Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 2x06 - "Two of One"

[Akiraprise]

I was that way up until "Unification III", at that point, I just wasn't interested enough in Discovery to make that sacrifice anymore.

From TOS thru ENT and movies 1-12 I have re-watched just about all of them a few times through. Some of the better scenes countless times. But DSC and PIC are one and done for me.

 

[BillJ]

From TOS thru ENT and movies 1-12 I have re-watched just about all of them a few times through. Some of the better scenes countless times. But DSC and PIC are one and done for me.

TOS and TNG? I've easily seen every episode between five and ten times. DS9, VOY and ENT? A couple times each. All the movies I've seen multiple times, though Insurrection is the one I've seen the least.

I've struggled to some degree keeping up with Picard. It took me nearly a year to watch the final two episodes of season one after they were released. The thought of tentacle monsters and robot Picard turned me off to a great degree. Discovery? I was just largely bored by it, I got to the point it would take months between episodes to watch. I was excited by the switch to the 32nd century, but by the third episode, I was back to just not caring about the show.

 

[Tuskin38]

43 is too much so I used a random number generator to narrow it down to five.

But you quoted 6.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

But you quoted 6.

His internal random number generator is on the fritz.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I would imagine he did it for the same reason Noonien Soong created Data and Lore. Because he could. As the culmination of his life's work.

Perhaps.

But Adam still genuinely seems to love Kore, or at least cares deeply for her. Otherwise he wouldn't so easily let Q manipulate him.

So Kore may be part of his scientific work, but clearly she isn't only that. Created or not, she's still his daughter.

 

[cooleddie74]

His internal random number generator is on the fritz.

CBS Trek. It has to be 25% different.

 

[GNDN18]

25% is the new 47.

 

[Amaris]

From TOS thru ENT and movies 1-12 I have re-watched just about all of them a few times through. Some of the better scenes countless times. But DSC and PIC are one and done for me.

TOS and TNG? I've easily seen every episode between five and ten times. DS9, VOY and ENT? A couple times each. All the movies I've seen multiple times, though Insurrection is the one I've seen the least.

I've struggled to some degree keeping up with Picard. It took me nearly a year to watch the final two episodes of season one after they were released. The thought of tentacle monsters and robot Picard turned me off to a great degree. Discovery? I was just largely bored by it, I got to the point it would take months between episodes to watch. I was excited by the switch to the 32nd century, but by the third episode, I was back to just not caring about the show.

That's Discovery for me. I have watched every episode of Star Trek at least half a dozen times, and much much more if we're talking DS9, TOS, and TNG. Lower Decks gets a rewatch every so often, and Picard's still fresh enough I haven't rewatched it yet, but plan on it after the end of this season.

For Disco, though, it's definitely one and done. Quite honestly, I've had no desire to go back and watch it more than once. That's not to say Disco is bad, just that I have no desire to do a rewatch. I wonder if it has to do with the heavy serialization? I mean, DS9 was pretty serialized, but there was enough in the mix that could be stand alone episodes that it didn't affect the overall storytelling for me.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I've watched every season of Discovery through at least twice. Only twice for the most recent season because it's just finished. Enterprise and Voyager are one-and-done for me, unless I have a specific reason to revisit the shows.

 

[Cyrus]

I have watched every Star Trek episode at least twice, except for Lower Decks and Prodigy. Once is enough for those. I definitely watch every Picard episode twice, and loving it. And we only have 14 more to go.

 

[Photoman15]

PART ONE (PART TWO FOLLOWS SOON)

1) After a very long recap the show opens with Picard knocked out and bleeding on the floor. This, of course, raises concerns that the writers & producers seem to have forgotten that they turned the title hero into an android, and the notion that he'd be bleeding at all is stupid. And I'm going to guess that he was knocked out by something electrical as opposed to something of blunt force, but we shall see...

Well, you were wrong about what knocked Picard out. You're also wrong about him being an android. He's a synth that was made to act and be just like a human.

2) Writers acknowledge that Supervisor inexplicably looks like Laris, but don't attempt to explain why Supervisor looks like Laris. Also, a trivial thing here, but Supervisor doesn't pronounce "Laris" the way Picard does, thus her inflection is off, which would be strange given that's she's repeating a pronunciation that he'd be speaking.

The season is not over. There may be an explanation coming. Patience is a virtue.

3) Sure is convenient that Jurati, a security threat, was locked inside the very security control room that she needed to be. What might have happened to this master plan if the guards had chucked her into the broom closet until the police showed up...

That's standard procedure unless there is a specific lock-up room.

