@@RoonMian Although I can't remember what happened in the rest of this episode, I do like to separate "writing" into "Story" and "Dialogue". This clip is a good example of the latter and why picard quotes are often so great.
LeVar Burton deserved an Emmy for his direction of the scene. Everything about it is brilliant. The way Picard listens to Rikers version, says nothing, offers no opinion or response and simply begins reading the report again, the way he circles Riker with Riker slightly out of focus just as he’s mentioning a coverup. Having Riker say nothing after Picard’s curt “dismissed”, Brilliant. A good actor doesn’t have to be constantly talking, talking, talking.
The shock on Riker’s face when Picard says he “may have to reevaluate the command structure of this ship”, i.e. replace/demote Riker, says a thousand words more than any continued dialogue would have done
It was a great scene - and by now Riker is conditioned to know that once the Captain says "dismissed" you say nothing and walk away. I love the interpersonal dramas this show had. Showing that even a decorated officer can have issues or errors in judgement, or whatever. Makes you feel less bad about sending that email out with a few grammatical errors that only your supervisor would notice.
Interesting how Picard won't let an admiral jeopardize his ship. Just like captain shaw won't let admiral Picard and captain Riker jeopardize the titan
This is exactly what we've been missing in the last 19 years of Star Trek films, actual silent moments of reflection and trust, mistrust, and moral dilemma. It doesn't always have to be an action film. Star Trek is at it's best when it deals with the gravity of a situation.
@@cassidystarchild7907 I thought that too as a kid, but as an adult, I realized it was Riker acting out of character and Picard becoming concerned and then suspicious. It's very rough to watch as a result but it makes sense. Picard would likely react like this once he realizes that his most trusted officer has only given him half truths, instead of having the full faith in Riker like before because he thought he knew the man better than this.
@@twistedstrength. True, but some of the best Star Trek stuff is only 42-45 minutes long, such as a Pale Moonlight and even the two parter TNG stuff is at most 130 minutes long. Time is not as big an issue if it's well thought out.
Man the last piece cut Will like a dagger. He’s given up everything to stay as the first officer of the Enterprise. He’s turned down enough commands and fallen far enough behind in his career that Starfleet is finally passing him over for his peers, and Picard just threatened the only thing he has left in his career. I miss good Star Trek so much.
Picard did make it very precise however. He says he's going to give Riker the benefit of the doubt. But if Riker goes "Secret First, Crew Second", then Picard simply won't be able to trust him WITH the crew as XO. Picard initially chose Riker because Riker seemed the guy who would get in the way of a superior to do what he believed is right. If Riker ends up bowing to a superior even though he knows its wrong... then Picard cannot work with him and will transfer him.
@Ares99999 that is why I love picard and riker's dynamic. Picard knows his Persian flaw is how strictly and rigidly he adheres to the Prime Directive, and even at the cost of saving lives he might not be able to go against it until it is too late. Riker had huge accolades from starfleet in almost everything he did, but Picard liked that he stood up to his superiors when given suicidal orders, or fool's errands that could have put crews in jeopardy when attending the academy. He got Riker as his own foil. They each learned from one another, and each became so much more.
Picard clearly provides the context before informing Riker of the possibility of relieving him as first officer. Maybe Riker is stung by his captain and friend openly saying this, but any officer would surely understand Picard's reasoning. You don't imperil your ship and crew by withholding any relevant information that would allow the captain to determine the risks & motivations involved in the mission. I'd expect Riker to remain composed and to absolutely take to heart what Picard is warning him about. Riker has no grounds for any form of reaction to Picard's words.
The loss of position would definitely be a blow, but Riker is talented enough and accomplished enough to bounce back. In my opinion, the real cut is the realization he's risking it he respect of the person who's opinion probably matters most to him.
Risky thing to say by Picard. If he ever followed through on that threat, Riker would have every right to launch a formal grievance of the decision, and Picard would be forced to disclose how he came to that decision (by illegally obtaining and reading a report that he was not authorized to have).
@@ArmyJames Picard would be intelligent enough to come up with completely valid and legitimate reasons to demote or kick out Riker. It's not like Riker has exactly a perfectly clean sheet, and an organization like Starfleet surely has regulations, codes, rules and enough bureaucracy to find enough fault in Riker's past actions which would justify his demotion from his position of FO, and which Picard has overlooked over the years.
