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78-726: Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D . In this episode, Jean-Luc Picard is relieved of command of the Enterprise and reassigned to lead a covert mission, while his replacement is assigned to deal with the Cardassians openly. The second part of the episode is noted for the intense performance of Patrick Stewart and its depiction of brutal torture and interrogation scenes. The episode has been frequently ranked among

156-606: A Bajoran aboard the USS Enterprise -D ; her fellow Bajoran Kira Nerys , who was field-commissioned as a Starfleet commander so that she could aid the Cardassian resistance during the Dominion War ; and Ferengi Nog , who enters Starfleet Academy in season four of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ; all were from non-member planets. In addition, Quinn and Icheb from Star Trek: Voyager both spoke of joining Starfleet. An example of

234-471: A Cardassian fleet may attempt to use the cover of the nebula to launch an attack on Minos Korva. Jellico determines that their best course of action is to place mines across the nebula using a shuttlecraft . However, Riker is the most qualified pilot for the mission. Jellico visits Riker in his quarters, where he candidly criticizes Riker's performance as a first officer and Riker does the same for his command style. Jellico asks, rather than orders, Riker to pilot

312-707: A JAG court-martial. Courts-martial were held following the loss of the USS Pegasus and USS Stargazer . In the Voyager episode " Parallax ", Tuvok states that the Captain has the authority to conduct a court-martial on the ship, given the circumstance of the ship being isolated from the Federation. Starfleet Medical is the medical branch of Starfleet. Gates McFadden , who played Dr. Beverly Crusher , left Star Trek: The Next Generation during its second season. The character

390-433: A class of emission nebula associated with giant molecular clouds. These form as a molecular cloud collapses under its own weight, producing stars. Massive stars may form in the center, and their ultraviolet radiation ionizes the surrounding gas, making it visible at optical wavelengths . The region of ionized hydrogen surrounding the massive stars is known as an H II region while the shells of neutral hydrogen surrounding

468-517: A making of feature for "Chain of Command" and also the episode(s) can be watched with an audio commentary by Ronny Cox, Jonathan West, and Mike & Denise Okuda. Starfleet Starfleet is a fictional organization in the Star Trek media franchise. Within this fictional universe , Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as

546-465: A new Federation member world's military is depicted when the Bajoran Militia is integrated into Starfleet upon Bajor's entry into the Federation. The Starfleet insignia have been inspired by the chevron , which is broadly used in aeronautics, and particularly by the insignia of NASA . Nebula A nebula ( Latin for 'cloud, fog'; pl. : nebulae , nebulæ , or nebulas )

624-774: A relatively recently identified astronomical phenomenon. In contrast to the typical and well known gaseous nebulae within the plane of the Milky Way galaxy , IFNs lie beyond the main body of the galaxy. Most nebulae can be described as diffuse nebulae, which means that they are extended and contain no well-defined boundaries. Diffuse nebulae can be divided into emission nebulae , reflection nebulae and dark nebulae . Visible light nebulae may be divided into emission nebulae, which emit spectral line radiation from excited or ionized gas (mostly ionized hydrogen ); they are often called H II regions , H II referring to ionized hydrogen), and reflection nebulae which are visible primarily due to

702-520: A result of these successes, Starfleet engineers gained a reputation as the undisputed masters of technological adaptation and modification. As one minion of the Dominion in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, " Rocks and Shoals " notes, Starfleet engineers are reputed to be able to "Turn rocks into replicators." Additionally, Pocket Books has published a series of eBooks and novels in

780-685: A shipyard named Utopia Planitia in Mars orbit. Utopia Planitia served as Starfleet's main ship yards throughout a large portion of Starfleet's existence. After the Enterprise-D encountered the Borg in the episode " Q Who " the size of the Utopia Planitia shipyards was doubled out of fear of a Borg strike. They were once again doubled after the Dominion threat became more evident. A devastating attack on these shipyards

858-510: A vastly different style of command than the Enterprise crew, particularly William Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ), are accustomed to. Under Jellico, the Enterprise patrols the border near Minos Korva, a strategically significant Federation planet, and holds negotiations with Cardassian representatives as to the fate of the planet. After intensive training in the holodeck , Picard, Worf, and Crusher discreetly arrive on Celtris III, and infiltrate

