Star Trek

[Sparky Prime]

Spoiler

But Anson Mount's Pike is written here as the crew's pal or father figure, and it just never rings true to me. I didn't find that to be the case in Discovery.

Spoiler

When he first introduces himself in Discovery, he jokes around as Tilly scans his hand for him to take command of the Discovery, then shows the crew his file and points out his failing grade in astrophysics. Granted, part of the reason he did this, as he goes on to point out, was because their previous captain betrayed them... But I think the writers had him paling around with the crew from the get-go.

That said, I do think they've made him even more lax with his command style in SNW... And I'd have to agree, I think he should have more of a professional distance with his crew. Other captains we've seen occasionally relax with their crew when off duty, but when on duty, they tend to be all business, unlike Pike in this series. I mean, I can't imagine Archer, Kirk, Picard, Sisko or Janeway doing a pirate voice just to get the crew to laugh while in command on the bridge...

[andersonh1]

Picard episode 3 - well, the profanity in this show has certainly increased over last season. At least we haven't seen anyone tortured to death yet. So they can make an entire season of Strange New Worlds and keep the language fairly clean, with only a few mild profanities, but they can't get through 15 minutes of this show without swearing. It gets very tiresome.

Spoiler

Storywise, I can't say the plot isn't interesting, but it does move at a very measured pace. They're not much further along at the end of the episode than they were at the beginning, but I don't really mind, because what happens along the way is generally watchable. I like the character beat of Seven noticing that people are friendlier, presumably because she doesn't look like a Borg and there isn't any anti-Borg attitude in 2024 anyway. I can't imagine Jurati escaped unscathed from mental contact with the Borg Queen. On the other hand, the idea that Rios would be in any danger of being picked up by a raid for illegal immigrants in California seems like the most unrealistic thing this show has done yet. Q gets a "blink and you'll miss it" appearance taunting Picard and then he's gone again. I like that the slingshot effect method of time travel from the original series is used here, and that Picard knows about it. Good continuity. Like last season, the writers get a few things wrong, but they have clearly done their homework and pulled a lot of references to past Star Treks into this story about Picard's life.

[andersonh1]

Picard episodes 4-6: the story remains interesting, though it feels a bit dragged out. I can't quite put my finger on why, since everything going on with all the characters is engaging enough. I enjoyed seeing Guinan in 2024, even if she's played by someone other than Whoopi Goldberg. The connection of the Watcher with Gary Seven was a nice bit of continuity, though I'm still not sure why she looks like Laris or what the purpose of that is meant to be. Brent Spiner gets his charity role as another Soong, and his particular plotline is the one part of the story that really feels like padding, since it has very little to do with the main Renee Picard storyline. I figured Jurati would be infected by the Borg Queen at some point, and presumably that was her behind the mask in the first episode, because there isn't any reason to hide the Borg Queen's face unless she's someone the audience knows. Q's motivation for all of this remains hard to fathom, though I know from seeing clips that he's dying and actually trying to help Picard, at least in his cruel way of teaching lessons.

I'm enjoying the show, for the most part. I don't know that I like it better than last season, but I'll decide that once I reach the end of the season.

[andersonh1]

I finished Picard season 2. I guess it all makes sense in the usual "Q hurts Picard to teach him a lesson" type of story. That is the way he operates in most of his TNG appearances, certainly, so he's consistent here. Seems like a very convoluted way to get Picard to forgive himself and move on with his life though. So I guess if Picard died, he fails Q's "therapy"? Too bad, so sad? I did enjoy those final scenes with John DeLancie in particular giving a great performance as the dying Q drops all of his usual banter. Nice to see Picard extend a little grace to him and give him a hug before Q uses the last of his power and his life ends.

I enjoyed seeing Guinan and I was glad to see the brief cameo by Wesley Crusher at the end. I figured Rios would stay in the past, and I like the way the Travelers and the Supervisors like Tallinn and Gary Seven are linked, even if it does feel a bit like fan fiction. Nice to see the guy from Battlestar Galactica playing Picard's father, though I don't know what to think about yet another tragic backstory for a Trek character. I'm shaking my head at Jurati's final fate, mainly because this surely means the entire history of the Borg has been altered in a massive way, so this can't even be a "close enough" timeline. I'm not sure the writers really thought that particular plotline through. And I'm going to go back to the whole profanity complaint here. Yeah, the f-bomb doesn't show up as often as it did in season 1, but in every other way the language was much worse this season. Swearing like that just does not fit the setting. They even made a plot point of that in Star Trek 4, with Spock noting that Kirk's language had changed and Kirk saying he did it to fit in (and we even got the same punk on the bus in an episode). The cast of Picard just swear constantly whether in their present day or in the 21st century just because they need their mouths washed out with soap. It really did sour the whole show for me.

