Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x05 - "Stardust City Rag"
- Thread starter NCC-73515
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OMG, worst episode yet. This was atrocious. I was embarrassed for the actors.
Guess writing crappy Trek novels (which are basically just fan fic) doesn't actually qualify you for writing good TV. Who knew? (hint: everyone.)
So despite being a show which has a major story thread about the rehabilitation of former Borg, Seven's appearance is...utterly random and unrelated? And she just happens to show up at the exactly moment when she'd be the perfect ruse/bargaining chip for a group of utterly generic, cheesy, right-out-of-a-bad-80s-movie sci-fi baddies who captured Bruce Maddox for zero reason?
The entire episode takes place in an utterly uninspired, sub-par "Blade Runner" pastiche with some of the worst designs I've ever seen in a Trek movie (in terms of exteriors, alien design, sets, costumes, everything...)
I do have to apologize to all those on this board who insisted Jurati was some kind of spy. I didn't believe those theories, not because there wasn't evidence, but because it seemed like such an utterly obvious, totally hacky "twist." I promise to never overestimate the writers of this show again.
Even in "Picard" episodes that disappointed me (hint: all of them), I found a few things to like. A scene here and there. An intriguing idea, a character moment.
Other than the brief moment of post-Borg bonding with Picard and Seven, there was nothing of remote value in this episode. It was just...so, so bad.
Guess writing crappy Trek novels (which are basically just fan fic) doesn't actually qualify you for writing good TV. Who knew? (hint: everyone.)
So despite being a show which has a major story thread about the rehabilitation of former Borg, Seven's appearance is...utterly random and unrelated? And she just happens to show up at the exactly moment when she'd be the perfect ruse/bargaining chip for a group of utterly generic, cheesy, right-out-of-a-bad-80s-movie sci-fi baddies who captured Bruce Maddox for zero reason?
The entire episode takes place in an utterly uninspired, sub-par "Blade Runner" pastiche with some of the worst designs I've ever seen in a Trek movie (in terms of exteriors, alien design, sets, costumes, everything...)
I do have to apologize to all those on this board who insisted Jurati was some kind of spy. I didn't believe those theories, not because there wasn't evidence, but because it seemed like such an utterly obvious, totally hacky "twist." I promise to never overestimate the writers of this show again.
Even in "Picard" episodes that disappointed me (hint: all of them), I found a few things to like. A scene here and there. An intriguing idea, a character moment.
Other than the brief moment of post-Borg bonding with Picard and Seven, there was nothing of remote value in this episode. It was just...so, so bad.
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EMHs activate at the first sign of psychiatric stress on this ship. Rios must be a mess. 
And, seriously, FUCK this show for not bringing back Brian Brophy! Guy can't live off "Shawshank Redemption" residuals forever!
Even George Lazenby was briefly offered a second shot at Bond before Live and Let Die. That would suck if Brophy wasn't even informed about it beforehand and at least extended a possible offer.
You are making a very good point here. The only explanation is that Seven was purposely following Picard because she found out about him going to Freecloud.
What happens on Space Vegas, stays on Space Vegas!
Like all of the Picard episodes thus far, there are things I like and things I despise. I love a good romp and those are the parts of the episode I like. I always enjoy when our characters are out of their element.
There was something very Blake’s 7 about this episode. Something I appreciate having just finally finished watching that classic British series.
Jeri Ryan delivers a strong performance with a wide range of emotions. This is her show. The subtext of her relationship with Bjayzl is masterfully handled in both the dialogue and the performances. Honestly, it was the most subtle thing the show has ever done so far. Cause subtly and subtext aren’t one of PIC’s strong suits (see all the mustache twirling villains).
(As an aside, I’m glad they recast Icheb because the actor who originally played him is a complete tool.)
I’m glad we're getting more on Raffi. She has a Bones/Pulaski quality I like. However, I have mixed feelings on her being an absentee mom. As a recovering addict, I’ve known other addicts who are estranged from their kids. Our vices can take their toll on those we love and who love us. No doubt.
On the other hand, I’m not sanguine about the optics of a Black mother abandoning her son. It borders on stereotype and cliche. I’m still very leery that the show will handle the addiction storyline well.
Also, I saw Jurati killing Maddox a parsec away. As soon as the EMH first asked her what her psych emergency was… I got the feeling she was going to off him. But then again, I’ve had my suspicions about the doc since she shot the Tal’Shir agent.
One thing that bothers me with the episode is the lack of imagination on Freecloud. The location looks generic, like something out of every other sci-fi show, movie or video game. Also, it’s too dark to get a sense of place when we see the exterior shots. Like it’s on a planet on some artificial island in the middle of an ocean, I guess. Was hard to tell.
It’s called Freecloud! Why not do something where it’s a floating sky city or some kind of space habitat in a nebula cloud or something more visually interesting?
Exposition is handled clumsily in this series. We don’t get enough where we need it and we get too much of it that it slows the action down, like when Seven exposits on why she wants her revenge. Everything stops and everyone just stares.
The tension of the scene is completely evaporated. Seven is no longer holding the neck of Bjayzl. She’s standing there, expositing.
