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Star Trek: Picard - Make It So Engage Earl Grey Hot

JBear

Internet's foremost Bertolli cosplayer
(He/Him)
That was so dumb that it almost wrapped back around to good. The one-two punch of Project Khan and Wesley had me lolling. About the only thing that worked for me this season was the Rios storyline. More sci-fi shoes where the bad guys are ICE, please.
 

SpoonyBard

Threat Rhyme
(He/Him)
I liked it. I still kind of wish we got an answer as to why Q was dying but I guess that wasn't the point.

Better season than the first, overall, but still with some pacing issues. There was definitely some cruft in the middle that could have been trimmed, like that entire cul de sac with the FBI agent.

Some of the details of the wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff are a bit flimsy, but that also isn't the point I suppose.

As for Season 3, you'd think it would have something to do with the big space thing that was a loose thread here, but Allison Pill confirmed she isn't in Season 3 and you'd think Queenrati would play a role there, between that and Wesley having his Nick Fury moment with Korre I wonder if they're setting up another series?
 
I liked it. I still kind of wish we got an answer as to why Q was dying but I guess that wasn't the point.
I honestly like that they didn't tell us. Because 1) what kind of explanation could they have said that would not just sound like meaningless technobabble? And 2) it's been pretty consistent that Q refuses to explain shit about the Continuum because he simply doesn't think they'd understand and it's a waste of his time so him not telling them what's going on is perfectly in character.

There was definitely some cruft in the middle that could have been trimmed, like that entire cul de sac with the FBI agent.
Haha, you're probably right but I liked that little storyline. If only because one nitpicky fan complaint I'd heard early in the season was, "These people are being very careless about being seen in public doing crazy shit like transporting. Shouldn't that cause problems!?" As if the writers were dumdums and had a grave oversight, but that whole scene fixes it. Because there are your consequences, and they have to waste time undoing the potential timeline changing butterfly effect thing.

As for Season 3, you'd think it would have something to do with the big space thing that was a loose thread here, but Allison Pill confirmed she isn't in Season 3 and you'd think Queenrati would play a role there, between that and Wesley having his Nick Fury moment with Korre I wonder if they're setting up another series?
It'll be interesting to see what happens. Not only is Allison Pill not coming back, but also the actors for Rios, Soji, and Elnor. Only Seven and Raffi are coming back. I was thinking that originally, the TNG cast all coming back and being featured in Season 3 meant that maybe they'd just show up in a cameo kind of way, like how Riker & Troi were in Season 1. But no, they would have to be featured pretty heavily in Season 3 for them to get a whole season's worth of things to do in a TV show now. I guess we're really gonna get a whole Reunion Season. Which is just wild to think of.

They could potentially be setting up a new series. Kurtzman has said a few times in the past that they wanted to do about five concurrent TV shows, and that they had to wait until a show finished up to start the greenlighting and production of a new show. So they're definitely working on something new, since Picard is only going to be three seasons, and that third season has already wrapped filming. Maybe they're setting up a weird Dr Who-ish spin-off but with Wesley playing a space Charlie from Charlie's Angels. But in my hope of hopes, I'm hoping that this is gonna be the Michelle Yeoh vehicle. I know it was originally supposed to be a Section 31 show for her, but they just HAVE to get her locked down into SOMETHING, right? And it has to be flattering to her? Michelle Yeoh was already a very well regarded actress, but after "Everything Everywhere All at Once," she's a megastar. They HAVE to get something kicked off the ground ASAP or she's gonna get too booked to do Star Trek.
 

Sprite

(He/Him/His)
Yeah, husband and I have our fingers crossed for a Michelle Yeoh Travellers show. She’d be perfect for that, and it’s a logical development for how displaced her character is at this point. Last I read it was still being described as a Section 31 show, which I hope gets changed because I do not want to watch a Section 31 show.
 

FelixSH

(He/Him)
Catching up on Picard. More impressions at the end, for now I just wanted to mention a handful of things:

1) The show seems to be just kind of there. I had probably lost interest by now, if it weren't a Trek show, and specifically had elements like Picard, Q and the Borg Queen. Maybe spending so much time in the contemporary setting doesn't really work for me? It's fine, not a big critisicm.

2) I'm very happy to learn that there was a war between Guinans race and the Q. Just because it answers a question I have had for more than ten years: Guinan can defend herself against the Q, her weird hand position when they meet the first time is a battle stance. No more details needed.

3) Very happy too, to know that Seven is now way more competent in a social setting. I still remember the part in Voyager, where she is the first time at a party, and Janeway tells her to just talk about her experience with the topic people talk about. And she then tells the people there, how the Borg handle their babies. Good for her.
 

