1-03. The End Is the Beginning.

Picard turns to old sort-of friend Raffi (Micelle Hurd) for help.

Original Air Date: Feb. 6, 2020. Written by: Michael Chabon, James Duff. Directed by: Hanelle M. Culpepper.


THE PLOT:

With Starfleet firmly rejecting his request for a ship, Picard turns to an old friend: Raffi (Michelle Hurd), once a lieutenant commander in Starfleet, now reduced to living in a self-described "hovel" in Vasquez Rocks. She resents Picard, blaming him for the end of her career, but she still agrees to find a pilot to take him off-world.  That pilot is Capt. Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera), another ex-Starfleet officer who now works as a freighter captain.

Meanwhile, Soji is granted an interview with Ramdha (Rebecca Wisocky), one of the few Romulans to have ever been assimilated by the Borg. The reclaimed Romulans have all been left mentally disturbed, and Ramdah is no exception. She listens to Soji while laying out Romulan cards, in a manner similar to a fortune teller overturning Tarot cards. After drawing a card that depicts twins, she seems to recognize Soji, asking: "Which sister are you?"

Then she becomes agitated, accusing Soji of being Seb-Cheneb - The Destroyer!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Now that he's set on his mission, his manner has become much more like the Picard of old. After Raffi agrees to help, he calls her to send all the information he has on Bruce Maddox, the former head of Daystrom's Cybernetics Division and the most likely person to have created Dahj and Soji. When she replies (lying) that she has no interest, he ignores her, signing off with a very captain-like "Carry on." He also takes quick measure of Capt. Rios, noting that for all his open disdain for Starfleet, he runs his ship in a way that's "Starfleet to the core."

Soji: Her interest in Ramdah stems from the Romulan's pre-Borg background, as an expert in mythology. She believes that a "shared mythical framework" might help the ex-Borg in dealing with their trauma, aiding their emotional recovery. Ramdah's accusations seem to trigger something, however. She starts to interrogate the Romulan about the assimilation of her and her crewmates, demanding to know what happened to collapse the Borg cube's connection with the Collective - pressing her using details that she hadn't previously been conscious of even knowing.

Raffi: Though she was technically introduced in the previous episode, it's here that we actually start to learn about her. She worked closely with Picard on the planned Romulan evacuation, and was comfortable enough with him to refer to him as "J. L." She was not well-liked by Starfleet Command, however, and it's clear that Picard had protected her from her superiors. His resignation was followed almost immediately by her dismissal, and she blames him for the sharp downturn her life took after that. She readily admits to being paranoid, but Picard claims to value that very quality, an ability to make connections that others don't make - even if he himself doubts a few of her theories.

Capt. Rios: The episode's other major introduction, the beat-up captain of the beat-up La Sirena, the freighter that will carry him on his mission. He runs the ship with the assistance of emergency holograms, all of which are made to look exactly like him but with different accents. Though he shuts down Picard's attempts to "get into (his) head," he does allow Picard to give the order that takes them out, a sign of respect that cuts against his anti-Starfleet attitude.

Dr. Jurati: Officially joins Picard's crew, at her own insistence. She states that he will need her expertise as the leading expert on synthetic life. She claims that she desperately wants to meet the android "miracle" that she has spent her life dreaming of, and to be impressed by Picard's basic decency. All of which is reasonable in itself, and probably true as far as it goes. Still... She arrives at Picard's vineyard exactly in time to save him from a Zhat Vash attack, which I find remarkably convenient. Also, though we see her approached by Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita), the director of Starfleet Security, we don't actually witness their conversation. Put those two scenes together, and I strongly suspect that she'll be revealed to be the Commodore's eyes and ears on Picard's hired ship.

Hugh: Jonathan Del Arco reprises his TNG role as Hugh, the former Borg who is now the director of the Borg Reclamation Project. He has no illusions about the motives of the Romulans in charge of the project, observing to Soji that they see former Borg both as "property to be exploited (and) as a hazard to be warehoused." Even so, he clearly can't resist the chance to help other drones to reclaim their individuality. He is impressed by Soji's respect for the drones and grants her the interview, dubbing it "an experiment."


THOUGHTS:

The End Is the Beginning, as a title, seems to refer less to any specific events of this episode and more to its role within the season - specifically, as the end of the story's First Act and the beginning of Picard's mission. It seems to complete our introductions to major new characters, and ends with Picard having a ship, a crew, and a destination - all things he lacked at the start of the hour.  It's a largely transitional episode, and as such is critical to the season... but at the expense of being unmemorable on its own terms.

