Worf: "Ensign, today I will be training you on the ops console." Ensign: "Yes, sir. What does this button do?" Worf: "That button extends the appreciation of the Federation and the Captain's personal gratitude." Ensign: "Uh, that's an interesting function." Worf: "Captain Picard insisted on having it installed. I have to admit, it's a real time-saver." Ensign: "And what does this button right next to it do?" Worf: "Fire photon torpedoes. Make sure you don't get those mixed up."
This is the epitome of Trek being smart and and having characters use wits to win a battle. Not a single shot fired and Picard completely and utterly defeats his opponent in spectacular fashion. Easily one of my favourite "action" sequences of the series.
@@wewewewewe223232323 New Trek (or New Crap as I call it!) writers don't want to learn, they want to push their agenda and not tell good stories (otherwise they'd have cancelled the disease (STD) and would have given Axxanar the green light and full support! They would also not be pissing all over the character of Captain Picard, like they are doing now!)
Like when the Sheliak wanted to exterminate the humans on a planet they contractually owned: th-cam.com/video/ILbLGNDqUxA/w-d-xo.html One of the great Picard moments...
One thing I'm thinking- the Klingons were cued into the comm feed. The language Pucard uses is so perfectly cued to Klingon values. "If the cause is just and honorable" "Are you prepared to die today?" (It is a good day to die).
it is also a callback to the beginning of the episode when Data is performing "Henry V" on the holodeck: "his cause being just and his quarrel honourable" is a quote from that play
@@MrDonovanFrost When Picard says, "Then you shall _have it,"_ I always imagine him adding something like this: "You see, Tomalok, we didn't come to this little party alone. We brought... _friends!"_
@@RobertNielsen1970 No, that would not be right. It was a psychological game so Picard withhold that piece of information to the Romulan untill it was time to play it. That way the impact of having the upperhand is bigger.
Second best Tomalak scene is in the final two-part episode All Good Things: Tomalak: 'So Captain, how long shall we stare at each other across the neutral zone?!' Picard: 'There is an alternative, Tomalak. We could each send one ship into the neutral zone to investigate the anomaly in the Deveron system.' Tomalak: 'Has Startfleet Command approved this arrangement?' Picard: 'No.' Tomalak: 'I like it already.'
Mr. Stewart acts naturally, as if what's happening is authentic. This is why he stands out in my eyes as exceptional. His 'acting' reacts to the dialogue of others with thought, as though he needs to process the conversation in real time. With far too many actors, it often seems as though they are waiting for others to finish their lines until it's their turn to speak again. Bravo Patrick
I liked the fact, in this iteration, the goal was to avoid violence at all cost. No need for explosions and deaths to create tension and gripping storytelling.
I remember watching this in 1994. I wasn't expecting this ending. When the Klingon ships de-cloaked, I remember punching the air and sticking 2 fingers up at Tomalak.
First time I saw this I wondered why the Klingons would agree to help Picard here for no apparent benefit, but the more I thought about, I realized those crews must have had the times of lives watching their hated rivals the Romulans put such a tough front and then get their ass handed to them and back down.
The Federation is an honored and close ally to the Klingons, and Picard particularly is recognized in the Empire as an honorable and strong Captain. They'd fly into hell with him because of the fight they'd get.
at this point Klingon empire and Federation had a mutual defence alliance. During the first Borg invasion (best of both worlds) the Klingons sent a fleet of warships to help defend earth
Where he became the Bajoran ambassador to the Federation at Deep Space 9 and ultimately helped drive the Dominion away from Cardassia Prime, despite it being the homeworld of the very people who oppressed his own.
Of course not, there are three Klingons waiting outside to make sure you pay Picard what you owe him. Once a Klingon pulls out his D'k Tahg he must use it; Warrior's Code.
This why Andreas' death is tragic... Tomalak could have made Star Trek Picard golden.. Or SJW writers of today would have completely shitted on the Tomalak character and disrespected Andreas at every turn, just like they did with Patrick and Jean-Luc... RIP Andreas you are missed... see you beyond the rim :)
Andreas Katsulas is still terribly missed..... when he died we lost such a wonderful actor way too early :'( He was soooo good as Tomalak and i am so happy that Katsulas was also part of the regular Guest actors in Star Trek and being part of the Star Trek Universe.
Picard's quiet confidence (and Henry V quotes), Worf's little smile before sending the message to the Klingons, the Klingons de-cloaking, Tomalak realising he's lost. I think this is my favourite Star Trek scene ever.
A fantastic tactical situation here. -The Romulans have two Battlecruisers, likely with hand-picked or at least veteraned crews. -Picard has one Battlecruiser (the lighter of the two - the Nebulas being more the fighters, but the Galaxies being in the same weight class and equal to a D'deridex) and three Light Cruiser configuration Klingon BoP's. -Four versus two, and matched for weapons capacity. -Picard has the upper hand with the two CL BoP's to the rear of Tomalak's Warbirds, and one CL and one BC facing them. -The Klingons likely have called for additional reinforcements the moment they had to decloak. -Tomalak is on a semi-secret mission and likely hasn't any reinforcements available. At the very least, only the other Warbird captain has any idea what's going on here. . If Picard engaged in a fight here, he has little initial maneuvering room, but if he can get distance, he can start pounding the Warbirds from afar with Torpedo barrages while the BoP's get in close and harass the Romulans. The Warbird isn't a very good sub-light maneuverer, it's better at range than close combat. Moreover, if the BoP's focus on the other Warbird while _Enterprise_ engages Tomalak's, the BoP's stand a good chance of destroying it, or knocking down its shields and boarding it, in short order. That would leave Tomalak outnumbered and outmaneuvered fairly quickly (~3 to 5 minutes). Tomalak's only hope of carrying out his threat of mutual destruction is to engage the _Enterprise_ fast and immediately, let the other Warbird handle the BoP's (which it will ultimately lose to), and try for a fast kill on the _Enterprise_ . If he scores a lucky hit, he might render the _Enterprise_ combat-ineffective, but it won't be a kill, and Picard has a whole slew of tricks he can pull when backed into a corner. When the Klingons are done with the other Warbird, Tomalak is going to find himself in a 3:1 fight at best, a 4:1 at worst. He's going to lose, and lose badly. If he's lucky, he'll kill a few hundred Federation citizens, perhaps a hundred Klingons, but lose over a thousand Romulans and two D'deridex-class Warbirds. . In short, Tomalak's threats are the hollow ones. Picard has a superbly winning hand, though he might take a bloody nose for it.
Great comment. It ticks me off when people say the D’deridex class was “far superior to federation ships.” They’re supposed to be pretty evenly matched: in addition, not only is this the flagship of the federation, so it’s not just your average galaxy class, but it is also commanded by the federation’s finest. Tomalak is likely an accomplished warrior, but there’s no doubt Picard had multiple tricks up his sleeve and has his crew informed on what to do in multiple scenarios in case combat actually occurs. This, combined with 3 BIRDS OF PREY should definitely give him the advantage in battle, in fact I bet he could probably defeat both of them without losing any of the ships on his side if he plays his cards right. (Severe damage might occur to all the Klingon ships and the enterprise tho)
@@hobomike6935 That's the thing. Picard probably has one of the most uniquely skilled crews in the entire Federation. And that crew will willingly die for him while giving it their all, because they _trust_ Picard. The Klingons see a chance at an honorable battle. Death? Victory? Same thing. They want green Romulan blood soaking through their fingers, and this Human has given them the chance. The Arbiter of Succession. They were probably already clearing throats and prepping the choir the second they decloaked. This stood a chance of being a major skirmish, if not a nameable battle. Tomalak's personal D'Deridex probably has a crew as good as the _Enterprise_ in all regards, and even his Tal'Shiar "Political Officer" is probably willing enough to go along with this that they're ready to engage, also. The other D'Deridex Captain may not be AS eager, his crew not AS skilled, but if Tomalak picked him instead of just drawing the nearest one, they're respectable, too. YET! This goes to show Picard's Diplomatic skill. THIS is the man that can prevent a war with just his words. He could have easily pushed Tomalak, here, and still come out looking like he has the Moral High Ground when the Romulan Senate starts kvetching to the Federation Council about two destroyed Warbirds and the loss of an offficer like Tomalak. But, he didn't. Not because Picard is a coward, but because _a fight with Tomalak isn't worth his, or the Federation's time_ . I wonder if Tomalak registered that insult?
We see in almost every episode that has Picard tangling with Klingons, that he has their respect, even if its an enemy; they give him a grudging respect. Also: "In many ways, you are as stubborn as another Captain of the Enterprise I once knew." "Then I'm in good company."
"Klingon supply ships decloaked sir." "What shall it be, Tom ... wait, what?" "Supply ships, sir. You were not specific when you asked me to arrange for reinforcements." "Oh, fuuuuuu ..."
They're still crewed by Klingons. Klingons who write their daily diary entries based on how good a day to die it currently is. I wouldn't count them out, even in supply ships. I mean think about it, what sort of supplies do you think Klingons generally call for? I'm gonna go with big ass explosives an leave the rest up to a bunch of glory-hunting Klingons realising this is probably their best opportunity at a glorious death that their supply barge life will offer. Sure, Picard wouldn't get his peaceful ending, but those two Warbirds would have blown up from suicide runs long before Picard could go "oh, nooooo, I wanted to speechify him into submission."
