1153 – Chain of Command Pt1 | Sleep with TNG S6 E10

  • Notable Notes

    Notable Language:

    • Hide and Seek Sensor
    • Loaded for Bear
    • Lava Tube Zoom

    Notable Culture:

    • Lily Tomlin
    • Ronny Cox
    • Gymboree

    Notable Talking Points:

    • Am I the Prattler?
    • Chain of Command Chat
    • A Marble-y Neon Office
  • For Transcript of Episode Click Here

    Episode 1153 – Chain of Command Pt 1 | Sleep with TNG S6 E10

     

    [START OF RECORDING]

     

    SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, whether you’re on a starship…whatever class of starship you’re on, if you know the class of starships…I almost thought of one but then I forget…Galaxy-class. Whether you’re on a Galaxy-class starship or you know what I mean when I say Galaxy Glue, whether you like your lilies in the garden or you prefer your Lily to be a Tomlin, it’s time for Sleep With Me. You may be confused. It’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to put you to sleep, to keep you company, and take your mind off of stuff. If this is your first listen, I’m so glad you’re here. I really hope I can help. This show is very different, so just remember the advice of most regular listeners…is give it a few tries, because this is a show that’s…never starts and is always going.

     

    It’s…takes some getting used to. It’s really just a friend to listen to to take your mind off of stuff and keep you company, because you do deserve a good night’s sleep and a place you can get some rest. That’s why I make the show, and also because myself and a lot of other…the regular listeners that are here…what up, regular listeners? Wave gently from your bed or wherever you are to our new listeners. Wave hello; show them how you kiss your shoulders. Maybe we’ll talk more about that in a bit, but…what was I talk…? Oh, this is supposed to be a ten-second setup for a sleep podcast. But you deserve a good night’s sleep. We know how it feels in the deep, dark night.

     

    So, coming up here will be the support — that’s how we put the show out for free twice a week — then there will be a long, meandering intro, which is separate from the support, to ease you into bedtime, and then we’ll talk about a episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but in a meandering way. You never have to have seen the show before, believe me. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll probably sleep through it, too. But it’s time for Sleep With Me, the podcast that’s here to keep you company and put you to sleep. Thanks for making it possible, my patron peeps.

     

    INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’ll do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. It could be thoughts, things on your mind that you’re thinking about. You know, thoughts you’re thinking about; you say, oh yeah, I’m thinking about those thoughts. They could be about the past, the present, the future. It could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally related to the thoughts or feelings that are just there, it could be…you know, I read Remains of the…I think…I read Remains of the Day, right?

     

    I think I read it a year ago and I really enjoyed it. I haven’t seen the film yet, but…because I would always say…I would jokingly say, ‘remains of the day’ about the thoughts and the feelings. Remains of the Day is about the person that works at the house, and they go on a journey. Is that the one? There’s a couple different ones that I get mixed up. Anyway, better move on, right? So, they…thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, anything coming for you…yeah, you’re experiencing physically, it could be changes in time, temperature, routine. Could be nocturnal noises…temperature definitely got me last night. Nocturnal noises got me last night, like, multiple ones. There was actual noises and then there was noises I wasn’t sure I was hearing or not. A lot of dog pacing and checking on stuff, too.

     

    So, whatever it is that’s keeping you awake. It could be any of those…stuff, it could be a lot of different things. The reason I mention that is because whatever it is that’s keeping you awake, there’s somebody listening that can probably at least relate to how it feels, right now, listening right now. A lot of us may be able to relate to how it feels. We might not have been through the same thing that’s keeping you up, but a lot of us…if we can’t relate to how it feels, we can empathize, we can sympathize, because I say, yeah, that’s tough. So, whatever it is. It is a message that…I guess you’re not alone, even though that’s strange. Maybe it’s…I don't think ‘kinda not alone’ is the way to say it, because that seems diminutive or something.

     

    Just because this is consumed digitally in different ways by different people doesn’t mean we’re not connected. It’s just a new form of connection. It’s strange and some would say…whatever, go off topic about it. But the fact is, it’s real. We know how it feels. That is real. The other thing that’s real is you deserve a good night’s sleep. You deserve a place you can rest. You deserve a bedtime you could feel neutral about or look forward to that you don’t have to dread. It’s important, and not in a pressure way; in a way to say you deserve it, and if you get the sleep you need, your life’s gonna be more manageable, and that’s better for you, it’s better for everybody. If eventually this podcast or something else becomes a part of your bedtime routine and you’re getting more rest…doesn’t work all the time.

     

    I mean, happened to me last night. But you could be out there flourishing, and that means our world’s a better place. If your world’s a better place, if your world’s more manageable, it really does change the world in a small way. Again, somebody would pish-posh me, but that’s fine. I’m the person that repeats oshkosh b’gosh. So, it’s fine with me. Oh, if you’re already pish-poshing me, that’s totally fine, too. Or if you don’t like the show or loathe me, there’s a list…it doesn’t change those two facts; we know how it feels and you deserve a good night’s sleep. So, check out sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou ‘cause there’s tons of other sleepy podcasts and sleep audio on there. But give the show a few tries.

