The idea that we as-the-audience have to be familiar with the villain is silly. We don't have to have seen the previous relationship to grok it. So long as the story is well written and the conflict is interesting we can meet the villain when the hero does and still be right there with him/her. The problem is that the idea of the Picard clone as an antagonist is silly and illogical. As to the themes, hell, fenetically identical twins don't end up the same even when raised in the same homes, let alone being raised in utterly different alien environments. It was a dumb idea wrapped up in car chase and shuttle chases and 'splosions.