From: janet@indetech.com (Janet Christian)
Subject: Re: Lynch's Spoiler Review: "Chain of Command, Part II"
Keywords: TNG, Cardassians, Picard, torture
Organization: Independence Technologies, Inc. Fremont, CA
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 18:01:31 GMT

In article <1h8f9dINNolb@gap.caltech.edu> tlynch@cco.caltech.edu (Timothy W. Lynch) writes:
>WARNING:  The following post contains intense spoilers for "Chain of Command, 
>Part II" that the faint of heart may find disturbing.  Proceed with caution.

>
> [much deleted for space]
>
>That leads me to the ending, which while praiseworthy also leads to my other 
>main complaint.  As expected, Picard was handed over as part of the 
>negotiations (though the Federation obtained far more of an upper hand than I 
>expected), and he regained command of the Enterprise.  What I absolutely *do 
>not* like, however, is how it seemed so effortless to him.  From our 
>perspective, he's walking out of Gul Madred's torture chamber one minute, and 
>back to normal the next; and that is simply wrong.  I realize that given the 
>intense nature of the torture, there may have been a certain urge to reassure 
>viewers that "yes, don't worry, everything *is* all right;" but that same 
>intensity makes such a flat assurance ludicrous at best.  We don't even get a 
>sense of how much time had passed; if it had been a month or something (or 
>even a fortnight), then I might be able to believe it; but the default 
>assumption is that we're talking a few hours to a few days, and that is 
>simply not enough time for Picard to have recovered.  This is the hand-waving 
>ending that hurts characterization time and time again, and taken to extremes 
>this time.  It's the one thing about this entire storyline (which on the 
>whole was very good, and *stunningly* executed) that had me absolutely 
>furious.
>
>The final scene with Troi both helped and hurt along those lines.  On the one 
>hand, it did show that not everything is perfect, and played up the very real 
>fact that for victims of torture, the problems don't end with release.  On 
>the other, however, I remember the examples of BOBW and "The Inner Light" 
>(among other things), where very real character changes are given token 
>mention later (I'd say "lip service", but in the case of "The Inner Light" it 
>would be a very bad pun, given the recent cameo of the flute) and then 
>forgotten forever.  I remember them, and I realize that this will be no 
>different.  And in that case, that final scene with Troi is almost rubbing 
>salt in a wound, because everybody knows that *that's all we'll get*.  Now, 
>if TNG surprises me and actually follows this up (if nothing else, Picard 
>should react *very* badly next time he comes into contact with Cardassians, 
>or perhaps even if reminded of them), then this scene will be a lovely 
>lead-in.  But if not, it feels vaguely like a slap in the face; and I don't 
>care for it.
>
>(Along similar lines is that Picard did not react a bit to seeing Bev or Worf 
>alive.  Now, I realize that he very likely didn't believe Madred's story of 
>their capture; but given the little worms of doubt that clearly creep in, he 
>should have reacted at least a little.  Stewart's more than capable of it, so 
>Picard was clearly not intended to react.  Growl.)
>
>
>Tim Lynch (Harvard-Westlake School, Science Dept.)


I have to disagree with Tim's point about the time line/Picard regaining command. *All*
of his wounds had healed, including the bruise area around his mouth and the bruises
on his wrists. We can only assume, then, that some amount of time had passed while
he recovered in sick bay. Also, his face was not longer gaunt, with deep lines and
dark shadows under his eyes. It is still a TV show, and TV time is not real time -
ever noticed that TV "meals" las about 45 seconds? They could have been clearer about
this, even by adding the usual "captain's log so you'll know what's going on" ploy.
However, I do not believe that it was an immediate transfer of command.

Janet
-- 
   Janet Christian             jchristian@indetech.com

My boss agrees with everything I say - well, actually, he thinks I'm working.  
"Never argue with a Scorpio - it's frustrating and you'll lose, anyway..."