Maybe, but I don’t know what the legitimate reason would be for obtaining a classified report under false pretences. Picard’s friends at Starfleet would be less than impressed that he threw them under the bus, and it would be the last favour he’d ever get, once word of this spread. In some ways, the leak of a highly classified document from within is a bigger security threat than the presenting issue. Itself.
@@ArmyJames Why would Picard be throwing his friends at high command under the bus, if he's just demoting or kicking out Riker? The real reason for it doesn't need to be publicly revealed. The official explanation could merely be that Riker is transferring to another ship. If a reason for this has to be stated, he's intelligent enough to come up with something completely plausible. Riker would probably agree to keep up the same pretense, so as to not reveal anything he isn't allowed to.
Doesn't matter who Picard is chewing out: Riker, Wesley, Worf, even Data all have the same reaction and body language when Picard is ripping into them. They're devastated because they know they've disappointed him and that's a gut punch to them. That speaks to Picard's inspiring leadership. Everyone on the Enterprise looks up to him, wants to be him, and when they feel they've failed him, it crushes them.
And what’s more, it’s believable. Picard is a respectable character, he earned that in our eyes. He’s not just written as such for the sake of the story, it’s there and it feels real and tangible.
Personally I've always loved how you could hear the hum of the ships systems in TNG. That includes how the background noise of the ship would change with the situation to indicate wether they're at rest, impulse speed, or warp (low - high involving volume and pitch changes).
Believe it or not but the go to warp and the drop from warp to impulse sound effect the same audio sound effect forwards and backwards. I only found that about 10 years after just happening to be bored playing around with sound effects wondering how they sound played backwards.
@Skipper847 That hum would provide some of the very best white-noise ever for deep relaxing sleep. Many people(me included) sleep with a fan set on 'low' for the same reason...except the air blows away from the person asleep.
@@shotgun6X Actually he did not. Shatner is not a good actor, he never was...he got extremely lucky being cast as captain in TOS and to his credit made a hugely success career because of it. But he's about a hundredth the actor as Patrick Stewart. Often he's he's the weakest actor on any set
You can tell that Stewart was classically trained as well as spent time doing live theater. The intensity he delivers his lines in this scene, the simple yet elegant way he pronounces words, and the presence on screen. I think this Stewart guy might have a future on screen.
@@mckinleymac3452 Actually, he did - he started onstage, including classical stuff, and did film before being cast as Kirk. Regardless of what you think of his acting ability, Shatner did indeed come from live theatre.
@@emsleywyatt3400 Well, Thomas did exist, except he was the same person as Will at that point. Both Tom and Will have an equally valid claim to being the 'original' William Thomas Riker.
My deepest condolences, Star Trek fans. I've seen that STD scene where some kid comically "fires" some man of her crew while being all snarky about it. I too have seen many things I love go to waste in a similar way too. And I hate having to see others meet me in this place.
There's an important but subtle thing here. Picard is conflicted because he knows that not only his first officer, but someone who he trusted implicitly, and even considered a friend, is lying to his face, and he wants to know why. You can see this by the fact that he's calling him by his first name, Will. Even though they're talking about secretive Starfleet stuff, Picard is basically asking Riker to be honest with him, not just as his captain, but as his friend. When Picard realizes Riker won't confess, that's when he has to pull rank and threaten Riker's career. He does it curtly and abruptly because he's probably a little hurt, and lashing back how he can.
Riker didnt lie. He couldnt discuss it further because he was under orders from Pressman. But I know that Picard still considers a lie of ommission to be a lie. Does Riker disobey orders and tell Picard everything or does he keep orders and lose the trust of Picard. In fairness Riker did the right thing when it mattered. He put the ship first even if it was going to cost him his career
Yeah he didn't Trust Will during "Chain of Command" then it was ok to say it was classified. They were breaking treaties and federation law in that one yet Picard wasn't so high and mighty. He literally could have started a war.
@@DragonFurnace Because, although Picard is a source of inspiration while on duty, once alone he spends hours in his gloomy quarters, brooding on every wrong done him, fantasising about vengeance and binge-eating. (He purges afterwards and is therefore not overweight.)
