Summary
- Captain Picard's torture by Gul Madred added personal stakes to Deep Space Nine's issues with the Cardassians, making them appear as a serious threat.
- Picard's ordeal served as a reminder of the Cardassians' cruelty, creating anticipation for the clash between Sisko and Gul Dukat in the DS9 pilot.
- Deep Space Nine brilliantly developed the Cardassians as compelling villains by exploring the psychological impact of their experiences, making them complex and multi-dimensional characters.
The torture of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) by Gul Madred (David Warner) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's issues with the Cardassians. Picard was captured by the Cardassians during a covert mission behind enemy lines to investigate reports of a secret biological weapons installation. The Captain of the USS Enterprise-D sacrificed himself to save the lives of Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) but he also helped to set up TNG's spinoff series, which would premiere a month later.
"Chain of Command" parts one and two were the last two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation to air in 1992, broadcast on December 14th and 21st respectively. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's pilot aired a fortnight later, on January 3rd, 1993. In "Emissary" Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) arrive aboard the titular space station to provide Federation assistance to Bajor as it transitioned from Cardassian occupation to home rule. The DS9 pilot featured the first clash between Sisko and Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), so it's tempting to look at Picard and Gul Madred's relationship in "Chain of Command" as a dress rehearsal for these two Star Trek arch-rivals.
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Picard's Cardassian Torture Made Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Pilot's Setup Personal
Going into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's pilot, there was a broad understanding that the Cardassians were serious villains. First introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Wounded", Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) related the horrors of the Cardassian Border Wars, which had left deep psychological scars on his former commanding officer, Captain Benjamin Maxwell (Bob Gunton). Later, in the episode "Ensign Ro", Michelle Forbes' eponymous character recounts some of her experiences from the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. While the stories are horrific, it's not until "Chain of Command" that viewers see the full cruelty of the Cardassians.
The fact that Gul Madred comes close to breaking the formidable Jean-Luc Picard with his psychological torture proves how a big a threat the Cardassians pose to Starfleet. Picard's ordeal would have been fresh in the minds of viewers as they sat down to watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in January 1993. Sisko and Dukat's sparring in "Emissary" is a different clash to Picard and Madred, but the knowledge of what the Cardassians are capable of adds a frisson of danger to their relationship. Picard's covert mission to expose the Cardassian's weapons facilities also established the recurring military threat they would present to the crew of Deep Space Nine across all seven seasons.
DS9 Brilliantly Made Star Trek: TNG's Cardassians Better Villains
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Cardassians owe a great deal to David Warner's Gul Madred from "Chain of Command." Madred's traumatic childhood of homelessness and starvation hardened him into the loyal member of the Cardassian military that tortured Jean-Luc Picard. Toward the end of "Chain of Command", Picard memorably notes: "I won't see a powerful Cardassian warrior. I will see a six-year-old boy who is powerless to protect himself." It's a moment that is pure Star Trek, Picard doesn't see Madred as an irredeemable villain, he sees him as someone who is the sum of his experiences for both good and ill.
DS9 had three recurring Cardassian characters, Gul Dukat, Garak (Andrew Robinson) and Legate Damar (Casey Biggs) who were also the sum of their experiences. Dukat's delusions of benevolence curdling into pure hatred for the "ungrateful" Bajorans who rejected his rule. Meanwhile, Damar fought against his former enemies to free his people from Dominion rule. Of all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's characters, former spy Garak owed the most to Madred as he sought redemption for the dark deeds he had committed in the name of Cardassia.