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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3-10. The Last Generation.

Picard and the Enterprise save the Earth one last time.

Original Air Date: Apr. 20, 2023. Written by: Terry Matalas. Directed by: Terry Matalas.


THE PLOT:

The Borg have taken control of Starfleet!

With Jack in the Borg Queen (Alice Krige)'s clutches and acting as a transmitter, the Borg have remotely assimilated every Starfleet officer under age 25, granting them total control over all the starships assembled for Frontier Day. Earth's Spacedock is managing to hold off the assault, but Riker grimly observes that their defenses won't last long.

Seven and Raffi retake the Titan, using the ship's cloaking device to evade the Borg signal. Seven launches a series of sudden, short attacks on the assimilated starships to buy additional time. Meanwhile, Picard and his team take the reconstructed Enterprise D to the Borg Cube to confront the Queen directly. For Picard, it's a last chance to face his greatest enemy - and to rescue his son.


CHARACTERS:

Picard: It's clear that he doesn't expect to come back. The first half of the episode sees him making a series of farewells - to his old crew, to Riker specifically, and to Beverly. He not only forgives Beverly for keeping Jack's existence a secret, he acknowledges her choice in prioritizing the protection of their son: "You thought of Jack from the beginning, shielding him from danger. You did everything right." He faces his greatest fear - reassimilation by the Borg - in order to connect with his son. But first he directly gives Riker command of the mission: "I can no longer be your captain. I now have to be a father."

Riker: He is instantly nervous when they beam to the Borg Cube and discover no drones waiting for them. He observes that in all his years, he never had a "too quiet" moment that turned out well. As a father himself, he understands Picard's priorities completely. When the Enterprise tells him that time is growing short and that the ship will have to take action, Riker refuses to beam out without Picard, even knowing that this decision might mean his death.

Worf: "There was a moment today where I was worried we might actually survive." Worf has been awesome all season, and that carries through to the finale. He doesn't hesitate to join Picard and Riker in beaming to the Cube, even though he seems fatalistically resigned to their likely fate. He also acknowledges his friendship with Raffi with a particularly well-judged gift.

Data: Admits that he is having some trouble adjusting to having full emotions. Not, thankfully, in the manner of Star Trek: Generations' annoying "emotion chip" subplot, but rather in the way ordinary people sometimes struggle with strong emotions: an image that evokes nostalgia, such as a crew member petting a cat, or a strong feeling of hatred for the Borg over the misery they cause. This is generally well written, getting just enough attention to convince as part of Data's journey without being allowed to distract from the main plot.

Seven of Nine: The script wisely focuses on the TNG crew, splitting Seven and Raffi off in their own subplot on the Titan. Seven improvises like mad to disrupt the Borg plan as much as she can with the limited resources available. She is left with a very small crew that includes a nervous cook with some past piloting experience. She deals well with this, encouraging the man without coddling him. The implications of a modification she and Raffi make to their phasers is something that I'd love to see future Trek projects address, by the way.

Jack Crusher: It's made clear why his capture was so essential to the villains, as the Borg need him to transmit their assimilation signal. This does mostly make him more a plot device than a character in this episode: the mechanism of the Borg plan and the object of Picard's attempted rescue. Still, he gets a decent character moment within the Collective, where he finds the sense of belonging that's always eluded him - which is what Picard has to argue and urge against when he connects with him near the end.

Others: This season has a large ensemble, and it's inevitable that some characters will be moved to the background. To writer Terry Matalas's credit, every regular gets at least one moment. Geordi is left in command of the Enterprise, and he trusts Data with a near-impossible task. Dr. Crusher shows remarkable competence at tactical, surprising the others; as she explains, she hasn't exactly been idle over the last twenty years, which have involved a lot of running from various adversaries. Deanna's strong connection to Riker plays a critical role at the end. Meanwhile, on the Titan, Raffi provides unwavering support to Seven - though her best character scene comes opposite Worf. None of them are the focus of the episode, but they all get a moment or two to shine.