     

    Unless you’re…really strong feeling, don’t get outta here too early, either, because there is…in the…I’ve gotten…the number-one piece of feedback I got other than ‘thank goodness I found something that helps’ is ‘it took me a few tries to get used to the show’, and usually those are in the same e-mail. Because at first you have a expectation and skepticism, because if you’re like a lot of listeners and like me, you’ve tried tons of other stuff. You’ve probably spent a lot of money and time trying to find something to help you get the rest you want and you need…and this show’s just different, so give it a few tries. Just see how it goes.

     

    What we’re gonna do is I’m gonna send my voice across the deep, dark night, I’m gonna use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, which means I’m gonna go off-topic, I’m gonna get mixed up, I’m gonna backtrack, I’m gonna forget what I was talking about, I’m gonna say half-words or words I think have one meaning, and then I’ll stay…diminutive…I say, I have trouble saying that word and picturing it. I know it’s got a bunch of letters in there. So, pointless meanders, superfluous tangents…that’s what that means. Creaky, dulcet tones is just the sound of my voice. Other things to know; this is a podcast you don’t really listen to. You can listen to it, but you don’t have to listen to it. It’s kinda like background noise.

     

    You say…it’s like…goes on and on and on, and you could kinda tune in just like you call a friend and you say, hey, could you call me or FaceTime me or whatever or just make a video where you talk about your day but I don’t have to listen to it? Just go on and on and on about it? That’s what I do. A friendly voice or a friendly voice in the other room. Or some listeners lower me down to background noise. It’s just a gentle humming-type sound in the…across the room or under your pillow or whatever it is. So, it’s a podcast you don’t have to listen to, you don’t need to listen to, but you could. If you can’t sleep, I’m here to the very end, or if you need a break during the day, I’m here to keep you company, first and foremost. That goes into the next thing; this show doesn’t really put you to sleep.

     

    It keeps you company and then you fall asleep. I take your mind off of stuff, I prattle on and on and on. Has there ever been a candy called the…? Or has there…anybody ever called themselves The Prattle? I don't think so, ‘cause you’d say, I’m sorry, what? I mean, The Prattler. That could be me. If there’s ever a reboot of a 1950’s or ‘60s or ‘70s…whenever those superhero shows were on…you’d say, I’m The Prattler. They’d say, holy tangents, Batman. What are we gonna do? He would say, I have some cotton in my belt, Robin. We’ll just plug our…and he…but he prattles even with his body language and his hands. Then the Batman would say, holy cow, Robin, you’re getting so…this…what was this person…? Wasn’t this person supposed to be talking about something? I was thinking, though, the Prattle…like a candy.

     

    Can you get me…when you go in there, can you get me a Prattle? I’m sorry, that’s too…it doesn’t quite…it’s not marketable. A Prattle bar doesn’t work. Prattles; get me a bag of Prattles. There you go. We finally figured it out. Can you get me some of the Prattles: Tropical Edition? Yeah, can you get…yeah, can you get me those? Oh, there’s…okay. There’s generic Prattles? Okay, I gotta get back to the…so, what was I saying? Oh, this doesn’t put you to sleep. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with this show. I just prattle on and on while you drift off, and then you wake up tomorrow; you say, was he talking about candied prattles or just Prattles as candy? I think he called himself The Prattler, which wasn’t bad. Actually, it goes with that song that I used for other things. I think Dion sang it, or something. They call Scoots The Prattler.

     

    He goes on and on and on. Isn’t that the lyrics to that song? But anyway…so, I just prattle on and on and on. I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your bore-bestie, your bore-bor, your bore-bud, your friend in the deep, dark night and keep you company while you drift off. But if you can’t sleep, I’m here to keep you company, too, or if you’re not listening, I’m here to keep you company. The other thing that’s…takes some adjusting is the structure of the show. The show’s structured in a very deliberate way so that it can be free and benefit the most amount of people, but you can adjust how you listen. But let me just tell you why it’s structured the way it is.

     

    Show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, then I say something goofy so you feel seen and welcomed in and you say, okay, I could check this show out. Sounds like it’s…sounds like something. It’s on audio. Then there’s support because the podcast…that way it could come out free twice a week. Believe it or not, it takes a lot of work to make this show, which I know is unbelievable, but it does. So, that’s what enables us to keep making it twice a week. Then there’s support for listeners and communities around the show, then there’s the intro which is separate from the support, and it’s a show within a show to ease you into bedtime. So, not everybody falls asleep during the intro. Actually, most people don’t. 2% of people skip to twenty or thirty minutes ahead.

     

    On our paid channels, more people listen to the intros than the story-only episodes, but there is story-only episodes. But the intro is part of a lot of listeners’ bedtime or wind down routines. So, whether you’re getting ready for bed, you’re doing some sort of other chill activity, maybe you’re in bed getting comfortable or you’re already drifting off, the intro’s a transition from what you were doing before you were getting ready for bed to getting ready for bed, but also introduces the show to new people. So, that’s why it goes on and on and on. It’s not part of the support. I can’t see that it’s self-congratulatory because I don't know how many other people would call themselves The Prattler and…I mean, I guess that is…I say, well, if I was gonna be…if I was gonna invent a candy, I don't know if I would have a bag of Prattles.

