PATRON TIER LIST - STAR TREK TNG S4E12

in these perilous times of war in the world, it is good to be reminded how war affects, beginning and ending with the warriors - love you guys

Great to see OBrien taking centre stage and becoming integrated into the main cast.

This is an episode where I could remember nothing about it, and chances are, I'll forget soon, but I still gave it an S ranking because I forgot how good it was.

Favorite 90s hard ass, Warden Norton himself, Bob Gunton, getting all obtuse in the 24th century. Why can't anyone see the obvious???

I expect much gushing over this one, Soldier Boys. Maybe a little giggle over some headgear but other than that, wall to wall pathos. Keep Colm and Meaney on.

Easily qualifies as S tier.

S/A episode, gets S for obrien

This episode is so S tier, I got notified about the poll twice

It’s S tier

I particularly love Picard’s parting shot at the Cardassians. He may play by the rules, but he isn’t stupid.

This is the real beginning of O'Brien's arc as a key character.

For me it's an A, but since TA are big fans of O'Brien, I predict they S-rank it.

Just when you think you've gotten your O'Brien episode of the season, this one comes roaring in from left field.

The first O’Brien episode 🎉

It's a brilliant episode, explores themes relevant and it's brave to show O'Brians honest feelings. =A=

The first true Obrien episode. Can't wait to hear what Alex thinks. It better be his favorite!

Lt Kevin Riley says "hold my Saurian brandy and breaks into another bar of "I'll Take You Home Kathleen"... ONE MORE TIME!!!

You can't trust those Cardies! Remember the lives lost on Setlik III The only good spoon head is a dead one! Space Racism! Huzzah!

Even on its own, this episode is a fantastic examination of wartime prejudices and, as others have pointed out, a good example of how being correct doesn't mean you're in the right. Beyond that, it's a great preview of things to come, particularly in DS9. Can't wait to see y'all's reaction!

O'Brien's best episode to date. It's one of the rare instances in TNG where we explore a traumatic service history of a crew member. Also, understand that this episode came out as the Soviet Union was collapsing, so people unable to move on from the Cold War was an important issue, especially if they had faced loss. S tier episode.

I love this episode, so stoked for the reaction! I love TNG

A tier for me, so close to an S. More chief is never a bad thing and Colm plays this perfectly. The line "I don't hate you, I hate what I became because of you.". Is brilliant. Just great writing and delivery by Colm.

One final thought: it is clear the writers of this episode had no idea how to write for an Asian character and instead chose to adopt a stereotype by showing Keiko serving “plankton loaf and sea berries”. A simple Google search will show that this is not even close to being a staple of the Japanese diet, either past or present. I guess they tried. 🙄

This ep shows that being correct, does not always mean you are "right"

O'Brien must suffer.

It’s pretty clear to me, that a lot of patrons have been waiting to talk about this episode, including myself!

S tier all the way. Colm Meaney delivers a top notch performance, the Cardassians are becoming a big deal, and we can see Chief O'Brien has main character juice. You will get big things paying off from this episode for, oh, the next decade or so in Star Trek stories. I really think you guys are going to love this one.

Get ready for the beginning of the all-encompassing vision of galactic politics that'll continue on through Deep Space Nine and Voyager. I feel that this is the start of the then-present writers/producers of TNG establishing solid world-building, and also paving the way towards grounded, melancholic story-telling. Also, best Space Irishiman.

Two O'Brien episodes in a row, we're just getting spoiled now!

S Tier episode imo, huge episode for the Trek universe here. Loved O'Brien's character development here and getting introduced to the Cardassians is pretty significant going forward. Bob Gunton's performance was fantastic. "We will be watching."

Uhhh.... It seems I'm on the lower end of the majority. Whatever. Don't like the main lore in this one. - The spoon forheads are fantastic. #B-Tier

S tier all the way. There's nothing wrong with this episode at all. You're interested from beginning to end; you care about what's going to happen next. Great acting from all of our regular crew, plus great guest-star acting from Mark Alaimo and Colm Meaney, as always. A new species that probably will never show up again, but they look interesting as hell: the Cardassians. I also always enjoy it when the antagonist is somebody that, even if you can't identify with them, you can at least understand what happened to break this person down.

I never really cared for this episode much, but I know two people who will soak it right on up.