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936-589: Is Deep Space Nine , a station near a wormhole commanded by Benjamin Sisko after its transfer from the Cardassian Empire . Starfleet has been shown to handle scientific , defense , and diplomatic missions, although its primary mandate seems to be peaceful exploration in the search for sentient life, as seen in the mission statements of different incarnations of the USS Enterprise . The flagship of Starfleet

1014-537: Is a branch of Starfleet first introduced in the original Star Trek . Main characters in subsequent series have been security officers. Starfleet Tactical is a rarely mentioned department in Starfleet that is responsible for planning defensive strategies, as well as engaging in weapons research and development. Although Humans are the most-often-seen crew members onscreen, Starfleet is shown to be composed of individuals from over 150 species, with Vulcans perhaps being

1092-558: Is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium , which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust . Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula . In these regions, the formations of gas, dust, and other materials "clump" together to form denser regions, which attract further matter and eventually become dense enough to form stars . The remaining material

1170-569: Is a major plot point in Star Trek: Picard . In the 2009 film , the Enterprise is shown under construction near James T. Kirk 's home in Iowa. In the 2013 sequel , Montgomery "Scotty" Scott discovers a covert Starfleet facility, near Jupiter, that has built a much larger Federation warship, USS Vengeance . The Starfleet Engineering Corps (also called the Starfleet Corps of Engineers )

1248-456: Is described during this season, and after her return, as having been assigned to Starfleet Medical. Numerous star ship dedication plaques identify other personnel associated with Starfleet Operations . Rear Admiral James T. Kirk served 18 months as Starfleet's Chief of Operations. Starfleet Security is an agency of Starfleet referred to in several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Security

1326-412: Is expected to spawn a planetary nebula about 12 billion years after its formation. A supernova occurs when a high-mass star reaches the end of its life. When nuclear fusion in the core of the star stops, the star collapses. The gas falling inward either rebounds or gets so strongly heated that it expands outwards from the core, thus causing the star to explode. The expanding shell of gas forms

1404-792: Is mentioned in several episodes in conjunction with projects such as hollowing out the underground laboratory complex inside the Regula I asteroid in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , the design of the Yellowstone -class Runabout in the alternate timeline in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Non Sequitur ", and devising a defense against the Breen energy-dampening weapon in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " When It Rains... " As

1482-550: Is not a necessary pre-condition for joining Starfleet. T'Pol of Vulcan is shown to be the first non-human Starfleet officer, receiving a commission as a commander following the Xindi mission and her resignation from the Vulcan High Command. Even after the Federation's formation citizenship was not required; several officers are from planets that are not part of the Federation. For example, Star Trek: TNG ' s Ensign Ro Laren ,

1560-408: Is often considered to be the starship USS Enterprise . Starfleet has many components, including: As early as the original Star Trek , characters refer to attending Starfleet Academy . Later series establish it as an officer training facility with a four-year educational program. The main campus is located near Starfleet Headquarters in what is now Fort Baker , California. Starfleet Command

1638-531: Is returned to Federation custody and reinstated as commanding officer of the Enterprise . Picard admits privately to Counselor Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) that he was saved just in the nick of time, as by that point he was broken enough to be willing to say or do anything to make the torture stop – and by the end, he actually believed he could see five lights. "There are four lights!" Jean-Luc Picard , "Chain of Command, Part II" Writer Frank Abatemarco consulted with resources compiled by Amnesty International on

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1716-560: Is said to have evolved into the NX Program, which led to Starfleet launching its first Warp 5–capable starship, Enterprise (NX-01) , in 2151, followed by Columbia (NX-02), in 2155, as well as other vessels. Starfleet acts under the Prime Directive , a policy of non-interference with pre-warp worlds, such as interference in their internal politics. This is said not to be a human construct, but stems from policies originally implemented by

1794-403: Is the branch charged with overseeing legal matters within Starfleet. Several episodes revolve around or involve JAG officers and procedures: Dialog in "Court Martial" reveals that a court-martial may be convened in the absence of any JAG officers by three presiding command-level officers. Additionally, dialog in "The Measure of a Man" indicates that the loss of a starship automatically leads to

1872-726: Is the headquarters/command center of Starfleet. The term "Starfleet Command" is first used in TOS episode " Court Martial ". Its headquarters are depicted as being in Fort Baker, across the Golden Gate from San Francisco, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Overlooking the Command from the other side of the Golden Gate is the permanent site of the Council of

