Thoughts on Season Three.

Picard and the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation, back on the bridge of the Enterprise-D.

THOUGHTS ON SEASON THREE:

In its first two seasons, Star Trek: Picard carefully balanced TNG-era nostalgia against being a new show with an identity of its own. I had my issues with the series, specifically with Season Two, but this balance was something the writers handled extremely well.

In Season Three, Picard goes in a different direction. This season is less the conclusion to Picard and more Star Trek: The Next Generation - Epilogue. In theory, this should leave me feeling a bit disgruntled. I can always re-watch TNG, and I sometimes do rewatch the better episodes. In theory, I far prefer to see something new.

In practice, however, Season Three turns out to be by far the best season of what's been a rather uneven series.

Fears for his family make Geordi reluctant to help his old captain.

AN ENSEMBLE PIECE:

In my Season Two overview, one of my top wishlist items was a hope that the returning TNG characters would not be exactly as they were when that series wrapped up. Happily, I get my wish. The characters are recognizably the same people, but the passage of time and the lives they've led have changed them in ways that are believable and often interesting.

Geordi is a father, and his protectiveness toward his two daughters informs his actions. Riker is more confident in his own decision making; while he respects Picard, he no longer automatically defers to him. Worf has taken a philosophical turn; he's not quite a pacifist (he's literally introduced killing bad guys), but he's more thoughtful than in the past. Beverly Crusher has transformed the most, her twenty years of protecting Jack having made her fierce and assertive in a way that wasn't often true in TNG - and Gates McFadden seems to thoroughly enjoy playing this new side to her personality.

Inevitably, some characters get more focus than others, but everyone gets something significant to do. It helps that the season re-introduces the cast gradually. Beverly and Riker appear as early as the first episode, and Worf enters the action in Episode 2. It isn't until the second half of the season that Geordi and Data receive anything more than a name-check, though, and it isn't until the final three episodes that Deanna gets more than a cameo. This allows each returning regular to get a reasonable amount of focus when they appear without leaving them competing for attention. It also helps to keep the narrative fresh, with the overall dynamics changing with each reintroduction.

Finally, I have to applaud the story making a plot point out of Picard's synthetic body, with the corpse of his original body forming a major part of the changelings' plan. It's not quite what I wanted to see. I still think it was a missed opportunity to not explore Picard's feelings about being transferred to a synthetic body. His greatest fear and shame was his past assimilation by the Borg, and now he's ever-so-slightly not quite human; that remains something that both he and the other characters should have reacted to.

But at least this season uses that misjudged plot turn as a major part of its story. I continue to wish more had been done with it... but I fully expected Season Three to just repeat Season Two in making one or two references and nothing more, so I was glad to see something of substance done.

Vadic (Amanda Plummer) harbors hatred that can't be reasoned with.

THE KID, THE VILLAIN, AND THE DIP**** FROM CHICAGO - NEW CHARACTERS:

Season Three offers three significant new characters: Jack, Picard's son; Vadic, the changeling leader, and Liam Shaw, captain of the USS Titan. All three characters end up working, though not to the same extent.


JACK:

The well-worn "reunion movie" tropes of the old lead having a son/daughter ready to take the mantle is one that rarely works. It's never been what viewers want. They didn't tune into a revival of an old series to watch the son or daughter of the character they loved. It doesn't help that, in most cases, the kid characters are either insufferable or faded carbon copies of the old leads.

Jack largely sidesteps this trap. First, he's a genuinely well-written character. He's not a carbon copy of Picard, but neither is he self-consciously different. His swagger carries an echo of the young Picard who got into a near-fatal brawl with a Naussican. However, the surface cockiness is convincingly mixed with just the right amounts of both resentment and insecurity.

Also, Jack is an important part of the season, but he's firmly part of the supporting cast. His frank conversations with Picard develop him as a character, but the focus is kept on Picard and his reactions. Because of this, Jack's screen time never feels like it's coming at the expense of the old regulars. It helps that actor Ed Speleers does an excellent job of bringing the character to life.


VADIC:

Amanda Plummer's Vadic is the most prominent villain for the bulk of the season. When she's introduced, she is in a position of power, her ship clearly outmatching Picard and the Titan. She presents a genial front, speaking softly in an exaggeratedly sweet Southern drawl, even as it's clear that she revels the thought of violence. She seems to be having great fun pursuing the starship, and she plays with the humans like a cat with a mouse, letting the Titan run free just enough to enjoy the thrill of pouncing on it all over again.

This is all enjoyable villainy, and Amanda Plummer has a whale of time chomping on scenery, but there doesn't seem to be much depth beyond "villain." Episode 7, Dominion, changes that, with a well-scripted and wonderfully acted confrontation between Vadic on one side and Picard and Beverly on the other. In this scene, Vadic reveals all the hatred she's fostered for humanity - and as we glimpse her backstory, that hate becomes understandable. At that point, we comprehend why she is so sadistic and angry.

None of which makes her less villainous, it should be noted. In fact, once Picard knows what drives her, he gives up on trying to negotiate. Vadic's hatred runs so deep that reason is impossible.

Capt. Shaw (Todd Stashwick) takes great pleasure in pointing out
a few less-than-shining moments of Picard's and Riker's careers.