For the second episode in a row, we open on the attack on Utopia Planitia. The last episode depicted the start of the incident, and showed an AI apparently being hacked just before turning on the humans. This episode shows the reaction of Picard and Starfleet, giving us more details about his resignation. He had used it to try to force Starfleet into approving a backup plan for the Romulan evacuation; he had not expected his resignation to be accepted. Raffi believed the attack was the work of the Tal Shiar, but even Picard couldn't support that theory, finding it unthinkable that Romulan Intelligence would try to stop them from saving Romulan lives. Given the "conspiracy thriller" nature of the main story, I strongly suspect that Raffi will be proved right.

One thing this series has done well thus far is play on nostalgia while still telling its own story. The return of Jonathan Del Arco's Hugh is well-handled. His role works if you never saw I, Borg and Descent, because it makes absolute sense that a former Borg would be involved in the Reclamation Project. At the same time, old fans get a nice little bonus out of recognizing the character.

Then there's the final scene. As La Sirena departs, Rios holds to allow Picard to give the order. Picard lowers his arm, pointing out at the viewscreen, delivering a command he had thought lost to the past. A single word: "Engage." Raffi rolls her eyes, while Jurati grins like a fangirl - and I suspect most viewers, old or new, find themselves grinning right along with her.


OVERALL:

The End Is the Beginning moves us to the next phase of the story. We learn more about the characters and about past events. A couple promising new characters are introduced. By the end, we know what the next destination is and why. All of this is executed competently, and there are several good moments along the way.

Beyond that, however, reviewing this episode is like reviewing a single chapter in a novel. The episode has no individual identity; it's just a 42-minute Act change. It's indispensable within the season - but on its own terms, it's Picard's least interesting episode so far.


Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: Maps and Legends
Next Episode: Absolute Candor

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1-02. Maps and Legends.

Picard and Laris search Dahj's apartment for traces of her attackers.

Original Air Date: Jan. 30, 2020. Written by: Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman. Directed by: Hanelle M. Culpepper.


THE PLOT:

Dahj (Isa Briones) is dead, killed in front of Picard's eyes by Romulan agents. Killed while trying to save him, even though he was meant to protect her.

With few immediate leads to act on, Picard and Laris (Orla Brady) - his housekeeper, also a former member of Romulan intelligence - investigate Dahj's apartment. It's been wiped clean, but Laris finds a few traces of Dahj's sister. Not enough to locate her, but enough to show that she is not on Earth.

Soji (Isa Briones) is a scientist working at the Borg Reclamation Project, a Romulan-controlled facility operating out of an abandoned Borg Cube. Soji's focus is on the removal of implants from Borg drones. She takes her work seriously, regarding it as a duty to free them... but off-hours she is quite playful with her new lover, Narek (Harry Treadaway), a recent arrival who keeps himself shrouded in secrecy.

Meanwhile, Laris informs Picard of the existence of the Zhat Vash, the unofficial, supposedly mythical organization behind Romulan Intelligence organization. The "scrubbing" of Dahj's home leads Laris to believe the Zhat Vash is not only real, but active on Earth. And if Dahj has a sister, that means that the Romulans' work is far from over!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: His on-air denunciation of Starfleet comes back to bite him when he tries to request a ship from Admiral Clancy (Ann Magnuson). Clancy is dumbstruck at the "sheer f***ing hubris" of Picard to ask for favors after shaming Starfleet on interstellar television, and all but tells him to go rot in his decrepitude. Picard, not deterred, draws on other contacts to get into space. When it's pointed out that he will need a crew, he waves off the suggestion of his old shipmates. Data died to save him, and he's been haunted by that for twenty years; he won't put any of his old friends in a similar situation if he can help it.

Soji: The script takes care to make her instantly likeable. When she sees new arrival Naáshala (Chelsea Harris) worrying about working on the Borg Cube, she puts her at ease with reassuring comments and makes sure to keep close during the woman's first day. She also teases Narek for his secrecy in a way that's endearing without seeming mean. Basically, the episode makes sure to make us invested in her well-being so that we'll care when the plot catches up to her.

Narek: Is so obviously a spy that it would have been more surprising if he hadn't turned out to be one. He's on the Cube to draw information from Soji, which he believes is best done with a gentle touch, and he's not above enjoying his work. He is displeased when he's advised that he needs to get results soon, however - and even more displeased when he's not-so-subtly threatened.

Laris: Thus far, I am absolutely loving Orla Brady's Laris. There are shades of DS9's Garak in the character: a former spy now engaged in a seemingly benign job. She isn't a female Garak clone, though. Garak was cold and calculating; Laris is warm and fiercely protective of Picard. Both fence with their Federation counterparts with humor, but Laris's banter is more friendly, even flirtatious. Though she proclaims Picard's plans to return to space are madness, you can see that she enjoys investigating Dahj's apartment and uncovering secrets, as if she's coming a little more to life herself in doing so.

