2-05. Fly Me to the Moon.

Picard and Tallinn discover Q trying to manipulate an astronaut into quitting an upcoming mission.

Original Air Date: Mar. 31, 2022. Written by: Cindy Appel. Directed by: Jonathan Frakes.


THE PLOT:

The Watcher, who looks exactly like Picard's housekeeper/would-be lover Laris, is actually Tallinn (Orla Brady). She is wary of Picard and doesn't like time travelers in general. When Picard introduces himself by name, however, her attitude changes. She has been sent to protect the timeline as it relates to one specific person: Picard's ancestor, Renée (Penelope Mitchell).

Renée is an astronaut assigned to the upcoming Europa mission. Picard isn't sure what role she ends up playing, as records for the century before First Contact are fragmented. All he knows for sure is that Q is trying to manipulate her into dropping out of the mission, and that he's close to succeeding!

Q has also made contact with Dr. Adam Soong (Brent Spiner), a geneticist whose daughter (Isa Briones) suffers from a rare condition. Q offers a cure... at a price. Meanwhile, Jurati lets her guard down, giving the Borg Queen the very opening she's been waiting for...


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Despite the shock of Tallinn's resemblance to Laris, he quickly realizes that this is a different individual and focuses on winning her trust. He is outraged when he sees Q acting as Renée's therapist, and that spark of anger fans his determination to take action.

Dr. Jurati: I've been expecting her to make a mistake with the Borg Queen, but I anticipated a tiny lapse, a letting down of her guard at the worst possible moment. Instead, Jurati's brain falls out. She sleeps in Chateau Picard, leaving the ship unguarded and the Queen free to work her mischief. This is the exact type of bad writing that annoys the heck out of me, as Jurati is transformed into a complete imbecile so that Plot can happen.

Raffi: While rescuing Rios, Raffi briefly mistakes one of the detainees for Elnor. The young man does resemble Elnor, but she has a split-second full-on hallucination (which conveniently allows Evan Evagora to get paid this week). Guilt and stress has pushed Raffi to the edge of snapping, something that's not going unnoticed by Seven.

Tallinn: The Watcher, who has been sent to Earth to protect an aspect of the timeline - in her case, just one specific individual of importance. Picard connects this to Kirk's encounter with Gary Seven in the TOS episode Assignment: Earth. Orla Brady remains terrific, and she makes Tallinn a different character than Laris. Tallinn is nothing but brusque and businesslike until she starts talking about Renée - and then, as she speaks of her accomplishments, her voice warms and a smile appears, conveying maternal pride.

Renée Picard: At the end of the last episode, we saw Q try and fail to affect the mind of a young woman. Renée is that person, and she's apparently the figure at the heart of the season arc. She's decidedly life-sized, anxious about the mission and fearful that she isn't ready for the responsibility, and it's those anxieties that Q seems intent on preying upon.

Adam Soong: Brent Spiner returns as yet another member of the Soong dynasty. Adam has that Soong arrogance. Speaking before a board that's in the process of judging him, he's imprudent enough to demand that they think of him as a god, which goes over about as well as you'd expect. Still, he's more relatable than the various other Dr. Soongs the franchise has introduced. He's amusingly cranky and impatient, and he's motivated by his daughter's genetic illness. When Q dangles a cure for her condition, he resigns himself to doing whatever is asked, stating: "I am a hostage to you, sir."

Kore Soong: Soong's daughter, played by Isa Briones. While this is a lot of doppelgangers for one episode, I can just about handwave it: Soji was designed to be Data's daughter, after all, and it's not beyond reason that Data's design was based on the actual daughter of one of his creator's ancestors. In this episode, Kore is more plot device than anything else, existing as a motivator for her father. Still, the episode shows that father and daughter have a close relationship, with her teasing him over the very elements of his speech that guaranteed him a frosty reception.

Borg Queen: She has nothing but patience as she meticulously probes the security on the ship until she finds a gap. Then she takes pleasure in calling Jurati to her. Her interactions with Jurati remain those of a toxic lover, as she insists that the other woman will always be alone without her and that she is her only hope. The result... likely isn't what she expected, but she improvises quickly.