1950-404: Is then thought to form planets and other planetary system objects. Most nebulae are of vast size; some are hundreds of light-years in diameter. A nebula that is visible to the human eye from Earth would appear larger, but no brighter, from close by. The Orion Nebula , the brightest nebula in the sky and occupying an area twice the angular diameter of the full Moon , can be viewed with

2028-677: The Andromeda Galaxy is located. He also cataloged the Omicron Velorum star cluster as a "nebulous star" and other nebulous objects, such as Brocchi's Cluster . The supernovas that created the Crab Nebula , SN 1054 , was observed by Arabic and Chinese astronomers in 1054. In 1610, Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc discovered the Orion Nebula using a telescope. This nebula was also observed by Johann Baptist Cysat in 1618. However,

2106-544: The Cape of Good Hope , most of which were previously unknown. Charles Messier then compiled a catalog of 103 "nebulae" (now called Messier objects , which included what are now known to be galaxies) by 1781; his interest was detecting comets , and these were objects that might be mistaken for them. The number of nebulae was then greatly increased by the efforts of William Herschel and his sister, Caroline Herschel . Their Catalogue of One Thousand New Nebulae and Clusters of Stars

2184-846: The Enterprise ' s operating authority, before the term "Starfleet" became widespread from the episode " Court Martial " onwards. However, references to the United Earth Space Probe Agency, and its abbreviation UESPA, are to be found in episodes of later series. For example, the Friendship One probe (launched, on the fictional timeline, in 2067) is marked with the letters UESPA-1 in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Friendship One ". Other background props included additional UESPA references, such as Captain Jean-Luc Picard 's family album in Star Trek Generations . During

2262-496: The Enterprise-D , and Captain Picard trying to endure a brutal Cardassian interrogation. Patrick Stewart's acting performance as a captive Picard is especially praised, noting the story as a showcase of the human spirit against lies and adversity. In 2019, they also ranked "Chain of Command" the eighth best episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In May 2019, The Hollywood Reporter ranked "Chain of Command" (Parts I & II) among

2340-543: The Great Debate , it became clear that many "nebulae" were in fact galaxies far from the Milky Way . Slipher and Edwin Hubble continued to collect the spectra from many different nebulae, finding 29 that showed emission spectra and 33 that had the continuous spectra of star light. In 1922, Hubble announced that nearly all nebulae are associated with stars and that their illumination comes from star light. He also discovered that

2418-530: The Star Trek 50th anniversary convention. In 2016, The Washington Post ranked the two-part "Chain of Command" as the fifth best episode of all Star Trek . They point out famous scenes, such when Picard (Patrick Stewart) is tortured by a Cardassian after being captured, but also Captain Jellico (Ronny Cox) struggling to command the Enterprise crew. Empire ranked "Chain of Command" (Parts I & II) 16th out of

Chain of Command (Star Trek: The Next Generation) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2496-420: The Starfleet Corps of Engineers series. Starfleet Intelligence is an intelligence agency of the United Federation of Planets . It is entrusted with foreign and domestic espionage, counter-espionage, and state security. In the non-canon Star Trek: New Frontier novels the series main character Mackenzie Calhoun was once a Starfleet Intelligence operative. The Starfleet Judge Advocate General (or JAG )

2574-449: The Vulcans , who regarded an alien civilization's attainment of warp speed as the reason for making first contact with them. This was to avoid any unfortunate incidences during space travel, as well as avoiding interfering in the natural development of a civilization. The Prime Directive and Starfleet's first-contact policies are at the center of several episodes in each Star Trek series and

2652-548: The ultraviolet radiation it emits can ionize the surrounding nebula that it has thrown off. The Sun will produce a planetary nebula and its core will remain behind in the form of a white dwarf . Objects named nebulae belong to four major groups. Before their nature was understood, galaxies ("spiral nebulae") and star clusters too distant to be resolved as stars were also classified as nebulae, but no longer are. Not all cloud-like structures are nebulae; Herbig–Haro objects are an example. Integrated flux nebulae are

