PATRON TIER LIST - STAR TREK TNG S4E12

All the dead civilians and left behind families that didn't want to participate are affected.

Jim

in these perilous times of war in the world, it is good to be reminded how war affects, beginning and ending with the warriors - love you guys

jan

I also love lamp so there’s that

marty63026

Great to see OBrien taking centre stage and becoming integrated into the main cast.

Jill Barker

This is an episode where I could remember nothing about it, and chances are, I'll forget soon, but I still gave it an S ranking because I forgot how good it was.

wildhunt1973

Favorite 90s hard ass, Warden Norton himself, Bob Gunton, getting all obtuse in the 24th century. Why can't anyone see the obvious???

J Potter

I expect much gushing over this one, Soldier Boys. Maybe a little giggle over some headgear but other than that, wall to wall pathos. Keep Colm and Meaney on.

J Potter

Easily qualifies as S tier.

Jim J

The war was over. At least the "hot" war was. Picard was trying to maintain the peace. The two sides obviously still don't trust each other though, but there were no open hostilities until Maxwell attacked them.

Jim J

I find it 100% believable.

Jim J

No, this is not the 90s, it's the future.

Jim J

A fantastic actor!

Jim J

she was in charge of plants, youd think shed be growing crazy weird galactic veggies.

Charlotte Hammond

S/A episode, gets S for obrien

Charlotte Hammond

This episode is so S tier, I got notified about the poll twice

Deep Red

It’s S tier

Josef Nitervol

Dude you have a whole bunch of spoilers in there. You should edit that down a little bit

Aaron Wells

Oh come on. White male Americans are people too. Pump the hate brakes a little bit.

Aaron Wells

I particularly love Picard’s parting shot at the Cardassians. He may play by the rules, but he isn’t stupid.

ChemicalCrash

Trek has a habit of miscasting Asian characters. George takei was the only one that got right. Rosalind Chao is not Japanese, but Chinese... Nor is Linda Park Japanese. She is of Korean heritage. Same goes with John Cho... Korean, not Japanese. It's kind of irritating how it keeps happening.

Aaron Wells

This is the real beginning of O'Brien's arc as a key character.

Aaron Wells

For me it's an A, but since TA are big fans of O'Brien, I predict they S-rank it.

Ian Westcott

Just when you think you've gotten your O'Brien episode of the season, this one comes roaring in from left field.

Jeffrey P

The first O’Brien episode 🎉

John McDonald

It's a brilliant episode, explores themes relevant and it's brave to show O'Brians honest feelings. =A=

Cooper Vision

The first true Obrien episode. Can't wait to hear what Alex thinks. It better be his favorite!

Michael Mannisto

It's been a while since I've seen this one (I'm not very fond of it overall) but I do look forward to re-watching it again with the uncut reaction on Sunday. There is a time and place to disobey orders for the greater good, but Maxwell's disregard for the chain of command should have booted him out completely. If it didn't.

Jovet

You should never look at food, (in the immortal words of “Weird Al” Yankovich) 😇 just eat it

Thicketdweller

ooof!

Column Meanie

Her hair tied with chopsticks at the wedding? Lol?

Greg Quinn

Definitely starts out with O'Brien getting him to back off the ledge, but I feel by the end of their exchange, when Maxwell realizes O'Brien is right and you can see Maxwell's expression as he basically makes up his mind and realized what he's done. I just think it's a great and emotional, well acted scene overall. I never found it cringy but can understand. Maybe because I like O'Brien so much, he's just such a relatable character and I don't hate Maxwell by the end (earlier in the episode I didn't like him at all).

Murtaugh

@Jovet you don’t get to decide what offends other people

Column Meanie

@Column Meanie The culture of 24th-century people in Asia is fictional. There is nothing to be offended about.

Jovet

@Phil Ken Sebben I have given up caring about spoilers at this point.

Jovet

Bit cringy to me. Maxwell may be right but I feel like O'Brien is babysitting him to back him off the ledge.

Jovet

@Thicketdweller I wasn't referring to Memory Alpha. It has a lot of information, but it doesn't have transcripts. If I need to refer to a transcript, I just search for: TNG episode-name transcript and the first hit is usually the site I want. Then it is just a matter of searching the episode's page for key words. I know visual impairment makes things more complicated for you, depending on how you're used to interacting with a computer.

Jovet

(O'Brien's salutation "Chief" comes from his presumed rank, Chief Petty Officer.)