I LOVE this episode!! It has Bob Gunton…the evil Warden Norton from “The Shawshank Redemption”! It introduces us to the Cardassians, a race which will feature prominently in Star Trek moving forward. It has foreboding final words from Captain Picard, proving yet again what a badass he is! Lastly, this episode boasts some of the finest character writing of the entire series, giving Colm Meaney a real chance to shine! Not too shabby for a guy who was little more than an extra on “Encounter at Farpoint”!

New villains for TNG! Gul Macet is played by Marc Alaimo, who played an Antican in season 1, and Tebok, the first Romulan we saw (also season 1). Mostly an O’Brien story, which is a nice change of pace.

Small moment of Trek continuity - the Federation ship command codes first used in Wrath of Khan. Also, an episode where Warf changes Picard's mind on security.

This is one of my favorites and an S tier episode. O'Brien continues to get fleshed out by the writers which is always good. Keep your eye on the Cardassians going forward.

S-Tier all the way! Top 10 of the season

O'Brien and Maxwell singing together near the end always brings a tear to my eye... I mean, dirt in my eye, there's always dirt in my eye somehow every time I watch this... Yeah 👀😅

Obviously fantastic character work for O'Brien and an actor who had the chops for an increased role. Subtly stealing the show, though, is Patrick Stewart's monologue at the end which further establishes Picard as someone who has a harder edge to him post-Locutus.

I have a feeling that you guys are going to love this. Another episode with high stakes in terms of preserving peace and dealing with a growing threat, and Chief getting more air time.

Yeah, sure, O'Brien and Keiko got married before trying each other's favorite food. On a ship full of instant replicators.

"The Minstrel Boy" really is an old Irish song that goes back to the 1800s.

Only two complaints for an otherwise GREAT episode... 1: How was it never mentioned until now that the Federation was at war with another alien race not much before the events of this series? 2: What was Maxwell's crew up to during this time? We don't see them, O'Brien just beams over, and all we hear at the end is his first officer takes command.

THE O'BRIEN LORE!

The Wounded for me is a top 10 episode of TNG, possibly even top 5. PTSD, war crimes, loss of family; very heavy episode, but absolutely brilliant. Finally Colm Meaney's talent is put to good use and the results are glorious. The scene in 10 Forward is one of my most rewatched TNG scenes, it's just that good. I also love that neither Maxwell or the Cardassians are presented as definitively good or evil, there's just a whole lot of grey here.

Ep 11-12 are absolute PROOF that there is someone traveling in time to satisfy Alex and Josh wants ! Lol also this is the first time I noticed SHIPS ! Love that Nebula class ! I hope this has some of that effect on the boys !

This is such a good episode. Great development for the Chief and the introduction of the “Cardies”. Marc Alaimo, who plays Gul Macet, is such a pleasure to watch. The man was born to play a slightly greasy not sure if he’s good not sure if he’s disgusting foil. Also… kelp buds, plankton loaf, and sea berries? NO! Just no! 🐟

O’Brien episode!!!

Starfleet went to war against the Kardashians! XD

Solid A-tier if not S, with that last line of dialogue dripping with foreshadowing: "Take this message to your leaders Gul Macet: we'll be watching..." Remember these words, and the last few notes of the music over them.

Oh my sweet baby children.

The introduction of the pivotally important race, the Cardassians. And the beginning of O'Brian's real development as a Trek character. A VERY important episode that is often under the radar.

Absolutely top tier episode. One of the best of the season, hands down, and I think you will love that, for a second consecutive episode, Chief O'Brien gets a big part (and he knocks it out of the park, even more than last episode.) This also introduces the Cardassians (including one played by the glorious Marc Alaimo) who are intended to be what the Ferengi were intended to be, a dangerous foe of a similar technology level for the Federation to contend with. I can't think of any real way that this episode doesn't work. The Ten Forward conversation between O'Brien and one of the Cardassians is one of my all-time favorite Star Trek conversations. I predict you'll love it. Especially Alex.

I bet after the last episode with the strong chief presence you guys didn't expect the very next episode to be this chief centric? Honestly this is one of my top ten episodes in all of Trek.

Weird there's been a war going on in the background basically the entire series we're only just hearing about. I like to think Starfleet largely considered it a minor conflict until the Borg wiped out a chunk of the fleet, at which point the Cardassians became a bigger priority they wanted to wrap up quickly while they were low on ships.

And you probably thought LAST episode was the big O'brien focused episode. Oh, remember back in season 2 when you joked O'brien was a bit racist for calling that little girl "it"? Turns out you were a little right.

