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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2-01. The Star Gazer.

Picard delivers an impassioned speech to a class of Starfleet Academy graduates.

Original Air Date: Mar. 3, 2022. Written by: Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas. Directed by: Douglas Aarniokoski.


THE PLOT:

Picard is back in Starfleet. He is chancellor of the Academy, focusing his energies on the next generation of explorers. The ragtag La Sirena crew members have gone their own ways. Seven is still a Fenris Ranger. Soji is acting as an ambassador for the synthetics. Raffi has taken command of the USS Excelsior, and the recently-graduated Elnor is among her crew.

Capt. Rios is also in Starfleet again, in charge of the USS Star Gazer. Named after Picard's first command, this starship is the prototype for a new class that uses research from the Borg artifact. The Star Gazer is orbiting Delta, where Soji is impressing the local populace, when Rios receives new orders. A tear in space-time has been detected, and he's been ordered to investigate.

The anomaly is emitting a transmission, one which Dr. Jurati is able to decipher. It is a plea:

"Help us, Picard. Help us..."


CHARACTERS:

Picard: No longer the bitter old hermit of early Season One, Picard seems to be enjoying his return to Starfleet. He has purpose again. When he speaks at a graduating class, it is with passion and joy. Despite this, his personal life continues to be barren, something commented on at various points by Raffi, by Romulan ex-spy/housekeeper Laris, and by Guinan. Laris directly expresses interest in him, and he seems to reciprocate... but for whatever reason, he cannot quite make himself close that gap.

Capt. Rios: He's generally informal as he splays in the captain's chair, perpetually chomping on a cigar. This default demeanor makes it all the more effective when he is sharply in crisis mode near the end. When Picard arrives on the Star Gazer, he defers to him without a word of complaint. He remains alert, however, ready to step in to protect Picard or to take over for him.

Seven of Nine: Has taken command of La Sirena, Rios's old ship. She has not hired a crew, preferring to rely on the Rios holograms. She tells Picard that others feel paranoid about the presence of an ex-Borg. Though she seems reluctant to interact with others, she still insists on helping others - though being Seven, her way of helping tends to involve violence.

Dr. Jurati: Broke up with Rios in the gap between seasons, yet she continues to work with him. They still "read" as a couple, with a distinct flirtatious undertone to their interactions. She continues to carry scars from the events of Season One. When she figures out that a Deltan is interested in her - "This is how really pretty people flirt, isn't it?" - she shoots him down by talking about how alien influence resulted in her murdering her previous ex.

Soji: Is only seen briefly, apparently to write her out. She is confident and charming in her diplomatic relations on Delta. She also retains her friendship with Jurati, which makes me disappointed that this one scene is probably the character's full role for the season. Their friendship is both entertaining and convincing, and I suspect I will miss it in future episodes.

Raffi: She's made sure that Elnor is assigned to her ship, feeling protective of the young man whose "absolute candor can get his ass kicked." Her relationship with Seven is in a holding pattern, and she wishes that there could be something more... which would be a lot easier to care about if their relationship had gotten any build-up at all. As of now, I still can't judge them as a couple, because they've barely exchanged two words in the entire series to date!

Laris: Her husband died between seasons of a terminal case of "Orla Brady has screen chemistry with Patrick Stewart." After Picard fails to act on her overtures, she rejects the suggestion that they continue as they have been. "It would all be too awkward, and I'm too old for awkward." Either they're a couple, or she'll move on.

Guinan: Whoopi Goldberg appears in one very good scene in her old TNG role. Guinan is still a bartender, and she is still ready to serve Picard a drink and listen. She tries to get him to open up about why he has never had a lasting relationship, waving away his attempts to talk about space exploration and Starfleet. But when it becomes clear that he isn't willing to talk more openly, she agrees to just share a quiet drink with him.


THOUGHTS:

"The only place you have ever been afraid to explore, be it flesh and blood or an artificial synthetic, is (the heart)... Your answers are not in the stars, and they never have been."
-Guinan, refusing to accept Picard's reasons for remaining alone.

As a season premiere, The Star Gazer has the confidence to take its time. The episode touches base with the characters and just lets them chat: Picard and Laris exchanging toasts in multiple languages; Jurati and Soji, more relaxed than we've ever seen them as they joke with each other at a diplomatic event; Jurati and Rios, interacting like an old married couple despite their breakup; Picard sharing a drink with Guinan even as he studiously avoids saying anything meaningful. The script centers itself on the characters, only pivoting to a plot focus in the last fifteen minutes.

The writers are clearly setting up a season theme for Picard involving his avoidance of relationships. Multiple characters comment on this. Raffi remarks that she wonders if Picard even gets lonely, and the way Patrick Stewart's posture changes for just a second is all the answer the viewers require. In this one way, he is still - to paraphrase his own words in Season One - not actually living.