Wine. Swine. Gagh. But hey they are klingons, rammign speed is right there on the navigators console, with a big red button that sends sparkles and makes a cute "too too" noise when pressed. Every klingon navigator is eager to push that button.
more like after the standoff Worf: I can't believe that worked... Picard: excuse me mr. Worf? Worf: well sir when i arranged reinforcements I couldn't get actual battlecruisers so I had to settle for supply ships.... Picard: that was quite a gamble, good work..... >under his breath< picard: one day they'll be the death of me....
I like how gracious Tomalak is in defeat, even though he's been out maneuvered he's still calm and polite. They don't write good villains like this anymore.
@Steve P they remind me of the imperial romans from a long time ago, how their generals and legates were renowned for cunning and respect to their enemies
I think its more the fact Tomalak is impressed how Picard used romulan tactics to counter him. He would see him as a very worthy adversary and respect Picard that way, in the same way klingons would respect someone who is very honorable.
@@hobomike6935 The Romulans are obviously based on the Roman Republic and early empire. What makes them unique is that they are not all out fighters and will gladly withdraw as long as they get something out of the encounter -something not particularly Roman. They are one of the only races we know that is willing to remain a mystery to the other races and yet have a fully developed civilization, philosophy and efficient government. They are crafty and very cunning but at the same time insanely powerful.
I love how Tomalak smiles at the end. This is all a game to the Romulans. They were outmaneuvered this time but the game continues. They enjoy the schemes and the backstabbing. It's like the Romulans don't really want to defeat the Federation, because then the game would end and they would have to find another worthy opponent.
I did wonder about that myself. Even in the episode where they actually did win by first getting their “Vulcan” spy back, but tricking Starfleet into returning her and making sure there was nothing the Enterprise could do about it. And yet despite having the Enterprise heavily outnumbered, they held back. They could have easily started a war and struck morale down in the first battle by destroying Starfleet’s flagship. But instead they gloat a bit about their victory and yet still allow the Enterprise to leave unharmed. So I wonder if you’re right. They didn’t want war, not just because winning wasn’t assured and would weaken them as a major player in the alpha/beta quadrants, but because they then wouldn’t have a competent foe to play with. Mind you, in DS9 and Star Trek Online when the Klingons declare war on the Federation, it’s almost as if they picked a fight with the Federation because they know that when they’ve had enough of war, they’ll be able to exploit the Federation’s desire to negotiate peace and diplomacy and do just that. Then the war is over as soon as it has served it’s purpose. This seems to be particularly apparent in STO. In the run up to the game, J’mpok provokes a war with the Federation as a means of giving the people an external threat to distract them from descending into an internal civil war between the different Houses and tearing the Empire apart in the process. It does seem that he picks the Federation to go to war with because he knows that as soon as the war no longer is politically useful he can approach the negotiation table and the Federation would happily negotiate to end the war. But the other major political factions in the alpha/beta quadrants wouldn’t accept a peace treaty once the war had started. Instead they would fully commit themselves to fighting the war until one side had won at massive cost to both sides. No chance of negotiations or diplomacy succeeding. But the Klingons don’t want to have a full scale war to the death so they pick the one strong faction that will negotiate when the Klingons are ready to end the war.
I love Picard's smirk at 0:46. He can respect being outfoxed but Tomalak made his critical error right there. Picard understood Romulans and Klingons but Tomalak had no idea about the psychology of HIS opponents. Trying to talk Picard out of a 'lost cause' is not the way to do it.
Just look at Riker in this scene. It's a huge clue as to what is to come. He's not panicked or concerned. He's not even looking at Tomalak. He's smiling and looking at Picard. He knows what's about to happen.
I love how the creators of TNG were able to give the Klingons and the Romulans their own musical scores. The Klingon theme gave the idea of a warlike race, who live for battle and honor. The Romulan musical score gives off the impression of the Romulans as a people who are generally not to be trusted, dangerous, decietful, skulking around the place in their cloaked ships ready to ambush you. Simply brilliant!! :D
The issue I have with the Klingons in Star Trek is that by the nature they are portrayed to have, it’s highly unlikely they would have been interested in space travel. They are a short tempered, short attention spanned warrior race who care about nothing but battle and honour. Their way of life leaves no room for science and technology.
@@HRHMANSOUR But that's the point. Not all Klingons are warriors - and this has been mentioned in the lore time and again. The Klingons have their own scientists and engineers etc. A species/society can't advance otherwise.
@@bobpage6597 In the entirety of TNG, there is one episode that features a Klingon scientist. Science is never mentioned again regarding the Kilingons. They are portrayed as an angry people who are always trying to fight, even the female Klingon scientist they feature ends up being short tempered and violent. A race like that would never have the patience or capacity to advance into space travel. Do you get where I’m coming from?
Andreas Katsulas was such a wonderful actor. I always enjoyed his scenes in Star Trek TNG. Its a terrible thing for a trek fan of over 35 years to admit though but he was even better as G'Kar in Babylon 5.
V Guyver who are all citizens of the Federation and accepted the risks when they came aboard. Remember, there was quite a political stability when that decision was made. Klingons were the only real threat to the Federation and that threat vanished when they became strong allies after Narendra.
pseudowolf yes but after repeated incidents. Shouldn't they smarten up. Heck, they had an incident where the entire ships children was kidnapped. Another had wesley on trial for execution. It's convenient that children from the ship are never shown when in battle... but imagine, all those battles all those incidents. Who in their right mind would continue to keep their kids in a ship that is constantly under threat? I can only partly explain it as Star Fleet has plenty of insane admirals. But the parents are freaking stupid.
I'll bet the Klingon crews said "Surprise Romulan patoks!!" when they decloaked and surrounded the Romulan warbirds. That must've been priceless for them to force their Romulan enemies to back down and retreat.
I've always said that Picard was thinking, "You see, Tomalak, we didn't come to this little party _alone._ We brought a few... _FRIENDS!"_ just before the three Klingon Birds of Prey decloaked.
"You wont survive our assault." "And you wont survive ours." with 3 klingon birds of prey and a galaxy class ship they could have destroyed a romulan warbird in their 1st salvo and the enterprise would very well withstand the firepower of 2 warbirds for a short time.
Kalenz The Enterprise had already received a pummeling from them which severely weakened her shields. Tomolak was almost certainly right about the Enterprise not likely surviving any ensuing battle.
@@DLordSadow Actually all the Enterprise would have to do is play defense and the Klingons would make short work of the Romulans. The Enterprise would still be badly damaged, but power normally used for weapons could be used to fortify their shields instead.
Are you sure those are birds of prey? By the angle of their wings I would think those were K'vort class. I guess it is still in the bird of prey class but much bigger guns.
@@Sovereign01 the goal here would basically be to figure out how to spread out the damage of the 2 D’deridex warships without losing any of theirs. The romulans will not immediately be able to take out the flagship without losing to the klingons; they also cannot target only the klingons, because the enterprise has much higher firepower and will obliterate at LEAST one of the D’deridex ships by combining firepower with the untargeted Klingon vessel. The romulans also cannot divide and conquer because they are outnumbered in every scenario, and are also outmanuvered at sub-light speeds by all 4 enemy ships. No matter how the battle plays out, at least one (likely most or all) of the klingon/fed-side ships will survive while both the romulan ships will be destroyed; the klingons will go all in and settle for nothing less than victory, and the romulans were not prepared to fight to the end. Retreat was their only option
+Thomas Evans But if you do that, you'll be deprived of the pleasure of seeing nameless members of your crew get killed from exploding panels, which apparently is the mark of a true Starfleet captain.
+oatmealboy6 The exploding consoles are almost as deadly as the lack of seatbelts. I laughed when Voyager's Doctor said Tom's car had "medieval safety restraints".
Those seatbelts are a lost technology. They need to revive their use for the inevitable cases of inertial dampener failure, etc. etc. Also, fire extinguishers in every room might be helpful too. Its like computers in the 25th and 26th centuries are packed with C4 and napalm.
I once saw a commercial for a TNG marathon on my Canadian sci-fi channel it said: "As the captain(shows Picard) you call the shots, as a Commander(show Riker) enjoy all the perks(shows several different scenes of Riker with women), as a Lieutenant(shows Worf) kick boatloads of ass(shows Worf kicking ass), and as an Ensign(random extra), have a console blow up in your face.(console blows up in his face)"
I love how scenes like this created so much tension and excitement, and they NEVER FIRED A SHOT. That's good writing. Contrast this with Voyager and Enterprise.... where they had to resort to a battle at the end of every episode to hold the viewers attention. In TNG, starting a war was the thing they were trying to avoid. War is hell, and avoiding it was a mature, real-world motivation. The later shows were much more juvenile, it was all about "Blow up the bad guys."
