Spoilers Episode 7 "Nepenthe"

[Greg Cox]

Perhaps just professional curiosity.

I confess: I automatically check out what people are reading on subways and planes and such, and will definitely scan people's bookshelves if I get a chance. Professional curiosity and all that.

So I can definitely see Picard checking out Will's wine.

 

[Mark 2000]

Again? When was she not?

When she was rolling around on her bed stoned out of her mind and when she went on the bridge puffing and taking shots from the bottle. She was clearly non-functional. Now she's just normal again, but we have to guess she's still at it.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I confess: I automatically check out what people are reading on subways and planes and such, and will definitely scan people's bookshelves if I get a chance. Professional curiosity and all that.

So I can definitely see Picard checking out Will's wine.

I’m not a professional, though I did sell books for over a decade and I do the same. I also check out the art in people’s homes because of my art degree.

 

[AlanC9]

When she was rolling around on her bed stoned out of her mind and when she went on the bridge puff and taking shots from the bottle. She was clearly non-functional. Now she's just normal again, but we have to guess she's still at it.

That's an odd definition of non-functional, since when she was on the bridge she did function. She got the job she was there to do done, drunk or not.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Regarding Raffi's addiction...she's been an addict for years and years. Last week's bender wasn't exactly her first rodeo.

The Riker homestead also left me with a few questions. Such as, if this planet has medicinal properties, why aren't there more people there? And if access is limited, why are the Rikers still allowed to live there after their son died, rather than make room for somebody else with a sick kid?

Having just rewatched...I didn't catch any references to limited access. If you think about it, the Troi-Rikers are in a particular situation where they'd have use for such a planet. 24th century medical science would usually be up to handling most illness, and would have been in this case if not for the synth ban. They settled, they own the land, Big Brother Federation doesn't have any call to kick them off-planet.

I don't know about that, he looked to me to be sizing Raffi up for the airlock when sat back down and said as much which made Raffi pull a face and turn to look at him, then the EMH told them about Agnes and he raced for the medibay.

I think he is going to feel like a bit of a donkey when he finds out.

I'll have to look for that on rewatch.

Having rewatched with this in mind...I got mixed signals regarding this. That last exchange between Rios and Raffi where he said he had a solution she wouldn't like and she joked about him putting her out the airlock was odd. Up until that point, my impression was that they both had suspicions of Agnes, and were tag-teaming to try to coax information from her, but it both cases were interrupted by Narek's pursuit. They exchanged looks when Jurati exhibited a little too much insight into the Romulans' motivations; and again when Jurati didn't seem to want to go to Nepenthe, which Raffi questioned right in front of Rios.

Regardless, I don't see them playing a false drama out of Rios suspecting Raffi. Picard's back on the ship, and...

Spoiler: Preview for next week

it looks like Agnes will be awake and spilling her guts to him soon enough.

 

[Mark 2000]

That's an odd definition of non-functional, since when she was on the bridge she did function. She got the job she was there to do done, drunk or not.

Vacillating between completely normal and cartoonishly inebriated is not "functional". Raffi hit a breaking point where she destroyed the facade of being in control in front of everyone, and in a terribly cartoonish way. Now she's just in control again and no one bats an eye. Come now. Even House did it better.

 

[Gonzo]

Regarding Raffi's addiction...she's been an addict for years and years. Last week's bender wasn't exactly her first rodeo.

Having rewatched with this in mind...I got mixed signals regarding this. That last exchange between Rios and Raffi where he said he had a solution she wouldn't like and she joked about him putting her out the airlock was odd. Up until that point, my impression was that they both had suspicions of Raffi, and were tag-teaming to try to coax information from her, but it both cases were interrupted by Narek's pursuit. They exchanged looks when Jurati exhibited a little too much insight into the Romulans' motivations; and again when Jurati didn't seem to want to go to Nepenthe, which Raffi questioned right in front of Rios.

Regardless, I don't see them playing a false drama out of Rios suspecting Raffi. Picard's back on the ship, and...

Spoiler: Preview for next week

it looks like Agnes will be awake and spilling her guts to him soon enough.

Raffi is well practiced in her art, so much so that it doesn't surprise Picard never mind Rios any more.

It did make them both look at Agnes when she blurted out that Soji would be hunted down and killed and they should just say they want to go home but Rios and Raffi could have just seen that as an emotional outburst due to the loss of Maddox.