So is it better than season 1? I think the story is weaker and isn't really sustained as well over ten episodes. There are scenes and character moments that surpass the first season, but this season's story has been a real mix of highs and lows. I think I prefer the first season to this one. I hope they manage to finish strong with the TNG cast reunion, but there's no guarantee of that. Sometimes these fondly remembered characters need to just be left alone as fond memories, lest they be ruined when they're brought back.

[Sparky Prime]

and I like the way the Travelers and the Supervisors like Tallinn and Gary Seven are linked, even if it does feel a bit like fan fiction.

I hated that they made the Travelers the group of 'superior beings' that oversees the Supervisors. The Traveler had told Wesley when he recruited him that they don't involve themselves with the affairs of lower lifeforms. But that's exactly what the Supervisors do, under their orders...

I'm shaking my head at Jurati's final fate, mainly because this surely means the entire history of the Borg has been altered in a massive way, so this can't even be a "close enough" timeline. I'm not sure the writers really thought that particular plotline through.

I think there are essentially two Borg Collective's now. Jurtati's Collective that began in 2024, and the Delta Quadrant Collective that's been around for thousands of years. But even so, it raises questions that I don't think these writers considered...

[andersonh1]

and I like the way the Travelers and the Supervisors like Tallinn and Gary Seven are linked, even if it does feel a bit like fan fiction.

I hated that they made the Travelers the group of 'superior beings' that oversees the Supervisors. The Traveler had told Wesley when he recruited him that they don't involve themselves with the affairs of lower lifeforms. But that's exactly what the Supervisors do, under their orders...

It's been a while since I've seen any of the episodes with the Traveler. I remember the broad strokes of the plot fairly well, but not all the details. Might have to go back and rewatch them. I did appreciate the dialogue by Picard referencing that scene in "Where No One Has Gone Before" where he sees his mother as an old lady offering him tea, and chalking that up to how he sometimes imagined his mom after her death, even though she died young. I thought that was a nice touch.

[Sparky Prime]

I did appreciate the dialogue by Picard referencing that scene in "Where No One Has Gone Before" where he sees his mother as an old lady offering him tea, and chalking that up to how he sometimes imagined his mom after her death, even though she died young. I thought that was a nice touch.

At least the writers paid attention to continuity in that aspect, so I appreciated it for that. Her death as a young woman in Picard makes no sense with her appearance as an old woman in TNG otherwise... But I felt it was a lazy retcon simply to explain away that scene. I mean, I find it hard to believe Picard would often imagine his mother as an old woman offering him a cup of tea. That's an oddly specific fantasy, and I think Picard's reaction to actually seeing her in the corridor of the Enterprise like that would have been a lot bigger given the circumstances of her death.

[Sparky Prime]

Ok, so I gave Lower Decks another try this week. I actually watched the whole series. I think my scathing assessment of it was a little harsh. A little. There's still a lot that I don't like about it.

I've decided to give this series another shot with season 3 premiering this week. And I'd have to agree. I think I was a little overly harsh on it to begin with..... But there is still a lot I don't like about it as well.

For me, the biggest problem is that all of the characters are far too knowledgeable/self referral about the Star Trek universe, almost like they've seen the series from the perspective of the audience. Granted, it's a comedy series so they're we're not supposed to take it very seriously... But it takes me out of the story, and makes the Star Trek universe feel smaller. The premise of this show is supposed to be about the lowest ranked crew members on the ship furthest away from the real action. These shouldn't be characters that know everything and are friends with the top brass of Starfleet. Like with Mariner, she's described as a Starfleet brat, so she's been around the block a couple times. Ok, fine. But she's best friends with everyone everywhere they go? Captain Riker is even such good friends with her he gives her Romulan ale and owes her some big favor? Common, that's just over the top. Or with Boimler, he's an overachiever, so he's apparently memorized every little detail on all sorts of missions. But the stuff he knows goes far beyond what he should know. He and Rutherford mention Section 31 a couple times in an episode where they think Mariner might be a Black Ops agent, something they certainly shouldn't know anything about... So how do they?

