Ah, Star Trek: Discovery, the show that boldly went where no one asked it to go. Picture this: it's like a hipster at a high-end coffee shop, sipping a kale-infused latte while wearing mismatched socks and waxing poetic about the existential crisis of artisanal toast. That's right, folks—Discovery is the artisanal toast of sci-fi TV. :avocado::bread:
Now, let's dive into the season 5 finale, titled "Life, Itself." Imagine you're at a fancy dinner party, and the main course arrives: a plate of lukewarm tofu, garnished with existential dread and served on a bed of plot holes. The Progenitors—the mysterious beings who apparently invented the universe's most confusing IKEA furniture—take center stage. They're like the cryptic barista who insists on explaining the hidden meaning behind every soy milk latte foam swirl. :milky_way::coffee:
Michael Burnham, our resident mutineer-turned-Starfleet-captain, grapples with the Progenitors' technology. It's like watching a cat try to assemble a particle accelerator using IKEA instructions written in Klingon. Spoiler alert: the technology ends up in a black hole, which is fitting because the plot also disappeared into one. :hole:
But wait, there's more! The crew of the U.S.S. Discovery gets about as much screen time as a background extra in a crowd scene. Seriously, they're like the forgotten side dish at a food truck festival—everyone's too busy Instagramming the gourmet tacos to notice them. :taco:
And let's talk about Moll, the character who makes Jar Jar Binks look like a Shakespearean thespian. Moll's decision-making process is akin to a squirrel crossing a busy street during rush hour: erratic, nonsensical, and ultimately doomed. :chipmunk:
As for the dialogue, oh boy. It's like listening to a self-help podcast hosted by a sentient mood ring. The characters talk so much that even the universal translator begs for a mute button. :speaking_head:
In summary, "Life, Itself" wraps up the season with all the finesse of a drunk Klingon doing the Macarena. It's a finale that leaves you questioning your life choices, much like that regrettable tattoo you got during spring break. :cherry_blossom::syringe:
So, dear viewers, as we bid adieu to Star Trek: Discovery, let's raise our glasses (filled with Romulan ale, of course) and toast to a show that stumbled, tripped, and face-planted its way through the final frontier. May it rest in peace—or at least find a better hairstylist in the afterlife. :vulcan::champagne_glass:
And remember, folks: in space, no one can hear you cringe. :stars:²⁵
On the whole, I really enjoyed this series, even if it ultimately turned left where I was expecting it to turn right. Or, in the show’s terms, it interpolated (putting Lilly and Forest within the system) rather than exterpolated (exploring the idea of reality itself being a simulation from the start). The latter is something that was hinted around the edges in dialogue but never explicitly stated or explored. Are we supposed to think that Forest and Lilly are now living in a simulation but that Katie is controlling it from the “real world”, for example? Because I think Katie’s world, the world of episodes 1-7, is a simulation, too.
I’m also left with a few parts that either feel inadequately explained or felt off, like:
Stewart’s role, and what he meant when he asked “Who is Mark Antony?” last episode.
How did Katie get out of Devs, once the electromagnetic tram fell and she was on the inside? We saw a bridge later, but who put it there? I don’t think Stewart would have.
Pete, the homeless guy/Russian spy, was a Chekhov’s Gun the whole series so I wasn’t surprised that he fired in the last episode, but he certainly took me out of the moment. A spy would live homeless on the street for months, dancing in the park to the music of a busker with nobody watching, just because? That’s some dedicated spycraft right there.
[7.5/10] I feel like there are two modes of Discovery: one where it aims to take a page out of classic Trek focused on problem-solving and geopolitics, and one where it aims to be a modern serialized drama with major turns and intense character beats.
In its final season, the show’s gotten pretty good at the former! “Eirgah” is, in many ways, all about finding unorthodox diplomatic solutions, understanding what even an alien enemy truly wants, using your resources -- not just technology, but people -- to reach a solution. And when it’s in that mode, it’s pretty darn good!
Sadly, even after five years of trying, it’s still not especially good at the latter. The ongoing race to find the Progenitors' technology is a yawn wrapped in dynamite. The breathless character relationships between Moll, L'ak, and Book are roundly uninvolving. And the attempts to turn every week into a high-stakes action movie rather than a measured, if heightened set of interactions between different peoples, continues to be unavailing.
Which is all to say that I love the initial diplomatic negotiations and internal considerations regarding the incoming Breen. On a basic narrative level, there are solid stakes. The Federation has L'ak. The Breen want him. L'ak’s people are known more for their reflexive decimation than their considered diplomacy, something multiple conversations remind us of. (Hello Deep Space Nine fans!) How to navigate the situation on that basis alone is tricky, which portends good things.
And then you have the pragmatic, the ethical, and the threat of apocalypse to manage. On a practical basis, L'ak might have important information Starfleet can use in the hunt for the Progenitor tech, and they certainly don’t want to hand a roadmap toward that kind of power over to the Breen. On a moral level, it’s against Federation principles to hand over someone to die, especially when they know L'ak wants nothing more to do with his people. And lurking in the background is the sight Burnham and Rayner had during the time travel adventures, of a Federation HQ destroyed by the Breen, laying out what could go wrong if this all, well, goes wrong.
What results is a tug of war. Do we attempt a peaceful solution here, as a pinch-hitting President T’Rina seems to suggest. Or do we bear down for battle because the Breen are brutes who can't be trusted, as Rayner suggests? And given the ticking clock and high stakes, can Burnham get the info she needs to help both the engagement with the Breen and the search for the Progenitor tech in time?
That's a great setup. It lays out dimensions of the problem that are practical, moral, and personal. It gives you a, dare I say, Deep Space Nine-esque quandary of whether to do the noble thing or the expedient thing with a serious threat hanging over your head. And it all requires reckoning with your own prejudices and principles to find a path forward. That is classic Trek.
I’ll admit, as much as I’ve loved Commander Rayner as an addition to Discovery, I have my qualms with the “Behind every bigot there’s a story of understandable trauma.” His xenophobic reaction to the prospect of dealing with the Breen is rightfully galling to T’Rina. But I do appreciate, from a storytelling perspective, that his skepticism is more than just garden variety prejudice. The idea that his people were brutally wiped out by the Breen, hence his prejudice against them, adds dimension to his sentiments. Rayner not letting those feelings, that hurt, get the best of him, and finding ways to contribute positively to the plan, are another sign of his growth.
Not for nothing, this may also be one of Michael Burnham’s finest hours, especially as a leader. As with “Face the Strange”, it’s her empathy and understanding that pay dividends here.
She doesn’t write off Rayner’s prejudices, instead speaking with him about his Breen experiences in a way that not only gives them the tools to better understand what these erstwhile aggressors want, but also brings Rayner back into the fold. And while her conversation with Moll and L'ak results in her nigh-magically divining what their deal is without them saying much, I’m willing to chalk it up to Michael being perceptive, and a commendable desire to gather as much info as possible before marching into a scary situation. That is real Starfleet stuff.
So is the payoff with the Breen. They are as brutish, intimidating, and curt as advertised. Their unreceptiveness to our heroes’ entreaties makes it that much more impressive when the good guys unleash their savvy. Understanding what L'ak means to Primarch Ruhn, as a bargaining chip in a political contest, and using what Rayner knows about a rival contender for the throne, gives the good guys the knowledge to bluff Ruhn and play his rivals against him to not only maintain the status quo, but earn a peaceful resolution to the crisis du jour. Again, classic Starfleet.
And if things had ended there, I think I would have been happy. Is the story a bit simple? Sure. But it requires both guile and understanding from all involved to pull off, the kind of careful navigation of interpersonal and geopolitical minefields that were the bread and butter of the Star Trek I grew up with.