2730-458: The "there are four lights" scene with Picard as the 11th greatest scene in all Star Trek including films and television. They praised the contributions of David Warner and Patrick Stewart to Star Trek . They note David Warner had previously played a role in 1991 film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . In 2016, CNET noted that "Chain of Command" was rated one of the top ten episodes of all Star Trek episodes in an audience-based rating at

2808-491: The Cardassian alien interrogator Gul Madred. They note the struggle between Picard and Madred characters, and their battle for truth vs. information about the Federation. In 2020, Vulture recommended this as one of the best Star Trek s to watch along with Star Trek: Picard . In 2021, Robert Vaux writing for CBR , said this was the high point of the sixth season and noted David Warner's Cardassian character. The episode

2886-530: The Cardassian political situation leading in to Deep Space Nine , where the race plays a crucial role. The character of Edward Jellico, who was introduced in this episode, would later return as a recurring character in Star Trek: Prodigy where he has become a high-ranking Starfleet admiral. Jellico's ship, the USS Cairo , would later be reported destroyed in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " In

2964-492: The Federation's plans for Minos Korva. Picard refuses to acknowledge Madred's demand for information. Madred attempts another tactic to break Picard's will: he shows his captive four bright lights, and demands that Picard answer that there are five, inflicting intense pain on Picard if he does not agree. Meanwhile, the Cardassians inform the Enterprise crew that Picard has been captured. Jellico refuses to acknowledge that Picard

3042-542: The H II region are known as photodissociation region . Examples of star-forming regions are the Orion Nebula , the Rosette Nebula and the Omega Nebula . Feedback from star-formation, in the form of supernova explosions of massive stars, stellar winds or ultraviolet radiation from massive stars, or outflows from low-mass stars may disrupt the cloud, destroying the nebula after several million years. Other nebulae form as

3120-841: The Pale Moonlight ". In the Star Trek: Prodigy episode "The Fast and the Curious", the wreckage is found by the Medusan Zero on a planet in the Delta Quadrant. Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ), Worf ( Michael Dorn ), and Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) are assigned by Starfleet on a covert mission to seek and destroy a Cardassian biological weapons installation on their border world, Celtris III. In Picard's place, Starfleet assigns Captain Edward Jellico ( Ronny Cox ), who has

3198-730: The United Federation of Planets in what is now the Presidio of San Francisco . Throughout the Star Trek franchise, the main characters' isolation from Starfleet Command compels them to make and act upon decisions without Starfleet Command's orders or information, particularly in Voyager when the main protagonists have no means of contacting Earth for several years. StarTrek.com notes that many of Starfleet's ships are built on Mare Island near San Francisco. It states: The Enterprise-D and USS Voyager are depicted to have been constructed at

Chain of Command (Star Trek: The Next Generation) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3276-506: The base. However, they find no signs of biological weapons, and suspecting a trap, they attempt to flee. Worf and Crusher escape, but Picard is taken prisoner and brought to Gul Madred ( David Warner ), who informs him Celtris III was a trap designed to capture Picard. Madred uses a number of torture methods, including sensory deprivation , sensory bombardment, forced nakedness, stress positions , dehydration , starvation , physical pain , and cultural humiliation to try to gain knowledge of

3354-492: The crew of the Enterprise -D, and Picard enduring a brutal interrogation. In 2017, Den of Geek included the "Chain of Command" two-part episode as one of their 25 recommended watches of Star Trek: The Next Generation . A regional newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, ranked 25 of the greatest episodes of Star Trek prior to Star Trek: Discovery , and included "Chain of Command" as the fifth greatest in 2017. In 2017, Den of Geek ranked David Warner's performance as Gul Madred, as

3432-471: The different types of nebulae. Some nebulae form from gas that is already in the interstellar medium while others are produced by stars. Examples of the former case are giant molecular clouds , the coldest, densest phase of interstellar gas, which can form by the cooling and condensation of more diffuse gas. Examples of the latter case are planetary nebulae formed from material shed by a star in late stages of its stellar evolution . Star-forming regions are

3510-405: The emission spectrum nebulae are nearly always associated with stars having spectral classifications of B or hotter (including all O-type main sequence stars ), while nebulae with continuous spectra appear with cooler stars. Both Hubble and Henry Norris Russell concluded that the nebulae surrounding the hotter stars are transformed in some manner. There are a variety of formation mechanisms for