I also don't get Mariner's character in-particular. She's been promoted and demoted several times it seems, but she's happy being a lowly ensign because it doesn't come with the rules and responsibilities the higher ranks have... But that doesn't mean she gets to ignore all the rules and responsibilities she'd have as a Starfleet officer regardless of her rank. She acts like a spoiled brat who thinks she knows better than the whole of Starfleet, and for some reason, she gets away with it most of the time. Granted, her assignment to the Cerritos, under her mother's watch, is meant to be a last chance... But they mostly let her get away with whatever she does. I don't understand how she's still in Starfleet.

Spoiler

That was something I liked about the 3rd season premier though... Her father tells her to chill out and trust in the system, and we see she should have listened to him. Although having Tuvok involved in the investigation, once again, makes the universe feel smaller because why would Tuvok be involved in this particular case? Oh, and it was dumb that they had to steal an amusement park ride recreation of the Phoenix to get to the Cerritos. They could have stolen any number of shuttles much more easily.

They do get some things right that I feel the other nuTrek series have been doing wrong... But at the same time this series has a lot of flaws as well.

[Sparky Prime]

Happy Star Trek day!

A sneak peek Strange New Worlds has Ortegas getting ready for an away mission only for Spock to point out some celestial debris that forces her to stay on the Enterprise.

Sneak peak of Picard Season 3.
Shows several scenes.
The upgraded spacedock complex is pretty cool.
At the end, Seven appears to be the captain of the USS Titan. Unfortunately, it isn't a the Luna class Titan Riker took command of following Nemesis. This ship looks more like a 23rd century era starship on the outside, while the bridge is a reuse of the USS Stargazer from the previous season... Edit: I saw it mentioned this is apparently a "Neo-Constitution-class". It just seems so lazy to me that these creators can't seem to think of new class names. Discovery introduced a new Constitution-class and Intrepid-class in the 32nd century, Picard introduced an Excelsior II-class last season... And it doesn't really make sense with the direction of Starfleet starship design had been taking in the late 24th century. A brand new ship design in the 25th century shouldn't look like a late 23rd - early 24th century starship. And this is apparently the Titan-A, named in honor of Riker's ship, which raises questions about what happened to Riker's Titan for another ship to be named in its honor...

Lower Decks released a scene where the USS Wayfarer saves the Cerritos.

The USS Protostar runs away from the real Janeway in a Prodigy sneak peek.

A tribute to the late Nichelle Nichols.

[Sparky Prime]

Haven't been very impressed by the last several Lower Decks episodes, but this week's episode was pretty good...

Spoiler

The Cerritos is redirected to DS9 to help reopen trade negotiations with the Karemma (not sure why, when the DS9 crew handled that originally), which were cut off due to the Dominion War. We get to see Colonel Kira and Quark, voiced by their original actors. Quark sounds a little off at times, almost like he was wearing the Ferengi teeth when he recorded some of the lines, but overall, great to hear them reprising their roles. It's established Quark has expanded his business to 21 bars, explaining why we've seen several Quark's bars in Picard and previous episodes of Lower Decks. They seem to be popular as the main cast seems to be very excited to see the original bar. He attributes his success to a food replicator of his own design (would have liked if they referenced Rom here, since Quark is not the technical type)... Negotiations with the Karemma don't seem to be going well, so they take the delegation to talk to Quark, who is very upset to see them. After his replicator is destroyed in a scuffle, the Karemma take Quark to their ship and disable power on the station as well as the Cerritos. Turns out Quark had stolen some Karemma technology and used it in his replicator, so they were arresting him. Captain Freeman makes a deal if the Karemma drop the charges, they can have 76% of Quark's profits, much to Quark's chagrin.

Would have been nice to see a bit more activity around DS9. The Cerritos and Karemma ship are the only starships we see at DS9. Even the Defiant isn't shown. It would have been nice if they at least mentioned if it had been on a mission or something to explain the absence, instead of the joke they dragged out of whether or not Kira or Shaxs owed each other one for saving each others lives because they were in the same resistance cell during the Cardassian occupation (was every Bajoran in the same resistance cell?), or the pointless party Mariner attended on the Cerritos. But other than that, it was a very good episode.