Why Captain Jellico Is Actually Pretty Awesome

Captain Jellico, Picard's replacement in the TNG season 6 two-partner "Chain of Command," gets a bum rap from his crew and from fans. Here's why he's actually pretty great.
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[@Scott.Sandifer]

I love Jellico based on the way Data acts differently under his command. Announcing "Captain on the bridge." etc… Data has correctly read the way Jellico wants his bridge staff to operate and has adjusted accordingly. My *favorite* scene: "Data, I want to be at Minos Korva in one hour." Data doesn't hesitate, query, or speculate, he simply barks out the coordinates and calculated speed. Even his "Aye Sir" is in a different, no-nonsense tone. And Jellico just strolls by, confident he can rely on Data to actually follow his orders. It's awesome.

[@dont155]

Yes, it's a wonder why so many in Starfleet wouldn't agree with an android in command. Surprised Jellico didn't offer him a permanent XO job after this mission...

[@lanadrey5085]

Data is obviously the most competent officer in Starfleet. He's not perfect but he's damn close.

[@musicianshotsheet4806]

@@ZakEmber and when Commander Shelby goes behind Riker's back to the captain in the 2 part episode involving the Borg, Riker gets all bent out of shape about chain of command. Double standard much, Will?

[@jonahfalcon1970]

You neglected to mention when Troi notes that Jellico is actually terrified of the situation with the Cardassians. Meaning he's put on a hard front for a very good reason -- to give the crew a sense of confidence in a situation that can go wrong in so many ways.

[@donnelson8524]

Exactly. In another episode Picard makes the same point to Dr. Crusher. They were mentally linked because of TechTech and while escaping he says, “go that way” and she responds, “wait, you don’t really know, do you?” He explains that sometimes a Captain needs to swallow their doubts and project confidence to the crew.

[@musicianshotsheet4806]

Not to mention that, as hard assed as Jellico comes across, he was actually trying to prevent a war. By admitting that Picard was on a clandestine mission, Riker would have CAUSED one.

[@paulnadratowski3942]

Jelico stopped a war and saved Picard. He came in and got the job done. He had no time to coddle everyone. He was an effective no nonsense leader. Riker, as usual, is a whiny brat

[@SisyphusJP]

I agree but this was nothing that riker could have handled himself in my opinion, he’s dealt with higher risk shit than this.

[@timothythomad5529]

I'm fairly certain that Riker as acting CPT would have saved Picard.

[@daveroche6522]

When Riker smugly says "Then ask me", I'd have responded with "Fukc you. SECURITY - place this man in brig for gross insubordination". 'Nuff said.

[@makgeoff]

Absolutely. If Guinan was not there, he would unlikely have saved Picard if you can recall that dreaded low confidence speech he made to the crew.

[@paulhunter6742]

And you can see why Cmdr Shelby in Best of Both Worlds two parter challenges Rikers position. " You stand behind Capt Picard allow him make tough decisions. If you can't handle responsibility. I suggest you step aside make room for someone who can" ...Cmdr Shelby.

[@michaelcristel3060]

As someone who worked at many companies in legal or regulatory crisis, Jellico is what we call a "problem solver;" he's someone - mostly outside the box - brought in because of a singular talent to solve the problem(s) at hand. In this case, the Cardassian situation. Adm. Nechayev states bluntly that Picard is not experienced to deal with this crisis, and his skills are needed elsewhere. Picard is assigned to a specialist mission, Jellico is brought in to command Big-E. He's not there to make friends, he's not there to endear himself to the crew - he's there to unfuck a situation. He has knowledge of Cardassian psychology and politics, and he's not used to Picard's relatively laid-back manner in crew and operations management. Picard DELEGATES; he lets his officers own these processes and doesn't micromanage. Jellico, on the other hand, MUST micromanage, because it's clear even a raised eyebrow or misstatement could undo the delicate negotiations. So, Riker and company are totally unprepared for Jellico's brusqueness. They see him as shaking up the status quo - Jellico is simply testing the limits of this crew and ship that he's to this point only vaguely familiar with. He needs the ship to be operational because things could go from discussion to weapons within minutes, and needs the crew responding appropriately. He knows this; Hell, he's EXPERIENCED this with Cardassians, and the rest of the crew doesn't need his understanding, they just need to follow orders. In current times, these sorts of leaders don't last long. They come in, do a job, create some chaos (and in rare cases, a change for the better, vis-a-vis Troi adopting a more standard uniform given her role) and then depart. It was clear in Jellico's body language that when Picard returned, he couldn't leave fast enough. He knew he was an asshole, knew he was unwelcome, and was not someone the crew was going to miss. He was given a job, he did it, and he managed to restore the Enterprise to it's normal environment without more than a few days of unease and stress - despite the obvious PTSD Picard suffered under torture. Not all leaders are assholes, but sometimes an asshole is required to lead in a delicate situation.

[@GreebleClown]

Michael Cristel Exactly!

[@PhilipWeberAB]

Pretty accurate. I've known plenty of guys like him and while they can be, on the surface, the biggest assholes you will ever meet they perform a very valuable function. I liked that his character showed the Star Trek universe isn't all squeaky clean and clinical. I appreciated that.

[@TheChimples]

How is Picard not experienced? He's dealt with the Duras. He's dealt with Romulans. He's dealt with the Borg. He's dealt with the Cardassians as well. He's 100000% more qualified than Jellicho. Picard is Starfleet's most accomplished diplomat. Bringing in someone unfamiliar with the Enterprise and throwing everything out of order actually endangered the Enterprise and its crew. Also why would you send Picard (one of the most accomplished and valuable members of the Federation) on a joke mission like that? And then hamstring him with a female doctor. No disrespect to her but you don't send doctors on black ops missions like that. Or females (typically). You send highly trained young males. They're fast and strong and sharp. Why would you endanger Picard like that? Did you even apply any critical thinking towards this episode? It makes 0 sense.

[@scorn787]

Don't forget the part where the Cardies actually tell Jellico and friends they have Picard. Jellico is trying to play it cool and give nothing away and Riker just blurts out something like "OH CRAP IS HE OKAY!?" Jellico must have been thinking "Holy shit dude, I can't imagine you ever actually winning any of those poker games".