THOUGHTS:

Season Three of Picard has revolved, in large part, around themes of family and connection. The Last Generation does an excellent job of folding these into both the story and its resolution. Picard and Jack have awkwardly attempted to connect as father and son all season. By contrast, Jack's assimilation by the Borg sees him feeling an instant and effortless connection, one that Picard attempts to persuade him is illusory.

The Borg Queen describes the Cube as Picard's "true family." Picard reaches Jack through sacrifice: surrendering his command to "be a father" and facing his greatest fear in order to reach him. Deanna's link to Riker (her family) plays a major role in the climax. Even the epilogue carries the theme through, from Raffi's reconciliation with her son to the final scene of the old TNG crew sitting down for a hand of poker as the credits roll.

While I find myself somewhat missing the standalone storytelling of older Trek series, a well-paced season arc offers a big advantage: If previous episodes have done their jobs properly, the finale can hit the ground running. Previous episodes of this season established the overall relationships, as well as the situation and the stakes. That leaves this episode free to zip right into the action. The threads are quickly established: Seven on the Titan, trying to delay the Borg attack; Picard, Riker, and Worf on the Borg Cube; and the Enterprise crew. The episode moves quickly, with plenty of action and incident, but it never feels rushed or overstuffed. As a result, in addition to thematic unity, The Last Generation benefits from being extremely enjoyable to watch.

Complaints are relatively minor. The Seven/Raffi strand feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the episode; it would not be difficult to rewrite this script to remove them entirely. The worry I expressed in the previous review, that the Borg would render the previous changeling threat into an afterthought, ends up being fully realized. Exposition tells us that the changelings were important to the Borg plan. Still, after previous episodes made the changeling infiltration all encompassing, leaving Picard and his crew with nowhere to turn for help, in this episode the changelings are suddenly unmentioned and irrelevant. I could charitably posit that, after the failure of the plan, the infiltrators decided to pull out and wait for another opportunity... but it does feel as if the changelings went from practically omnipotent in previous episodes to borderline irrelevant at the end.


OVERALL:

Despite my gripe about the treatment of the changelings, this was an overall excellent finale. It uses themes established throughout the season in a way that connects both to the overall threat and to the characters. It finds important things for every character to do. It also moves fast and is highly enjoayble to watch.

I'll put more thoughts together about the season as a whole for my season overview. Ultimately, though, Picard's best season ends on a strong note. It's not quite the season's best episode - but it's a good episode, and a worthy finale.


Overall Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Võx

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3-09. Võx.

An old enemy lies behind the mysterious red door in Jack's subconscious...

Original Air Date: Apr. 13, 2023. Written by: Sean Tretta, Kiley Rossetter. Directed by: Terry Matalas.


THE PLOT:

With the Frontier Day celebration about to begin, and still with little idea what the changelings are planning or why they are pursuing Jack, Deanna uses her abilities to try to guide the young man into opening the red door that lies in his subconscious. She is able to prod Jack into opening the door - and is shocked to discover the Borg waiting on the other side!

When the Borg assimilated Picard and turned him into Locutus, they also rewrote his DNA. This is the source of Jack's abilities. He is a Borg "transmitter," able to seize control of assimilated or partially assimilated Borg. Jack responds to the news by fleeing, stealing a shuttle and taking off for an unknown area of space.

Picard does not have the luxury of following. If Jack's abilities were Borg, then how was he able to take control of members of the Titan crew? The answer lies in the theft of Picard's original remains from Daystrom - and in the transporters the changelings have been using throughout Starfleet.

Picard and his crew rush back toward Earth. It may already be too late to stop a disaster, however. Thanks to the changeling infiltrators, the Borg assimilation of Starfleet has already begun - without anyone even noticing it...