4) Borg Queen mentions she "misses Locutus" and my question is, why? Did they have a personal relationship we don't know about? Does the show not realize that this isn't the same Queen that interacted with Picard before? Does this Queen not realize that Picard literally snapped the spine of a previous Queen, thus ending her?

Hive/Shared Mind. And yes, it was explained that the Queen did interact with Picard during his Locutus time.

5) Guards don't hear Jurati talking to herself despite being mere feet away.

WE heard her because there are microphones for TV. She wasn't talking as loud as it sounds.

6) Jurati pulls out another MacGuffin device (I don't even want to know where she kept it) that magically knocks out all humans in the room except her because... bad writing.

That's how advanced weapons work, pulsating outward in a specific direction.

7) Presence of device on Jurati further proof that this highest of high tech security team is also portrayed to be as dumb as wood for not even frisking her so as to determine if she has a weapon on any kind. Seriously, why are all Star Trek characters written today to be so implausiblity stupid and derelict in their duties. It's so ridiculous that we are expected to accept such ineptitude from the people inhabiting this world.

She was cuffed to the chair. They probably patted her down previously.

8) Knocked out guards fall on their consoles only to then disappear from frame a second later after Jurati "pulls". Could they not have kept these actors around for another shot...?

They're on the floor.

9) Some bad editing between the time the guard scans Rios for a second time and when Jurati finally uploads his image into the console. Scan should have been immediate yet show makes it take what looked like another minute before Jurati could save the day.

Unless you want to see the two scenes in split screen, they are taking place at the same time.

10) Previous Rios scan shows a 60-year-old named Karl Leonard Kelley, a heart surgeon from El Paso. What I don't understand is what the hell happened to this guy? Did Picard's "plan" include a stealing the identity of this person? Is this person not already at the party? How did they even get this ID? Or right, another MacGuffin aka bad writing.

They were duplicated RFID tags of people that were invited. The real Dr Kelley is either inside or hadn't arrived yet.

11) Cut now to Picard on a hospital bed, and no one amongst the crew seems to be concerned that the measurements of a futuristic android are being taken by 2024 medical staff.

Not an android. See above

12) Not Laris tells Picard that they live by a code that prohibits them from interfering with the subjects of their watching. How might Gary 7 feel about this...

Her assignment prohibits interference. Gary Seven wasn't supposed to interfere either (as he was a supervisor). BUT he had two people (killed in a car crash) that were supposed to sabotage the missile. So he had to take their place.

12) Picard asks Not Laris, "And who is watching over you?" And despite this being a perfectly good question, it is played as a rhetorical one, and it goes unanswered...?

It was rhetorical.

13) Conspicuous woman in red dress that security literally just apprehended moments ago is suddenly back on the dance floor and security doesn't seem to notice. Top tier, high tech security team is amazing at their jobs until show needs them not to be...

First, floor security was concerned about apprehending Picard. Second, they could just as well think that the guard office found she was the night's singer and released her.

14) Nobody notices pretty woman in the red dress talking to herself or arguing with herself.

When "arguing" with the BQ, it may have been in her head, or, this is LA.....

15) Credit where credit is due. At least the show finally acknowledged that Raffi is a drunk.

Raffi was introduced as an (reformed) addict. How is Seltzer water change that?

16) Raffi tells Rios that he's been on cloud 9 ever since meeting the pretty doctor. How does she even know that happened? How does she overlook the fact that she's been injured badly, locked up, threatened, electrocuted, and nearly deported to who knows where, but sure... cloud nine.

They've been reunited since the bus escape. Characters talk offscreen.

18) Why is Seven holding court with these strangers over wine, all the while shooting the breeze instead of, you know, doing anything resembling saving the world.

She is MINGLING and in place (undercover) for when needed.

19) Picard tells Not Laris that she's done "a good job" despite the fact that she's arguably done a horrible job of enabling Q to infiltrate her therapy sessions...

Because she knew who "Q" was? Q interfering was a recent development.

20) Why is Picard suggesting that Not Laris isn't ready to let Picard go? Dude, you just met her, she's been doing this for 20+ years, why do you presume to know what this situation needs? What happened to your "plan"? Didn't you inform Not Laris ahead of time that this is what you were going to do?

He sees she's grown attached.

20) For a show as woke as this seems to be, it's surprising that the Borg Queen would equate Jurati getting physical attention from people as "showing her potential".

She was showing her potential to manipulate the people and/or situation.