3588-510: The expelled gases, producing emission nebulae with spectra similar to those of emission nebulae found in star formation regions. They are H II regions , because mostly hydrogen is ionized, but planetary are denser and more compact than nebulae found in star formation regions. Planetary nebulae were given their name by the first astronomical observers who were initially unable to distinguish them from planets, and who tended to confuse them with planets, which were of more interest to them. The Sun

3666-474: The explosion lies in the center of the Crab Nebula and its core is now a neutron star . Still other nebulae form as planetary nebulae . This is the final stage of a low-mass star's life, like Earth's Sun. Stars with a mass up to 8–10 solar masses evolve into red giants and slowly lose their outer layers during pulsations in their atmospheres. When a star has lost enough material, its temperature increases and

3744-495: The film Star Trek: First Contact . Starfleet Headquarters is shown to be located on Earth , northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge in the present-day Fort Baker area. Starfleet Academy is located in the same general area. Additionally, various episodes show Starfleet operating a series of starbases throughout Federation territory, as ground facilities, or as space stations in planetary orbit or in deep space. One example

3822-516: The first detailed study of the Orion Nebula was not performed until 1659 by Christiaan Huygens , who also believed he was the first person to discover this nebulosity. In 1715, Edmond Halley published a list of six nebulae. This number steadily increased during the century, with Jean-Philippe de Cheseaux compiling a list of 20 (including eight not previously known) in 1746. From 1751 to 1753, Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille cataloged 42 nebulae from

3900-572: The franchise's protagonists are Starfleet commissioned officers . During production of early episodes of the original series , several details of the makeup of the Star Trek universe had yet to be worked out, including the operating authority for the USS Enterprise . The terms Star Service (" The Conscience of the King "), Spacefleet Command (" The Squire of Gothos "), United Earth Space Probe Agency (" Charlie X " and " Tomorrow Is Yesterday "), and Space Central (" Miri ") were all used to refer to

3978-503: The light they reflect. Reflection nebulae themselves do not emit significant amounts of visible light, but are near stars and reflect light from them. Similar nebulae not illuminated by stars do not exhibit visible radiation, but may be detected as opaque clouds blocking light from luminous objects behind them; they are called dark nebulae . Although these nebulae have different visibility at optical wavelengths, they are all bright sources of infrared emission, chiefly from dust within

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4056-425: The methods, psychology and the survivors of torture. Madred's test of using four lights is an homage to George Orwell 's Nineteen Eighty-Four , in which O'Brien tortures Winston Smith until Smith admits that he sees five fingers when O'Brien only holds up four . Warner and Stewart first worked together in a production of Hamlet in 1965. Warner praised Stewart, who was early in his Shakespearean career at

4134-652: The most common aliens seen. Already in TOS , the USS Enterprise and other ships have a mixed-species crew, although this does not appear to be an absolute rule; for instance, the episode " The Immunity Syndrome " refers to the USS Intrepid as having an all-Vulcan crew. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Take Me Out to the Holosuite " also features such a crew, serving aboard the USS T'Kumbra . In keeping with this idea, Star Trek: Enterprise , in its first two seasons,

4212-778: The naked eye but was missed by early astronomers. Although denser than the space surrounding them, most nebulae are far less dense than any vacuum created on Earth (10 to 10 molecules per cubic centimeter) – a nebular cloud the size of the Earth would have a total mass of only a few kilograms . Earth's air has a density of approximately 10 molecules per cubic centimeter; by contrast, the densest nebulae can have densities of 10 molecules per cubic centimeter. Many nebulae are visible due to fluorescence caused by embedded hot stars, while others are so diffused that they can be detected only with long exposures and special filters. Some nebulae are variably illuminated by T Tauri variable stars. Originally,

4290-401: The nebulae. Planetary nebulae are the remnants of the final stages of stellar evolution for mid-mass stars (varying in size between 0.5-~8 solar masses). Evolved asymptotic giant branch stars expel their outer layers outwards due to strong stellar winds, thus forming gaseous shells while leaving behind the star's core in the form of a white dwarf . Radiation from the hot white dwarf excites

4368-402: The principal means for conducting deep space exploration, research, defense , peacekeeping , and diplomacy (although Starfleet predates the Federation, having originally been an Earth organization, as shown by the television series Star Trek: Enterprise ). While most of Starfleet's members are human and it has been headquartered on Earth, hundreds of other species are also represented. Most of