[@damaliamarsi2006]

To me he was not the Capt they wanted, he was the Capt they needed.

[@Xifihas]

Picard is who you need during peace. Jellico is who you need during war. They’re both needed to keep the Federation intact.

[@richpontone1]

Unfortunately, the Federation is mostly at War. So both are needed for Tactics, Strategy and Peace Treaties.

[@no1reallycaresabout2]

I think Sisko wouldve gotten along with Jellico.

[@davidmoncholi6746]

Yep

[@chrisstetsko5020]

Shaw. Jellico. Sisko. The bad guys don't have a chance! (Now throw Kirk in there....)

[@BillDusty]

I thought Jellico was a damn good commander. Being a military veteran, I thought his leadership was actually pretty standard.

[@travisgames6608]

Agreed

[@Sm1ret]

I agree completely and thank you for your service. From USN RET.

[@chrisstetsko5020]

Agree 100%. Semper Fi.

[@gabeweisdorfer6353]

"Take off that uniform and get back behind your desk, C3PO!" - Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

[@jamesskelton3488]

Jellico got Troi out of the space cheerleader outfits. For that alone he is awesome

[@jamesskelton3488]

@@oddish4352 my point stands

[@jasoncarswell7458]

Everything else Jellico did was debatable, but that single remark was marvelous because it swept away years of accumulated Roddenberry sexism about how Troi should speak, act and dress. She was nothing but a professional, multi-talented member of the command crew after that. No more of this "the crew needs to be comfortable with me, so I dress like something they saw in a wank dream once" shit. Jellico was the voice of the producers when they finally said "Enough is enough. You WILL grow as a character." Also worth mentioning that Marina Sirtis had been uncomfortable with the slutwear for years, but never felt her place on the show was strong enough to push hard for a change (especially since Gates McFadden had gotten fired for doing the same). She's said repeatedly in interviews that she preferred the regular Starfleet officer uniform and felt it invigorated her character's potential.

[@milescheang5603]

My view of Troi was that her revealing clothes never undermined the strength of her character, at least once the show got going good. I can understand why her actress feels that way in the real world, but in the show it worked out great. In fact I always felt that Troi's pre-Jellico appearance was part of Star Trek ethos in terms of breaking free from real world judgments like "slutwear." Bottom line is that the real world as we know it is one thing, but the Star Trek ethos is another, especially TNG.

[@rafaelreyes9100]

Her clothes were fine. Still it was Awesome to see her as an officer others had to look at as an officer.

[@markhine3232]

Hey!! WTH?!! As a women loving man, i always loved Troi's cleavage uniforms. She got a grwat bod!!!

[@LordSlag]

I love the part where he makes basically the entire Cardassian Navy come out of the nebula, one by one, eject their primary phaser core and then warp away without their dicks. Hilarious.

[@doubtingthomas6146]

“How many Cardassians does it take to change a lightbulb?” “Four, because THERE...ARE....FOUR....LIGHTS”

[@nerdyogre6683]

It takes 0. They'd just get a Bajoran to change them.

[@ryankirkpatrick959]

You're evil.

[@nickbaggins7942]

I am a Primary Warfare Officer in the Navy and the Jellico story is 100% believable as a new boss trying to kick-start a section to have better readiness

[@prestonpreston8082]

I hope things stay cool with China though it does seem that they are willing to use force to assimilate Taiwan. Thank you for your service and your comment.

[@teecee1567]

PRIMARY Warfare Officer? PRINCIPAL....surely.

[@teecee1567]

USN?

[@shadoman7682]

Captain Jellico just proves how bad an officer Riker is.

[@anothercleverusername992]

I SO wish Jellico would have actually called Riker _"Dipshit."_ Riker was 100% wrong in this episode. I was *pissed* when Jellico basically had to beg Riker to come back and, y'know, _do his own job..._

[@jacobhansen6039]

Jellico is one of the most accurate description of a military officer I have seen, speaking as a prior military member. I would have liked to seen Riker punished for his insubordination

[@GuyInnagorillasuit]

"Christ Troi, put some fuckin' clothes on!" "Not my forte."

[@seanbrogan8667]

"Get back behind your desk c3po" Classic

[@JakobIlar]

Jellico is a combat commander. Picard is a diplomat and explorer.

[@blackawana]

Word.

[@speedracer1945]

He whipped the Enterprise crew in shape. Under Picard they got lazy.

[@Durwood71]

Exactly. The Enterprise was the Federation's flagship, not a pleasure yacht.

[@51337Nairolf]

Get back behind your desk C3PO! 😂

[@jamespilcher5287]

I want to hear all of TNG redubbed by Steve narrating it.

[@doctorclu]

That actually would be cool. Actually liked the narrative here.

[@travisgames6608]

I've been binging TNG at work for the last few months. Just watched this two parter yesterday. I haven't seen it in years. Honesty, it was better than I remember. I do agree with you about Jellico. I liked his confrontational personality and more aggressive negotiation tactics. Plus, his more militaristic way of running things. As someone who has been in the military, the 4 shift rotation is actually better. I mean three 8hr shifts in a 24hr period is rougher than four 6hr shifts in a 24hr period. Not to mention upping the warp core efficiency and routing deflector dish power to the weapons systems. Which in hindsight would give the Enterprise a force to be reckoned with. Also, I think Riker had a bigger underlying problem with Jellico. The fact that Jellico was put in command of the Enterprise over himself with Picard's temporary reassignment.

[@nadiakent4082]

I am a 20 year veteran of the army with 4 combat tours totaling 3 years in combat. The right kinda of person for a job is rarely the nicest or even a good human being. If you were an admiral which one would you pick. Someone who prioritizes your goals amor another that does not. It’s not a close call. I really enjoyed in that episode that two leaders can both be good at their job but be very different. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations right?

[@davesteller6301]

You are correct. And thank you for your service!

[@dangerhotrod6941]

Marina Sirtis fought throughout the show's production to wear a uniform and the episode where she finally gets to her character is chastised for not wearing a uniform.

[@J0nath0n.]

@@patrickhamos2987 why?

