3-07. Dominion.

Capt. Vadic is lured onto the Titan.

Original Air Date: Mar. 30, 2023. Written by: Jane Maggs. Directed by: Deborah Kampmeier.


THE PLOT:

The Titan crew are now aware that the target of the Daystrom theft was Picard's original dead body. Given that Picard was meant to be a part of the upcoming Frontier Day celebration, they determine that the event must be at the center of the changelings' plan - giving the team only 36 hours to stop them.

With little time and few options, Picard decides to set a trap. He allows Capt. Vadic to find the Titan, which is made to appear dead in space. When Vadic and a boarding party come aboard, they use force fields to separate their enemies, with Picard and Dr. Crusher taking the opportunity to stage an interrogation.

The plan works perfectly, save for an unexpected wild card: Data. Retrieving the "new" Data from Daystrom allowed Picard to figure out the changelings' plan. But Data's consciousness is sharing space with his evil brother, Lore. Data and Lore are vying for control of the android body - and at the moment, Lore is winning!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: When Jack goes to him to tell him about hearing other people's thoughts, he struggles with conveying the information. Picard waits patiently until the young man has a chance to coherently explain. He does not dismiss the concerns as a hallucination, even though the medical diagnosis of the previous episode would allow for that doubt. Instead, the information leads him to concocting a plan to more or less do what he kept pushing Riker to do in Seventeen Seconds: Lure Vadic into a trap so that they can take the fight to her.

Seven of Nine: In an attempt to find allies, she reaches out to an old friend: Tuvok. This results in an excellent scene as the two warily probe each other. Seven can't be certain if this truly is Tuvok or a changeling imposter. Meanwhile, Tuvok is either a changeling trying to trap her or a loyal Starfleet officer who has been told that her ship is a rogue vessel. The result is that each seems genuinely happy to see the other, and yet at the same time each is unable to fully trust the other.

Data/Lore: The first episode of TNG to feature Lore was titled, Datalore - which would be a reasonably accurate description of the current android. Before he died, Dr. Alton Soong was attempting to integrate both personalities into a single being, work that his death left unfinished. As a result, "Data" and "Lore" are conscious within the android body, warring for control. An early scene features Data attempting to provide assistance to Picard, while Lore repeatedly interrupts to sneer archly. At one point, Data cries out to Picard for help. Brent Spiner is excellent, swapping seamlessly from one personality to another within the same take.

Geordi: He is hesitant to try to "save" Data by erasing Lore, pointing out the complexities of this new android brain. "This is more art than engineering."  A nudge from Picard is enough for him to agree to plug Data into the ship's systems for analysis - and is it even a spoiler to reveal that Lore takes advantage of this at the worst possible moment? As predictable as this plot turn is, it does allow LeVar Burton to do some fine acting as he pleads with Data to fight back against Lore, reminding him of their long friendship.

Jack Crusher: Gains a new ability: telepathy. This manifests when he's awkwardly fliting with Sidney LaForge in the turbolift. She responds hesitantly, and he picks up thoughts that show that she's interested but wishes that he would do something more subtle, like brushing her hand... which he proceeds to do, creeping her out immediately. He has the sense to go straight to Picard, and in his stammering attempt to explain himself, he also reveals that he feels responsible for Riker's capture.

Capt. Vadic: The centerpiece of the episode is an extended conversation between her, Picard, and Dr. Crusher. She is all too happy to share exactly what happened to her during the Dominion War and why she bears such malice toward Starfleet and toward solids in general. She's no less a villain at the end of the scene. As Picard observes, knowing her background actually confirms that there's no chance of finding a peaceful solution. But we now understand what drives her, and Amanda Plummer is excellent as she conveys the depths of Vadic's pain and hatred.


THOUGHTS:

"How remarkable it is that an enlightened species can ignore each other's pain... The Federation took my family. Now I will take yours."
-Vadic reveals the depth of her hatred for solids in conversation with Picard.

Vadic insists that Starfleet/Section 31 devising a bio-weapon was unconscionable, and I'd be willing to acknowledge that it was morally wrong. But she then declares that the Dominion was merely engaged in standard warfare... which any Deep Space 9 viewer knows is not the truth. From swearing genocide against the Cardassians, to debating the destruction of Earth as a demonstration of power, to unleashing a virus against a civilian population, that series showed numerous examples of the changelings engaged in what would easily qualify as war crimes.

This isn't a criticism of the scene, which is superb. Vadic tells herself what she wishes to believe: That her side was good and that her enemies were the real monsters. But I think it's more a demonstration of the cycle of violence. The Dominion attacks, unleashing devastation; Section 31 infects the changelings with a genocidal virus; and now the survivors of that virus seek their own revenge. Per the iconic Gandhi quote: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Outside of that scene, the rest of the episode is... fine. I was not as gripped by the Data/Lore struggle as the episode wanted me to be, or indeed as gripped as I think I should have been. Perhaps it's just that TNG covered this kind of ground with Lore and Data multiple times during its run, or perhaps it's that other threads had more of my interest than this one did. I wasn't bored or irritated by the Data scenes - but I found myself wanting to return to Picard and Vadic.

I'm withholding judgment on the Jack developments. A part of me wonders if it's a good idea to give your hitherto relatable new character superpowers, particularly in a show starring Patrick Stewart. But at least this episode manages to deliver a pretty good action scene. Also, the characters are thus far responding as they should: by being freaked out. In the end, how I feel about this thread will depend very much on where it ends up going and how it's ultimately dealt with.


OVERALL:

In a season that has mostly avoided pure "connector" episodes, Dominion seems to mainly serve this function. There are good scenes, but the episode doesn't have much of a story of its own. Instead, it serves to move the characters into position for the next installment. As is likely apparent by now, I find these to be the hardest types of episodes to review, both because they lack much identity in their own right and because their ultimate success is dependent on what comes next.

Dominion does benefit from the excellent scene between Picard, Vadic, and Dr. Crusher. Their conversation uses the Dominion War backstory to strong effect while convincingly presenting all three characters. By the end, Picard is able to recognize two critical things: Vadic is a victim of the war in her own right; and her hatred is such that there is zero chance of reasoning with her.

That scene elevates my ranking of this episode by a full point. But I hope with only three installments left, none of the remaining ones will exist just to set up the next bit.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: The Bounty
Next Episode: Surrender (not yet reviewed)

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3-06. The Bounty.

Geordi (LeVar Burton) is wary about helping Picard.

Original Air Date: Mar. 23, 2023. Written by: Christopher Monfette. Directed by: Dan Liu.


THE PLOT:

After picking up Worf and Raffi, Picard directs the Titan to Daystrom Station, the source of the theft that kicked off the changelings' plan. They know that the portal gun was stolen from there... but they also know that something else was taken, and they need to get a look at the manifest to determine what that was.

Riker, Worf, and Raffi beam over, but Starfleet patrols force the Titan to flee. They go to the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime, which is overseen by Picard's old friend, Geordi LaForge. Picard is hoping for help in rescuing his Away Team before they are discovered. Geordi is sympathetic, but he draws the line at putting his family in danger... much to the annoyance of his daughter Sidney, the Titan's navigator, who hatches her own plan with the help of Jack Crusher.