This is the genius of TNG, the writers are able to build such tension and suspense without having to resort to over the top explosions and violence. Edit after 7 years: Just to be clear, Star Trek Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks are all very good. In fact, season 3 of Star Trek Discovery was one of the best Star Trek seasons I've seen and really embodies and captures the spirit of Star Trek.
agreed. At its peak, TNG had some really truly intelligent scripts. Episodes like 'The Measure of A Man', 'The Defector', 'Darmok', 'Chain of Command', 'The Inner Light', 'The Wounded' etc, wouldn't happen today
Statalyzer If I was a Klingon, the privilege to boast over a victory in a battle is preferable to the privilege to ridicule an enemy for his cowardice. So I'd have to say, while technically pleased, they aren't as happy as they could have been.
I can just imagine showing Klingons the scene from the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movies "Go ahead, punk. Make my day." After translating it into Klingon it might become their new battle cry! LOL
Oh, has it really been 31 years ago now? Has it truly been so long? I suppose it must, as all time does. But I don’t regret it. There are worse tv shows that could have otherwise shaped my moral and ethical values than TNG. Perhaps it might go some way towards explaining my aversion to violence. I look at the horrors of the war in Ukraine and I wonder what could possibly be worth it. I wonder what Putin’s motivation is for it, and whether he could have accomplished it with words.
For those wondering, those Klingon warships were K'Vort-Class birds-of-prey, each having 6 disruptor cannons and 3 torpedo launchers....aimed at those Romulan vessels. And the K'Vort Class is a much larger, more heavily armored variant of the bird-of-prey. Those Romulans were SCREWED, especially when you add in a Galaxy-Class starship right in front of them.
I'm not too sure about that. We saw the Enterprise take on three K'Vort class ships in Yesterday's Entrprise. Now Enterprise was destroyed in that engagement but was able to destroy one and that was when it was acting to protect the Enterprise-C and so was making sure that all three ships were focussed on her. Now we know that a D'deridex class Warbird was a match if not more than a match for a Galaxy class and with two Warbirds acting in conjunction I would imagine that they they could work together to split up the Klingons. It's ultimately still a very even battle, and I think Picard's point was that he knows Tomalok would work to destroy the Enterprise as fast as he could, and Picard would work to destroy Tomalok's flagship as fast as he could.
Paul Scott The D'deridex class was COMPARABLE but it was most certainly not superior to the Galaxy-Class at all. Also, that was an alternate timeline, both the Galaxy-Class and K'Vort class were most likely different in several ways. I don't think it was at all an even match of 4 K'Vort-class to 1 D'deridex-Class warbird. The K'Vort-Class is the top of the line bird of prey, the bird-of-prey being originally a Romulan design that the Klingons did even better. What that talk between the two was that the Galaxy-Class couldn't handle both D'deridex-Class's by itself and the K'Vort would destroy the D'deridex rather quickly. PLUS the damage of the Enteprise, which happens to be the finest Galaxy-Class of it's time. I think you're allowing some fan bias there, a touch of pro-Romulan and anti-Klingon in your "assesments", especially quoting an alternate timeline to justify this timeline. Outer appearance of a ship does not define it's design and abilties.
The Enterprise in Yesterday's Enterprise was a ship that was built specifically to fight Klingons in an ongoing and brutal war between the Klingons and the Federation. The Prime timeline Enterprise D was built for exploration with enough fire power to defend itself if necessary but not for full out war. Klingon ships however are always built for all out war.
If anyone wants to se a war fit galaxy, go look at DS9 where these loaded fckers took point in just about every major fed battle - and we never saw one of the thigns croack. In fact they tanked everything thrown at them. And mauled the opposition.... Now those would have mulched both the Warbirds and the klingons as dessert. XD
Makrokosmos and by no apparent reason the Galaxys in DS9 never left their saucer section behind. If I‘d go to war with a Galaxy, I would go down to the battle bridge and deliver a fight with the pure weapon of a Galaxy secondary hull. Seems they got no brain.
"Consider the men and women you would lead into a lost cause." Tomalak, one thing you should know about many of us humans is that we consider lost causes to be the best causes to fight for.
As great as it was to have Denise Crosby back as Commander Sela, wouldn't it have been so much better had her role gone to Tomalok? Not only was he the best foil Picard ever had as an adversary, but it would have made so much sense. After being so totally humiliated here, it would stand to reason Tomalok would formulate a plan to break up the Federation/Klingon alliance. His character should have been used so much more and would have been epic to make him the villain in one of the TNG movies. He really was to Picard what Khan was to Kirk.
Helbore not sure about this idea, as it would have likely taken star trek TNG down a less....phillosophical path, than what it DID take. but your idea is not a bad one.....i still like it. (:
the reason tomalok wasnt on more often was because the actor was picked up on a different show ^.^ it's the same actor who plays g'kar on babylon 5, so he was committed to the role of g'kar plus, unfortunately he died
This was a classic moment. Picard doesn't charge across the neutral zone without an ace up his sleeve. That's what it means to be a BOSS. In STO, the Romulans and Hirogen are together because Sela got exiled and went so deep into the Beta Quadrant that she ran into the Hirogen, and allied with them. When she got back, they made her Empress. And the supernova was completely unnatural in nature. They did pretty good cleaning up that mess.
Only TNG and Picard can make a scene that is much more exiting then all those huge fleet of ships battle in DS9 with out a single phaser fired. I miss TNG.
i wonder what picard was doing during the domion attack ~ would love to see a serries about that or something ~ the star trek franchise has so many untold stories ~ they should stop "remake" and focus on the story ~
Gaming Apple I think he was on ESD behind a desk waiting for the Enterprise E to get release. After it he was exploring new words as this is the permanent mission of the enterprise
1300l Well Star trek insurrection is set during the dominion wars. Other than that they probably were doing other awesome things that would make for awesome seasons.
For some reason, from DS9 logic, "the Enterprise is the flag ship of the Federation and should not be permitted to fight in the front-line." The Enterprise mostly did errand missions. The Enterprise did take part on the operation to retake Betazed from the Dominion.
“Klingon warships armed and ready sir. “ Legit might be the most satisfying line in the show. Tomalak even gives Picard a respectful nod. He had to have been (begrudgingly impressed) with Picard.
Andreas Katsulas always managed to play aliens in sci fi tv shows so well. He was fantastic as Tomalak, BRILLIANT as G'Kar in Babylon 5 and gave a theatrical flare to the Enterprise episode "Cogenitor" as Captain Drennik. All in all, Katsulas OWNED playing aliens on Sci Fi shows and watching him face off against Patrick Stewart has got to be one of the highlights of the Next Generation. btw Check out Babylon 5 for his performance as G'Kar, it is SUPERB and is not just a cameo appearance.
“To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.” - Sun Tzu
I'll bet the Klingons were listening in on the conversation and were eating up Picard's words about just and honorable causes and how the crew was prepared to give their lives for such. It truly spoke to their culture and heritage as a warrior race.
Definitely one of my all-time favorite TNG moments and it captures the best aspects of Picard. I'm really glad I happened upon this clip; thanks for posting it!
This hands down has to be my favorite single scene in the entire TNG series. There are better episodes (this is a good episode btw) but this scene I love this!.
There is one line in the middle of the episode where Picard mentions communicating with the Klingons. It is so off hand and sounds like a excuse to have Picard exit the scene... HE WAS CALLING IN BACKUP!
The klingon music, when the klingons decloaked. Was epic. When I watch it, the first time with my dad. We both cheer. The Klingons and The Federation. Working together.
Know your enemy: With Klingons it’s all about asserting dominance, they shouldn’t even be questioning you. With Romulans it’s all about calling the bluff. Ronulans will never fire first (unless they have a clear advantage). Show them you’re ready to fight but won’t start it and they’ll back down.
I've always thought that Gene Roddenberry portrayed human characteristics through his alien species. Humans: Good and kind. Klingons: Honorable and strong. Ferengi: Deceitful and will lie to make money. Romulans: The bully's/cowards who are only strong in numbers. Although I'm not to sure where to put the Borg, but I do have an idea what country where they would be suited! :)
Personally, I enjoy seing them with a bit more complexity than that. Each civilization in Trek has both its failings and it's redeeming qualities. Even human characteristic can be drawn towards its moments of triumph and its moments of shame. Where you see the Federation as "Good and Kind", another can see them as dogmatic and arrogant. Where as Klingons are "Strong and Honorable", their idea of honor frequently turns them into self-important bullies. Ferengi, for all their scheming, can be amicable and inventive. Romulans can be clever and intuitive, when given he circumstances; They couldn't be all bad if even Spock saw their potential. The Borg are perhaps the most obvious of all: On the positive side, they are efficient and indomitable, a true testiment to the never-give-up spirit; On the negative side, the apex of conformity and unfeeling mob mentality. Which is its own fascenating irony - a virtue we find most admirable in underdogs, and a vice that actively destroys underdogs. You can just feel some unshown moment in their past where they were pushed into what they became, and it feels like there's a subtle tragedy hidden in there. But that's just speculation... Having depths and dichotomy gives meaning to the events as they transpire, and can allow new situations to arise with old faces, and some very fond moments from the franchise can come from seeing the other side of a familiar coin. We've seen Klingons as the villains before - and what enjoyable villains they made! We've seen the Romulans stand side by side with the rest of the Alpha Quadrant in defence of their home, and we've even seen them played for fools. We've even seen the Federation's own self-satisfaction cost them, and the lessons learned from those encounters have only made them wiser, more engaging, and more interesting. But then, the heart of any fictional franchise is how you, yourself, can find meaning in the world presented. That's the gift they give - a little something to share, and a little something unique to each of us.
