posted
I think this might very well be my favorite episode of the series yet, although that wouldn't be too tough considering the glacial pacing issues and last week's... unpleasantries.
Poor Cristobal. Guy seems damaged enough without falling for the mole.
Starfleet comes through for Picard by granting diplomatic access, but only after major arm-twisting by Raffi.
I guess I hadn't really thought about it before, but yeah, Picard's first time on a Borg cube since "The Best of Both Worlds."
And while I have no doubt that Sir Patrick's return to Trek is financially motivated, it was apparent that he and Johnathan del Arco were having a blast doing their scenes together. Picard's reunion with Hugh was very heartfelt.
Hugh specifically states that he's a Federation citizen. While it's possible he was naturalized, we've never gotten any kind of a clue as to who Hugh was prior to assimilation, have we? Is he human?
Narek shows his true colors after he gets the info he wants from Soji. For those that wanted the Romulans to be more Romulan, well, we got that in spades this episode.
And the Voyager references continue with the Borg having assimilated spatial trajector technology from the species seen in "Prime Factors". Looks like the Borg were able to get around the technical issues of not using it on the planet. Although that still begs the question of how the Borg Queen got off the cube in "The Best of Both Worlds" if the tech was assimilated after that. We're still only assuming there are multiple Queens to account for that, yes?
-------------------- "Kirito? I killed a thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?"
-Asuna, Episode 2, Sword Art Online Abridged
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
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This was so borong. I was reading a book for most of it & was still able to keep up.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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Picard's enthusiastic clapping for Raffi after she was talking about him like he wasn't even there and basically having a friend tell her off felt uncharacteristically insensitive. He seems to have very little self-awareness of how obsessed he is... and that it's not a good thing.
The scenes on the cu— er, The Artifiact— were very well done. Even in First Contact, with the Borgified corridors, Picard was surrounded by officers and had at least a bit of emotional support. Here he was going in all on his own... a panic attack was very understandable.
I take it the "secret name" thing is a reference to The Enterprise Incident. They're pulling out all the stops on Romulan references, which I kinda like.
Elnor is a bit annoying with his "absolute candor," but I love that he's immediately recognized that Jurati is hiding something big.
I'd guess that Hugh is a naturalized citizen, in that he had a connection to the Federation and how he was on a Starfleet ship when he was effectively de-assimilated. Picard wasn't surprised that Hugh was the director of the reclamation project, so I can imagine that they crossed paths briefly since we last saw Hugh in Descent.
Is it weird that I think Narek is the most interesting main character so far? He completely gaslit Soji with the meditation/lucid-dreaming. It's clear he can develop emotional connections and has a very good understanding of Human(-esque) psychology, but still reverts to standard Romulan backstabbing as soon as he gets the info he wants. It's hard to tell if any of his interactions with Soji were genuine.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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He obviously wasn’t happy about radiationising her (touches of Shinzon’s thaleron radiation weapon there, by the way, albeit that was green not red), so there was a connection - just not enough to make him change his way of thinking.
The problem with Hugh’s origin is that when “I, Borg” and “Descent” were written they were still assuming that Borg were born then matured (and, presumably, one baseline original species). Picard’s assimilation was portrayed as a special case, to facilitate humanity’s assimilation - although back then they were still saying the Borg just wanted technology. It wasn’t a very clearly thought out concept tbf. So unless they’re saying that Hugh was originally of Federation origin..? I reckon the Federation would, unless they are that far gone, insist that ex-Borg originally of Fed origin still remain Fed citizens and allow them right of return. It’s the non-Fed XBs from all over the galaxy who are screwed.
posted
I can’t remember, was that lumpy-looking Borg ship destroyed? I think maybe it was. Perhaps the E-D brought them all back? But then if so I’d expect Hugh’s de-Borging to look a bit more polished/professional...
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Okay, so MA says that the lumpy ship was destroyed in the solar flare created by Enterprise, & that the planet was 65 ly away from the MS 1 outpost, so it's somewhere in either Alpha or Beta.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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In STFC the Borg didn't react to Picard as Locutus of Borg but in this episode they did. The only thing I can think of is the Queen told them not to for some reason maybe.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
Registered: May 1999
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Checked out Bernd's review. He seemed to think the Locutus overlay shot was neat, but his screenshot shows that it included the frame of the Enterprise-D viewscreen.
I'll politely ask here if there was some good reason for that, but I suspect the answer is that they couldn't be troubled to remove it and thus have left us with a 'historical image' that shows as much forethought and artfulness as a kid with MS Paint.
Also, Barnaby and Tate boned *after*? Dude, they boned *during*. They set the console safeties to "Riker's Ass Mode" and tested them every which way but loose.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
"Picard's enthusiastic clapping for Raffi after she was talking about him like he wasn't even there and basically having a friend tell her off felt uncharacteristically insensitive."
Right? He just browbeat a woman he seems to think of as a friend into destroying her relationship with another friend, just to advance his own mission that she's not even all that interested in... and his response is to applaud, like she's his hired performer, and not someone who just made a personal sacrifice for him that he really hadn't even earned? Massively dick move, Picard.
Also, did those nuns give Elnor no education beyond how to do fancy sword murders? I get that his social skills are all messed up from the "absolute candor" thing, and they're using that for comic relief. But, shouldn't he still know basic information, like what the Borg are? Apparently, he only heard of them on this trip, and only knows that Seven used to be one.
Oh well. At least the story has finally advanced to where it probably should have been three episodes ago.
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So finally we know the purpose of the large open space behind the Sirena's bridge. It's a soccer field.
Picard again seems totally indifferent to Raffi's drug addiction.
Elnor is probably my favourite character so far.
Poor Narissa. Her attempts at Romcest were quickly rebuffed this time by Narek.
-------------------- "Never give up. And never, under any circumstances, no matter what - never face the facts." - Ruth Gordon
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Don't worry Spike, we'll get our 'Romcest'!
I get what you're saying though. I feel like TNG Picard would have done something if LaForge or Worf had an addiction.
-------------------- I'm slightly annoyed at Hobbes' rather rude decision to be much more attractive than me though. That's just rude. - PsyLiam, Oct 27, 2005.
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"Picard's enthusiastic clapping for Raffi after she was talking about him like he wasn't even there and basically having a friend tell her off felt uncharacteristically insensitive."
Right? He just browbeat a woman he seems to think of as a friend into destroying her relationship with another friend, just to advance his own mission that she's not even all that interested in.
Are we really to believe that Picard doesn't haven any contacts left in Starfleet? If anyone from TNG turns out to still be in uniform, this scene will really come off like Picard imposed upon Raffi so he wouldn't have to inconvenience any of his old friends.
-------------------- "Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It?s us. Only us." Rorschach
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