[@captainamerica6525]

Actually, Jellico was exactly what was needed in the situation they were in.

[@quernalt]

there's always more than one way to do something. Someways are easier than others, but the consequences afterwards are different.

[@Finbars9]

I agree! Which is exactly why he was assigned this position. I do think in any other situation this style of command would be terrible, and I'd be generally curious to see how he captained the Cairo day to day

[@GetRidOfCivilAssetForfeiture]

@@Finbars9 I think it would have been different as he noted when he first took command of the Enterprise, he didn’t have the luxury of getting to know the crew and ironing out things. He needed to do things differently due to the circumstances.

[@speedracer1945]

I was glad to see Jellico shake up Rikers butt kissing way

[@hgurwiP]

Exactly, he had 1 job to do and he did it perfectly, he wasn’t there to be a space dad to the Enterprise crew

[@christoforospaphitis4090]

And I totally AGREE, whoever served in special forces can attest that in military command you need someone like Jellico. Don't forget that the crew of the Enterprize and the ship itself are considered to be creme de la creme. They needed someone to remind them of structure and discipline and how it is to be pushed to your limits and beyond. The federation brought in a green beret commander for that job specifically

[@nolancampbell6139]

I love Jellico for one reason: He told Troi to put on a damn uniform! And btw, she continued to do so most of the time even after he left! 😊

[@ktvindicare]

After seeing how good Marina Sirtis looks in that uniform it makes me wonder why she didn't start wearing it a long time ago.

[@cathersteincamp7464]

Even if Jellico hadn't actually been a highly effective federation officer, he'd have my thanks for saying "Hey, Troi, how would you like to stop wearing the bimsuit and be allowed to dress like a Starfleet Officer?" Sirtis is on record as being VERY grateful for that order. Also, I thought Cox himself nailed the role.

[@DirtyVoudou]

He only asked her to wear a uniform when on the bridge as a command officer. Didn't ask her to do counseling in riot gear.

[@brcarroll2003]

Another former military guy here (Marines) chiming in with a few thoughts. In peacetime, your priorities as a leader are first the welfare of your troops, and second the mission. I have seen training suspended for example, when the temperature ascended above a certain point, because one avoids needless heat casualties in training. Running around in a flak jacket with a 70 lb pack, weapon, ammo, extra ammo for weapons platoon, water, 3 days of C-rats in above 100 degree heat isn't a matter of how tough you are or how well-trained. Your body has limits. In wartime, the mission is first and your people second. If you're landing on Tarawa Atoll and it's 110 in the shade, you suck it up and go anyway. There will be casualties. Bullets, fragments, accidentally being run over by a vehicle, blast/concussion, heat, etc.. It's awful, but it's expected; the cost of doing business, so to speak. Jellicoe is fundamentally a combat commander. He's a Patton. I doubt that he is much of an explorer or a diplomat, except inasmuch as diplomacy is veiled war without bloodshed. I think Starfleet wanted him there because he had experience playing hardball with the Cardassians, and he'd be good in a fight if things went hot so- sensible decision. Would have been better with him in his own ship, but then there wouldn't be a Star Trek episode to show for it. Serving under officers like that in peacetime is a giant pain in the ass. Being kept honed to a razor's edge in peacetime is a drain, and the result is good people leaving the unit or leaving the service. A high standard of training is a good thing to always have, but there comes a point where the extra that you put in when something is in the works like showing up in formation in the parking area in the middle of the night at a dead run to find someone watching you with a stopwatch in his hand generates a certain cynicism. Troops, current military or Starfleet, are still human beings, underneath it all. Special units like SEALs and SF stay that way, but there really isn't any peacetime for them. They're operational all the time. Would I serve under him in wartime? Yes. Peacetime? Transfer, please. Do I like him? No. Was he the right guy in the right place at the right time? Yes. He isn't a fool or even an asshole, really. He was myopically focused on one thing only, the job at hand. He really didn't give a crap about anything or anyone beyond that. If I were an Admiral, I'd post him to a training command unless the shit hits the fan. He's not bad as a combat officer. as a peacetime one, he's a disaster.

[@nanorider426]

Well said.

[@erictaylor5462]

Jellico was 100% a dick. But that doesn't mean he was a bad Captain. He was a very different sort of Captain from Picard, who was a diplomat. Jellico was a warrior. Jellico was taking a crew that had been on a mostly diplomatic mission, making first contacts and exploration and turning them rapidly into a combat crew. I know a guy who was a Marine Corps drill instructor. He had a recruit who was grinning ALL the time. No matter how much this guy was yelled at, no matter how much this guy was singled out, he just seemed to love it more and more. My friend "asked" the guy what he was ginning about, (I'm not quoting directly. I can't remember the exact words) and this guy basically said, "You are teaching me how to survive in combat. How can I not love that?" My friend was stunned. In all his time in that job, he had never had anyone who had this (quite correct) point of view. Turning a civilian into a solder is not a pleasant process, but doing it badly is even more unpleasant. It has been proven that this unpleasant process works, and it works well. To do the job Jellico is doing, you *HAVE* to be a dick.

[@torridd]

You don't have to be, but that was his style and he was successful at it. Like they say, there are plenty ways to skin a cat.

[@riverarm]

When STTNG was on, I was still serving in the US Navy as a reserve officer, and had spent 4 years on active duty on a cruiser. What I liked the most about STTNG was that it far more accurately depicted the hierarchical nature of a ship's chain of command. When the "Chain of Command" 2 part-er came on, I was struck by how realistic Jellico was as a representation of most of the senior officers I served under while on active duty. Didn't have to like the guy. Just had to respect his ability to get things done, and his far greater military bearing than other characters in the show. So, I actually agree with your assessment, Steve!

[@lordkayx]

Not to sound like a mister know-it-all but just so you know in the Star Trek community TNG, is the accepted shorthand. Mainly so you don't have to type those two extra letters. But I definitely agree with your opinion Jellico is a wartime consigliere LOL!

[@geonerd]

Riker was such a spoiled child...

[@kavikkang9411]

You are not alone. I know a real world US Army retired captain who has for many years insisted that Captain Jellico is the only Star Fleet Officer that he would want to serve under in the real world.

