Spoilers Picard News & Reviews from Outside Sources

[Zod]

Kyle Sullivan at the YouTube channel Trekspertise has posted a review of Star Trek: Picard Season One. I don't agree with a lot of what he argues (and I suspect that with hindsight he'll moderate some of his reaction), but I want to post his review because it's a goddamn unicorn: It's criticism of Star Trek: Picard that's thoughtful, proportional in intensity, balanced in its acknowledgment of what does and does not work for the reviewer, and comes from a place of good faith rather than fanboy toxicity!

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You are right its a thoughtful review. Its not a hate review. I found his comparison to Marvel very interesting.

I happen to agree with his take on the show. I agree with the things he liked and most of the things he did not like.

And of course things impact people differently. I loved Icheb in Voyager for instance. That is not even part of the above review. To see him die, and like that without knowing much about his post Voyager life except that he was in starfleet. I had waited almost 2 decades to find out more about what happened to him.

The character was treated much better in non canon Star Trek Renegades.

 

[Danja]

And of course things impact people differently. I loved Icheb in Voyager for instance. That is not even part of the above review. To see him die, and like that without knowing much about his post Voyager life except that he was in starfleet. I had waited almost 2 decades to find out more about what happened to him.

There's always room for flashbacks.

 

[fireproof78]

The character was treated much better in non canon Star Trek Renegades.

Most characters will be treated much better in fan works.

 

[Go-Captain]

Yeah, good review. It's solutions are novel too for correcting the plot. Having Picard become an android, or getting a partially artificial brain, straight off the start really would be a better story. Picard having to hunt down the androids as part of his rediscovery of himself is much more interesting. I can easily imagine Picard being in space to do archeology and the androids running into him as he dies, so they save his life by replacing part of his brain.

The other point about 7 being redundant is not something I thought of, because I enjoyed her so much, and because I see her kind of as a way to explain Picard's Borg issues. Except none of the Borg issues really play into the story in a way which matters at all. So I think the review is right that she is just another nostalgia trip not relevant to the plot. Do I want her in the story though, absolutely. By fixing the plot on the Borg-Android dichotomy in Picard, 7 and Hugh become important.

It's also interesting to think of the show as rushed, because I see it as dreadfully slow in the first half. But, he is right, because there is a lot of things which go without any explanation and require fan explanations. Like he pointed out there are things included which would be better left out, and other things which still need explanations but which were cut for time, or, pessimistically, just never thought of.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't think everything needs an explanation, though I do lean towards the Borg plot being kind of superfluous, and, by extension, 7. I would be happier with Picard if it had just focused on the Romulans and the androids.

 

[Precious Tritium]

I look at the Artifact and the Borg less as a plot point and more as a backdrop. It’s a fascinating bit of worldbuilding which gives both Picard and Hugh some great character moments. The alternative was putting Soji on some regular Romulan research outpost I guess.

 

[Danja]

I don't think everything needs an explanation, though I do lean towards the Borg plot being kind of superfluous, and, by extension, 7. I would be happier with Picard if it had just focused on the Romulans and the androids.

Seven is a counterpoint to Picard. She's a foil for Picard.

Seven and Picard have born witness to two different Starfleets (Picard sees the Starfleet that is good, pure, and noble. Seven, OTOH, sees the Starfleet that tried to throw HER out an airlock and left her son -- a Starfleet officer -- to die without consequence).

 

[fireproof78]

Seven is a counterpoint to Picard. She's a foil for Picard.

Seven and Picard have born witness to two different Starfleets (Picard sees the Starfleet that is good, pure, and noble. Seven, OTOH, sees the Starfleet that tried to throw her out an airlock and left her son -- a Starfleet officer -- to die without consequence).

I see that but that role is also taken by Raffi and Rios. So, get rid of one and ok. But, I still don't see the need for the Borg.

 

[Danja]

I see that but that role is also taken by Raffi and Rios. So, get rid of one and ok. But, I still don't see the need for the Borg.

It was such a huge influence on Picard (so much so it was covered in seven TNG eps and a feature film).

The man had his identity sucked out of him and replaced with that of a monster (Seven and Picard have that much in common).

With all due respect, neither Raffi nor Rios has Seven's gravitas (Raffi hates Picard so much she calls him "J.L." ).

Say what you will about Seven, she can hold her own against Picard.

Picard, I can take or leave. I'm much more of a Seven fan (and I'm not the only one).

 

[Sci]

I don't know if I think the alternate plot ideas from Sullivan are better, but I think they'd all make for wonderful storytelling as well. I often think that it's not what your show is about that makes it good or bad; it's how it's about it. There are a lot of ways to put these kinds of puzzles together, and sometimes I'm left thinking that one version or the other isn't better or worse, but has different strengths and weaknesses, and that it really all depends on execution. I think I would have loved Sullivan's version of PIC, but I also loved what we got.