     

    Give me a bag of Fiddle-Faddle and a bag of Prattles. You say, oh, they have new pecan Prattles. I’d say, oh boy, make mine a pecan, then. So, are those anything like Pecan Sandies? No, those are Pecan Sandies. Oh, okay. I don't understand, but I’ll move on. So, that’s the intro. Then there’s support again between the intro and the story to enable us…for…that paying for the show is 100% optional, and there’s over 500+ episodes for free you can listen to. So, you can kinda create your own playlist of what works for you or listen all night long. So, that’s that. So, those are those things. What else do you need…? Oh, so, that’s the…oh, so then there will be a story. Tonight will be TNG. Our podcast comes out in three different forms, or…what…how do I say this? Three different styles of episodes, just in case you’re new.

     

    This is a little strange place to bring it up, but I just thought of it, so…maybe I’ll remember again. So, the podcast comes out Sundays and Wednesdays, right? We alternate, so tonight is a TV recap episode, then tomorrow will be kind of a…it could be a episode about anything. Could be a personal essay…that’s our potpourri. Then there will be a ongoing episodically modular story, and then it’ll cycle through again; TV recap, potpourri style, episodically modular story. So, that’s…so, if you say, oh, I’m not into TV recaps, that’s why we have so many shows…old shows available.

     

    But give it a few tries, even the TV recaps. Some people say, oh, I don't like Star Trek or I’m not into it. Don't worry. If you…you might be like me and be like, I’m not sure I like that show, and then you end up loving it. So, that’s the structure of the show, then there’s thank-yous at the end. That’s why we make the show. I’m so glad you’re here. I work really hard on the show. So do a bunch of other people, and we all yearn and strive, really hope we can help you fall asleep. So, thanks again for coming by, and here’s how we’re able to do it for you for free twice a week.

     

    Alright, everybody, Scoots here. We’re talking about the episode Chain of Command, Part 1, from Season 6. I cannot read my handwriting. I thought it was Season 6, episode…mine says 4…oh, that must be Captain’s Log. I thought that was this…I said, 483574. That doesn’t seem like the episode. I know it’s Season 6; it’s the middle of the season. Yeah, Captain’s Log. They’re rendezvousing with the starship Cairo on the Cardassian border. They got a meeting with the admiral. Picard takes his tea. Riker and the admiral come in. Admiral Nachev…? Nechayev…I can’t say it. He offers her coffee or tea. She says, no, we gotta get to work. No time for pleasantries. She’s relieving him of command of the Enterprise, and then there’s a zoom right on his face. His face doesn’t move, but his head moves a tiny bit.

     

    He obviously doesn’t like it and he’s stunned. Then we see the ships in space after the title. We go to the conference room…talking about the Cardassians redeploying…Federation…trouble. Ground troops…subspace communications up 50%. That gets Riker’s attention. Incursion in space? What is going on? W-A-R? No, it’s an incursion, I said, Riker. It’s gonna be trouble on the border. They’re gambling. Who will cross the border first? Troi says, will we? Hope not, admiral says, but we sent this…we’re sending the Enterprise to meet with the Cardassian representative. Riker turns his head in interest. Hopefully the ship will send a message…how serious we are. Then Riker says, where’s Captain Picard? She says, your captain, chief medical officer, and security chief are reassigned. We didn’t meet the…we never meet the replacements for the other two things. Anyone know Edward Jellico?

     

    Commanding officer of the Cairo, Data says. Riker’s heard of him. Well, he’s taking over right now, this afternoon. You see everybody’s reaction faces. Riker almost had a little tummy trouble. 1300 hours, we’re gonna change commands. Data even blinks a lot, which I said…Troi’s eyes…1300 hours…he blinked like, ten times. Riker stays behind. He says, what are you…you don’t need a commander. I’m fine to…negotiations…you don’t get it, she says. I want someone on the Bridge who has a great deal of experience with the Cardassians. No offense; not you. She goes off. Riker kinda takes a deep breath through his nose. Then we see some…what do you call them? We see Worf, Crusher, and they’re playing hide-and-seek. They get found by a Cardassian and Picard says, you got caught. Gotta be faster. Where are we going?

     

    Can’t tell you that. I need to know. Can’t tell you that. Maybe it wasn’t a Cardassian, ‘cause that would give everything away. They say, doctor, you didn’t put this thing…the hide-and-seek sensor away. Gotta block the whole passageway. Oh, it was a Cardassian. Goes, I know this is tough. Alls I can say is trust me. Crusher says, let’s do it again. Alright, Worf, let’s go through this…let’s play hide-and-seek again. Five seconds we need to make up. Remind me of Top Gun, the new one, Maverick, or whatever. Then, holy Bogomil, is that who this is? I gotta look it up. Please indulge me. I don't know what year this came out. Actually, just let me look it up in…but this is…I think it’s Lieutenant Bogomil. That’s what I kept putting, ‘cause Taggart…yeah, it’s gotta be Bogomil. Let’s see, Beverly, E-V…Beverly…I’m having trouble typing that.

     

    V-E…Beverly Hills Cop came out in 1984, and the actor’s name is Ronny Cox, C-O-X. Plays Liutenant Bogomil. I guess…I wonder…this must have came out well after that. Oh, wow, he’s in Star Trek: Prodigy for an episode. So, that’s interesting. I’m just gonna look up how many times he appeared in Star Trek. He was in Stargate: SG-1. How many ep…? Eleven episodes of that. Going back, here. We’re only in the 2000s right now. Really extensive career. He plays a very similar role. That’s why I said holy Bogomil. Not totally the same role, but he’s an authority figure, obviously. He’s…oh, he’s in the Star Trek…oh, no, the series. He was in two episodes. So, these two episodes. Definitely afterwards, ‘cause it was ‘87 and ‘94. This would have been closer to ‘94 ‘cause this is a later season. So, him and Riker shake hands.