Jovet

@Own Madden Dude don’t be a jerk. I didn’t say I was offended. I simply stated that if I was of Japanese American ancestry I would be offended that the writers wrote that Keiko essentially eats fish food that is not something found on any traditional or current (to 1990) menu. It’s the same racial and cultural insensitivity that led to mispronunciations of several ships named after Asian rivers in another show. As pointed out in a recent podcast by one of the actors on that show, none of the behind the scenes folks had any care how to properly pronounce such names, so the actors had to wing it. Again, it’s being culturally insensitive, something easy to dismiss if you’re a white male American.

Column Meanie

Lt Kevin Riley says "hold my Saurian brandy and breaks into another bar of "I'll Take You Home Kathleen"... ONE MORE TIME!!!

Owen Madden

Some people are just looking to be offended. Sometimes they aren't even aware of it. It is a learned trait

Owen Madden

Dude! Massive Spoilers! Don't do that!

Sam Langanke

Hey hey hey, they only just want to be left alone. It's not their fault they had the misfortune of sharing a border with one of the most aggressive border expanding and population subverting empires in the quadrant, bleeding them dry of resources and forcing their hand simply to survive and maintain their unique cultural pillars.

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

O'bri-en, O'Bri-en 6'8, weighs a fucking-ton He'll save children but not the Cardy children He'll save children but not the Cardy children

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

#ReleaseMaxwell'sSensorLogs

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

Federation is huge and what hippy pacifists call a 'war' is going to be skewed by those perspectives. Really, it was a minor (albeit prolonged) series of border skirmishes and open hostilities that they send minimal resources towards while working towards formalizing relations. So they call it a war, but you could be anywhere else in the UFP and never notice.

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong #ReleaseMaxwell'sSensorLogs #RememberThePhoenix

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

To be fair, google didn't exist in 1990. Of course, Japanese restaurants did, particularly in LA. I however choose to believe that Japan solved it's birthrate decline post WW3 and had nowhere to expand but the sea bed.

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

You can't trust those Cardies! Remember the lives lost on Setlik III The only good spoon head is a dead one! Space Racism! Huzzah!

#MaxwellDidNothingWrong

Even on its own, this episode is a fantastic examination of wartime prejudices and, as others have pointed out, a good example of how being correct doesn't mean you're in the right. Beyond that, it's a great preview of things to come, particularly in DS9. Can't wait to see y'all's reaction!

Joshua Hartman

O'Brien's best episode to date. It's one of the rare instances in TNG where we explore a traumatic service history of a crew member. Also, understand that this episode came out as the Soviet Union was collapsing, so people unable to move on from the Cold War was an important issue, especially if they had faced loss. S tier episode.

JoeCensored

3rd appearance- he was uncredited in Lonely Among Us as the alien delegate disgusted by the replicator making non-real meat

Jeffrey

I never took this in that way. Not saying you are wrong or that I fully disagree. It's just that she doesn't say anything about it being Japanese or traditional or anything of the like. Only it was what she ate growing up.

s0rd3z

I love this episode, so stoked for the reaction! I love TNG

marty63026

I think the “we dont know what they eat in the 24th century” is a copout considering we see modern day American food served in this and other shows. If I was Asian I would be slightly offended that no one bothered to ask people of my culture what our daily breakfast staples are. “Kelp buds”? “Sea berries”? 🙄

Column Meanie

Oh and I think this is the second appearance of Marc Alaimo this time as Gul Macet. For reference he is the security guard at Mars customs in one of Alex's favorite movies Total Recall. The scene where the fake ladies head blows up.

s0rd3z

And he will for all of our sins

harrypothead42024

We don't know whether Captain Maxwell was correct. All we know is that Captain Picard believes Captain Maxwell was correct. If you believe it is incumbent on you to believe anything anyone with a title says, then I suppose you're right. I happen to believe that even the great Captain Picard could be wrong. Now, in this case, I know Cardassians, and they're not innocent, but we as an audience don't know.

harrypothead42024

You can choose to look at it as uncaring racism or you can look at it as in 400 years who knows what Asian culture will look like it could Splinter into a billion separate little subcultures or the entire world could mold into some sort of monoculture. This is a small thing to get twisted about but I understand some people do get twisted about things

harrypothead42024

A tier for me, so close to an S. More chief is never a bad thing and Colm plays this perfectly. The line "I don't hate you, I hate what I became because of you.". Is brilliant. Just great writing and delivery by Colm.

s0rd3z

I wonder how they would have written Tasha Yar, if Rosalind Chao had been successful in her audition for that role?

