Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 2x08 - "Mercy"

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Picard' started by Commander Richard, Apr 20, 2022.

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Rate the episode...

  1. 10 - Excellent!

    6.8%
  2. 9

    22.4%
  3. 8

    28.0%
  4. 7

    21.7%
  5. 6

    6.8%
  6. 5

    3.1%
  7. 4

    3.7%
  8. 3

    1.2%
  9. 2

    1.9%
  10. 1 - Terrible!

    4.3%
  1. El Maestro

    El Maestro Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I think that part of what is going on has to do with the storytelling conventions of shorter seasons than "legacy" Trek fans are used to when we remember that the shows that brought us into the franchise had 22 or 26 eps a season. This is a pretty new paradigm in TV, and we've started to see patterns emerge in how seasons work. They have an almost ternary, ABA form. The first few episodes (the first A) are meant to set the premise, draw viewers in, and often have a fair amount of spectacle. The middle, the B section, slows down and will often complicate the story/premise and offer experimental or contrasting formats. The last A section reprises the beginning in terms of conventionality, spectacle, and stakes. This seems to be the general form of a 10 episode season of streaming TV. Of course there are variations, but this is what I've loosely observed.

    PIC S2 had a really good first A section! Fans were excited. So the reactions tended to be hyperbolic. There were improvements over S1, especially in terms of characterization, in the first few episodes, and this added to it. The B section is more of a mixed bag because of the contrast in feel to the A section. the story elements it complicated/introduced were a little bit odd and for me, impossible to judge until we see the ending. But fans reacted to it just as hyperbolically. I would wager that the last two episodes will engender a similar intensity of reaction. We'll see!

    Disclaimer: this is half-baked because I haven't had the time or inclination to flesh it out fully.
     
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  2. cooleddie74

    cooleddie74 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    "Those Earth people must do a lot of stimulants. And their taste in music...most unusual."

    "Place the warning buoy here. Tell the High Command to include rectal adhesive solvent on any future expeditions to this planet."
     
  3. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    This is my observation and expectations as well. That as quickly as the loving reactions poured out, and as quickly as the cries of disappointment were heard, a similar turn in emotion will happen with the end of the series.

    You are quite right about the hyperbole. There is a reason it drew my eye since episode 1 reviews of this season. I felt it was unsustainable overreaction and have been proven correct thus far.
     
  4. Tuskin38

    Tuskin38 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It was even said in Carbon Creek that there would be another survey in 20 years.
     
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  5. cooleddie74

    cooleddie74 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Which might place the Agent Wells flashback scene sometime around 1977, still allowing for him to mature from about the age of 10 to his late fifties, which is a good estimate for the character's age.
     
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  6. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Earth to Vulcan is a 4 day trip on the NX-01.

    They really must believe that Earth is a Garbage planet, if they don't want to waste half a tank of deuterium to make the trip.
     
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  7. cooleddie74

    cooleddie74 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Qo'noS is the four-day trip from Earth. Which opened up a can of worms all its own.
     
  8. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Have you seen the price of deuterium lately?

    I don't go any further out of my way than necessary as a rule because I hate wasting fuel. It's not because certain locations are "garbage" but because I value fuel.

    I know, I know. It's dumb.
     
  9. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Now Klingons might think Earth is a garbage planet ;)
     
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  10. IMC Headquarters

    IMC Headquarters Screencaptioning Addict Premium Member

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    Soval must have pissed off a higher up in the High Command to the degree they sent him away to be Earth's Ambassador.
     
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  11. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I thought that was obvious from the word "Go" in Enterprise.
     
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  12. Jack Wolfe

    Jack Wolfe Commodore Commodore

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    That would explain the chunk of driftwood up his ass.
     
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  13. cooleddie74

    cooleddie74 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    "Semtak gets Denobula. Sten gets Ardana. You, Soval, get Earth."

    "What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"
     
  14. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    A 4 day trip at warp 5, or more likely warp 4, since Enterprise only had a Warp 5 Engine on paper, until that episode were they sustained warp 5.2 for many hours.

    Ships were slower the past, but Vulcan Ships have always been considerably faster than earth Ships.

    The 1701 was not an Earth Ship, or not an Earth only Ship, it's a Federation ship using the highest orders of tech from all of it's member worlds.

    Earth designed the cup holders.
     
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  15. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Having recently been in a vehicle without them trust me this is a necessary invention. Even the Klingons appreciate it.
     
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  16. IMC Headquarters

    IMC Headquarters Screencaptioning Addict Premium Member

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    No mercy for Soval...
     
  17. DaveyNY

    DaveyNY Admiral Admiral

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    Soval was dumped on Earth because the High Command (Administrator V'Las in particular) didn't want him snooping around on Vulcan during the Romulan coup attempt.
     
  18. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    As a melder, Soval is a dirty deviant pervert.

    Odds are that he went to Earth to meld, without the secret police baring down on him for spreading salacious diseases with his fingertips.
     
  19. Nyotarules

    Nyotarules Vice Admiral Moderator

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    And Spirm gets Risa (Again)
     
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  20. Mr Awe

    Mr Awe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Whoosh! Apparently, the point that people aren't describing it as best ever or worst ever just went over your head completely--even though I described my ratings in detail to show you what I mean. That lack of comprehension makes this discussion futile, so I'll just leave it there. :shrug: