Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x08 - "Broken Pieces"
- Thread starter pst
- Start date
Star Trek has a history of easy forgiveness! That said, I don't think that Jurati could have killed, or collaborated with Oh, without the meld. Mind melding is more than telepathic communication. It's a linking of minds. If I remember correctly, Oh said "my mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts." It was a one way meld. Voyager's Meld, which I've just rewatched, establishes that murderous tendencies can be transferred through a meld, even a well meant one. And Oh was not well meaning. She forced on Juarti both the 'knowledge and a very strong compulsion to betray and kill in response. It's incredible Juarti was ultimately able to overcome it, though too late for Maddox.
It seems the Admonition
There still seems to be this dichotomy between the Picard & crew storyline and the Narissa storyline. As usual, they keep putting lines in her mouth like calling Elnor a "freak" or "I broke your gun" and trying to make her this kick ass spy. She is one of the most cardboard villains in all of Trek history. There was a clear difference in how good the stuff in this episode on the ship was and how poor the stuff on the cube was.
That whole Zhat Vash opened was kind of silly, right down to the silly huge black robes. That being said, if this scene, and the one with Narissa and Rhomba, had been placed somewhere else earlier in the series run and actually developed why they were doing what they were doing outside of being evil, it would've at least helped that meandering plot.
Seven herself was written well, not wanting to use the Borg in stasis like the Borg had. But getting wrapped in with Narissa's storyline, she is stuck getting a lot of silly lines. Her internal struggle is quickly forgotten to get her to do things to drive Narissa. Again, if the villain wasn't so weak, Seven's scenes could've potentially have been better.
The Starfleet uniforms, both shown in the past on Raffi, Picard and Rios and the current ones on Clancy etc. are some of the ugliest I've seen.
Picard seemed a step behind this entire episode. He doesn't clue on Rios being out of sorts when he comes aboard. He can't fathom that Juratti had been a double agent. He has his Picard speeches, but he spends most of the story stuck in tunnel vision.
This is one of the best, if not the best performances by Santiago Cabrera. The scene with Raffi in Rios' quarters was powerful and the scene with the five parts of the ship, playing five different accents flawlessly and piecing it all together with Raffi was simply an acting masterclass. He, Michelle Hurd and Alison Pill are three of the best regular actors I've seen on a Trek show possibly since DS9.
"Are you going to assimilate me now?" I had a chuckle, but I still don't know what they plan to do with Elnor besides slicing people's heads off.
That whole Zhat Vash opened was kind of silly, right down to the silly huge black robes. That being said, if this scene, and the one with Narissa and Rhomba, had been placed somewhere else earlier in the series run and actually developed why they were doing what they were doing outside of being evil, it would've at least helped that meandering plot.
Seven herself was written well, not wanting to use the Borg in stasis like the Borg had. But getting wrapped in with Narissa's storyline, she is stuck getting a lot of silly lines. Her internal struggle is quickly forgotten to get her to do things to drive Narissa. Again, if the villain wasn't so weak, Seven's scenes could've potentially have been better.
The Starfleet uniforms, both shown in the past on Raffi, Picard and Rios and the current ones on Clancy etc. are some of the ugliest I've seen.
Picard seemed a step behind this entire episode. He doesn't clue on Rios being out of sorts when he comes aboard. He can't fathom that Juratti had been a double agent. He has his Picard speeches, but he spends most of the story stuck in tunnel vision.
This is one of the best, if not the best performances by Santiago Cabrera. The scene with Raffi in Rios' quarters was powerful and the scene with the five parts of the ship, playing five different accents flawlessly and piecing it all together with Raffi was simply an acting masterclass. He, Michelle Hurd and Alison Pill are three of the best regular actors I've seen on a Trek show possibly since DS9.
"Are you going to assimilate me now?" I had a chuckle, but I still don't know what they plan to do with Elnor besides slicing people's heads off.
itself drives people towards death; those who don't kill themselves become killers.
You demonstrated his other use - one liners to break up dramatic scenes. It's not a use which works for me, but it seems to be his role.