SpoonyBard

Threat Rhyme
(He/Him)
It'll be interesting to see what happens. Not only is Allison Pill not coming back, but also the actors for Rios, Soji, and Elnor. Only Seven and Raffi are coming back.
Oh geez, that's a bit of a surprise. I mean, I figured it was obvious Rios wasn't coming back, but Soji and Elnor too? Man, poor Elnor got brushed aside this season, and Soji was barely Soji!
 
Oh geez, that's a bit of a surprise. I mean, I figured it was obvious Rios wasn't coming back, but Soji and Elnor too? Man, poor Elnor got brushed aside this season, and Soji was barely Soji!
I'm honestly not very surprised, weirdly enough. Still somewhat taken aback though. These were all of the characters people didn't like in Season 1 for a number of reasons. A lot of Season 2 felt like carefully planned setup to cut those characters loose in a dignified and sentimental way. Jurati got a great character development arc that redeemed her issues and insecurities from Season 1. Rios found a place he belonged. Soji is doing diplomatic work for her people and she'll be fine. And Elnor got ressurected and gets to go to the academy or whatever he feels like with his new lease on life. I really don't think it's a coincidence that after all of the internet's biggest whiners complained about S1, that in S2 they cut those characters people didn't like out, kept the ones they did like in S1, and then made S3 a reunion show - also something people said they'd wished they'd had instead.

The ironic part of all of this, is that S2 did such a good job of redeeming those now cut-loose characters and giving them fun things to do, that the same vocal complainers are now complaining that they're leaving, despite wanting them gone in the first place. It's not remotely universally true, but I can't help but think that this really just goes to show that fans are largely impatient, shortsighted people who don't know what they want, but also think they're smarter than everyone involved in making the stuff they consume.
 

FelixSH

(He/Him)
I'm done, and, uh, I don't have much else to say, I guess? It was a fine season, kind of a mess in some places, not quite for me (as mentioned, I just didn't feel the setting), but ok on the whole. I did love the two parts at the end of the last episode - seeing Wesley again was really, really nice, and having Q and Picard say farewell as friends, with Q finally, finally telling Picard straight up, that he simply enjoys his presence, was probably my favourite moment of the show.

On the whole, I think the main arc including the conclusion worked out fine, I liked that. I'm not really into the whole Borg as a collective being now completely subject to the queens whims of loneliness. Like, it just feels so different from what I think of, when thinking of the Borg. As a collective, they should NEVER fell loneliness, that's kind of a point of them. I feel like they should be beyond that (be it as bad as it is).

I guess you could argue that this, a special person, was a development from having Lukutus in their ranks (I guess?), and that this is simply a clear development from there.


Not learning about why Q dies still rubbed me the wrong way. I get it, it's not the point of the season, but still. He is a character I care about, and I would have liked at least some vague explanation. No need to go all techno-babbly on this, just something like a new illness that is spreading through the continuum, or a side-effect from the time he lost his powers, or whatever. Just something would have been nice.

Dunno, whatever, it's fine. I know, it looks like I'm mainly complaining, and while I kind of do, I don't really mind these things.

Looking forward to S3.
 
The ironic part of all of this, is that S2 did such a good job of redeeming those now cut-loose characters and giving them fun things to do, that the same vocal complainers are now complaining that they're leaving, despite wanting them gone in the first place. It's not remotely universally true, but I can't help but think that this really just goes to show that fans are largely impatient, shortsighted people who don't know what they want, but also think they're smarter than everyone involved in making the stuff they consume.
S1 gave none of these characters anything to do, save Soji.
Rios and Jurati were my faves this season. It's weird to have them move on, but seems their stories are complete.

I was/am an internet whiner about this show. And it's because it's pretty mediocre, at best. It is great at openers, closers and some key moments. Rest of the time it just flounders.

I guess this means we will see Worf on tactical again, lol
 
Well, that ended a lot better than I was expecting. I can't think of a show whose "middle" I disliked more, without dwelling on it. Cried at Q's passing and their exchanges made the season worth it alone. Could it have been done better? Maybe? I don't really care. Seeing Q be sincere and say what I always suspected - powerful.
 
I was/am an internet whiner about this show. And it's because it's pretty mediocre, at best. It is great at openers, closers and some key moments. Rest of the time it just flounders.
For the record, I don't think anyone here has been unreasonable with their complaints or objections to the show. I have some criticisms myself, and chief among them I think honestly that this 10 episode arc felt like had enough really good meat to make a feature film, or a 4-5 episode arc, and was stretched out a little too much. A lot of PIC's wonkiness I think boils down to matters of taste as well, and as we all know the truism, there's no accounting for that. What gets me though is the fans that go on the warpath, racking their brains to try and manufacture reasons to call the show an objective failure. "Picard would never do this!" or "This disrespects canon!" and so and on. And I say 'manufacture' because it's often just complete nonsense, because off the top of my head, here's three separate instances where Picard did just that in TNG, and if you knew and value canon as much as you pretend to, you'd have seen that too. Again, this describes nobody here, because everyone here are reasonable people. Suffice to say though, discussions of this show on the broader internet are a toxic brew that I can only really assume is being inflamed by bad faith keyboard warriors.