     

    Jellico was like, let’s get…he’s ready to get to the point. He says yeah, I know this is a surprise. We got…it caught me…surprise. Miss the Cairo already. I love this ship; Galaxy-class. This is special. I understand why you didn’t want to be a captain; you just want to stay aboard. He says, I’m gonna mix stuff up. They go, we got three ships…we’re going to four shifts. I need readiness reports by 1400 hours. Staff meeting at 1500. Do you like Will or William? Will, I guess. Okay, where’s my room? 735. Okay, Deck 7. See you at 1300. Riker’s like, holy cow. He sighs. He’s irritated, I think. Class of ‘57…oh, is that later? Eighth in class…no, no, that’s…he knows everything about Will Riker. Eighth in his class, I guess. Class of ‘87. Talks fast.

     

    Then we’re in Ten Forward. There’s yellow…not a yellow folder; there’s a blue folder…blue pad. Picard reads his new…that he’s turning over control…Captain Edward Jellico. Switch command codes. Delta 5 clearance or something. They have a handshake. A very formal procedure. I relieve you, sir. I stand relieved. Dismissed. Then Riker and Geordie are talking. Beverly’s got a sore arm. Troi comes over, is curious. She goes, yeah, I know. I can’t tell you anything. Then Bogomil or Jellico and Picard have a meeting. I think he says, I’ll take care…you don’t have to mother me? We’ll see here in a sec coming up. How’s the team looking out? Two-year-old plans? I had no choice. Yeah, Geordie says, is this permanent? Riker goes, I don't know, man. They don’t usually do this kind of ceremony if it’s not.

     

    This would have been seriously disruptive, you know? Let’s see, class-5 probe…so, this is coming up, where Picard and them talk. Points at Will, calls him over. Captain, captain, problem with the Delta shifts. Very Bogomil. Target as of now. Get it done. Oh, this is all in Ten Forward. Yeah, okay. They’re talking about the overhauls. Shouldn’t have any problems. Check out the port lateral. Don’t mother me, Jean-Luc; I’ll take care of it. Puts his arm around him and he says, how’s things looking on the down-low? Pretty good. We could use some more information. So, Bogomil says, I’ll send a class-5 probe out there. Oh, current information is two years old. So, he goes, I’ll get you the down-low, buddy. Nechayev…why can’t I say that? Nechayev. Nechayev. He goes, yeah, we’ll pass it on to the shuttle. Picard says, thanks, man.

     

    That’s helpful. Then he call…hey, Will, get over here. He finger-points him. Captain? Alright, I sent out a probe during Delta shift. How’s that going? Will pulls his shirt down. He goes, yeah, well, it’s not…Delta shift doesn’t exist because…or Gamma shift. He goes, tell McDowell…he goes, is there a problem, Will? No, there is no Delta shift. He goes, we’re not ready to go to four…we’re working on it. It’s a significant personnel issue. This is exactly…he goes, so, you have not changed the watch rotation, just like we…he says to…if you watch the movie Beverly Hills Cop, he’s the same way. Lieutenant Taggart, did you do this…something? Yeah. Okay, so he goes, yeah, Delta shift will be gone…duty in two hours. I don't know what to tell you, but that’s when you gotta be at work, basically. Is that clear? Riker says, yes, sir.

     

    Excuse me. We see that the…this is the season with the long…or maybe these are just their formal wear, ‘cause they have gold stripes and stuff. He goes, man, that Riker. Picard goes, he’s the best. He goes, oh yeah, really? The best? He rubs his hands, Jellico. Sure it’ll be fine. Then we hear Bogomil’s first log. They’re on the border. Still have time to prepare the ship and crew for the task ahead. He goes, I need a bay…a secondary generator bypass. He’s telling Riker and Data. Gotta do some relays…conduits, auxiliary…reconfigure transfers. They go, this ship’s not designed for that. It’ll take seven hours. They go, this isn’t how we do things on the Enterprise. He goes, I’m aware of the current system. Not good enough.

     

    This is where he’s a different character; he says, things aren’t gonna go well, so I want to be prepared. He says, you’re in charge of this. Everybody will be in charge of that. Mr. Data, how long before we get there? Fifty-one hours, thirty-two minutes, sir. Alright, four drills between now and then, one for each shift. Practice, practice, practice with Cardassians, and conduct it yourself, Will. He says, by the way…he says, Data, come with me. Let’s see…my dog…Koa just poked her head in here, in case you were listening…said hi. Oh yeah, he goes, get it done. Then he goes off. He says, oh, by the way, get the fish out of the Ready Room. Data, you’re with me. They say, Captain Picard’s fish? That’s the end of it. Data goes out, then he’s with Geordie going over transfer power and warp coil efficiency. Not satisfactory.

     

    They go well, it’s in the specifications. He goes, I don't care about specifications. I need 15% improvement. Geordie goes, 15%? Data says, that’s attainable. We’ll have to realign the warp core, take it offline. He goes, good job, Data. That’s what I want. Geordie goes, we’ll have to shut out the Biology and Physics labs, and Geological Research. He says, this is not a geological mission, dude. Data says, that’s an attainable goal if no one rests. They go…he goes, well, get it done, Geordie. Also, the term was ‘loaded for bear’. I think that’s coming up. A lot of dislike of Jellico. Geordie’s glaring…breathes out. See the ship…Jellico’s decorating the Ready Room. Doorbell rings. Come on in. It’s Troi; can I talk to you? Yeah, come on in. Just…oh, some pictures for my kids. I got some weird book Picard had. I say, your son?

     

    Interesting. Your son is drawing elephants. She helps him figure out if it’s a elephant or something else. I don't know what Jellico thought it was. He goes, let’s go over the roster and let’s talk about chaining command, crew…yeah. Everybody’s happy. Well, I wouldn’t call it resistance; more like uncertainty. Well, most of them worked for Picard for a few years. They knew what he expected and now they’re being asked to adjust to a new captain, and that’s…they’re uncertain. He says, yeah, yeah, I understand, but…and she goes, yeah, we need a transition period. He goes, there’s no time for a honeymoon. Fortunately this is a situation. We don’t have time for that. I’m glad you brought it to my attention, though, he says.

     

    You’ve clearly given this a lot of thought, so…well, you could take charge of the morale situation and make adjustments. So, he says, thanks for volunteering. He goes, I gotta meet with the new security person…five minutes, so I guess we’ll talk about other stuff later. By the way, no casual wear on duty. Which, I said, that’s casual wear? Interesting. I guess he wants everybody in the same uniform or something. So, Troi leaves unhappy ‘cause he’s also very dismissive. Geordie’s…and Riker are kinda trading how they’re overworked and how this isn’t gonna work out well. You’re not alone; Jellico’s got…change going in every department. Come on, changes are hard work, but I need time to do the work. Somebody’s gotta make him listen to reason. Riker goes, he’s not listening to me.

     

    Geordie says, why don’t you tell on him? Tell on him to Picard. Get us some more time. Riker goes, okay. Goes into…or, Picard goes into his room first. We see his beautiful, purple desk chair. But Picard is sweaty and tired and sore. Great makeup effect. He puts his feet up…maybe just one foot up. The doorbell rings. Yeah? It’s me, Will Riker. Yeah, Will, I know who you are. Everything okay? Yeah, I’m exhausted, dude. Last time I had to train like this…Academy marathon. I’m managing, though. He goes, what’s up? Riker says, don’t worry about it. Sorry to bother you. See you later. Riker doesn’t seem super-concerned that he’s in a undercover outfit, a bit like a ninja. Then the ship goes on more. What do we got? Picard and Bogomil are talking. Bogomil’s got some candles, I think, on his desk.

     

    He goes…they talk about their plans, launching probes. Yeah, I wanted to be informed when that probe was launched. Shakes his head. He’s not happy with Riker. He goes, yeah, I know you think highly of him, but…Picard says, not my opinion, man. Five times he’s been decorated. Offered a ship…an…own ship. Give him a chance. You’ll find him outstanding. Bogomil says, listen, Jean-Luc, let’s be honest. I’m here because I only see things not working out, and it’s not gonna work out with the Cardassians. We’re not gonna go to the dance together. I want to be ready for…if we have a ship dance-off. He goes, I don't have time to give anybody a chance. By the way, the Enterprise is my ship now. Here, take your book back, too. I don't want it. Picard really snarls, almost, at him.

     

    He goes, here’s hoping it all works out, even though I doubt it will. Puts his hand out…good luck. Picard says, thanks. Picard’s a little stiff. Oh, this one…he says, by the way, can you get this book outta here? I don't know if it’s Shakespeare or the Bible or what, but I don't need it in my office. Picard looks at it, pats it, smiles politely. Bogomil kinda glares. This is not…they don’t really make him look good, but because it was Bogomil, I was rooting for him anyway. Let’s see, then the shuttle heads out of the Enterprise. Famen, I think. I don't know. I put question mark…oh, Famen, the Enterprise…Worf calls we’re clear…Famen. Says, great. DNA…oh, so, they say, what is the mission? Once they get away from the ship, Picard says, I can tell you. They say, the Cardassians may have a secret thing that is not good for anybody.

     

    It makes everybody just leave a planet empty…leave everything behind so the planet’s ready for use, kinda like those stink bombs you would have as a kid that would make it smell bad. They said, I thought that was a band. Even the Romulans wouldn’t do that. Plus, if it stinks, it just stinks. We’ve learned that. They say, well, they got a new delivery system with fans, so it only…it dissipates after a little while. How do they do that? Send it on subspace bands, dormant carrier waves…Theta-band, by the way. Selta 7-Eleven, or something. Worf reveals plans…passes the an…secret lab. Picard knows Theta bands. How do we get there? We need discrete transport. So, this is a little bit like a movie. They go to Torman V and they gotta get to Selta 7-Eleven, or whatever.

     

    This kinda goes into where Picard and Beverly and Worf are good together. There’s a clearly…oh, they’re undercover. There’s a Ferengi at a table. They say, we’re looking for DaiMon Solok. We gotta do business. Well, that DaiMon Solok’s busy, the Ferengi says. Who is DaiMon Solok, by the way? Well, we need some transport to Celtris III. Picard whispers, we got some cargo. We’d like to quietly book passage. He says, no way, man. I know what you’re up to. You’re dressed…you were previously dressed like ninjas. So, then Beverly says, I heard DaiMon Solok was quite the genius, and only he can help us. Very, very…when…don't worry, they say, yeah, we’ll give you…Worf, no eye contact. I don't know, but basically they trick DaiMon Solok into giving them a ride. Right now on the screen they’re still talking about Theta bands.

     

    The doctor, she’ll get rid of this…she’s…her job is to dismantle these gas things. Remember, there was once a movie…literally a movie based on a old TV show about something that would make everyone’s clothes disappear. It wasn’t the emperor’s new clothes, either, believe it or not. I don't know what that one was about, but it was…was it Get Smart or something? I think it was a comedy. I saw it as a little kid, of course. So, this is…has the Star Wars cantina feel where they’re trying to book passage. Actually, Picard whispers to somebody else who points over at DaiMon Solok, who’s already meeting with some dude who’s having a glass of green wine. That guy gets up as soon as Worf glares at him. First, the guy…the Ferengi says, I didn’t do anything. He goes, well, what do you want? He says, DaiMon Solok, man.

     

    Compress the band…500 meters east, 700 below. Oh, so this is later. Solok’s very busy; doesn’t have time. Worf says, you got time to talk to us. You know, I’m not here to mess around. We also learned something Worf doesn’t like, which is flying friends. Nocturnal flying friends; Worf does not like them, but he says he does…he’s not…Beverly says, really? You don’t like nocturnal flying friends? He goes, no, I do. Just fine. DaiMon Solok says, I’m no smuggler. But if you were, could you get to Celtris III? Which sounds like…that sounds like a game on the Atari 2600, Celtris III. I’m still waiting for the original Yaris to come out, because there was a game called Yar’s Revenge. I say, was there a game called Yars? This is old humor from the eighties I’m just getting to make jokes about now.

     

    Here’s Beverly…says, yeah, DaiMon Solok’s a genius, I heard. He’s got the smoothest head in all of Ferengi, and…smooth as his ability to sneak people into Celtris III. Love to get there because that’s where we gotta go. He says, okay. Worf’s in a striking blue outfit, or purple. Not lavender…bluish. Also…oh yeah, Worf can’t make eye contact. That note was correct. Then we see a planet with some lakes; greenish-brown. We’re back playing hide-and-seek with the crew. But they don’t have flashlights, right? So they’re try…I mean, they do, but they’re looking around for hiding spots somewhere in the Cardassian world. They say, Beverly, make sure that you keep a precise map of our route ‘cause we want to be able to find all the good hiding spots. But we also have to find…it’s kind of a subspace hide-and-seek.

     

    We gotta find the Theta band. That’s what we’re trying to find. We want to find the source of that. So, we’re trying to hide, but we’re also trying to find. A different type of game than you may have played before. Picard says, it’s 500 meters east and 700 meters down. This is when Worf says, are there flying nocturnal friends here? Lynars, they’re called. They’re from Celtran. That’s when Beverly says, you know…and that doesn’t concern you, Worf, does it? No. But he’s concerned, kinda like Indiana Jones-style. They head off, still hiding, then we see the Enterprise and the Cardassian ship, the Reklar. They’re gonna begin talks. Riker says, Gul Lemec’s here. He’s waiting for you. Bogomil says, I’m gonna go in my Ready Room and think for a while. They ring the doorbell. He’s framed the pictures of…son.

     

    Troi says, don’t you have a meeting with Gul Lemec? She tries to be diplomatic about it. Gul Lemec’s waiting. You want me to bring him here? No, he’s gonna wait. It’s a game. I guess this is clearly the role that Bogomil’s supposed to be playing. He says, yeah, you gotta make them wait. When they’re in a group, they’re tough. When they’re by themselves, we have to let them know. I don’t necessarily like this kind of thinking, but he’s…she goes, well, if you’re gonna make him wait for you, he might make you wait for him one day, and then you’ll all be waiting for waiting. Then you’ll all end up waiting…who waits last waits longest. But he goes, that’s it, but I’m still waiting. She goes, wait a second, waiting for what? So, then we go back to Picard.

     

    Then…yeah, Picard, Beverly, and Worf, they have to do…they go down a slide, which is a action sequence. They have cool equipment. We learn Beverly doesn’t like slides. Worf says, this is just like a slide you go down at a park. She goes, yeah, I…it’s fine. I’m ready to go down the slide. Goes, you don’t like slides, do you? So, he…that was a fun…just their interaction with each other. Oh, 500-meter slide. They have turning…fusing pistons, though, to make the slide go slow. There’s a lot of music here. Control…something. Don’t get lines tangled. Oh yeah, he goes, let’s all go down the slide slow. So, there’s action music for when they go down the slides. Beverly is like, don't worry, I’m gonna go slow. Not looking forward to it.

     

    This is a pretty big…effects, because they have a whole area designed with practical effects and it looks like some sort of painting. Then we see the two ships again. Gul Lemec’s waiting. He stands up; he goes, I’ve been waiting for an hour, man. That’s rude. Jellico, Riker, Troi here. Let’s talk. He goes, no, no, this isn’t okay. Goes, you made me wait for over an hour. Jellico says, well, I’m sure it’s time to talk. He actually takes the Cardassian’s seat. He goes, I didn’t agree to talk with everybody. I thought it was just the two of us. He goes, oh, okay, if you’re worried about it, I could have them leave. He goes, I’m not worried about anything. He goes, we gotta get to work, Lemec. No need to quibble. Lemec says, I’m here to get rid of all you people. You’re on our borders. I’m not here to be insulted.

