Spoilers Episode 7 "Nepenthe"

[Hythlodeus]

You make a good point. I've definitely seen these youtube channels that are constantly raging against a perceived SJW agenda in every movie or franchise. It's ridiculous.

yep, and it's the same nonsense everywhere. Star Trek: terrible SJW propaganda, Doctor Who: terrible SJW propaganda, Star Wars: terrible SJW propaganda, Marvel comics: terrible SJW propaganda, Citizen Kane: terrible SJW propaganda, Triumph of the Will: terrible SJW propaganda...

 

[Campe]

yep, and it's the same nonsense everywhere. Star Trek: terrible SJW propaganda, Doctor Who: terrible SJW propaganda, Star Wars: terrible SJW propaganda, Marvel comics: terrible SJW propaganda, Citizen Kane: terrible SJW propaganda, Triumph of the Will: terrible SJW propaganda...

It gets old.

 

[DaveyNY]

If someone doesn't Photoshop a Riker's Brand Brick Oven Pizza I'm going to be very disappointed in this forum.

RIker's Pizza ... What's a Burned Tomato or Two.

 

[IconianGetaway]

I find it hard to respect the opinions of users of this website. How this episode, in fact all episodes of this series get mostly 8, 9 and 10 ratings. What makes this episode an 8+ out of 10? (10 out of 10 means an episode is perfect with no flaws, the best television can get). Do those who score this 10/10 think this episode is amongst the best tv they have ever seen?. Put aside that STP is boring, badly paced, character assassinating, canon breaking dross; this episode was especially uninteresting and schmaltzy. You can see a mile off that they are going to get 7 of 9 (possibly Picard) to reactivate the Borgs on the cube and assimilate the resident romulans...yawn.

I am sure many of us that appreciate Picard care tons about your opinion.

 

[ITDUDE]

Someone didn't watch

Spoiler: Recent non-Trek spoiler

Arrow.

Nope, didn't get past pilot. Not anything that interests me.

 

[Discofan]

Well, to be fair, we really don't know how much damage had been done to Icheb before the removal of his eye implant.
That lady could have already been hacking at his body for some time searching for his nonexistent cortical node.
There were indications of that with his uniform having large holes cut in it.

Well, he was still fully aware, not on life support. I can't believe his injuries were beyond 24th-century surgery (any missing organ could have been replaced by an artificial one), she could have transported him to her ship and put him in stasis where he could remain indefinitely if necessary. To me, the idea that the only option was a mercy killing is just a lot of baloney!!

 

[MvRojo]

What I DID NOT like was another example of the weaponization / trivialization of the Vulcan mind meld. You'll know exactly whereof I speak when you see the scene. Remember the slow, emotion-laden, angsty times Spock and Sarek would reluctantly agree to a meld in TOS and the TOS movies? Long gone are those days. Now it should be relabeled 'Vulcan mental rape.'

When Spock forced a mindmeld with Valeris in Star Trek VI, she was literally screaming out trying to resist and Spock didn't stop until he got the information he wanted. He felt pained while doing it towards the end, but he definitely didn't seem reluctant to do it.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I find it hard to respect the opinions of users of this website. How this episode, in fact all episodes of this series get mostly 8, 9 and 10 ratings. What makes this episode an 8+ out of 10? (10 out of 10 means an episode is perfect with no flaws, the best television can get). Do those who score this 10/10 think this episode is amongst the best tv they have ever seen?.

They are opinions. If you are interested in finding out what people think, why not read what they post and engage with them, rather than making a broad attack?

Put aside that STP is boring, badly paced, character assassinating, canon breaking dross; this episode was especially uninteresting and schmaltzy. You can see a mile off that they are going to get 7 of 9 (possibly Picard) to reactivate the Borgs on the cube and assimilate the resident romulans...yawn.

I thoroughly disagree with the idea that there is "character assassination." The series is set decades after the characters appeared on screen, at points in which many events and experiences would have affected their personalities. Picard's reclusiveness has been well explained. Moreover, the story is his journey to rediscover himself. Troi's (somewhat ham-handed (no fault of the actress)) speech pointed that out directly. While the episode contained an overabundance of fan service, the setting served as a break from the relentless pace of the previous episode. It gave Picard the time to consider his actions and how he was contributing for the situation.

For the record, I rated it a '7.' You can read my reasons in an earlier post in this thread.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Haven't seen the new one, but spotted it was TV-MA-LV. What earned the "MA" other than profanity? (And especially the "-V"?) Other than apparently. Was Hugh's death gruesome?

The show opens up with xBs lined up and murdered in front of Hugh. Elnor is cutting off Romulan limbs and such with an appropriate amount of green blood flowing. Hugh is stabbed in the neck, and you can see the blood flowing out a little bit after the knife is removed and thrown at Narissa. Not the most graphic throat slash I've seen in Star Trek.

Also, Kestra holds up a dead snake at one point, and there's some scary images in Oh's mind meld. And Oh takes off her sunglasses.

 

[ITDUDE]

Do those who score this 10/10 think this episode is amongst the best tv they have ever seen?.

Yes, absolutely.

Put aside that STP is boring, badly paced, character assassinating, canon breaking dross

That's your opinion. No one is going to hold your wrong opinion against you.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

Nope, didn't get past pilot. Not anything that interests me.

