3x05 Imposters

It's quite a decent episode. I'm glad they found a convincing reason for connecting both storylines. I'm also glad that we don't witness another "hunter and prey" episode.

They do this wrong in every season. There's a central mystery. They have already shown us that there's more to it. We know more than the protagonists. They use this to complicate the story. They use this to build suspension. It's one big cliffhanger. We watch the next episode because we want to understand the mystery. We don't necessarily watch because they concocted an intriguing multi-dimensional story. It's a form of story telling that I don't really like. There's no reason why Jack should not have "confessed" earlier (I mean nobody pressed him either although it was obvious that he is the key). Even now, we have to wait for next week's episode to find out whether he tells Beverly that there's maybe an explanation why he's wanted by the shape shifters. I wouldn't be surprised if they milk this mystery a few more episodes though. At least we now have, thanks to Ro, a clearer idea of the objective and about what's at stake. (That's much more than we got in season 2 in which the main protagonists had no clear idea what the objective. Really was).

Apropos the return of the Ensign: I hate this pattern too. Nostalgia is fine but they can't bring all the persons from all the earlier shows back just because fans may enjoy seeing them again. That's just too much. You will never have the time to really get accustomed to them again or learn anything of substance of what they did the last 20 years. Who's next? Dominion experts like Dr. Bashir or Kira? Or another Picard lover like the archeology girl of his (that would be Picard current or ex-lover #4 in the show). It's fan service. It has to stop. I have to admit though that the Bajoran's story now had a more satisfying end than it had in TNG.

PS: funny, I watched TNG's Conspiracy just yesterday. At least there's hope that this show tells infiltration better. In Conspiracy it was too easy to stop the aliens from taking over Starfleet. These changelings seem to be much more determined. And they seem to have a plan. It's always a great idea to copy parts of DS9's story. DS9 has still the most ambitious Star Trek story and Picard will probably not change this fact.

In the Biblical parable of the prodigal son, a man has two sons, and the younger one demands his inheritance, which the father obligingly gives him, after which he leaves and promptly squanders it on wine, women, and debauchery. But once the money was all gone, and hard times fell upon the country, he had to hire himself out to a local farmer to feed the pigs, and eat their slop as his only food. Pondering his situation, he realized how foolish he had been and journeyed back to his homeland and begged his father for forgiveness, which his Father not only granted, but, welcomed him with open arms, bestowing upon him his finest robes, a gold ring, new sandals, and he then told his farmhands to slaughter a fatted calf for a feast. When the son who had stayed loyal returned from the fields and saw the festivities, he inquired as to what was going on, and was informed of his brothers return. He became incensed, demanding why father had NEVER given HIM a feast, when he had been loyal the whole time. The Father explained Son, you have always been with me, and all I have is yours, but now let us celebrate, because your brother was dead to us, but now is alive, he was lost, but now is found.

This episode gave me the same vibes as that story, with the "twist" that the "prodigal" in this case was someone who had indeed betrayed Picard, but had now returned to judge HIM, for his part in the preceding crisis they just escaped from. Drama and hijinks ensue when it is revealed that there be dragons, er, changelings afoot, and, no one is to be trusted. Like the dramatics between Picard and Beverly, it's never fun to see your parents argue, but more so when you realize they actually DO care for each other, but miscommunication and doubt kept them from seeing it. This was played out quite deftly, although the concluding reveal was telegraphed pretty blatantly.

As for Jack, either he got some bad "space nookie" and the voice and visions in his head are calling him to get a shot of penicillin, or he's a changeling that went off the reservation and doesn't realize it, thus the mother goo is calling him home. In any case, I'm down to follow his journey in the hopes that, whatever his "deal" is, he will stick the landing.