Spoilers Santiago Cabrera as Captain Cristóbal "Chris" Rios

Captain Cristóbal "Chris" Rios ....and the Tragic Sense of Life.

Let's try this again...







We've gotten our intro and first hints into Captain Rios.
While the exterior of his ship is unconventional (at least by Trek standards) the interior hides something more familiar
At least to Picard's eyes, who (as he's prone to do) quickly sizes up and breaks down Rios.
Who exteriorly pretends not to give a damn
Picard sees something else.

He sees the ship is impeccably maintained, down to every nut and bolt, and in regulation starfleet order.
And he accusingly but proudly recognizes in Rios what Rios is hiding (or burying) that he too was Starfleet once (at his core).
These two characters may have more in common, than we (or at least that I) first guessed.

They just both may have dealt with the past differently.
He apparently was the XO of a heavy cruiser the "Ibn Mājid". A ship Starfleet apparently erased from the records.

So far I have to say love the intro of this character.
Including the opening with a hunk of shrapnel sticking out his shoulder.
While the EMH(orders his medical kit( Rios orders his own medicine: "aguardiente" - literally Fire-Water,) in this case Pisco.
There is a great duality to this Captain and his ship, (obviously someone pretending he doesn't care about the past) Yet buried in there, maybe trying to hold on to it.

What that past is, I hope they reveal throughout, Really looking forward to it.

Also hints of that are also buried in the book he's reading, an existential(one of the first) philosophical essay's on being; what it means and how to be alive while simultaneously and tragically aware of your own mortality- inevitable death, as the title implies, hence one should live life with utmost passion.

What do others think about the set up, and intro of Captain Rios?

FYI:
* Ibn Mājid was an Arabian navigator and cartographer.
** The book Rios is reading and quotes is "The Tragic Sense of Life" by Miguel de Unamuno

 

Should probably put a spoiler tag on the thread

 

Hope it's ok, I don't want to pretend (or ignore) there wasn't already discussion of the character, so quoting from the other thread here, now that he has his own thread.
Also this seems to be a huge part of the character.

Yeah he really is playing them both very differently, and it's a hysterical approach, and a great test of his acting chops.
Am I crazy or is there another one who also serves as an Emergency Navigation Hologram, is his whole crew holograms of himself?

The idea that this (recluse) character would use his own likeness as his E[_]H's is hysterical.
Further that he seems to hate and abuse what is essentially himself, brings it to a whole other insane level.
Don't know if this is something he chose or was imposed (by necessity), or how it came about?
But with all the tragic past being established about this character his last ship

Spoiler

captains blood splattered across the bulkhead etc..),

The history and reason for this insane EH relationships he has going on, has me the most intrigued, and entertained.

How many are there?

 

Do I do that? (I will certainly add the tag if I can figure it out)

I can't get anything right!

EDIT: Thank you Mod(s)

 

The ENH is absolutely a third character. The EMH has a prissy English accent, while the ENH has an Irish accent.

 

I loved the different accents with the EMH and ENH.

 

I hope he is a regular, he was by far the best thing about that shitty Salvation show and was glad to see the casting.

 

Rios is using his EH's in a very Multi-personality way.

 

I honestly wish the cover and title of Tragic Sense of Life was in Spanish! It would say something even more subtle about Rios, since he like the actor, is of Latin heritage.

Del sentimiento tragico de la vida.

 

It honestly took me a while to realize that Rios and the EMH were played by the same actor. My first reaction was, "jeez, how many bearded guys are we getting here?"

 

I like the casting and so far like the character. I enjoyed him in salvation too.

I also can't help but think he may be a character they are at least considering spinning off after Picard is over.

 

My prediction on this chap is that the themes of synthetic life and its implications will be further explored when the flesh-and-blood Rios kicks the bucket but everything of his which he instills upon the holograms -- a sort of sum total of the facets of his persona -- lives on through them.

A Data/B-4 scenario, but it actually goes as planned.

 

ooh. I like that. That would be pretty cool.

 

Plot twist, there are no holograms...

 

You just described almost every guy over 20 and under 40 these days.

 

Further plot twist, his real name is Charlie.

 

Charlie Rivers

 

I look forward to seeing how this plays out with all the multiple hologram selves and how/when they’re going to integrate them. Rios doesn’t seem tough or cool, just incredibly weary and no doubt we’ll learn most about his true character through his dissociated personalities. I expected much more animosity between himself and Picard, so it will be interesting to see how they interact and how much the holograms all interact independently with Picard and the crew.

 

He reminds me of Eric Bana, so he could even play Nero XD

 

He’s the type that would sacrifice himself and his ship to destroy a suddenly reactivated Borg Cube.