Was it just me? (Generations)
- Thread starter BorgPhil
- Start date
I'll move it over. Hang on a sec...ok... wrong forum
It is a little coincidental that that happens shortly before Picard encounters someone who can exploit Picard's circumstances.
That being said, if Picard had been at his peak when Soran made his play the movie probably would have ended with, "Sorry Doctor, I'll let you know when it's okay to return to the lab."
Something needed to occur to make Picard more pliable to Soran.
That being said, if Picard had been at his peak when Soran made his play the movie probably would have ended with, "Sorry Doctor, I'll let you know when it's okay to return to the lab."
Something needed to occur to make Picard more pliable to Soran.
It was harsh, but it set up a very nice reaction shot from Patrick Stewart when Soran said "Time is the fire in which we burn."
I don't know about unnecessary, but ineffective and rather manipulative. Having the characters die a brutal death was manipulative. Killing off characters that were never on screen, hardly developed, and thus whom the audience had no reason to care about was ineffective.
Exactly how I feel, it was completely pointless thing to happen.
They were on screen in the episode after Best of Both Worlds, but still completely useless.
I also thought it was unnecessary, since newcomers (or casual viewers) coming in probably wouldn't know what Picard is crying about if they're not familiar with the series...
Too, I also agree that there was no 'pay off'...(It's brought up, the deaths, but there is no 'change' in Picard regarding those deaths...or how they changed him for the better(or worse) by the end of the film).
Too, I also agree that there was no 'pay off'...(It's brought up, the deaths, but there is no 'change' in Picard regarding those deaths...or how they changed him for the better(or worse) by the end of the film).
For me, it did allow for a poignant scene between Picard and Troi - which I felt was the acting highlight of the film.
"Family" was the episode they were in btw, I think both was overkill. Robert or Rene. Not both. If it had been Robert, it would be that now he would have to take on greater responsibility in Rene's life, perhaps making his return to Captain the Ent-E less certain. If it were Rene, the scene with Troi would easily have been just as emotional and poigniant.
His family dieing was essential to when Picard was in the Nexus. In the Nexus, not only was his brother and nephew alive again, Picard had a family of his own.
Also, it was probably the breaking point that caused him to go from television Picard the Diplomat to movie Picard the ass-kicker.
Also, it was probably the breaking point that caused him to go from television Picard the Diplomat to movie Picard the ass-kicker.
Yes, they were setting up the Nexus stuff. Still, it was a bad idea in that it weakened Picard for most of the film, and nobody wanted to see Picard in his big screen debut as an emotional wimp.
On a side note, because of what the writers wanted to do with Generations (the end of Picard's family) the Star Trek people slightly changed the ending of a season 7 episode where Picard encounters a young man who could be his son - so Picard and "son" would not finish the episode with too much of a bond.
On a side note, because of what the writers wanted to do with Generations (the end of Picard's family) the Star Trek people slightly changed the ending of a season 7 episode where Picard encounters a young man who could be his son - so Picard and "son" would not finish the episode with too much of a bond.
Killing of one of them would have been enough; hell the could have done it without killing anyone and simply set up that one of the great regrets of Picard's life is that he never made time for a family, or "the one that got away" (not necessarily Beverly, could be that female Ensign from Tapestry)
It was done for dramatic effect, and for story reasons.
Now, that being said, the scene had two huge problems. First, if you want the audience to actually feel the dramatic effect, perhaps it would have been better had the same actors who played Robert and Rene from "Family" actually be the ones in those photographs and in the Nexus, not people we've never seen before. However, that pales in comparison to the second problem.
When Nexus-Guinan tells Picard that he can go anywhere and any time, he automatically wants to go back to right before Soran fires his rocket. The foolishness of this point in time aside, let's think about this for a second: Picard JUST found out that his brother and nephew were killed, and in the same day is given a chance to go back in time to any point he wants. Duh! Why the hell didn't he go back, say, two weeks before and warn his brother about what will happen? (Shitty script-writing, that's why.)
Now, that being said, the scene had two huge problems. First, if you want the audience to actually feel the dramatic effect, perhaps it would have been better had the same actors who played Robert and Rene from "Family" actually be the ones in those photographs and in the Nexus, not people we've never seen before. However, that pales in comparison to the second problem.
When Nexus-Guinan tells Picard that he can go anywhere and any time, he automatically wants to go back to right before Soran fires his rocket. The foolishness of this point in time aside, let's think about this for a second: Picard JUST found out that his brother and nephew were killed, and in the same day is given a chance to go back in time to any point he wants. Duh! Why the hell didn't he go back, say, two weeks before and warn his brother about what will happen? (Shitty script-writing, that's why.)
I would have ditch Guinan and made the conflict between Picard and Soran happen in the Nexus.
Basically: Picard can save his family, but it means letting Soran kill millions of innocents in order to enter the Nexus. Or he can let them die in order to stop Soran. And actually make Picard take more than a moment, let the audience believe he's ready to sacrifice a star system for his family.
Basically: Picard can save his family, but it means letting Soran kill millions of innocents in order to enter the Nexus. Or he can let them die in order to stop Soran. And actually make Picard take more than a moment, let the audience believe he's ready to sacrifice a star system for his family.
Or excellent script writing, true to character. Picard knows about meddling with time travel, he's not a god, he can't go around fixing every problem he's ever encountered. Going back to the moment that caused all of this changed nothing, no damage was done, that's the most logical thing to do. Very in character with Picard.
(Also, hindsight being what it is, we've had how many years to think this over, where Picard was in a cloudy Nexus and had only remembered what the mission was)
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