At Daystrom, Riker, Worf, and Raffi evade a complex AI that is controlled by an old adversary - one that has a particular song stuck in its head...


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Dr. Crusher lets him know that Jack has inherited Irumodic Syndrome from him, which sets him to reflecting about how parents cannot choose which parts of them find their way into their children. This makes him more receptive to Geordi's worries about Sidney than he otherwise might have been, and so he doesn't argue when his former chief engineer hesitates to offer direct aid. There's an amusing moment when the plan hatched by Jack and Sidney comes to light. Picard initially starts denying that he has deceived Geordi, only for both men to realize in the same instant that their respective children are responsible.

Riker: There's a callback to Encounter at Farpoint when Riker recognizes the song their AI adversary is wrestling with. I'm sure some complained about the scene invoking nostalgia, complete with archive footage of Farpoint pasted in. In my opinion, it's actually a good scene. Nostalgia is not a bad thing in itself; it's only bad when the only purpose served is nostalgia for its own sake. The moment in question builds mystery before advancing the story, the song paving the way to a major reveal. It also allows Riker to show his cleverness.

Worf: When he observes the awkward reunion of Seven and Raffi, he starts to speak philosophically about the "therapeutic" value he found in completing missions with lovers. Seven interrupts, telling him that she's not going, at which point Worf drops the act and admits: "That is a relief." Michael Dorn's delivery makes this simple line extremely funny. When Riker teases him about recoiling from a tribble, he grouses about the other man still "finding humor in other people's discomfort." I like this brief glimpse at attributes of Riker that he doesn't much like, particularly since it remains clear that he absolutely respects him in spite of that.

Raffi: I had hoped her dialogue in the premiere about breaking up with Seven (again) was just part of her cover. After all, Season Two spent a fair chunk of its running time making them work as a couple, so it would have seemed odd to just discard all that. In addition, I think there would be value in showing the otherwise ridiculously baggage-laden Raffi in an easygoing and healthy relationship. No such luck. So here's my new wish: Just keep them broken up, please. I don't dislike Raffi, and I think Michelle Hurd is good in the role. But I grew weary of the character's seemingly infinite stores of "drama" a while ago.

Jack Crusher: His hallucinations from the last episode are explained away as the medical condition he inherited from Picard. It's a handwave, and I seriously doubt this thread is over with. Still, it allows actor Ed Speleers to give a more relaxed performance. I rather enjoyed the scenes featuring him plotting (and flirting) with Sidney LaForge, and he and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut make for a cute screen couple.

Sidney LaForge: She has slowly emerged from the background to become an engaging character in her own right. She's charmed by Jack, something that Geordi doesn't much appreciate. She also chafes at her father's overprotectiveness. There's some strain in their relationship because she became a navigator instead of an engineer. As she tells her father: "You built amazing things... I just wanted to fly them."

Geordi: LeVar Burton makes a welcome return. He plays Geordi's dilemma well. He doesn't doubt Picard for an instant, and old instincts cry out for him to help. At the same time, he has a family to protect, and he sees that as his primary responsibility. When circumstances change, however, he doesn't hesitate to jump in with his expertise.


THOUGHTS:

The Bounty is a good episode. It advances the overall plot. It features two threads, both of which work: The infiltration of Daystrom and Picard's efforts to seek help from Geordi. These two plots are well connected. Picard goes to Geordi because he was forced to leave Riker's team on Daystrom, and he hopes his old friend will help him rescue them.

The Away Team plot also lends urgency to the Picard/Geordi scenes. The script has already established that Riker, Worf, and Raffi have a limited window before they're detected. Picard needs to get back to them, both to rescue them and to find out answers, so a ticking clock runs through the episode. The Jack/Sidney scenes are fun on their own, but they also mesh with the larger situation. At the same time, Geordi's strained relationship with Sidney and Picard's worries about Jack allow for a certain thematic unity, with two fathers both concerned about the ways they have and haven't influenced their children.

Though I enjoyed this, I do think it's a step down from the previous three episodes. There's a fakeout with an old adversary, but it doesn't end up coming to much. This figure appears just long enough to evoke some nostalgia and for his presence to cover up the big reveal. I would have liked a little more, and the lack of that feels like a missed opportunity.

That's made up for by the big reveal, which is handled well. Complications are set up for the next episodes, but it never feels as if those complications are the whole point. Contrast with Season Two, in which multiple episodes seemed to exist only to set up the following installment. Thus far, almost every episode of Season Three has worked as its own entity, even while setting up future events, which makes the viewing of the individual pieces a lot more satisfying.


OVERALL:

The Bounty is another good episode in what's shaping up to be easily Picard's best season. It's not quite up to the standard set by the last few shows - but it's still entertaining, with a number of good character moments.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Imposters
Next Episode: Dominion

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3-05. Imposters.

Picard is interrogated by Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes).

Original Air Date: Mar. 16, 2023. Written by: Cindy Appel, Chris Derrick. Directed by: Dan Liu.


THE PLOT:

The Titan is safely back in Federation space, away from Capt. Vadic and the Shrike. But Picard and Riker now face an inquiry by Starfleet security. The USS Intrepid meets the Titan and orders all but a skeleton crew be transported over for reassignment during the investigation. The officer in charge is none other than Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), the Bajoran officer who betrayed Picard to the Maquis decades earlier - and Ro seems to be harboring a personal grudge.

Meanwhile, Worf and Raffi are denied access to Daystrom Station, leaving them to find another way to look into the theft of Starfleet weaponry and its connection to the changelings. Since Worf was forced to kill Sneed, the Ferengi gangster, in order to save Raffi's life, they seem to be at a dead end. But Worf knows of another potential information source: Krinn (Kirk Acevedo), a Vulcan crime lord who was an associate of Sneed's. Krinn is far more clever and dangerous than Sneed, however, and getting to him may require a sacrifice Raffi isn't willing to make...


CHARACTERS:

Picard: He's incensed that Ro has the temerity - let alone the position - to question him. Even thirty years later, he feels personally betrayed that she chose the Maquis over Starfleet, and he wastes no time in turning her interrogation of him around on her. He also wonders if she might be a changeling, particularly given that "Commander Ro" isn't wearing her Bajoran earring.

Riker: He was never close to Ro, so her past decision did not hit him personally. As a result, he's more laid back about her position in Starfleet. He even attempts to mediate between Picard and Ro, an effort that is stymied by Ro insisting on questioning Picard alone.

Seven: When the security team takes a shuttle to the Titan rather than simply beaming over, Picard is spooked into asking for one more favor. She agrees to hide Jack from the investigation. She does this by giving him a Starfleet uniform to wear. "If security officers come looking, it's best to hide you in plain sight."

Dr. Crusher: She's a picture of crisp professionalism as she performs her autopsy on the changeling corpse, calmly observing the differences between this changeling and the ones Starfleet warred with decades earlier. She can see that Jack is troubled, and she urges him to talk to her about whatever is wrong.

