Chain of Command (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"Chain of Command" is a two-part episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It aired as the 10th and 11th episodes of the sixth season, the 136th and 137th episodes of the series.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In this episode, Jean-Luc Picard is relieved of command of the Enterprise and reassigned to lead a covert mission, while his replacement is assigned to deal with the Cardassians openly. The second part of the episode is noted for the intense performance of Patrick Stewart and its depiction of brutal torture and interrogation scenes. The episode has been frequently ranked among the top ten best in The Next Generation.

This episode has guest performances by Ronny Cox as Captain Jellico, and David Warner as Gul Madred. A scene that pays homage to the novel 1984 is noted for a contest of wills between Picard and Madred about perception of reality under coercion (seeing four lights vs. five). Both episodes were the last of The Next Generation to air before its spinoff, Deep Space Nine, premiered in January 1993. As such, "Chain of Command" revisits the Cardassian political situation leading in to Deep Space Nine, where the race plays a crucial role.