Captain Sisko:
"I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover up the truth. I'm not proud of it. But I did it. Because I had to. Because the Federation was in jeopardy, and I would have done anything to save it. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I feel good about it. But I can live with it."
I love that all the indiscriminate murder he was involved in that lead to his crisis of conscious is not a problem; it the coverup that is causing hm to sweat.
Garak:
"That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing yourself. Well, it worked. And you'll get what you want — a war between the Romulans and the Dominion."
Yeah, Garak was doing all the killing, lol, though.
Picard didn't say you can never lie. He wasn't endorsing an abstract Kantian principle. Truth is the first duty, not the only duty that matters. But it takes an awfully urgent—and true—necessity to validate lying, cheating, and other immoralities.
Picard: "I can't be part of an organization that has abandoned its principles. I can't, in good conscience, be part of the thing that I loved and fought for if it no longer stands for what it should."
the point of art is that you get to decide which of them is right, if both of them are or neither is. we know what Picard things. We know what a Sisko things. what do you think?
disagree with this. always have. anyone who does everything perfect and loses played a slanted game. that's not life, it's rigged. our planet is filled with an elite class of slavemasters who need far more losers so they can win. losing has become acceptable even when nearly impossible. cant do it
i'll admit i dont see it. i know this was episode where he played that dood and Data is questioning if is something wrong with him cause shoulda beat him and didn't see any mistakes. Picard of course needs him so gives him this bs to make him functional again. i just dont agree. 0 mistakes wins 99%
Went through all of ST:TNG during covid. Gettin real big covid vibes right now with all the anxiety and uncertainty and want to watch it again. I’ll still get up every day and try to make the world a better place, but damn, I’m scared, man.
Was. TOS was such an innovation and has some great episodes. TNG and DS9 (I'll watch DS9 anytime) were the crest of the arc. I don't care for "Kurtzman Trek" at all.
Remember the episode when they unfroze some investor and he was talking about how his company is definitely still around and he was going to get a lawyer and Picard is like "get the fuck off my bridge."
Picard is an absolutely amazing example of ideal, strong yet measured, and compassionate leadership and positive masculinity while still having some flaws.
Quite possibly the best male leadership character I've ever seen.
Sir. It is close. Kate Mulgrew, George Takai, and Lavar Burton and I have very lively discourse on this subject. It’s like picking your favorite of the wonders of the world. But alas, nope. Lol
Same, even more so when I found out he and his wife foster dogs for an L.A. rescue. There's a video somewhere of him being "attacked" with kisses by a rescued pit bull ❤️
Watched this episode recently — my wife and I have been diving back into TNG for some comfort — and I remembered this exchange, but not that what prompted it was Pulaski relentlessly nagging Data to play an insufferable future-space-chess grand master and then being annoyed with the result 😂
Jumping in mid-season 2, I was surprised that I remembered hating her as much as I did — it depends on who’s writing her, and a couple of early episodes in the season lean into her anti-Data prejudice hard enough to sour me. That sort of comes back toward the end of the season.
So overall she’s not quite as awful as I remember, and she has some lovely moments in there, but the reasons to hate her are firmly established. And let’s face it: Crusher is the doctor on the Enterprise-D, just like Ringo is the drummer for the Beatles.
Watching sequentially also reminded me just how much the show hits its stride in season 3 (after the head writer switch). I remembered the first two seasons being uneven, but some of the later seasons are all over the place too (season 6, oi). 3 starts strong and almost all 20-some eps are solid.
I just watched this episode again a few nights ago, viewing it through the lens of my adult ADHD diagnosis. Data is also neurodivergent, and everyone expected him to be superior; pretty soon he believed it himself, resulting in serious self-doubt/paralysis when he inevitably failed at something. 😢
The corollary is also, unfortunately, true: It is possible to do mistakes, be a vile creature, and you can still win. It's called life. Especially in US of A.
After this Data decides to play his Strategeum opponent with the goal to tie, not win. His opponent rage quits like Elon getting trolled in Path of Exile 2.
Such is the case with a vastly superior opponent. You might make what most people would consider your optimal move every single time and still lose because your opponent can manipulate the board to make it so that your optimal move is still a losing one.
It's a typical early season episode that's slightly goofy and yet manages to pull out quotes like this one that kept you coming back until the series really took off.
I was curious as to which episode this actually was and when it aired. Penultimate episode of Season 2. Hobbled by the writer's strike and limping along with an episode that aired in JULY.
This and the episode before it, "Emissary", showed that, hey, this show might actually be good!
Im split regarding disco. It has its moments but Im getting tired of the last 15 minutes of every episode is everyone in the crew telling everyone else how amazing they are. Im a cranky old goat. 🤣
Seriously. Ive stopped watching the last 15 minutes of every episode. I mean its on but im on here instead. Its every crewmember talking about their feelings. In every. Single. Episode. Its exhausting. I get it. You are all amazing people. 🙄
But i really liked what they did to the klingons in the first season. Despite kinda deviating from normal trek.
These klingons were scary for real, not just loudmouthed drunks.
And, just watching season 4 episode 12 I must say that discos take on meeting a vastly 😳superiour civilzation and trying to communicate with it is a hell of a lot better than the "face popping up on the viewscreen, speaking english" approach that TNG prefered. 🤪
Are you talking about Star Trek: The Next Generation?”
I own all seasons.
They’re packed because I’m moving, and I’m not about to tear open a box to verify your comment, yet, I agree that season 3 & 4 are awesome.🖖🏽
I get how the Klingons were genetically modified to infiltrate the UFP and Starfleet, yet these REALLY different-looking Klingons in “Diiscovery” put me off a bit.
I don’t MIND them, I’m just trying to figure out where they FIT (Kelvin, normal,or whatever the hell any director feels like!).