Pompous Earth Bureaucrat of the Week: Admiral Clancy, presented as the soulless face of a Starfleet that has lost its way. She not only refuses Picard's request, but seems to take pleasure in belittling him. Her attitude aligns with that of the previous episode's interviewer: that the Romulans were their enemies and should have ben left to die.  When Picard protests, she directly states that the Federation "absolutely" gets to decide if other species live or die. She tells him that Starfleet "is no longer (his) house... go home," brushing aside his warnings of a larger plot as the ravings of an old man who is "desperate to matter."


THOUGHTS:

"Before the Tal Shiar, there was the Zhat Vash... a term sometimes used to refer to the dead, the only reliable keepers of secrets... That's the sole purpose of the Zhat Vash: To keep a secret so profound and terrible just learning it can break a person's mind.
-Laris fills Picard (and audience) in on the apparent villains of the season.

Maps and Legends opens with a flashback. Remembrance told us about the synthetic uprising on Mars that so changed both Starfleet and Picard. This episode shows it, and does so from the point of view of one of the synthetics that went rogue. We follow F8 (Alex Diehl) through the start of a work shift. He is mocked by the humans he interacts with, but shows no reaction... until one of his eyes changes slightly, at which point he begins reprogramming planetary defenses (and as you may recall from Brothers, androids reprogram computers very quickly). He kills the humans who are present, turns the defenses to fire on the planet itself, and ends by shooting himself.  It's an effective opening hook, one that brings to life events previously just told to us, and that strongly hints that the uprising was not an AI rebellion so much as the result of outside sabotage.

Maps and Legends advances the overall story considerably, giving us more information about the group that attacked Dahj and now watches Soji, while also bringing Picard closer to the main action. It's a considerably better-paced episode than Remembrance, and it handles its exposition more dynamically.  Laris's infodump about the Zhat Vash is intercut with her and Picard investigating, for example, so that the information is imparted even as we see Picard working for it.

This episode builds both the characters of Picard and Soji, the two central figures whose paths are beginning to intersect. Picard is an old man, seen by many as a relic and even referred to at one point as "The Hermit of La Barre." Soji is a vital young woman, doing what she sees as important work and freely and happily interacting with others. They are two very different individuals at very different points in their lives, and in the normal course of events they would never meet unless she was attending one of his lectures.

But they are both bound up in the same conspiracy: Soji as its apparent target, Picard because of the connection to his past. To Picard, failing to save Dahj was like failing to save Data all over again - all the more so because Dahj, like Data, died protecting him. Thus far, the conspirators aren't taking him seriously; like the interviewer, and like Admiral Clancy, they see him as a feeble old man who has spent the past decade "mothballed on that vineyard of his." Still, his doctor (David Paymer) confirms that he has no diminished capacity. He has health issues, including one very serious one - but his cognitive ability is "at or above Starfleet minimums," and his doctor states that "for a relic, (he's) in excellent shape."


OVERALL:

Right now, the threads of the plot are still being woven, and characters are still being established. That said, Maps and Legends is a good second episode, building on the foundations set by the premiere while improving on its execution. 

Hopefully, the payoff will match the setup. Regardless, this is a good episode on its own terms, one that leaves me actively wanting to move forward to the next installment.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Remembrance
Next Episode: The End Is the Beginning

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1-01. Remembrance.

A mysterious young woman turns to Picard for help.

Original Air Date: Jan. 23, 2020. Written by: Akiva Goldsman, James Duff. Directed by: Hanelle M. Culpepper.


THE PLOT:

It's been more than a decade since a group of rogue androids destroyed the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, igniting the atmosphere of Mars and leaving more than 90,000 dead. In the wake of the incident, synthetic life forms were banned throughout the Federation.

Jean-Luc Picard strongly disagreed with that choice and resigned his commission in protest. Now he lives on his family vineyard, filling his time lecturing and publishing books on history. He has no further involvement with Starfleet or with galactic politics.

Dahj (Isa Briones) is a young scientist who is celebrating with her boyfriend after being accepted at the Daystrom Institute, a celebration that is cut short when they are attacked by mysterious hooded figures. Her boyfriend is killed - but when the attackers grab her, she strikes back, dispatching them in a series of rapid movements that should be impossible. A compulsion she cannot explain leads her to seek safety from a man she's never met: Picard.

Picard grants the young woman shelter and a sympathetic ear. It isn't long before the hooded figures prepare another assault, however, leaving him to decide whether he will continue to shut himself away, or whether he will take action.


CHARACTERS:

Picard: The episode opens with him dreaming of being on the Enterprise with Data, an initially pleasant dream that transforms into a nightmare. Still, he tells his Romulan housekeeper (Orla Brady) that he doesn't mind the dreams - What he resents is waking up from them. "Waking up" could almost be the theme of this episode, as Picard seems to slowly stir back to life as the story goes on. After Dahj finds him, he recognizes that he hasn't been living, but rather "waiting to die," hiding away from a universe that he believes has moved in the wrong direction.