Instead, from there, we dive first into wild turn and crazy fight land, which is the mode of Discovery I’ve grown the most exhausted with.
Thankfully, along the way, we get some interesting reflections of the same kind of lateral thinking and recognition of the value of friends and allies that Burnham models here. Tilly and Adira work to figure out what the inscription on the Betazoid scientist’s clue means, while Stamets teams up with Book to figure out what the composition of the metal base points to.
Both are nice little subplots. It’s a treat to see Tilly and Adira problem-solving together, with Tilly’s attaboy for Adira’s growing composure and confidence being particularly heartwarming. The fact that they have to go to Jet Reno to piece together clues toward an ancient library is a good excuse to enjoy some of Tig Notaro’s distinct energy, and to tantalize us with the prospect of a sci-fi Library of Alexandria that might hold the key to the next destination. (Hello Avatar: The Last Airbender fans!)
On the Stamets side of things, we get more hints that Stamets is putting incredible stock into “the mission” despite the threat of destruction, because he remains motivated to cement his legacy apart from the spore drive. His devotion and low-key desperation shine through, and his recognition that an empath like Book might be useful in decoding a clue left by a member of an empathic species is a nice way to show his own type of lateral thinking and put Book to good use.
The way the two halves come together, with Team Tilly’s discovery of the library which might be the source of the inscription, and Team Stamets coming up with its possible locations, until they harmonize their findings to point the way, is more classic Trek problem solving. As mystery box stories go, this is the step that feels the most earned and true to the show’s roots. It requires teamwork, intelligence, and creative thinking. What more can you ask for?
For the episode to end there, I guess.
Look, here’s the big problem -- I just don’t buy the Moll and L’ak corner of the show. Moll and L’ok having some timeless, unbreakable connection to one another? I don’t buy it. Book feeling like Moll is his last bit of family? I don’t buy it. Eve Harlow’s affected acting through of this? I don’t buy it.
It’s not like Discovery hasn’t tried to do the work here. We had a Moll/L’ak backstory episode. We’ve had plenty of scenes where Book tries to explain his connection to and feelings about Moll. It’s just that none of it’s been convincing. SO when you have the two smugglers blowing this whole thing up so they can be together, or Moll basically defecting to the Breen so that she can use the Progenitor tech to bring back L’ak from the dead, it’s not like I don’t believe it, but I don’t really care. It’s not piercing or convincing enough to warrant my emotional investment. Instead, these theoretically gigantic moments become instances of, “Well, this is happening, I guess.”
And of course, we depart from the classic Trekkian diplomacy and problem-solving to have a series of the same choppily-edited, mushy fist fights we’ve seen time and time again in Discovery. I don’t need to see Moll punching out Hugh, or getting into gun battles with Commander Nhan, where the show tries to spruce up a pretty dully-directed hour with some strange overhead shots. The combat has lost all impact given how often they go to that well.
Instead, we’re in overhyped melodrama land, where characters make emotional decisions founded on sentiments the show hasn’t really earned, with wild swings in fortune that require extended boardroom conversations to half-justify. Risking the Breen getting the Progenitor tech may make the season’s endgame more exciting, but it seems like a pretty foolish choice given what’s at stake.
That's the problem. Once Discovery is out of its “Let’s solve the problem du jour” mode, that allows it to follow the rhythm of old, it loses its spark. Once we’re back to trying to make hay out of uninteresting and unconvincing new characters, and feed the show’s overblown blockbuster season arc, the whole thing falls apart.
The most frustrating episodes of Discovery aren’t the installments that are outright bad. They’re the ones where you see the show’s potential, but that potential runs aground when the series falls back into its old habits.
[7.8/10] I’m going to offer “Whistlespeak” some high praise -- it feels like a meat and potatoes episode of 1990s Star Trek, updated for the modern day. The visit to a pre-warp planet where our heroes have to blend-in, the moral dilemma of whether to observe the Prime Directive or save the lives of innocents and friends, the contemplation of what belief means in the shadow of tremendous scientific advancement, were all the bread and butter of The Next Generation, and Voyager and sometimes even Deep Space Nine. Seeing Discovery replicate those rhythms, and in some instances even improve on them, is a sight for sore eyes after an up and down season.
For me, this is a better spin on the type of story TNG aimed to tell in “Who Watches the Watchers”, where Starfleet officers were captured by a community of Bronze Age proto-Vulcans, and Picard had to save his crewmembers without letting the locals believe he was a god. “Whistlespeak” isn’t exactly the same. But the principles, of pretending to be a local, rescuing an ally from their potentially deadly practices, and reconciling your advancement with their beliefs are at the heart of both episodes.
The premise sees Burnham and company following the trail of an ancient Denobulan(!!!) scientist to a comparatively primitive planet called Hemenlo, to find the next clue. To secure it, they must blend in with the locals and work their way to a weather tower disguised as a mountain than Hemenloites revere as a holy place. That means taking part in a ritualistic race, meant to mirror one of the community’s hallowed myths, where the winner gets to tread the holy ground and complete the ritual to ask the gods for rain.
It’s a good setup! One of the best parts of Star Trek has long been the “new life and new civilizations” part of the mantra. While the outlines are familiar, meeting a new forehead-accented community with a unique form of communication, vibration-based curatives, and their own distinctive set of cultural practices is invigorating. The premise of Burnham and Tilly needing to hunt down the clue without being discovered or disrupting the locals’ rites adds a sense of tension to the proceedings. And as in classic Trek, we get a parent and child, named Ovaz and Rava, to help bring the planet to life in a personal sense, each of whom gets meaningful interactions with our heroes.
For Tilly, that means running the famed Helemna thirst race and bonding with young Rava. In truth, the show has underbaked the story of Tilly’s struggles to find the right connection with her students at Starfleet Academy. But I like that her interactions with Rava, both before and after the big reveal, show that she’s capable of forging that kind of mentorship connection. It’s a simple gesture, but her choosing to refill Rava’s bowl, re-qualifying her to finish the race, is gracious and powerful. Seeing her compassion, and the two women lifting one another up to reach the finish line, does a nice job of selling why Tilly makes sense as a Starfleet instructor at a time of uncertainty for her.
Honestly, the interpersonal interactions, which are typically a weakness for Discovery in my book, were one of the highlights here. If nothing else, this episode brings back the friendship between Burnham and Tilly in a way that's shown and not told that I love. The two have an easy, playful rapport that befits the show’s longest-running friendship. Their joking with each other, banter, and breaking all the rules to save one another fits the two people who’ve been in each other’s corner for the longest. Hell, even their racing together comes with echoes of the famous “Disco” shirts and jogs along Discovery’s corridor.
It’s not limited to that, though. One of the best parts of this episode for me is Adira getting their chance to step onto the bridge, and pushing past their nervousness with the help of Commander Rayner. I like it on two fronts. On the one hand, Adira has sneakily become one of my favorite characters on Discovery. They are basically what Wesley Crusher was meant to be -- a talented but untested young ensign -- except that Adira is more endearing through their anxiousness and stumbles, which are more relatable than the young wunderkind on the Enterprise-D.
At the same time, this is a good episode for Rayner, clearly changed after the events of “Face the Strange”, the way his usual calm but firm demeanor is used not to demean his subordinates or give them the short shrift, but rather to show a steely confidence in Adira, makes him feel like a good Team Dad rather than a recovering Team Jerk. It’s a good look for all involved.
Not for nothing, this may also be the most I’ve liked the interactions between Dr. Culber and Stamets. In truth, I’ve never fully bought their relationship. It’s long seemed to miss that spark that turns on-screen relationships from script-mandated pairings into something the audience can invest in. But I don’t know what to say -- they felt like a genuine married couple here, familiar in their way with one another, a little playful but caring, and tender in an area where they’re nervous to tread. There’s a relaxed sweetness between them that we don’t always see, and it helps sell Dr. Culber’s ongoing storyline of personal discovery.
I’ll admit, I have my qualms about that storyline. Star Trek is no stranger to spiritual awakenings (hello Deep Space Nine fans!), and my assumption is that it will tie into the ongoing storyline in a plot-relevant, not just personal way over time. But I’ll admit to appreciating the humanist spirit of the franchise, and I’m always a little leery when creative teams veer away from it in ways that don’t feel fully baked. (Hello Voyager fans!) Still, both Stamets and Book telling Dr. Culber not to fret over his newfound sense of attunement to something greater, but rather just enjoy it and let it wash over him, is a solid start.
That humanist spirit is more alive in Burnham’s adventures down on Helemna. It becomes necessary to break the Prime Directive and talk some future sense into Ovaz when it turns out the prize for winning the race isn’t just a visit to the sacred mountain, but rather the “privilege” of becoming a sacrifice to the gods in the hopes that they’ll bring rain. When it’s Tilly who’s suddenly on the chopping block (or, more accurately, the suffocation block), Michael is willing to throw the rules in the can like so many great Starfleet captains before.
I appreciate the twist! The episode runs a bit long for my tastes. But I like the fact that this triumphant moment of Tilly’s kindness and camaraderie with a young but aspirational soul quickly turns into a horror movie when you realize what their “reward” for winning is. The secret weather station containing a vacuum chamber that becomes a sort of altar creates a ticking clock as Tilly and Rava lose oxygen. And it creates urgency not only for Michael to disobey the Prime Directive in the name of her friend, but to convince Ovaz of the truth so that he’ll open the door and free her and his child.
What follows has shades not unlike the best part of “Who Watches the Watchers” -- a Picard-esque conversation between the wizened space-farer and the local mystic about what’s really going on. (Heck, Burnahm even shows Ovaz a view of the planet from above, a Jean-Luc classic.) I appreciate the idea of Michael rooting her pitch in both the practical and the personal. She explains to an already devastated Ovaz that his people can have their rain regardless of the ritual, and on the personal front, that Rava doesn't need to die for it. The explanation of the weather station and technology on the one hand,a dn the personal appeal on the other,shows the best of Michael.
And despite the on-the-nose “Here’s the lesson we learned from our treasure hunt today” ending that would make even Kirk blush, I like the theme about the evolution of belief more than the tacked-on theme of being cautious with technology. Burnham doesn't use her knowledge or technological advancement to invalidate Ovaz’s gods or tell him his rituals are no good. But she also recognizes that there is a hunger for the community’s beliefs to evolve and grow alongside the needs of the people and their evolving view of the world. The notion that ritual and tradition can sit comfortably alongside advancement is a heartening one, and it’s delivered with a blend of high-minded philosophy and personal compassion, and understanding nuance that would befit The Next Generation.
This is the kind of thing I want more of from Discovery even as we only have four episodes left. Even though it’s connected to the larger chase, this episode could stand on its own. It dusts off old franchise tropes but finds new spins on them, updating the lessons for current problems. And most of all, it puts our heroes hand-in-hand with another, with believable relationships and interactions among both the regular cast and the guest stars. As the episode’s own moral suggests, it’s never too late to keep the good from what’s old and blend it with the best of what’s new, and in an episode like “Whistlespeak”, it’s nice to see the show taking its own advice.
Less than 25% of the way through the episode. We have a classic example of what in my opinion is how to do an episode of Elizabeth poorly. I realize this is no longer a legal show now that we're not the good wife. This is now a police procedure. But Elizabeth as a character is still a lawyer. She's a lawyer who due to her (coded autistic) brain notices things.
This is a great hook. It's a reasonable ask for the viewer to buy into your world. But then when you do stuff like this episode, it completely falls apart. I'm even willing to tolerate seeing the murder. How why? And when happened before Elizabeth even shows up. Generally speaking, I like a little mystery to my mystery show, but that isn't necessarily the problem here. The problem is that Blair Underwood who is wasted here, is a killer who talks like no one else has ever talked before in life. Immediately he starts phrasing things as if everyone knows he killed the victim. As if he's on trial defending himself. When no one knows he's even involved. But because he talks in the dumbest most guilty defense way possible, Elizabeth is somehow the only one to catch on. This isn't exactly what I was looking for when I expected her to notice things. Other episodes have been better than this. I don't think any have been worse
[6.1/10] The knock on Star Trek: Discovery is that everything is too big. Everything is a world-ending calamity. Every emotion is cranked up to eleven. Every mission is the most serious and important challenge Starfleet has ever faced.
“Red Directive” does nothing to shed that rap. We open with Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) yahoo-ing while surfing on the back of an enemy ship in warp drive, before cutting to a cliched “four hours earlier” bit of drama-mortgaging. A pair of smugglers named Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), with the MacGuffin du jour, get into a standard issue bout of fisticuffs with some nameless/faceless goons. Burnham, Book (David Ajala), and new frenemy Captain Rayner (Battlestar Galactica veteran Callum Keith Rennie) dodge boulders and other debris in an immersion-breaking artificial sandscape pursuit of the pair of pirates. And the ensuing rockslide which threatens to crush a nearby village is only halted by Discovery and another Federation vessel diving nose-first into the sand to block the onslaught, with neither the ships nor their crews seemingly any worse for wear.
Look, this is a season premiere. Some fireworks are expected. And in a stretch for the franchise where new kid on the block Strange New Worlds seems to have stolen much of Discovery’s thunder as the franchise flagship, you can practically feel the creative team pulling out all the stops to keep viewers excited and invested, even if it means leaning into accusations of always going big.
That includes invoking The Next Generation. The item Burnham and company are chasing is no mere trinket or weapon. It is, instead, the technology used by the Progenitors from 1993’s “The Chase” to create all humanoid life as we know it. This top secret mission, issued by Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg), mirrors the one embarked upon by none other than Captain Picard centuries earlier, with clues to follow laid by an important Romulan scientist/background player from the decades-old episode.
In that, “Red Directive” falls into two familiar traps. The first is one shared by Strange New World, specifically the need to tie nearly everything into some familiar piece of franchise lore rather than starting fresh. Only, Discovery’s issue is that much more damning given its “millennium into the future” timeframe, with the whole point being a chance to refresh and reset rather than staying constrained by canon from fifty years earlier.
This episode is not above such pandering connections. In fact, the seedy antiques dealer Moll and L’ak do business with is a Data-esque synth named Fred who shares the famous android’s aesthetic and penchant for speed-reading. In a painful scene, Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Dr. Culber (Wilson Cruz) even remark that Fred’s serial number reflects the initials of Altan Soong, a long lost Soong baby and Star Trek: Picard’s most unnecessary character (which is saying something).
Earned canon connections are the thrill of existing within the same storytelling universe, particularly one that has lasted more than half a century. But these ties come off more like cheap fanservice and strained ties to more beloved properties than organic connections to Discovery’s ongoing project.
That might be a forgivable excess though if “Red Directive” didn’t fall into the second trap, of near constant escalation in Discovery’s stakes. Kovich remains cagey about Burnham’s mission for most of the hour, beyond a “recover this item at all costs” sense of dramatics to it all. Even Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) isn’t under the tent on it. And when Kovich finally spills the beans, after more blunt underlining of what a big deal this quest is, he calls it a search for “the greatest treasure in the known galaxy.”
The best you can say is that the season 5 premiere aims to keep the volume lower for its interpersonal relationships. A cringeworthy scene where Tilly (Mary Wiseman) awkwardly attempts to flirt with a wet rag colleague she has an obvious crush on is about the worst of it. But the adorably chaste romance between Saru (Doug Jones) and T’Rina (Tara Rosling) continues apace and fares much better. The Kelpien chooses to resign his commission to take a job as a Federation ambassador that would keep him closer to his lady love, and in response, T’Rina offers a Hank Hill-esque marriage proposal. The writing isn’t subtle, but the sweetness and underplaying from the performers wins out.
Hell, even the reunion between Michael and Book is relatively restrained, if not necessarily overwhelming. In truth, since Book hasn’t been away from the show for any period of time, the sense of distance between them doesn’t fully land. But the sense of simultaneous familiarity and alienation between them does. While a situation involving couriers that just so happens to require Book’s expertise comes off a tad contrived, and the quips about past jobs and plans are a touch forced, I appreciate Discovery taking some more time to unpack their relationship after the schisms of season 4.
Who knows if their exchange about how there are some things you cannot move past will stick. The show has generally seemed intent to jam the couple together from the first time they met. But either way, the restraint in this early hour is admirable.
The same can't be said for newcomer Captain Rayner. If you’ve watched Star Trek for any length of time, Rayner is a familiar archetype. Rayner preaches risk-taking while Burnham wants to take caution. Rayner will do anything for the mission while Burnham will do anything to protect innocent lives. Rayner puts the objective first while Burnham puts her principles first.
There’s something to be said for the clash of ideals between a Starfleet captain who lived through the era of The Burn, versus one weaned on the headier days of the Federation. And Book’s joking pronouncements of what they have in common suggests a “We’re not so different, you and I” reconciliation somewhere down the road. But for now, the philosophical and personality conflicts between them come off as stock and shallow.
Nevertheless, the mission is set -- follow the clues to the Progenitor tech before it falls into the wrong hands. The players are in place, from Burnham and the Discovery crew, to Rayner and his team, to the pair of chummy smugglers racing to find the same prize. And rest assured, humble viewers, terrified at the prospect of serene outings full of boardroom debates and ethical meditations, there’s plenty of explosions and firefights and feats of derring-do to keep you occupied.
But as it embarks on its final season, Discovery stumbles over some of the same hurdles it struggled with from the beginning. Season 4 was a big step in the right direction, with a strong central idea and themes that vindicated the heart of the franchise. That earns this show plenty of leeway to prove it can do the same in its last at-bat. But with “Red Directive”’s hollow action, world-ending stakes, and strained canon ties, the ultimate leg of its five-year mission gets off to a rocky start.
Ok so I've read the books, and I didn't want to be that guy...but what was this episode??? Time to be that guy!
I loved the first 5 episodes, even if they took some creative freedom and altered some characters. I'm no "book purist". Episode 5 in particular gave me goosebumps even though I knew what was coming. The particular combo of episodes 4 and 5 left on such an insanely high note...only to plunge straight down into this slog of an episode, with practically none of it being in the source material.
If there's one thing the show directors are known for, it's for butchering projects when they attempt to write original material shudders at the last Game of Thrones season. Despite the criticism, they do a very good job when they stick to the source material. This is a complete trilogy, so there was no need for them to deviate. Ep 1-5 covers book 1, ep 6 was completely made up. Ep 8 seems to cover the beginning of book 2 based on the episode title.
Book 1 got 30, yes, thirty one hour episodes in China's version of Three Body released last year. Much of the depth and nuance is lost in this version, and until this episode, I've been cutting them some slack with the 8 episode time allotment in mind. Given a budget for 8 episodes, these directors decided to cram book 1 into five episodes, write two of their own shitty episodes, then (hopefully) end with a strong ep 8 based in the book. They could have easily done book 1 ep 1-7 instead of this absolute momentum killer. The slow and powerful reveals in the book were reduced to one-liners in the show. For what. So they could add two original episodes that sucked? Learn from your mistakes, morons. Stick to the script.
Even the science they tried to introduce in this episode was laughable compared to the book. Like a slap in the author's face. Ugh.
Then the cheese love triangle. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Anyway, this concludes my rant. I hope episode 7 isn't as bad as I'm expecting, but I'm still excited to see them get back to the source material in the 'Wallfacers' episode.
This season has gotten worse and worse. What is the main plot exactly? Because it’s episode 6 and it seems like all episodes feel meandering, pointless, and aimless. The writing is disjointed and nothing is really happening.
Episode 6 is comically bad:
No offense meant here, but I don’t watch Yellowstone for a Jimmy spin off. Will he ever become a cowboy? Because the guy has been ranching for 3 seasons now and still looks like the new guy. I get on my phone during his scenes because it’s just scenic background music with Jimmy looking dumb.
Unpopular take: Beth Dutton gets less and less interesting every episode. Basically everything she says and does now is eyeroll inducing and ridiculous. Her ‘badass-ness’ is tiresome and predictable. Just the writers feeling 'what mean girl line can we come up with this time'. It feels redundant. Her lines to Summer Higgins were a new level of cringe-worthy for this series, wishing any type of cancer on anyone is a bridge too far. And I’m really over her and Jaime. Their scenes basically are: Jamie: “You’re going to destroy me” Beth: _“I’m going to destroy you”. This storyline needs to be resolve immediately.
Summer Higgins is the most stereotypical 'annoying animal activist, vegan girl' ever. It’s just lazy writing because this could have been an interesting and nuanced interaction between these characters who are completely different, but instead her character was built upon a foundation of clichés. And I know they were trying to make her requests seem absurd, but all they did was make John Dutton's chef look dumb. Yes, you can be a cowboy’s chef and still know what gluten is. Any cook who uses flour knows what gluten is.
Will ‘Boy’ ever shower, wash his hair? Because every week I'm like ‘he's still in the same clothes?’ And it seems like Beth completely forgot about him.
Every time I think Jamie is going to do something right, he chokes. He is so weak, it's cringe.
Kill off Monica. Let Kayce be a tragic sexy widower. I give Monica two episodes before she hates their new house, too.
Lloyd vs Walker - Had to fast-forward through that fight. I don’t know why they needed to waste so much screen time on it, so unnecessary. Not to mention how it was possible for Walker to fight like he is Mike Tyson after getting stabbed in the left shoulder the previous night.
I know this episode is supposed to be about the trauma of war, but to me it was also such a close and powerful portrayal of the dynamics of relationship abuse. The specific discomfort of proximity, the gaslighting, the false concern of the abuser, the paralyzing terror of being touched, the cringy way that well-meaning people just don't get it. If this was just about war, Pike should be able to understand M'Benga's feelings better: while he wasn't in the universe for most of the Klingon War, he's seen terrible things and has lost people in battle. I don't know if I've ever seen these emotions and dynamics written and played so precisely. It was both hard to watch and maybe a little healing to watch a fictionalized version. I know that earlier in my life I would have thought that M'Benga opening up the knife box was 100% wrong, but the person I've become is glad he did, and it was helpful to see how clear that change in me is.
The choice to leave the exact events of the climax ambiguous is a fascinating one. It really asks the audience to think through the resolution's moral and emotional dimensions. Watching viewers' disagreements about what happened and what should have happened further drives home the distance between Pike's emotional landscape and M'Benga's in this episode. It makes me think that maybe there are things you really can't understand if you haven't been through them.
M'Benga as super assassin comes out of nowhere and the idea is kind of goofy (maybe it's foreshadowed by the action sequence in S2E1, but that was so stupid I tried to pretend it didn't happen). But it's TV-show dumb - clearly not planned for until this plot needed it. It makes diegetic sense that it hasn't been talked about, if not really narrative sense.
The flashback technique clued me into the key twist before it properly arrived, but it was enough of a good mystery that I still found the reveal satisfying.
Magnificent guest acting from Robert Wisdom (the ambassador) and Brendan Jeffers (the young ensign born on the moon), and, in the main cast, particularly strong turns from Jess Bush, Anson Mount, and of course Babs Olusanmokun. Jeff Byrd's direction is immaculate and Davy Perez's script is efficient and precise.