4446-583: The process imagined by the writers is given when the character Nog attempts to apply to the Academy. He is told that since he is from a non-member world (Ferenginar), he requires a letter of recommendation from a command-level officer before his application can be considered, with the implication that this is the standard procedure for all non-Federation applicants to Starfleet. In the Star Trek Expanded Universe, an example of what typically becomes of

4524-412: The production of Star Trek: Enterprise , some larger Starfleet insignia designs included the name "United Earth Space Probe Agency". Multiple Star Trek: Enterprise episodes refer to Starfleet having started operation some time between 2112 and 2136, when it funded research begun by Zefram Cochrane and Henry Archer, which led to the first successful flight of Warp-3 vessels in the 2140s. This research

4602-452: The result of supernova explosions; the death throes of massive, short-lived stars. The materials thrown off from the supernova explosion are then ionized by the energy and the compact object that its core produces. One of the best examples of this is the Crab Nebula , in Taurus . The supernova event was recorded in the year 1054 and is labeled SN 1054 . The compact object that was created after

4680-435: The second best guest acting performance on Star Trek: The Next Generation , for his performance in "Chain of Command". They elaborate that David Warner gives a "...calm, measured performance", which they said "perfectly matches Stewart's slowly crumbling Picard". The interaction between Gul Madred and Captain Picard was noted as "one of Star Trek 's most memorable confrontations..". In 2017, Nerdist ranked this episode(s)

4758-407: The shuttle. Riker agrees, and he and La Forge successfully lay the minefield. Jellico uses the threat of the minefield to force the Cardassians to disarm and retreat, but not before they release Picard. With word of the failure of the Cardassians to secure Minos Korva, Madred attempts one last ploy to break Picard, by falsely claiming that the Cardassians have taken the planet and that the Enterprise

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4836-491: The sixth best episode (counting the two-parter as one) of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In 2013, Slate ranked "Chain of Command" one of the ten best episodes in the Star Trek franchise. In 2014, Io9 rated it the 11th best Star Trek episode. In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter , noted this episode's scene where Picard cries out "There are four lights", as one of the top ten "most stunning" moments of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In 2016, Radio Times rated

4914-550: The sixth best episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In 2018, CBR ranked "Chain of Command" (Parts I & II) as the fifth best episodic saga of all Star Trek , in between "All Good Things..." as #6 (the Star Trek: The Next Generation finale) and "In a Mirror, Darkly" from Star Trek: Enterprise (#4). In 2018, Entertainment Weekly ranked "Chain of Command" as one of the top ten moments of Jean-Luc Picard. A character in this episode, Captain Jellico,

4992-509: The spectra of about 70 nebulae. He found that roughly a third of them had the emission spectrum of a gas . The rest showed a continuous spectrum and were thus thought to consist of a mass of stars. A third category was added in 1912 when Vesto Slipher showed that the spectrum of the nebula that surrounded the star Merope matched the spectra of the Pleiades open cluster . Thus, the nebula radiates by reflected star light. In 1923, following

5070-600: The ten best in The Next Generation . This episode has guest performances by Ronny Cox as Captain Jellico, and David Warner as Gul Madred. A scene that pays homage to the novel 1984 is noted for a contest of wills between Picard and Madred about perception of reality under coercion (seeing four lights vs. five). Both episodes were the last of The Next Generation to air before its spinoff, Deep Space Nine , premiered in January 1993. As such, "Chain of Command" revisits

5148-581: The term "nebula" was used to describe any diffused astronomical object , including galaxies beyond the Milky Way . The Andromeda Galaxy , for instance, was once referred to as the Andromeda Nebula (and spiral galaxies in general as "spiral nebulae") before the true nature of galaxies was confirmed in the early 20th century by Vesto Slipher , Edwin Hubble , and others. Edwin Hubble discovered that most nebulae are associated with stars and illuminated by starlight. He also helped categorize nebulae based on

5226-558: The time. Warner had previously appeared as different characters in two Star Trek films: St. John Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . The actor initially cast as Gul Madred in "Chain of Command" dropped out on short notice, and with only a few days before production, Warner had no opportunity to learn his lines. His dialogue