I guess this means we will see Worf on tactical again, lol
Stewart was against the idea of a reunion show to begin with, and reportedly had to be talked into bringing the rest of the cast back for S3. In his words, it won't be business as usual, and he's to-date been pretty honest about what the show has been about in his interviews. So I'll trust him for now, though there will definitely be some Worf-isms for yucks. One thing I've enjoyed about PIC immensely though is the show's commitment to exploring, forwarding, and changing the setting in ways that feel natural. All the business with the Romulans and Borg and androids has been, at least from a lore perspective, pretty interesting and compelling. And the show hasn't shied away from putting legacy characters into uncomfortable positions either. So I'm betting Worf will be doing something more interesting than just being the guy who menacingly presses buttons. Maybe we'll get some 25th Century Klingon politicking. Maybe he's who got saddled with The Big E after Picard moved on. I'm mildly eager to find out!
 

SpoonyBard

Threat Rhyme
(He/Him)
Maybe he's who got saddled with The Big E after Picard moved on. I'm mildly eager to find out!
In the Season 1 prequel novel 'The Last Best Hope' when Picard was made Admiral to head the Romulus evacuation mission he insisted on Worf being made captain of the Enterprise, against the objections of Admiral whatsherface (she specifically didn't like how he abandoned that one mission to save Jadzia in DS9), and succeeded. Whether or not he's still captain by this point in time (doubtful? I guess we'll see) is a different question.
 

Johnny Unusual

(He/Him)
"You're only good as the people around you." Jean-Luc throwing previous seasons cast members under the bus for the show's quality. NOT COOL, DUDE.
 
Oh definitely. It's probably closer to my original perception of referencing much of the original crew's return. They all looked and sounded pretty good!
 
I cannot help but notice in that trailer Worf's Captain's pips, and Geordi's Commodore's pips, and Seven's Captain's pips. Also, everyone but Raffi and Troi is wearing uniforms, so that's gotta mean something, right? I also can't help but notice that Crusher is the only person we can't see her rank, with what looks like very strategically placed hair. Combined with the actors/producers being repeatedly and intentionally coy about her role in S3 I expect something cool like being a rear admiral or captain of her own ship something.
 

SpoonyBard

Threat Rhyme
(He/Him)
Denise Crosby confirms we'll see Tasha in Season 3.

I'm happy to see Crosby return, but it's a bit baffling that they'll do it but not use Sela, considering the strong Romulan story thread in the first season. They just kind of forgot Sela existed. Romulans briefly popped up in Generations, no Sela. They were a HUGE part of Nemesis, but no Sela. And Season 1 of Picard was all Romulans all the time, but not Sela (plenty of incest twins though!). Now Crosby is returning for Season 3, but as Tasha somehow.

Dr. Pulaski when?
 

ArugulaZ

Fearful asymmetry
Is that actress even alive? I thought she would have shuffled off to that great Muzzy advertisement in the sky by now.
 
Is that actress even alive? I thought she would have shuffled off to that great Muzzy advertisement in the sky by now.
Diana Muldaur is still alive and well, but IIRC by all accounts she doesn't really want anything to do with the franchise anymore.

it's a bit baffling that they'll do it but not use Sela
Considering the entire idea of Sela was insulting to Tasha's character to begin with, and was designed to keep Denise Crosby at arm's length from the franchise instead of doing the right thing and bringing her back, I'm very much ok with this. Justice for Tasha!!!!
 

ArugulaZ

Fearful asymmetry
Ooh, ooh! What if it's really Armus in disguise?! He like, found a way off the forbidden planet using her form, and he's returned for revenge! "Prepare to be consumed by living Metamucil and printer ink!"

Anyway. I feel bad for Diana Muldaur. She's a good actress, really, but Trekkies are very set in their ways and tend to take things entirely too personally. I guess Malcolm MacDowell got death threats after his character killed Captain Kirk in Generations. What do you people want? It's freaking Malcolm MacDowell! He plays villains... it's kind of his thing!
 

Büge

Arm Candy
(she/her)
If it were Tim Curry, no one would complain. Close your eyes and imagine him delivering the line, "they say time is the fire in which we burn, Captain." Goosebumps!

Anyway, I suspect that Tasha will return thanks to last season's time bullshit. Or it's a robot.
 

Kirin

Summon for hire
(he/him)
Just wanted to pop in to say I got to see Michelle Hurd (aka Raffi) at DragonCon and can report that she is at least as awesome irl as her character, if not more so. She is all up in labor rights and civil rights activism, among other things.
 
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