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

[Cyrus]

Loved the episode. Great script by Chabon.

The Spanish weapons officer hologram was funny.

The original Romulan BoP was super cool.

Soji left earth on starship "Ellison". Nice tribute to the late great writer by Chabon.

I expect we see Seven in the last scene of next episode.

I called this one last week.

 

[Tarek71]

Yeah, we already had the Rizzo warning Narek to move this thing along or she will take matters into her own hands, and here she was doing it again. We had that warning already. It is time to move it forward. All of us are Rizzo at this point. Move it along, Narek.

 

[Vger23]

I'm liking this series. A lot.

Others are complaining about the pace (which I find ironic, given that the source material of TNG is deathly dull to me these days), but I find I am really enjoying that this show is taking its time to set things up and be more meditative in its approach. I like the Kelvin films and DSC a lot, but all Star Trek since 2009 has moved at that same break-neck speed (slice-neck speed maybe?). This is a much-welcome contrast. I love it, and I feel like I'm reading a long, well-crafted novel.

A few observations / comments about "Absolute Candor"

• I hope this whole thing about Soji being "The Destroyer" doesn't mean we have yet another "save the multiverse" or "all sentient life" plot developing.
• Seeing a TOS era Romulan BOP was pretty awesome
• I like how many of the episodes flash back to what happened 14 years prior and are giving us more details about those days.
• Picard has really pissed a lot of people off since Nemesis. He's been chewed out by former asociates in nearly every episode. I love it.
• This episode had some really good, witty dialogue. Very well-crafted.
• Fans have been clamoring for a long time for a deeper-dive into the Romulans. PIC is certainly delivering on that, and with considerable nuance.
• Like others have said, I find the stuff on the Borg Cube tedious. The scruffy Romulan bad guy is scuzzy. Not a fan.
• I like how they found a way to keep the Chateau setting active. I suppose some of this was for practical/cost measures, but it's such a beautiful setting that I welcome it.
• I don't think I'm going to tire of the Emergency Hologram gag. Brilliant.
• 7 of 9 is back. I'm interested to see how she will fit in.
• Man, what a gorgeous looking show.
• I love the heavy focus on character over plot. Again, it's a contrast that is working for me right now.

Anyway, this show has been extremely consistent so far. This was a very nice hour of Star Trek and kept me thoroughly entertained throughout. 8/10

 

[thribs]

That defence shield. Would 1-2-3-4-5-6 open it I wonder?

 

[Vger23]

The Bruins games were shown on UHF channel 38 which meant the portable black and white in my bedroom. The on/off knob was also a one hour timer if you turned it past its initial on point. I woke up in the middle of a lot of hockey games to some very colorful French euphemisms long before Star Trek fans heard Picard's.

I also watched the Bruins on TV38. Star Trek reruns on WLVI TV56

 

[Gov Kodos]

I also watched the Bruins on TV38. Star Trek reruns on WLVI TV56

WGBH for Doctor Who, good times.

 

[Kor]

This episode was a blast. It was nice to look into aspects of Romulan culture that we didn't know about before. And Rizzo is deliciously evil.

Also, I was surprised by the ending because I always skip past the opening credits!

Kor

 

[Alan Roi]

WGBH for Doctor Who, good times.

I don't miss the pledge drives where Doctor Who was interrupted by begging for pleas for fans of DW to help pay for all the other PBS programming.

 

[Borgminister]

I love me some slow burn when executed properly, and except for a hint of corniness in how Picard recruited Elnor (so tempted to say Elmo), this what looks to be the final "setup" episode was rich and enjoyable, although next week's looks like one to lose your head over! Looking forward to the next chapter in this case beats binging...

 

[PR109]

I think I like every character so far except Rios. He's just not believable as a "bad ass" captain.

 

[picardjean-luc]

Romulans have feared and hated Synths ever since they first received transmissions of Westworld from Earth...

In case anyone's asking.

And Ron Moore's 'Battlestar Galactica.' They're particularly freaked out about the Humanoid Cylons and started calling them 'The Destroyer'....

 

[picardjean-luc]

I think I like every character so far except Rios. He's just not believable as a "bad ass" captain.

More like a washed out and psychologically damaged captain who runs the ship using his multiple holograms...

 

[Uhura's Song]

But, a woman being openly sexual in Star Trek means you must be nothing short of a temptress if not thoroughly evil. Some things (in Star Trek) never change.

Nonesense. Early Uhura. Roxanna Troi. Dax.

I mean, you aren't going to get a lot of that on the bridge, I will concede that.

 

[Crewman6]

Um, no.

*noe

 

[Crewman6]

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.

This is why the show isn't clicking. There's nothing thematically or emotionally connected with Picard's frustration over the rescue operation and him venturing out into space to find Data's daughter.

 

[SolarisOne]

*noe

 

[Reyman]

That was an enjoyable episode, but it felt more like Star Wars than Star Trek.

 

[cooleddie74]

Or it means that they know each other because they were Borg. Probably both are true.

Good point! I had forgotten that Seven was part of the Collective during the time Picard was Locutus of Borg. They'd have all been aware of one another on one level or another even if Seven was on the other side of the galaxy.

 

[thribs]

I don’t think so. Annika would have just been a drone back when he was Locutus. She would know him from that, but not vice versa

 

[cooleddie74]

Hence my original point about her popularity after returning from the Delta Quadrant. It's the easiest answer. Most of Starfleet as well as the population of Earth probably got to see pictures and holofootage of Seven after Voyager got home.