[vuedoc]

I last saw the shows just about a month ago so it's more recent in my mind.

I agree that Ronny Cox is a great actor and supposedly a really nice guy in real life. Maybe he feels he has something to make up for since he is usually portraying jack-asses. I think Jellico did get a bad rap, less so for his command style than by the resistance he got to his changes. I did get annoyed by him bad-mouthing Riker so soon after taking over, and then there was the "Get rid of that fish," comment. Clearly, he was written as a putz, but I did give him full credit for the rescue of Picard. The character should have gotten more appreciation in the end.

[kevin]

I think it does come down to the writing - his style was designed to be so markedly different to that of Picard that it's quite obvious that the probable intent was for the audience to go 'he's a jerk - get him off the Enterprise' but he really just has a very different command style.

Less friendly and consenus based - more 'this is what I want and don't tell me 'no'! I don't think we see him enough to determine if he is a good or a bad Captain (Riker's words are probably generated more by personal dented pride than proper thought but again it's part of the script).

He's just a different one.

[Roysten]

The writers did try and balance the character a bit more by having him put up the drawings of his son (an obvious opposite to what we know of Picard).

In some ways he had a lot to live up to, replacing the living legend of Picard on the flagship of the Federation, he wanted to change the shift rotations and having as he put it 'a certain formality on the bridge' in terms of Troi's uniform to make his mark I reckon, it must have worked on his old ship for him to want to change it so to him he's just settling in and aiming to do things his way, not imitate Picard. So yeah I think Riker was a bit out of line.

[vuedoc]

"Get it done" vs. "Make it so."

The first seems more dictatorial whereas the second demonstrates authority but also suggests a little more open-mindedness e.g. "it has to happen but your way of doing it is fine." What do y'all think?

[kevin]

It indicates Jellico issues orders and makes the decisions with less pre-discussion and consensus than Picard does.

It's harsher sounding, though.

[Captain Tom Coughlin]

I think he gave the order "get it done" after Geordi balked at the amount of work it would take to get engineering in the order that Jellico wanted.

[vuedoc]

And also to Riker about the schedule/shift change. I think it was on the bridge.

[Tiberius1964]

It's been a while since I've seen this episode - so much so that I think it was a two parter but don't trust my memory. And of course what I remember most are the scenes between Patrick Stewart and David Warner, and the scene at the end..."I saw four lights". Or five lights. Whichever.

I seem to remember however a scene in which Troi told Riker that Jellicoe was not the confident captain that he projected to everyone, that he was consumed by doubt (not her words, probably).

So I see Jellicoe as someone who feels he's in over his head, and needs to have everything go his way, as a way of keeping control of the situation. This kind of captain would probably have changed the Enterprise from 3 watch to 4 watch, instead of from 4 watch to 3 watch, just to make the point that he's in command.

If I were in command of a military unit (or even quasi-military unit) where sometimes lives depend on decisions, I'd want my XO to point out flaws in my plans, possible bad results of my decisions, etc. Which Riker does, but which Jellicoe, especially on first taking command, can't tolerate. If Riker had busted his butt to get everything switched over, he might have earned Jellicoe's trust and been able to trade on that later with a "But, Captain, have you considered..."

Bottom line, Riker and Jellicoe were both too stubborn.

[Captain Tom Coughlin]

I believe that his trepidation came from his imminent dealings with the Cardassians, not over second guessing his command style.

[Roysten]

Originally Posted by Tiberius1964

It's been a while since I've seen this episode - so much so that I think it was a two parter but don't trust my memory. And of course what I remember most are the scenes between Patrick Stewart and David Warner, and the scene at the end..."I saw four lights". Or five lights. Whichever.

I seem to remember however a scene in which Troi told Riker that Jellicoe was not the confident captain that he projected to everyone, that he was consumed by doubt (not her words, probably).

So I see Jellicoe as someone who feels he's in over his head, and needs to have everything go his way, as a way of keeping control of the situation. This kind of captain would probably have changed the Enterprise from 3 watch to 4 watch, instead of from 4 watch to 3 watch, just to make the point that he's in command.

If I were in command of a military unit (or even quasi-military unit) where sometimes lives depend on decisions, I'd want my XO to point out flaws in my plans, possible bad results of my decisions, etc. Which Riker does, but which Jellicoe, especially on first taking command, can't tolerate. If Riker had busted his butt to get everything switched over, he might have earned Jellicoe's trust and been able to trade on that later with a "But, Captain, have you considered..."

Bottom line, Riker and Jellicoe were both too stubborn.

Good points, not thought about it that way, Captain Tom has a good point as well. I imagine all these factors may have made him act the way he did. He may have saw Riker as a threat to his authority and therefore pushed his decision through to show who was boss rather than being so adamant for the extra shift because he thought it worked better.

Would have been interesting to see him again, perhaps Riker visiting him on his own ship after leaving the Enterprise when Picard came back.