22) Jurati kisses Rios, and because the show cannot go more than a couple minutes without a character emoting all over the scene we see Agnes scurry off as if her inaction might not derail this crucial mission and thus, end the divergence threatening the future of humanity in this stupid alternate timeline.

The BQ "kissed" Rios. Jurati ran off when she regained control.

23) Europa board welcomes Dr. Soong...? Wasn't his license just revoked? Seems rather irresponsible. Then again, this is the same brass that enabled a depressed astronaut to get this far into this crucial space flight...

Money = Money

24) Why doesn't Soong merely tell Picard why he can't interfere with Renee dropping out? More importantly, why doesn't Picard insist on being told by Soong what's going on...?

Picard had no time to talk/argue with Soong. He had to find Renee

25) Oh would you look at that, security knows how to be security again for no reason whatsoever. Mercy these story beats are terrible. Oh no, wait... security can't apprehend the 100-year old...

Diversion, did you miss that?

26) Cut to Picard getting external defibrillator shocks, despite the fact that sigh he's an android. So stupid. So, so, sooooo stupid.

NOT AN ANDROID.

27) "You can't push me like that." Conveniently nobody on the team hears Jurati talking to herself. This of course would be mute if Jurati simply had a voice over playing, that way we'd at least see her NOT talking out loud to herself.

Again, not everyone hears what we hear. I believe they asked her what she said, and she replied, "oh, nothing".

28) Only after several minutes of hurt feelings and utter nonsense does Jurati acknowledge that she is jeopardizing the mission. A mission which cannot be overstated given that humanity is on the line and all...

Temptation is powerful

29) Jurati turns the lights out to... oh my god what the actual fuck is happening. She is singing. Singing. How can someone who isn't 12 years old think this idea is acceptable. She's singing. As if she is wearing a mic. As if the band would suddenly know the song she's singing enough to miraculously accompany her. As if there was a guy on spotlight just waiting for this moment. As if the event coordinator associated with the venue wouldn't be freaking out right now. This is the dumbest fucking thing I've ever seen. I can't believe what's happened to my beloved franchise. This is kind of horse shit you'd see in Glee, not Star Trek.

Jurati replaced a scheduled singer. Everything is computerized. The band knew the song.

31) Forget the 100 year old android being able to slip passed the suddenly terrible again security team. She's... singing!! *Note, it was at this time I turned off this stupid, stupid show to go for a walk.*

See all above. Maybe earlier walks are called for.

32) Back again. Oh god the singing isn't even over yet. Fire everyone. Fire everyone associated with this absolutely mind-boggling stupidity.

Where'd you walk to? The next room? The singing was no more than 2 minutes, if that.

35) It turns out endorphins, not nanoprobes, is what enables a Borg to assume control of a host. Geez and after more than 30-years of watching them here I thought all those people being turned into drones were unhappy about it. Apparently resistance is futile when losing your freedom and life because part-time!!

The BQ needed a stimulant to be able to (fully) take over.

36) Despite all eyes being on Ag-borg no one noticed the devilishly black orbs that her eyes become.

It was 2 seconds and then they returned to normal.

41) Despite being an android that could easily withstand the brunt of this slow moving vehicle, Picard is struck down.

The Borg are relentless in their search for perfection. You seem to be relentless in thinking Picard is an android, not a synth.

Continues below to part 2 SOON.

Please.... don't.

 

[Capt. Ben Sisko]

I'm sure this was mentioned, but there was absolutely zero need to have 38 minutes prior or whatever crap in this episode. It didn't add any drama, just a stupid trope. Oh do I long for the days of Brannon Braga, Piller, et al. But I digress.

These last two episodes, especially since they were directed by Riker, should have just been one episode.

Also, does anyone else find it interesting that all of these episodes are cut like they are going to a commercial break, with the fade out and dramatic musical flourish?

 

[Amaris]

I'm sure this was mentioned, but there was absolutely zero need to have 38 minutes prior or whatever crap in this episode. It didn't add any drama, just a stupid trope. Oh do I long for the days of Brannon Braga, Piller, et al. But I digress.

These last two episodes, especially since they were directed by Riker, should have just been one episode.

Also, does anyone else find it interesting that all of these episodes are cut like they are going to a commercial break, with the fade out and dramatic musical flourish?

Paramount+ streaming has commercials unless you have the premium service.

 

[Cyrus]

Also, does anyone else find it interesting that all of these episodes are cut like they are going to a commercial break, with the fade out and dramatic musical flourish?

if you had the cheap P+ subscription like me then you would know that there actually are commercial breaks.