It's not saying much, but still better than Sela as far as I'm concerned.
One thing I forgot to mention way upthread was how lovely the scene was where Picard and Soji were talking about Data. It was great. So was Picard at the end when he told Rios that the future isn’t written. It was vintage Picard!
It's an option for characters with names and faces who have a story-serving purpose for being given such an alternative.
Different ideas on criminal justice come into and out of vogue all the time. The 23rd and 24th Centuries will be no different. In TOS, the focus seemed to be on rehabilitation. Look at the Tantilus Colony. In TNG/DS9/VOY, the focus seemed to be on punishment. A by-product of when they were produced during the Reagan/HW/Clinton "Tough On Crime" Era.
Tuvok mind meld with a Bajorian Voyager crew member Lon Suder a murderer kill another crew member and Tuvok end up with a neurochemical imbalance, leading to a temporary violent lost of self control of his emotions. The same thing could have happen to Juarti, probably why she became unstable murder Maddox.
This would mean that commodore Oh had mind meld with Tovok sometime in the past. Because I don't think that Dr. Juarti is a murderer type.
This would mean that commodore Oh had mind meld with Tovok sometime in the past. Because I don't think that Dr. Juarti is a murderer type.
Simply subscribe to my online newsletter and you'll have first access to the shocking secret that CBS is afraid to let you know plus other perks like a Brian Brophy bobblehead and a HOW'M I POSTING? bumper sticker!
I'm not sure I'd call a fair trial of independent judges/ jury "tough on crime." Or those penal colonies, if the one we find Tom Paris in is any indication.
By the standards of the 20th/21st Century? No. By the standards of the 24th Century? I'd say yes. I don't get the impression that those penal colonies cared about rehabilitation, unlike in TOS ("Dagger of the Mind" and "Whom Gods Destroy"). All they cared about was inmates serving time and doing the equivalent of community service.
Which adds fuel to my argument that "working to better ourselves and the rest of humanity" was just propaganda that that they didn't actually mean or practice. Picard might've meant it, but I don't think the mainstream Federation really did.
EDIT: This is also my opening to say I think Harry Mudd, from DSC to TOS, was partially rehabilitated as he was less dangerous in TOS. His rehabilitation in prison just wasn't 100% effective.
Last edited:
Bettering themselves and humanity.
I assume there might be some TOS style therapy and treatment involved for the Garths (No offense LG
)
There were times TOS seemed more progressive and forward-thinking than TNG did and not just in its penal system. TOS seemed to recognize that faith and religion were still going to be a thing 300 years into its own future and went out of its way to not portray the Federation and Starfleet of the 23rd century as overtly atheistic. Whether or not one holds any such beliefs it's pretty evident that by 1987 Gene Roddenberry had decided that the Federation not only didn't use money(if you say so, Great Bird) but that Starfleet Captains would lecture other societies on culture and what he saw as superstition.
Bettering themselves and humanity.
Yeah. And when I have I ever not thought that didn't mean shit.
Picard only lectured Mintakans after their culture had been accidentally contaminated. And how many gods did Kirk kill? Why did he not respect the religion of the Vaal worshippers? And anyway, your definition of 'progressive' is bizarre; having a worldview based on scientific principle and empiricism and not letting one's thinking to be clouded by some ancient myths seems pretty progressive to me.
On the one hand, yes and on the other hand we have Landru, Vaal and Apollo whom Kirk did battle against. I suppose one could frame it as battling against false gods, but I would hardly call it entirely respectful of theism either.
Yes exactly! And starting to divide gods into 'false' and 'proper' ones would definitely be imposing one's religious views on others!
It struck a balance for sure. Kirk routinely disconnected and destroyed planetary computer systems that acted as deities and said he freed the native inhabitants from their rule to pursue more liberated and enlightened lives while at the same time more than once referencing the existence of faith within human and Federation society.
Kirk hated false gods and tyrannical pretenders to deity status and saw it as his mission to liberate societies from the yoke of their rule.
Kirk hated false gods and tyrannical pretenders to deity status and saw it as his mission to liberate societies from the yoke of their rule.