Jack Crusher: The disguise of a Starfleet uniform works surprisingly well, though his aversion to Starfleet makes him reluctant to wear it. That's a secondary character beat, however. Most of his role centers around visions he's having of himself committing violent acts. The writers seem to badly want us to suspect that he's a changeling without knowing it - which is exactly why I'm sure that he isn't.

Capt. Shaw: Is positively giddy at the thought of Starfleet punishing Picard and Riker. When the two older officers point out that they've saved the galaxy multiple times, Shaw reminds them of some of the less spectacular aspects of their record, grinning as he recalls "that time that someone threw the Prime Directive out the window so they could snog a villager on Ba'ku." However, the events of the previous episodes are enough that he's willing to listen as the security investigation grows increasingly strange.

Commander Ro: Michelle Forbes returns to the franchise for the first time since TNG's Preemptive Strike, and she's still convincing as Ro. Her best moments, unsurprisingly, come opposite Picard. Her emotions toward him are every bit as raw as his toward her, with her feeling that his mentorship was always conditional on her upholding his values over her own. "I joined the Maquis because belonging there meant standing up to injustice, even if it meant betraying your beloved Starfleet!"


THOUGHTS:

If the first four episodes formed an action/suspense story, then this episode conveys more of a "conspiracy thriller" vibe, with the characters uncertain who to trust. They can't even be certain which officers actually are themselves, with Picard and Ro each showing suspicion that the other might be a changeling. It's an effective change-up, though I hope the show doesn't try to hold this particular tone and style for too long.

Imposters is not as good as No-Win Scenario was, but that would be an unfair expectation. It's still a good episode that continues to reflect one of the major strengths of this season: good use of the characters. The heart of the episode is the confrontation between Picard and Ro. Plot-wise, each suspects the other might be an imposter... but the real emotional core comes from each airing the pain inflicted by the other. Picard's anger rings true, but so does Ro's, and Patrick Stewart and Michelle Forbes play as well off each other now as they did back in the day.

The Worf/Raffi subplot is less interesting than the rest, and I rolled my eyes at a particularly clichéd plot development once they finally came face-to-face with Krinn. Still, Michael Dorn and Michelle Hurd work well together, and this episode finally connects their strand to the main plot. While Krinn's method of dealing with them is ludicrous and - for a Vulcan - rather illogical, the scene is at least watchable, even if it's the episode's weakest.

More importantly, in a season that's managed consistently strong episode endings, this one might have the most startling ending yet...


OVERALL:

Imposters is another good episode in what's shaping up to be a good season. The story moves to its next phase, with a shift in tone that should keep the arc from becoming stale. The episode gets an extra boost from the dynamic between Picard and Ro, with the characters' emotions feeling authentic and true to who the two of them are.

The Picard/Ro material earns an already good episode an extra point, leaving me awarding a strong...


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: No-Win Scenario
Next Episode: The Bounty

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3-04. No-Win Scenario.

Capt. Vadic receives her orders.

Original Air Date: Mar. 9, 2023. Written by: Terry Matalas, Sean Tretta. Directed by: Jonathan Frakes.


THE PLOT:

The Titan is dead in space, sinking into the nebula and ever closer to its lethal "gravity well." The bridge crew desperately reroutes power to keep life support functional, but Riker knows that all they're doing is buying a few extra hours of life.

Picard uses that time to try to get to know Jack, if only just a little bit. Riker starts to compose a message to Deanna; but he can't find the words and leaves it unfinished. Meanwhile, Seven reluctantly turns to Capt. Shaw for help in tracking the changeling infiltrator - something they both know may not even matter as the ship keeps being rocked by the energy waves emitted from the center of the nebula.

In sick bay, Dr. Crusher notices a pattern in those waves - a pattern that just might give them a chance to escape!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: The episode has a tried-but-true frame device: Picard, at the bar Ten-Forward, is approached by eager young Starfleet recruits while sitting down to eat lunch. He's initially caught off guard at these young people turning to him for stories or advice, but he soon enjoys holding court as he shares his experiences and what they've taught him. A direct parallel to this is his attempt to bond with Jack, in a holodeck recreation of Ten-Forward, with him even sharing the same story of being caught in a (rather plot convenient) hopeless situation with the young man's namesake, Jack Crusher. When Jack asks about the name, Picard states that he would have selected the same name.

Riker: He chooses not to reinstate Seven because her current status puts her in a better position to quietly investigate the changeling. He emphasizes that the changeling's presence needs to be kept secret for the sake of the crew's already dwindling morale. The loss of his son hangs heavy on him. He recalls his son's burial, how immense the six feet into which the coffin was lowered seemed, and he urges Picard to spend the little time they have remaining getting to know Jack.

Seven of Nine: Being stripped of her rank leaves her free to show her disdain for Shaw - something he perversely responds quite well to. She doesn't like confiding in him, but he knows the ship and crew better than anyone else. His advice proves to be spot-on, and their interactions throughout the episode are enormously entertaining.

Dr. Crusher: She spends most of the episode as the designated "problem solver," counting the gaps between energy waves and figuring out the pattern. When Picard and Jack try to convince Riker of their plan, she ends up being the most persuasive voice, reminding him of the things they accomplished in the past by trusting each other.

Jack Crusher: He insists that he doesn't need to share time with Picard, but he goes along with it. He observes of the Ten-Forward holoprogram: "This fake place is as good as any to die in." For all his protests, he seems to genuinely enjoy listening to Picard describe his youthful misadventure with his namesake, and he becomes aggrieved when Capt. Shaw reminds them of Picard's past as "Locutus," with Picard having to stop Jack from responding. He and Picard work well together during the escape, with Picard trusting in Jack's instincts at a critical moment.

Ensign LaForge: Geordi's daughter, Sidney LaForge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) is the Titan's helm officer. I haven't mentioned her before because she's mostly been in the background, but both character and actress have worked well all season. She gets a bit more screen time here, playing a major role in the ship's escape and also being an important (if unwitting) part of Seven's search for the changeling.

Capt. Shaw: After a very bad start, Shaw has slowly climbed the ranks of my favorite characters this season. His interactions with Seven are fun, and I love how openly amused he is by her labeling him "a dick." His best scene comes in Ten-Forward, however, when he interrupts Picard's nostalgic tales by telling the memory that haunts him the most - of being a survivor of Wolf 359. Shaw's story is well-written, and actor Todd Stashwick sells every bit of it as he stares off into space, seemingly reliving the events as he flatly narrates them.


THOUGHTS:

"No matter how bleak or unwinnable a situation, as long as you and your crew remain steadfast in your dedication, one to another, you are never, ever without hope."
-Picard, in happier times, holds court to a group of Starfleet cadets.

No-Win Scenario is the first episode of Picard that I would label as excellent with not a single qualifier. Its script is expertly judged, balancing great character scenes with major plot advancement. The cast rises to meet the writing quality with uniformly strong performances, including Patrick Stewart's best work so far this season.

There are no wasted scenes and no "spare" characters. Unanswered questions remain for the rest of the season, but there really isn't anything here that exists purely to set up the next installment. Everything that exists in this episode is used by this episode.

