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Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x09 - "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1"

Rate Star Trek: Picard 1x09 - "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1"


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I always watch the Nerdrotic reviews on Youtube. He hates the show. Really hates it. But the reviews are entertaining.

I like how he refers to Jurati as the drummer from Scott Pilgrim, because both are played by the same actor. But yah he really dislikes the show.
 
This was a nice half of the finale, and it left us with an interesting set up for the second half.
It was interesting seeing the synths on the planet, I especially liked how they had some of them with the Data's skin tone.
The introduction of Noonien Soong's son was a big surprise, I saw Brent Spiner in the credits, but I had just assumed he's be Data in another dream.
I'm not sure if Sutra or Narek killed the other synth, but Sutra definitely set the situation up so she could call the AI group.
 
Anyway, I was mixed about the episode. It felt like too much set-up. And I was sorely disappointed about the length. Why can't these be an hour? I really don't believe the female android was killed from a glass-bird-to-the-eye. I mean, Data stood up to machine gun fire. It was a set-up to get the Synths to distrust Picard.
Not to mention Data's gone through extensive damage (beheadings, the machine guns you mentioned, attempted Borg assimilation, etc.) in the series and was always able to be repaired. He literally had to be vaporized to be killed.

There's not a single attempt to repair the deceased android? Or do their organic components make them more vulnerable to death? And they don't wonder how a Romulan who was easily captured is now able to overpower a synth?
 
I’m still left with the same question I had last week: what the hell is it all about?

What’s the message here? Synths deserve to survive? What’s the story? What’s the personal stake for Jean-Luc? He’s going to die? How is that motivating him on this mission?

There are elements that could make a great story: the parallel between Synths and the Romulan refugees, the redemption of Picard and the Federation, the XBs reclaiming their humanity, and the parallels of Hugh, Picard and Seven having survived trauma.

But they’re not coming together in a cohesive way. I liked the moment where Sutra tells Picard that the Synths aren’t his path to redemption for bungling the Romulan crisis. I was like, “yes, let’s tell that story, let’s stay with that.”

Instead, we get more of the prophetic mystery and how Synths will destroy all flesh-and-blood life. Been there done that in a dozen other SF movies, TV and stories. Kinda over the whole Synths will be the end of us if we’re not careful. And that aspect of the show is completely muddled in terms of theme and messaging. I still don’t grok what TPTB are trying to say on that front.

Having survived a toxic and manipulative relationship, I do appreciate the show slowing down and showing Soji’s complicated and conflicting emotions regarding her tormentor/lover. Also, I despise the Romulan neck beard spy… so much.

That brings me back to Picard. He’s the titular character but he’s barely in the story. The story moves around him and then his inserted back into it. His medical condition is used more for audience sympathy than any actual storyline, where it’s driving Picard’s decisions and an obstacle for him to overcome. It’s just there to get our sympathy, as well as the other characters.

This is Picard’s show and he’s much more passive than he ever was on TNG.

I did enjoy this episode a great deal more than last week. I could see the good intentions of Chabon with all the threads. But like I said, they’re just not weaving together.

Things I liked: that all the Soong Synths had names that were variations of Data and Lore’s naming convention. Soong’s penchant for the whimsical lives on in his grandchildren. Also, good to see that novelist Ayelet Waldman shares story and teleplay credit with her husband.

As for next week, looks like its going to be more pew pew on the same scale as Disco’s season 2 finale.
 
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I'd totally be on board with "The Wrath of Kahn", Lenara Kahn...

Seriously though: Kudos to Jeri Ryan, who made the most of very little in this episode.
Her entrance/ descent, of course, was meme-worthy.

And I liked this exchange:
Seven: Keep saving the galaxy, Picard!
Picard: That's all on you now.

Passing the torch... waaah!
 
Not to mention Data's gone through extensive damage (beheadings, the machine guns you mentioned, attempted Borg assimilation, etc.) in the series and was always able to be repaired. He literally had to be vaporized to be killed.

There's not a single attempt to repair the deceased android? Or do their organic components make them more vulnerable to death? And they don't wonder how a Romulan who was easily captured is now able to overpower a synth?