CAPT. SHAW:

I hated Shaw on sight. With the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that the writers wanted me to have that reaction. Shaw was meant to come off as a typical "pompous bureaucrat," with later revelations changing that perception. Even in hindsight, though, I think his early scenes are overwritten. The Shaw of the season premiere is pointlessly antagonistic and punchably smug. Rudeness and smugness are present in the rest of the season, but never again to that same extent.

Starting with Episode Two, he emerges as a three-dimensional character. He's still adversarial to Picard, but his points have validity. Once Picard reveals that Jack is his son, Shaw stops arguing, resigning himself to the battle to come. Episode Four is both the season's and the series' best installment - and its single best scene belongs to Shaw, as he recalls his brush with "Locutus of Borg" during the Battle of Wolf 359. The scene explains his initial disdain for Picard, and it also shows the survivor's guilt that's left him entirely willing to be seen as the jerk by his own crew.

By the second half of the season, he has become a full ally to Picard. He continues to argue with the regulars, but it's mostly to point out inconvenient truths, from the unintended consequences of some of Picard's and Riker's past heroics to the potential need for Seven of Nine to sacrifice people for the greater good: "You are a Starfleet officer. You don't have the luxury to only make choices that feel hunky-dory."

Actor Todd Stashwick leans fully into the character's abrasive nature, but (Episode One aside) he also shows the character's intelligence and the emotional turmoil from his past. A layered performance combines with good writing, making Shaw into the most memorable of all of Star Trek: Picard's original characters. I'd happily watch a full series about the self-described "dip**** from Chicago."

Picard is reunited with Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes).

ARCS WITHIN A BIGGER STORY - SEASON STRUCTURE:

One reason why Season Three works better than the previous two seasons is its structure. Instead of pulling a single story across ten episodes, the story is divided into smaller arcs. This keeps the story from feeling overstretched, a common problem with seasons of streaming shows, by allowing the overall focus to change regularly.

The first four installments form a Star Trek action thriller, with the Titan evading Vadic inside a nebula. I worried that this setup couldn't sustain a full season. Then Episode Four did something I hadn't expected: It resolved the situation, ending that arc in an entirely satisfying manner while still leaving loose ends for future episodes.

This continues through the rest of the season. The middle episodes shift to a conspiracy story, with the changeling presence within Starfleet leaving the crew with no allies. Episodes Seven and Eight form a two-parter that's dominated by a hostage crisis. Episodes Nine and Ten end the story with another two-parter, this one pitting Picard and his crew against the Borg (again).

The structure works well. Each smaller arc feeds the overall story, so it always feels as if the season is building. At the same time, each arc receives some form of resolution, so that it rarely feels as if the show is just wheel-spinning.

Which isn't to say that every element works perfectly...

The Enterprise targets the heart of the Borg Cube.

A BAIT AND SWITCH THAT DOESN'T ENTIRELY SATISFY:

The season does an excellent job of establishing the changelings as a threat. The tension between Picard and Ro is partially because of their past, but each is also testing the other, wondering if they are who they claim to be. This is echoed later in the season, in the outstanding Seven/Tuvok scene, with Seven uncertain if her old Vulcan friend can be trusted.

The season consistently shows that the changelings' infiltration of Starfleet is significant. The result is that Picard and his crew have almost nobody they can actually trust, leaving them on the run and with no allies as the culmination of the enemy plan draws near.

...And then the final two episodes drop the changelings almost entirely in favor of Borg Invasion Attempt #360. Once the Borg are reintroduced, the changelings cease to be relevant to the story at all. Yes, Vadic is defeated - but by this point, we've already seen that changelings have enough control in enough places to be formidable without her. Where did all of those changelings go, and why don't they do anything after the Borg attack fails?

I don't actually mind the show bringing the Borg back. Overused though they are (the Borg are invoked in three out of three Picard seasons), they're still the TNG villain with the greatest personal connection to Picard, and their connection to Jack is nicely set up and revealed. But the show needed to keep the changelings active in the final two parts. Alternatively, they could have just made this a Borg story from the start... something that could have been entirely doable by replacing the changeling infiltration with Borg assimilation. Season Two already showed Jurati being assimilated pyschologically, with no immediate physical signs; that could have used as a template for an "invisible" Borg infiltration in Season Three.

As it stands, the changelings are built up as a threat, and then they're transformed into little more than an afterthought - something I can't help but feel disappointed by.

Picard and his old crew enjoy a final game of poker.

IN CONCLUSION:

My frustration with the dropped changeling arc notwithstanding, this season is an excellent ending, both as the final season of Star Trek: Picard and as a postscript to Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The season makes good use of its cast, including finding strong roles for characters who weren't well used by TNG, and it features fine performances all around. It also benefits from solid structure, with the mini arcs maintaining freshness and energy throughout - something that I was extremely happy to see after the structural/pacing mess that was Picard's second season.

I doubt we'll see these characters again beyond a potential cameo or two, and I would be very surprised if we saw them all together again. So, most of all, I'm happy that Picard's third season gives a satisfying close to the TNG crew members' respective stories.


Previous Season: Season Two

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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

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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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