Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x08 - "Broken Pieces"

[1001001]

Magnificent.

Long on exposition but it really helped bring everything into focus. A couple of nitpicks, sure (seemed Raffi sure got straight and insightful awfully quick), but I don't care about that.

The scene at the...I don't remember what it's called...the vision cube...that was brutal.

Seven going Borg Queen was outstanding. I would have liked to see her kick more Romulan ass though.

Best line of the night: "He loved you".



10

 

[Iamnotspock]

-Admiral Clancy dropping the f-bomb again. I don't mind cursing in general. I admit I was taken back going from TNG to PIC with the cursing though. But okay. More naturalistic and contemporary. But the way it's done here is kind of pathetic. It's like a child learning the f-word for the first time. "...fucking hubris." Okay, I can buy that. But here it's just used for laughs and makes it sound like dialogue written for a millennial, not an old lady. It's very unnatural the way it's used and the way the actress delivers it.

Well, she is an old lady in 2399... She's a millennial-and-a-half.

 

[The Old Mixer]

The show made a point early on of underscoring how secretive and guarded Romulans are. How a Romulan cabal handles knowledge like the Admonition isn't going to line up with human logic.

Plus, this cabal is led by people who were exposed to this alien infodump that drives most of them mad. That the few who are left functional don't react to it rationally...shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Best line of the night: "He loved you".

It begs the question how Soji knows: genetically, or was she told so.

 

[SJGardner]

Nothing we've seen in the show indicates that it would be difficult to demonstrate the truth of their claim or that people would have difficulty believing it. All of the main characters were convinced in this episode and even found corroborating evidence.

And Picard promptly stated that we cannot demonize synthetic life as a whole based on something that had happened to a different civilization in a different context two hundred thousand years ago. That's the main thing preventing the Zhat Vash from simply going out and preaching the Admonition. Convincing people that you're relaying factual information is easy. But actually getting them to interpret that information the way you want them to is an entirely different thing. Especially when you're dealing with ambitious scientists who want to change the world and are convinced that they won't do the same mistakes as those that came before them.

 

[TedShatner10]

Control was a lousy idea in DSC and would be even worse if revived in any form in PIC. Just leave that idiotic plot in the same bin with the parasite infestation from Season 1 of TNG and the Kazon being developed as the main bad guys of VOY.

I didn't mind Control as a one season villain, but it seemed too overpowered (and faceless, almost motiveless) to be an ongoing menace, and its resemblance to the Borg seemed more like convergent evolution to me (like with Leviathan and V'Ger), and it's better off eradicated. Even the Xindi have more creative mileage.

 

[RPOW0614]

I accused this show of having a filler episode last week. While it was a good episode I thought it was probably the weakest of the series thus far.

This week was a "hold on to your ass Fred" episode. OMFG! So much happening in a hour!
I will try not to spoil but ALL of the events of the hour were just one WTF moment after another, in a good way.

The good:
7 of 9 and Elnor on the artifact.
All of the events on La Sirena.
Picards chat.

The bad:
None of it expect for when the episode ended.

Really looking forward to next weeks episode.

 

[Gonzo]

The show made a point early on of underscoring how secretive and guarded Romulans are. How a Romulan cabal handles knowledge like the Admonition isn't going to line up with human logic.

Plus, this cabal is lead by people who were exposed to this alien infodump that drives most of them mad. That the few who are left functional don't react to it rationally...shouldn't be a surprise.

Yeah the Romulans have always been shown to be like that which I am fine with.

Its one of the reasons why I thought the introduction of the Qowat Milat and their absolute candor was a breath of fresh air.

As I said in one of the earlier episode threads, I think the fear/panic itself is acting like a virus and overwhelming the candidates, leaving them with no room for anything else.

 

[1001001]

It begs the question how Soji knows: genetically, or was she told so.

My automatic assumption was "genetically", but who knows?

They're going to need to be careful on the Android Planet. Might want to go undercover...

 

[Gov Kodos]

The show made a point early on of underscoring how secretive and guarded Romulans are. How a Romulan cabal handles knowledge like the Admonition isn't going to line up with human logic.

Plus, this cabal is led by people who were exposed to this alien infodump that drives most of them mad. That the few who are left functional don't react to it rationally...shouldn't be a surprise.