I appreciate your comment, and boy, that is some reply! But basically if you put everything that Gene portrays in the humans, the Romulans, Klingons etc, he has portrayed our qualities and dysfunctions in his Star Trek races.
For everyone in the "D'deridex vs Galaxy" debate, the D'deridex is over 1300 meters long, while the Galaxy is about 650. Also, in the episode where the Romulans and the Enterprise are trying to reach the space creature (Forgot the episode name) the Romulan ship fired 7 disrupter shots and managed to disable the Enterprise. So therefore, the D'deridex is far superior to the Galaxy.
The D'deridex is only slightly more powerful then the pre-war Galaxy (save any technobabble that could save the day) Most of its power however comes from nearly all of its weapons being being in a forward facing arc. The Warbird is designed to decloak and unleash hell, while the galaxy is just a well rounded ship. I'd argue that even a pre-war galaxy class could stand toe to toe with one warbird if the element of surprise wasn't on the Romulans side. Post war Galaxy is simply a best though.
Disagree. FWIR, ST Canon has always said Galaxy vs 1 D'd warbird in battle was pretty much a toss-up. And yes, while the Warbird is huge, a lot of that total area is empty space---just look at its physical layout. My main worry is that the Galaxy was proven throughout TNG and TNG movies to be a bit of a paper-tiger, with crippling design flaws that allowed one-shot defeats. Hopefully, the Romulans arent aware of, or able to exploit these.
I always get choked up at “if the cause is just and honorable, they are prepared to give their lives”. A testament to the dedication of the members of Starfleet
I always wondered why Starfleet didn't have cloaks. It'd be like the United States letting the Soviet Union have nukes in the cold war and not letting the US have them..
They actually addressed that in one of the Next Generation episodes. I'd have to raid IMDB or Google, but I think it was in the seventh (and final) season. Riker had to deal with an Admiral, that was his Captain, when he was fresh out of Starfleet. The Federation (I forget if it were rogue scientists, or from direct orders from the highest command level of the Federation) managed to create an advanced cloaking device. They found the old ship. In heated dialogue, Riker REBUKED his old captain, saying that *the treaty being adhered to, has brought 60 years of peace*, or to that effect. I guess the Romulans accepted it as a peace offering, and a serious warning at the same time. Of course the pretense from the Federation is: "We are not going to stockpile assault technology, so you know with 100% clarity, that we are NOT the aggressors. Also, if you use your cloak to invade our home worlds, or just attack us in general, we shall have full justification to mount up and attack you in pure, vicious, brutal force, that is completely justified, since you took our peace offering and slapped us in the face with it."
David Evans Ah, cool! Ethics being hashed out when it comes to two sides agreeing on HOW they are going to fight/disagree can get pretty nasty! Of course, Riker's former Captain (the Admiral in that episode) retorted by saying something to the effect of the treaty gave only the facade of peace (but really a creeping and increasing military advantage, so they could slowly become more and more difficult to defeat if the Romulans invaded the Federation), and was therefore worthless, or even counter-productive. In fact, I think it was this exact episode, in this video "The Defector", where Data cited that the ENTIRE history of the Romulans had only a FEW cases where they were unquestionably the aggressors! All other times, they pulled slick stunts, like in "The Defector" episode, to make their enemies look as if THEY were the aggressors! Nasty, stuff!!
In reality, Roddenberry had the philosophy that 'The good guys don't go sneaking around'... Which is why The Federation didn't utilise a cloak as standard!
![บุษบา - เมนทอล [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IGnWPokSEis/mqdefault.jpg)
Worf: "Ensign, today I will be training you on the ops console."
Ensign: "Yes, sir. What does this button do?"
Worf: "That button extends the appreciation of the Federation and the Captain's personal gratitude."
Ensign: "Uh, that's an interesting function."
Worf: "Captain Picard insisted on having it installed. I have to admit, it's a real time-saver."
Ensign: "And what does this button right next to it do?"
Worf: "Fire photon torpedoes. Make sure you don't get those mixed up."
Brilliant!
Ahh hell man! I'm crying!! This is hilarious!!! Hahahaha
There should be a button that massages poor Worf's feet from all that standing. They must be aching :p
rofl
I read this work when it was all quiet. Lets just say ppl think Im weird now. Bloody Hilarious!
This is the epitome of Trek being smart and and having characters use wits to win a battle. Not a single shot fired and Picard completely and utterly defeats his opponent in spectacular fashion. Easily one of my favourite "action" sequences of the series.
This is what I miss about Star Trek. Nu Trek writers could learn from this.
@@wewewewewe223232323 Alas, forgive me if I suggest you are misguided. There is no nu Trek
@@wewewewewe223232323 New Trek (or New Crap as I call it!) writers don't want to learn, they want to push their agenda and not tell good stories (otherwise they'd have cancelled the disease (STD) and would have given Axxanar the green light and full support! They would also not be pissing all over the character of Captain Picard, like they are doing now!)
@@winterbas8927 Agreed, Enterprise (despite the damage to continuity and lore it caused!) was the last decent Star Trek show...sad, but true :(
It is said in the Art of War that "victorious warriors win first and then go to war".
Everytime Picard gets into these standoffs/ negotiations Riker seems so entertained lol
Yeah...because he _knows_ Picard has an ace up his sleeve that's going to make the enemy look like complete, and utter, _morons._
That’s why he stayed number one, to watch and learn and marvel at Picards genius, strategy, and leadership
Like when the Sheliak wanted to exterminate the humans on a planet they contractually owned: th-cam.com/video/ILbLGNDqUxA/w-d-xo.html One of the great Picard moments...
JustWasted3HoursHere Riker: You enjoyed that Picard: Damn right i did! Lmfao
@@JustWasted3HoursHere well, he seems out of aces in the Kluzman universe.
One thing I'm thinking- the Klingons were cued into the comm feed. The language Pucard uses is so perfectly cued to Klingon values. "If the cause is just and honorable" "Are you prepared to die today?" (It is a good day to die).
My thoughts exactly. The Klingons must have been laughing their asses off when they saw Tomalok's face.
it is also a callback to the beginning of the episode when Data is performing "Henry V" on the holodeck: "his cause being
just and his quarrel honourable" is a quote from that play
@@MrDonovanFrost When Picard says, "Then you shall _have it,"_ I always imagine him adding something like this:
"You see, Tomalok, we didn't come to this little party alone. We brought... _friends!"_
@@RobertNielsen1970 No, that would not be right. It was a psychological game so Picard withhold that piece of information to the Romulan untill it was time to play it. That way the impact of having the upperhand is bigger.
@@komkwam True. That's why I said that I _imagine_ Picard saying it. But, I know he wouldn't.
Picard saying ''Shall we die together'' is borderline poetic!
Second best Tomalak scene is in the final two-part episode All Good Things:
Tomalak: 'So Captain, how long shall we stare at each other across the neutral zone?!'
Picard: 'There is an alternative, Tomalak. We could each send one ship into the neutral zone to investigate the anomaly in the Deveron system.'
Tomalak: 'Has Startfleet Command approved this arrangement?'
Picard: 'No.'
Tomalak: 'I like it already.'
+Drake Sigar You read my mind!!!!
Yeah my favorite as well.
What's in that system?
Cleric775 The anomaly.
@Drake That is one great quote. I agree it is phenomenal
I absolutely love the "well-played, Sir" head nod Tomalak gives Picard.
star trek was a whole franchise ahead of it's time. it's taught so many people professionalism, the desire to be scientists.
Mr. Stewart acts naturally, as if what's happening is authentic.
This is why he stands out in my eyes as exceptional. His 'acting' reacts to the dialogue of others with thought, as though he needs to process the conversation in real time. With far too many actors, it often seems as though they are waiting for others to finish their lines until it's their turn to speak again. Bravo Patrick
I liked the fact, in this iteration, the goal was to avoid violence at all cost. No need for explosions and deaths to create tension and gripping storytelling.
I remember watching this in 1994. I wasn't expecting this ending. When the Klingon ships de-cloaked, I remember punching the air and sticking 2 fingers up at Tomalak.
This is the moment in St:tng for me, the old enemy saving the day. Loved it
Which two fingers to pointer fingers to pinky fingers or two index fingers when turned around become flightless birds
nerd
Is that two fingers on one hand like the English do, or one finger on each hand (the middle one...) like in America? ;)
When you watch this episode for the second time, you notice a few moments when Picard and Worf lay the groundwork for this sudden plot twist.
Andreas Katsulas and Patrick Stewart facing each other were a masterclass in acting.
First time I saw this I wondered why the Klingons would agree to help Picard here for no apparent benefit, but the more I thought about, I realized those crews must have had the times of lives watching their hated rivals the Romulans put such a tough front and then get their ass handed to them and back down.
The Federation is an honored and close ally to the Klingons, and Picard particularly is recognized in the Empire as an honorable and strong Captain. They'd fly into hell with him because of the fight they'd get.
If I remember correctly, it's also the peak of Klingon/Federation relations at this point in Star Trek.