A major strength is that the script remains focused on the Titan. There are no cutaways to the Worf/Raffi subplot. Save for a couple brief scenes with Vadic, which are part and parcel of this story, we spend the entire episode on the damaged ship.

The first half is dedicated to character scenes. Picard is nostalgic and occasionally humorous as he recalls his misadventures to Jack. A funereal atmosphere hangs over their interactions, with both men aware that they are likely to die soon. Riker attempts to compose a message to Deanna, only to abandon it when he can't find the words. Both of these scenes are kept generally low-key, with both script and direction choosing just one character reflection - Shaw's memory of Wolf 359 - to go all-in on. It's a good choice, with the Wolf 359 scene the highest point in an episode filled with summits.

The latter half shifts to the escape, which is also well scripted. Every character gets something to do. Dr. Crusher makes the major observation that leads to the plan and persuades Riker. Jack suggests the general course of action. Picard and Riker direct the escape, while Ensign LaForge steers the ship. Meanwhile, Seven and Shaw work together, first in the changeling hunt and then in helping with the escape. It all ends up fitting together, the different threads strengthening each other rather than competing for attention.

If it stopped there, No-Win Scenario would already be an excellent episode. The tag scenes take it just a bit further. Picard's frame ends as he makes a sudden realization, with words from his past - which have been encouraging him all episode - suddenly returning to haunt him. Then Riker's message to Deanna gets completed in a way that's entirely satisfying, while also reminding us of the many open threads.

Oh, and one more strength of this episode, one that is promising for the rest of the season: It has a real ending! The big questions remain open. We don't know what the changelings are planning, or why they are interested in Jack, nor do we know Vadic's full role - active participant or mere hired gun. But instead of dragging the Titan/Shrike standoff across ten episodes, that situation ends, with the loose threads carrying over to whatever the next Act will be. This seems likely to avoid a repeat of Season Two's midseason pacing issues.


OVERALL:

No-Win Scenario is the best episode of Picard to date. Every character is utilized. Every scene advances either the characterizations or the plot. The ending even makes use of what seemed to be a simple frame device in a way that grants additional meaning.

The end result is the first Star Trek: Picard episode to earn full marks from me. My hopes are now raised that this final season will actually end up being a worthy sendoff.


Overall Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Seventeen Seconds
Next Episode: Imposters

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3-03. Seventeen Seconds.

Riker (Jonathan Frakes) clashes with Picard.

Original Air Date: Mar. 2, 2023. Written by: Jane Maggs, Cindy Appel. Directed by: Jonathan Frakes.


THE PLOT:

The Titan flees into the nebula, with Vadic's massive Shrike on its tail. Capt. Shaw's plan is to hide inside the nebula until Engineering is able to repair the warp engines. Before that can happen, Vadic finds them. Shaw is injured in the ensuing attack, and he places Riker in command before being taken to sickbay.

Jack and Seven are able to discover how the Shrike keeps finding them, which leads to a disagreement between Picard and Riker. Riker wants to create a false trail to buy time for them to run for safety. Picard thinks they should lay the same trail - but use it to lure Vadic's ship into an ambush, something Riker believes would amount to suicide!

Meanwhile, Raffi meets her secretive handler: Worf (Michael Dorn). He tells her that he isn't with Starfleet but is instead "freelance." He believes that the terrorist attack on Starfleet was a prelude for something even more devastating. Fortunately, he has a lead - and following it leads him and Raffi to a startling discovery!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Though he tells Riker to start calling him "Number One," he refuses to accept that he's not in command. The problem is not that he argues with Riker about the correct approach. As Decker pointed out to Kirk in The Motion Picture, presenting alternatives is part of a First Officer's role, and there is strategic merit in his suggested course. But he openly bickers with Riker in front of the crew even after Riker has made his decision, and he doesn't seem to recognize how wildly inappropriate that is.

Riker: So far this season I've been more impressed with Jonathan Frakes's Riker than I have been with Picard himself, and this episode is his best showcase so far. Frakes dominates every scene he's in, balancing the character's humor and caution to good effect. He also plays a new note here: anger. After half an episode of being browbeaten by Picard, he flares up and reminds his old friend that he is the one in charge. This is effective - and his cold anger a little later is even more so.

Worf: "I am Worf: son of Mogh, House of Martok; son of Sergey, House of Rozhenko; bane to the Duras family; slayer of Gowron. I have made some chamomile tea. Do you take sugar?" The end of Disengage revealed Raffi's handler to be none other than Worf. This signals an important shift for the season - mainly, that I will no longer mind so much when the action cuts away to the Raffi subplot. Michael Dorn slips seemingly effortlessly back into the role, and his dry line deliveries are enormously entertaining. Critically, Worf has changed in the intervening years (which actually checks off one of my wishlist items). He's still ready for action, but he now prefers to think before acting. "A fight is rarely worth dying for," he proclaims - which marks a pretty big shift from, "Today is a good day to die!"

Raffi: She is experiencing withdrawal after taking a narcotic in front of the Ferengi gangster. This puts her even more on edge than usual, and I'll give actress Michelle Hurd credit in that there is actually a difference between "withdrawal Raffi" and normal Raffi. It's amusing to see her bicker with Worf, with him now having to be the voice of restraint for a hothead. Worf compliments her by telling her that she has the heart of a warrior - though I half expected him to add something about also having the brain of a Pakled.

Dr. Crusher: She doesn't flinch when the ship's doctor is dismissive toward her, ignoring the disrespect - right up until the doctor's lack of experience almost costs Shaw his life. When that happens, she all but elbows the younger woman out of the way to take over the captain's care. She meant to tell Picard about Jack, but multiple attempts on Picard's life convinced her not to. As she says, being Picard's son would have put a target on Jack. "As a mother, your whole being is about protecting your child. I thought I could protect mine. I didn't know if I could protect yours."

Capt. Shaw: I really wish his belligerence hadn't been so overdone in the first episode, because he's been nothing but well-written ever since. Once they have a temporary respite from the Shrike's assault, he tells the officers who have spent too many hours on duty to rest while they can, indicating that his concern for his crew's welfare is no act. After he's injured, he doesn't hesitate to put Riker in command. Even in sickbay, he still is thinking about his ship and the situation, asking Jack exactly how Vadic keeps finding them inside this nebula.

Jack Crusher: Shaw's question sets him to thinking. He looks at the bloody footprints on the floor of sickbay, and he reaches a realization: Vadic is finding them because they are leaving traces behind them. When he's denied access to the bridge, he goes to Seven with his suspicions, which leads directly to the episode's major revelation.


SEVENTEEN SECONDS AND THE VISUAL ELEMENT:

Seventeen Seconds returns Jonathan Frakes to the director's chair. Can he direct the rest of the season? He doesn't change the lighting style, but he makes it work. In this episode, the frame isn't just dark - Attention is given to where the light in a given shot is coming from, and the light sources are used in such a way that the focus of each scene is clearly visible even when the bulk of the frame is in shadow. The tone created by the darkness is maintained, but in a way that grants importance to whatever on screen isn't in darkness.