Data: Appears courtesy of two dream sequences, the first seeing him playing poker with Picard on the Enterprise and the second showing him working on a half-finished painting. He seems to represent Picard's own emotional state. The shipboard scene ends with Picard drawing out the end of the poker hand, complaining that he doesn't want the game to end... and then he sees Mars out the window, the attack that separated his former life from his present one. The painting dream, which occurs after Picard has met Dahj, ends with Data handing Picard his brush, asking him to finish the work - a sign that Picard's mind is already pushing him to action, and is already making some important connections.

Dahj: Isa Briones makes a positive first impression as the young woman at the center of events. Her first scene establishes a life that's going exactly as it should be, just before it gets turned completely inside out. She is confused and frightened by what is happening to her, but also intelligent enough to pick up on inconsistencies when she tries to contact someone for help and they know just a little too much. She is slightly in awe of Picard, calling him "the great man" - but after meeting this kind but frail old man, she worries that she's putting him in danger.

Dr. Jurati: Actress Alison Pill's second-name billing indicates that she'll be a regular. Without that billing, I would have assumed that she was just a guest character. A researcher in synthetic life, her role in this episode is largely to provide exposition... Well, that and a continuity nod to Star Trek: Nemesis, when she opens a drawer to reveal the disassembled B-4. She does get one wonderfully human moment, however: When Picard asks if someone could have created a sentient synthetic life-form, she laughs - then, when she realizes that he's serious, complains that she wishes he had come in on her day off.


THOUGHTS:

"Sitting here, all these years, nursing my offended dignity, writing books of history people prefer to forget. I never asked anything of myself at all... I haven't been living. I've been waiting to die."

Remembrance is an atypical Star Trek premiere. Save for the opening dream sequence, it is entirely earthbound. Picard is not an active member of Starfleet, but a retired old man who spends his days wishing he was still in a past that he found far preferable to his present. He engages in no particular heroics. The closest to a "heroic confrontation" that he receives is when he snaps at an aggressive reporter (Merrin Dungey) who has turned a supposedly friendly interview into an ambush. He's involved in a single action scene - one in which he's less than useless, finding himself out of breath after running just a few steps. And his beverage of choice has become "Tea, Earl Grey, decaf."

He retains his sharp mind, however. After he meets Dahj, it doesn't take long for him to start drawing connections. He berates himself for hiding away in isolation - but in truth, he's actively investigating the day after Dahj comes to him, and it takes him very little time to start drawing conclusions about her. Patrick Stewart is splendid throughout, carrying this exposition-heavy introduction with the natural authority he's always had, now infused with a bitter melancholy.

After reading many complaints about Picard being slow, I was surprised to find the opposite to be true of Remembrance. In the course of this episode, multiple threads are established, at least one mystery is answered, two quite good action sequences are delivered, and there's an effective ending visual flourish to provide a hook for the next episode. If anything, a few of these beats felt rushed, with some clunky exposition and rough transitions leaving me wishing it had been a 60 minute premiere instead of a 44 minute one.

On the other hand, nothing set up in this premiere is particularly original. There's not exactly much suspense as to whether Picard will help Dahj: (a) It's Picard; (b) There wouldn't be much of a show if he didn't help. Her secret doesn't even qualify as a mystery, as I can't imagine many viewers didn't guess it almost immediately. I am curious to find out more about the android uprising, and the connection of the hooded figures (whose race at least is revealed - but again, that reveal is anything but a surprise). Even these threads feel likely to be well-worn ground, however, with distinct echoes of Blade Runner and the newer Battlestar Galactica sitting alongside the obvious 9/11 parallel.

Still, Remembrance is a promising start. The story may not feel particularly original, at least not so far, but it is intriguing enough to hold my interest. The episode boasts strong production values, with a cinematic look that's deliberately accentuated by its widescreen presentation. I also like Jeff Russo's score, which mixes traditional Trek beats with more atmospheric tones to good effect.

Most of all, it feels good to catch up with Picard. He's older and it shows, his face heavy with lines and his voice crackling with age... all of which lends a depth to his declarations. When he berates the interviewer for being "a stranger to history," his voice doesn't echo with the Shakespearian timbres of the TNG Picard speeches - but I think the denunciation is all the more effective for the weary rasp in which it's delivered.


OVERALL:

Remembrance is perhaps overburdened with exposition, and I suspect an extra 10 - 15 minutes might have done wonders for its pacing.  Still, the good outweighs the bad so far. Though there were no real surprises in this episode, I am interested to see wher the story goes. Most importantly, I'm enjoying seeing Picard twenty years later, and am eager to follow his journey.

Oh, and that closing visual? I don't think the episode could have asked for a better final image...


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Next Episode: Maps and Legends

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