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Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x04 - "Absolute Candor"

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Just finished! Wow! I am loving this series.

- Absolute Candor and the warrior nuns (no idea how to spell it) were so fascinating. I could watch whole episodes just about that.
- the refugee camp village looked so real and so lived in.
- I am loving the Jurati character. She better not turn out to be a bad guy.
- I loved the backstory with Picard and Elnor. I loved how they were together when Picard learned about the Mars attack.
- I'm concerned about what use a swordsman will be in a space battle, but I'm interested to see how he'll be used.
- I loved the detail and reaction that he committed because it was a lost cause.
- I am as disappointed as the Romulans and Elnor are at the way Picard never went back, never saw him, never helped when the going got rough. I completely understand why the Romulans had so much anger for him.
- Great entrance by Seven. I half expected her to say 'My name is Annika, Locutus' when Picard called her by her Borg name.
- Im lukewarm on the Soji/Borg ship subplot, but did enjoy the way Narek introduced the Borg 'ritual' and then planted a seed (not like that...) in Soji.
- the Rizzi/Romulan character seems excessively and over the top evil. It would probably help if I had some understanding of why they're doing what they do, but I also don't want any more of that storyline than were already getting.
- current sci-fi shows tend to use lens flares and camera work that makes it hard to "see" ships. I could describe the shape and details of the Ent-D in great detail after only a couple TNG episodes, but could only gave a vague description of Picard's ship. Where are the hero ship moments?!?

Overall, I loved it. I just wish the episodes could last longer. 45 mins goes by WAY too fast.
 
I like the show, but I've seen continental drift faster than this plot. It's like the anti-Discovery.

That's the idea.

It's a change from the high-octane Disco.


- I'm concerned about what use a swordsman will be in a space battle, but I'm interested to see how he'll be used.

I keep having images of Raiders of the Lost Ark:

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- Im lukewarm on the Soji/Borg ship subplot, but did enjoy the way Narek introduced the Borg 'ritual' and then planted a seed (not like that...) in Soji.

He just wanted to get close to her.
 
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They want to write this as if Picard has something to atone for, but it is not clear what he did wrong. They dont premise this on some colossal mistakes in judgement on his part. Instead, the Admirals and Starfleet lost what Starfleet means and should stand for, and only the honorable Picard stands tall for principles. We talked about this before the show aired. If this is about how noble and honorable he is, than that is boring for his character development.
Isn't the point of redemption to come to terms with one's actions and their consequences? Every episode has shown how Picard 's actions, or at least his inability to follow up on actions, have created pain. That pain may be explained away in terms of the limits place on him because of his resignation, but it caused personal pain in the least.
 
It's still not a bad show, but frankly nothing says entitlement more than spending the 1st half of your premier season presuming you have the leeway to do little more than introduce one main cast member per episode, namely our Romulan Samurai this week. If I have to wait for you to spend the majority of the season to assemble the cast, what else have you really accomplished beyond a butt-ton of exposition & backstory?

4 hours into 10 & we are still no closer to anything involving the plot, or even knowing what that plot might be. I mean I realize we have gotten away from episodic Trek many decades ago, but have we completely gone to the utter end of the other side of that spectrum? I can't possibly imagine somebody spending more time than this.

The real issue is that all the lead up material, trailers, teasers etc... that we got in the many months prior to the show, really misled us about that aspect. All the things I saw that led me to this show had Seven of Nine plastered all over it, Ryan, Spiner & Del Arco doing press everywhere & yet she's only showing up now. Who cares if her name was in the opening credits. I've been waiting for her to show her face for weeks. I was honestly more relieved than surprised

I have to hope that after spending the next hour with some of her getting to know you stuff, we might actually get underway with the story
 
I see what you mean.

This may get me excommunicated from Modern Trek Fandom, but sometimes, when I watch DSC and PIC I find myself missing the Berman era. It's like comfort food.

They all are avaliable through numerous means. I'm currently rewatching Voyager.

I guess I should say a little more about this episode than I did last night. I really enjoyed it, but I was a little confused with the whole Absolute Candor meaning? So the Romulans have broken into factions, and there is a Romulan Faction that seems more interested in the Vulcan way of life? Is that what Absolute Candor means? Could this be reference to Spock's reunification efforts? If so I actually love that we are getting this glimpse into the Romulan culture post Supernova. I don't even mind the changes considering a big catastrophic event like that would leave it's mark on that society.

I really liked the lightheartedness on the ship, and actually thought this episode took itself less seriously than the first three. I hate when shows are all serious all the time, and I'm really enjoying the chemistry of this crew, especially Alison Pill's character. She's probably a spy, but right now I don't really care. I think Pill is doing a great job with her.

I've called Elnor "Samurai guy" mainly because I didn't know his name, but also because he carried a sword. I think that reputation was cemented with him coming to Picard's aid, and the beheading actually didn't bother me. I mean maybe if you had green blood spurting out all over the place, that could be one thing, but it was a clean beheading. It showed me that yeah, you kinda want Elnor on your side.

The stuff with Narak and Soji is getting annoying now, to be honest. I'm just not that interested right now and the incest between Rizzo and Narak is kind of cringeworthy. Also, the "Borg Ritual" was my least favorite part of the episode.

The final scene more than made it for it though, and it was why I gave this episode an 8. For one, I love fancy space flying shots, and unlike Discovery, I could really be excited for what was happening. That was all kinds of fun, and it was topped with 7 of 9 coming onto Rios' ship. That was an excellent entrance, and I was so excited to see her. Also, her "You owe me a ship, Picard" was funny. This is not the same Seven that we saw on Voyager and I can't wait to delve deeper into it. Last night I also saw The Killing Game as part of my Voyager 25th anniversary rewatch, and the 7 that we saw on Picard was the 7 we saw who sung in the holodeck. I've been wanting that to be real ever since that episode aired, and 20+ years later, here we are.

Like I said, I gave this episode an 8. It's slightly under Remembrance, but it was my second favorite episode so far.
 
Every episode has shown how Picard 's actions, or at least his inability to follow up on actions, have created pain. That pain may be explained away in terms of the limits place on him because of his resignation, but it caused personal pain in the least.

Pain yes, but not anything in terms of his own redemption. He didnt cause the supernova, he didnt attack Mars, he didnt ban synths, and he didnt halt the Romulan rescue. So while he may feel pain about the consequences of OTHERS actions, they are not something he needs to atone for, since none of this is on him.

So yes, they try in each episode to make it seem like there is something redemptive that he needs to do, but squandered every chance to make it personally redemptive by making it everyone elses fault but his. Who cares about the errors in judgement or betrayal of principles by characters we never see, dont know and are not the focus of the show?

He is already a Moral Mary Sue who always does the right thing, always the champion of the good, and forever the exemplar of all that was upstanding and Just in Starfleet. His vicarious atonement for the sins and moral failings of others only furthers his ethical Mary Sue-ness.
 
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Picard is reminding me of.. well.. Captain America!
Basically both go.... I'm a good person, I see wrong.. and I'm going to do what I feel is right.. which is usally right.. and damn the torpedos.. full speed ahead!
 
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