I love good, strong, and clear dialogue, no music to muddle things. It's a beautiful thing, and we don't see it enough in today's cinema and television.
Early Game of Thrones comes close, but gets lost in the war stuff and the main character dick riding. As a kid I enjoyed TNG, maybe it was just cause it was something I could enjoy with my father, but as an adult I am in awe of how great the acting and the writing is. The effects and stuff may not have aged well, but great writing and acting is timeless.
_" . . . and if I find that trust has been misplaced, then I will have to re-evaluate the command structure of this ship. Dismissed."_ Great reaction by Riker. He knows exactly what that means.
@Alysandir but imagine his frustration at being kept in the dark, yes he lashed out a bit, but that to me was just great character development, he's not perfect, but that's why we can relate to Picard.
I believe the reason that Riker has always been overprotective of his two most recent commanding officers (Picard of the _Enterprise_ , DeSoto of the _Hood_ ) is because he's been haunted by the Pegasus disaster and that he keeps trying to convince himself that he did the right thing by defending Pressman. When Riker finally accepted that he was wrong, he got some measure of peace.
Could also explain his reluctance to take command of his own starship. His own doubts about what happened seem to be at odds at how indomitable and self-assured Starfleet captains appear. Yet, to quote Tuvok, "Do not mistake composure for ease."
@deanladue5367 thing is that the truth of the incident had successfully been buried. The heads of starfleet security and intelligence had buried the all information and discouraged the curious. Picard, one of the most respected officers in the fleet, had to cash in serious chips just to see the JAG report. Not many others would have the juice to see any more. Especially if the pegasus had never been found again.
My favorite part of this scene is actually where Picard tells how many favors with the top brass of Starfleet he had to sacrifice to see the highly sensitive classified report that was buried to protect Pressman. It showed how much weight he had with the entirety of Starfleet's top echelon even though he was still a captain and not yet an admiral, and just how much they all knew how much Starfleet owed their continued existence to him.
My favorite scene in the whole entire episode is when Riker enters the holodeck and hangs out with Captain Archer and the rest of the crew from "Star Trek: Enterprise".
@@deanladue5367 yes that’s what I always assumed. Clearly they knew about it and approved of trying to get it back but since Picard refused to play along it ruined their plans and they had to drop it. The episode tries to make it look like Pressman was acting on his own but I find that hard to believe.
Jim Huffman I like the way Riker told Picard something like “I was an ensign 8 months out of the academy with words like duty and honor still ringing in my ears.” Could this imply that these days the more experienced Commander Riker under the same circumstances might NOT “grab a phaser and defend my Captain” perhaps?
TNG always did this "Loyalty vs Duty" episodes so well. The scene has real weight which is only possible because of the quality of the acting and the writing not insulting the audience's ability to feel that weight.
I would add that it's also the result of character development over the series meaning that we, the audience, are invested. We care about the characters. Something sadly lacking from new trek.
@@Digginjim you just talked about how it worked due to being given several seasons for character development and growing invested in the characters. When you say new trek, are you referring to enterprise onwards?
FFKonoko not at all, I think enterprise, which was patchy, still had its moments and was part of this universe. Discovery, Picard and even the JJ movies don't have any weight to them. Laser battles and crying do not drama make! Red Letter Media did a good takedown of Discovery...
@@britishnerd3919 ....You're right friend. He respects Picard so much as a captain and you can kind of see in his face that if Picard knew what really happened Riker knows he would lose respect for him. But by not telling his captain Picard becomes more guarded anyway. You can see how disappointed Riker is when he is dismissed and you are right friend that's some very good acting by Frakes.
Looking back at this scene knowing the whole story, you can actually tell how Riker says "we were running some tests on the engines" is the one part he is lying about. You can also tell based on how he delivers the rest of the story, especially what he says about the mutiny, like he's angry more at himself for how he saw them at the time as opposed to what they did. Really a credit to Frankes' acting abilities.
He really is a good actor. I'm kinda frustrated that he considers himself average at best. He's more nuanced than a lot of Hollywood actors in AAA films, and deserves the credit.
By dropping the commander part, Picard was trying to make this more than just a run of the mill dressing down but to convey the limited friendship they could share as captain and commander without softwning the exchange too much so that last sentence still had very sharp teeth... Just my opinion though
Picard has such a presence that even though he is not a physically intimidating person, it can be terrifying when he raises his voice. He is a true leader.
The crew of the USS Pegasus realized that the device, while extremely innovative. Was very unstable and dangerous to the point that it could cripple or destroy the Pegasus. Captain Pressman was obviously ignorant to these facts about the device, and the first officer and chief engineer realized that Pressmans ignorance was putting the ship and crew in jeopardy. The cardinal sin for a Captain. All those years later, Riker had come to terms with the fact that he was on the wrong side of that mutiny, and that he stood by the wrong person in Captain Pressman.
To think that if Riker had chosen to side with the mutineers against Pressman. He would've perished along with the rest of the crew, and Picard would be without his headstrong first officer. It also explains why Will always tended to question the decisions of his superiors after the Pegasus incident, even Jean Luc himself. It's his determination to not repeat the mistakes he made while he was under Pressman's command, and that sometimes tends to get the better of him I think.
This confrontation was so hard on Will he ages 15 Years right after it. Troi, due to her empathy to him, also aged up. But after a good meal, a relaxing Time in the Holodeck, and a rest, he managed to recover his Youth.
Moral conviction, inquiry, true ethical dilemmas, themes of true importance. This was Star Trek; the kind of show that makes you actually reflect on your own life decisions, and provokes deep though. Top notch acting. The interplay of Picard and Riker shows the tension in the room. From Rikers' lack of eye contact and breathing to Picard's incremental rise in tension and volume, what a scene.
My favorite part about this is how Riker looks exactly like Wesley did in the one with the flight maneuver. In that episode, Wesley looked like a kid trying to keep his dad from learning he did in fact change the thermostat. I like how even Riker has that same look and body language. Even though neither of them wanted to reveal the truth, the fact they are so terrified in his presence is out of shame for how they have caused disrespect to a person they look up to. It shows that both Wesley and Riker have incredible respect for Picard, despite choosing to omit the truth.
The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based. And if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to wear that uniform!
@@Dsturb85 Why didn't Picard recite that same speech? I would only add to the end, "oh, by the way Will, you should already know this so I'll add you are now relieved and will be transferred off the ship tomorrow. Bye"
Picard:"If I determine that that trust is misplaced, I might have to reevaluate the command structure aboard this ship." Now that's what I call a dressing down. 😱
which is weird considering Picard himself just admitted to literally going behind several Admirals backs, breaching a whole load of trust himself to get classified files that he was not deemed to have sufficient Clearence for... right before exposing a classified secret to a rival state on his own pompous judgement of Morality.
@@Slixer Picard evidently phoned a few admirals himself to get a look at those files, and there is no legal protection that can be invoked for the concealment of a crime, or in this case multiple crimes. It's called a coverup. No "pompous judgment of morality" here.
@@Slixer I don't really call it pompous at all; I think it was a much-needed moral rock and compass that Riker probably was later thankful for; it helped clear his mind of all of Archer's ACTUALLY pompous and arrogant diktats. And I don't think that Picard would ever consider himself free of any such moral failings. In the episode First Duty, where he dressed down Wesley, it was clear that he himself had been in a similar dilemma at the same Academy. All people face a situation where a tough moral choice must be made, and sometimes a scene like this helps remind them to have the courage to call things what they are, and be guided by that moral compass rather than make the easier, but wrong, choice. I think Picard helped a lot of people navigate their moral dilemmas. And then, there was the very real threat facing the ship itself, when many unknown dangers might have to be confronted. Picard felt he had a duty to the crew, even if it meant doing uncomfortable things like challenging authority, and laying down authority on someone he had a good relationship with. I give him kudos for that.
It's like how he handled Wesley when he lied about that accident that killed that student in Star Fleet... But strangely I lost respect for Wesley but not for Riker
@@333angeleyes Picard was actually harsher on Wesley Crusher than he was with Riker. It may be due to the circumstances. Crusher was involved in a spectacularly stupid stunt, whereas Riker's situation was more complicated.
Riker had built up a very large shield of respect and experience that allowed him to take a less "harsh" lashing by cpt Picard. And he was also under orders and Picard didn't have all the facts. Wesley made a dumbass mistake that got a cadet killed AND he was deliberately covering it up to save his ass.
@@BradleyJCude I think it was precisely because Picard had suggested Wesley for the academy and had guided him on the very ship Wesley grew up on. Wesley's lie was a slap in the face of Picard's trust, but Picard also got a very harsh lesson in parenting that day. In a very real way, Picard was the father figure Wesley didn't have anymore, and it's why he was as good as he was for so long - but then as soon as Wesley was outside of PIcard's direct gaze for a while, he messed up. What Picard had to learn is that kids are going to mess up, and sometimes, they're going to mess up BAD, and this means you have to be the mean parent, but it's for their own good. Wesley eventually became what made him happy and matured, if you remember in later episodes.
Just seeing a little excerpted clip like this one reminds us of what a damn fine show this was. Two superb (virtually perfect) performances in a believable scenario with well-written dialogue.
0:18 I watched this episode in mid 90s on TV → awesome some kind of portable hand held computer Capt. Picard used; I believe the term of gadget was not specifically for that thing, then. 20+ decades later → find myself watching this scene again on tablet, just like Capt. Picard. How cool! 😎
At 3:50 when Picard says "..Very well" Patrick Stewart seems genuinely furious at the first officer 😄 it is just brilliant. The more angry Picard gets the more lethal he seems. You expected him to explode after Will says he can't say any more but Picard just says 'okay I get it, he outranks me.. but you best to cold watch your ass, bub..'
Basically he realizes how far deep down this is to Riker... He made a mistake and acknowledges that at the end of the episode but the gravity of this scene that Picard has to trust that #1 wouldn't put the ship at unnecessary risk... Spoke to the heart of the matter... the lives of the crew were in his hands... Over an illegal act...
Which is typical bullshit hypocrisy from Picard. He's had MULTIPLE missions in which he lied or mislead his crew--including his senior staff--due to direct orders from Starfleet, and he was able to effortlessly justify it every time. Now the shoe's on the other foot and he's going to pout and threaten until he's the biggest bear in the room again. Ego. Picard has Shakespearean outrage prepared for both "we must do our duty" and "we must NOT do our duty". He's like his own personal Henry V on that ship, changing the rules as he goes along. The plot armor wasn't noticeable when I watched this series on TV in the 90s, but holy crap is it noticeable in retrospect...
@@harveywallbanger3123 difference is he has the information as the one in charge of the ship in this he's got to make decisions without knowing all the facts and if he does something that causes his crew to loose their lives due to not knowing the full story those deaths are on ruler for not giving him the ability to make informed decisions
@@harveywallbanger3123 I can't think of any episodes offhand where Picard has flat-out lied to his crew about mission details where they weren't classified above a Commander's clearance. But, even if you're right: If he's acting under direct orders from Starfleet, he's obligated to carry those out unless they go against the guiding principles. He's not obligated to tell the crew anything more than what they need in order to do their jobs. As it happens, he finds that he gets better results if the crew has more information (plus it's a TV series), so he often does. But that doesn't mean he has to every time. A First Officer, however, IS obligated to report honestly to the Captain and to carry out the Captain's orders - just as a Captain is obligated to report to and carry out the orders of his superiors, i.e. an Admiral.
@@lastraven8575 Pretty much. He's the damned captain of the ship, he has to protect his crew, but he's essentially got one hand behind his back here, and he's justifiably not very happy about it.
@Steve P Yes, you are right, but when Admiral whats her name ordered Picard to use the Borg virus if a "Hugh" opportunity ever came up again, he did not say, no I won't. He said "yes sir". Picard has been iffy on following orders and Prime Directive adherence (I know, what else is new with Star Trek).
@@mgelliott1 You have to differentiate here, on the one hand a years old investigation with a cold case, as mysterious as it is, posing no real threat to the ship versus a galaxy spanning threat that threatens to assimilate the whole galaxy. And as far as I remember it is heavily discussed in that episode, if it is the morally right thing to do.
Maybe some of the best acting I’ve seen on any Star Trek film or show. Picard calling a trusted friend out, didn’t get the answers he asked for, gave a subdued warning about future command structure, and then the authoritative “dismissed” at the end. Riker’s face says it all.
Only four and a half minutes long, and this scene blows away the entirety of new Star Trek combined. Scenes like this are why I can rewatch the classic stuff over and over again despite how dated things like the sets, costumes, and special effects continue to get as each year passes. Brilliant performances and excellent writing make it timeless.
If this was Discovery both of them would be crying and shouting while "intense emotion" music blasted. It would also have been in the dark with epic lens flare from a passing exploding star coming through the window. At red alert. During a space battle TO SAVE THE UNIVERSE ITSELF
When I get a better understanding of ship layouts I'm going to write my own series and it will be better than any of this post-2009 normalized hype-junkie crap.
"I'm taking this up with you, Will!" is right up there with "You choose not to answer?" when Wesley tries to evade Picard's questions at the Academy. Both Will and Wesley, at opposite ends of the command chain, are made to feel like children by a single line from Picard.
absolutely fantastic scene. at 3:49 the way picard delivers his warning if riker not telling him so much that it could put the ship at risk and the look of disappointment when he dismisses riker was sad to see.
Stewarts acting is obv brilliant but I think Frakes acting is highly overlooked. In this situation Riker holds all the cards, just as long as he does what the admiral says he does no wrong...and Picard knows it. Picard even admits it. But all the way through Frakes manages to portray him as totally powerless. "Power resides where men believe it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall. And a very small (in this case tall )man can cast a very large shadow"
@@matwatson7947 It wasn't so much about Riker holding all the cards; Riker would absolutely tell Picard everything, but he was ordered by Pressman (Rear-Admiral) and Admiral Raner (head of Starfleet Security; which may be that Raner is a Vice-Admiral) not to discuss this. So when you have two flag officers ordering you not to speak about something; you risk putting a bullet into your career by talking about it, but at the same time he is anguishing the thought of withholding that information from his Captain. You are absolutely correct; throughout the episode; Frakes was very much able to portray Riker as completely powerless to do anything and his career hangs in the balance as a result.
And if I recall the episode, they damn near almost died. Would have been interesting if the cloaking/phasing device failed while they were traveling through the rock - the entire ship, crew would have become part of the asteroid with no evidence of the Enterprise surviving.
Especially how unfairly Picard treated Riker. If Riker betrayed the chain of command Picard would be first in line to prosecute him but all the same Picard shreds him for doing his job. Picard showed his own lack of integrity, honour and humanity in this scene. If I was Riker I would ask an immediate reassignment away from this petulant snit.
@@Avenus112 Nah, Picard is different than that. Picard would be the first to defend him. Picard has always put doing what is right above following orders and has done it on multiple occasions. Like when Picard defied an admiral when they wanted to take Data's daughter away. Picard here is disappointed at Riker's willingness to follow orders over doing what is right. Especially when he believes what the admiral is doing may be putting the ship at risk. The first duty to any captain is to his crew and the first officer to his captain.
When he called him Will instead of #1, he was trying to talk to him as a friend not just as his captain. It's little things like that well done writing that made STtNG so beautiful
Picard looking down seals the moment. He knows what he just said, dismayed that he had to say it. And Riker surprised it was even said. The fact that Picard couldn't even look at him when he said it.
That "Dismissed" and immediate eyes down really is a powerful moment. So well acted, which is why this show was so great. Yes, season one and a lot of season two contained a lot of, well, mediocre content, but once they found their footing and the actors really settled into their characters, they were off and running with only a few clunkers after that ("Genesis" was pretty dumb. Just saying...)
@@jovetjYep. And notice that Picard immediately lowers his eyes after saying it, which is a further punch in the gut for Riker because it means loss of respect. Glad Riker was able to win it back in the end by doing the right thing.
"and If I find that that trust has been misplaced, then I will have to re-evaluate the command structure of this ship. Dismissed" Cold-blooded from Jean Luc.
God damn this brings back memories on WHY I watched TNG and most scifi back in the day. While CGI battles are fun, it's this level of HONEST drama that a viewer can not keep their eyes off the scene. It's just a few locked down camera shot and the actors really being great acting delivering a believable situation and emotions that feel real to their past relationships.
*@Geordi La Forge* That's what I keep saying to the kids on Twitch when they start throwing around emotes that have absolutely zero meaning to me, but are a cult "language" to them...
Thanks JJ for making this scene as well as the entirety of TNG I used to watch while studying in college to become non-existant & non-canon. Thanks man.
