's a captain's perogative.  Ronny Cox was very
    convincing in a well scripted role.  He reminded me of the CO's I
    encountered in my time in the Air Force.  Yet I turn to r.a.s. for the
    first time in many moons and find that an astonishing number of people
    hated him.  He's an asshole?  Why?  Because he calmly let Riker know he
    was the boss *after* Riker failed to complete an assigned task?  Because
    he demanded that the ship and crew be ready for combat?  Because he
    explained *why* he wanted things the way he asked for them?  (With the
    single exception of the switch in shifts.  However, if he's comfortable
    with managing a crew in that sort of environment, and they're possibly
    going into combat, then he has that right.  The captain is in command,
    not the crew.)  Sorry, folks.  Jellico was a very efficient captain.
    Not MANAGER (this isn't a retail store and it sure as hell isn't
    Burger King), CAPTAIN.  I've worked for commanders that WERE assholes
    and this man did not come close.  (For the record, I've flipped
    shifts on a moment's notice as well.  Once right before a NATO Tac
    Eval.  Not fun, but I managed.  Then again, I tried to be professional.
    The crew of the E as portrayed by Ron Moore are NOT.) :)

    My point?  I'm getting to that.


All in all, I liked the episode.  It was entertaining, which is something
that TNG rarely is.  It wasn't science fiction, but it was pretty good
space opera.  But was it enough to bring me back to TNG?

No.  Absolutely not.  I must admit that I've caught a couple of episodes
this season (took me a while to shake them, too...:)) and was tremendously
underwhelmed.  (The Scotty episode was particularly repugnant.)
The writing on TNG managed to decline in quality, as have the level of
performances from the leading characters.  For me, Star Trek is dead.
Even the all-to-brief injection of a character like Jellico (conflict?
Sure!  Stand by my beliefs?  Sure!  Goodness and Light?  NOT!) is not
enough to bring back a heartbeat.  Nope, TNG is DOA.

So, why did I bother to post?

Mostly because the show reminded me briefly of what TNG could have been.
Mark this long reply down as the ramblings of one who succumbed to
nostalgia.  TNG could have been a lot, but isn't.  Ah well.

Thank goodness for Bablyon 5. :)

Tony Bruno
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current