 

[StarMan]

15) Credit where credit is due. At least the show finally acknowledged that Raffi is a drunk.

Nasty piece of work aren't you?

Continues below to part 2 SOON.

You're already over a critique per minute of runtime. I think ya done.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Yep. I get commercials too.

 

[Romulan_spy]

Before i start i must admit Brent Spiners acting was awesome when he comes back opens his collar and admits defeat. I can't stand Rafi she looks like a cheap h***ker from a 70 s bar with that awful frizzy hair.

PART ONE (PART TWO FOLLOWS SOON)

1) After a very long recap the show opens with Picard knocked out and bleeding on the floor. This, of course, raises concerns that the writers & producers seem to have forgotten that they turned the title hero into an android, and the notion that he'd be bleeding at all is stupid. And I'm going to guess that he was knocked out by something electrical as opposed to something of blunt force, but we shall see...

2) Writers acknowledge that Supervisor inexplicably looks like Laris, but don't attempt to explain why Supervisor looks like Laris. Also, a trivial thing here, but Supervisor doesn't pronounce "Laris" the way Picard does, thus her inflection is off, which would be strange given that's she's repeating a pronunciation that he'd be speaking.

3) Sure is convenient that Jurati, a security threat, was locked inside the very security control room that she needed to be. What might have happened to this master plan if the guards had chucked her into the broom closet until the police showed up...


4) Borg Queen mentions she "misses Locutus" and my question is, why? Did they have a personal relationship we don't know about? Does the show not realize that this isn't the same Queen that interacted with Picard before? Does this Queen not realize that Picard literally snapped the spine of a previous Queen, thus ending her?


5) Guards don't hear Jurati talking to herself despite being mere feet away.

6) Jurati pulls out another MacGuffin device (I don't even want to know where she kept it) that magically knocks out all humans in the room except her because... bad writing.


7) Presence of device on Jurati further proof that this highest of high tech security team is also portrayed to be as dumb as wood for not even frisking her so as to determine if she has a weapon on any kind. Seriously, why are all Star Trek characters written today to be so implausiblity stupid and derelict in their duties. It's so ridiculous that we are expected to accept such ineptitude from the people inhabiting this world.

8) Knocked out guards fall on their consoles only to then disappear from frame a second later after Jurati "pulls". Could they not have kept these actors around for another shot...?

9) Some bad editing between the time the guard scans Rios for a second time and when Jurati finally uploads his image into the console. Scan should have been immediate yet show makes it take what looked like another minute before Jurati could save the day.

10) Previous Rios scan shows a 60-year-old named Karl Leonard Kelley, a heart surgeon from El Paso. What I don't understand is what the hell happened to this guy? Did Picard's "plan" include a stealing the identity of this person? Is this person not already at the party? How did they even get this ID? Or right, another MacGuffin aka bad writing.

11) Cut now to Picard on a hospital bed, and no one amongst the crew seems to be concerned that the measurements of a futuristic android are being taken by 2024 medical staff. 12) Not Laris tells Picard that they live by a code that prohibits them from interfering with the subjects of their watching. How might Gary 7 feel about this...


12) Picard asks Not Laris, "And who is watching over you?" And despite this being a perfectly good question, it is played as a rhetorical one, and it goes unanswered...? 13) Conspicuous woman in red dress that security literally just apprehended moments ago is suddenly back on the dance floor and security doesn't seem to notice. Top tier, high tech security team is amazing at their jobs until show needs them not to be...


14) Nobody notices pretty woman in the red dress talking to herself or arguing with herself.


15) Credit where credit is due. At least the show finally acknowledged that Raffi is a drunk.


16) Raffi tells Rios that he's been on cloud 9 ever since meeting the pretty doctor. How does she even know that happened? How does she overlook the fact that she's been injured badly, locked up, threatened, electrocuted, and nearly deported to who knows where, but sure... cloud nine.


17) Raffi & Rios continue this ridiculous conversation as if the fate of the world isn't on their shoulders. Without previously showing us that he feels this way, show shoehorns in yet another B-story set up with Rios wanting to do anything other than be a responsible Starfleet captain.


18) Why is Seven holding court with these strangers over wine, all the while shooting the breeze instead of, you know, doing anything resembling saving the world.


19) Picard tells Not Laris that she's done "a good job" despite the fact that she's arguably done a horrible job of enabling Q to infiltrate her therapy sessions...