Color me confused by this episode. I understand it's about war and the ramifications it has on the people fighting in it, losing your humanity, lust for revenge, blood lust... all this enhanced by some drug (that we've already seen in episode 1 of this season).
But what did actually happen on J'Gal? Did M'Benga kill the Klingons, or did he inject the Klingon commander who then killed all his officers? (Have to watch that again...) - Anyway, M'Benga turned out the real monster of J'Gal, and he reinforced that image by killing the Klingon commander/now ambassador of the Federation pretty much in cold blood... and everyone knows things are fishy, but there are no consequences. I realize that this episode is supposed to be uncomfortable, and it's not about what happened on J'Gal that bothers me (because "inter arma enim silent leges" and that goes doubly for morals), but the murder/incident on Enterprise? Just that M'Benga was even interacting with the Klingon should have raised multiple red flags, not even speaking that he was fighting with him... Considering his PTSD he should have removed himself from the situation after the dinner and be done with it. Don't know what Pike was thinking, honestly.
So, I'm not sure where this episode was going. It certainly didn't make me more sympathetic to M'Benga.
An entertaining if slightly odd beginning to season 2. It was nice to see a shift in focus to other crew members, even if that choice felt kind of jarring as a reintroduction to the show. Side-lining Captain Pike was quite bold and honestly I missed his presence, but giving a chance for Spock, Chapel and M'Benga to have centre stage was also rewarding.
Still, I found this whole episode to feel like it was throwing us into something that was already progressing and it was a little difficult to stay fully engaged with it. There was a whole backstory to the situation and characters on Cajitar IV that was reduced to fleeting dialogue, instead trusting us to just go with it and not worry about the details. I felt that could have been handled better. Obviously this episode drew from the Klingon War that happened on Discovery, and featuring its repercussions so heavily here required a shift. The deep trauma that M'Benga and Chapel seem to have experienced came out of nowhere and fundamentally altered their characters. It was great material for the actors to work with, but flew in the face of what they've established previously.
It also led to the scene which was the weakest part of the episode for me; an extended action sequence in which Chapel and M'Benga expertly fight their way through hordes of Klingons with the assistance of a drug. Exciting, yes, but tonally bizarre and again not fitting the characters. This was WAY over the top, leading to M'Benga torturing a Klingon.. Again, wrong tone.
Thankfully there was a lot of great stuff outside this. La'an has really come into her own and felt like a well balanced character here. And Spock got all the of the episode's best moments. It's great to see him playing the lute and being in charge. We're going down an interesting narrative path here with his losing his grip on his emotional stability, and honestly I'm quite up for it thanks to Ethan Peck's wonderful take on Spock. Yes, we're edging on breaking canon in several areas here, but I'm really not that worried if I'm enjoying what I'm seeing.
Overall, this episode felt kind of unsettled and over-enthusiastic in it's return, but I'm in.
Soooo, so good! As a non-hardcore Trekkie (but a long time follower of the series), this has been some of the best Star Trek I've seen in a while. Besides the (somewhat) peaceful exploration of space (which SNW has already delivered to us pretty nicely in previous episodes) I've also really missed the deceiving tactics and cheeky bluff of racial confrontations in space, often a forgotten quintessential aspect of the series. Such a nostalgia rush, wrapped up in a lovely modern packaging.
I definitely like Paul Wesley as a younger Kirk, he's got the spirited, "head first", spunky atitude that's typical of the character. I've read elsewhere that Paul Wesley is on board for the second season, so I'm glad we'll get to see his Kirk fleshed out a bit more.
The only thing keeping me from rating this a full 10 is that, all in all, it was just a "what if" kind of episode, a mere warning of one possible future, with no actual consequences for current characters and context, and that always takes away some of excitement.
Great first season, which ended with a solid, exciting finale, undoubtedly making Strange New Worlds the best Star Trek series currently around. I can't wait to see what Pike's hair will be up to next season!
If you want to be clever, please actually be:
"Germany has been the anvil for too long" (rough translation) has been Said by Bernhard von Bülow, the German Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in 1899 (December 11th 1899 to be precise).
And he was probably refering to something by Goethe:
"You must either conquer and rule or serve and lose, suffer or triumph, be the anvil or the hammer."
I'm not saying that behaving like a hammer and forcing people to do what you want is right. But isn't that exactly where Americans WANT to see their country? Being free themselves while forcing everyone else to do things the way they want them to?
I guess my point is:
Just because Hitler said something, it wasn't necessarily coined by him. Usually he put it into the context and THAT makes it kind of weird to hear someone say it.
But especially this phrase had been used before with EXACTLY the same meaning.
Wouldn't be too bad if Wendy knew and associated it with Hitler, but Taylor is usually a knowitall and probably should know that the origins go back further.
P.S.: I had to research it myself - but I think that is something you can expect a writer to do if they want to use our dark history for dramaturgic effect.
Much like the previous comedy episode 'Spock Amok', I struggled to click with this one. It wasn't particularly bad with some massive TOS vibes, and I always loved holodeck-gone-wrong style episodes, but the problem was that once again it just felt lifeless. The jokes raised a small chuckle at most, with the majority missing the mark entirely.
This time around something I noticed was the lack of musical accompaniment to help lift the comedy. Without it there to help, things feel remarkably dead. Music was there certainly, but so completely subdued.
For the positives, I thought that Dr. M'Benga lead the episode extremely well. I was also pleased to see Hemmer back. Uhura hammed it up brilliantly. Pike/Anson Mount was kind of delightful as the coward, pitching his performance just right. Wizard Spock looked fantastic. And Ortegas seemed in her element, jousting verbally with Pike. It's just a shame that so few of these elements ended up working well together.
The episode was saved for me by the ending, where it managed to hit me hard. The performances here were top notch. At first I was a little surprised at how easily M'Benga willingly gave up his daughter, but then I realised that she is literally at death's door and has no time left (the show hasn't made this quite as clear as it could have). He knew that holding on to her only means her death.
A weaker episode, but not a terrible one. It feels a little too early in the run to do something like this when the characters haven't been fully established.
This was my first episode of this show that I happened to catch. Some good dialog and acting, some not so much, and some of both that was unnecessarily difficult to understand due to a combination of speed-slurring accents, mumble acting, and very wide dynamic range audio mastering. It really wants to be a film, despite not quite knowing what to do with its own cameras or aspect ratio. I like the style it's going for, but it's not quite there. Really, quite uneven in ways that it doesn't have an excuse to be. Still, it's definitely better than anything "Trek" branded that we've had in over a decade.
This plot was executed better in Stargate SG-1. There, it didn't seem like an arbitrary hand wave to set up the moral conflict. Here, they explain nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's all a straight copy of the short story The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, which, incidentally, was read by DS9's Nana Visitor in one short story audiobook release. In SG-1, they gave a reason why it was necessary, whereas here it's just "we don't know, ~the ancestors~ made it". They also don't show (the writers didn't bother to come up with the inside of the mystery box) how or why "the machine" needed a child's brain, or—more importantly—what it even fucking does, and how that enables their quantum gobbledygook tech, which I am now convinced was nothing but headline-gleaning buzzword injection. That's almost JJ Abrams tier writing. Either they knew what they were ripping off, and didn't want to come up with the exact same explanation, or they read the short story and didn't bother coming up with one because they're incompetent writers.
The surrounding drama was nice, though, and it was cute seeing Lindy Booth, unexpectedly, in Star Trek.