CHARACTERS:

Picard: "It's my responsibility. I'm the cause. It's my fault." Picard already felt guilt at Jack inheriting his Irumodic Syndrome, which is only worsened when he discovers that what Jack inherited was actually a link to the Borg Collective. The scars of his own assimilation affect his attempt to talk to Jack. His usual compassion is blunted by his memories of being forced to do the Borg's bidding. He prioritizes the need for precautions over clear explanations, which only pushes Jack to flee that much faster than he otherwise might have.

Deanna: The instant she sees the Borg in Jack's mind, she leaves, locking him in sickbay as she runs to tell the others what she's found. This is the right thing to do; for all she knows, telling Jack might activate some dormant program. However, it also makes a lie out of her promise that whatever's behind that red door, he won't be left to face it alone - adding an extra dollop of betrayal onto the young man's fear.

Jack Crusher: It's hardly surprising Jack is thrown into turmoil. Within a short time frame, he's had his existence turned upside down: he's been hunted, he's been told that he has Irumodic Syndrome, he's discovered that he has impossible abilities, he's had Vadic dangle the prospect of answers in front of him, and now he learns that he's a product of the Borg's assimilation of his father. There's basically been no rest for him to come to terms with anything. The action that he settles on is rash and ill-advised... but given his week, I'd have been surprised if he had been in a fit state to stop, think, and listen at this point.

Capt. Shaw: After realizing the Borg connection, Picard orders the ship to Earth. This prompts Shaw, in his role as the Designated Realist, to point out that everyone who is hunting them will be there. But when Picard tells him that this is their only option, he no longer argues. Instead, he lets out a resigned sigh - "Of course it is." - and gives the order. Over the course of the season, he's gone from an adversary to a proper member of Picard's crew, albeit one who doesn't hesitate to point out uncomfortable realities. He also is once again paired with Seven, finally showing her the respect of calling her the name she identifies with.


FAN SERVICE, IN THE BEST WAY:

One area in which I've generally been impressed by Star Trek: Picard is in its careful balance of fan service against being its own show. From the beginning, Picard has done a fine job of using nostalgia just enough to enhance without allowing it to overwhelm the story. There have certainly been occasions that I've found the stories themselves a bit lacking (Season Two), but the use of past elements has largely shown restraint and careful judgment.

I think that might be one reason why the final ten minutes of this episode works so well. For the first time, in the closing Act of its penultimate episode, Picard leans fully into fanservice. I watched Encounter at Farpoint back in 1987. I was one of the kids in the schoolyard dismissing TNG as "fake Star Trek" and "diet Star Trek," and I watched as it slowly transformed into a cultural touchstone in its own right. I have a hard time believing that too many fans of my generation weren't at least somewhat moved by this episode's closing minutes.

Yes, it's blatant fanservice. But as a fan, I felt well-served - and I think it lands just right because the series has been cautious in its reliance on fanservice elements up to this point. In short, by the time Picard finally goes full fanservice, it's earned the privilege.


OTHER MUSINGS:

"So how much of me is me?"
-Jack Crusher asks the season's key question. As of yet, it goes unanswered.

Questions of identity and inheritance have pervaded the season. Picard, Jack, and Beverly have all grappled with what traits Jack inherited. Picard keeps defaulting to seeing his worst traits in Jack: his stubbornness, his willfulness, more than a hint of his youthful arrogance. But Jack has also displayed courage, quick thinking, and even selflessness on multiple occasions - which is to say, some of Picard's best characteristics.

Throughout the season, the characters have talked about Jack almost as an extension of Picard, though. Riker marvels at the similarities he sees between them. Picard worries about the traits he's left the young man. Jack has worried about the same, from the Irumodic Syndrome to this episode's revelation of inherited Borg influence. At every turn, the characters seem to ignore what Geordi and Sidney acknowledged about each other back in The Bounty - that whatever was passed on, Jack, like Sidney, is also his own person.

