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Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x04 - "Absolute Candor"

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Hythlodeus said:
VOY had character eps? I only remember technobabble-problem-of-the-week-solved-by-technobabble-solution-of-the-week episodes with underdeveloped paper thin characters
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There were lots of good, low-stakes Voyager episodes focused on a 1-2 characters. Off the top of my head:

Torres: Remember, Barge of the Dead, Lineage
Neelix: Jetrel, Fair Trade, Mortal Coil,
The Doctor: Lifesigns, Life Line, Author, Author
Kes: Before and After
Seven: The Raven, Retrospect
Kim: Timeless

These are just what I'd call the good episodes. If I included the mediocre/awful ones, it would be a longer list.

Generally speaking though small-bore character drama was the one and only thing Voyager did competently. Their attempts at "action" were mostly pretty worthless, and their attempts at "message episodes" felt like the shallow end of the kiddie pool compared to TNG or DS9.
 
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Voyager had lots of character driven episodes, the problem was more they tended the focus on characters’ more shallow characteristics and ‘Lesson of the week’ style stories.
 
eschaton said:
I really don't get the whole "slow paced" thing about this series. Every single friggin episode has included some form of combat. In contrast, there are lots of earlier Trek episodes which were essentially "action-less." Even fantastic episodes.

I mean, where was the action in The City on the Edge of Forever? The Trouble with Tribbles? The Measure of a Man? Family? Data's Day? The Inner Light? Lower Decks? Duet? The Visitor? Little Green Men? Far Beyond The Stars? It's Only a Paper Moon? Barge of the Dead? Those were all among the best episodes of Trek, and there were no action scenes to speak of.
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Action and story pacing have nothing to do with each other. Adding action scenes can actually slow the pace of a story if they act more as filler than as progress.

An effect of hyper-serialized storytelling is that, if the writers aren't cautious, sometimes entire episodes can feel like they're showing an event (or series of events) rather than telling a complete story. It advances a piece of a larger story forward, but it doesn't feel like the story they told had any sort of real climax. Even if the event depicted was action-packed, when you look back on the episode, it can feel like not much has happened. (Or even that a lot has happened, but it didn't go anywhere that paid off by end of episode.)

Pre-CBSAA, most Trek episodes (and most series in general at that time) told complete stories with a beginning, middle, and end over the course of one or two or occasionally even three hours. Even during the Dominion War arc, most of the DS9 episodes were pretty self-contained before the final half-season. You had a complete story to chew on, even when they left a tease for something else to come.

I'm not saying this is inherently a flaw, or even that I think Picard is guilty of it to a fault. But I do see why some feel frustrated with this type of pacing. It does make me miss the days where quality stand-alone episodes like the ones you mentioned were more likely to emerge instead of having to view a series in its entirety to gauge it properly.

Also, turn that music down and get off my lawn.</oldmanrant>
 
eschaton said:
There were lots of good, low-stakes Voyager episodes focused on a 1-2 characters. Off the top of my head:

Torres: Remember, Barge of the Dead, Lineage
Neelix: Jetrel, Fair Trade, Mortal Coil,
The Doctor: Lifesigns, Life Line, Author, Author
Kes: Before and After
Seven: The Raven, Retrospect
Kim: Timeless

These are just what I'd call the good episodes. If I included the mediocre/awful ones, it would be a longer list.

Generally speaking though small-bore character drama was the one and only thing Voyager did competently. Their attempts at "action" were mostly pretty worthless, and their attempts at "message episodes" felt like the shallow end of the kiddie poll compared to TNG or DS9.
Click to expand...
I remember The Raven...the rest, I'd have to google tbh
 
I doubt I would be noticing the pace of the story as much if any of Rafi, Rios, scientist girl or Elnor were more compelling characters.

Dahj and Laris were compelling. One blew up and the other isn’t around.

Maybe with Seven aboard that problem will alleviate. Or when Picard gets closer to Soji.

Whereas you could have Saru, Tilly and Stamets sit around a table playing yahtzee for an episode and I’d find it riveting.
 
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More Romulans, and not just any Romulans, but a fighting order of Romulan assassin nuns! It seems like Picard is focusing heavily on the Romulan story and I am so glad for it. Honestly? I when I found out about the order of Romulan assassin nuns who only speak the absolute truth, without sugarcoating, my first thought was @T'Bonz would own that shit. :lol:

This was a really solid episode. I loved visiting Vashti. It had a very, um, Middle Eastern(?) vibe to it, and so the allegory wasn't lost on me at all as to who the Federation represented and what the people of Vashti represented. Nicely done, as far as I'm concerned. I'm also loving the backstory the more we get into it. I think Picard was in over his head, trying to keep his promises with a Federation that was giving less and less to their ideals and more to their insecurities, so the synth attack was the last straw.

Speaking of synths, we get to see more interaction between Soji and Narek. I think Narek might be ultimately trying to save the synths, rather than destroy them. Yeah, he tells his sister his plan is working (good goddess, she's really creepy around him isn't she?) but he clearly has real feelings for Soji. I think she lets him be something he can't be with anyone else amongst his own people, and in the Tal Shiar.

Once again, Alison Pill as Dr. Jurati takes the cake for most adorkable crew member (loved that scene between her and Rios). I'm glad she's in this show, she rounds everyone out nicely as the highly intelligent, but hopelessly lost person just trying to muddle through the interpersonal conflict to find the answers she seeks. Raffi is cool as ever, especially as she ignores Jurati, who I think she finds a nuisance.

Again, the pacing for this show is terrific. It may be the best thing about it for me. I have plenty of time to absorb the details, to savor the surroundings, I mean doesn't the Vashti Picard first visits seem like a great place to live? Speaking of, Evan Evagoria. Wow! Playing Elnor, the "sister boy" raised by the damned awesome Qowat Milat warrior nuns, he clearly has a fondness for Picard, possibly as a father figure, and of course when Picard withdrew into himself, he abandoned him, too. Now that's all coming out.

Also, this show is filled with way, way, WAY too many hot people for my pansexual ass. It's like a wall to wall candy store, and I've got a golden ticket.

Oh, and that Seven of Nine entrance! What a great way to introduce a great character, and then piss me off by cutting to credits. :lol:

I gave this one a high 9. I enjoyed every minute of it.
 
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