Also, no, I can't let it go. She stupidly gets too close to the insurgent traitor, then gets grabbed and nearly gets her throat slit, but then the middle-aged dignitary chick maneuvers her way and out-Judos her palace guard. Looks like, not only is she a bad judge of loyalty, but also didn't bother training any of them how to fight (remember, he did just win a fight with every other guard along the way). This is heavy handed and perfunctory writing, and it makes it difficult to take it seriously, or to feel any real sense of tension when the writers just do whatever they want, anyway, and you can see their will in every action. It's the same shit every time, now. Everyone is an action hero, because other skills don't matter and make the character worthless and weak if they can't wrestle a trained guard or win a contest of strength against the bad guy. Thank, MCU.
Based on previous experiences with the Dutton clan, I didn't think Taylor Sheridan would offer such a well-rounded wholesome journey. Let's first put it out there, he runs very much on the gruff man trope, the quintessential American cowboy, stoic beyond pain--as cowboy'n isn't a passion but a life. And he always reminds us, the plight of the indigenous natives, that Manifest Destiny brought to the lands, regardless of the period. From the eastern shores of Roanoke and its arduous journey west, civilization has conquered freedom, where ever it's been and still going. The land of the Yellowstone ranch, an allegory of man's attempt to shield a pocket of that freedom from the so-called sprawl of progress.
But I didn't expect it would take us to the Serengeti, where the English did the same with colonies far distant from their shores. There, Spencer, a Dutton to the t's, still lives the struggle of existential freedom, counterpart to life on the ridge with the herd, had the Great War not demand the presence of ...men too smart to be brave but born still to do it. How western society romanticized all of it, the cowboys, the Indians, soldiers on the front, even the unnatural colonization of the harshest of climates that produced real apex predators (Africa and Australia, I don't get why man wants a land where the plant life and the smallest of creatures to carnivores honed to hunt or survive from the hunt, for millennia). Sheridan wants to show you the hard truths of the building of that romance; real blood, real pain, real death. And he does it well, better than any other who delved into such matters, that's why "he's so hot right now."
All the story grinds on a different empathy, our need to see ourselves, overcome. I live on it, vicariously, too. But my favorite is when, he draws a sudden halt, and reminds us, despite man's odd engagement with these struggles, that is still the romance of it. Boom. Do you want another?
I've quite enjoyed these first few episodes, and I think the show has been pretty exciting and fun so far. I really enjoy Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in these roles, they fit seamlessly into these characters. Jack and Elizabeth are also lovable. Spencer is clearly meant to be the fan favorite, and they did a good job of drawing me to his character right away. He's definitely getting the Kayce Dutton treatment. The narration from Isabel May is a little weird but otherwise fine. The girls school plot line is tragic and hard to watch at times but in a good way, I just hope it actually ties in somewhere to the main story and characters. This third episode brought a shocking event that I definitely did not expect, also in a good way. However, I am pretty bummed that they decided to virtually not include anybody from 1883 in this show. I'm a little confused why they felt the need to distance themselves from that show so much, and I really wish more characters carried over at leas for part of the show. However, overall this has been really enjoyable. Including 1883, I'm finding the Yellowstone spinoffs to be more exciting that Yellowstone itself right now, which is both great and disappointing in some ways.
HOW IS THIS SO GOOD?
Awesome bit with Worf!
Good Raffi characterization!
WOW.
I don't like the whole Beverly cutting contact for 20 years, and keeping a son away from Picard for 20 years. And the whole Deanna and Kesler needing a break from Riker or something, but at least it's not another broken family trope, and gets Riker to having an adventure with Picard. And while i'm here, i will mention that i don't like they only gave Riker one child. He has a daughter but he also had a son that died. Why make up giving him a son and then kill him? It was also strange that the son died because there was no "positronic" technology around to save him.
PICARD HAS A SON!I LOVE IT!
And it was amazing when he found out without any spoken dialogue, and you saw the life return with him. The fiery passion of old. THAT WAS PICARD!
I'M GETTING EXCITED AND EMOTIONAL!
I like some of the moral complexity. Raffi and the phone call, Jack and what he's doing to help people with medical supplies but also giving weapons. The decision of whether to send him to the enemy ship in order to save the lives of the current crew. The earlier decision of whether to go and even find Riker and Picard, even though it would put their ship and crew at risk. But this captain still did it. He's less of an asshole than i thought, and he's alright sometimes.
I kinda like the villain. She's a bit cartoonish, but she's alright. I'm interested to know more about her.
What an absolute perfect ending, and I say this while admitting this ending didn't go the way I expected it to. Like honestly, how many of us actually thought Picard was going to survive this episode? I didn't, but I'm damn sure glad he did, even if we never see any of these TNG characters ever again, which I honestly doubt we won't given the ending. This was an emotional final send off however for this crew that honored and respected each of them throughout the season, every single one of them got their grand moment to shine, Riker with his asteroid, Geordi with his ship, Worf with his rescue, Crusher with her contraction discovery, Data defeated Lore, Troi rescued them in the end with her love for Riker, and Picard saved his son. And how about that borg queen, holy absolute hell was she horrifying looking or what? Anyway, what a beautiful ending that they all deserved, and one last poker game for the sake of it all. Am I excited about the future with Q showing up to tease the next series with the Enterprise G? Sure, but not as happy as I am that the old timers I grew up with got their swan song and somehow, someway, all survived. And if you didn't burst into tears when Riker and Worf decided to stay back to find Picard, basically sealing their death, then damn it I don't know what will satisfy you in life. Was this show perfect? Fuck no. Was the 3rd season without flaws? Bahaha, no! But if you can't appreciate what this really was meant to be here, I don't judge you, I just feel sad you couldn't feel the raw enjoyment the rest of us felt, because this was fucking awesome.
Seriously: even him? I mean, it's not him - but it's him. I appreciate the nostalgia but enough is enough. Somewhere the line must be drawn. This is not a story; this is a Trek reunion. Plus, it's not a show in its own right when they "just" steal parts from earlier installments. Checking whether someone's a conspirator the old-fashioned way? Watch no further than TNG Season 1 "Conspiracy". Changelings infiltrating Star Fleet command? Look no further than DS9's Dominion wars. TNG shows you how not to drag out a story like this; DS9 shows you how to tell such a story over the course of several seasons. Picard gets the pacing wrong. The (presumably simple) main story is oddly drawn out. Think about this episode. What did really happen? They prepared a trap (in order to do what exactly? They think they have Riker? But did they expect bring Riker with them as part of the boarding party? They tried to get away from this ship for 6 episodes and now they think it's a good idea to lure them aboard? I don't get it.) They failed. The ship was taken over and we're not closer to anything. What are they trying to achieve? Rescue Wil, uncover the weapon or what ever this is the shape shifters want to use on Frontier Day? Shouldn't they try to disclose and end the conspiracy first? There amust be a way to inform trusted officers within Star Fleet. There must be a way to convince them that they are no fugitives. There must be a way to purge Star Fleet from the changelings. All while the show has no time to decently tell its too many B-plots or portray its too many characters. Stealing doesn't stop there. Remember Odo's origin story? His trauma? Stolen! Remember Lore pretending to be Data? Stolen! The list goes on and on.
Still not revealing the Jack mystery? Another cliffhanger? Frau Greta Farbissina [James Bond logic: who must be mad because she's a villain because she has a scar] obviously is about to lift the veil but I'm sure that next episode won't start with her simply telling us what's wrong with the Crusher boy (this one - not the older one). Still nobody bothers to find out? JLP thinks it's because they need a blood sample of Jack to emulate him? Plus, they need JLP`s corpse to do so? Whaaaat? Why that? It makes no sense on so many levels. Why is nobody pressing the boy hard on the mystery BS of his? "I'm different. I can feel things." Gosh. Why is nobody asking him to elaborate on that so that can be examined thoroughly? "I don't want other people to be in danger because of me". Gosh! What exactly does he think he did to his mother all the time? That's perhaps the most annoying aspect of this show. Let's get over with this. Nobody cares about Jack anyway. He's a prick. And the show didn't invest any time to portray him in a way that makes me bond with him.
