Thanks. So it looks like the quote I wanted was “can a single act redeem a lifetime?”
Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 2x08 - "Mercy"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
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Thanks. So it looks like the quote I wanted was “can a single act redeem a lifetime?”
Someone needs to give Q "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl.
Interesting. I always see this point but haven't quite grasped it fully. I prefer serialized stories, done well or not. Episodic, like Q states, is boring after a while. Interesting.
If this show didn't have the name Star Trek or Patrick Stewart attached to it, I probably wouldn't be enjoying it at all. It's just been spinning its wheels for several episodes. Anges as the Borg Queen is goofy. Seven and Raffi are getting annoying. I really hate all the Soong storylines. Q and Guinan really steal the show. I'm also surprisingly digging the Rios storyline, but this could have all been told in a movie.
It does raise interesting questions!
Presumably, if they need to cause WW3 to create a better future, it's a matter of the long run benefits outweighing the short-term costs. It's really an ends justifies the means argument. Not really a ST argument at all.
Conversely, we did see only a little bit of the Confederation. Even if we stipulate that the Confederation is worse than the Federation, how do we know that it, like WW3, might be a stepping stone to a better future? That's entirely possible!
You can't judge an entire timeline by one point in history. The Prime timeline proves that with WW3 --> Federation. The same applies to looking at the Confederation and not judging its entire timeline based solely on it.
In the end, they'll probably just conclude that the Federation is the timeline that occurred "naturally" and that it should be restored for that reason.
As it should. Consistent with past Trek.
How long does the Confederation last? Does it lead to something better? We just don't know. Normally, you'd rationally be saying that we need to avoid WW3 at all costs! But because we see what happens later, we might think otherwise.
We only saw one point in time in basically just one location. Can you really judge an entire timeline from such a small sample size? I wouldn't think so.
And that's the real thing. Paramount needs it to be consistent with the Prime timeline. But that's not a good story reason!
Good enough for what's been done in the past. Picard saw a brief snippet, deemed it morally unacceptable, and resolved to change it.
That's pretty much how Star Trek rolls. Anything else is novel territory.
ETA: I don't mean to sound glib. I know that many would like Trek to soar in terms of storytelling possibility. I'm just not that expectant of Star Trek actually doing that right now.
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FBI guy is doing this "off the books" and "nobody knows" he has Picard and Guinan in the basement, yet last week he had a full team of FBI agents with him when he arrested them. I'll always love Patrick Stewart but he's totally phoning it in this season(other than in scenes with de Lancie) and all that stuff just had me checking how long there was left in the episode.
Jurati and the Borg Queen's scenes were good in previous episodes because Annie Wersching and Alison Pill had such great chemistry together. Jurati Queen just running about doing evil Borg stuff on her own is not as interesting. Pill was good when she got to talk at the end at least.
Brent Spiner and John de Lancie did good acting but I still hate this thing where every (male) member of the Soong family is a mad scientist who look identical. Q dying and trying to teach Jean-Luc one last lesson is by far the most interesting idea in the show and should be getting a lot more screentime.
I still haven't got a handle on Raffi's character after almost two whole seasons. I think she's just a bad character? The thing about her emotionally manipulating people felt like it was just made up for this episode, complete with flashback scene to prove it.
"Is this a dream...OR A NIGHTMARE" was a really bad line.
Jurati and the Borg Queen's scenes were good in previous episodes because Annie Wersching and Alison Pill had such great chemistry together. Jurati Queen just running about doing evil Borg stuff on her own is not as interesting. Pill was good when she got to talk at the end at least.
Brent Spiner and John de Lancie did good acting but I still hate this thing where every (male) member of the Soong family is a mad scientist who look identical. Q dying and trying to teach Jean-Luc one last lesson is by far the most interesting idea in the show and should be getting a lot more screentime.
I still haven't got a handle on Raffi's character after almost two whole seasons. I think she's just a bad character? The thing about her emotionally manipulating people felt like it was just made up for this episode, complete with flashback scene to prove it.
"Is this a dream...OR A NIGHTMARE" was a really bad line.
My thinking is Q is trying to redeem himself if there is a greater existence beyond what he's known for billions of years. Hedging his bets as it were.
But I also believe he genuinely has affection for Picard and Data (he tells Soong he's a fan of his work), so he's helping them deal with issues that are trapping them. Also he's tangentially helping the others, too.
-If Rios decides to stay in 2024, he'll no longer be alone.
-Seven is no longer Borg.
-Raffi will learn to deal with her interpersonal issues.
-Even Jurati will leave her loneliness behind.
-And if we're guessing right, the Borg will end up becoming a force for good.
Sure, sacrifices must be made (Elnor, etc.). But Q's "bloody nose" comment in TNG's 'Q Who' comes to mind.
Basically, I think, in his own uncomfortable way, Q is trying to help Picard and his current pals. And the entire galaxy. And himself/the Continuum.
Who knows though? Maybe we're thinking more about this than the writers.
I think it's safe to say that this is almost a guarantee.
Not sure what point you're getting at. But I have no doubt that the Prime timeline will be restored, more or less. There are some really interesting questions involved though when you really think about it. A really intelligent series might even want to explore them.
It's basically impossible for a franchise series to do that though because maintaining the franchise that is crucial! I'm not dogging Picard for avoiding that. But the underlying questions are interesting. Basically they're going to cause WW3 to prevent our species from taking over the galaxy. That's poignant whether or not they address it.
Glad I’m not the only one then.
I think that it ties in well with the fact that Q has never been good or evil, he just is. It seeming like quite an evil act for the majority of the season then turning out to be a twisted way to help Picard work through his greatest hidden pain would be a very Q thing to do.
Maybe some day it will. Again, not trying to be flip but I don't treat Star Trek as a "really intelligent series." It can have smart episodes but it was never the smartest kid in the room, as it where, at least not to me.
And that's the power of story. We take in meaning whether to the story means it or not. I prefer that over trusting the writers of something that they themselves may not see in terms of poignancy.
Yep. So I doubt they'd feel obligated to keep to that.
Onscreen text readouts have been ignored before, why would they all of a sudden pay attention now?
But as I said, it is entirely possible that 2026 is the beginning of a Cold War-like buildup (possibly the birth of the ECON) that will eventually lead to World War III in 2053.
How do the Vulcans that landed in 20 centuary earth suddenly have acces to transporter technology? Ist that technology supposed to emerge much later? Or are they time travelers as well?
This isn’t a lesson. It’s penance.
When was the transporter developed? Why wouldn't the Vulcans have it?
Vulcans had teleporters long before humans did.
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