Q: His powers may be diminished, but that doesn't mean that he isn't dangerous. He retains a universe's worth of knowledge and a knack for manipulation, and he uses these against both Renée and Adam. It's still not clear what end he's working toward, but he clearly feels as much urgency in achieving his goal as Picard does about stopping him.


THOUGHTS:

We're all hostages to what we love. The only way to truly be free is to love nothing. How meaningless would that be?"
-Q seems to be talking about more than just his coercion of Adam Soong.

Right now, my big question is what Q is actually doing. This episode strongly indicates that he altered history by stopping Renée from joining the mission. But what if that's exactly wrong? What if her doubts about being ready are correct, and Q's original interference was getting her to go on the mission when she should have stayed? Picard admits that the records about her career are incomplete. Sure, she went into space - but what if that was a later mission and not this one? It was just a thought that sprang to mind while I was watching this episode.

Fly Me to the Moon sees the season arc starting to come into focus. Renée is officially introduced, with her upcoming mission made the focus for both Q and Picard. Adam and Kore Soong are introduced; exactly how Q plans to use them is not yet clear, but at least the building blocks are placed. Tallinn is introduced as a new ally (at least for now), and by episode's end the plot seems ready to start properly moving.

The most intriguing thread of the past few episodes has been the interactions of Jurati and the Borg Queen. In this episode, their scenes end up being the weakest element. Director Jonathan Frakes has some fun evoking horror movie vibes with the Queen, but the script gets there by having Jurati behave with implausible stupidity. Couldn't the same end have been reached without the script undermining the very intelligence the Queen finds so fascinating?

My issues with that thread aside, Fly Me to the Moon is a much better episode than Watcher. Transitions are smoother and, save for the rescue of Rios that ties up the dangling threads from Watcher, the rest ends up linking to Renée and her upcoming flight. Where Watcher felt choppy, this episode's parts feel like they're working together.

It certainly doesn't hurt that this episode brings Orla Brady back to the show. Even in a new role, she and Patrick Stewart retain strong screen chemistry, and their scenes together are enjoyable. This episode also sees Q's most substantial role so far this season, and John de Lancie is excellent as usual. I particularly enjoyed his scenes opposite Brent Spiner, whose Adam Soong promises to be an interesting character in his own right.

The episode ends by setting up a Mission: Impossible style infiltration of a high-security event, which promises some fun for the next episode. But lest things go too smoothly for our heroes, there is a last little wrinkle that takes us to the end credits.


OVERALL:

Jurati leaving the Borg Queen unguarded is enough for me deduct one point from the episode's score. That aside, I enjoyed Fly Me to the Moon. It's still an episode mostly concerned with setting up plot pieces, but it feels very much as if the season arc is kicking into gear. Most importantly, I found this episode a lot more entertaining than the previous installment.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Watcher
Next Episode: Two of One

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1-09. Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1

Sutra (Isa Briones) mind melds with Dr. Jurati to view The Admonition.

Original Air Date: Mar. 19, 2020. Written by: Michael Chabon, Ayelet Waldman. Directed by: Akiva Goldsman.


THE PLOT:

La Sirena's push through a transwarp conduit works: Picard and his team arrive at Soji's homeworld ahead of the Romulans... Well, most of them. Narek followed them through, and immediately attacks. Followed by Seven of Nine, in the commandeered Artifact.

The brewing space battle is interrupted by devices from the planet, which envelop all three vessels and bring them down to the surface. Narek is taken prisoner. Meanwhile, Seven works on repairing the Cube to defend against the oncoming Romulan fleet - which sensors show is made up of more than 200 warbirds!

Picard and Soji lead their team to Coppelius Station, which is populated by sentient androids, alongside their creator, Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner). Picard warns them of the imminent attack and offers to evacuate them to safety. But Sutra (Isa Briones), a sister unit to Dahj and Soji, sees another alternative - one that could make the Romulan Admonition into a horrifying reality!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: The terminal illness he's been hiding is discovered after he collapses during the descent to the planet. He deals with this simply and brusquely, telling his crew that they are not to treat him as a dying man. Both Elnor and Raffi become emotional at different points in the show; Picard deals gracefully with Elnor, pointing out that one person never seeing the other again is a possibility any time two people part while also telling the young man how proud he is of him. He is more awkward with Raffi, clearly uncomfortable when she insists on physically embracing him.