The Klingons were able to tell stories of how the Federation Capt. Picard cast fear upon the Romulans with just his voice!
at this point Klingon empire and Federation had a mutual defence alliance. During the first Borg invasion (best of both worlds) the Klingons sent a fleet of warships to help defend earth
Picard must be the lead in Klingon soap operas
I think there are more videos on youtube starting with "Picard owns ...." than there were actual episodes of TNG. That's how badass he was.
He owns multiple people per episode.
Tomalak got owned so hard he ran off to Babylon 5.
Where he became the Bajoran ambassador to the Federation at Deep Space 9 and ultimately helped drive the Dominion away from Cardassia Prime, despite it being the homeworld of the very people who oppressed his own.
@@InfernosReaper oh the irony.
And later murdered Dr Richard Kimball's wife
Do not, under any circumstances, play poker against Picard. Ever.
Ironically, at the end of the very last episode, Picard did start playing poker with his senior staff.
BFCrusader Yes never showed the end though. Where they ended up giving Picard everything, including their shirts lol
If I had 3 aces (3x Birds-of-Prey) in my sleeve I wouldn't even try hard to maintain a poker face...
Of course not, there are three Klingons waiting outside to make sure you pay Picard what you owe him. Once a Klingon pulls out his D'k Tahg he must use it; Warrior's Code.
unless you have a fleet of cloaked Klingon warbirds nearby XD
"Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls". RIP Andreas
This why Andreas' death is tragic... Tomalak could have made Star Trek Picard golden..
Or SJW writers of today would have completely shitted on the Tomalak character and disrespected Andreas at every turn, just like they did with Patrick and Jean-Luc...
RIP Andreas you are missed... see you beyond the rim :)
I didn't even know that Katsulas passed on. Respect. He will be missed.
Andreas Katsulas is still terribly missed..... when he died we lost such a wonderful actor way too early :'( He was soooo good as Tomalak and i am so happy that Katsulas was also part of the regular Guest actors in Star Trek and being part of the Star Trek Universe.
I love Tomalak's reaction. The little nod of the head, "you got me this time". Respect among enemies.
Picard's quiet confidence (and Henry V quotes), Worf's little smile before sending the message to the Klingons, the Klingons de-cloaking, Tomalak realising he's lost.
I think this is my favourite Star Trek scene ever.
When I saw this for the first time, I LOST it! That scene rocked!!
And don't forget the amazing score for this scene too!
A fantastic tactical situation here.
-The Romulans have two Battlecruisers, likely with hand-picked or at least veteraned crews.
-Picard has one Battlecruiser (the lighter of the two - the Nebulas being more the fighters, but the Galaxies being in the same weight class and equal to a D'deridex) and three Light Cruiser configuration Klingon BoP's.
-Four versus two, and matched for weapons capacity.
-Picard has the upper hand with the two CL BoP's to the rear of Tomalak's Warbirds, and one CL and one BC facing them.
-The Klingons likely have called for additional reinforcements the moment they had to decloak.
-Tomalak is on a semi-secret mission and likely hasn't any reinforcements available. At the very least, only the other Warbird captain has any idea what's going on here.
.
If Picard engaged in a fight here, he has little initial maneuvering room, but if he can get distance, he can start pounding the Warbirds from afar with Torpedo barrages while the BoP's get in close and harass the Romulans. The Warbird isn't a very good sub-light maneuverer, it's better at range than close combat. Moreover, if the BoP's focus on the other Warbird while _Enterprise_ engages Tomalak's, the BoP's stand a good chance of destroying it, or knocking down its shields and boarding it, in short order. That would leave Tomalak outnumbered and outmaneuvered fairly quickly (~3 to 5 minutes).
Tomalak's only hope of carrying out his threat of mutual destruction is to engage the _Enterprise_ fast and immediately, let the other Warbird handle the BoP's (which it will ultimately lose to), and try for a fast kill on the _Enterprise_ . If he scores a lucky hit, he might render the _Enterprise_ combat-ineffective, but it won't be a kill, and Picard has a whole slew of tricks he can pull when backed into a corner. When the Klingons are done with the other Warbird, Tomalak is going to find himself in a 3:1 fight at best, a 4:1 at worst. He's going to lose, and lose badly. If he's lucky, he'll kill a few hundred Federation citizens, perhaps a hundred Klingons, but lose over a thousand Romulans and two D'deridex-class Warbirds.
.
In short, Tomalak's threats are the hollow ones. Picard has a superbly winning hand, though he might take a bloody nose for it.
Start pounding the warbirds from afar? Wut? They're the cavalry coming to the rescue.
@@DastardSilvergun Perhaps I should have just said "D'Deridex-class."
Great comment.
It ticks me off when people say the D’deridex class was “far superior to federation ships.”
They’re supposed to be pretty evenly matched: in addition, not only is this the flagship of the federation, so it’s not just your average galaxy class, but it is also commanded by the federation’s finest.
Tomalak is likely an accomplished warrior, but there’s no doubt Picard had multiple tricks up his sleeve and has his crew informed on what to do in multiple scenarios in case combat actually occurs.
This, combined with 3 BIRDS OF PREY should definitely give him the advantage in battle, in fact I bet he could probably defeat both of them without losing any of the ships on his side if he plays his cards right. (Severe damage might occur to all the Klingon ships and the enterprise tho)
I like your comment,you probably written more than there is dialogue in this video,i'm impressed xD
@@hobomike6935 That's the thing. Picard probably has one of the most uniquely skilled crews in the entire Federation. And that crew will willingly die for him while giving it their all, because they _trust_ Picard.
The Klingons see a chance at an honorable battle. Death? Victory? Same thing. They want green Romulan blood soaking through their fingers, and this Human has given them the chance. The Arbiter of Succession. They were probably already clearing throats and prepping the choir the second they decloaked.
This stood a chance of being a major skirmish, if not a nameable battle. Tomalak's personal D'Deridex probably has a crew as good as the _Enterprise_ in all regards, and even his Tal'Shiar "Political Officer" is probably willing enough to go along with this that they're ready to engage, also. The other D'Deridex Captain may not be AS eager, his crew not AS skilled, but if Tomalak picked him instead of just drawing the nearest one, they're respectable, too.
YET! This goes to show Picard's Diplomatic skill. THIS is the man that can prevent a war with just his words. He could have easily pushed Tomalak, here, and still come out looking like he has the Moral High Ground when the Romulan Senate starts kvetching to the Federation Council about two destroyed Warbirds and the loss of an offficer like Tomalak. But, he didn't. Not because Picard is a coward, but because _a fight with Tomalak isn't worth his, or the Federation's time_ . I wonder if Tomalak registered that insult?
"You will not survive our assault"...."You won't survive ours"....Shall we die together lol pwned
I like to think of this as Picard playing to the present Klingons too. "Today is a good day to die".
Lol Picard is Savage but Captain Kirk was GangstA he would've straight Fired on the Romulians and then fucked they bitches lol
And that would have caused full scale war.
Pretty much they would all be gone in that situation, pretty equal in strength, and then war.
We see in almost every episode that has Picard tangling with Klingons, that he has their respect, even if its an enemy; they give him a grudging respect.
Also: "In many ways, you are as stubborn as another Captain of the Enterprise I once knew."
"Then I'm in good company."
I love the near-constant smug expression that Riker has, whenever it's repurposed to wordlessly saying "Picard has got this."
"Klingon supply ships decloaked sir."
"What shall it be, Tom ... wait, what?"
"Supply ships, sir. You were not specific when you asked me to arrange for reinforcements."
"Oh, fuuuuuu ..."
They're still crewed by Klingons. Klingons who write their daily diary entries based on how good a day to die it currently is. I wouldn't count them out, even in supply ships. I mean think about it, what sort of supplies do you think Klingons generally call for? I'm gonna go with big ass explosives an leave the rest up to a bunch of glory-hunting Klingons realising this is probably their best opportunity at a glorious death that their supply barge life will offer. Sure, Picard wouldn't get his peaceful ending, but those two Warbirds would have blown up from suicide runs long before Picard could go "oh, nooooo, I wanted to speechify him into submission."
Wine. Swine. Gagh.
But hey they are klingons, rammign speed is right there on the navigators console, with a big red button that sends sparkles and makes a cute "too too" noise when pressed.
Every klingon navigator is eager to push that button.
Xd
I thought that button made the computer say 'That was easy'
more like after the standoff
Worf: I can't believe that worked...
Picard: excuse me mr. Worf?
Worf: well sir when i arranged reinforcements I couldn't get actual battlecruisers so I had to settle for supply ships....
Picard: that was quite a gamble, good work.....
>under his breath<
picard: one day they'll be the death of me....
"If the cause is just and honourable, they are prepared to give their lives."
The guy who just wanted to study botany "Wait what?!"
He was quoting Shakespeare.
Andreas Katsulas, Legend. Rest in peace G'Kar/Tomalak.
Don’t forget Frederick Sykes
Thank you ,l love G'Kar
The actor Andreas Katsulas will have passed away by 17 years in Feb 2023.
I like how gracious Tomalak is in defeat, even though he's been out maneuvered he's still calm and polite. They don't write good villains like this anymore.