I do agree that Elnor, the Artifact, and Seven are insufficiently well-integrated into the finale. I think that all three of these elements resonated thematically with what PIC was trying to do, but I think that that thematic resonance would have worked better if they had been integrated into the finale better.

My personal preference? The Artifact is back into orbit; it's holding the Admonition-Makers off, but only just barely. Jean-Luc needs to get Soji to close the portal. He does, the same way he does in the actual show (God do I adore that "That's why we're here: To save each other" line). The Romulans skiddaddle. Then, while Jean-Luc is on a four-way call with Riker, Seven and Elnor, and Soji -- it happens. He collapses. Jurati scrambles. Seven intervenes. Connecting with the cube and becoming Queen means she knows of a way to save him. But it means fusing the golem Alton is working on with Borg technology -- something Jean-Luc might not agree with. Riker, Seven, Jurati, and Alton aren't sure what to do. When he wakes up, Jean-Luc does not look Borg -- be he has some of the parts inside him, fused with the golem android tech. He freaks out at first; how could they do that to him? How could they put nanoprobes in his body, how could they use Borg tech to transfer and house his consciousness? But then Soji and Elnor convince tell him, it was them. They convinced Jurati, Seven, and Alton to do it. Jean-Luc, you see, after all these years alone, alienated from children, never able to hold down a relationship, unable to build that family the Nexus showed him he secretly wanted, has a family now. He has children. He is their father, and they need him. So, for their sake, Jurati, Alton, and Seven gave Jean-Luc a second chance at life. He can end it if he wants; no one will stop him. But Soji doesn't want him to. She says to him: "But you know this isn't why you're here. You know the real reason: we're here to save each other." And Jean-Luc realizes he can't forsake his family a second time.

I think that would have given Elnor, the Artifact, and Seven a better resolution than they got, and would have provided greater thematic unity to the story at hand. But -- hey, I came to this after thinking about it for two months, without the pressure of a tens-of-millions-of-dollars production breathing down my neck. Hindsight is always 20/20.

 

[Tuskin38]

There were not enough episodes for all the plot points they had.

 

[fireproof78]

It was such a huge influence on Picard (so much so it was covered in seven TNG eps and a feature film).

The man had his identity sucked out of him and replaced with that of a monster (Seven and Picard have that much in common).

With all due respect, neither Raffi nor Rios has Seven's gravitas (Raffi hates Picard so much she calls him "J.L." ).

Say what you will about Seven, she can hold her own against Picard.

Picard, I can take or leave. I'm much more of a Seven fan (and I'm not the only one).

This isn't about gravitas for me-it's about telling a story that they start out telling. And, with due respect, Seven wasn't in it. As much as I appreciate the intensity of Picard's experience (which is a terrible word for something I hope I don't experience) the Borg are something that Picard supposedly had closure over. More importantly, the Borg have been done to death and supposedly Picard is broken up over the Romulan evacuation failure that bringing in the Borg, as part of Picard's life as it was, feels like a sitcom doing a "Will they/won't they?" of a romance of the mains.

I'm not a fan of Seven or Picard, but I want more of the Romulans. Picard did OK, but it touched on many plot points and it left much open ended. What we got was something that was very much inline with Past Trek-and left me wanting more Romulans.

 

[Danja]

My personal preference? The Artifact is back into orbit; it's holding the Admonition-Makers off, but only just barely. Jean-Luc needs to get Soji to close the portal. He does, the same way he does in the actual show (God do I adore that "That's why we're here: To save each other" line). The Romulans skiddaddle. Then, while Jean-Luc is on a four-way call with Riker, Seven and Elnor, and Soji -- it happens. He collapses. Jurati scrambles. Seven intervenes. Connecting with the cube and becoming Queen means she knows of a way to save him. But it means fusing the golem Alton is working on with Borg technology -- something Jean-Luc might not agree with.

Which leads us into "Seven's Borg tech saves the day ... Again" (Voyager was notorious for those episodes).

Cue the Voyager fans in the audience rolling their eyes.

This isn't about gravitas for me-it's about telling a story that they start out telling.

This is a ten-hour movie (What movie doesn't have plot twists?)

And, with due respect, Seven wasn't in it. As much as I appreciate the intensity of Picard's experience (which is a terrible word for something I hope I don't experience) the Borg are something that Picard supposedly had closure over.

He never had a chance at closure. He was too busy with his career.

More importantly, the Borg have been done to death

Sir Patrick agrees with you. He didn't want to do another "same old, same old" Borg story.

I'm not a fan of Seven or Picard, but I want more of the Romulans. Picard did OK, but it touched on many plot points and it left much open ended. What we got was something that was very much inline with Past Trek-and left me wanting more Romulans.

There's always Season Two.

 

[Sci]

Which leads us into "Seven's Borg tech saves the day ... Again" (Voyager was notorious for those episodes).

Cue the Voyager fans in the audience rolling their eyes.