Jack ends this episode by coming face to face with the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), who also sees him not as himself but rather as an extension of her will. I am hoping that the finale will actually come back to the thread of Jack's own identity, however, to answer the question quoted above: Beyond what he inherited from Picard, from Dr. Crusher, from the Borg, who is he? Given how much of the season has circled around that question, I'll feel a bit churlish if Jack as himself isn't important.

Beyond that, Võx is a solid episode. This is another installment that's mostly there to put the characters in place for the finale, so I suspect more detailed thoughts will wait until the finale. I will say that the nature of the Borg assimilation is rather clever. The mechanism is unique, but it also makes sense given the way the Borg have previously been shown to work.


OVERALL:

I have a few worries about the Borg revelation. Picard has spent the entire season building up the threat of a changeling infiltration. The bait and switch with the Borg has the potential to be interesting... but it also runs the risk of making the changelings, up until now the season's villains, into irrelevance.

I will hope that the finale manages to pull all the threads together.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Surrender
Next Episode: The Last Generation

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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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3-01. 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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2-01. The Star Gazer.

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

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


THE PLOT:

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

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

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

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


CHARACTERS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


THOUGHTS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


OVERALL:

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


Overall Rating: 8/10.

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

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1-10. Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2.

Picard, in command of La Sirena, prepares to confront a Romulan fleet!

Original Air Date: Mar. 26, 2020. Written by: Michael Chabon. Directed by: Akiva Goldsman.


THE PLOT:

The end is nigh.

Sutra's deception has succeeded: Soji, Soong, and the androids are all in agreement about sending the signal encoded in The Admonition. This will result in the summoning of advanced synthetics who will save the androids... at the expense of all organic life!

Narek has a plan. He sneaks into the Artifact to recover enough explosives to destroy the transmitter. Knowing he can't succeed in this effort alone, he appeals to Rios, Raffi, and Elnor for help - though Elnor seems as inclined to kill him as listen to him.

Meanwhile, Jurati breaks Picard out of confinement. Just as Oh (Tamlyn Tomita)'s Romulan fleet arrives, Picard tries a gamble of his own - a final bid to stop the Romulans and to prevent the synthetics from transmitting their deadly message!


CHARACTERS:

Picard: "I am trying to pilot a starship for the first time in a very long time, without exploding or crashing!" One thing the finale gets right is Picard himself. While Rios and most of the crew try to stop the signal, Picard launches into orbit in La Sirena with only Dr. Jurati to assist. This brings Picard full circle: Gone is the bitter old man from the winery, and in his place is the confident Starfleet captain. "The Picard Maneuver" is even utilized to catch the Romulans' attention to delay their attack - well, a significantly enhanced version of it. Patrick Stewart is marvelous, as always, and it's appropriate that the finale centers in large part around him making a plea relying on reason and morality - always Picard's greatest tools - rather than relying on threats and brute force.

Riker: As with Seven of Nine's first appearance at the end of Absolute Candor, I feel Jonathan Frakes's billing should have been reserved for the end credits to preserve the surprise. But since they slap "Special Guest Star: Jonathan Frakes" right on there, I'll observe that Riker gets a decent supporting role, in a way that effectively follows up on his scenes with Picard in Nepenthe, with Riker's ongoing support for and belief in his old C. O. coming through strongly.

Data: The season opened with Picard dreaming of Data, and it closes with a fully conscious Picard speaking to Data thanks to a computer simulation. Brent Spiner's age is visible despite the best efforts of the makeup crew (and likely some CGI enhancement), but the scene is a nice touch, the two men speaking thoughtfully about the value of mortality. Though I wasn't particularly upset with Data's original sendoff, this quiet conversation, followed by a moment in which Data listens to Blue Skies (the song he sang at Riker's wedding) is a far more appropriate final bow for the character.