[@donkeytime1704]

I would find it interesting seeing Jellico confronted by Q.

[@lanadrey5085]

He might pull a Sisko and try to shoot him with a phaser.

[@daveroche6522]

He's just go full Sisko.... THUMP! Q : "Ow, Jean-Luc never hit me", Jellico - "I'm not Picard either, now get off my ship".

[@GonzGunner]

I remember watching this episode a few times. I agree with your presentation, but I would like to add one thing. In the end, what made Jellico an effective commander was that he knew that he himself had to change, had to be a little flexible, and a little understanding of the true meaning of loyalty, and Picard had earned that loyalty. The mistake that Jellico made was coming in with all guns blazing", which automatically made for unease and anger with the crew.

[@mrmiz4372]

I was in the Army for 4 years and what Jellicoe did, especially the idea of doing things his own way and not caring about how it was done before, is pretty much SOP when there's a change of command.

[@paulbrookfield4133]

@@richardmoores Standard Operating Practice

[@craigastorian273]

Absolutely real!

[@RundOnline]

Jellico turned their pleasure cruise in a proper run military ship ready for extended combat. It what was needed in this situation.

[@beachbunny25]

The only good thing that came out of Jellico’s stint as captain of the Enterprise was getting Troi to wear a standard uniform.

[@elizabethbennet4791]

that sucks i like her purple dress

[@jasoncarswell7458]

Troi's slut-wear was a sad remnant of Roddenberry's influence. The old duffer couldn't imagine a perfect future with drugs, theft or social conflict, or without vapid, token, scantily-clad women around to provide eye candy and "comfort" for the all-male command staff to leer at on the bridge and occasionally consult for estrogen-driven blather. Troi got a proper uniform and proper respect right around the time Roddenberry assumed room temperature, which was fine with me. The series needed a little less wood-paneled 50's California hypocrisy if it wanted to actually become the bellwether for the future of humanity.

[@brucerobenalt8048]

I love Jellico. He’s kind of a hard ass but he clearly cares about his ship and his crew and he accomplishes his mission with flying colors. It was a fascinating story choice to show our crew dealing with such a different but ultimately successful style of command, and Ronny Cox is fantastic in the part. Both episodes in this two parter were sensational and the guest turns by Cox and David Warner are tremendous.

[@Datruth330]

You forgot the best part about Jellico, he turns over command back to Picard with class. No jealousy. He knows his duty!

[@MaestroTJS]

Except the writers couldn't resist one last effort to make him look like a jerk when he tells Picard he's returning the Enterprise to him "maybe a little better."

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

+Maestro_T not really. between professional, it would goes to eachother as friendly reminder

[@jesscnelson]

I am eternally grateful to the guy solely for putting the counselor in a uniform. Seriously. I think I actually cheered when it happened.

[@aviewfromtheinterior]

"Get back behind your desk C-3PO"

[@kennethmiller2333]

Jellico is the Sherman Potter to Picard's Henry Blake.

[@leoperidot482]

MASH made a point for everyone to get used to different leadership styles. You really see it when Klinger becomes the new clerk. I think the camp bonded better under Potter.

[@ded32]

"I had to kill Bob Morton because he made a mistake. Now it's time to erase that mistake!" My childhood villain.

[@Revan2908]

Another favorite line from a different villain he played: "In thirty seconds you'll be dead, and I'll blow this place up and be home in time for Corn Flakes."

[@kcirrednosrednad3596]

dereqq oowiei by the time this is over, you'll be dead and I'll be home just in time for cornflakes.

[@louistournas120]

"If you can't stand the heat, then you better get out of the kitchen. Every officer knows that.".

[@doctorclu]

Troi in a uniform was the only lasting effect of Jellico's visit. And poor Data, now that was harsh.

[@Amar7605]

Data should've been like, "Fuck this, I'm transferring to another ship. There's a lot less pressure there."

[@rpcarnell]

what did he do to Data?

[@rtek5]

It was Jeri Taylor that wanted Troi out of her catsuit, not Jelico. It may have seemed that way but if you watch later episodes she continues in a starfleet uniform. He was a DICK with an overbearing personality who's sole purpose was to be "the man you love to hate", an antagonist for Riker. Nothing redeeming about him. His style of command wouldn't have gotten him into getting his own ship, let alone moved in to the captain of the flagship. Defending him is asinine

[@polybius3765]

As you touched on, Jelico is not a dick. He's a Dick Jones. Just keep in mind working for him will not prevent robotic police officers from chucking you through multiple panes of glass in a drug lab, no matter how much you shout it into their 80's eye-visor. If fans don't like him, it is because Cox is a fuckin champion and did his job well. A guy you love to hate. I personally love to hate Riker so I had no beef with Jelico. Also, there's a couple bits where he leaves scene almost like Groucho Marx speed walking outta the set and I love it. I think I most prefer hunkering down with a nice meal of live Tespa and watching the second part if I have to choose 1. Knowing that Warner was a last minute pick and did some of his scenes with cue cards is ridiculously impressive. But without Jelico, that story wouldn't be as delicious as the twitching mass of slime feathers and eyeballs that it truly is. He's the kinda guy you would let erase your mind just to infiltrate a Martian rebellion. Always great work from Ronny Cox.

[@erictaylor5462]

6:00 Also, if Riker had fired on the Borg Cube before they had adapted their ship, they might have destroyed it, killing Picard, but saving 29 Federation ships (and their crews). Riker made the wrong choice on this one, and that mistake had devastating consequences. Riker was loyal to Picard first, which was wrong.

[@cripplious]

In history the leader would have subordinate who loyalty is unquestioned to the point of killing their leader if asked.

[@-pancakes7205]

My biggest problem with this episode is that they send Picard a 60 year old captain, Dr. Crusher and Worf on this secret mission. I know the Federation is supposed to be peaceful at this point but you're seriously telling me that they don't have a commando/special ops team to handle this mission?

[@grumpyotter]

They needed Picard because of his expertise in that substance they found--can't recall what it was. But yeah--I agree with you with Crusher. Ridiculous choice.

[@roundaboutpony6653]

You know what I enjoy? Not getting murdered by Cardassians, that's what I enjoy.

