how to handle a hostage situation theme

Featured is the dilemma of whether and how to negotiate with hostage takers.

Notes

Hostage situations are typically when someone holds innocent people at gunpoint and threatens to execute them unless certain demands are met. Especially in fiction, hostage situations may also arise when terrorists have planted bombs or designed doomsday weapons that threaten buildings, cities, countries, or entire planets.

Examples

Captain Picard negotiated to free Beverly from the clutches of terrorists in tng3x12 "The High Ground", but ended up himself a hostage.

12 total · 2 choice · 2 major · 8 minor

StoryLevelMotivation
tng1x16 choice Picard and Jameson negotiated with Governor Karnass for the safe release of a Federation Ambassador and his staff.
tng5x15 choice Picard negotiated with the disembodied prisoners who held much of his crew hostage in Ten Forward.
movie: Alien Raiders (2008) major The police tried to handle the hostage situation through negotiation, instead of by the use of force.
tng3x12 major Captain Picard negotiated to free Beverly from the clutches a militant separatist faction on the planet Rutia IV.
ds94x13 minor Kira said that one does not capitulate with terrorists.
ent1x15 minor The crew negotiated with the Coridanite rebels in order to free Archer and T'Pol who were held hostage.
movie: Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) minor Ted made a desperate effort to talk Joe Seluchi out of blowing himself up, and the crew and passengers of the Mayflower One along with him.
movie: Fortress (1992) minor The Zed-10 computer informed Brennick that the Men-Tel Corporation does not engage in any negotiations during hostage situations, and proceeded to shoot Brennick's hostage dead on the spot.
movie: The Demolitionist (1995) minor Police Chief Higgins planned to negotiate the release of some hostages in a bank robbery gone awry, but Alyssa barged in and attempted to free the hostages the old fashioned way.
tng1x20 minor Tasha was briefly confronted with how to handle a hostage situation.