DG

One final thought: it is clear the writers of this episode had no idea how to write for an Asian character and instead chose to adopt a stereotype by showing Keiko serving “plankton loaf and sea berries”. A simple Google search will show that this is not even close to being a staple of the Japanese diet, either past or present. I guess they tried. 🙄

Column Meanie

I'll quote 2x13 Picard: "You're confusing me!"

Chris Mickelson

This ep shows that being correct, does not always mean you are "right"

Prof Moff

They were still perfecting their psychological warfare techniques in the 21st century.

Tony B

I got the impression that they just were too small to be more than a local contained threat to the Federation as a whole this time. That could change in the future.

Tony B

O'Brien must suffer.

THE LORE!!!

Kind of reminds me of an album by Primus! They all can’t be zingers!

Thicketdweller

Basically the concept is We all attempt to have control of our lives, but there is much more that influences our lives than we have control of

Thicketdweller

It’s pretty clear to me, that a lot of patrons have been waiting to talk about this episode, including myself!

Thicketdweller

It’s infinitely faster just to go look up the moment in the episode, I just didn’t bother yesterday because I was fairly confident in my quote

Thicketdweller

I find at least memory alpha is not as easy to navigate using text to speech software as just saying it’s 99% at your fingertips it’s more like 25% of your day

Thicketdweller

Roslyn also played a local San Francisco TV reporter in the 1981 Chuck Norris movie and eye For an eye, which is actually my favorite of his movies that one and the octagon

Thicketdweller

They should edit that out

Phil Ken Sebben

S tier all the way. Colm Meaney delivers a top notch performance, the Cardassians are becoming a big deal, and we can see Chief O'Brien has main character juice. You will get big things paying off from this episode for, oh, the next decade or so in Star Trek stories. I really think you guys are going to love this one.

Paul O'Neal

We haven't met the Bajoran's yet, FYI.

Nolan

Get ready for the beginning of the all-encompassing vision of galactic politics that'll continue on through Deep Space Nine and Voyager. I feel that this is the start of the then-present writers/producers of TNG establishing solid world-building, and also paving the way towards grounded, melancholic story-telling. Also, best Space Irishiman.

Shortskirtsandexplosions

ScotchBeard78

Two O'Brien episodes in a row, we're just getting spoiled now!

Gregory

S Tier episode imo, huge episode for the Trek universe here. Loved O'Brien's character development here and getting introduced to the Cardassians is pretty significant going forward. Bob Gunton's performance was fantastic. "We will be watching."

Steve Krautkramer

If he had followed orders the cards would have had free rein to do what they wanted and violate the treaty. Maxwell risked everything for the safety of the federation. He was right

Phil Ken Sebben

Uhhh.... It seems I'm on the lower end of the majority. Whatever. Don't like the main lore in this one. - The spoon forheads are fantastic. #B-Tier

Adam from Germany

Shame that Star Fleet lost.

Jovet

Nothing wrong? Disobeyed orders...?

Jovet

It's a shame they're just so damn ugly. And CREEPY ugly at that.

Jovet

@BN13 I never took Keiko's character very seriously, since they never took the time to properly introduce her, bud a romance, etc. Your views are on point, but I just don't believe they matter—she's just not that important of a character, and she's molded to the situation the plot needs. For Wesley, you're spot on. I very rarely found him annoying, most of the time he just had too much pressure and too much "oh but you're so genius" plastered upon him.

Jovet

S tier all the way. There's nothing wrong with this episode at all. You're interested from beginning to end; you care about what's going to happen next. Great acting from all of our regular crew, plus great guest-star acting from Mark Alaimo and Colm Meaney, as always. A new species that probably will never show up again, but they look interesting as hell: the Cardassians. I also always enjoy it when the antagonist is somebody that, even if you can't identify with them, you can at least understand what happened to break this person down.

harrypothead42024

He may just explode into a fine, bloody mist! Josh too.

Jovet

I seem to recall a pretty bad-ass Picard moment in this one!

Jovet

I already said "T-tier should be a thing—they can't all be S-tier"

Jovet

Episode transcripts are available at your fingertips. 99.9% of the time, they're right. My memory says you got it right, though.

