Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 2x08 - "Mercy"

[El Maestro]

I think that is causing some of the miscommunication here. I am taking the overall reaction by the fan base, not just here but elsewhere. What this season has become for me is far more of an interesting viewpoint in to the psychology of Trek fans. This isn't like Discovery or even Season 1 of Picard. There is a completely different attitude shift and that appears to impact expectations and the response in turn with the trend of the story. It's a fascinating little psychological experiment to me.

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.

 

[cooleddie74]

"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."

 

[fireproof78]

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!

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.

 

[Tuskin38]

We know the Vulcans were in our solar system or just outside it in both 1957 and 2063 so it's not unreasonable to assume they had at least one more survey expedition on the surface of Earth at some date in between. They were clearly interested in us in the years after we exploded our first nuclear bombs and in the years immediately after we almost destroyed ourselves with the same technology so why not send another mission to keep an eye on us in the intervening period?

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

 

[cooleddie74]

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.

 

[Guy Gardener]

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.

 

[cooleddie74]

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

 

[fireproof78]

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.

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.

 

[fireproof78]

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

Now Klingons might think Earth is a garbage planet

 

[IMC Headquarters]

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

 

[fireproof78]

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

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

 

[Jack Wolfe]

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

That would explain the chunk of driftwood up his ass.

 

[cooleddie74]

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

"What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"

 

[Guy Gardener]

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.

 

[fireproof78]

Earth designed the cup holders.

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

 

[IMC Headquarters]

No mercy for Soval...

 

[DaveyNY]

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.

 

[Guy Gardener]

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.

 

[Nyotarules]

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

"What did I ever do to you to deserve this?"

And Spirm gets Risa (Again)

 

[Mr Awe]

When I see the opening of Season 2 described as "best ever" and "Trek is back!"

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.