Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 3x09 - "Võx"

[fireproof78]

I'm referring to the writers for TOS & TNG projects and their obsession with TWOK and TBoBW. Disco has nothing to do with it.

Fear. Fear of a misstep and people changing the channel and wanting to recapture the lightning in the bottle that was TWOK is what drives the machine forward. And fans celebrate it. How often do we see the comparison with a villain of "The Next Khan" or some other similar moniker? Best of Both Worlds is considered one of the best TNG episodes. It's them trying to play it safe. And fans reward it.

 

[Yistaan]

I'd assume that Vulcans join Star Fleet later in life, maybe a decade, since their not going to do any half ass human education, until after they have finished their "real" Vulcan education.

Michael Burnham, a human, finished the Vulcan Science Academy at around 20 something or whatever

 

[BBC 2 6pm]

While I will admit to getting a case of the warm fuzzies when Picard and crew stepped onto the bridge of the Enterprise-D (I'm only human), but future Trek projects really need to look forward, not to the past. Writers have gone to the well far too many times with their Wrath of Khan and The Best of Both Worlds references (Strange New Worlds has already knelt at the altar of TWOK in its first season and now Terry Matalas managed paean to both in season 3 of Picard).

TWOK came out 41 years ago; TNG's Borg 2-parter was 33 years ago. I dearly wish that any future writers who truly loved those bold, exciting takes on Trek would try delivering something similarly fresh and exciting for 21st century Trek viewers. I'd say it's long overdue.

Obviously, we still have one episode to go before the finale of Picard, but it seems a bit sad that the ultimate aim of season three (aside from "fixing" things Terry Matalas didn't like about the last 29 years of Star Trek) is to put Picard and crew back on the Enterprise-D—exactly where we left them at the end of "All Good Things". This isn't progress, it's nostalgia on steroids.

I think I’d have enjoyed seeing them at the conference table and on the d more if they were just getting on with the job, not talking about how great it is to be back. Show don’t tell their emotions. Especially because we know this is exactly what Patrick Stewart didn’t want, so I have to wonder how the actors on all sides feel when Picard says “I’m so glad to have you back with me” or whatever.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Also, what was the rush about Frontier Day exactly? Sure, having all of Starfeet (ALL of it!!!) in the same place can be useful, but once the queen has jack it seems that her plan, which has been decades in the makings, should work in any day.

In addition to being the Borg Queen, she’s also a Drama Queen.

 

[SJGardner]

Also, what was the rush about Frontier Day exactly? Sure, having all of Starfeet (ALL of it!!!) in the same place can be useful, but once the queen has jack it seems that her plan, which has been decades in the makings, should work in any day.

I guess the plan hinged on the Fleet Formation being activated. From how Shelby described it, its purpose is to remote control ships in the immediate area in a crisis. So instead of just newly assimilated drones trying to take over ships everywhere and linking them up one by one, they would be taking over an entire fleet that can readily be controlled from a single hub.

 

[Mr Awe]

But the ending kind of overshadowed the rest of the episode for me in a good way.

You're free to rate it however you like, of course. But consider this.

You gave this one 10 where you didn't like some of it but the ending saved it. Now imagine an episode where the entirety of it was good, including an amazing ending. Wouldn't that be higher?

Not suggesting you change your rating, but just food for thought. I do reserve 10s and even 9s for truly extraordinary episodes that are good from beginning to end.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Also, what was the rush about Frontier Day exactly? Sure, having all of Starfeet (ALL of it!!!) in the same place can be useful, but once the queen has jack it seems that her plan, which has been decades in the makings, should work in any day.

I'm not positive, but this is the moment when all the starships went online with their central control program.

Was not mentioned? But what about Recruitment? 1.2 million kids under 25 signed up on Frontier Day.

What would have been cooler.

For Shelby to say...

"In the immortal worlds of Admiral Forrest "Don't screw this up!""

 

[Mr Awe]

Bringing back Shelby just to kill her off, if that's what happened... I know they did it with Ro, but it didn't feel cheap to me like this did. At least we got the CANONized first name.

If that happened, I agree it's cheap. To have her spout of Borg propaganda, even if unknowingly, and then killing her off, would be a shame.

 

[Yistaan]

I guess the plan hinged on the Fleet Formation being activated. From how Shelby described it, its purpose is to remote control ships in the immediate area in a crisis. So instead of just newly assimilated drones trying to take over ships everywhere and linking them up one by one, they would be taking over an entire fleet that can readily be controlled from a single hub.

I don't want to spoil Prodigy here but that show, taking place before Picard, already showed why such a thing is a very bad idea and it's absurd that Starfleet went through with it anyway.

 

[Quantum21]

While I will admit to getting a case of the warm fuzzies when Picard and crew stepped onto the bridge of the Enterprise-D (I'm only human) future Trek projects really need to look forward, not to the past. Writers have gone to the well far too many times with their Wrath of Khan and The Best of Both Worlds references (Strange New Worlds has already knelt at the altar of TWOK in its first season and now Terry Matalas managed paean to both in season 3 of Picard).

TWOK came out 41 years ago; TNG's Borg 2-parter was 33 years ago. I dearly wish that any future writers who truly loved those bold, exciting takes on Trek would try delivering something similarly fresh and exciting for 21st century Trek viewers. I'd say it's long overdue.