Jovet

How Petty

Jovet

I never really cared for this episode much, but I know two people who will soak it right on up.

Jovet

I actually don't mind Wesley lol. Probably because I was a straight A gifted student as well, so I can relate to the episodes that tap into that, as well as the constant pressure he was under to continue being the straight A student that everyone expected him to be. The first 10 mins of Final Mission alone are kind of nuts. Listen to him frantically defending why he can't do the impossible by being in two places at once, immediately followed by Picard telling him that he'll basically have to do double work at the Academy, which is already super hard, and if he fails, he'll be making Picard look like a liar. Yeah no pressure there. And Wesley has to take it all with a smile. This is why I don't mind Evolution either. Dr Stubbs was meant to be a warning to Wesley of what he could eventually turn into. I think at this point, people just automatically hate on Wesley because it's expected. He's really not that bad. He's just a kid trying to do well with impossible expectations. Keiko though always rubbed me the wrong way. If not by selfishness like in these two episodes, then in other ways later on. Maybe I'll change my mind on this current rewatching though. I remember her ranging from ok in some episodes, to almost insufferable in others. I never found Wesley to be insufferable. He was just kind of there.

BN13

I LOVE this episode!! It has Bob Gunton…the evil Warden Norton from “The Shawshank Redemption”! It introduces us to the Cardassians, a race which will feature prominently in Star Trek moving forward. It has foreboding final words from Captain Picard, proving yet again what a badass he is! Lastly, this episode boasts some of the finest character writing of the entire series, giving Colm Meaney a real chance to shine! Not too shabby for a guy who was little more than an extra on “Encounter at Farpoint”!

Raphael Gaytan

A quote I've always remembered from the Nitpickers Guide to Star Trek (DS9 edition): "space is big. Really big. Really inconveniently big." Wars happen on Earth without us talking about it every day, even when our country is fighting it. If Starfleet had the Cardassians contained over here, then it's reasonable to assume that the Enterprise WAY over on that side of the galaxy isn't going to have to worry about it. (Though, admittedly, this happened a lot. Riker's dad hurt during the Tholian War, Jono captured during the Tellarian border wars--which to be honest might have been connected to the Cardassian Wars, we don't know. Starfleet was pretty busy in the 2350s!)

tyranusfan

I'd argue that going on a date with someone and ordering food is different than living with someone and cooking for each other.

tyranusfan

New villains for TNG! Gul Macet is played by Marc Alaimo, who played an Antican in season 1, and Tebok, the first Romulan we saw (also season 1). Mostly an O’Brien story, which is a nice change of pace.

tyranusfan

Small moment of Trek continuity - the Federation ship command codes first used in Wrath of Khan. Also, an episode where Warf changes Picard's mind on security.

C

In that role he was just as slick, but i think this appearance actually gives a better feel for the actor.

Connor Fallon

Rosalind Chao was a regular on the last season of M*A*S*H*

C

"I don't hate you Cardassian, I hate what I became, because of you. Even though you weren't there, had nothing to do with my personal situation, and like every Cardassian I see, I glower to myself and resent you all. Not cause I hate you, but that I hate myself... because of you." That's what we call unreliable narration and denial. I ain't saying O'brien's a supremesist, but I'm not gonna say he's not holding a bit of a species-based grudge and prejudice either. Not a big one, just a a little kernal of resentment he's avoided addressing that potentially, maybe, the right fire could come along and stoke into something else. What I am saying is that line sounds like a profound rebuttal towards the negative interpretations of O'brien's motives, but it's ultimately hollow double talk O'brien is using to justify and avoid confronting his attitudes. Again, like Troi in "The Loss" his feelings of anger and resentment are valid, but the way he acts on them are not.

Nolan

Not the first appearance by Marc "The Neck" Alaimo. Like Mark Leonard and Suzie Plakson, his earlier Trek work (as a Romulan) showed the crew he could take on a bigger role.

C

The staging and camera work in the final scene is also great, with Picard sitting but showing dominance over the Gul.

C

Yeah the crew still following Maxwell even after they get stopped by Picard and given orders from Star Fleet command to stand down is a bit weak sauce. Honestly given that I'm surprised Picard even left the 1st officer in charge after confining at the end. Should have sent Riker over to Captain the ship back.

Greg Quinn

Maybe they didn't usually eat breakfast together? Eh but yeah.

