You've probably seen the Metet that circulates online: Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Unrelegable, Hagard, with spitting his mouth, shouting the phrase "There! There's Four! Lights!" Even those who did not see "Star Trek: The Next Generation" can find themselves surprised by the reference, because Picard is well known, even outside the Trekis circles, as strict and dignified. What happened to Picard that he was so nasty, and what does that phrase mean?

As every trekkie can tell you, the phrase comes from the episode "Old Trek: the next generation" "Command Chain" (14 and 21 December 1992), a double episode of the sixth season of the show. In the first part, Picard, Warf (Michael Dorn) and Dr. Krusher (Gates McFaden) were ordered by the USS company to secretly investigate potentially metagene weapons developed by Cartassians. They should donate all black cats and secretly infiltrate a remote cave to a distant planet in search of evidence. It is dangerous and serious and no one is excited to be there. Back to the company, Picard has been replaced with Captain Jelic (Ronnie Cox)Cold, rule -oriented, captain with stress -style command. Elleric reminds the crew of the company and viewers that Starflit officers are only employed and that managers can be replaced in Starflate whims.

At the end of the first part, it has been found that metagene weapons are only a blond, a trap built by the cards. Picard was abducted before it could escape and was captured by a Guluul Medred (David Warner). Medred needs information about the nearby planet of the federation that the Cartasians wish militarily ... and Medred will use any means available to get the information. The second part of Chain of Command mostly refers to how Madred Tortures, Taunts and mock Picard to get information.

But maybe they were not information that was after ...

Guluul Medred uses almost every torture in the book. It inserts the body of the picard with a device that causes agony that can activate it with a remote control. If Picard doesn't say something she wants to hear, Maddar can simply press a button and Picard will fall into pain. Medred is not only interested in information. Indeed, he barely looks in a hurry. It is a pleasure to torment Picard. Cartasian begins to ridicule the captain, referring to him only as "human" and shows his manual work to his nine -year -old daughter. The Daughterter is unhappy because her father explains that people do not feel loveable or emotions as cards do. Madred nourishes Picard, revolting food, hangs from the joints and leaves it to sleep on the floor.

In a recurrent test, the real motifs of Medred are focus. The Wallid has four bright wall reflectors behind Medred. He stands in front of them, includes and asks Picard how much he sees. Picard says there are four. Madred activates the agonizer. No, he corrected Picard, he has five lights. Medred insists Picard tell him that he has five lights. This is not a mission of tactics or searching for information. This is about the will. Medred's goal is to break the spirits of Picard.

At the end of the episode, the company got the collapse of the cardans and located Captain Picard. He will be saved. Picard still doesn't know this, so Medred will play one last game. He relies closely and gives an offer. He will be released and given a new home ... if he admits he sees five lights. For a moment, Picard stares in the lights, finally insecure. Maybe ... Maybe there are five lights. At that moment the soldiers enter the room to accompany Picard at home.

As it moves, Picard turns and insists: "There! All! Four! Lights!"

His determination has been restored.

Although, not completely. In the epilogue, Picard admits that his spirits were really broken. There was a moment, he says, he saw five lights. Medred's cruelty worked. It is a frightening conclusion to one of the best episodes of the series.

Readers of George Orwell-and-and-four-four-four and indeed, anyone familiar with the propaganda machinations-will understand what Guluul Medred is doing. Another context: Madred is higher in The map command of the mapwelcoming a society that appreciates military power and loyalty to the state. Cartasians are a clear analogue of the Nazis, and it is later explained that they occupied the planet Bayor militarily, exterminating a large percentage of the population. They are a manipulative, totalitarian state that regularly spreads propaganda. The state lives above all in cardiac society.

The mathematical lie of 2+2 = 5 is common in criticism of propaganda. Returning to the 18th century, the equation represents the people who hand over their free will to the state, an evil entity that controls the nature of the truth. In these regimes, if the state says that 2+2 = 5, then that is the new truth. Never worry that it is obvious, I can't disagree with the state. Orwell celebrated "2+2 = 5" in "Nineteen and eighty -four", with several characters noting that two plus two could be equal to five if the government declares it. It was not important for the government to change physical reality, only the population believed in its version of it.

When Guluul Medred showed Picard's four lights, he stopped in the center, with two left, and two on the right. He was the fifth light. Two plus two equal five. Medred was a symbol of the Totalitarian regime, demanding that citizens believe in a lie. The rule is not for military conquest, land ownership or arms control. It is about forcing citizens to believe - they really believe - in a false reality. The writers of the "Chain of Command" knew what they were doing.