Frakes also uses the space between characters to good effect. When Picard talks to Beverly about Jack, they are on opposite sides of the frame, with the bulk of the shot being the empty space between them. Picard and Riker are also distanced within shots during their disagreements, this time less by proximity than focus. The focus shifts from one to the other, not only according to who is speaking but also to showcase their (particularly Riker's) reactions. Eventually, Riker loses his temper (not without reason) - at which point he is left alone in the frame in lighting that's both cold and diminishing as the shot ends.

All of this is highly effective, the visuals maintaining the style and tone of the season while also connecting to the characters and their relationships. The result is that a visual palette that I've been fairly vocal in disliking is suddenly made to work - though there's no saving the heavy-handed Blade Runner planet of the Raffi subplot. At least this episode ends with an indication that she's finally going to leave for a hopefully less derivative setting.


OTHER MUSINGS:

Beyond the excellent directing, Seventeen Seconds finally delivers a Season Three episode that I thoroughly enjoyed! The episode benefits from a good script that delivers strong character moments even as it moves the plot forward. The Raffi/Worf thread gets connected to the main story, mainly in that Worf and Raffi reach the same realization that the Titan crew do about the nature of the threat. This revelation also raises the potential for new directions.

It's well structured. The first Act allows the characters room to breathe as the Titan hides from the Shrike. Then the enemy ship finds them, Shaw is injured, and Riker is put in charge. Further complications ensue: The nebula is more than it seems, making it "ill-advised" to just try flying through it. Vadic seems prepared for their every move, even though it should be impossible for her to track them. Picard and Riker are at odds over strategy; critically, both present valid arguments, making the viewer uncertain which of them is right (though there's little question that Picard's behavior is inappropriate).

These and additional complications build and combine to strong effect. The reason Vadic can find them is linked to episode's major revelation, which itself feeds the Picard/Riker conflict. This is intercut with Worf and Raffi reaching the same realization, connecting the two strands even though they have yet to fully converge. Most importantly, every new development puts the heroes in a weaker and more perilous position, which makes for a gripping hour of television.


OVERALL:

Seventeen Seconds is easily the best episode yet of Picard's third season. Up to this point, I haven't been particularly gripped by Season Three. This episode changes that, and it does so right out the gate. For the first time this season, I find myself fully looking forward to the next installment.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Disengage
Next Episode: No-Win Scenario

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3-02. Disengage.

Picard meets his adversary: grinning, soft-spoken Capt. Vadic (Amanda Plummer).

Original Air Date: Feb. 23, 2023. Written by: Christopher Monfette, Sean Tretta. Directed by: Douglas Aarniokoski.


THE PLOT:

Picard and Riker have found Beverly - unconscious, being kept alive inside a medical pod overseen by the only other person on the ship: Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), her twenty-year-old son (who doesn't look a day over thirty). Jack tells them that they've been dodging their pursuers for two weeks. He denies any knowledge of who is chasing them or what they might want.

One thing is clear: The Crushers' small ship lacks the resources to fend off the enemy. They are saved only by the intervention of the Titan, with Capt. Shaw coming to their rescue against his better instincts.

After Shaw beams them aboard the starship, he receives a transmission that puts a face to their adversary: the genial, smiling Capt. Vadic (Amanda Plummer). Vadic claims to be a bounty hunter, informing them that Jack Crusher is a wanted criminal.

The Titan had to cross out of Federation space to rescue Picard, and the nebula Jack and Beverly were hiding in has made it impossible to simply call Starfleet for reinforcements. In addition, Vadic's weaponry is such that she's basically flying a single-ship armada. She gives Picard and Shaw one hour to either surrender Jack Crusher or be destroyed!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: He's clever enough to recognize that Jack is the enemy's target. He plants transport inhibitors that save the young man... but he also forgets to deactivate them when the Titan comes to the rescue. He's in a position of weakness with Capt. Shaw, who is determined to be as unimpressed with him as possible. Still, he feigns being in charge to both Jack and Vadic. In the end, he comes up with a tactic to shake Vadic, one which Shaw goes along with - but it feels less like a victory than like something that just buys the Titan a little more time.

Riker: He gets a less robust role in this episode, mainly just acting as Picard's support. He does recognize the stalemate between Picard and Shaw, however, and he knows that something has to be done to break it. This leads him to take decisive action near the end.

Seven of Nine: When Shaw stops her from immediately flying to Picard's rescue, the bridge crew seems startled by this. Seven shifts tactics at this point, pointing out to Shaw that if he insists on following regulations to the letter, he'll be remembered as the man who let Picard and Riker die - an approach that proves effective in getting his attention.

Raffi: Still stuck in subplot-land, with her instincts unable to let her accept her handler's simple answer to the terrorist attack. She disobeys an order to "disengage" and instead follows a lead to Sneed (Aaron Stanford), a Ferengi crime lord. All of this is... fine. But the only moment in this strand that catches my eye is the very last part of her last scene. Outside of that, Raffi's strand is the least engaging part of the episode. Again.

Jack Crusher: After only appearing briefly in the premiere, Ed Speleers' Jack gets a much larger slice of the action. We open on him talking his way through an interaction with a Fenris Ranger (Robert G. Morgan) two weeks earlier. He seems to have the situation in hand... until the Ranger sends word to "the Marked Woman," and we realize that this kicked off the current chase. Jack has the manner of a con artist, but he's not unlikable, and Speleers does well with his expanded role. But why insist on him being twenty? The timeline would still line up if he was thirty, and... Sorry, Speleers looks great and all, but it's obvious that he's older than that.

Vadic: This episode gives the enemy a face: Amanda Plummer as Capt. Vadic. She speaks in a soft, somewhat exaggerated Southern drawl, seeming like she's almost settling in for a chat with Picard and Shaw even as she threatens them with destruction. Based on this appearance, I'm not yet sure whether she's going to end up being great or annoying. She works well enough here, but I hope she receives some more varied notes in later episodes.

Capt. Shaw: His characterization is vastly improved from the first episode. The thing is, Shaw isn't actually wrong about anything. Every one of his direct responses and objections to this situation, and to Picard and Seven having forced him into it, are valid. He's still pointlessly antagonistic, but the dial on that has mercifully been turned down a bit. He knows to present a unified front with Picard when talking to Vadic; and when Picard gives his final (predictable) reason for wanting to protect Jack, he stops arguing and gives in.


THOUGHTS:

I promise I'm not going to complain about this in every Season Three review, but I really don't like the visual look of this season. I don't like how dark the screen is, and I don't care for the heavy color grading in some scenes. I understand that the showrunners are trying to create a tense, oppressive mood... but it's overaggressive, and some touches (notably the direct visual references to Blade Runner in the Raffi subplot) feel hackneyed.

That aside, Disengage is a decent second episode. It benefits from improved characterization for Shaw, who's still an antagonist but who isn't actually in the wrong. In the premiere, he was a one-note pompous bureaucrat; in this episode, he actually works, mainly because the writers cut back on the pointless belligerence and make sure that we understand his perspective.

There's some tension inherent in the ticking clock of Vadic's deadline, which is enhanced by the unanswered question as to how trustworthy or not Jack might actually be. There's no question that Vadic is a villain, but she doesn't come across as someone who does things for no reason. This leaves open the question of how Jack managed to provoke this pursuit.