*shrugs* There is no such thing as a perfect story that pleases everyone. I would prioritize giving thematic resonance to the presence of Elnor, the Artifact, and Seven, over inadvertently invoking tropes from a show that aired most of its episodes under the Clinton administration and went off the air when the star of the current show was 2 years old. VOY was a very long time ago, and I just don't care if something evokes a plot element from it anymore.

Your mileage may vary.

As much as I appreciate the intensity of Picard's experience (which is a terrible word for something I hope I don't experience) the Borg are something that Picard supposedly had closure over.

With respect, I don't think assimilation by the Borg is something one necessarily gets "closure" on. If we look at real life analogous experiences, some people get closure; but in my experience, most just end up with varying levels of PTSD that they have to manage as a chronic condition for the rest of their lives. It's not something they ever really get over; it's a pain and trauma that may lessen over time, or may lessen but then return if triggered, but which never truly leaves them, which informs who they are and who they become for years and decades later.

To me, looking at it, Picard seems to have recurring PTSD with the Borg. It flared up in the immediate aftermath of his assimilation ("Family"), and then it cooled down for a while before flaring up again when Hugh was rescued ("I, Borg"). It seemed to stay under control during the mission with Lore and the rogue Borg, but it flared up again with a vengeance in ST:FC. It seems to have been "in remission" for a good long while, but then it flared up again in "The Impossible Box." To me, Picard's PTSD over the Borg looks more like a chronic condition he has to manage, than anything he's found true "closure" over.

 

[fireproof78]

This is a ten-hour movie (What movie doesn't have plot twists?)

The twists are all well and good but I felt it left the Romulans behind in the name of the twists.

He never had a chance at closure. He was too busy with his career.

Really? I thought the whole breaking the Queen's neck thing was highly symbolic of closer from a story perspective. Obviously, psychologically, it would remain with him for the rest of his life. But, that doesn't mean it is touched on again or that it felt out of place a bit in the story.

Sir Patrick agrees with you. He didn't want to do another "same old, same old" Borg story.

Unfortunately, the Borg still felt very samey.

There's always Season Two.

And I am quite hopeful.

 

[Jarvisimo]

A "ten-hour movie" that's a truism of our era in TV, but I don't think anyone knows what it means, really, even when they use it. Plus it's exasperating how the term "x-hour movie" - and even "ten hours" explicitly - is used so often.

For a more sustained critique of the "x-hour movie" phenomenon, see Sepinwall here (and follow his links within).

 

[Rahul]

I still don't get how, for the first time, they put Picard, seven of Nine, Hugh, even freakin' Icheb, and a whole cube of Borg drones into one show, and NOT(!) make that primarily a Borg story!

Instead, all that is just completely coincidental backdrop for a much more generic "robots-gonna'-revolt"/"ancient-anti-A.I.-conspiracy"-story that's essentially explained and resolved in one final episode...

I think this season would have been much stronger, had it ended with the Borg drones fighting to do their own thing (maybe a peaceful mini-collective, instead of being individualised), and Picard having to protect them from overzealous Romulans, who don't want renegade Borg running around the universe, given their history...

 

[Danja]

I think this season would have been much stronger, had it ended with the Borg drones fighting to do their own thing (maybe a peaceful mini-collective, instead of being individualised), and Picard having to protect them from overzealous Romulans, who don't want renegade Borg running around the universe, given their history...

What about a Borg vs. Borg civil war? (Peace-loving xBs vs. the conquering Old Guard "Resistance Is Futile" crowd?)

 

[fireproof78]

I still don't get how, for the first time, they put Picard, seven of Nine, Hugh, even freakin' Icheb, and a whole cube of Borg drones into one show, and NOT(!) make that primarily a Borg story!

That is part of my frustration. It doesn't feel like a twist as more like a side quest in the Romulan story that is no longer about the Romulans but also AI. It's strange to me.

Genuinely, and I have no love for Picard, Seven, Hugh or Icheb, but I would think that having a full season of that would probably be more appropriate for the characters.

 

[zenophite]

I still don't get how, for the first time, they put Picard, seven of Nine, Hugh, even freakin' Icheb, and a whole cube of Borg drones into one show, and NOT(!) make that primarily a Borg story!

Instead, all that is just completely coincidental backdrop for a much more generic "robots-gonna'-revolt"/"ancient-anti-A.I.-conspiracy"-story that's essentially explained and resolved in one final episode...

I think this season would have been much stronger, had it ended with the Borg drones fighting to do their own thing (maybe a peaceful mini-collective, instead of being individualised), and Picard having to protect them from overzealous Romulans, who don't want renegade Borg running around the universe, given their history...

This is a good point and emphasizes the erratic and generally unsatisfying overall story. It seems that if they wanted to tread some ground related to consciousness and the rights of cyborgs/trans-biological life they had it all on a silver platter with the Borg, Seven, Icheb etc...adding the whole android, Data, Data's daughter thing just sounds like they threw in a bunch of different things in a hat, mixed it up and pulled them all out in order as a sort of failed exercise in Buroughs cut up technique.