@Steve P they remind me of the imperial romans from a long time ago, how their generals and legates were renowned for cunning and respect to their enemies
I think its more the fact Tomalak is impressed how Picard used romulan tactics to counter him. He would see him as a very worthy adversary and respect Picard that way, in the same way klingons would respect someone who is very honorable.
@@hobomike6935 The Romulans are obviously based on the Roman Republic and early empire. What makes them unique is that they are not all out fighters and will gladly withdraw as long as they get something out of the encounter -something not particularly Roman.
They are one of the only races we know that is willing to remain a mystery to the other races and yet have a fully developed civilization, philosophy and efficient government. They are crafty and very cunning but at the same time insanely powerful.
If you read the script, his bow is that of the Red Baron, a touch of respect for his opponent even in defeat. TNG was in a class of its own.
Andreas Katsulas died February 13, 2006... in a month, that will be 10 years. DAMN, time travels at warp speed. A Great actor.
Thought he looked familiar. Then I remembered Babylon 5 where he played G'Kar.
I love how Tomalak smiles at the end. This is all a game to the Romulans. They were outmaneuvered this time but the game continues. They enjoy the schemes and the backstabbing. It's like the Romulans don't really want to defeat the Federation, because then the game would end and they would have to find another worthy opponent.
I did wonder about that myself. Even in the episode where they actually did win by first getting their “Vulcan” spy back, but tricking Starfleet into returning her and making sure there was nothing the Enterprise could do about it. And yet despite having the Enterprise heavily outnumbered, they held back. They could have easily started a war and struck morale down in the first battle by destroying Starfleet’s flagship.
But instead they gloat a bit about their victory and yet still allow the Enterprise to leave unharmed. So I wonder if you’re right. They didn’t want war, not just because winning wasn’t assured and would weaken them as a major player in the alpha/beta quadrants, but because they then wouldn’t have a competent foe to play with.
Mind you, in DS9 and Star Trek Online when the Klingons declare war on the Federation, it’s almost as if they picked a fight with the Federation because they know that when they’ve had enough of war, they’ll be able to exploit the Federation’s desire to negotiate peace and diplomacy and do just that. Then the war is over as soon as it has served it’s purpose.
This seems to be particularly apparent in STO. In the run up to the game, J’mpok provokes a war with the Federation as a means of giving the people an external threat to distract them from descending into an internal civil war between the different Houses and tearing the Empire apart in the process. It does seem that he picks the Federation to go to war with because he knows that as soon as the war no longer is politically useful he can approach the negotiation table and the Federation would happily negotiate to end the war.
But the other major political factions in the alpha/beta quadrants wouldn’t accept a peace treaty once the war had started. Instead they would fully commit themselves to fighting the war until one side had won at massive cost to both sides. No chance of negotiations or diplomacy succeeding. But the Klingons don’t want to have a full scale war to the death so they pick the one strong faction that will negotiate when the Klingons are ready to end the war.
Very well said!
I love how happy Worf looks 🤣. This must have been one of the highlights of his Enterprise career!
I love Picard's smirk at 0:46. He can respect being outfoxed but Tomalak made his critical error right there. Picard understood Romulans and Klingons but Tomalak had no idea about the psychology of HIS opponents. Trying to talk Picard out of a 'lost cause' is not the way to do it.
Just look at Riker in this scene. It's a huge clue as to what is to come. He's not panicked or concerned. He's not even looking at Tomalak. He's smiling and looking at Picard. He knows what's about to happen.
I remember first seeing this episode when it aired. I near jumped out of my seat when I heard the Klingon theme in a cheer.
I said at the point, "Well now, what are you going to do now Romulan?" when I first saw it.
Didn't even notice the music till you mentioned it. Nice touch
Nice little homage to Jerry Goldsmith and his Klingon theme!
"Romulan disruptors are powering down Sir" = Full phasers and quantum torpedoes Mr Worf
Quantum torpedoes were introduced with Enterprise-_E._ 1701-D still had conventional photon torpedoes.
Imagine if the enterprise D had had even just ONE quantum torpedo… it’s doomsday for whichever alien-of-the-week decides to start causing trouble, lol
The way Worf says, "Klingon Warships, Armed and Ready" like they are photon torpedoes or phasers at his controls. Just, fucking, epic.
I love how the creators of TNG were able to give the Klingons and the Romulans their own musical scores. The Klingon theme gave the idea of a warlike race, who live for battle and honor. The Romulan musical score gives off the impression of the Romulans as a people who are generally not to be trusted, dangerous, decietful, skulking around the place in their cloaked ships ready to ambush you. Simply brilliant!! :D
The issue I have with the Klingons in Star Trek is that by the nature they are portrayed to have, it’s highly unlikely they would have been interested in space travel. They are a short tempered, short attention spanned warrior race who care about nothing but battle and honour. Their way of life leaves no room for science and technology.
@@HRHMANSOUR But that's the point. Not all Klingons are warriors - and this has been mentioned in the lore time and again. The Klingons have their own scientists and engineers etc. A species/society can't advance otherwise.
@@bobpage6597 In the entirety of TNG, there is one episode that features a Klingon scientist. Science is never mentioned again regarding the Kilingons. They are portrayed as an angry people who are always trying to fight, even the female Klingon scientist they feature ends up being short tempered and violent. A race like that would never have the patience or capacity to advance into space travel. Do you get where I’m coming from?
Andreas Katsulas was such a wonderful actor. I always enjoyed his scenes in Star Trek TNG. Its a terrible thing for a trek fan of over 35 years to admit though but he was even better as G'Kar in Babylon 5.
I liked Tomalak, every encounter was a game of chess.
I love the sheer range of Andreas. The fact that there even is a debate as to his best role(s) is a testament to his aptitude and charisma.
G'kar was Picard and Q rolled into one, genuine and original awesomeness!
He was also the “One armed man” in The Fugitive.
Really, Katsulas, Alaimo, Hertzler, Mr thousand faces - Jeffrey Combs.....
" If the cause is just and honorable they are prepared to give their lives ".
That says it all folks!
he speaks of course of the families and school children on board as well.
V Guyver who are all citizens of the Federation and accepted the risks when they came aboard. Remember, there was quite a political stability when that decision was made. Klingons were the only real threat to the Federation and that threat vanished when they became strong allies after Narendra.
pseudowolf yes but after repeated incidents. Shouldn't they smarten up. Heck, they had an incident where the entire ships children was kidnapped. Another had wesley on trial for execution.
It's convenient that children from the ship are never shown when in battle... but imagine, all those battles all those incidents. Who in their right mind would continue to keep their kids in a ship that is constantly under threat?
I can only partly explain it as Star Fleet has plenty of insane admirals. But the parents are freaking stupid.
V Guyver Yes, I can't deny that. Well, they actually did smarten up and ceased doing it, albeit late.
+V Guyver also add to the fact that Jake Sisko was on his dad's ship when they faced off with the Borg.
'I expected more than an idle threat'... as the Klingon theme starts .
Acting skills of that cast is over 9000!!
I'll bet the Klingon crews said "Surprise Romulan patoks!!" when they decloaked and surrounded the Romulan warbirds. That must've been priceless for them to force their Romulan enemies to back down and retreat.
I've always said that Picard was thinking, "You see, Tomalak, we didn't come to this little party _alone._ We brought a few... _FRIENDS!"_ just before the three Klingon Birds of Prey decloaked.
And the Klingons niggaz laughing at the "bro"-saying Romulan niggaz hahaha
Them niggaz
"You wont survive our assault."
"And you wont survive ours."
with 3 klingon birds of prey and a galaxy class ship they could have destroyed a romulan warbird in their 1st salvo and the enterprise would very well withstand the firepower of 2 warbirds for a short time.
Kalenz The Enterprise had already received a pummeling from them which severely weakened her shields. Tomolak was almost certainly right about the Enterprise not likely surviving any ensuing battle.
@@DLordSadow Actually all the Enterprise would have to do is play defense and the Klingons would make short work of the Romulans. The Enterprise would still be badly damaged, but power normally used for weapons could be used to fortify their shields instead.
Are you sure those are birds of prey? By the angle of their wings I would think those were K'vort class. I guess it is still in the bird of prey class but much bigger guns.
@@buddyds9 Not just bigger guns, the K'Vort is a much bigger ship overall compared to the B'rel.
@@Sovereign01 the goal here would basically be to figure out how to spread out the damage of the 2 D’deridex warships without losing any of theirs.
The romulans will not immediately be able to take out the flagship without losing to the klingons; they also cannot target only the klingons, because the enterprise has much higher firepower and will obliterate at LEAST one of the D’deridex ships by combining firepower with the untargeted Klingon vessel.
The romulans also cannot divide and conquer because they are outnumbered in every scenario, and are also outmanuvered at sub-light speeds by all 4 enemy ships.
No matter how the battle plays out, at least one (likely most or all) of the klingon/fed-side ships will survive while both the romulan ships will be destroyed; the klingons will go all in and settle for nothing less than victory, and the romulans were not prepared to fight to the end. Retreat was their only option
I would have remained at yellow alert until I was back in Federation Space personally.
+Thomas Evans But if you do that, you'll be deprived of the pleasure of seeing nameless members of your crew get killed from exploding panels, which apparently is the mark of a true Starfleet captain.