Soji/Sutra: Isa Briones gets a dual role, and she does well with both parts. So well that I wish the producers hadn't insisted on making Sutra more visibly artificial with golden skin - Briones' performance does everything necessary to separate Soji and Sutra.  Sutra holds herself with perfect posture, speaking slowly and formally and without direct emotion, all of which shows that she's at a greater remove from the humans and other organics than Soji is or Dahj was. Meanwhile, Soji is an emotional mess. She confronts the captive Narek just to tell him how much she despises him, and later fumes that she should have killed him when she had the chance.

Dr. Jurati: The greater the remove from her exposure to The Admonition, the more she seems like the eager and likable young woman from the early episodes. She regards the androids with genuine awe. The only fear she shows is when Sutra asks to use a Vulcan mind meld to view The Admonition, and it's clear that she's frightened not of Sutra, but of revisiting that horrible vision. She feels tremendous guilt for her actions, making her perhaps a little too susceptible when Sutra and Soong offer her a chance to "make up for it."

Capt. Rios: When Sutra moves toward Jurati to perform the mind meld, he instinctively gets in the way. He steps aside after Jurati tells him that she's willing, but he still he remains close and wary, poised to act if needed. Before he and Raffi return to the ship, he shares a moment with Jurati when he makes clear that he retains strong feelings for her. He also tells her that he doesn't fully trust the synthetics, though she's too starstruck at seeing her lifelong dream made reality to pay much heed.

Narek: Returns to a significant role after being relegated to a nonspeaking cameo in Nepenthe and after sitting out Broken Pieces entirely. Unfortunately, the complex, conflicted man from the first half of the season has been replaced by a one-dimensional baddie. His conversation with Soji should see him torn by the divide between the personal feelings that we saw were genuine and his sense of duty, between guilt and what he sees as necessity. Instead, he ends up screaming threats about how the Romulans will wipe everyone out. I hope the finale restores a little bit of his previous character depth, because this pod-Narek is just plain boring.

Seven of Nine: While connected to the Borg, her perceptions widened. She "saw" Picard use the transwarp conduit to reach this planet, then followed to lend aid. Yes, it's a bit of Borg-ex-machina, but that was hardly unheard-of on Voyager either. She and Elnor are firmly united in protecting the surviving ex-Borg, but she shows genuine respect and even deference to Picard in their scene together.

Dr. Soong: Brent Spiner returns, free of his Data makeup, as Altan Inigo Soong, son of Data's creator. He shows a hint of resentment about his father, indicating that the late Dr. Soong valued Data over his own child; still, he also seems to regard the androids as his children, and seems willing to protect them even at the cost of human lives. Spiner is good in the role, creating a character who may physically resemble Data ("if he'd gotten old and gone soft"), but who is very different than the android in temperament.


THE PICARD SLEDGE-HAMMER:

Though we've gotten a few Picard speeches during this season, notably when he tried to talk Seven out of seeking vengeance, this is the first episode that really brings out his full range of rhetorical moralizing.

First he tries to defuse Soji's anger after she confronts Narek. She muses about "the logic of sacrifice." Picard at least temporarily steers her away from that train of thought by pointing out that such logic "depends on if you're the person holding the knife." He's less successful with Sutra and Soong. He calls on the androids to remain peaceful and patient, promising that he will advocate on their behalf to Starfleet... a promise Soong punctures by pointing out that Starfleet didn't listen to Picard when the synthetic ban was put into effect, and that there's no reason to believe that they will listen to him now.


THOUGHTS:

Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 does exactly what it needs to do. Pieces are put in place for the finale, with the regulars all on the same planet. Stakes are raised: A Romulan fleet is soon to arrive. Complications are introduced that pay off elements from earlier in the season while furthering the crisis for the final episode.