I'm not sure as yet how this strand will connect to the external threat introduced at the end, though too much time is given to it for there not be some type of connection. Within this opening hour, I was mainly just pleased to see that the episode didn't try to rush. By putting the characters first, there is more investment when the action finally comes at the end.

I had only one major disappointment with an otherwise highly enjoyable opener. Season One ended with Picard's consciousness transferred into a synthetic body. Even with Dr. Soong's assurances that this body remained his - human and mortal, just minus his illness - I felt that Picard's acceptance of the situation was a cheat. A character-focused Season Two opener provided an opportunity for him to demonstrate discomfort, however private or buried. Instead, the only mention it receives is a quick throwaway line by Guinan. Yes, I thought it was a bad story move - but it happened, so the show really should engage with it.

The opening credits have been retooled, presumably to fit the story and themes of this season. The theme is still recognizable, but it has a darker tone. The visuals now include: the piece of painted glass that Picard looks at early in the episode; the enemy introduced at the end; and the image of an hourglass.

The production team appears to have learned its lesson about billing for surprise guest stars. Whoopi Goldberg receives a credit on the front, but another guest appearance is reserved for the end credits to preserve the surprise. Admittedly, that surprise was spoiled by basically every trailer and write-up for Season Two - but at least the show is no longer spoiling itself!


OVERALL:

The Star Gazer is a strong opening to Picard's second season. The character focus is welcome, and all of the actors continue to do good work. I'm not sure yet exactly where the season arc is going, or how the external threat will tie into the personal arc being set up for Picard. Based on this opening, though, I look forward to finding out.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2
Next Episode: Penance

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1-07. Nepenthe.

The Rikers: Will, Deanna, and their daughter Kestra.

Original Air Date: Mar. 5, 2020. Written by: Samantha Humphrey, Michael Chabon. Directed by: Douglas Aarniokoski.


THE PLOT:

Picard and Soji escape from the Romulan-controlled Borg Cube using a Borg teleportation device. It sends them to Nepenthe, a planet whose soil has regenerative properties, resulting in lush vegetation. Picard's former First Officer, William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), has retired here with his wife, former counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), and their daughter, Kestra (Lulu Wilson). They are both happy to see their old captain, but they are also concerned, as it is clear that Picard has gotten himself in over his head.

On La Sirena, Capt. Rios has a problem. He needs to reach Nepenthe to reunite with Picard. There's only one problem: His ship is being pursued by Narek, who keeps finding them no matter what Rios does to shake him. There's only one possible explanation: Someone on the ship is a traitor!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Is far more relaxed with Riker and Troi than he has been with his newer (younger) crew. Back with his old friends, he's able to show vulnerability. He remains insistent on keeping them out of it, not wanting the danger of his self-appointed final mission to imperil them or their daughter. Still, talking the situation over with Riker and Troi allows him to get a handle on where the situation lies, and to actually stop and think about what he should do next.

Riker: Jonathan Frakes makes a welcome return in front of the camera. Riker has traded in Starfleet for domesticity, but he's still entirely recognizable as the same character. Surrounded by the things he loves - his family, good food, and jazz music - his demeanor is mostly laid back and humorous. When Soji voices suspicion of Picard's motives, however, we hear the snappishness of the military officer who was often strict with his subordinates. He also gets a chance to act as Picard's XO again, telling him once they are alone that his refusal to share his problems is arrogance, and that his current predicament is very different from being on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Troi: She is far more cautious about getting involved in Picard's problems than Riker is. She's willing enough to provide refuge and even to help him think and plan, but she is afraid of harm coming to her family - and not without reason, as we learn fairly early in the episode. "I'm not as brave as I used to be," she admits, which Picard graciously attributes to wisdom. She's still very fast to call him out when he is too aggressive in response to Soji's wariness of him, which oddly makes her seem more like an experienced counselor than she ever did on TNG. Also, given that her role is almost as prominent as Riker's, I can't help but wonder why she doesn't get a "Special Guest Star" slot in the credits the same way Frakes does.

Soji: "None of this is real. Just get on with the mind game." In the wake of Narek's betrayal, she can't make herself trust anyone. Which is fair enough, honestly - In series, there's probably less than 30 minutes' separation between the Zhal Makh ritual and her arrival on the planet, with all of the intervening minutes having been spent evading people trying to kill her. Picard's unplanned visit to Nepenthe may well have saved her sanity, giving her a couple days to process all that has happened in a place of safety. She particularly bonds with Kestra, who grew up on stories of Data and is fascinated - in a completely positive way - by Soji. Oh, and for the second time this series, Isa Briones absolutely nails the "Data head tilt."

