• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 3x02 - "Disengage"

Engage!


  • Total voters
    251
We need Prince of Space to deal with Vadic.
Raffi: We're saved everyone! Captain Worf's here and he'll deal with Vadic!

Worf: You should know that I now prefer pacifism to combat.

Raffi: But you literally just beheaded a Ferengi gangster not even days ago!

Riker: We're all going to die.
 
Which may indicate that Beverly felt this was something she had to do herself, for whatever reason.

I strongly suspect that we're going to find out some plot device that's related both to the agenda of Vadic's faction and to whatever secret is being hidden about Jack which will also have obliged Beverly to cut off her friends and keep Jack a secret from Jean-Luc.
 
Raffi: We're saved everyone! Captain Worf's here and he'll deal with Vadic!

Worf: You should know that I now prefer pacifism to combat.

Raffi: But you literally just beheaded a Ferengi gangster not even days ago!

Riker: We're all going to die.
A true warrior does not dwell on the past.
 
One aspect of the revelation that Jack is Jean-Luc's son that doesn't work for me...

Besides the fact that it's a little soap-opera-y...

They've basically done that idea multiple times now. First in "Bloodlines" (TNG S7). Then with Shinzon in Nemesis.

But also... part of the story of Picard Season One was about Jean-Luc coming to accept that Data was his ersatz son, and that Soji was his ersatz granddaughter. And part of the subtext to his relationships with Cris and Agnes and Raffi and Elnor was that they all came to love him as a father-figure, and wanted his parental love in return.

So we're hitting territory that in some ways has already been thematically explored. "What if Jean-Luc Picard was a father?" is very well-trod territory by this point. What makes "Disengage" work is that it's mediated through the decades-long relationship of Jean-Luc and Beverly. That I think will keep this from feeling too repetitive, but I do think the fact that "What if Jean-Luc Picard was a father?" has been so well-explored on a thematic and emotional level (if not on the literal plot level) is gonna be a hurdle for the writing this season to overcome.
 
I strongly suspect that we're going to find out some plot device that's related both to the agenda of Vadic's faction and to whatever secret is being hidden about Jack which will also have obliged Beverly to cut off her friends and keep Jack a secret from Jean-Luc.
What makes me suspicious is that she's still trying to be a freelance doctor, galactic hero etc. If the circumstances really were that bad, bluntly her forntier medicine routine should've been the first to be thrown out the airlock and she should've entered into some sort of witness protection program, or literally just go into one of those many isolated planets that so many "lonely scientists" hide on so easily (there's a whole writeup about that at https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/cliches1.htm )

I suppose this will all be explained (at least I hope so but you never know with the non-explanation of Q's death last year) soon enough, but the fact she seemingly willingly chose a lifestyle that brought out the worst in her son is already a huge knock against her in my book. In retrospect I'm wondering if Raffi's choosing her "I'm so important that my work saving the galaxy is more important than my son" was foreshadowing of this.
 
From the Synopsis for Episode 3
Picard grapples with an explosive, life-altering revelation, while the Titan and her crew try to outmaneuver a relentless Vadic in a lethal game of nautical cat and mouse. Meanwhile, Raffi and Worf uncover a nefarious plot from a vengeful enemy Starfleet has long since forgotten.

That last part makes it sound like that maybe the attack on the starfleet recruitment was not connected to Vadic, at least not directly
 
So we're hitting territory that in some ways has already been thematically explored. "What if Jean-Luc Picard was a father?" is very well-trod territory by this point. What makes "Disengage" work is that it's mediated through the decades-long relationship of Jean-Luc and Beverly. That I think will keep this from feeling too repetitive, but I do think the fact that "What if Jean-Luc Picard was a father?" has been so well-explored on a thematic and emotional level (if not on the literal plot level) is gonna be a hurdle for the writing this season to overcome.
I think there is potential there, and I could be wrong, but I don't think the thematic questions is "What if Picard was a father?" but what if he wasn't able to be the father he wanted to be? He knows what he didn't want to be, like with his dad, but he still has to wrestle with that question of "How do I reconcile from not being able to be this father figure?"