20) Why is Picard suggesting that Not Laris isn't ready to let Picard go? Dude, you just met her, she's been doing this for 20+ years, why do you presume to know what this situation needs? What happened to your "plan"? Didn't you inform Not Laris ahead of time that this is what you were going to do? 20) For a show as woke as this seems to be, it's surprising that the Borg Queen would equate Jurati getting physical attention from people as "showing her potential".


21) Jurati shares moments of insight into Rios' character that we are expected to accept at face value instead of appreciating the fact that the audience barely recalls one or two scenes they've shared together. At least Rios is trying to further to mission now.

22) Jurati kisses Rios, and because the show cannot go more than a couple minutes without a character emoting all over the scene we see Agnes scurry off as if her inaction might not derail this crucial mission and thus, end the divergence threatening the future of humanity in this stupid alternate timeline.


23) Europa board welcomes Dr. Soong...? Wasn't his license just revoked? Seems rather irresponsible. Then again, this is the same brass that enabled a depressed astronaut to get this far into this crucial space flight...

24) Why doesn't Soong merely tell Picard why he can't interfere with Renee dropping out? More importantly, why doesn't Picard insist on being told by Soong what's going on...?


25) Oh would you look at that, security knows how to be security again for no reason whatsoever. Mercy these story beats are terrible. Oh no, wait... security can't apprehend the 100-year old...


26) Cut to Picard getting external defibrillator shocks, despite the fact that sigh he's an android. So stupid. So, so, sooooo stupid.



27) "You can't push me like that." Conveniently nobody on the team hears Jurati talking to herself. This of course would be mute if Jurati simply had a voice over playing, that way we'd at least see her NOT talking out loud to herself.


28) Only after several minutes of hurt feelings and utter nonsense does Jurati acknowledge that she is jeopardizing the mission. A mission which cannot be overstated given that humanity is on the line and all...


29) Jurati turns the lights out to... oh my god what the actual fuck is happening. She is singing. Singing. How can someone who isn't 12 years old think this idea is acceptable. She's singing. As if she is wearing a mic. As if the band would suddenly know the song she's singing enough to miraculously accompany her. As if there was a guy on spotlight just waiting for this moment. As if the event coordinator associated with the venue wouldn't be freaking out right now. This is the dumbest fucking thing I've ever seen. I can't believe what's happened to my beloved franchise. This is kind of horse shit you'd see in Glee, not Star Trek.


30) Forget the magic pulse that witches off everything except the android. She's singing!

31) Forget the 100 year old android being able to slip passed the suddenly terrible again security team. She's... singing!! *Note, it was at this time I turned off this stupid, stupid show to go for a walk.*

32) Back again. Oh god the singing isn't even over yet. Fire everyone. Fire everyone associated with this absolutely mind-boggling stupidity.

(I like the song by the way)


33) Crackerjack security, despite the multiple perimeter breaches, doesn't alert Europa of anything. As a result, their prized astronaut is allowed to roam freely on her own. Literally someone could be attacking her as she hurts her hurt feelings all over the empty corridor.


34) No one associated with the crew so much as bats an eyelash at the musical stylings of Jurati because...


35) It turns out endorphins, not nanoprobes, is what enables a Borg to assume control of a host. Geez and after more than 30-years of watching them here I thought all those people being turned into drones were unhappy about it. Apparently resistance is futile when losing your freedom and life because part-time!!


36) Despite all eyes being on Ag-borg no one noticed the devilishly black orbs that her eyes become.


37) I'm sorry, but an old random man has a few choice (if uninspired) words and miraculously gets Renee feeling great again. 38) Picard escorts Renee back towards the security team that is looking for him. And despite "blocking all the exits" Picard and Renee are able to leave...?


39) Odd choice to have no one around as Picard & Renee leave the building, particularly since an overhead shot a minute ago showed loads of people outside. But whatever...


40) It's a night of miracles! Soong knew exactly when and where the Picards would exit! Wow that's awesome and not completely stupid whatsoever.


41) Despite being an android that could easily withstand the brunt of this slow moving vehicle, Picard is struck down.


42) Despite no one being around Rios and Not Laris miraculously show up mere seconds after Picard is hit by Soong.


43) Good thing the Europa Board doesn't care about Soong's) license being revoked or his questionable character or else this whole hit & run thing might get him in hot water...!

Nitpicking Nerd, is that you?

Continues below to part 2 SOON.

Please no. We don't need a part 2 with another 50 ridiculous nitpicks from a "hater".

 

[cooleddie74]

 

[Turtletrekker]

Please no. We don't need a part 2 with another 50 ridiculous nitpicks from a "hater".

Did we need part one?

 

[cooleddie74]

Episode I: The Phantom Meh Mess.