     

    It’s a very strange, drawn-out discussion…negotiations…how to over-negotiate. So, then…in a classic way. So, then he says, well, I’m not here to…I guess I’ll talk to you later, because I don’t like your tone. He goes out to the Bridge; he laughs. This is all…what’s his name…Jellico. Says, perfect. He goes, let him stew, then go in and say Jellico is a loose cannon and he’s so unreasonable. Why don’t you come back with some of your assistants or whatever? He goes, then I can give…object and then give up to give them…say, why do you have to neg…I don't understand why people have to negotiate like this. I guess in this one there’s some sort of context between the Cardassians and the humans and how they deal with stuff, but in real life, I say…I don't get it. It’s not my thing. Then we go back to the hide-and-seek game.

     

    Oh, but this was kind of…very Axel Foley, how complicated it is to…Bogomil’s very impressed with himself. No, he’s not…oh, that’s what they say after…is that the next scene? Riker’s like, wow, this guy really knows what he’s doing. Troi goes, no, he doesn’t. Then we’re playing…we got 300 meters more of mapping possible hiding places. There’s great tricorder sound effects. Lava tube zoom? I don't know what that means. Oh, they go into a…so, they go into one of those things you crawl through in a hide…in…what are those places called? Gymboree or something? Not Gymboree. But it was a place before bouncy houses where you’d go and go in indoor tubes and stuff like that. Fun places…fun gym place or something. So, they climb through there. Great place for hide-and-seek, though.

     

    Worf uses some lasers — well done — to open up another hiding spot. Let’s see, yeah, right now, Worf’s looking…sixteen…phaser at level sixteen. I say, holy cow, how many levels does a phaser have? But he uses sixteen to actually create a way for them to climb through. Well done, Mr. Worf. So, they start climbing to a new place to play hide-and-seek. Then we go back to the two ships. Enterprise…pleasure…welcome aboard. Provocative or proactive? We’re doing some routine training. Oh yeah, they meet the aides, Jellico meets all the Cardassian aides. They sit down at a long…the table’s long. Opposite ends…he says, oh yeah, you’ve been driving around the border. You don’t think we know what you’re up to? You’re not doing your normal operations.

     

    We’re not gonna stand for this provocative behavior. He goes, this is not…this was not true information. Gul Lemec says that. We’re just doing routine stuff; nothing more. Okay, I’m sure you won't mind if we bring up our presence a bit for our own training. They say, yeah, we don’t care about you, but we know something’s going on. I mean, you have things on our borders. Then he raises his voice, Bogomil. He says, you’re trying something. Troi says, captain, could you calm down? Let’s listen. Riker says, Gul Gemec, we’re still working out some of these details. He goes, yeah, I’ve been practicing good faith with these details, but you have not been as forthcoming. They go, what are you doing? They go, well, defenses. He goes, against the Federation? We’re not that…we don’t do things that way.

     

    Then he goes, I heard that three people from the Federation are playing hide-and-seek in Cardassian territory. Of course, who are you gonna trust, DaiMon Solok not to tell on you? They say, of course you’re gonna do that. That would be a problem. If you came and played hide-and-seek in our yard without an invite…and he says, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But then Gul Lemec has the better line; he goes, well, then there’s nothing to worry about. Maybe we could take a brief recess. He goes, I’ve out-foxed you, fox. Goes, by the way, where’s Captain Picard? Reassigned. Oh, okay. I hope he’s not playing hide-and-seek somewhere, because we’ll find him if he’s playing hide-and-seek. We may even have inside information for such a noted officer. Then he says, yeah, it would. I wouldn’t like that. No one would.

     

    Then we see the planet again, the lakes and stuff. Everybody’s going through, and then they go through this part with foam…like, the foam pit. It’s foam blocks and balls and shredded foam, but there’s some gum in there. So, some of the pieces of shredded foam get stuck on Beverly’s clothes, and then she gets gum in her hair, which I say, come on, man. So, that’s kind of like…they got sidetracked. That would be…that would not be a good situation to have foam blocks with gum on them and get gum in your hair. None of that anybody would want. So, then they pause and they say, we’re supposed to be playing hide-and-seek and now we gotta get gum out of Beverly’s hair. So, they try to get that done. They say, we don’t even have…what do we need, mayonnaise or toothpaste or ice or ketchup?

     

    They say, we have none of that stuff at our…we don’t have any…here’s a thing; set the phaser to 0.25, maybe. Maybe you could get one where you can melt gum or vaporize gum without hair? I don't know what that setting is, though. But they say, let’s just put some dirt on it, which is genius, ‘cause then it won't stick to anything, mostly, then we can probably cut it out later, unfortunately, Beverly. Then they find a door, a hatch. It’s got three proximity sensors, so it’s a place that would be good to hide, but only if they know you didn’t open the door. So, Worf uses some sort of sensor echo. Got a few minutes to get in there, but they don’t know…they say, well, we can’t see if the hide-and-seekers are on the other side. Worf says, I can hack the door; it’s got a magnetic lock. They say, okay, we gotta go in there. Aim low.