[@lillybabb9105]

I think the writers realized Marina Sirtis looked damn good in the uniform and that’s why they had her in it from then out. With the exception of I think one episode. lol

[@jasoncarswell7458]

She looked like an actual officer instead of a wet dream from Roddenberry's imagination. If he hadn't of died, she'd have been useless and ornamental until the final episode...

[@AC-ih7jc]

Speaking as a PhD psychologist, my favorite moment in ST:TNG was Captain Jellico ordering Counselor Troi to be in uniform... *like every other command officer* For the character's contribution to be taken seriously, the character has to take her job seriously. No joke, I was fist-pumping at the TV the moment he said that. It always pssed me off that Troi was treated as just the ship's empath when really, she was probably supposed more like a Chief Behavioral Sciences officer (psychology, sociology, anthropology, as well as the "xeno" flavors of same). Her job would have more closely resembled that of Dr. Emil Skoda on Law & Order. And I 100% agree...Jellico was an AWESOME captain. Tough times require tough captaining. He deserved his own spin off series.

[@OscarCastillo1]

I liked his character. He kicked ass. Too bad we didn't see more of him in later episodes.

[@gdparry2727]

Loved some of Troi's outfits but the official uniform just made her look even hotter

[@mikepastor.k6233]

Especially, that one uni that shows cleavage more on one breast than the other. Like, what are you trying to convey.

[@shakespeareanstudent]

Edward Jellico- the Dwight Shrute of Star Fleet. Terrible for morale and more than willing to injure his coworkers, but also ruthlessly efficient, and a fan of modest women's clothes.

[@bsotech]

In context, Jellico isnt that far different than another brash Starfleet Captain. Sisko and Jellico probably spent time in the same classrooms at Starfleet Academy. But he pulled off a great gambit by mining the Cardassian ships, then looked completely unhinged when he threatened to go to war with them... And the fact that from that episode on, you never see Troi out of uniform again.

[@georgeorwell4534]

Jellico and Kirk could sit across the table and understand each other. I think this is an excellent evaluation.

[@PanicProvisions]

...which is probably because she realized that Jellico had a point?

[@vincehadley8774]

My biggest problem with this episode isn't Jellico or Ryker. So the admiral has a rendezvous with the Enterprise to relieve Picard of command and to inform him of his covert mission. Now surely The Federation would have specially trained "Seal Teams" for just such missions, right?? Why didn't she bring a team along with her, transfer them to the Enterprise and let Enterprise deliver them to their mission. So you want Picard to lead the team, ok fine. I would even concede Worf could be on that team, too. But Dr. Crusher??? You send A Chief Medical Officer and not someone specially trained for difficult covert missions??? That's absurd! I would imagine Seal Teams would have some medical training for emergencies, right??

[@kchishol1970]

Agreed, it is the equivalent having US Admiral Nimitz doing a field mission with marines in World War II, it is a grossly inappropriate use of a senior officer of such importance to the Navy.

[@andrewkohlieber3264]

@@kchishol1970 maybe it was bait to get them distracted and a false sense of having the upper hand, to get them into negotiations otherwise it makes no sense.

[@c704710]

The episode explained very well that the Romulans designed an extremely specific trap. The Romulans choose the team members, Starfleet simply fell for it.

[@johnpowers9058]

This is one of the reasons I liked the MACO's in Enterprise.

[@voiceofafreeamerica9854]

You guys keep forgetting: Starfleet WAS NOT a Military Organization. It was at best an organization with some military training. As far as grabbing Worf and Crusher, they were sending in an expendable team. Though Crusher was Main Caste, in a military/faux military organization she would have been considered expendable.

[@DrFeelGoodHelpDesk]

It's always fascinated me how Ronny Cox who, by all accounts of his co-stars and random folks who have met him, is one of the nicest and most genuine people you'll ever meet...always plays complete assholes, villains and upfront bastards. Now I am drawn to liking and hating Jellico, liking him because he's Ronny bloody Cox and hating him because that's the framework the episode feeds us...

[@matthewsmith3078]

My main issue with Jelico was….what’s his problem with Picard’s fish? It’s a pretty cool fish?

[@lainhyugatha3762]

ikr what did the lionfish ever do to him

[@Glicksman1]

When I first saw "Chain of Command" I was highly impressed with Captain Jellico. So much that I thought that they had found a real Navy Captain to play the role. Ronny Cox was fabulous and totally believable. I can't say that I'd like to serve under him, but he sure knew how to command and how to get the job done. The "four-lights" bit was taken from G. Orwell's "1984": "How many fingers am I holding up?"

[@tuchehstone]

I've had several bosses who are exactly like Captain Edward Jellico and I found them to be easy to get along with, mostly because I'd meet their demands instead of sulking about it. Jellico meant business and he wasn't discreet about his intentions. I found that to be less passive-aggressive than what the test of the command staff had become accustomed to.

[@hoot2416]

I just re-watched the episode. Riker basically ingores the first order from Jellico to change the duty roster. Geordi also questions his orders even though Data said it was achievable basically, Geordi was whining about it being too much work. If I was Jellico, I wouldn't not be too happy with the command staff either. Had Riker and LaForge simply said, "Yes Sir" and did what they were ordered to do, the relationship would have been better. Jellico is the Captain. It's up to the First Officer and Chief Engineer to adjust to the new Commanding Officer, not the other way around.

[@ptmnc1]

Nope, at no point did Riker ignore orders coming down the chain of command. Jellico wants a 4 shift rotation, that's fine, but when he comes on board Picard is still the captain and remains so until the change of command ceremony. Riker literally can't change the shift rotations without subverting Picard's authority until that point, and when that point arrives he has already gotten his ducks in a row in order to get it done, which we know because he gets it done after Jellico first gives him the order as Riker's commanding officer. LaForge obviously isn't happy about having his entire staff working 48 hours straight to make the changes Jellico wants, but we find out a few scenes later that Jellico (having been informed by both his Chief Engineer and his Ops officer that this much labour would be needed for the job) almost immediately transfers a third of engineering to security. Given the stated journey time to the rendezvous with the Cardassians, Jellico absolutely guarantees that the Enterprise-D will arrive with its secondary distribution grid offline and its warp coils decidedly not realigned and their efficiency still only at regulation levels. You'll also note that Jellico angrily tells Riker that he should just "get it done" whenever he issues an order and that he "doesn't want to talk about it", but then when Riker launches the ordered probe on time and just gets it done and doesn't talk about it with Jellico, Jellico badmouths Riker to Picard for doing *exactly* as he told Riker to proceed when it comes to his orders just a few hours earlier.