The episode does suffer from a common problem with streaming series: Its role is mainly to connect the first episode with the next, and it isn't even remotely a complete unit in itself. It remains entertaining throughout, though. This season doesn't have me fully on board yet - but I am feeling hopeful that it might as it goes along.


OVERALL:

Since Disengage comes across mainly as connective tissue, it's hard for me to fully judge it in its own right. It does its job. It builds up the story, adding complications while introducing new characters and new elements. Judged by itself, though, I don't think it's particularly better than OK.

At the same time, it's definitely no worse than OK - and by adding some layers to Shaw while giving several good moments to the more established characters, it raises hopes for the rest of the season to build on it.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: The Next Generation
Next Episode: Seventeen Seconds

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3-01. The Next Generation.

Picard receives a message from an old friend.

Original Air Date: Feb. 16, 2023. Written by: Terry Matalas. Directed by: Doug Aarniokoski.


THE PLOT:

Just past the edge of Federation space, Dr. Beverly Crusher is hiding from an unknown enemy. Despite her best efforts, the enemy finds her. Before she has a chance to warp to a new area, her ship is boarded. She fends off the attack but is wounded in the process.

Desperate, she sends a coded message to Jean-Luc Picard. The retired admiral is preparing to accompany Laris, who has taken a job setting up diplomatic security on Chaltok IV. It will give him a chance to relax, drink wine, and begin his memoirs. But Beverly's message puts paid to those plans, with Laris telling him that he has to go. There's one additional complication - Beverly tells him to trust no one, including Starfleet.

Picard turns for help to Will Riker, his former first officer. Riker bluffs his way onto his old ship, the Titan, on the pretext of an inspection. Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) is a believer in obeying rules, following orders, and doing things by the book. But Shaw's first officer is Seven of Nine, who is entirely willing to make sure Picard reaches his destination.

Meanwhile, Raffi is working with Stafleet Intelligence, tracking weapons that were stolen from the Daystrom Institute. She finds information connecting the theft to "the Red Lady," though her contact doesn't know whether that refers to a person or organization, or to a buyer or seller. The more Raffi looks into it, the grimmer the connection looks - particularly when she realizes just what "Red Lady" is being referred to...


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Is determinedly trying to "prove" that he learned his lesson from Q, but he's overcorrecting. He starts ordering mementos from his past boxed up and given away, and he loudly insists that he does not need "a legacy." He also isn't keeping up with current Starfleet protocols, which ends up biting him when he begins his mission. Seven catches him on this in a small way as the Titan leaves the dock, but this foreshadows a larger gaffe. When Riker is trying to persuade Capt. Shaw to take the ship off course, he seems well on the way to convincing the younger man - right up until Picard interjects by proposing a final inspection at a space station that's been out of service for more than a year. Seven tries to cover for him a second time, but the moment is lost and Shaw flatly refuses the request.

Riker: He seems to have hit a rocky patch in his marriage, telling Picard that he thinks Deanna will enjoy a break from his company. He doesn't elaborate, and Picard knows not to press. He makes cracks about his and Picard's age, but he seems as sharp as ever. When he's held at gunpoint, he only needs a second's distraction to turn the tables. He's mostly jokey with Picard. When Seven questions Picard, however, we see a flash of the "hard ass Riker" who was sometimes glimpsed in TNG. Jonathan Frakes is terrific throughout, and I suspect one of the pleasures of this season will be seeing him in a more active role.

Seven of Nine: Has finally joined Starfleet. She's already First Officer on the Titan; it's unspoken, but I suspect her years of experience on Voyager, her time with the Rangers, and her missions with Picard allowed her to leapfrog the ranks. She's not happy with her current situation, though, to the point that she doesn't much care when Capt. Shaw threatens her career. She hates serving under a captain whom she clearly doesn't respect and who doesn't seem to respect her, and she complains to Picard that things were simpler and clearer when she was a Ranger.

Raffi: Is off in subplot-land, working for Starfleet Intelligence to track down stolen weapons connected to someone or something known as "The Red Lady." Michelle Hurd does well with what she's given, and I have no doubt that this strand will eventually connect with the adventure Picard and Riker are on. Still, even with a surprise end turn, I found her scenes to be the least interesting part of this episode.

Dr. Crusher: She cut ties with everyone twenty years earlier, and she hasn't even spoken to her former shipmates since. We first see her behaving in a way that's very different than TNG's Beverly usually did, engaging in a firefight with enemies and not hesitating to use lethal force. When Picard and Riker find the signs of that fight, they remark on how unusual that is for her, though any answers as to what's actually going on are withheld for later episodes.

Laris: Senses that Picard is trying a bit too hard to embrace the present and ignore the past, and she does her best to keep him from giving away possessions that she knows are important to him. When she views Dr. Crusher's message, she gives her honest assessment as an ex-Intelligence officer: Crusher is genuinely and rationally afraid, and Picard has to help her. Though Picard insists that he'll only be gone for a few days, Laris doesn't believe him. She leaves open the possibility for otherwise, giving him a place where they can reconnect, but she treats their parting as a final goodbye.

Pompous Space Bureaucrat of the Season: Capt. Shaw (Todd Stashwick) fits this category to a "T." He prides himself on being perfectly by the book, to the point that he disdains Picard's and Riker's past exploits as "irresponsible." Apparently, he missed the part where he'd be either dead or a Borg drone without those past exploits. He takes pleasure in such petty acts as assigning them to bunk beds in cramped quarters or refusing to refer to Seven as anything other than "Hansen."


THOUGHTS:

"Your hands are stiff, and my knees are killing me. So long as we don't have to move or shoot, we should be fine."
-Riker, reflecting to Picard that both of them may be getting a bit old for these adventures.

Fan-pandering episode title aside, The Next Generation does a pretty good job of picking up from Picard's second season. Picard, Seven, and Raffi have all moved on in ways that make sense for where their characters were at the end of that season. Seven is in Starfleet; Raffi is working with Intelligence; and Picard is trying to embrace Q's lesson and focus on a future with Laris - though even Laris can see that he's pushing it.

As the first episode of a modern television season, The Next Generation is tasked with introducing the characters' current situations and setting up the season arc. It does a good job. The teaser establishes the threat, while still leaving a mystery as to the exact nature of this enemy. Picard, Riker, and Seven are placed on a ship whose captain is hostile to them. Raffi is established as investigating a weapons theft that leads her to something larger - and though that isn't linked to the main plot in this episode, I have no doubt that it will be.

Compared to the previous two Picard premieres, I think this is better than Remembrance, avoiding the rushed pacing that plagued that episode. The Picard/Riker material is a joy to watch, with Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes falling right back into their old chemistry. Riker's wryness and downright eagerness to jump into a new adventure is a perfect balance for the more serious and reflective Picard.

I don't think it's as good as The Star Gazer was, however. Capt. Shaw is drawn in almost cartoonishly broad strokes. It would have been entirely possible to create a character who had sound arguments for refusing Picard and Riker. In my opinion, creating a good captain whose belief in the chain of command puts him in opposition to them would be much more interesting. Instead, we get a "pompous space bureaucrat" who seems designed to be hated, and who appears to have the respect of no one; his own bridge officers smirk when Seven violates his orders. If he sticks around, I hope the writers give him a bit more depth. At the moment, he seems likely to become unbearable.

