Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

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Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

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https://intl.startrek.com/article/ronny ... of-command
Ronny Cox: We know that Picard was being tortured by the Cardassians, but just about everything on the ship was between Riker and Jellico. And I loved that aspect. Gene Roddenberry didn’t like conflict between the characters, so my guy was the first guy to come in and sort of ruffle everybody’s feathers. I liked that aspect of him. I also liked that he was a by-the-book guy. I loved it when Picard comes back to the Enterprise at the end and Jellico says, “Here’s your ship back, just the way you left it… maybe a little better.”

Was your role the result of an audition or an offer, and on paper, what did you think of Jellico?

RC: It was an offer. And I loved the script. I loved doing the show. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve done a lot of things in my career, and I’ve got people in my family who think that’s the only thing of any worth I have ever done. [Laughs] I’m also a trivia answer; I’m one of the few actors, other than the show’s regulars, to have done a captain’s log on TNG.

Are you aware of how well regarded the “Chain of Command” two-parter is among fans? It’s usually rated in the top five of all the TNG episodes.

RC: I had heard that. I’m honored about that. I loved playing Jellico. Like I said, I never saw him as a villain. He was a bit of a hard-ass, but not a villain. I thought he dealt with the Cardassians really well and I thought he ran the Enterprise really well, though in a completely different style from Picard. But that episode had a lot going for it. Patrick was brilliant. So was Jonathan [Frakes]. So was David Warner. And the story was compelling.

Was there ever talk of bringing Jellico on board again?

RC: Yes, there was. And then it just sort of didn’t happen. You know how those things go. Everyone was pleased with Jellico and I would have cleared some decks to work on that show again, but I only did those two [episodes].
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Re: Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

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I always thought Jellico was a great Captain - and I've heard actual military guys saying he's far closer to what a real life ship commander is than Picard ever was.

The episodes try to make him out to be a bad guy, but really they botch it IMO. For example, he orders Riker to do a shift change. Riker comes back a few hours later and says he hasn't done it because it's going to inconvenience people. Wow. Really? I mean, if Riker had come back and said "Well the shift change is ready to go and everyone has been informed. But the department heads are complaining, are you sure you want to make the change?" then that would be one thing... Riker being a professional, doing his job, following the order, but also raising a valid concern and asking if the Captain wants to rethink. But nope. He just doesn't do it.

Likewise, Geordi bitches about the work he's being required to do. He says he doesn't mind hard work, but Jellico isn't giving him the time to do it. Seconds later, Data points out that if they put everyone on it they can get it done in time. So Geordi was flat-out lying; Jellico DID give him the time to do the work, and his complaint is meaningless.

They also frame telling Troi to wear a uniform as a bad thing. Why is it? It's weird that she didn't do it before this. And notably, once Jellico is gone Troi stays in the uniform. She decided it was a good idea. And you know what? She looks amazing in it! Better and more professional than she did before, IMO. One of the things that always made me laugh in TNG was when Lwuxana turned up, and said something to Deanna like "I dress to attract a man, something you could try doing". Jesus lady, have you not looked at her?! Your daughter walks around dressed like a stripper half the time!

It's like the writers didn't really know how to make him the bad guy.
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Re: Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

Post by AlexMcpherson79 »

I think it came from a Military rules = Bad mindset, I mean, Gene Roddenberry basically set it up as 'not a military but we have guns' and then people wonder why there's so many episodes where something goes wrong (M5 computer, Warp Field test, Cloaking device, sooo many holodecks...), but in a military, those things wouldn't pass muster, would they? Even real civilian life is much stricter than what we see in starfleet.

Jellico is not a civilian Captain. he's more of a Military one.
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Re: Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

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One thing Starfleet seems to do is give people a very wide latitude in how they do things. Captains seem to be able to run their ships more or less however they want to, consistency between ships doesn't even really seem to be a goal. Hell, people aren't even ordered to go take up a post, they are "offered" jobs which they're perfectly free to turn down. Riker turned down at least three commands, which in the real military would utterly kill your career but Starfleet's response is always to just wait a few years and offer him another one.
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Re: Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

Post by RK_Striker_JK_5 »

Count me as another who thought Jellico did a damned fine job and Riker came off as kinda... would 'whiny' be a good word for it? I mean the guy is literally sulking in his quarters when Jellico goes and asks him to do that minelaying mission in the nebula.

And yes, god yes. Troi in a regulation uniform was sorely needed!
Graham Kennedy wrote:One thing Starfleet seems to do is give people a very wide latitude in how they do things. Captains seem to be able to run their ships more or less however they want to, consistency between ships doesn't even really seem to be a goal. Hell, people aren't even ordered to go take up a post, they are "offered" jobs which they're perfectly free to turn down. Riker turned down at least three commands, which in the real military would utterly kill your career but Starfleet's response is always to just wait a few years and offer him another one.
I always figured there's some compromises and changes made with integrating non-human militaries and space agencies, you know?
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Re: Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

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RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:Count me as another who thought Jellico did a damned fine job and Riker came off as kinda... would 'whiny' be a good word for it? I mean the guy is literally sulking in his quarters when Jellico goes and asks him to do that minelaying mission in the nebula.
I was about to say Jellico confined him to quarters, but actually he went out of his way not to do that.
I always figured there's some compromises and changes made with integrating non-human militaries and space agencies, you know?
Or even just cultural changes. The Navy of 200 years ago was very different to the Navy of today in how it did things.
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Re: Ronny Cox Looks Back at 'Chain of Command' (2011)

Post by McAvoy »

I can second that military commanders are very much like Jellico.

When I first saw the episodes I was a kid but when I watched it later as an adult and being in the military his style of command is very familiar and acceptable.

He was supposed to be the 'bad' captain and as a kid I thought he was, but he is by no means bad. In fact he was shaping up the Enterprise for combat.

Jeliico comes off as a military commander (probably would have been cool for a cameo in DS9 for the Dominion War).
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