[@DanceSeek]

What bugged me most about this episode was the idiotic move of Star Fleet to send a captain, a chief medic and a chief of security off on a spy mission. Send three trained spies to do that and leave these three experts free to keep doing what they've proved they're great at. My suspension of disbelief was strained to the breaking point and I was disgusted with another sign of the writers running out of ideas and/or being pushed into writing stupid stuff in a bid to prop up flagging ratings.

[@The2wanderers]

That's kind of the whole premise of Star Trek, though. If the Federation used the people with the right skills for every job, the characters we know would basically have dull office jobs, staffing the bridge, main engineering, and the cousellor's office every day, ordering sending anonymous red shirts off to do all the plot stuff.

[@prestonr7734]

I was about to comment the same thing haha

[@prestonr7734]

The premise is typically they form away teams on the fly to handle certain situations but normally they aren't receiving orders from higher up to go on black ops

[@jefff3886]

And not just a captain, but THAT captain. Picard, captain of the flagship of the Fleet, the pride of Starfleet and their Number 1 ship. Picard, famous throughout the galaxy, known and respected by aliens far and wide - and even feared as a force to be reckoned with by some. Starfleet Command: "Hey, I got an idea. Let's take Picard off his ship and send him on a secret spy mission deep into Cardassian territory. What could go wrong?"

[@slipperyh8390]

@@The2wanderers A show where they have a constantly changing group of expendables being sent out on horrifically dangerous missions (with a lot of them failing to come back) but focusing on the psychological damage it does to the commanders that have to send them out would be pretty interesting.

[@AM2Star]

I would have liked to see an episode where Riker is on board Captain Jelico's ship and sees how the crew respect and admires him.

[@donsample1002]

Back when this episode first aired I was part of an online discussion forum which included some people with actual military experience, and their reaction to Jellico was along the lines of "At last! A Starfleet commanding officer who actually behaves like a commanding officer!"

[@RandomAussieGuy87]

+Don Sample As a reservist in the Australian airforce, that was exactly my reaction!

[@edvinboskovic9963]

Jellico is actually a real captain. More militaristic than the explorer type of captain, but by all seen and portrayed he is a real captain. His negotiating tactics and plan for the Cardassians are top in those episodes. Practically, it turned out that the main team (Riker, Troi, La Forge etc) from the enterprise is incapable of working with anyone but Picard, and that's bad. Whoever has worked in some systems of command hierarchy in his life knows that people like Jellico are the most trusting, and a crew that can't get used to change is no good. In reality it is solved by rotations and changes. Regarding Riker, Comm. Shelby in Best of both worlds, told him whole truth.

[@pbdye1607]

Yeah, it's clear that Riker might not have had the ability to send any of his friends to their deaths, and he'd clearly not taken the Command examination with the personnel he'd become way too involved with. One of the best scenes in an otherwise shitty movie (U-571) was Bill Paxton explaining why he didn't think his XO (played by Matt McConaghey) was command material.

[@cjbiro9374]

You're 100% right. Jellico IS pretty awesome.

[@phillipl.sublett7474]

Jellico was great -- if they had killed off Picard and made Jellico the star of the series for a few years, I would have been fine with that. And I loved that Troi continued wearing her Starfleet uniform for the rest of the series, even after Jellico left.

[@phillipl.sublett7474]

And that was the peak Ronny Cox period -- between "RoboCop," "Total Recall," and "Stargate: SG-1." Any sci-fi production is elevated when he shows up.

[@jbard9892]

And of course it was really Marina Sirtis who wanted to stop being forced to wear a leotard to work every day which is why she continued wearing the uniform after Jellico had left.

[@matthewgelfer4955]

Jellico wasn't the captain they deserved, but he was the one they needed right now.

[@liontone]

They got a better captain than they deserved. They were soft, and undisciplined.

[@seanholland6132]

Jellico was a HARD reminder how spoiled the Enterprise crew was.

[@genrepunk]

There are four shifts!

[@heathers.rcraig6236]

😆

[@lisasimmons5362]

:) Superb comment, Josh Davis.

[@sierrawhiskey5144]

Its kinda funny, I'm listening to Ensigns log podcast and this ep is on (Yeah, I'm months behind). To be honest, Cpt Jellico was some one who acted like what I'd presume a normal star ship captain would act like. Hollywood does not grasp or chooses to be very ignorant about the Military culture or any codes of conduct that are strictly enforced in service. Cpt Jellico was the right person for the job and he carried it out.

[@rdaniel76]

When I first saw this episode, I thought Jellico was awful, but I was 12. Now that I’m an adult, I realize he was a pretty decent captain.

[@ghostinthemachine8243]

As the commanding officer, Jellico was responsible for the success of the mission. He can't let his personal feelings interfere with accomplishing that mission.

[@rudeboyjohn3483]

Totally agree. Job is done. Lives saved. War averted. And he wasn't actively a dick. Tried to be chummy, but the crew kept disobeying orders. So yea, for all of the above in the video, he was pretty stellar at his job.

[@larryo6874]

By the way the name Jellico was the name of a British admiral in WW1.

[@oldsnwbrdr]

I wonder how Jonathan Frakes feels about the way Riker was written in these episodes (as a whiny little bitch). I think Riker would have adapted to Jellico immediately, and whipped any other whiners into shape. Jellico is the ST character I would most like to see brought back (not including Prodigy).

[@Zukiwi1]

Jellico was the captain they needed, not the one they deserved.

