"There are four lights!" - Excellent Trek NG episode on Spike (1pm est)

[WilliamPitt]

'Chain of Command' parts I and II.

[Dudley_DUright]

1. What?

A political junky like you not watching Ted's speech (or maybe you have screen within screen digital ;-) )

[cheezus]

3. my guess would be a quick check of the todo list

surely Will has TiVo?

[cheezus]

2. Poor Picard...

He's gotta be one pretty messed up guy. Borg implants, nearly destroying earth, estranged family, another lifetime in 15 seconds, Cardassian torture..... I'm sure the list goes on.

[Endangered Specie]

14. Stuck in turbolift with 4 whining kids,

died, went to heaven (hell) with Q. Stabbed by a nausican, bald, picks up women who are 100's of years old (Insurrection)...

[Gothic Sponge]

4. Great episode!

[Paragon]

5. David Warner is a badass.

Was in Star Trek V and was the Klingon Ambassador in Star Trek VI. Great as the Cardassian heavy in those episodes.

I believe Amnesty International was consulted on them, and Amnesty's phone number was given out after the airing.

[SaveElmer]

9. Small Correction...I am a geek!!!

I believe he was the Klingon Chancellor in Star Trek VI

[Paragon]

11. OK, Chancellor.

You geek. :eyes:

;-)

[htuttle]

6. Great metaphor for today's America

Especially at the end, where Picard admits to Troi that he actually DID finally see five lights.

[WilliamPitt]

17. Indeed

http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/10.17A.wrp.4.lights.htm

[Paragon]

18. I, of course, get your point - but...

...to equate the spreading of political lies to torture?

(Yes, I'm aware that the spreading of political lies has led to actual torture.)

Still, not the choice I would've made. If I were a victim of torture, I might have a thing or two to say about your comparison.

[SaveElmer]

7. I never understood something about that episode

Why didn't Picard just say "Yep...you're right, five lights!" What would the Cardassian have done next.

I do agree on the quality of that episode

[Paragon]

10. Not Picard's style.

Admit defeat (to the joy of his Cardassian torturer) to get out of the pain?

No way.

Although the point of his "I really did think I saw five lights" admission to Troi at the end is that horrific torture is designed to (and often does) break your will, not just your body.

[SaveElmer]

13. Yeah I do understand the point I guess

But still...it wouldn't really have been defeat. I'd lie to a terrorist! He wouldn't have been revealing secrets...It would have taken the Cardassian off plan maybe

[Paragon]

15. I don't remember the episodes exactly, but...

...I think it was made fairly evident that the Cardassian knew he wasn't going to get any secrets out of Picard -- but he did want the satisfaction of breaking his will and his spirit.

Picard knew this as well, never wanting to give him the satisfaction. It was, essentially, a dick thing.

I believe it was also illustrated that Picard was about to break from the torture, but was rescued at the last moment - allowing him to keep his dignity and shout "There are four lights!" at the Cardassian as he was led away to let him know he hadn't got the best of him.

[Endangered Specie]

12. The cardassian would have probably kept going...

Perhaps a little more incidious like say... "You will betray starfleet" or some other anti-federation propoganda.

If not, even if he might have been released after admitting to 5 lights, Picard would have truly been beaten, unlike what happened, despite the torture, he won... Its something beyond the physical scale and unto the mental scale.

[Endangered Specie]

8. One of my favorite episodes...

I think it, ironically, has applications for todays world... Tell a man that he can see saddam-9/11 links, and he will eventually begin to believe it.

[MuseRider]

16. One of my favorites!

Thanks Will. I remember your article using that, it was very powerful for me at the time and I sent it off to many friends. Come to think of it it is still very powerful. Thanks.

[edbermac]

19. Good episode, but no one mentions Ronny Cox...

as the new Enterprise captain...what a prick! The crew hated him more than the Cardassians...but of course any episode with Marina Sirtis is worth watching....especially the one where she was disguised as a Romulan....she looked SO sexy with those pointed ears!

:evilgrin:

[stellanoir]

20. from now on

people can only post here in Klingon. . .

sarcasm/off

[WilliamPitt]

22. Kapla!

[stellanoir]

23. jIyjbe'

Da Hjaj jaj QaQ Daghajjaj.

I just googled Klingon for the first time ever. LOL

[Rowdyboy]

21. Love it when the new captain infoms Troi that

he "appreciate a more formal dress on the bridge"....

[eyesroll]

24. I've always wanted to yell that at the eye doctor.

Or maybe the DMV.