The single worst thing about the episode is the lighting - or the lack thereof. In contrast to the first two seasons, many scenes are so dimly lit that it's difficult to make out backgrounds. Dr. Crusher dispatches her ambushers in dim lighting. Picard receives her message in his office, and I keep wondering why he doesn't switch a light on before he trips over something. Picard and Laris talk in front of his fireplace, and you can see so little of the room around them that they may as well be on a bare stage with spotlights. It's far from the worst example of this style that I've watched, and maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy... but when I watch something, I kind of like to be able to see it!


OVERALL:

The Next Generation is a decent start to the final season, establishing the characters' new situations and setting up the story. I'd be lying if I said I felt compelled at this point, but I enjoyed it well enough. I didn't love a few of the choices (such as Cartoon Capt. Jerk-face), but I'm at least interested to see where the story goes.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Farewell
Next Episode: Disengage

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Thoughts on Season Two.

Picard gives a speech about second chances.

THOUGHTS ON SEASON TWO:

Fair warning: This is a look at the season as a whole. If you haven't seen Season Two yet, know that there are spoilers throughout!

I mostly liked Season One of Picard, which felt like a legitimate attempt to do what good science fiction has always done: Used the idea of the future to reflect on the present. The show opened with Picard disillusioned and resigned to a world moving in the wrong direction, with the story gradually bringing him back to his old self over the course of the season.

There were certainly flaws. Not all the characters were well used, and the general idea of a Starfleet suffering from moral decay seemed to vanish midway through. Even if I didn't like every creative choice (such as Picard's synthetic body), I still enjoyed the story and at the very least respected the ambition.

I found Season Two to be more of a mixed bag. It fixes many of the first season's problems, but it replaces them with all new missteps. I found most of it to be entertaining, and even the worst episode remains watchable... but I didn't find the story to be as interesting. In the end, I was left feeling underwhelmed.

But before I explore the reasons for my disappointment, let me start with what the season did well...

Seven and Raffi struggle to reconnect amidst an ocean of personal issues.

FORWARD PROGRESS - CHARACTERS:

The cast is much better used in Season Two than in Season One. Every member of the ensemble gets at least a few moments in the spotlight, and the scripts allow them some enjoyable and well-written interactions.

Now, this is likely helped by the early episodes culling a couple of "extra" characters. Soji, the central character of Season One's story, is seen in the first episode just long enough to establish that she's on a diplomatic mission and won't be joining the rest of the characters. Elnor is present for the first stage of the mission, but he gets killed in Episode Three.

I think this was a good choice. Had both characters been retained, they would have just been additional crew members in need of things to do. Removing them makes it more viable to give quality material to the other regulars. Elnor's death also fuels Raffi's character arc, while Isa Briones gets a decent supporting role through the magic of time travel doppelgangers.

I complained about the Season One finale just establishing Raffi and Seven as a couple without having ever shown any interaction between them. Season Two takes this clumsily created relationship and makes it work. Having missed the chance to show their initial connection, the writers do the next best thing. They start the season with them estranged, broken up by the multitude of personal issues each of them has. Then the rest of the season sells them as a couple by showing them overcoming those barriers. It even ties in with the season's theme of revisiting the past. As Picard observes in a graduation speech early on, second chances are rare. Seven and Raffi get one, because although their relationship already failed, their feelings for each other remain.

Finally, there's Agnes Jurati. Despite second name billing and a role in the story that should have made her central, Season One often shunted Alison Pill's neurotic scientist to the periphery. She gets a much stronger role in Season Two. Like Seven and Raffi, her relationship with Rios has failed between seasons, but she is not looking to reconnect. She's alone - and despite an apparent yearning for connection, she seems determined to stay that way.

This not only makes her vulnerable to the Borg Queen's manipulations, it also allows the scripts to thematically parallel her with the Borg. Many of the season's best moments come from this: the connection with the Borg Queen in Assimilation, Jurati's attempts to co-exist with the Queen in Two of One, and her appeal to the Queen in Hide and Seek. Alison Pill is excellent throughout, and she plays particularly well opposite Annie Wersching's Borg Queen.

There's really only one character whose arc didn't work for me in Season Two. Unfortunately, it's kind of a big one...

Picard struggles to learn lessons he already learned before.

PICARD'S JOURNEY:

I see what the writers were attempting with Picard. Q takes him and his crew into the past to save the future, while at the same time Picard is forced to confront his own past to overcome emotional issues interfering with his happiness in the present. On paper, it sounds fine, even clever.

Other opinions are certainly available, but I didn't think the execution of it worked at all.

One problem for me is that much of the material regarding Picard's past has no real connection, either in terms of plot or theme, to the external threat he's dealing with. Only Hide and Seek manages to overcome this problem, thanks to Picard using the tunnels from his childhood against the villains. Monsters, on the other hand, resorts to dream sequences/flashbacks that feel thinly motivated at best.

The other problem is that those are the only two episodes that significantly address his past and his need to confront it. This is the basis of his arc, and yet aside from these two episodes it is only occasionally even mentioned. It's hardly surprising that, in a ten-episode season, an arc that's ignored for full episodes at a time doesn't get a chance to properly build.

My final complaint might also be my biggest issue: TNG already trod a lot of this ground, and frankly in better episodes. Picard's strained relationship with his family was at the core of Season Four's Family. There, he (somewhat) mended his relationship with his brother. Here, he comes to realize that his late father wasn't the stern monster of his memory but was actually dealing with considerable emotional pain himself. It's a worthy enough lesson... but I can't escape feeling like we've done this already!

The other lesson Picard must learn is that, however badly he may wish to, he cannot change the most painful moments of his past. Even if he could change them, the results would probably not be to his liking. Again, he's already had this realization - thanks to Q, no less! - in Tapestry. Now, it's fair enough to echo past episodes. Given how much Star Trek was cranked out in the 1990s, some echoes are inevitable. But if you're going to retread old ground, maybe don't make it some of the old series' very best episodes?

For the record, none of this keeps Picard from working as a character the bulk of the time. When the scripts aren't laboring to make him (re-)learn a Very Important Lesson, both Picard and actor Patrick Stewart are a joy to watch. I loved his protectiveness of Jurati, or his wonderfully scripted pep talk to  Renée at the gala. The character was at his best in these scenes, or when ultimately choosing to deal honestly and compassionately with the FBI agent holding him and Guinan prisoner. At the end of Hide and Seek, I almost got chills from his vow not to accept a bad outcome before it happens.

So yes, the character still works splendidly when Picard is simply being Picard: literate, obstinate in ways sometimes good and sometimes not, compassionate, and with the ability to turn hopeless situations to his advantage. Problems only sneak in when the writers try to force him into an arc that fails to convince.

Rios gets arrested by ICE. I'm glad the show has time for this,
and that the actual plot won't get badly rushed later on...