Has thematic potential, in a much different way than previously explored. In my opinion.
I suppose this will all be explained (at least I hope so but you never know with the non-explanation of Q's death last year) soon enough, but the fact she seemingly willingly chose a lifestyle that brought out the worst in her son is already a huge knock against her in my book. In retrospect I'm wondering if Raffi's choosing her "I'm so important that my work saving the galaxy is more important than my son" was foreshadowing of this
And maybe Beverly makes a mistake in her choice and she has to atone for that, both with her son and with Picard? That could be interesting too.
 
I suppose this will all be explained (at least I hope so but you never know with the non-explanation of Q's death last year)

I really don't think that needed an explanation. Either Q discovered he and the rest of the Continuum were wrong in their belief in their immortality, or Q decided to suspend whatever process was preventing his death and allow himself to die naturally. Neither option is particularly relevant to the story being told.

soon enough, but the fact she seemingly willingly chose a lifestyle that brought out the worst in her son

I see no evidence of that at all. So far as we know so far, every crime he has committed has either been exaggerated (as he noted, the person he was accused of murdering was not dead) or was justified by extraordinary circumstances (such as the need to bribe corrupt ganglords to get medicine to people) of the sort that Jean-Luc himself has always cited when he broke the law.
 
So an aside from another forum: It's a bit weird how this season is treating the exit from Federation space as some sort of big deal.

Mind you, this isn't the first time this has happened - other Kurtzman Trek shows have treated it like it's a big deal to exit Federation space before. But I just don't get it, because all of the past shows repeatedly had the ship go into non-controlled territory, as long as it didn't cross into a neutral zone or something.
 
So an aside from another forum: It's a bit weird how this season is treating the exit from Federation space as some sort of big deal.

Mind you, this isn't the first time this has happened - other Kurtzman Trek shows have treated it like it's a big deal to exit Federation space before. But I just don't get it, because all of the past shows repeatedly had the ship go into non-controlled territory, as long as it didn't cross into a neutral zone or something.

I mean, is a big deal if your deployment orders weren't to exit Federation space or didn't pre-authorize such an exit. It wasn't a big deal for the Enterprise or Enterprise-D because their deployment orders were to go into and out of Federation space on a regular basis.
 
I mean, is a big deal if your deployment orders weren't to exit Federation space or didn't pre-authorize such an exit. It wasn't a big deal for the Enterprise or Enterprise-D because their deployment orders were to go into and out of Federation space on a regular basis.
Yup. As Shaw notes "No cavalry." They have detoured off their assigned orders, which means no one knows where they are or are able to provide any meaningful support.
 
I mean, is a big deal if your deployment orders weren't to exit Federation space or didn't pre-authorize such an exit. It wasn't a big deal for the Enterprise or Enterprise-D because their deployment orders were to go into and out of Federation space on a regular basis.
The things is, Starfleet trained for scenarios that allowed for Starfleet captains to leave Fed space when civilians are in distress. Shaw's dilemma is literally a real life Kobayashi Maru exactly, in fact he's not even violating the Neutral Zone treaty the simulated Kobayashi Maru had.

From my understanding, Seven didn't put the Titan directly outside Fed space. It was in Fed space and Picard and Riker then took the Saavik shuttle out of it.

The Saavik (Kobayashi Maru) is broadcasting a distress signal and if Shaw doesn't leave Fed space then Picard and Riker (the "Kobayashi Maru" crew in question here) will die. If he does leave Fed space to rescue them, an invincible warship (the Klingons in the simulation) will kill him and his crew.

What happened before to get the Titan to the edge of Fed space isn't important, and regardless it wouldn't be Shaw's fault anyway as the ship was hijacked. But he's in this dilemma now, which is what the Kobayashi Maru supposedly trained him for.
 
My understanding was that the Kobayashi Maru has always been more of a psychological test and lesson rather than a "do this" lesson.
To see what the officer's breaking point is. Apparently for Shaw the breaking point and his willingness to risk his crew is finding out that the civilian in question is the son of Picard, a man he doesn't even like. Vadic's right, I'm surprised he's still functional with a psych like that. ;) :lol:
 
To see what the officer's breaking point is. Apparently for Shaw the breaking point and his willingness to risk his crew is finding out that the civilian in question is the son of Picard, a man he doesn't even like. Vadic's right, I'm surprised he's still functional with a psych like that. ;) :lol:
Have you met Starfleet officers? ;)
 
The Enterprise was also a "starship, a very special type of space ship." There are only "12 like her in the fleet."