Given the trauma, it's possible they didn't really understand the message. Maybe, it was the synths trying to stop something, pergaps even stopping something trying to destroy a civilization of synths.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

It begs the question how Soji knows: genetically, or was she told so.

Maybe genetically...Or maybe she was stating her opinion (as fact) based it on what Picard told her, and on Picard's emotions as he told her.

 

[Gonzo]

Ultimately the Zhat Vash are going to be proven correct and we will probably see what this big bad is by the end of the season, or they have misunderstood the message because they cant handle it or it was not meant for them.

I definitely want to see what happens if someone like Soji receives the message.

 

[Gov Kodos]

I am surprised Picard didn't think this might be one of Q's games with the unlikelihood of an 8 star solar system.

 

[SG-17]

Long on exposition but it really helped bring everything into focus. A couple of nitpicks, sure (seemed Raffi sure got straight and insightful awfully quick), but I don't care about that.

She wasn't half-drunk for once.

 

[Gonzo]

We probably wont see it referenced yet, that is something that we could see later if/when they go visit the system.

I do think Soji is going to have a go at interfacing with that message.

The TKon could certainly have done it and it would tie in nicely with the Q novels even though its non canon.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I am surprised Picard didn't think this might be one of Q's games with the unlikelihood of an 8 star solar system.

When he heard it, Picard's left eyebrow raised .3mm. He was definitely considering Q just then.

 

[KJY]

I don't think that it's hard to imagine that they don't want to be challenged.

Challenged by whom and how?

Yes, they want to control the narrative as a result of their paranoid personalities.

Except that the truth is better than any lie that they could come up with.

Perhaps you should look at how other genocides have been conducted. The paranoid instigators have had to scare away public scrutiny in order to conduct their work.

This isn't analogous to any real world genocide though. If the Nazis had compelling evidence that allowing the Jews to exist would lead to the destruction of mankind, they would've shouted it from every rooftop.

And Picard promptly stated that we cannot demonize synthetic life as a whole based on something that had happened to a different civilization in a different context two hundred thousand years ago. That's the main thing preventing the Zhat Vash from simply going out and preaching the Admonition. Convincing people that you're relaying factual information is easy. But actually getting them to interpret that information the way you want them to is an entirely different thing. Especially when you're dealing with ambitious scientists who want to change the world and are convinced that they won't do the same mistakes as those that came before them.

Picard was convinced that banning synths was a mistake after the actual event that led to their banning. It isn't at all clear that the truth would've been less effective than the attack the Zhat Vash staged, and certainly not in all centuries they could've revealed it. Even taking what you say at face value doesn't explain why they would keep the secret in the first place.

 

[SG-17]

We probably wont see it referenced yet, that is something that we could see later if/when they go visit the system.

I do think Soji is going to have a go at interfacing with that message.

The TKon could certainly have done it and it would tie in nicely with the Q novels even though its non canon.

I've got a nagging feeling that the endgame for Picard is for him to be offered a place in the Q Continuum, so I could see them getting involved at some point. Not likely this season though.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Challenged by whom and how?

By the public, let's try.

Except that the truth is better than any lie that they could come up with.

Why would they go with the truth when they could be discredited, sidelined and potentially disempowered?

This isn't analogous to any real world genocide though. If the Nazis had compelling evidence that allowing the Jews to exist would lead to the destruction of mankind, they would've shouted it from every rooftop.

The Nazis tried. They got push back. They went with less public means. Study history. Surely you've heard of Mein Kampf, the book that says Jews were genetically and socially destroying humanity.

 

[Gonzo]

I've got a nagging feeling that the endgame for Picard is for him to be offered a place in the Q Continuum, so I could see them getting involved at some point. Not likely this season though.

Q did say that the test never ends (or words to that effect), its hard to say what the entry requirements are for the Q, we never really got any information as to how they are created.

If it does end up as the TKon then we could also finally be introduced to O as the big bad who is very capable of destroying stars, in which case we will definitely be seeing Q again.

Yeah that would be next season, we may see Soji try to use that beacon at the end of this season.

Would the Q be willing to just let Picard die, I am not so sure about that, perhaps an offer will be made, or maybe more of a trade.