     

    Oh, ‘cause I guess they’re playing Nerf hide-and-seek? I didn’t even know that part. So, they go in. They go into a room with…which has a glowing pyramid, some sort of washing machine. No, it looks like a air purifier, actually. They say, there’s no one here. No finders, no hiders, no play room, either. We watch the thing glow, we go to commercial, and then we come back and Picard says, it’s hide-and-seek. They knew we would try to find this. So, they get…then it’s like Nerf hide-and-seek. So, the Cardassians have found them, so they’re trying to dodge Nerfs and running around. Worf dances with one ‘cause he says, you can’t Nerf me. Then they try to close the door, so Worf’s trying to hold the door open. He says, everybody through the door. Then they go to…the door’s still trying to close.

     

    Beverly gets through the door, then Worf gets hit by a Nerf, but it wasn’t clear, so he tries to…he falls down, like oh, I wasn’t hit; I was dodging out of the way. But the door closes, so Picard gets found in hide-and-seek. Meanwhile, Worf and Beverly are like, we…they’re like, what should we do? Beverly’s like, it’s hide-and-seek; we gotta hide until…I don't think they know that you actually got Nerfed. So, they go off to hide. Picard’s like, okay, I guess I’m…they say, yeah, we tricked you with a glowing triangle. Oldest trick in the book; Cardassian glowing triangle thing. Let’s go. Because they…there’s…I guess there’s still a part of the game where you can unfreeze your teammate. So, they suspect they’ll do that for Picard. We go to the Bridge. Jellico’s on the Bridge. He goes up to Riker. Riker, what do you got?

     

    Coded messages from Cardassians. Celtris III. Is there any Theta bands down there? I don't know, they’re talking about winning a game of hide-and-seek. No more Theta bands. He goes, okay, get Admiral Nechayev on the call, stat, in my office. He walks fast, man, faster than me. He’s got some sort of airplane on his wall, too. Follows the admiral…goes, um, this mission’s shut down. He goes, maybe they…have you heard from our friends? No. I hope my…our friends are doing okay at hide-and-seek. She goes, let me know if you do, ‘cause I’d like to see our friends hide-and-seeking again. He says, so will I. Then he sits back. We get a little bit of a zoom on him, thoughtful. Then we have Picard. He goes into a very marbley neon office with some…and somebody’s sitting there. They go, this is a challenge. Somebody’s very happy.

     

    They say, this is gonna be good, man. They go, leave us…just the two of us. So, it’s a Cardassian with a desk. He goes, this should be interesting, Jean-Luc. He goes, this is interesting…the most interesting thing to come through my door in many years. Picard goes, what do you want? He goes, to hang with you, man. Jean-Luc Picard…goes, born in France, SP 937215 is your serial number. Parents…I know your parents’ names. I’m a super-fan. Picard goes…Maurice in a vet? He goes, oh boy. Goes, like that movie? La Barre, France, captain of the Stargazer. He goes, you loved Theta band hide-and-seek subspace carrier waves. You used to have a radio show, right? Unbarred in La Barre. He goes…I love the line; he goes, you concocted an elaborate ruse to get me here? The guy says, in my…in this room, I ask the questions.

     

    You answer them. He goes, don’t…goes, this is…we get a zoom on Jean-Luc. He goes, we’re gonna hang. Picard goes, it could be like that movie. Then it goes, to To Be Continued. So, we’ll have to wait ‘til next week. Just trying to figure out what else we should look up about this episode, if anything, or what…I don't know. I guess I’ll be honest; I don't…I watched…I thought it was interesting having the actor whose name I forget, I’m sorry…Ronny Cox play a character similar to Bogomil where it’s also uncertain for me, at least, whether he’s playing…whether he is a foil or he is leading things in the wrong direction or he’s particularly good at what he does.

     

    I mean, I would say in the context of the Federation…if their standards of excellence are as high as they are on the Enterprise that you would have to assume that he’s up…it’s more of a misdirection. He’s do…he’s…really knows what he’s doing and he’s supposed to be incompetent. But I think we’ve seen recently play out that not everyone in the Federation is par-excellence, and a lot of them having misguided ideas or belief systems or a need to do more than they’re supposed to that lead them astray. I guess maybe since he played a very…so, there was a movie called Beverly Hills Cop with…Eddie Murphy was the lead. But this Ronny Cox was one of the characters that Eddie Murphy discovers in the first two. Oh no, he’s not in the second one. He’s a…he’s represented in the second one.

     

    Maybe he is in it a couple times. Oh no, he’s in it. I remember. But so, what was my point? Well, I guess ‘cause I’m rooting for him slightly more than I normally would just because of the…I liked his role in the movie. But that’s not always the best idea. So, it’ll be interesting to see how this turns out. It’s a two-parter and it was also interesting ’cause that’s a two-parter in the middle of the season. It’s Episode 10. So, it…and…yeah. So, I’m excited to see how it turns out. I mean, I kinda know how it turns out because…but I’m just interested to see, especially with this character. But he also is pushing the…everybody to be at their best. So, it’s another episode of The Next Generation. Thanks for joining me, and whether your frontier is another episode or is zooming…snoozing off into dreamland, I’m here to help. Appreciate yous listening so much. Goodnight.

     

    [END OF RECORDING]

    (Transcribed by Leah Hervoly)

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