Greg Quinn

This is one of my favorites and an S tier episode. O'Brien continues to get fleshed out by the writers which is always good. Keep your eye on the Cardassians going forward.

Spencer Loften

S-Tier all the way! Top 10 of the season

Josef Nitervol

Also: Captain Maxwell did nothing wrong.

Phil Ken Sebben

There really should be a ds9 honest trailers

Phil Ken Sebben

Damn spoon heads

Phil Ken Sebben

O'Brien and Maxwell singing together near the end always brings a tear to my eye... I mean, dirt in my eye, there's always dirt in my eye somehow every time I watch this... Yeah 👀😅

Murtaugh

I finally put my finger on why those stakes are better than "the ship is going to EXPLODE!!!" stakes: When there's a computer virus in the ship, we know the warp core isnt actually going to explode. However, when the stakes are war and peace, it's very possible for our heroic crew to *fail* in their efforts.

Pokeysaurus

I think that allowances can be made for lack of foreshadowing in an episodic fully-syndicated TV show.

Pokeysaurus

Obviously fantastic character work for O'Brien and an actor who had the chops for an increased role. Subtly stealing the show, though, is Patrick Stewart's monologue at the end which further establishes Picard as someone who has a harder edge to him post-Locutus.

Pokeysaurus

But Keiko's right, his potato dish looks like shit. And that was the replicator's version.

Juan Tutrífor

It's two episodes. Keiko gets better development. It's not like Wesley, where she's a pain in the ass every episode and decades later makes a podcast to continue being a pain in the ass.

Juan Tutrífor

Snake neck bastards

Juan Tutrífor

I have a feeling that you guys are going to love this. Another episode with high stakes in terms of preserving peace and dealing with a growing threat, and Chief getting more air time.

Max Yoder

Yeah, sure, O'Brien and Keiko got married before trying each other's favorite food. On a ship full of instant replicators.

Juan Tutrífor

"The Minstrel Boy" really is an old Irish song that goes back to the 1800s.

Joe Concepts

Only two complaints for an otherwise GREAT episode... 1: How was it never mentioned until now that the Federation was at war with another alien race not much before the events of this series? 2: What was Maxwell's crew up to during this time? We don't see them, O'Brien just beams over, and all we hear at the end is his first officer takes command.

Joe Concepts

"It's not you I hate cardassian, I hate what I became, because of you" Walks out of 10 Forward "What was I thinking? I totally hate cardassians! Fuckin cardies."

Timothy Nikiforovs

THE O'BRIEN LORE!

Joe Concepts

The Wounded for me is a top 10 episode of TNG, possibly even top 5. PTSD, war crimes, loss of family; very heavy episode, but absolutely brilliant. Finally Colm Meaney's talent is put to good use and the results are glorious. The scene in 10 Forward is one of my most rewatched TNG scenes, it's just that good. I also love that neither Maxwell or the Cardassians are presented as definitively good or evil, there's just a whole lot of grey here.

Timothy Nikiforovs

Great way of putting it.

Timothy Nikiforovs

Ep 11-12 are absolute PROOF that there is someone traveling in time to satisfy Alex and Josh wants ! Lol also this is the first time I noticed SHIPS ! Love that Nebula class ! I hope this has some of that effect on the boys !

Sixto

This is such a good episode. Great development for the Chief and the introduction of the “Cardies”. Marc Alaimo, who plays Gul Macet, is such a pleasure to watch. The man was born to play a slightly greasy not sure if he’s good not sure if he’s disgusting foil. Also… kelp buds, plankton loaf, and sea berries? NO! Just no! 🐟

Connor Fallon

I agree that this is due to poor writing, needing her behavior as a plot device, poor Aisan cultural representation, and it being the 90s. But it still is what it is. As TA has said before, yeah the chef might have been having a bad day, but in the end, you have to judge the final product that you actually got. And to clarify, my problem wasn't her wanting to back out of the wedding. That could happen to anyone. It was how she absolutely refused to even talk to Miles about it, let alone anyone else. She acted like it was something that only concerned her. Again though, they needed her to do that for the plot. And yes, this is the 90s, so the episode blows that off as "oh, that's just a lover's quarrel. They'll sort it out yadda yadda." But that's actually a red flag by today's standards. If she did that to my husband, he'd probably call the wedding off. There's actually a lot of stuff like this in Star Trek that comes off kind of cringe now, not just Keiko. Especially if you've learned things about psychology, other cultures, childhood trauma, mental illnesses, or other topics that weren't as well known in the 90s. If something that we now know is a bad example of modelled behavior, we can critique it now with our current knowledge.