I don't think its an accident (plot wise) that Maddox was killed while Raffi was as high as a kite, she would definitely have worked it out if she had been coherent at the time, perhaps even stopped it outright and Jurati may not have wanted Raffi to get a shot at talking to Maddox.

I also thought that Rios was trying to entice Jurati into talking during their conversation and cake but after hearing that dialogue between him and Raffi afterwards it strongly indicated that Rios suspected her and not Jurati, which would make sense as he would not have considered that she had been compromised before leaving Earth.

I don't think he is going to be happy at all when he does find out, especially if she also admits to killing Maddox while on his ship.

Spoiler: Preview for next week

Yeah another round of gut spilling is on the cards for Agnes next week now that Picard is back on board, highlights could include:

Details on what this prophecy is really all about
Reasoning behind attack on Mars
Jurati's reaction to finally meeting Soji
Naming the Commodore including Narissa and Narek
Admitting to Maddox murder
Attack on Chateau was a ruse

I am expecting to see some classic Picard face palming action.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Actually, they are going to have the USS Voyager-A show up, Captained by Chakotay, and Ensign Kim, with Paris' daughter at the helm. It will promptly be attacked by Control and destroyed.

No, they have digitally animated Aron Eisenberg: Captain Nog, Commander Chakotay, and Crewman Kim.

 

[Tuskin38]

 

[The Old Mixer]

Another thing I watched for was the Fenris Ranger signal device. It seems that Elnor just happened upon it dangling underneath a desk that he was hiding under. Hugh's desk? Maybe they'll clarify next week.

 

[Noname Given]

Yeah, Picard the character is all over the map. Is he wise? Is he too old to be useful? Is he a dick. Another friend of mine was really annoyed at how awful Picard is to Soji. He also puts the Rikers in danger needlessly because he needs a pick me up while Hugh is undoubtably getting murdered. The whole thing in the Romulan bar was way short of diplomatic. He’s mostly just being a selfish ass.

Yeah it seems the writers know the actual 'Jean Luc Picard' character from TNG really well.

 

[Aragorn]

I confess: I automatically check out what people are reading on subways and planes and such, and will definitely scan people's bookshelves if I get a chance. Professional curiosity and all that.

So I can definitely see Picard checking out Will's wine.

Have you seen the guy who rides the subway with fake book covers?

 

[thribs]

They kept telling Picard that he doesn’t know how to handle teenagers forgetting that he has the memories of having an entire family from that stupid flute episode.

 

[donners22]

Never thought I'd see the day - I actually liked Riker and Troi. They were two of my least favourite Trek characters, and I wasn't at all thrilled to see them in the trailers, but they were very well used here.

This is my favourite Picard episode to date. I thought the wheels were falling off with the fifth episode, but they're certainly back on now.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah it seems the writers know the actual 'Jean Luc Picard' character from TNG really well.

Whoah, let's not get crazy here.

 

[Jarvisimo]

They kept telling Picard that he doesn’t know how to handle teenagers forgetting that he has the memories of having an entire family from that stupid flute episode.

You mean "The Inner Light", amongst the most common examples of "the best TNG episode" in various lists?

 

[thribs]

You mean "The Inner Light", amongst the most common examples of "the best TNG episode" in various lists?

God knows why. It's a boring episode.

 

[Mark 2000]

God knows why. It's a boring episode.

You mean you weren't touched by Picard living a totally bland existence with a completely unremarkable society that spoke dialog that sounded like it was from a travel brochure most of the time?

 

[thribs]

You mean you weren't touched by Picard living a totally bland existence with a completely unremarkable society that spoke dialog that sounded like it was from a travel brochure most of the time?

Was I supposed to?
That probe traumatized him. He should have destroyed it.

 

[cooleddie74]

Another thing I watched for was the Fenris Ranger signal device. It seems that Elnor just happened upon it dangling underneath a desk that he was hiding under. Hugh's desk? Maybe they'll clarify next week.

I'm guessing that Picard had it with him on the Cube and dropped it after materializing, possibly when he was stumbling around and disjointed from the shock of being back on a Borg vessel. Both Picard's beam-in and Elnor's hiding spot seem to be located next to one of those deep chasms inside the Cube so maybe he's hiding near that same spot?