Starfleet in the 25th century has moved away from the Swiss Army Knife approach for starships, and far more specialized, with the Inquiry a combat vessel and the California class a support vessel and the Neo-Constitution and explorer class. And it fits with the less militaristic approach of Starfleet post Dominion War.

Well, moved away from The Swiss Army Knife approach is different from letting their important assets to be knocking down by non government entities like bounty hunters, pirates, rebels, etc like Scimitar and Shrike. Because it will tarnish the dignity and image of the United Federation of Planets as a governmental entity. If they can't protect their citizens from bandits, rebels, space pirates, bounty hunters raid, then what is the point for the planets out there to join Federation?

Being a peace lover and pacifist doesn't mean that they have to let their starships to be outgunned by those ragtag entities like bounty hunters, rebels, pirates, etc.

Actually it is a humiliation for Starfleet, and Federation as a whole, if one of their best Starship can't handle a rogue bounty hunter with their ragtag starship, and must surrender in their term because they are outgunned by those outlaw.
 
Last edited:
Vadic is one dimensional as anything. Every villain in trek has a conflict of good/evil, she just looks like and sounds like a panto villain.

There hasn't been a compelling Villain in any of the nu trek shows/movies at all. Even Shinzon and Ruafo were light years ahead of what we have now
The Vau N'akat villains in ST:Prodigy are compelling. And Oh in Picard S1 was OK as far as motives and actions goes, though she wasn't very much developped (the male half of the twins was a pretty good reluctant villain, as well, though here too the series dropped him prematurely).

What bothered me a bit in this episode was how being an explorer suddenly makes the Titan automatically (even before they know how heavily armed the unknown vessel is) the underdog. Most Starfleet vessels labeled "explorer" would be called battlecruisers or something like that, by Klingons or Romulans.

It's also annoying how over the top well armed the Shrike is; why do they always feel the need to make the enemy vessel superduper powerful? The Reliant in ST2 was bog standard and probably lower in the starfleet pecking order than the Enterprise 1701, and yet it was a frightening opponent. It may not have been bristling with phasers like those modern villain ship are, but when it did fire it actually hurts the good guys. A bit like SW:Andor makes ordinary troopers and Tie-fighters be threatening again.

Also curious that the enemy has to lower shields before they can be scanned - they used to be able to determine weapons regardless of shields IIRC. Anyway, one wonders where Vadic gets the resources to have such a superduper ultrapowerful vessel.

The Titan-A's oversized impulse engines will come in handy in the sublight speed chase in the Nebula, I suppose.

I didn't like Hurd's performance (or the writing/direction, maybe) in this episode very much. I also wonder why Worf is so dismissive of her wish to continue investigating (which they should do, obviously) - either he knows something she don't or it demonstrates the need for a section-31 who does the actual work while Starfleet Intelligence proves it is not very intelligent or diligent at all.

Worf's entrance was great though, I wonder if they made the scene blurry because making it a convincing action scene would have been difficult. I don't mind though, the results of the fight speak for themselves. A pacifist indeed :devil:
 
Well, moved away from The Swiss Army Knife approach is different from letting their important assets to be knocking down by non government entities like bounty hunters, pirates, rebels, etc like Scimitar and Shrike. Because it will tarnish the dignity and image of the United Federation of Planets as a governmental entity. If they can't protect their citizens from bandits, rebels, space pirates, bounty hunters raid, then what is the point for the planets out there to join Federation?

Being a peace lover and pacifist doesn't mean that they have to let their starships to be outgunned by those ragtag entities like bounty hunters, rebels, pirates, etc.

Actually it is a humiliation for Starfleet, and Federation as a whole, if one of their best Starship can't handle a rogue bounty hunter with their ragtag starship, and must surrender in their term because they are outgunned by those outlaw.
True, being well armed & ready to handle anything is a useful aspect as well as having the full science capabilities.
 
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top