Dr. Soong: Data's curtain call does not spell the end of Spiner's Star Trek involvement, not so long as the Soong dynasty continues to have every male member look exactly like him. Alton Soong is appalled when he learns that Sutra helped Narek not only to escape, but to kill one of her own sisters to push the androids into sending the signal. "Turns out you're no better than we are," he says, the disappointment heavy in his voice. I hesitate to call this a redemption; Soong was entirely willing to commit genocide until he found out that his "children" are just as capable of selfishness and deception as all other sentient beings. He may end up being not quite a villain... but I find myself ultimately agreeing with Picard's assessment, when he states, "I don't much care for him."

Soji: Her encounter with Narek in the previous episode really should have been better written, as its apparent that their conversation in conjunction with Sutra's deception has pushed her into activating the signal.  She's the target of Picard's plea, and she is also the ultimate target of Oh's planned attack, meaning that the entire resolution revolves around her choice. Since we're never in doubt as to what she'll do, the stakes revolve more around the character than the plot. Unfortunately, in this episode, Soji feels more like a plot device than a person, leaving all of our character investment purely with Picard, which blunts the effectiveness of an otherwise generally well-executed climax.

Dr. Jurati: It turns out that she was lying when she pretended to be on the side of Sutra and Soong. When Soong congratulates her on the "sacrifice" she is willing to make as the androids' "mother," Jurati smiles and nods... until he leaves, when she spits out, "I'm not their mother, asshole." The endearing geek-girl side of her, seen in her Episode Three grin when Picard said, "Make it so," pops up again as she breaks Picard out, all the while amazed that no one has detected "the worst secret agent ever." Alison Pill, who's been too often pushed to the sidelines, seems to revel in her meatier role this episode. Still, I can't help but wonder at how all of her actions from the mid-season seem to be completely forgiven (even forgotten) by the ending scenes.

Narek: Thankfully, the one-dimensional pod-Narek of the previous episode is gone. Once he sees the transmitter, Narek is smart enough to go to the La Sirena crew to urge a truce to try to stop what is coming. Just as refreshingly, both Rios and Raffi are entirely willing to listen to him. They're wary, but they listen, and manage to form a plan to get back into the compound.

Seven of Nine: Her role in the finale is... underwhelming. I expected that she would be working to get the Borg's defenses back online to help in stopping the Romulans. This does not happen. Instead, Seven participates in the climax by getting into a fight with Narissa (who returns, both inexplicably and unnecessarily, after having been seemingly dispatched at the end of Broken Pieces). This entire bit feels like something spun out of whole cloth just to give Seven something to do. Much better is her final conversation with Rios, which reminds us that Jeri Ryan is actually a very good actress, something I hope Season Two makes better use of.

Oh, and perhaps following in the tradition of Voyager (which apparently ended with her in an inexplicable relationship with Chakotay), a shot near the end implies a new romantic relationship... with a character opposite whom she has barely shared screentime! I'll reserve judgement on this until I see it play out - but I can't help but wonder why this development wasn't saved for Season Two, when there might have been time to lay groundwork for it.


THOUGHTS:

"Fear is a poor teacher."
-Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, retired.

The entire crisis of Et in Arcadia Ego, and of Picard's first season in general, is because of fear. The Zhat Vash's entire existence traces back to fear of synthetics. That led them to sabotage Picard's rescue mission - of Romulus, no less - which in turn led to Starfleet banning synthetics... an overreaction born out of fear. Actions taken by both Starfleet and the Romulans have led the synthetics to feel backed into a corner, ready to lash out from fear of their own annihilation, in an attitude of "it's us or them"... a reaction that, as Picard observes, will make them into the very destroyers the Romulans have prophesied.

Picard has no capacity to go toe-to-toe with the Romulans, let alone the unknown synthetics. He has one ship against hundreds. Oh's initial reaction to La Sirena is to ignore it. Picard instead uses his wits to draw the Romulans' attention, all to delay the bombardment long enough to get Soji to listen as he pleads with her to make a better choice.