There are also several fine character moments. Each regular gets at least one good scene: Elnor's brief but heartfelt talk with Picard; Raffi's emotional reaction to Picard's illness; an early exchange in which Soji indulges Raffi in her paranoia about "homicidal fungus"; and even Picard's nonverbal reaction to an ex-Borg calling him "Locutus." The script may be focused on putting the plot pieces into place, but it doesn't forget the characters.

With one exception: Narek. Earlier episodes showed him to be smart, patient, and a master at connecting to people. None of those traits are in evidence here. He is captured offscreen, apparently without effort. His scene with Soji is the worst-written in the episode, carrying none of the emotional dynamics that are called for. His interaction with Sutra is entirely one-sided, the once-calculating spy never even thinking to probe at her motivations.  Finally, the episode ends with his status having shifted too abruptly... and once again, with key moments occurring offscreen. It's as if the writers knew that they should do something with him, but didn't know exactly what, and this strand throws the final part of this episode off-balance.


OVERALL:

The last ten minutes feels oddly rushed, in no small part due to the perfunctory treatment of the Narek subplot, which blunts the effectiveness of this otherwise well-made installment. Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 mostly does its job of putting plot pieces in place for the finale while still grounding itself in character moments. But the abrupt ending leaves a mixed final impression.


Overall Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Broken Pieces
Next Episode: Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

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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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1-06. The Impossible Box.

Narek guides Soji through a forbidden ritual.

Original Air Date: Feb. 27, 2020. Written by: Nick Zayas. Directed by: Maja Vrvilo.


THE PLOT:

Bruce Maddox is dead... but not before telling Picard that Soji is on the Artifact, working for the Borg Reclamation Project. That means a new course: into Romulan territory, in violation of the treaty between the Romulans and the Federation. This doesn't worry Picard, who has a plan to sidestep that. But voluntarily going to a Borg Cube brings back the worst memories of his life.

On the cube, Soji is having nightmares. A few questions from Narek lead her to question her own past and memories. Narek offers a solution in the form of the Zhal Makh, a Romulan meditation ritual that is forbidden to outsiders. Soji feels just desperate and vulnerable enough to agree, not realizing that she could be walking into a trap.


CHARACTERS:

Picard: Even the prospect of returning to a Borg cube puts him on edge, and when he beams over, he all but collapses at the memories of being transformed into Locutus of Borg. He is impressed by the work the Reclamation Project is doing under Hugh's direction, amazed to see the Borg assimilation reversed on such a scale. When Hugh protests that the results are far from ideal, Picard dismisses that: "What you're doing is good, Hugh. There's no need for it to be perfect."

Soji: Narek's questions already have planted doubts, which may well be what prompted her nightmares in the first place. When Narek tells her that the logs of her calls to her mother all last a mere 70 seconds, she investigates on her own, scanning her old photos and childhood mementos. She is understandably shocked when every item reads as "37 months old." All of this leaves her vulnerable to Narek's suggestions, even though she still doesn't truly trust him.

Dr. Jurati: "I have a superpower: I can sense mistakes while I'm making them." Jurati has been left shaken by Maddox's death. She seeks comfort by initiating an affair with Capt. Rios, even though she pauses to label this a mistake before going forward with it. She continues to be refreshingly eager to avoid danger: She hates space travel, in part because space "wants to kill you," and she is openly relieved when Picard is the only one allowed to beam over to the cube.

Narek: The episode's title refers in part to Narek's prized possession: a puzzle box that his sister dismisses as a "toy." Narek clarifies that it's a tool that helps him focus, as solving the box requires patience. He compares the box to Soji: "The information is all in there... The key to opening (the box) is taking the time to understand what's keeping it closed." Despite his cold words, it's obvious that he's emotionally attached to Soji. When his trap for her finally snaps shut, his face is the very picture of anguish.

Elnor: The sheltered Romulan is fast becoming one of my favorite characters. Some comedy is wrung from his blunt assessments of both Picard and Jurati, with him worrying that he was "in-butting" after seeing their reactions. He is highly observant and is the first to notice that Jurati is feeling haunted. His pledge to Picard makes him resist staying on the ship, and Picard has to firmly order him to stay behind before he will agree.

