So, I think this episode was a slight step down from last week's. I might still give this one an 8. But based on all the strong feelings I, and others here, have about the episode, enough to drive all this discussion, I think this says something about the improved quality of season 3 so far.
I liked a lot of it, but it feels a little like we are already spinning our wheels a little just in episode 2. Where I felt a lot of interesting things were set up last week, this week feels like those things weren't really developed very much, or maybe just weren't satisfying to me.
Most of us suspected Worf was the handler, so not a big surprise.
Jack seemed like he would be Picard's son, so not a big surprise (unless he's not!)
Vadic seemed like she would be a mustache-twirling villain, and she is (but a happy one), so not a big surprise. [Hope there is more to her later.]
Raffi's story didn't really go anywhere as her only lead is dead and she learned nothing else.
We spend the whole episode just staring out at Vadic's ship, listening to monologs, and waiting for a very extended hour to be up. There wasn't really any "ticking clock" feeling to make the timecrunch feel important. Picard, et al weren't really trying to "solve" the situation. It just turns on a last second invalid order from the retired Admiral and off we go.
So, I guess I am just looking forward to more progress next week. Maybe these first two episodes could have been condensed into one somehow, but I wouldn't want to lose the character work for Riker, Picard, Beverly (though she was sidelined for most of ep 2), Seven, and Jack. So, maybe just having more for our characters to do would have improved things. Only Picard does anything and that is only really ask jack some questions without serious followups.