Capt: Rios: When he first spots Narek following them, he isn't concerned. He simply drops out of warp, confident that the Romulan will overshoot them. When Narek keeps finding them, however, he realizes that there has to be some kind of tracking device. He zeroes in on the wrong suspect, believing that the spy must be Raffi. His thinking is reasonable enough: Raffi's return to La Sirena was accompanied by her backsliding into her addictions. But I also think that he refuses to consider that Agnes Jurati, his new lover, might be the spy instead.

Dr. Jurati: We've known since the end of Episode Five that she's secretly working against Picard... a twist that was a little too easy to guess as far back as Episode Three, telegraphed way back then both by her overly convenient arrival at Picard's chateau to the very abrupt cutaway from her meeting with Commodore Oh. This episode begins by showing us the rest of that meeting, as Oh uses a mind-meld to convince Jurati with absolute certainty that Soji's survival would result in galactic devastation. Oh also made her swallow a tracking device... and while Jurati may be a mess, she isn't stupid. She swallowed a tracking device and Romulans are now tracking La Sirena: You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to connect those dots.

Elnor/Hugh/Narissa: Hugh is interrogated by Narissa, who by this point is behaving as a full psychopath. She doesn't kill Hugh, because the Romulans' treaty with the Federation would create consequences even she isn't willing to risk, but she does something worse: She starts killing the ex-Borg Hugh has worked to protect to compel him to answer questions. When Elnor witnesses this, he resolves to stay behind to stop her, vowing that "this will not happen again." But for all his skill, Elnor is still in many ways the little boy who reveled in Dumas stories brought to him by Picard. He believes in codes and in honor... concepts that don't bind Narissa at all.


THOUGHTS:

From its first episode, Star Trek: Picard has done a fine job of balancing the demands of nostalgia against being its own series. There have been no lack of nods to TNG and other 1990s Trek series, but these have largely been done in ways that either feed Picard's plot (such as using Data's death as the story's foundation) or at least haven't distracted from it.

Nepenthe more overtly plays to TNG nostalgia than any previous episode, but it also does it in a way that serves the larger story. Picard has reached the endpoint of his plan. He has found and rescued Soji. Having accomplished that, he finally realizes that this was only half a plan. He's saved her from the immediate threat, but he doesn't know what to do next, and has no idea how to make her truly safe from her pursuers.

The Rikers provide a temporary haven, a place where Picard can finally relax and take some time to think. Sure, it works as a TNG reunion, and I won't pretend I didn't enjoy that aspect... But it also gives Picard a much-needed moment of reflection, a bit of space in which he isn't rushing to find or save anyone. It allows him to remember that what he really needs - as Troi puts it - is "to be Jean-Luc Picard: compassionate, patient, curious." By the end of the episode, he has found new direction and purpose, which I'm guessing will take us to the finale.

The scenes on Nepenthe are wonderfully photographed. The visual look is brighter, emphasizing its status as an idealized haven. Even the interior scenes have a hue that suggests the sunlight that pervades every outside shot. The contrast is all the more striking when intercut with the episode's other two settings: the dark, oppressive Borg Cube and the antiseptic La Sirena.

The Picard/Riker/Soji thread is the episode's primary focus, and it is a joy to watch. However, the other two threads aren't as effective. The La Sirena scenes are perfectly well executed, but Rios's attempts to evade Narek are never as gripping as they should be, and no real attempt is made to develop or build his suspicions of Raffi. Dr. Jurati's turmoil is more effective; but the entire subplot, particularly Jurati's concluding action, seem to be there mainly to set up the next episode.

Unfortunately, the Elnor/Hugh plot is the episode's weakest. It's never explained why the two didn't just follow Picard through once the teleporter recharged; the end of The Impossible Box indicated that Elnor could have held the Romulans off for long enough to make that happen. Narissa, already a mostly two-dimensional character, is reduced further to Cartoon Villainy. Hugh, who once led an underground resistance of renegade Borg, is also reduced... largely to the role of "useless baggage." The entire subplot consists of two-and-a-bit scenes, and so it feels rushed and perfunctory... and with an ending that's as ill-advised as it is predictable.


OVERALL:

Nepenthe's main plot does a fine job of being more than just an exercise in nostalgia. The scenes with Picard and his two old shipmates are beautifully played by all three actors, and are written to further Picard's character arc even before furthering the plot. Soji's dilemma is almost as interesting, with her distrust of Picard entirely understandable under the circumstances.

If the central thread was the entire episode, I would rate this as being as good in its way as The Impossible Box. Unfortunately, the secondary threads drag it down a bit, with the Borg Cube subplot particularly weak.

It's still a good episode. But I can't help wondering if the writers might have been better advised to have made Picard's visit to the planet the full focus, and saved the other characters' issues for the next episode.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: The Impossible Box
Next Episode: Broken Pieces

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