Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 3x05 - "Imposters"

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Another great episode. A step down from the last one, only because the Raffi/Worf stuff just isn't as compelling as what is happening onboard the Titan, but man, those Picard/Ro scenes - the last few gutted me. Easily the best in the show (hell, in all of modern Trek to date).

I will say, this was not where I expected Ro to end up. Honestly I always felt like Raffi's part in Season 1 would have worked better as Ro to begin with, as the backstory is similar in broad strokes (someone who was a young protégée of Picard but had a fall from grace due to reasons). Ro essentially repeating her arc a second time off-camera wasn't the most creative choice, but Michelle Forbes absolutely sold it. And the character arc between her and Jean Luc, moving from loathing to open admittance of pain, to only realizing what they had meant to one another at the 11th hour...what can I say, it's the sort of closure of a dangling character thread that any Trek fan would ask for.

Everything else on the Titan was good as well. The episode worked well in slowly ramping up the tension and paranoia, along with seeing Jack steadily come unglued. I'm not sure what's going on with his visuals (is he seeing into the upside-down?) but considering the show has been pretty good at quickly paying off other mysteries, I'll be forgiving of letting this one dangle for now.

Raffi and Worf's continued misadventures on planet M'Talas continue to be mid however, with Worf himself the only saving grace of this subplot. While I can appreciate the idea of a Vulcan crime lord in principle, in execution I don't think it worked, and the actor left me with little impression beyond "some dude." At least this tiresome sub-plot is now concluded, and Worf/Raffi will meet up with the Titan some time in the next episode.
 
I had been wondering if these renegade Changelings had been locked into solid form as punishment, as Odo was, but somehow had found a way to regain shape-changing abilities, but through a more inefficient method that left their appearance "chunkier" and left their bodies in a solid state upon death. But, the episode says it's an advancement from 2370s Changelings, so I guess that squashes that theory.
 
I had been wondering if these renegade Changelings had been locked into solid form as punishment, as Odo was, but somehow had found a way to regain shape-changing abilities, but through a more inefficient method that left their appearance "chunkier" and left their bodies in a solid state upon death. But, the episode says it's an advancement from 2370s Changelings, so I guess that squashes that theory.
No, that could be just be an assumption of theirs.
 
Starfleet seems to be infiltrated by corrupt officers at the highest levels every couple of years. It’s a wonder that the organization continues to exist. You can also definitely see the cracks in the foundation of the Federation that lead to its state by the 31st Century.

I like the heroic sendoff they gave Ro here, though, and her conversation with Picard. Personally, I was always on the side of the Maquis and their defense of their homes and completely understood why she joined up. I’m not sure why she went back. I’m also on the side of Beverly and Jack and their mission to deliver medical care to the planets the Federation has apparently forgotten about, by any means necessary, Theirs is the down and dirty, the nuts and bolts details of what it takes to actually help these people and give them what they need. Starfleet and its Prime Directive isn’t working for an awful lot of people. It’s a hands off approach that might let a dying people evolve on its own or one grand gesture by Starfleet that destroys a super computer that underpinned a whole civilization and then warping away to leave the troubled planet to sort out the rest. I suspect Jack Crusher will end up joining Starfleet at the end of the season but I’m not sure why.

As for Jack, it seems to be implied that his visions date back to his early childhood and the nightmares he can’t remember but his mom does. Is it going to turn out that he made contact with some alien (good Changeling faction) as a five year old while out in space with Beverly? Jack’s special friend or Link connection might be giving him precognitive visions that helped him in a dangerous situation but it might not be entirely benevolent.

I also liked the Worf and Raffi scenes and the criminal Vulcan crime boss, who only proves that a Vulcan can find a logical reason for anything he feels like doing. He and Sneed the Ferengi might have been a criminal teenage version of Jake Sisco and Nog on DS9.
 
Presumably the mobile emitter on Holo Raffi was the same one worn by Holo Elnor. I bet Moriarty will be sporting one too.
 
As for Jack, it seems to be implied that his visions date back to his early childhood and the nightmares he can’t remember but his mom does. Is it going to turn out that he made contact with some alien (good Changeling faction) as a five year old while out in space with Beverly? Jack’s special friend or Link connection might be giving him precognitive visions that helped him in a dangerous situation but it might not be entirely benevolent.

Jack soon to find out his "imaginary friend" was very real?
 
Another great one.

1. Ro Laren! Wow. I've always wanted to see her story arc re-visited and/or wrapped up. Guess I can check that off the list now, and it was handled so well. I also thought this represented some of the first real 'acting' we've seen from Stewart this season, other than him just playing himself. Michelle Forbes is just awesome in everything she is in, Trek and otherwise.

2. Glad to see that Worf and Raffi will be completing the gang soon. Now we can have episodes that run start to finish without jumping between location. It hasn't been bad so far, but this'll be better. Raffi was actually tolerable this episode.

3. Are we sure these are Changelings? Or are they something else that can imitate them?

4. I predict Moriarty is the AI now controlling Daystrom Station. We'll see how that plays out.

5. Vulcan murdering criminal, with Vulcan murdering criminal henchmen? Not only no, but HELL no. Piss poor use of the species, and a heretical use of the IDIC.

MOAR!
 
I've actually taken to downloading it illegally now, it's a joke.

I can neither confirm nor deny whether I approve or disapprove of this solution, nor whether I do or do not log in religiously to a well known app at around 8am on a Thursday morning where it is then available because I am impatient
 
Wow, did we know that Ro was going to be in the show? That was really unexpected.

Also, damn, guess that Starfleet was taking precautions for changelings after the war, but I wonder how the fuck they figured out to perfectly mimic humanoid forms.
 
This is a very small thing, but I was glad to see Michelle wearing a nose very close to the one she had last time we saw her. Most (all?) of the 2400-era Bajorans we've seen lately have these really chunky downward sloping ridges that I personally don't find as aesthetically pleasing.

Like I said, very small. :)
He makeup didn’t look that great. The ridges were rather faded and the top of the nose didn’t have those distinctive dents.
 
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