+oatmealboy6 The exploding consoles are almost as deadly as the lack of seatbelts. I laughed when Voyager's Doctor said Tom's car had "medieval safety restraints".
Those seatbelts are a lost technology. They need to revive their use for the inevitable cases of inertial dampener failure, etc. etc. Also, fire extinguishers in every room might be helpful too. Its like computers in the 25th and 26th centuries are packed with C4 and napalm.
I once saw a commercial for a TNG marathon on my Canadian sci-fi channel it said: "As the captain(shows Picard) you call the shots, as a Commander(show Riker) enjoy all the perks(shows several different scenes of Riker with women), as a Lieutenant(shows Worf) kick boatloads of ass(shows Worf kicking ass), and as an Ensign(random extra), have a console blow up in your face.(console blows up in his face)"
In ENT Hoshi asks for seatbelts... DENIED!
You just witnessed a battle. Not with weapons, but with words.
It's a weapon that has rusted in these trying times.
"And you will not survive ours. Shall we die together?"
I love how scenes like this created so much tension and excitement, and they NEVER FIRED A SHOT. That's good writing. Contrast this with Voyager and Enterprise.... where they had to resort to a battle at the end of every episode to hold the viewers attention.
In TNG, starting a war was the thing they were trying to avoid. War is hell, and avoiding it was a mature, real-world motivation. The later shows were much more juvenile, it was all about "Blow up the bad guys."
This is the genius of TNG, the writers are able to build such tension and suspense without having to resort to over the top explosions and violence.
Edit after 7 years: Just to be clear, Star Trek Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks are all very good. In fact, season 3 of Star Trek Discovery was one of the best Star Trek seasons I've seen and really embodies and captures the spirit of Star Trek.
They need writers like that for the new Star Trek movies, but instead we get just a scifi action movie
agreed. At its peak, TNG had some really truly intelligent scripts. Episodes like 'The Measure of A Man', 'The Defector', 'Darmok', 'Chain of Command', 'The Inner Light', 'The Wounded' etc, wouldn't happen today
TheAdam159 Don't forget 'The Best of Both Worlds' and 'All Good Things...'.
"family" is one of the best trek episodes ever and nothing happens
JRShire I loved watching this show when I was a teenager. Live long and prosper
That look on Tomalak's face is priceless.
I just know those klingons thought; "Come on, Romulan petaQ! Give us a reson!"
***** more like
"And much mockery ensued!"
***** This day will be an epic day to die >:-)
+TypicalJAFO True although I'm sure seeing the Romulans act tough and then get scared and back off was still satisfying.
Statalyzer If I was a Klingon, the privilege to boast over a victory in a battle is preferable to the privilege to ridicule an enemy for his cowardice. So I'd have to say, while technically pleased, they aren't as happy as they could have been.
I can just imagine showing Klingons the scene from the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movies "Go ahead, punk. Make my day." After translating it into Klingon it might become their new battle cry! LOL
I still love watching that scene. 28 years after it was first shown
Oh, has it really been 31 years ago now? Has it truly been so long?
I suppose it must, as all time does. But I don’t regret it. There are worse tv shows that could have otherwise shaped my moral and ethical values than TNG. Perhaps it might go some way towards explaining my aversion to violence.
I look at the horrors of the war in Ukraine and I wonder what could possibly be worth it. I wonder what Putin’s motivation is for it, and whether he could have accomplished it with words.
For those wondering, those Klingon warships were K'Vort-Class birds-of-prey, each having 6 disruptor cannons and 3 torpedo launchers....aimed at those Romulan vessels. And the K'Vort Class is a much larger, more heavily armored variant of the bird-of-prey. Those Romulans were SCREWED, especially when you add in a Galaxy-Class starship right in front of them.
I'm not too sure about that. We saw the Enterprise take on three K'Vort class ships in Yesterday's Entrprise. Now Enterprise was destroyed in that engagement but was able to destroy one and that was when it was acting to protect the Enterprise-C and so was making sure that all three ships were focussed on her. Now we know that a D'deridex class Warbird was a match if not more than a match for a Galaxy class and with two Warbirds acting in conjunction I would imagine that they they could work together to split up the Klingons. It's ultimately still a very even battle, and I think Picard's point was that he knows Tomalok would work to destroy the Enterprise as fast as he could, and Picard would work to destroy Tomalok's flagship as fast as he could.
Paul Scott The D'deridex class was COMPARABLE but it was most certainly not superior to the Galaxy-Class at all. Also, that was an alternate timeline, both the Galaxy-Class and K'Vort class were most likely different in several ways. I don't think it was at all an even match of 4 K'Vort-class to 1 D'deridex-Class warbird. The K'Vort-Class is the top of the line bird of prey, the bird-of-prey being originally a Romulan design that the Klingons did even better. What that talk between the two was that the Galaxy-Class couldn't handle both D'deridex-Class's by itself and the K'Vort would destroy the D'deridex rather quickly. PLUS the damage of the Enteprise, which happens to be the finest Galaxy-Class of it's time. I think you're allowing some fan bias there, a touch of pro-Romulan and anti-Klingon in your "assesments", especially quoting an alternate timeline to justify this timeline. Outer appearance of a ship does not define it's design and abilties.
The Enterprise in Yesterday's Enterprise was a ship that was built specifically to fight Klingons in an ongoing and brutal war between the Klingons and the Federation. The Prime timeline Enterprise D was built for exploration with enough fire power to defend itself if necessary but not for full out war. Klingon ships however are always built for all out war.
If anyone wants to se a war fit galaxy, go look at DS9 where these loaded fckers took point in just about every major fed battle - and we never saw one of the thigns croack.
In fact they tanked everything thrown at them. And mauled the opposition....
Now those would have mulched both the Warbirds and the klingons as dessert. XD
Makrokosmos and by no apparent reason the Galaxys in DS9 never left their saucer section behind. If I‘d go to war with a Galaxy, I would go down to the battle bridge and deliver a fight with the pure weapon of a Galaxy secondary hull. Seems they got no brain.
Picard is badass without firing a phaser
He won the battle without firing a phaser!!
He has studied the classics, sun tzu
"Consider the men and women you would lead into a lost cause."
Tomalak, one thing you should know about many of us humans is that we consider lost causes to be the best causes to fight for.
Tomalak was an underused villain considering how much of a match he was for Picard and the respect they shared.
Tomalak just looks like he enjoyed that whole encounter, along with a silent "well played" look at the end.
As great as it was to have Denise Crosby back as Commander Sela, wouldn't it have been so much better had her role gone to Tomalok? Not only was he the best foil Picard ever had as an adversary, but it would have made so much sense. After being so totally humiliated here, it would stand to reason Tomalok would formulate a plan to break up the Federation/Klingon alliance. His character should have been used so much more and would have been epic to make him the villain in one of the TNG movies. He really was to Picard what Khan was to Kirk.
Great idea.
They didn't think of that.
Better yet, bring her back from the dead and have her at security.
Helbore not sure about this idea, as it would have likely taken star trek TNG down a less....phillosophical path, than what it DID take.
but your idea is not a bad one.....i still like it. (:
the reason tomalok wasnt on more often was because the actor was picked up on a different show ^.^ it's the same actor who plays g'kar on babylon 5, so he was committed to the role of g'kar plus, unfortunately he died
He died in 2005 long after the end of TNG.
Rest in Peace Tomalak
This was a classic moment. Picard doesn't charge across the neutral zone without an ace up his sleeve. That's what it means to be a BOSS.
In STO, the Romulans and Hirogen are together because Sela got exiled and went so deep into the Beta Quadrant that she ran into the Hirogen, and allied with them. When she got back, they made her Empress. And the supernova was completely unnatural in nature. They did pretty good cleaning up that mess.
Only TNG and Picard can make a scene that is much more exiting then all those huge fleet of ships battle in DS9 with out a single phaser fired.
I miss TNG.
i wonder what picard was doing during the domion attack ~ would love to see a serries about that or something ~
the star trek franchise has so many untold stories ~ they should stop "remake" and focus on the story ~
Gaming Apple
I think he was on ESD behind a desk waiting for the Enterprise E to get release. After it he was exploring new words as this is the permanent mission of the enterprise
1300l Well Star trek insurrection is set during the dominion wars. Other than that they probably were doing other awesome things that would make for awesome seasons.
If you consider the 7 seasons of Ds9 there wasn't that many "fleet battles" really.
For some reason, from DS9 logic, "the Enterprise is the flag ship of the Federation and should not be permitted to fight in the front-line." The Enterprise mostly did errand missions. The Enterprise did take part on the operation to retake Betazed from the Dominion.
“Klingon warships armed and ready sir. “
Legit might be the most satisfying line in the show.
Tomalak even gives Picard a respectful nod. He had to have been (begrudgingly impressed) with Picard.
Andreas Katsulas always managed to play aliens in sci fi tv shows so well. He was fantastic as Tomalak, BRILLIANT as G'Kar in Babylon 5 and gave a theatrical flare to the Enterprise episode "Cogenitor" as Captain Drennik. All in all, Katsulas OWNED playing aliens on Sci Fi shows and watching him face off against Patrick Stewart has got to be one of the highlights of the Next Generation.
btw Check out Babylon 5 for his performance as G'Kar, it is SUPERB and is not just a cameo appearance.