I recall in 2020, when individual states were coordinating their response to Covid, people pointed out that the map of the Covid cooperation blocs was almost identical to the usual starting lines for the 2nd American Civil War as depicted in the Kaiserreich timeline.
Eh, Kirk's reaction is to reject what Picard said completely and that was the lesson of the Kobiyahsi Maru. Irl there would have been no hacking the program. Basically what the Enterprise C endured and they got a breather even.
It means you can follow every rule, avoid blame, and never admit fault—yet still fail because success isn’t just about being “technically right.” It’s about growth, adaptability, and responsibility. Denying mistakes may protect ego, but it blocks learning—and failure follows.
Jeez I knew what this was before I played it. Our youngest child (19) has profound mental health challenges and this profound quote from Picard has been at the forefront of my mind for a decade.
I can’t recall the episode & I watched NextGen twice from end->end 😳. Re best captain, it’s tough, I rate Picard esp in Borg episodes & films but equal love for Janeway, it’s a draw IMO. Started DS9 twice and didn’t get far so no comment on Sisko. Archer was good but I’d go Picard or Janeway any day
You gotta play the percentages.
If one option gives you a 99% chance of success, that's the one you should choose.
Even if you fail, it was still the right call.
But J-LP said it shorter and better.
In an interview, Patrick Steward stated that his most beloved and memorable scene from TNG was when he was advocating for the rights of Data as an individual. He said it as stuck wit him all these years. "My rights, my status, my right to choose, my life..." impactful today more than ever I feel.
It was a solid piece. The fact that he even gave the order to send him off for study any thought of all is the only thing that throws me on this episode. I'd have expected Picard to tell Star Fleet to fuck off; of course in the most eloquent way that only Picard could, just like his "try me, bitch."
His yorkshire tea ads are excellent. They make me laugh. I'm an aussie, and still have a big stuffed dog toy called Jean-Luc. Next Gen was my absolute fave ST. (Followed by Voyager.)
We need a Jean-Luc to save us all from the madman trying to *own* the world. 😔
But as Picard said them, and as you attributed them to a Yorkshireman, I pretended to assume you thought Picard was from Yorkshire for humorous effect.
Comments
..
And that's the way it is. I'm signing off.
—JLP
"I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover up the truth. I'm not proud of it. But I did it. Because I had to. Because the Federation was in jeopardy, and I would have done anything to save it. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I feel good about it. But I can live with it."
"That's why you came to me, isn't it, Captain? Because you knew I could do those things that you weren't capable of doing yourself. Well, it worked. And you'll get what you want — a war between the Romulans and the Dominion."
Yeah, Garak was doing all the killing, lol, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLzJAebfEIg
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CgjMfaQ94Co
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2h-1sp205y8
"I thought I had."
LOL, good line, Will, but it throws shade on Deanna.
If you know the episode then you know the results this advice had on him.
A different perspective was what he was missing. This post actualy represents what your saying, pull back and look again.🙂
Kudos
😀💙
"Why was Star Trek so damn good"
After that, the best morals come from a place of fairness.
https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/smith-marx-and-picard-star-trek-and-our-economic-future
https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/smith-marx-and-picard-star-trek-and-our-economic-future
Quite possibly the best male leadership character I've ever seen.
I’m a middle-aged, straight man.
Brent Spinner.
But in almost every episode there was an important moral lesson, an example of integrity or honor, and examples of excellent leadership in action.
Wish we had … even a small slice of that… in the White House.
It was a moral reasoning course disguised as a really good sci-fi show.
Instead of going for the win, he changes strategy to pursue a draw; Sirna Kolrami is exasperated, and forfeits in disgust.
Like Trump, Sirna Kolrami always expected a win.
Deny victory, and he will be flustered, and quit.
Then crush him like a fucking bug.
One end of that spectrum just got a whole lot richer. The other infinitely more poor — being relieved of both money and rights. #HandsOff
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-17-ca-1835-story.html
So many years later, yet so vivid in my memory
https://youtu.be/7-Q9CxKtZUA
Such is the case with a vastly superior opponent. You might make what most people would consider your optimal move every single time and still lose because your opponent can manipulate the board to make it so that your optimal move is still a losing one.
IF The game is rigged 😤
We want people to try, to take risks
But we must maintain a safety net
Otherwise, no will try🤠
This and the episode before it, "Emissary", showed that, hey, this show might actually be good!
These klingons were scary for real, not just loudmouthed drunks.
I own all seasons.
They’re packed because I’m moving, and I’m not about to tear open a box to verify your comment, yet, I agree that season 3 & 4 are awesome.🖖🏽
I don’t MIND them, I’m just trying to figure out where they FIT (Kelvin, normal,or whatever the hell any director feels like!).
I may have been on the loosing side, but it wasn't the wrong side.
Correct me if I incorrectly remember the quote.
Sometimes if you followed the rules, you DIDN'T do everything right.
Don't be Chuck Schumer.
Don't be Joe Biden.
Have an imagination.
Energize! …if only!
...played BEST. 💗
We think that's a lesson unto itself.
They took everything that made Data, "Data", then put him through a Star Wars filter, lol.
If one option gives you a 99% chance of success, that's the one you should choose.
Even if you fail, it was still the right call.
But J-LP said it shorter and better.
We are brought up to deal with the world as it is.
We need a Jean-Luc to save us all from the madman trying to *own* the world. 😔
One of the Heptonstall Picards, is he?
You know that's not his true name don't you?
But as Picard said them, and as you attributed them to a Yorkshireman, I pretended to assume you thought Picard was from Yorkshire for humorous effect.
Fuck that
I always remember this line, and in my better life, it is truly an inspiration. So true today, with AI and the AI hype.
I say it TO my class.
Way to go teach