Related to the theme of fear throughout the season, we have also witnessed characters justifying their actions by claiming they have "no choice." Dr. Jurati felt she had no choice but to murder Bruce Maddox. The Zhat Vash insist they have no choice but to do whatever is necessary to stop the synthetics. Rios's former commander was ordered to commit murder, given no choice if he didn't want his own ship to be destroyed.

When Soji claims that she has no choice but to send the signal, Picard rejects that excuse. He labels it "a failure of imagination," and tells her that the decision to become the destroyer or not is what it has always been: Soji's decision and responsibility, and no one else's... in the process implicating every cry of "no choice" that has been heard throughout the show.

All of this works thematically, the refrains of fear and people feeling they have no choice having built throughout the season. It also works in terms of the story. As an episode, Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 builds effectively. Act One establishes the transmitter and the stakes. We then follow two groups - Narek and the La Sirena crew, Picard and Jurati - as they undertake separate actions to try to stop it. The final Act pays off the conflicting issues of the season - not only with the Romulans arriving, but with Picard trying to stop them with an appeal to reason and morality based largely on his own hope and faith in others... showing his own restoration, as such hope and faith would have been far beyond the broken man we saw in Remembrance.

For 45 of its 57 minutes, Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 stands as a strong season finale. Not everything works (the Narissa/Seven catfight is as poor as it is superfluous) and there's a bit too striking a resemblance between the glimpse we get of the Doomsday Synthetics and Babylon 5's Shadows (not quite enough to be a copyright infringement, but enough to make me skeptical of coincidence). Still, it's engaging and effective, with the quiet conversations between Rios and Seven, Elnor and Raffi, and finally Picard and Data all serving as an effective button...

And then the ending happens.

If you haven't seen the episode, then stop here, because I don't know how to discuss the ending without spoiling it...

A final conversation between old friends.

A MISJUDGED EPILOGUE

"A butterfly that lives forever is really not a butterfly at all."
-Data inadvertently sums up some of the problems with the ending.

Another theme the episode develops is the value of mortality. In the wonderfully effective Data cameo, Data makes a plea to have the matrix sustaining his intelligence shut down, so that he can experience a life that ends.

This fits with Picard's own arc. He has spent the entire season knowing that his time is short, that this will be his final mission. When he launches into orbit to face the Romulan fleet, he knows it is a one-way trip. He states that he is doing this to offer his life to Soji and her people, in hopes that they will see that they have options other than destruction. When he starts to collapse, he has Jurati inject him with stimulants that aggravate his condition, all so that he can remain alert to make his last appeal. To make his death mean something.

...And then they undermine that entire message by turning Jean-Luc into a frickin' robot!

Yes, Picard's consciousness is transferred into the synthetic "golem" that has been set up for the past two episodes. Even this isn't used effectively. This should frankly horrify him: His worst nightmare is being made into something other than human, as happened with the Borg. Instead, he's assured that everything is fine - He's basically entirely as he would have been minus the terminal illness, nullifying any chance of wringing anything more out of this late development. To all purposes, Picard having his brain put into a new body is nothing more than the most convoluted cure for a disease in recorded history.

This feels like a cheat, because it is a cheat.

Far, far better had the episode ended with Picard's death, with his consciousness fading during that conversation with Data and a tag featuring the other characters' reactions. But then I guess we couldn't have a Season Two. And what's thematic unity compared to keeping the cash cow pumping?


OVERALL:

For all that the ending leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I still have to give Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 a good score. For the bulk of its running time - and the entirety of the actual plot - it's highly engaging. The character dynamics are good, and the season's themes are effectively dramatized.

It's a shame about that epilogue, and I'd almost advise hitting "STOP" at the end of the scene with Data. Much like the season itself, however, the flaws of the episode - while evident - aren't enough to keep me from considering it a worthwhile addition overall.


Overall Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1
Next Episode: The Star Gazer

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