A PROBLEM OF PACING:

Season Two opens extremely well. The first three episodes are quite good, and they set up almost everything that the rest of the season will follow.

The opening episode efficiently shows how the characters have progressed since Season One. The bulk of the episode establishes character arcs and relationships. Then, at the end, Picard encounters a crisis involving the Borg, culminating in the sudden intervention of Q. Episode Two expands on Q's role, as he angrily declares that this not a test or lesson, but rather a "penance" for Picard. The rest of the episode follows the character in a dystopian alternate reality. By the end of the episode, we know that this reality is the result of a single change Q made to the timeline in the year 2024. Episode Three brings the characters to their past/our present and starts the main plot moving, while at the same time establishing Rios's relationship with Teresa and drawing parallels between Jurati and the Borg Queen.

The alternate future is a bit of a generic "evil future"; that aside, this opening Act is pretty close to impeccable.

Too bad that the midseason is the opposite of that.

The middle four episodes do an awful lot of water treading. Watcher, my pick for the season's weakest episode, devotes half its running time to pointless side trips. Rios has an extended misadventure with ICE while Seven and Raffi steal a police car and essentially play real life Grand Theft Auto to try to rescue him. None of this even particularly goes anywhere; once Episode Five rolls around, Seven and Raffi rescue Rios with all the effort of pressing a button, and the whole incident receives only a single mention later. A mention that makes Rios look like an imbecile, at that... though the overall treatment of Rios this year makes me wonder if he hit his head really, really hard between seasons.

The final three episodes pick up the pace again. Episodes 8 and 9 see a welcome return to the high quality of the early episodes, and Episode 10 ends by bringing the story full circle with some excellent character epilogues.

Unfortunately, those character epilogues come after some final plot mechanics that are badly rushed. Episode 10, Farewell, opens with Picard and Tallinn trying to stop the villainous Dr. Soong from interfering in the launch of a very important space mission. This should be tense and exciting, with Picard and Tallinn relying on their wits to evade security to beat Soong to the goal while the not-so-good doctor just as desperately tries to bluff his way through using his credentials and attitude. Because it's all crammed into about twenty minutes, though, neither heroes nor villains experience any obstacles. This should be a highly secure area in the midst of enormous activity, and yet we barely even see any evidence of basic staff. Meaning, yes, the pre-launch party was locked down like Fort Knox while the launch itself has less security than a 7/11!

Ideally, this should have been the focus of one full episode, with the character epilogues and resolution of the initial Borg contact left to be an episode in itself. But I guess we really needed that big car chase and that episode about bad dreams, even if it left the actual season climax feeling like a tacked-on afterthought.

Elnor dies. But don't worry - He gets better.

CONSEQUENCES ARE FOR REDSHIRTS:

Something unexpected happens in Episode Three: Elnor dies. This sends Raffi into a season-long spiral of guilt and anger, with her clinging to the gossamer-thin hope that if they fix the timeline he'll somehow be brought back to life.

I really hoped that the death would stick. Not because I don't like Elnor; I've actually liked the character since his introduction. However, I am a believer that, with only the rarest exceptions, dead characters should stay dead. In my review, I observed that Elnor's death was a vastly more effective unheroic "pointless death" than Tasha Yar's in TNG, and I appreciated the way it was used to kick off Raffi's character arc. I even liked the ways Elnor was used in the later season, with a flashback in Episode Eight and a hologram in Episode Nine developing Raffi's guilt and, finally, resolving it as much as such issues can be.

Then Q brings him back to life in the finale, because why should there be any lasting consequences? I'm reminded of Q Who?, another story in which Q whisked Picard's crew away from familiar surroundings and put them in danger, as the Enterprise experienced its first contact with the Borg. Eighteen crew members died. When an outraged Picard confronted him about that, Q responded perfectly:

"It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross - but it's not for the timid."

But it turns out that Mr. Magic will resurrect the dead - provided they are people close to Picard and provided Q is in a sufficiently sentimental mood. So Elnor gets to live! But it sucks to be one of those eighteen redshirts.

The hilarious thing? I'm pretty sure Elnor isn't in Season Three, so there wasn't even a contractual reason to do this. With regard to the larger series, the resurrection appears certain to end up being less than pointless. And had the group been remembering Elnor in that final scene with Guinan, I think it would have been considerably more effective.

Starfleet faces a threat that isn't exactly as it seems...

SEASON THREE WISHLIST:

As was true when I made up my "Season Two Wishlist," I'm not going to pretend not to know what was in every single promo for Season Three. I already know that Season Three is, to all intents and purposes, TNG Season Eight.

This is not my preference. One aspect of Picard I've consistently appreciated is that it's balanced nostalgia against being its own series with its own set of regulars. I would have preferred that the series continued doing that. Yes, I enjoy guest appearances by members of the old cast where appropriate - but I would have liked them to remain guest appearances.

Still, the producers made their choice, and overall reception to Season Three indicates that it was the correct one for a lot of fans. Knowing that, my main hope is that the characters are properly utilized. Let's not repeat the mistake of Enterprise's These Are the Voyages, please, in which years had passed but all the characters were still exactly the same. It's been a long time. I hope the show acknowledges that by showing that the characters have moved on in various ways in the interim.

I also hope that the background set up by Picard's first two seasons is not forgotten. Synthetics are now a part of the Federation, though that has come after more than a decade of their mere existence being outlawed. This is an issue that deserves some follow-up. Picard has a synthetic body, which received only a couple of references during Season Two. I don't expect any meaningful follow-up, but I consider the lack of follow-up to have been a missed opportunity. There have been references to a mysterious threat in both seasons, and that absolutely should be addressed.

But my biggest hope is just that Season Three is good. Season One had plenty of flaws, but I liked it overall. I found Season Two to be a bit disappointing, but I still enjoyed more of the episodes than not. In all likelihood, Season Three will be the last time we ever see all of these characters together again, much as was true of Star Trek VI and the TOS cast. As such, I hope it follows in Star Trek VI's footsteps by delivering a final adventure that's worthy of them.

If nothing else, it's almost certainly going to be better than Nemesis. And I say that as someone who mostly liked Nemesis on its own terms.

Q and Picard say farewell.

IN CONCLUSION:

"Potential" was my keyword for Season One of Star Trek: Picard. The season was swimming in interesting ideas, intriguing elements, and enjoyable characters. It didn't always use them as well as I'd have liked, but it was clear that there was the foundation for a legitimately interesting series that went beyond just "TNG nostalgia."

Unfortunately, my keyword for Season Two is "disappointment." I don't think Season Two is bad in the way its worst detractors insist. There are several good episodes and a few very good ones, and even the weakest entries remain watchable (something that wasn't always true of TNG). But the whole ended up feeling like less than the sum of its parts, and I came away feeling... honestly a little discouraged by it.

I'm hopeful that Season Three will stick the landing, and will manage to do so in a way that fits Star Trek: Picard and not just Star Trek: The Next Generation - Reunion. But I have to admit that, even though I enjoyed it well enough on an episode-by-episode basis, Season Two has left me feeling just a bit hollow.


Previous Season: Season One
Next Season: Season Three (not yet reviewed)

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