Picard, Worf and Crusher are sent on a secret mission into Cardassian space to Celtris III to destroy a secret biogenics weapon lab, where Picard is captured by the Cardassians and kept as a prisoner. Meanwhile, Captain Jelico takes command of the Enterprise and leads the negiotiations with the Cardassians.

Ronny Cox (Capt. Edward Jellico)
Natalija Nogulich (Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev)
John Durbin (Gul Lemec)
David Warner (Gul Madred)
Lou Wagner (DaiMon Solok)
Tom Morga (Glinn Corak)
Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

• This episode makes reference to the Cardassians' withdrawal from the Bajoran sector — a key element in the background of "Deep Space Nine," which premiered just after this episode aired.
  
• Captain Jellico was previously the commanding officer of the U.S.S. Cairo (NCC-42136, Excelsior-class). In contrast to Picard's "Make it so", Jellico's catch-phrase is "Get it done."
  
• Captain Jellico orders Troi to wear an official Starfleet uniform while on duty. Troi looks much better in the Starfleet uniform than the catsuit. (She wears a blue one-piece science uniform like Dr. Crusher, but without the lab coat of course.) Apparently, Ron Moore and Jeri Taylor had been pushing for this change for quite a while.
  
• Jellico also orders Riker to get rid of Picard's fish, Livingston!
  
• This is the first appearance of Admiral Nechayev, who appears in several Cardassian-releated Next Generation and Deep Space Nine episodes.
  
• Picard's serial number is SP-937-215.
  
• David Warner (Gul Madred) also played Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Klingon Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.