BN13

O’Brien episode!!!

Troy Massey

Starfleet went to war against the Kardashians! XD

James Knight

Solid A-tier if not S, with that last line of dialogue dripping with foreshadowing: "Take this message to your leaders Gul Macet: we'll be watching..." Remember these words, and the last few notes of the music over them.

The Ninth Doctor

Oh my sweet baby children.

Ramen Nudels

The introduction of the pivotally important race, the Cardassians. And the beginning of O'Brian's real development as a Trek character. A VERY important episode that is often under the radar.

Aaron Wells

I just think it’s poor writing. The representation of “Japanese” food is some sort of stereotype or attempt to say look she’s exotic. Most representations of Asian cultures in the 90s were yikes. Her backing out of the wedding was a plot device for Data. They didn’t write a real character. They didn’t even show the couple together at until the ceremony. The only thing that makes her feel a bit more real is that Rosalind Chao does a decent job in her portrayal.

Sainjl

Absolutely top tier episode. One of the best of the season, hands down, and I think you will love that, for a second consecutive episode, Chief O'Brien gets a big part (and he knocks it out of the park, even more than last episode.) This also introduces the Cardassians (including one played by the glorious Marc Alaimo) who are intended to be what the Ferengi were intended to be, a dangerous foe of a similar technology level for the Federation to contend with. I can't think of any real way that this episode doesn't work. The Ten Forward conversation between O'Brien and one of the Cardassians is one of my all-time favorite Star Trek conversations. I predict you'll love it. Especially Alex.

John

I bet after the last episode with the strong chief presence you guys didn't expect the very next episode to be this chief centric? Honestly this is one of my top ten episodes in all of Trek.

Greg Quinn

This is an absolute powerhouse episode. Great job by the entire cast. A huge chief O’Brien episode and introduction to the Cardassians. New ship class as well. S tier all the way

Phil Ken Sebben

Weird there's been a war going on in the background basically the entire series we're only just hearing about. I like to think Starfleet largely considered it a minor conflict until the Borg wiped out a chunk of the fleet, at which point the Cardassians became a bigger priority they wanted to wrap up quickly while they were low on ships.

Nolan

And you probably thought LAST episode was the big O'brien focused episode. Oh, remember back in season 2 when you joked O'brien was a bit racist for calling that little girl "it"? Turns out you were a little right.

Nolan

I love this episode, and I'm glad to see that others agree with me here. I had always thought it was a bit underappreciated, but perhaps that's a misperception on my part. This is an episode that isn't afraid to touch on some darker themes and it's a great acting showcase for Colm Meaney as O'Brien. And his speech in Ten Forward is so good, it still sticks with me today. The tension between Picard and Gul Macet is also well-done. The Cardassians are a bit of a rough draft, but have definite potential, way more than the Ferengi, lol! Overall, a great example of how science-fiction can be the best lens to examine modern day issues.

Ryan Caulfield

I'm not a fan of Keiko so far. All we've seen from her is pretty self-centered, or rather, innocently ignorant of how self-centered she's actually being. I think she's still learning that marriage is about what BOTH people want, not just what she wants. The wedding seemed to be entirely what she wanted; completely Japanese with none of O'brian's heritage represented at all. Plus she tried to call the whole wedding off solely because of HER emotions without even talking to O'brian or offering him an explanation as to why. And here we see that she apparently thinks that O'brian will be fine eating nothing but HER preferred foods for the rest of his life, while she has no desire to try any of his. The Chief is a very patient man to say the least. And to be fair, I was the same as Keiko in my own marriage at the beginning. Falling into that self-focused trap is very easy to do in a relationship, especially if you are not used to being with someone else. Hopefully she improves with time.

BN13

O'Brien is the enlisted man hero we deserve, off on a mission into the heart of darkness not to destroy the old commander, but save him.

JD Nevesytrof

Alex is going to lose his mind on this one 😂 #THECHIEF #STIER

Jon1701

I think the chances are good that this will be the second consecutive S tier ranked episode for TA. Time to get that running streak whiteboard out again?