I love this episode, and I'm glad to see that others agree with me here. I had always thought it was a bit underappreciated, but perhaps that's a misperception on my part. This is an episode that isn't afraid to touch on some darker themes and it's a great acting showcase for Colm Meaney as O'Brien. And his speech in Ten Forward is so good, it still sticks with me today. The tension between Picard and Gul Macet is also well-done. The Cardassians are a bit of a rough draft, but have definite potential, way more than the Ferengi, lol! Overall, a great example of how science-fiction can be the best lens to examine modern day issues.

I'm not a fan of Keiko so far. All we've seen from her is pretty self-centered, or rather, innocently ignorant of how self-centered she's actually being. I think she's still learning that marriage is about what BOTH people want, not just what she wants. The wedding seemed to be entirely what she wanted; completely Japanese with none of O'brian's heritage represented at all. Plus she tried to call the whole wedding off solely because of HER emotions without even talking to O'brian or offering him an explanation as to why. And here we see that she apparently thinks that O'brian will be fine eating nothing but HER preferred foods for the rest of his life, while she has no desire to try any of his. The Chief is a very patient man to say the least. And to be fair, I was the same as Keiko in my own marriage at the beginning. Falling into that self-focused trap is very easy to do in a relationship, especially if you are not used to being with someone else. Hopefully she improves with time.

O'Brien is the enlisted man hero we deserve, off on a mission into the heart of darkness not to destroy the old commander, but save him.

Alex is going to lose his mind on this one 😂 #THECHIEF #STIER

I think the chances are good that this will be the second consecutive S tier ranked episode for TA. Time to get that running streak whiteboard out again?

Prediction: S+++ tier. Lot’s of great stuff here. A new alien race (Cardassians) with some very impressive makeup! An excellent performance by Bob Gunton as Captain Maxwell. But the real star of the show is Colm Meaney who steps out of the transporter room and into stardom with this episode. A brilliant performance of a combat veteran attempting to come to terms with the horrors of war. His scene in Ten Forward has stuck with me ever since I was a kid. But the real treat is watching O’Brien deescalate the situation by sharing war stories with Maxwell and singing “The Minstrel Boy”. For anyone who has experienced recovering from decades-old trauma it is definitely a moment that captures all the feels perfectly.

This is a great episode that starts expanding the role of O'Brian. It also introduces the Cardasians before the Kardashian sisters showd up an started a bunch of weird memes on social media.

How about Colm Meaney's acting in this episode? I don't think anything that came before this prepared us for the way he killed that scene in Ten Forward, or the scene with Maxwell at the end.

I love this episode. The O'Brian development is S-tier all by itself. I love the Minstrel Boy song they sing at the end....would make a good recurring musical motif for O'Brian.

We have Miles and Miles of O'Brien!!! And I hope you like Keiko. She doesn't get the hate from me that she gets from a lot of others. I rank this one "Excellent".

Following a Data episode heavily featuring O'Brien, here, finally, we have a proper O'Brien episode, and both of them I have as S-tiers. Colm Meaney gets an opportunity to shine and boy he does. Cpt Maxwell btw is played by the warden from Shawshank Redemption, always fun to recognize someone. Marc Alaimo (Gul Macet) has already had 2 appearances, both in season 1, as one of the anticans in Lonely Among Us (S1E7), and one of the romulans at the end of The Neutral Zone (S1E26) the one who said "We are back". And the actor will be back too in some other roles.

And now, to close out Chief Week, we are pleased to debut: Chief O'Brian's Edgy Backstory! Congratulations, Miles Edward O'Brian, on graduating from Recurring Guest Performer to full Secondary Character Status! Well earned, sir! Enjoy your new family and expanded character details! We look forward to seeing where you go from here!

A new species, another rogue captain, a Miles O'Brien-centered episode and another great Picard moment. You really get to see Miles in action, both at home (our first married couple) and at work (not just in the transporter room), something you've been asking for. And some good back story for O'Brien. And Picard getting to give the Cardassians the finger at the end. I predict at least an A, possibly an S.

Fantastic episode. HUGE development for O’Brien. Such a great story with great themes. Plenty of tension in this one, and them singing toward the end….Fantastic! Its either an A or even an S for me. I have to sit on that one.

I also like that Maxwell maybe right that the Cardi’s are planning something.