5304-498: The top fifty episodes of all Star Trek in 2016. At that time, there were roughly 726 episodes and a dozen films released. In 2016, IGN ranked "Chain of Command" (Parts I & II) the 13th best episode of all Star Trek series. They note the performances of guest stars Ronny Cox, as the autocratic Captain Jellico, and David Warner as the Cardassian Gul Madred. They note the double story lines of Jellico trying to command

5382-490: The top twenty-five episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation . In 2019, IGN recommended watching both parts of "Chain of Command" as background for another Star Trek universe show, Star Trek: Picard ; a show that will also feature the same character as in this episode, Picard. They note a plot that tackles the struggles of people with bureaucracy, bad leadership, and suffering. They note performances by Ronny Cox as Captain Jellico, and David Warner's brutal presentation as

5460-541: The type of light spectra they produced. Around 150 AD, Ptolemy recorded, in books VII–VIII of his Almagest , five stars that appeared nebulous. He also noted a region of nebulosity between the constellations Ursa Major and Leo that was not associated with any star . The first true nebula, as distinct from a star cluster , was mentioned by the Muslim Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi in his Book of Fixed Stars (964). He noted "a little cloud" where

5538-551: Was also one of the episodes included in the anthology DVD box set Star Trek Fan Collective - Captain's Log ; the set also includes the TNG episodes "In Theory" and "Darmok" among other episodes from the franchise. The set was released on July 24, 2007 in the United States. "Chain of Command" was included in a Picard box-set released on October 15, 2019, along with "Best of Both Worlds", and the four TNG theatrical films. The release included

5616-503: Was destroyed in the battle. He offers Picard a choice: to remain in captivity for the rest of his life or live in comfort by admitting that he sees five lights. As Picard momentarily considers the offer, the Cardassian head delegate enters the room and informs Madred that "a ship is waiting to take him back to the Enterprise ." Picard realizes he has been duped. As Picard is freed from his bonds and about to be taken away, he turns to Madred and defiantly shouts, "There are four lights!" Picard

5694-426: Was on a Starfleet mission, an admission necessary for Picard to be given the rights of a prisoner of war rather than being subjected to torture as a terrorist . This leads to a heated argument between Jellico and Riker, which ends with Jellico relieving Riker of duty and assigning Data as first officer. La Forge detects residue from a nearby nebula on the hull of the Cardassian delegation's ship, and Jellico suspects

5772-442: Was published in 1786. A second catalog of a thousand was published in 1789, and the third and final catalog of 510 appeared in 1802. During much of their work, William Herschel believed that these nebulae were merely unresolved clusters of stars. In 1790, however, he discovered a star surrounded by nebulosity and concluded that this was a true nebulosity rather than a more distant cluster. Beginning in 1864, William Huggins examined

5850-493: Was ranked as the 68th most important character of Starfleet within the Star Trek science fiction universe by Wired . TheGamer ranked Captain Jellico as the 14th best captain of Star Trek . In 2018, Tom's Guide rated "Chain of Command" (Parts I & II) one of the 15 best episodes featuring Picard. In June 2019, Screen Rant noted "Chain of Command" as the second best episode of all 755 episodes of Star Trek up to that time. They highlight Captain Jellico in command of

5928-460: Was released as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation season six DVD box set in the United States on December 3, 2002. A remastered HD version was released on Blu-ray optical disc, on June 24, 2014. "Chain of Command" was released in the United Kingdom on PAL -Format LaserDisc on April 7, 1997. The episode was published on a two-sided 12" optical disc with runtime of 88 minutes. It

6006-612: Was the only show to have an entirely human crew, as it was set before the formation of the Federation , although the vessel did carry Phlox , a Denobulan serving in a medical exchange program, and T'Pol , then serving as an observer from the Vulcan High Command. Star Trek: The Next Generation saw the introduction of Starfleet's first Klingon officer. Other races—such as Bolians, Betazoids, and Trill—were seen, and given more central roles, in later series; some of these, notably Klingons, had been shown as enemies in earlier episodes. Various episodes show that Earth /Federation citizenship

6084-536: Was written onto boards for him to read out as he went along. He preferred the Madred character to either of his previous Star Trek characters because of the scenes with Stewart, which he called "wonderful". This two-part episode is ranked tenth in Entertainment Weekly ' s list of top ten Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes. Variety listed "Chain of Command, Part I" and "Chain of Command, Part II" as

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