[@StrummervilleDM]

I like a well presented argument and you did the best you could with an unwinnable position. Great work! Jellico's actions would be fine for a poorly performing crew but this is a very well established crew that have an incredible track record of victories in combat. Making such radical changes to make them shipshape just isn't necessary when they're already such a well oiled machine. The biggest red flag for me was his first order; changing shift rotations with immediate effect. Sleep patterns are incredibly important for workers on earth (just ask anyone who works night shifts), it's even more difficult in space. The crew includes people from dozens of worlds with different sleep pattern requirements that have all had to adjust to the current schedule, making changes on the fly is dangerous to their ability to perform. Jellico's comment about Riker to Picard shows that he's not taken even a cursory glance at the service record of his first officer! He's turned down his own commands and has hundreds of recommendations from Picard and every other officer he's service under. Also, Riker know the crew and how to get the best performance out of them (again, check their record). A good captain would work WITH the highly decorated first officer to make improvements rather than railroad over him to push your own agenda to try to make a name for yourself.

[@Oonagh72]

D M you make great arguments. The one with which I would most disagree is that a good crew would be able to fall under the command of a new captain quickly. Yes they know specifics, and they should be able to respectfully explain any issues.

[@cdfreester]

I totally agree with you Steve. I have always thought Jellico was misunderstood and wrongfully demonized. He’s a very good captain.

[@sullyb23511]

Jellico is like Sisko without tact or a sense of camaraderie with his subordinates.

[@Jehayland]

I clicked on this video, realized I’d watched this already like months ago. I watch it again anyway because it’s just that good. Great commentary, as always.

[@Numbah3Son]

Jehayland 3rd watch for me.

[@glamourweaver]

Jellico commanding the Enterprise demonstrates the fundamental failing of the combining the military and scientific exploration/diplomacy. Jellico is someone who would shine rightly in command of a naval vessel patrolling the border. The clashes that occurred framing him as an anatagonist stem from the Enterprise crew being scientific explorers and diplomats who don’t think like military officers. I assume he commanded with distinction during the Dominion War, while the Enterprise were off doing whatever Insurrection was.

[@stuartbaxter-potter8363]

That makes sense. He's the commander the Federation needed for this mission but not the commander the Federation wants on the Enterprise in times of peace.

[@glamourweaver]

@@stuartbaxter-potter8363 yeah he wouldn’t foster the collaborative intellectual debate and discussion the Enterprise needs for unwrapping its mysteries and ethical dilemmas. But he’s exactly who you want in charge staring down a rival imperial power at the border.

[@ElectoneGuy]

Jelico was a hard-ass, but I loved his attitude towards the living room, comfortable bridge crew. Watching whiney LaForge complain to Riker was classic. Putting Troi in her place was epic. He should have had a little more respect for Riker considering what he accomplished at Wolf 359.

[@saberjpg-mo3hy]

Riker wasn't at Wolf 359. The Enterprise had burnt out their warp engines trying to destroy the Borg ship just before the encounter at Wolf 359. The Enterprise arrived after that battle, and saw the remains of the Tolstoy, Melbourne, and the Kyushu to name a few.

[@ElectoneGuy]

saberjpg1975 What I meant to say is that Riker was in command of the Enterprise during that encounter with the Borg and the Enterprise was responsible for stopping them before they got to Earth.

[@tessierashpoolmg7776]

Electone_Guy Big props on a great comment.

[@marknorth8904]

I think what most of the Enterprise crew was objecting to with Capt Jellico, was that Jellico didn't try to make any decisions that would at least attempt to get Picard back more or less safely until the last of the episode.. Jellico's attitude was ,"Wow, look at me... I'm now the Captain of the Enterprise. I don't care about the ship's morale. I'll show those Cardis... I'll leave this ship only when I'm ordered to by Starfleet Command. "

[@gc7820]

Jellico is a superb character kicking the complacent enterprise crew up the arse and given his behaviour to a superior officer giving perfectly legitimate orders which are needed to complete the mission, Riker should’ve been at least demoted if not cashiered out of the service.

[@medievalist]

Just rewatched Chain Of Command last night for the first time since the Nineties. I totally agree with you. Jellicoe isn't there to make friends, or out for personal glory, he's there to sort out this awful situation with the Cardassians, which indeed he does magnificently. Picard being captured is definitely not his responsibility, and he is right to place saving potentially thousands of lives over Picard's. Nonetheless, he jumps that the appropriate opportunity to get Picard back when he can, without risking others. One really big clue for me is that he calls everyone by their first name in quite a folksy way. I think this shows that under normal circumstances, he's actually quite caring, and keen to get along with his crew. The only decision I don't think is a good idea is the crew roster change. Mainly because having everyone falling asleep all over the place because their shift cycle has changed, when they are possibly about to go into a battle, seems like a bad idea to me.

[@loC2ol]

“And keep wearing it after I’m gone, for the rest of the series!”

[@theorbitalone7283]

Jelico was great, i was totally expecting a typical secretly evil captain, but he was actually just doing his job, gotta remember that the enterprise is basically a cruise liner and super lax. He comes off a bit like an asshole but we’re just used to how picard runs things

[@sandal_thong8631]

Finally, someone who agrees with the point of the video! Jellico probably had been studying the Galaxy-Class Starship for a long time, in case he was on the short-list to command one and came in with his ideas to make it battle-ready for war. I learned recently that they called in a Galaxy Class Starship on _Deep Space Nine_ and it got blown up! Probably that one was commanded by a bad captain! I do see the point of a new leader coming in and shaking things up, without checking out the situation first is bad, as I experienced that. But in this case he didn't have time for a "shake-down cruise" or "meet-and-greet" as the crisis was upon them. He needed Riker to implement his orders ASAP and Riker wasn't willing to do it. Riker also had a problem in other episodes with his duplicate self and Lt. Cmdr. Shelby, so he's got some issues. Now it would have been a demoralizing move for Jellico to bring in his own second-in-command from his last assignment, without giving Riker the chance. Another reason to not like him is that he played the bad guy in _Total Recall._

[@davesteller6301]

Jellico was definitely a hard ass but he did get the job done. And Riker disobeyed his orders. That's all on Riker. I'm not sure I'd like serving under Jellico but he does get the job done. And sometimes it can be refreshing to see someone put Riker and Troi in their place.