I do like Stewart having fun with the fake french accent. And Elnor is growing on me. I like his naïvety.
I love the costuming this episode, especially Bjayzl's outfits.
7/10 for me. I like that they had a romp. I like Ryan’s performance. Also more points for not showing the boring Borg ship stuff this week. The mystery within conspiracies woven in enigmas are the least interesting thing about the show.
Like all of the Picard episodes thus far, there are things I like and things I despise. I love a good romp and those are the parts of the episode I like. I always enjoy when our characters are out of their element.
There was something very Blake’s 7 about this episode. Something I appreciate having just finally finished watching that classic British series.
Jeri Ryan delivers a strong performance with a wide range of emotions. This is her show. The subtext of her relationship with Bjayzl is masterfully handled in both the dialogue and the performances. Honestly, it was the most subtle thing the show has ever done so far. Cause subtly and subtext aren’t one of PIC’s strong suits (see all the mustache twirling villains).
(As an aside, I’m glad they recast Icheb because the actor who originally played him is a complete tool.)
I’m glad we're getting more on Raffi. She has a Bones/Pulaski quality I like. However, I have mixed feelings on her being an absentee mom. As a recovering addict, I’ve known other addicts who are estranged from their kids. Our vices can take their toll on those we love and who love us. No doubt.
On the other hand, I’m not sanguine about the optics of a Black mother abandoning her son. It borders on stereotype and cliche. I’m still very leery that the show will handle the addiction storyline well.
Also, I saw Jurati killing Maddox a parsec away. As soon as the EMH first asked her what her psych emergency was… I got the feeling she was going to off him. But then again, I’ve had my suspicions about the doc since she shot the Tal’Shir agent.
One thing that bothers me with the episode is the lack of imagination on Freecloud. The location looks generic, like something out of every other sci-fi show, movie or video game. Also, it’s too dark to get a sense of place when we see the exterior shots. Like it’s on a planet on some artificial island in the middle of an ocean, I guess. Was hard to tell.
It’s called Freecloud! Why not do something where it’s a floating sky city or some kind of space habitat in a nebula cloud or something more visually interesting?
Exposition is handled clumsily in this series. We don’t get enough where we need it and we get too much of it that it slows the action down, like when Seven exposits on why she wants her revenge. Everything stops and everyone just stares.
The tension of the scene is completely evaporated. Seven is no longer holding the neck of Bjayzl. She’s standing there, expositing.
I do like Stewart having fun with the fake french accent. And Elnor is growing on me. I like his naïvety.
I love the costuming this episode, especially Bjayzl's outfits.
7/10 for me. I like that they had a romp. I like Ryan’s performance. Also more points for not showing the boring Borg ship stuff this week. The mystery within conspiracies woven in enigmas are the least interesting thing about the show.
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If he ever reactivates again, with his memory intact. If she tries to cover up her tracks, then taking out the computer and the EMH is a must. You can't just kill someone on a starship of five people (and an indeterminate number of holograms) without someone catching on.
I'm assuming the plot is going to be picking up very quickly if she isn't immediately caught six seconds into next week's episode.
They had a deal with the Tal Shiar.
Hmm...lead actor in a Bond film vs. guy who appeared in one episode of a Trek show 30ish years ago...one of these is a citrus fruit and the other isn't.
But there's no suggestion or implication of that whatsoever. She was just doing her "Ranger" thing (another bit of nonsense I won't delve into.)
Honestly, this show feels like it was written by an eight-year-old who just jammed a bunch of unrelated Trek concepts together with almost no thought.
"Um, Romulans! But also, BORG! And, uh, Data and androids, too! Oh, and then Seven of Nine shows up and has two blasters and blows everyone away! COOOOOL!"
It fell flat because Seven, with her keen intelligence and Borg-style logic, would never have gotten close to Bjayzl and saw through her lies miles away. She wouldn't remotely tell her about Icheb. I had the same complaints about Spock suddenly trusting everything to Pardek.
That graphic also shows us the first visible stardates of the new series and of the TNG Era since NEM. If one of those stardates is his birthdate then he was born in 2375.
They didn't "have a deal", they made a deal. And their reasons were just "Eh, let's sell him for money." There was no organic story reason that connected to anything else. It was just tossed off and random and utterly uninspired.
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I'm just saying someone the producers HATED was at least offered the role again after bad blood had developed. Brophy was never reported to be at odds with anyone at the franchise.
Raffi's son was born on Mars
Stardate places his birth in 2374, making him about 25. And he has a "Federation Security Number"
I like his face and his voice. His voice is distinctive, villainous. For all the avalanche of Easter eggs, I would've liked to have seen Brophy do his thing again.
No one who worked on "Measure of a Man" is remotely connected to "picard" anyway, so bad blood is moot (unless it was Patrick Stewart.)
So, again, fuck this.
There might be something we don't know about. Trek producers know how picky fans are about continuity.
It might not be Trek related. Maybe Brophy had a run-in with someone elsewhere who now is involved in Picard?
But it's speculation of course.