Obviously, we still have one episode to go before the finale of Picard, but it seems a bit sad that the ultimate aim of season three (aside from "fixing" things Terry Matalas didn't like about the last 29 years of Star Trek) is to put Picard and crew back on the Enterprise-D—exactly where we left them at the end of "All Good Things". This isn't progress, it's nostalgia on steroids.

I like my fresh new Trek, and as a half-naysayer with this season, this episode worked for me. I felt sympathy, sadness, elation, anticipation.

The new Assimilation process is genuinely scary. It makes our heroes feel helpless. We have more personal connection to these people than some other movies, FC for example.

I also find it satisfying as a coda on our three phases of Borg: the lost souls of season 1, the Borg "other" in season 2, now the pure, terrifying Borg. It all works.

Matalas fixing things: some were unnecessary, but the E-D restoration seems perfectly sound. No qualms here.

The saddest part: Shelby was one of the finest female characters of the first 30 years of Trek: strong, intelligent, threatening. She broke stereotypes. They cast a blonde in this role! Do you know how stereotyped women were in 90s tv and in this ST Era?? Sad to see you go Shelby.

 

[Ronin'sCreamyCandle]

Oh so much to unpack here, but why bother? I'm 68 and I completely understand why young people are in despair. I only have to look around me. So, I choose to see this plot twist as merely an excuse to make saving the day reliant on our original cast. Who are (save LeVar) older than me.

I understand. I guess from my excitement after seeing the episode my own trama came through as a business woman who is struggling to hire motivated young people even though I pay more than a fair wage ( $29 an hour starting wage full time ) and when I do get a hire and give them the opportunity, 7 out of 10 so far have been a huge disappointment. So my own current personal worldview with the stress of trying to run a buisness with today's entitled youth that I encounter was quickly applied to what I saw in this episode.

 

[DaveyNY]

I understand why the story needed this to happen, but within universe it's just not plausible to me that Shaw would want to have such an inexperienced crew - not if the Titan remains a pretty prestigious assignment even after the retirement of Riker.

He wasn't out there galivanting around the galaxy.
It seemed like his tour as Captain pretty much was just toddling around within Federation borders being safe.

 

[BBC 2 6pm]

“Sometimes captains don’t follow orders, but with our new networked ships, their resistance is futile!”

 

[Sci]

I'm wondering now if the creation of Shinzon wasn't itself a Borg plot. If the Romulans took Picard's DNA after BOBW, then Shinzon also would have been a carrier and his chances of reproducing were a hell of a lot more likely than Jean-Luc's. The Borg DNA might also explain why Shinzon was inexplicably decaying and needed a blood transfusion or whatever.

I don't think there's any plausible way Shinzon could have been less than 25-30 years old in 2379, so the Romulan plot to clone Jean-Luc almost certainly had to have been underway by the 2350s.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't want to spoil Prodigy here but that show, taking place before Picard, already showed why such a thing is a very bad idea and it's absurd that Starfleet went through with it anyway.

Starfleet doesn't really seem to learn from mistakes. Even their handling of computer security always struck me as dumb.

 

[Ronin'sCreamyCandle]

So what you wanted from Discovery was a bunch of old farts bringing back the Enterprise D? neat.

No, I wanted Discovery to be good and bodly Trek ahead, while respecting canon. What we got are freaks who could not act in horrible Klingon makup.

 

[Fateor]

Also, what was the rush about Frontier Day exactly? Sure, having all of Starfeet (ALL of it!!!) in the same place can be useful, but once the queen has jack it seems that her plan, which has been decades in the makings, should work in any day.

Because it wouldn't have worked.

Realistically we were looking at maybe an 1/8th or a 1/10th of the crew being controlled. Even with the advantage of the other 7/8th's or 9/10's not wanting to kill the mind controlled. Without the link up limiting ships systems and letting them direct fleet firepower to instantly wipe out any ships that do re-gain control. It would have been a quickly dealt with failure from just sheer numbers acting against them.

 

[Ronin'sCreamyCandle]

Kiley Rossetter, the writer of 3x09 Vox, also wrote 2x03 Assimilation.

Here is a list (incomplete) of season 2 and season 3 writers:

Christopher Monfette:
2x02 2x03 2x10
3x02 3x06

Jane Maggs
2x04 2x06 2x07
3x03 3x07

Cindy Appel
2x05 2x06 2x08
3x03 3x05

Chris Derrick
2x09
3x05

Kiley Rossetter
2x03
3x09

+ Terry Matalas

OMG! Season 3 is so much better than season 2! So much improvement! Much better writers!
Yeah, right.

Matalas was not in full control of season 2. He is with season 3. That's why it's amazing.

 

[Gepard]

“Sometimes captains don’t follow orders, but with our new networked ships, their resistance is futile!”

Ah, the information-industrial complex comes to Star Trek.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Michael Burnham, a human, finished the Vulcan Science Academy at around 20 something or whatever

I was thinking that anyone doing it right would have to do the Vulcan science academy and Starfleet Academy, but you're right, since T'Pol human/Vulcan "rank" have been transferable.

Although considering that her life span is a third that of a Vulcan, it's a certainty that no one would have permitted Michael a gap year to find herself.

The Irony is that she outlived Spock by nearly a thousand years.