The synths are organic. As organic as a human. She's not an android.
 
The synths are organic. As organic as a human. She's not an android.
I think the Zhat Vash should just use plasma coolant on the synths. It liquifies organic material on contact. They don't need 218 warbirds for that.

Then Picard will reminisce about the time Data used plasma coolant on the Borg and survived due to his inorganic components.
 
Not to mention Data's gone through extensive damage (beheadings, the machine guns you mentioned, attempted Borg assimilation, etc.) in the series and was always able to be repaired. He literally had to be vaporized to be killed.

There's not a single attempt to repair the deceased android? Or do their organic components make them more vulnerable to death? And they don't wonder how a Romulan who was easily captured is now able to overpower a synth?

This show (and DSC-era Trek in general) basically runs on the maxim 'Everything is secondary to plot.' If Narek needs to appear to overpower an android (and do so in front of people who should know better), he will. No questions asked, no lingering on the point. Not that previous eras of Trek haven't had convenient plot devices aplenty, but it seems particularly endemic to these versions of the franchise.
 
This show (and DSC-era Trek in general) basically runs on the maxim 'Everything is secondary to plot.' If Narek needs to appear to overpower an android (and do so in front of people who should know better), he will. No questions asked, no lingering on the point. Not that previous eras of Trek haven't had convenient plot devices aplenty, but it seems particularly endemic to these versions of the franchise.
Plus, these androids are already "activated" per se--they already know they're android and have their abilities on the ready. And this very show itself showed Romulans are helpless against activated androids unless they use their vaporizing slime (which probably would have been a more fitting way to make Narek look like the villain).
 
I’m still left with the same question I had last week: what the hell is it all about?

What’s the message here? Synths deserve to survive? What’s the story? What’s the personal stake for Jean-Luc? He’s going to die? How is that motivating him on this mission?

There are elements that could make a great story: the parallel between Synths and the Romulan refugees, the redemption of Picard and the Federation, the XBs reclaiming their humanity, and the parallels of Hugh, Picard and Seven having survived trauma.

But they’re not coming together in a cohesive way. I liked the moment where Sutra tells Picard that the Synths aren’t his path to redemption for bungling the Romulan crisis. I was like, “yes, let’s tell that story, let’s stay with that.”
(...)

Having survived a toxic and manipulative relationship, I do appreciate the show slowing down and showing Soji’s complicated and conflicting emotions regarding her tormentor/lover. Also, I despise the Romulan neck beard spy… so much.(...)

I could see the good intentions of Chabon with all the threads. But like I said, they’re just not weaving together.(...)

As for next week, looks like its going to be more pew pew on the same scale as Disco’s season 2 finale.
I pretty much agree. It was my fear early on that while they have interesting ideas, threads, moments, themes, they are not telling a cohesive story. And people kept telling me it would all come together by the end of the season, but I don't think it will, and also, I think the coherence has to begin earlier than that...

It's really a shame, because unlike DSC (imho), PIC had many great character moments, great acting and (not this time, but before) directing, sometimes. And it deserves to be a good story, not just a good and fairly interesting string-along.

And yes, I also hate sleazy manipulative Romo-spy. I don't care he has feelings, too. The thought he might join the crew (because why not, does anyone expect that Agnes will ever be put on trial?) is just... ugh.
 
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Also, I despise the Romulan neck beard spy… so much.
You mean you haven’t swooned over the sexy charms of Romulan Subcommander Jack Dorsey? Now you know why he likes birds so much.
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The synths are organic. As organic as a human. She's not an android.
All evidence indicates that is not the case.

At best Soji has a synthetic skeleton, musculature and positronic brain, only her outer appearance is organic.

Plus if they truly were organic the Intergalactic Intelligence may not recognise them as being an artificial intelligence like itself and could attack them along with everyone else.
 
I can 100% see Soong naming his biological child that just because.
I could also see *all* of the Soongs we've seen being clones of the 22nd century criminal genetic engineer...

And Noonien was the only one who wasn't creepy or a downright sociopath.
 
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