PS: the whole boarding operation is stupid. Those laser shoot-outs remind me of Star Troopers. The force fields are conveniently lowered by Data when they needed to be lowered to turn tables. Seizing the bridge is too easy. No wonder: when that's convenient, Seven must act stupid. That's not our Seven from back in the day. She's just fan service in this episode. How could she not know that Changelings could mimic the floor if they wanted to? Didn't she watch DS9 on TV? I've seen more exciting boarding operations in TNG and Voyager. What happened to switching off the power to the turbo lifts? What happened to climbing ladders? What happened to hiding in Jefferies tubes? What happened to arming yourself with the big guns when you're about to be boarded? What happened to well devised traps? Well, perhaps I'm wrong and let them take the bridge was the actual trap all along. Maybe. Let's see. In any case our heroes will regain the upper hand. It's a tiring cycle ....
[7.8/10] Let's address the elephant in the room first. I don't love the fact that Jack turns out to be Picard's son. The long lost offspring is a big cliché, and Wrath of Khan influences or not, I could probably do without it.
That said, I like how Star Trek: Picard uses it here. The bad guys want Picard and the Titan to turn Jack over. It prompts one of those classic, Next Generation-style moral dilemmas that were always so fascinating. Do you hand him over to the bad guys because, true to that Wrath of Khan homage, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and there's 500 crew members at risk? Or do you stand your ground because, scoundrel or not, this young man deserves a fair trial and a chance at rehabilitation rather than swift judgment and likely a summary execution.
This is Star Trek, so we pretty much know how it's going to go down. But seeing Picard explore the issue, get to know this kid, see if there's a way out of this situation through guile or diplomacy, is some classic TNG-esque stuff. Sure, it's all magnified with the grittiness and bombast of modern television, but I appreciate that this is, at base, the kind of boardroom debate where the philosophical meets the practical that was the lifeblood of the old show.
So was the personal getting in the way of all this. I appreciate how Picard elides the questions of this young man's parentage because he already knows the answer in his heart and doesn't want to confront it. But I love how all it takes is one look from Beverly, a soft exchange of expressions that shows they still have the intuitive shorthand of twenty years ago, and he can deny the truth no longer. This is his son, a son as reckless but valiant as they once were, and by god, they're going to protect him.
For all the added pomp and circumstance, that's the core of this one, and for that reason alone, borrowing the rhythms that made The Next Generation famous, this is one of my favorite outings from Star Trek: Picard yet, despite the questionable cliché at the heart of the story.
This is not a great episode. But I guess it's needed to drive the story forward. Call it a filler or bridge episode if you like.
We get some bombastic battle scenes so that we don't forget that there's still a looming threat (but also to cover that this episode is only a bridge episode). Like in all these new shows they clearly had too much money and too much computing power for CGI at their hand. It's all too bombastic to my liking. Once, this franchise was also about calmly travelling through space, exploring and experiencing the wonders of natural phenomena. Not any more! And that's sad. Plus, isn't there a video game that already did this portal thing? And the drama between Picard and Riker is not credible. They maybe argue but they would never argue like that in front of the crew. That's not the Picard I know.
We learn more about the Beverly and Picard story. That was emotional. It makes sense what Beverly says. I don't understand why Picard is so aggravated though. He's almost hostile to her and his son. I understand that he is shocked but he could be more supportive. I mean, he once loved Beverly. She is the mother of his son. She made this decision twenty years ago. Obviously that wasn't an easy decision to make and she surely wanted the best for their son. This is not the composed Captain i know from TNG! I also still don't understand why Beverly and her son do what they do though (What exactly do they do? Are they benevolent smugglers?) and why the other ship is really chasing them. Couldn't they just tell? I mean they know the real reason, don't they? Why is nobody pressing them to tell the true reasons? It's probably not because they didn't pay their bills or stole some random items from gangsters. Obviously, there must be a much more important reason. Like in season 2, writers again choose to use such mysteries to build tension. That complicates things, drags out the story and is annoying.
And we get more of the Raffi story. So far, this story is mediocre. Don't really understand where this is going. At this point it seems that they wanted to add another plotline to the story just because that's what you do in contemporary TV right? Plus, they wanted to introduce another fan favorite: Worf (another check mark checked. Who's next? Quark?) But at this point it's totally disconnected from the other plot. I bet the plot lines will converge at some point but until then I don't see the relevance and that's why I think that this story part could have been skipped.
It may be a filler episode but they add yet another element to this season: Odo's friends. Not sure how I feel about that. This show, especially last season, tends to juggle with too many story lines and ideas already. Not sure how they will ever be able to connect this show with the complex (and brilliant) story told in DS9. They probably won't even try. I guess it's just another checkmark on their fans' favorites list. Fans like Changelings? We'll give them Changelings!
PS: I like Worf's "full title". He's become a composed and wise Klingon warrior legend. Good. That's what I always wished for him.
Another strong episode that balanced fun with some great emotional material. I think Worf might be stealing the show already at this point, and the Picard/Beverly discussion was simply fantastic with both actors really giving their all.
I really wasn't expecting the Changeling reveal, and I have to say that it was an extremely pleasant surprise. It's got me wondering if Riker might not be himself.
It's not all perfect - spending an entire two episodes now on a single encounter is feeling slightly tiresome, and the back and forth nature of the Picard/Riker argument was really pushing things by the end of the episode (which also gives me further fuel for the above spoiler). Part of me wanted to scream to get on with things and move the story forward, but the other part of me was delighting in just hanging out with the characters. Jeri Ryan is doing great work here even with the limited screen time in this one.
The fact that I'm very eager for more at the end of each episode is a sign that it's doing things right, but it's also very hard to judge what the overall season arc is going for right now. I feel like I know nothing about what's going on.
The de-aging effects for Picard and Riker weren't great.
I'm going to go out on a limb and call this a "filler" episode, in that it was pretty much "a tale told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying NOTHING!" Bff's Picard and Riker turning on each other under pressure, Baby Momma Crusher and baby Daddy Picard both reminiscing and arguing over who zoomed who cuz she forgot her pill and the rubber must have had a hole in it.
Meanwhile Captain starchy pants gets a bump on the noggin and skins his knee, so, he turns over command in the midst of battle so he can go lick his wounds (and not get blamed for what misfortunes will soon befall them all) while Snidely "honey bunny" Vadic chair vouges, still smoking a blunt, which prolly explains her now offing a whole starship when before she just wanted Lil Crusher. Elsewhere, Worf, wearing his best Wednesday beheading outfit, fresh from offing a whole slew of baddies, including separating one obnoxious Ferengi from his noggin, cleans up his Bat'leth, then, does a bit of Pilates, and shows their prisoner his kinder gentler side, while Raffi plays dope-man until its revealed that all's not fair in love and goop.
Geez, the only person who stuck anywhere close to character was Seven, and she had to unconfine herself from quarters which means she's probably in MORE trouble once Captain Starchy Pants gets a band-aid on his boo boo, provided they indeed survive the present calamity.
OK, who else thought it was somehow Lore for half a second?
Rant over...., stay tuned.
While I don't feel the episode was as treacly sweet and soul changing as @Paul Vincent opines, like @VW Fringe and Micky D's after a night of overindulgence, it also worked for me, as, I too was feelin' it ..., and LOVIN' it. Unlike some of the ever present naysayers and nattering nabobs of negativism, who would bitch and moan if they were given a brand new Lamborghini, but the paint and Alcantara leather weren't in their preferred colors, I realize that Sir Patrick Stewart is pushing almost 83 years old, and, may not be up to "boldly going" as hard as he did in his prime. Thus the scripts, storylines, pacing and subsequent action have been adjusted to reflect a more seasoned, contemplative, and thoughtful crew, while still giving us the action beats and edge of your seat thrills that we expect from a Star Trek franchise.