[@dynamicds]

Jellico is the Winston Wolf of Star Fleet. He solves problems. “... I think fast, talk fast and I need you officers to act fast if you wanna get Picard outta this. So, pretty please with Latium on top. Boost the f’in warp core. Riker, get it done. Data, lead the way...” End scene🎬

[@sonyakinsey4376]

I liked Jellico. Riker, you're in StarFLEET. Suck it up and do your job and follow the chain of command. Like, yes, Counselor Trio, you're an officer, put on a proper uniform and be professional. I thought this when the episode aired and I was like, twelve.

[@snicrep1484]

what i found awesome about that character, is that i expected him to be showed up by the crew and his ass handed to him. he would apologize and and concede that his methods were too severe. but no. as the episode continued, i found myself siding with jellico. in the end he could have dropped the mic and exited.

[@chaneafs]

I've gone back and forth on Jellico over the years. At first I was entirely on Riker's side about Jellico, as I got older I came more to the similar opinion you express in this video and can see many of the positive aspects of his character. Most of his stuff is very well done and excellently portrayed... However, as someone who has served in the military for several years now, I have to point out that his actions upon assuming command of the ship are absolutely terrible. Specifically his demand that the entire shift schedule of all crewman on the enterprise be changed within hours if him officially assuming command is not only unreasonable, but is guaranteed to have the opposite effect he is striving for in the episode. It would takes days if not weeks to rearrange a shift schedule from 3 teams to four (especially for a crew that large). Demanding it be accomplished within a day... before even being officially put in command is not only asking for something nearly impossible, but is a surefure way to destroy both morale and preparedness of the crew... something he explicitily wants in top condition because he knows a war could be close at hand. Riker attempting to point this out (his job as second in command being to represent the crew's interests to the captain and vice versa) is immediately shut down without further discussion and creates the initial rift between him and Riker that the rest of the episode builds upon and makes worse. For the rest of the episode I can fully support your argument and can see how good of a character he is. His decisions regarding Picard & Troi's uniform are both right on the money. But considering the foot he led with, it makes it very hard for me as someone who has seen several change of commands happen in my time to see him as a good captain.

[@4u57inc0v3110]

You really hit the nail on the head in the casting of Ronnie Cox. With the exception of Captain Bogamill, his acting career/type can be summed up in two words: "Professional Jackass." But you seem to think that a central theme of Star Trek is that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, when, in fact, Star Trek is about challenging that form of Act Utilitarianism. Immediately, after Spock states that, Star Trek III shows that one life can be worth more than a group's, when the crew of The Enterprise commit some serious crimes to bring Spock back from the dead. And how many times have we heard Captain Picard say something to the extent of, "I refuse to let arithmetic decide my moral compass." And, when you think about it, the Borg are Act Utilitarianism taken to the most unhealthy extreme imaginable; the individual is so marginalized that he/she doesn't exist and there's only the collective left. And they are the ultimate enemy in the TNG era. What does that tell you? I really don't have a comment on Jellico beyond that either way, because Trek was never about black-and-white issues, but rather two varying shades of gray. With repect to Jellico vs. the rest of the crew, you can see both points of view, and both points of view are nearly equally valid. I will say that in Peter David's "Excalibur" series, Jellico is vindicated somewhat, since he's been promoted to Admiral.

[@Terrekain]

This episode with Capt Jellico is one of those more realistic "character studies" in Star Trek that reminds me of my days in the Navy. Two of the other best to mirror my experiences, I think are "Below Decks" from TNG (which involves the viewpoint of junior officers and/or enlisted) and "Faith, Treachery, and the Great River" from DS9 (which involves the the real-life "system" of supply systems and logistics which mirror real life in the military and civilian world).

[@tjoris9]

I think what he may have meant was that Star Trek is about the struggle between the compassionate viewpoint that all life is important, versus the callous pragmatism that one life isn't worth saving at the cost of many. The whole point of Spock and McCoy's relationship in TOS is built on that struggle.

[@CCJJ160Channels]

You know, I never thought about it. But you’re absolutely right. He was working for a greater good to ensure the ship was prepared for a wider possible war.

[@johnpowers9058]

You mentioned Spock and his logical approach to command with the needs of the many out weighing the needs of the few. This was a frequent plot device that often had TOS characters basically acting with disrespect to Spock and his rank as commander and first officer if not outright insubordination. This similar theme was played out in this TNG episode. Riker was a horrible first officer in this episode. The very first thing he does is ignore his new Captain's orders. Troi basically undercuts Jelico in front of the crew by commenting that he had doubts. She never would have done that to Picard. Jelico even tells her that she has to help the crew transition to this because if the shit goes south they're going to war. Yet the only ones who seem to be able to do their duty is Geodi and Data.

[@stevebotham2018]

Jellico was in the right. As a military commander he ultimately decides how his ship runs. Riker Refusing to follow orders should have got him a courtmartial

[@manweller1]

Agreed

[@abanana5289]

I think in the episodes in which Starfleet is actually at war that might be more or less accurate in-universe, but Starfleet does work differently than any real world military and that’s demonstrated on screen. I mean for one thing, you can resign at any time you want to and just disembark at the next space station or Starfleet base. Multiple times, characters just say “I gotta quit, bye.” Worf feels the call to fight for the Klingon Empire and just takes off from the Enterprise, and Starfleet lets him, no AWOL, no courtmartial. So maybe on the other hand, there are other ways that Starfleet is more lenient than our world’s militaries. And it should be! Starfleet’s main purposes are exploration, emergency response, and diplomacy. The Federation tries it’s best to act as a post-war society, and Starfleet only takes up the function of a military fleet when there’s no diplomatic solution and no other way to protect it’s people. These are all explorers, scientists, diplomats, archeologists, and doctors who are temporarily acting as soldiers.

[@lanadrey5085]

@@abanana5289 Which ends up actually making them very difficult to predict and control by their enemies. When you get into a war with Klingons and Cardassians they are going to start bombing your stuff; get into a war with the Federation and there's no telling what kind of weirdness they might try.

[@keithc187]

Jellico was great in this situation and kicked Cardassian ass and saved Picard while he was at it. He's a brilliant war-time captain. Totally not the right kind of guy for exploration and Darmok-y shit.