Raffi: Her son's rejection sees her returning to her worst habits. She's drinking almost constantly, and she apparently picked up some of her favorite recreational drug while on Freecloud, leaving her in a bad state. Rios acts as a friend, making sure to be there for her without trying to push her or lecture her. To her credit, she pulls herself together long enough to prod a Starfleet contact into getting Picard authorized for a visit to the Artifact - but even this moment of usefulness comes at a price, as the old friend she calls tells her to never call again, leaving her shaken as she staggers off the bridge.

Hugh: He makes sure to greet Picard on beam-in, recognizing how traumatic this visit will be for the former Starfleet officer. Though he appreciates Picard's praise for his work, he isn't entirely happy with the way the Romulans are running the project. His team may be able to deprogram the Borg drones, but the Romulans won't allow the ex-Borg to leave, leading him to complain that they have exchanged slavery to the Borg for slavery to the Romulans. It's unspoken but obvious that he accepted the post to make sure no actual abuses take place. He is unsurprised when Picard asks about Soji, not least because he has observed Narek's interest in her and has already realized that she is in trouble.


THOUGHTS:

I have been waiting for this.

So far I've been enjoying Picard. Episode by episode, it's been consistently decent, consistently enjoyably, consistently fine. Just fine. I've found something to enjoy in every episode; but of the first five installments, only Map and Legends left me genuinely gripped.  The rest have left me generally entertained, but not much more than that.

The Impossible Box finally delivers. Part of the reason, I think, is that it runs 54 minutes - about ten minutes longer than most episodes - giving the story time to breathe. Though it's a major arc episode, Nick Zayas's script focuses heavily on the characters. Every one of the regulars receives at least one good scene, and the characters feel like complete, flawed, messy human beings.

There are a number of strong moments. The scene in which Raffi gains Picard's authorization is an old-fashioned bit designed to make you laugh and smile at the victory... until Raffi gets a verbal slap as an old friend tells her never to call again. I found the scene of Picard's traumatic arrival on the Borg to be over-the-top, but it's thankfully a brief moment; and the tone instantly corrects when Hugh arrives. This single misjudged scene is then followed by a quite good one, as Hugh takes time to show off the work that is being done to reclaim the ex-Borg. This allows Picard to recognize that his former tormenters are themselves victims, and the work Hugh is doing to try to save them seems to bring Picard a measure of peace.

The best scene is the major set piece, as Narek takes Soji through the Zhal Makh. This is staged as Soji taking a physical journey to match her emotional one. Her path is marked out by candles, with her slowly moving along this path as she mentally relives her nightmare. When her internal defenses kick in to try to make her stop, Narek is ready. He is soft and affectionate in his manner, but his every breath is spent urging her to search for the answers that he needs as much as she does, even though doing this causes him genuine emotional pain. In short, the scene is an encapsulation of their entire relationship.

It ends with an effective action sequence, with its final fade-out clearly a direct lead-in to the next episode. As we go to black in mid-confrontation, a final line is spoken, followed by the sounds of combat. Given the last time we heard that line, there's not much doubt about what happens next... but the execution is perfectly judged, as much for the gap between dialogue and sound effects as for the actual writing.

As the end credits started to roll, I had to restrain myself from moving onto the next episode - marking only the second time that an episode has left me with that reaction.


OVERALL:

The Impossible Box is easily the best episode of Picard up to this point. An extra ten minutes of running time gives it space to breathe. Every one of the regulars receives at least one good moment, and the script doesn't so much balance character and plot advancement as intertwine them, with the big story scenes also being big character scenes.

I'm not quite awarding full marks; I didn't care for the overdone moment when Picard arrived on the Cube, which led me to wonder how he was even able to function during other post-Best of Both Worlds encounters with the Borg. Still, this was an otherwise terrific episode, and I'm hoping it marks a turning point in a series that, while perfectly entertaining, has until this point mostly fallen short of its potential.


Overall Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Stardust City Rag
Next Episode: Nepenthe

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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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