DG

Prediction: S+++ tier. Lot’s of great stuff here. A new alien race (Cardassians) with some very impressive makeup! An excellent performance by Bob Gunton as Captain Maxwell. But the real star of the show is Colm Meaney who steps out of the transporter room and into stardom with this episode. A brilliant performance of a combat veteran attempting to come to terms with the horrors of war. His scene in Ten Forward has stuck with me ever since I was a kid. But the real treat is watching O’Brien deescalate the situation by sharing war stories with Maxwell and singing “The Minstrel Boy”. For anyone who has experienced recovering from decades-old trauma it is definitely a moment that captures all the feels perfectly.

Column Meanie

This is a great episode that starts expanding the role of O'Brian. It also introduces the Cardasians before the Kardashian sisters showd up an started a bunch of weird memes on social media.

Keith S

Agree

Collin Freeman

How about Colm Meaney's acting in this episode? I don't think anything that came before this prepared us for the way he killed that scene in Ten Forward, or the scene with Maxwell at the end.

Steven Linden

I love this episode. The O'Brian development is S-tier all by itself. I love the Minstrel Boy song they sing at the end....would make a good recurring musical motif for O'Brian.

Alexander McKechnie

We have Miles and Miles of O'Brien!!! And I hope you like Keiko. She doesn't get the hate from me that she gets from a lot of others. I rank this one "Excellent".

KatWithAttitude

Following a Data episode heavily featuring O'Brien, here, finally, we have a proper O'Brien episode, and both of them I have as S-tiers. Colm Meaney gets an opportunity to shine and boy he does. Cpt Maxwell btw is played by the warden from Shawshank Redemption, always fun to recognize someone. Marc Alaimo (Gul Macet) has already had 2 appearances, both in season 1, as one of the anticans in Lonely Among Us (S1E7), and one of the romulans at the end of The Neutral Zone (S1E26) the one who said "We are back". And the actor will be back too in some other roles.

JHVJ

And now, to close out Chief Week, we are pleased to debut: Chief O'Brian's Edgy Backstory! Congratulations, Miles Edward O'Brian, on graduating from Recurring Guest Performer to full Secondary Character Status! Well earned, sir! Enjoy your new family and expanded character details! We look forward to seeing where you go from here!

Avaria

A new species, another rogue captain, a Miles O'Brien-centered episode and another great Picard moment. You really get to see Miles in action, both at home (our first married couple) and at work (not just in the transporter room), something you've been asking for. And some good back story for O'Brien. And Picard getting to give the Cardassians the finger at the end. I predict at least an A, possibly an S.

Rogerbear60

Fantastic episode. HUGE development for O’Brien. Such a great story with great themes. Plenty of tension in this one, and them singing toward the end….Fantastic! Its either an A or even an S for me. I have to sit on that one.

Chris S.

I also like that Maxwell maybe right that the Cardi’s are planning something.

marty63026

A great episode, love the final scenes. Star Trek really got better at creating new races after the disastrous attempt with the Ferengi. Also love the continued focus on Chief O’Brien, Colm Meaney moving from nameless conn officer in the pilot to a character who is arguably just as important now as the main cast…

Darren Seal

Great line

marty63026

With Wesley gone, Chief steps up! This episode is so great but the part I like best is when O’Brien wants to beam over and is told it’s too risky and O’Brien says ‘I can do it’. It’s so layered, it’s risky for a few reasons. O’Brien is risking his life to transport over but I think he’s also him saying ‘l can do it’ he’s talking about talking Maxwell down. The crew let’s him take that risk because they have confidence in O’Brien and want to de-escalate the situation without having to fire on Maxwell. Great!

marty63026

S tier for being the first real O’Brien episode and for his scenes in Ten Forward and singing the Minstrel Boy. The episode is a timeless tale of the long term consequences of war and the casualties they can continue to produce after the guns stop. “I don’t hate you, Cardassian. I hate what I became because of you." Perfect Star Trek.

EnigmaticPenguin

For me, this is an S. It's Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness" adapted into a Star Trek episode. Great performance by Colm and pretty much a "Chief O'Brien episode." There were also a lot of firsts here... including the first appearance of the Nebula class starship. Chief O'Brien convincing his old commanding officer to stand down is intentionally reminiscent of Richard Crenna's Colonel Troutman character talking down Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo in "First Blood." However, the episode isn't perfect. Jeri Taylor's re-writes are very evident. Every time characters sycophantically compliment Picard in an out-of-character sort of way, that's Jeri Taylor's contribution to the script.

Darin Wagner

Small Spoiler, but thank god they got rid of that awful head gear, and redesigned to uniform. The later versions are much, much better.