"Klingon Warships armed and ready sir.." ((GOOSEBUMPS!!)) - YEEEESSSS!!!! Suck on that Tomalak...
One of my favorite STNG episodes.
“To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.” - Sun Tzu
“You seriously expect me to expect those terms?”
Tamalock to his communications officer: “psst, zoom the camera on my face for this line”
Well played Picard, well played.
Captain Picard can win battles without firing a single shot. Unlike the new Kirk who needs about fifty million.
And Janeway needs a do over.
And you'd still want Kirk over Picard if it came to an actual fight.
"The greatest victory is that which requires no battle" - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Ever seen a better example?
Nope.
1:40 I may have commented this before, I'm not sure, but that nod of acquiescence really puts the cherry on top of the sundae that is this scene:)
This was bad ASS!!!!! "And you will not survive ours. Shall we die together?" BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!
The moral of this scene is simple. Always carry insurance!
*GEICO has entered the chat*
I'll bet the Klingons were listening in on the conversation and were eating up Picard's words about just and honorable causes and how the crew was prepared to give their lives for such. It truly spoke to their culture and heritage as a warrior race.
Picard's ankle is sore from breaking it in Tomalak's trousers.
Andreas Katsulas is great, as always, even as a bad guy.
I loved the Romulan "Diplomacy". Too bad the Borg got all the love. Certainly an underused species in TNG story-telling.
Romulans were the ultimate INTJ-mastermind-gone-rogue race
Definitely one of my all-time favorite TNG moments and it captures the best aspects of Picard. I'm really glad I happened upon this clip; thanks for posting it!
1:34 So awesome! The Enterprise has actually a 3-D screen. Looking at the screen from the side, I also see Tomalak from the side :o
Two great actors
This hands down has to be my favorite single scene in the entire TNG series. There are better episodes (this is a good episode btw) but this scene I love this!.
I came here to make this comment and you beat me to it. Cheers.
You can tell he spent time with the Klingons. "
Are you prepared to die today"
There is one line in the middle of the episode where Picard mentions communicating with the Klingons. It is so off hand and sounds like a excuse to have Picard exit the scene... HE WAS CALLING IN BACKUP!
ULTRA OWNAGE.
Tomalak: FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!!
+waivedwench Tomalak: Doh!
skype stacybananagrape
Picard: I love a last minute Klingon save.
Quark: me too.
The klingon music, when the klingons decloaked. Was epic. When I watch it, the first time with my dad. We both cheer. The Klingons and The Federation. Working together.
my absolute favorite in star trek cmd tomalak
Picard is the best!
Picard is the human epitome of the phrase "fuck around and find out"
Know your enemy:
With Klingons it’s all about asserting dominance, they shouldn’t even be questioning you.
With Romulans it’s all about calling the bluff. Ronulans will never fire first (unless they have a clear advantage). Show them you’re ready to fight but won’t start it and they’ll back down.
Checkmate.....
I've always thought that Gene Roddenberry portrayed human characteristics through his alien species.
Humans: Good and kind.
Klingons: Honorable and strong.
Ferengi: Deceitful and will lie to make money.
Romulans: The bully's/cowards who are only strong in numbers.
Although I'm not to sure where to put the Borg, but I do have an idea what country where they would be suited! :)
And what country would that be ?
Wer denkst du :)
Idk. Which one ?
Personally, I enjoy seing them with a bit more complexity than that. Each civilization in Trek has both its failings and it's redeeming qualities. Even human characteristic can be drawn towards its moments of triumph and its moments of shame. Where you see the Federation as "Good and Kind", another can see them as dogmatic and arrogant. Where as Klingons are "Strong and Honorable", their idea of honor frequently turns them into self-important bullies. Ferengi, for all their scheming, can be amicable and inventive. Romulans can be clever and intuitive, when given he circumstances; They couldn't be all bad if even Spock saw their potential.
The Borg are perhaps the most obvious of all: On the positive side, they are efficient and indomitable, a true testiment to the never-give-up spirit; On the negative side, the apex of conformity and unfeeling mob mentality. Which is its own fascenating irony - a virtue we find most admirable in underdogs, and a vice that actively destroys underdogs. You can just feel some unshown moment in their past where they were pushed into what they became, and it feels like there's a subtle tragedy hidden in there. But that's just speculation...
Having depths and dichotomy gives meaning to the events as they transpire, and can allow new situations to arise with old faces, and some very fond moments from the franchise can come from seeing the other side of a familiar coin. We've seen Klingons as the villains before - and what enjoyable villains they made! We've seen the Romulans stand side by side with the rest of the Alpha Quadrant in defence of their home, and we've even seen them played for fools. We've even seen the Federation's own self-satisfaction cost them, and the lessons learned from those encounters have only made them wiser, more engaging, and more interesting.
But then, the heart of any fictional franchise is how you, yourself, can find meaning in the world presented. That's the gift they give - a little something to share, and a little something unique to each of us.
I appreciate your comment, and boy, that is some reply! But basically if you put everything that Gene portrays in the humans, the Romulans, Klingons etc, he has portrayed our qualities and dysfunctions in his Star Trek races.
Captain Picard would be a formidable poker player. He laid a big trap and Tomalak walked right into it!!
Just admire how classic all the sound effects are.
G'Kar
For everyone in the "D'deridex vs Galaxy" debate, the D'deridex is over 1300 meters long, while the Galaxy is about 650. Also, in the episode where the Romulans and the Enterprise are trying to reach the space creature (Forgot the episode name) the Romulan ship fired 7 disrupter shots and managed to disable the Enterprise. So therefore, the D'deridex is far superior to the Galaxy.
I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to that. That was simply just so downright stupid that it literally made no sense.
Pre-Dominion War Galaxy or post Dominion War Galaxy? Two very different ships. The War Galaxy would eat the D'deridex.
I'm referring to the Pre version, the Enterprise D.
The D'deridex is only slightly more powerful then the pre-war Galaxy (save any technobabble that could save the day) Most of its power however comes from nearly all of its weapons being being in a forward facing arc. The Warbird is designed to decloak and unleash hell, while the galaxy is just a well rounded ship. I'd argue that even a pre-war galaxy class could stand toe to toe with one warbird if the element of surprise wasn't on the Romulans side. Post war Galaxy is simply a best though.
Disagree. FWIR, ST Canon has always said Galaxy vs 1 D'd warbird in battle was pretty much a toss-up. And yes, while the Warbird is huge, a lot of that total area is empty space---just look at its physical layout.
My main worry is that the Galaxy was proven throughout TNG and TNG movies to be a bit of a paper-tiger, with crippling design flaws that allowed one-shot defeats. Hopefully, the Romulans arent aware of, or able to exploit these.
this isn't just the greatest Star Trek scene, its the greatest scene
I always get choked up at “if the cause is just and honorable, they are prepared to give their lives”. A testament to the dedication of the members of Starfleet
I always wondered why Starfleet didn't have cloaks.
It'd be like the United States letting the Soviet Union have nukes in the cold war and not letting the US have them..
They actually addressed that in one of the Next Generation episodes. I'd have to raid IMDB or Google, but I think it was in the seventh (and final) season. Riker had to deal with an Admiral, that was his Captain, when he was fresh out of Starfleet. The Federation (I forget if it were rogue scientists, or from direct orders from the highest command level of the Federation) managed to create an advanced cloaking device. They found the old ship. In heated dialogue, Riker REBUKED his old captain, saying that *the treaty being adhered to, has brought 60 years of peace*, or to that effect. I guess the Romulans accepted it as a peace offering, and a serious warning at the same time. Of course the pretense from the Federation is:
"We are not going to stockpile assault technology, so you know with 100% clarity, that we are NOT the aggressors. Also, if you use your cloak to invade our home worlds, or just attack us in general, we shall have full justification to mount up and attack you in pure, vicious, brutal force, that is completely justified, since you took our peace offering and slapped us in the face with it."
FreezeGripCataclysm Think i remember it.. the pPegasus ship stuck in the asteroid
David Evans
Ah, cool! Ethics being hashed out when it comes to two sides agreeing on HOW they are going to fight/disagree can get pretty nasty! Of course, Riker's former Captain (the Admiral in that episode) retorted by saying something to the effect of the treaty gave only the facade of peace (but really a creeping and increasing military advantage, so they could slowly become more and more difficult to defeat if the Romulans invaded the Federation), and was therefore worthless, or even counter-productive. In fact, I think it was this exact episode, in this video "The Defector", where Data cited that the ENTIRE history of the Romulans had only a FEW cases where they were unquestionably the aggressors! All other times, they pulled slick stunts, like in "The Defector" episode, to make their enemies look as if THEY were the aggressors!
Nasty, stuff!!
In reality, Roddenberry had the philosophy that 'The good guys don't go sneaking around'... Which is why The Federation didn't utilise a cloak as standard!
Keep It Real
That's awesome! I didn't know that!
Best Romulan version of "WTF !?" in the series can be found at 1:20
Who says there's never a Klingon around when you need one?
Bluebird of friendliness. Like guardian angels, it's always near.