I've only watched it intermittently myself, so was being a little tongue-in-cheek.

Spoiler: Spoiler related to previous spoiler

Although due to the oddities of crossovers, not only did he die before the final episode, but he died in another series entirely (Supergirl). Though he sort of got better and then died again in an Arrow episode in the same crossover, but with two episodes left in the series after that one.

 

[Discofan]

When Spock forced a mindmeld with Valeris in Star Trek VI, she was literally screaming out trying to resist and Spock didn't stop until he got the information he wanted. He felt pained while doing it towards the end, but he definitely didn't seem reluctant to do it.

In his defense, it was to prevent a war that could have made millions of victims!!!

The needs of a great many!!!

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

The show opens up with xBs lined up and murdered in front of Hugh. Elnor is cutting off Romulan limbs and such with an appropriate amount of green blood flowing. Hugh is stabbed in the neck, and you can see the blood flowing out a little bit after the knife is removed and thrown at Narissa. Not the most graphic throat slash I've seen in Star Trek.

Also, Kestra holds up a dead snake at one point, and there's some scary images in Oh's mind meld. And Oh takes off her sunglasses.

Okay, thanks for clarifying. May have to skip this one. I'm not ready to see Oh without her sunglasses.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Just took in episode 7.

Lots of warm nostalgia in this one. Very much enjoyed seeing Troi and Riker again, and Kestra had a lot of personality- stole every scene, basically.

What I DID NOT like was another example of the weaponization / trivialization of the Vulcan mind meld. You'll know exactly whereof I speak when you see the scene. Remember the slow, emotion-laden, angsty times Spock and Sarek would reluctantly agree to a meld in TOS and the TOS movies? Long gone are those days. Now it should be relabeled 'Vulcan mental rape.'

As time goes on, the crew of the ship are becoming a side show- does Picard actually really need them for anything? Other than a taxi service, I guess.

End of a character we were excited to see again. The return of another character we were excited to see again is coming, probably next week.

Loved how the quiet, rustic Troi-Riker spread was 'fully equipped' with tech embedded behind the scenes. That's how I imagine it would really be.

Okay, this episode had a few chinks in the armor but I'm still fully on board with it. Engaging me 1000x more than Disco.

Oh is the bad guy. Her abusing the mind meld should be expected.

 

[Cap'n Calhoun]

When Spock forced a mindmeld with Valeris in Star Trek VI, she was literally screaming out trying to resist and Spock didn't stop until he got the information he wanted. He felt pained while doing it towards the end, but he definitely didn't seem reluctant to do it.

I always took it as reluctant (but determined that this was what he had to do), so I guess YMMV.

 

[Tim Thomason]

I've only watched it intermittently myself, so was being a little tongue-in-cheek.

Spoiler: Spoiler related to previous spoiler

Although due to the oddities of crossovers, not only did he die before the final episode, but he died in another series entirely (Supergirl). Though he sort of got better and then died again in an Arrow episode in the same crossover, but with two episodes left in the series after that one.

If Picard survives this season, but then dies next year on an episode of Lower Decks right before Season 2 starts, I'm going to be annoyed.

 

[ITDUDE]

Oh is the bad guy. Her abusing the mind meld should be expected.

Is she? It's not too clear any more.

 

[tomalak301]

10

I grew up with The Next Generation, and this episode of Picard is the closest I've seen to the spirit of The Next Generation in a long long time. I was actually spoiled by Hugh's death, but it ended up not bothering me as much as I thought it would. What this episode did though was give me all kinds of nostalgic feels. I loved seeing Riker and Troi again, I loved that they named their daughter Kestra and there was even shades of "Dark Page" (An episode I've come t really like over the years) with Thad's death. I also loved seeing the stuff on the La Serina, and what Jurati is going through, even though Rios seems a bit naive to not figure things out right now, considering Jurati is showing all the signs of guilt, or buyers remorse. I really do hope the next episode the truth comes out about that.

Maybe I might be too generous with this episode, but I loved every scene with Riker, Troi, Picard, and Soji, and Troi's speech to Picard about what Soji is going through was an amazing moment. I'm also glad they didn't end it with the Romulans coming in and killing the Troi/Riker family. Considering what we saw in Stardust City Rag, that could have been a possibility and I'm glad they actually did show restraint.

Two solid great episodes in a row is making me really excited for the end of the season.

 

[Discofan]

If Picard survives this season, but then dies next year on an episode of Lower Decks right before Season 2 starts, I'm going to be annoyed.

It's a cartoon. That doesn't count.

 

[Yistaan]

And Oh takes off her sunglasses.

Come on, don't hate on Tamlyn! She's still looks great for her age.

I think Oh saw a naive lady to exploit and exploited her for all its worth. Also, this seems to confirm the improbability that Agnes really never was in space before.

So let me get this straight: Oh thought a mind meld could turn a naive lady into a seasoned killer and master of cover ups and spying and lying, in front of one of the greatest Admirals Starfleet has ever known, who's good friends with a half-Betazoid (how lucky for Agnes that Troi and Riker didn't say "Why don't you beam your new crew down here for a cup of tea before you leave?"). The Zhat Vash seriously never would have let this plan leave orbit in any sort of realistic scenario. The fact Agnes even got this far is only because the plot says so.