YES, they are paying fan service by "getting the band back together" and tossing in the odd remembrance or twenty, with hat tips and nods to adventures past, but at the same time, with a given bit of dialog, or sometimes just a glance or exchanged look, we do indeed get peeks into the means and motivations of the cast, both old and new. There are those who lacking patience, will jump straight to the end of a murder mystery book rather than slog through all the chapters, and, by doing so, they avoid all the "boring" details because they now know "who done it", and can smugly skim the rest without expending the mental horsepower to try and "figure it out" along with the protagonists.
Here, they are indeed giving us "breadcrumbs" which will eventually lead us to one, more, or many "ah ha" moments, much like Bruce Willis' Malcolm in "The Sixth Sense" when he finally realizes that, when Cole confided that he "sees dead people", he was also talking about HIM. Seeing as we're not quite halfway through a ten episode season arc, I have the upmost confidence that the writers will make sure the trail leads to a satisfying conclusion.
And finally, watching a sci-fi program and complaining about the music, is like going to Jack in the Box and bitching that they don't have "genuine" tacos.. Just saying....
It's a drama. It's supposed to be emotional (it really isn't 'cause the "Big Goodbye" [see what I did there?] was never credible). It's an action movie. It's a buddy movie. It's loud. It's bombastic. It's full of FX. It doesn't look shabby (only these incredible dark quarters and corridors aboard starships are strange: These dark-room vibes would drive me crazy if that was my workplace). Still the best scene: the GUI details of the OS in the credits.
It isn't sci-fi though. It isn't about science or the physical phenomena out there. It isn't about bold space exploration. It isn't about studying new civilizations. It isn't about philosophy or intellectual problems. It isn't about the daily "workplace" and "team conflict" issues that made earlier installments of the franchise relatable.
Story-wise not much happens. Other than that they break free and escape. Not even sure if they got away for good or if this hunt will go into overtime or - even worse - will have more iterations of the same "hunt and hide pattern". This season also continues the annoying pattern from season two: there's a central mystery behind it all and Jack seems to know much more. We already know more than the other protagonists because the writers show us some breadcrumbs. But instead of having a big reveal at some point in order to be able to state a clear objective, I bet this artificial mystery will be misused to build suspension instead. Who is Jack? What did Beverly do? Who are these guys with the big ship? What do they really want? At which point became the Founders involved? This mystery doesn't work for me though. It's just annoying. Why doesn't Picard pressure Beverly and his son to explain it all? I mean their life is at stake. Why do they hold information back?
Plus, the try really hard to organize some sort of TNG reunion fan event. They try to introduce every person from TNG. Who's next? Spot, Reginald? This feels forced. You only can have as many person's in ten episodes. If they are not there in person, they are incorporated via Zoom (like Deanna). Just so that she appears at some point. Or we hear them talking about the ones that are missing (like LaForge talking about her dad). Nostalgia is a thing but it can't replace the story, can it?
If last episode was a filler, this is another filler episode. I fear they will botch it again. We'll see. I hope I'm wrong. It's too early to tell.
PS: The score is incredibly boring (That was never a strong point of Star Trek but can't they come up with something more futuristic or original? It's a standard orchestral score. Why?).
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.
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 back all the persons from all the earlier shows 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.
The TNG crew shouldn't be allowed to steal everything that was so we'll devised in DS9. That story isn't theirs to tell. Use this story for a DS9 reboot or keep your hands off. I bet it's because the Picard witters envy DS9. They know DS9 was the better show. Because they had a clear idea of an overarching story arc that spanned multiple seasons. Btw: the "hands off part" includes any reference to Tribbles. DS9's TOS hommage was great. Don't touch it! They can use their own lore. Moriarty is theirs. And - if that's what it takes to have a proper reunion - they can reuse parts from Encounter at Farpoint. I'm fine with that. But what's that part aboard the Daystrom facility anyway? A raven? Moriarty?Data's tune? Does that serve any purpose or is that just something the writers wanted because it sounded like fun? Can't Starfleet maintain regular inventory lists? Can't they hack into a regular database to find out what was taken? That part of the story seems to be over engineered. Did they really need Data in this show? Why? I said it before, I say it again: this sometimes feels more like a family reunion than an actual show. Will they really bring every single person from TNG back? Tasha? Miles? Reginald? Will we meet them too?
Rant over... Now, back to the actual story. Last episode I hoped that we had our final objective: stop the shapeshifters' conspiracy against the Federation. And certainly I hope that Jack (and Beverly who certainly knows more than she's telling) will tell us what's going on with him and why he's being hunted. With all mysteries out of the way I hoped that the second part of this season is a plain and simple story. But the writers - like in season 2 - continue to love their mysteries. They hunt Picard junior. They steal JL's body. But why? I don't like this style of storytelling. I don't want to watch the next episode primarily because I hope that next episode will clarify all the mysteries so that the actual story can commence. Only to be disappointed time and time again. I fear that they will reveal this mystery in the last couple of minutes. And will it be a WTF revelation? Just like in season two? This is not complex story telling. That's a sequence of artificial cliffhangers. When you think about it, you wonder what really did happen in this episode: they found out what was stolen and two people were kidnapped. That's probably it. The rest isn't interesting either. I don't really care about the "daddy issues" in this episode. I don't know Jack very well (I don't even like him). Why should I care about him? I don't know the LaForge girl - she's at least likeable. But why should I care about her? The only moment that captivated my attention was when Seven talked about the Voyager. I would be interested in her post Voyager story but like always they use Seven as a mere prop (because she's a fan favorite) without doing her multi-dimensional character any justice. They have even lost any interest to explore her love and sex life (if that was ever explored in a honest or romantic way in this show - they just used Raffi and her to check the "diversity checkbox"). Instead of a real story, I'm forced to watch Frau Greta Farbissina acting crazy.
This all may sound a bit too harsh. This season is certainly better than the first two seasons (and it's 500% better than Discovery). And because of the nostalgia, it's still kind of enjoyable. But the story - at least until this point - is mediocre.
Well, that's a bit more like it. While I didn't hate seasons 1 and 2 as much as a vocal minority seem to enjoy screaming, I must admit that I was always hoping for something a bit more akin to TNG 2.0. This might be it, although at this point its too early to say with any certainty.
The characters feel more alive, more energetic. There is a powerful chemistry between Patrick Stewart and Jonathon Frakes and their happiness at working together again comes flowing out of the screen. It helps also that the words they are saying feel much more like the characters we used to know. The script reflects the friendship and bond that grew between the original cast over the course of 7 years of storytelling (plus four films), allowing for a playful tone. It's got me excited to see what's going to happen when all of the original cast are reassembled.
Speaking of which, we got some wonderful stuff from Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, who seemingly hasn't missed a beat. Her voice was there, and it was Beverly. Jeri Ryan was on fire and felt like she was channelling aspects of the Seven of old while continuing the evolution of her character. It was also remarkable at how much the Titan's new captain set me on edge, not least by essentially deadnaming Seven; he seems to have a chip of his shoulder over the Borg and I wonder if there's going to be some interesting revelations there.
But the real magic may have been the gorgeous musical score recalling older themes and styles - I can't understate what that added to the overall vibe. It was like a warm blanket of reassurance, and the way the soundtrack flowed between styles and motifs was absolutely beautiful.
The only complaint I have is the dark, dreary lighting for the Starfleet ships. But I can live with it if the story and characters deliver. I hope this is the start of a truly exceptional season. At this point I'm optimistic, but we shall see. Also, did anybody else think, "ah, so the bad guys have played Portal"?