A great episode, love the final scenes. Star Trek really got better at creating new races after the disastrous attempt with the Ferengi. Also love the continued focus on Chief O’Brien, Colm Meaney moving from nameless conn officer in the pilot to a character who is arguably just as important now as the main cast…

With Wesley gone, Chief steps up! This episode is so great but the part I like best is when O’Brien wants to beam over and is told it’s too risky and O’Brien says ‘I can do it’. It’s so layered, it’s risky for a few reasons. O’Brien is risking his life to transport over but I think he’s also him saying ‘l can do it’ he’s talking about talking Maxwell down. The crew let’s him take that risk because they have confidence in O’Brien and want to de-escalate the situation without having to fire on Maxwell. Great!

S tier for being the first real O’Brien episode and for his scenes in Ten Forward and singing the Minstrel Boy. The episode is a timeless tale of the long term consequences of war and the casualties they can continue to produce after the guns stop. “I don’t hate you, Cardassian. I hate what I became because of you." Perfect Star Trek.

For me, this is an S. It's Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness" adapted into a Star Trek episode. Great performance by Colm and pretty much a "Chief O'Brien episode." There were also a lot of firsts here... including the first appearance of the Nebula class starship. Chief O'Brien convincing his old commanding officer to stand down is intentionally reminiscent of Richard Crenna's Colonel Troutman character talking down Sylvester Stallone's John Rambo in "First Blood." However, the episode isn't perfect. Jeri Taylor's re-writes are very evident. Every time characters sycophantically compliment Picard in an out-of-character sort of way, that's Jeri Taylor's contribution to the script.

Haven’t really seen it in a while. I’ll probably watch it with your reaction video. As a kid, I didn’t like the end when the Chief and the guy talk and sing. I think I felt like the show wanted me to think that the captain guy was a hero (though a flawed one) but it didn’t connect for me. Plus, I personally don’t like when Star Trek does these military song scenes. Takes me out of the episode. While this is my favorite TNG episode for the Chief’s character, I felt that they could’ve gone a little deeper.

One of my favorites and great character building for Miles. Gotta love the double-dose of O’Brien. Back to back

S-tier, second episode in a row with O’Brien in a leading role, good continuity with Keiko and best of all the relationship with Maxwell. You are not stupid, you must know by now that the writers are establishing new continuities for the show, widening out the recurring cast following the departure of Wesley.

This episode gives us some very important backstory that establishes O’brien as a very relatable character. He's a veteran with realistic prejudices, not a goody two shoes Roddenberry self-insert.

Welcome to DS9 episode 1. THIS is what we mean when we say that DS9 is darker. DS9 is slower like this, and puts much more emphasis on characters, internal politics, and heavier themes like war and racism. How well you liked this episode is a good indicator of how well you'll like DS9. Also S-Tier for the song alone.

Absolutely love this episode. The only reason it gets an A and not an S from me is "rewatchability". I reserve S ratings for episodes I could rewatch randomly, at any time. For me that's FAMILY, REMEMBER ME or FUTURE IMPERFECT, so far this season.

This is season 4s “The Defector”, for me. The Wounded is a beautifully written, tragic story of a war-torn man who couldn’t find a role for himself in peace. “The Minstrel Boy” war song, sung by the GOAT O’Brien and Capt. Maxwell at the end, is very touching and the way it dovetails into the episode’s score tugs at my heart-strings every single time I watch it. Also, no one makes a ‘turn-your-back-on-someone’ moment look more badass than Jean-Luc Picard.

Would always skip this as a kid. It has since climbed to s-tier, imo one of the valid "welcome to the start of real Star Trek" moments, challenges and grows what trek can be

If Alex doesn’t create a new ranking above S tier for THE CHIEF in the best single-story character build since (and rivalling) Mr. Broccoli… what are we even doing here?

Marc Alaimo (Gil Macet) previously played a Romulan commander in ‘The Neutral Zone’ and one of the alien delegates in ‘Lonely Among Us’ season 1, episode 7

Great TNG episode, great development for Chief O'Brien, and a nice expansion of Trek lore. We have the beta test version of the Cardassians, plus the terrific Marc Alaimo guest starring. It's difficult to say more right now, but if you know you know.

This is perhaps one of the most important episodes of the next generation It has the virtue of containing what I consider to be the single most important line or concept ever spoken in Star Trek I don’t hate you, Kardashian, I hate myself for what I became because of you. I probably missed quoted that I didn’t take the time to go back and listen to it verbatim

The type of story at which Star Trek has always excelled. Examining human issues through the lens of science fiction.

The CHIEF!

S Tier no doubt

The Kardashians? On TNG? In 1991? I thought they were still kids back then. Ohhhh the Cardassians. Yes, that makes a lot more sense. As you were.