Thomas Cole

Haven’t really seen it in a while. I’ll probably watch it with your reaction video. As a kid, I didn’t like the end when the Chief and the guy talk and sing. I think I felt like the show wanted me to think that the captain guy was a hero (though a flawed one) but it didn’t connect for me. Plus, I personally don’t like when Star Trek does these military song scenes. Takes me out of the episode. While this is my favorite TNG episode for the Chief’s character, I felt that they could’ve gone a little deeper.

Sainjl

I was going to write almost the exact same thing. This episode is what I would consider peak TNG, it examines ideas both large and small through a lens that is digestible. We look at multiple cases of PTSD and how the people come to grips with it and how the after effects of war can possibly lead to another. Plus it really gives Colm Meany a chance to shine, especially with the moving rendition of "The Minstrel boy" at the end. Plus one of my favourite memes takes from this episode: Maxwell: Who are you, how did you get in here? O'Brien: I'm a Transporter Chief, and I'm a Transporter Chief

Thomas Cole

I think they know as they held up a box set of DS9 in a prior video and they said they’ve already had it spoiled that some characters transition from TNG to DS9.

Paul Rymer

One of my favorites and great character building for Miles. Gotta love the double-dose of O’Brien. Back to back

JP RFL

Insert edited comment where my tired ass misunderstood BN13's comment. I agree with the content of the message.

THE LORE!!!

S-tier, second episode in a row with O’Brien in a leading role, good continuity with Keiko and best of all the relationship with Maxwell. You are not stupid, you must know by now that the writers are establishing new continuities for the show, widening out the recurring cast following the departure of Wesley.

Paul Rymer

You mean the omnipresent leather skin tyrants bent on galactic domination?

Yorin

This episode gives us some very important backstory that establishes O’brien as a very relatable character. He's a veteran with realistic prejudices, not a goody two shoes Roddenberry self-insert.

Evan Guthrie

Welcome to DS9 episode 1. THIS is what we mean when we say that DS9 is darker. DS9 is slower like this, and puts much more emphasis on characters, internal politics, and heavier themes like war and racism. How well you liked this episode is a good indicator of how well you'll like DS9. Also S-Tier for the song alone.

BN13

Absolutely love this episode. The only reason it gets an A and not an S from me is "rewatchability". I reserve S ratings for episodes I could rewatch randomly, at any time. For me that's FAMILY, REMEMBER ME or FUTURE IMPERFECT, so far this season.

THE Fans

This is season 4s “The Defector”, for me. The Wounded is a beautifully written, tragic story of a war-torn man who couldn’t find a role for himself in peace. “The Minstrel Boy” war song, sung by the GOAT O’Brien and Capt. Maxwell at the end, is very touching and the way it dovetails into the episode’s score tugs at my heart-strings every single time I watch it. Also, no one makes a ‘turn-your-back-on-someone’ moment look more badass than Jean-Luc Picard.

Andrew F.

Would always skip this as a kid. It has since climbed to s-tier, imo one of the valid "welcome to the start of real Star Trek" moments, challenges and grows what trek can be

llama

If Alex doesn’t create a new ranking above S tier for THE CHIEF in the best single-story character build since (and rivalling) Mr. Broccoli… what are we even doing here?

Ross Townsend

Marc Alaimo (Gil Macet) previously played a Romulan commander in ‘The Neutral Zone’ and one of the alien delegates in ‘Lonely Among Us’ season 1, episode 7

Jeffrey

Great TNG episode, great development for Chief O'Brien, and a nice expansion of Trek lore. We have the beta test version of the Cardassians, plus the terrific Marc Alaimo guest starring. It's difficult to say more right now, but if you know you know.

Forbidden Donut

This is perhaps one of the most important episodes of the next generation It has the virtue of containing what I consider to be the single most important line or concept ever spoken in Star Trek I don’t hate you, Kardashian, I hate myself for what I became because of you. I probably missed quoted that I didn’t take the time to go back and listen to it verbatim

Thicketdweller

The type of story at which Star Trek has always excelled. Examining human issues through the lens of science fiction.

Regan

The CHIEF!

Chris Mickelson

S Tier no doubt

General Trelane

The Kardashians? On TNG? In 1991? I thought they were still kids back then. Ohhhh the Cardassians. Yes, that makes a lot more sense. As you were.

Dion James Pitman