Star Trek Picard and Trek Taking on Modern Politics

[Deledrius]

Episode 2 really felt like a big step down from the first. Lots of wasted time, "reveals" of information they already gave the audience in the previous episode, and mostly-gibberish scenes of dialogue killing time. And they're doubling-down on this being a "why bother" world of the future. I can't help but be constantly worried they're trying to set up Season 3 of Discovery. Or give us a really stupid Fate-driven origin of the Borg. Or both.

They said most of the information from Data was lost. Apparently the song was one of the fragments that he was able to process. And it was a cheap get out of death free card in the hopes they would make more movies. Part of the impact of this show is the permanence of Data's death and how the twins are the only remaining piece of him.

Except episode one gave them a brand-new return card using magic and anti-science essentialism nonsense. Apparently, a single neuron is as good as an entire positronic brain. Really makes Soong look like a wasteful idiot! But it also means that Data can be restored entirely if they choose to do so.

[Al-1701]

Except the twins aren't exact copies of Data, they're descendants of him.

The neuron thing is dubious. However, Star Trek has used dubious science and technology throughout its run to make their stories work. So, I'm willing to swallow it so long as the result is entertaining.

On that note, Episode 3 needs to get a move on.

[clearspira]

Am I the only one that is starting to hear Jeff Goldblum in my head whilst watching this?

''Now, eventually you do plan to have some Trek on your, on your Star Trek, right? Hello?''

[PerrySimm]

Sorry to be late to the party here; just caught Episode 1, "Remembrance". Kudos to Mabus, MrL1992, AL-1701, and Deledrius for a lot of good points so far in this conversation.

Having not set super-high expectations, my suspension of disbelief is just barely intact. I wish it was better, a lot better, but it does fall just on this side of watchable for me.

The things I thought were decent were - The Picard Speech, the VFX updates to the Replicators, and how they're not covering up for Jean-Luc being old. And the technical merit of the choreography was worthy. The proportion of action scenes in Trek have waxed and waned since 1967, but they are not why I come to the program.

The things I thought were less good would be: First off, most of the way they handled the idea of Replicants, Maddox, and Daystrom.

Among other things, how exactly is Dajj a martial artist? It can't be Data-memories, his tactics capped out at use either super-speed or super-strength. Likewise, why exactly would she be preprogrammed with such an obsession over Picard?

Why didn't she call the paramedics to save her boyfriend? Jean-Luc famously survived a big ol' Nausicaan knife to the ticker fifty years ago, right? You're telling me modern hospitals in Boston don't have transporters?

The writers seem to confuse Jean-Luc with Walter Blunt from Blunt Talk, what with the nightmares and the obsession with 20th Century military history.

The whole "positron" thing is bordering on "you fail information science forever". The "always made as twins" rule is also a really, really hammy cop-out. Together, they lower the stakes for the whole show. Blow up a main character? Eh, there's another one already. Or we'll make another one.

[Zargon]

I get the feeling that Epsiodes 1-3 are a bit more written as the ''Two Hour Movie Premier" of a TV show. One: establish the characters and setting, Two: middle exposition, and Three: action packed ending.

Dajj was obviously programed for martial arts and the obsession.....but, why....well it depends who programed her.

Guess Daji just forgot to save her guy? Maybe the Romulan blade had poison?

As for bringing Data back....this is Science Fiction. There are like a DOZEN ways to bring Data back. Example one: Time Travel Example Two: Well......Q could snap his fingers.

I think the whole twin thing is going to be the Data/Lore thing....Cain and Able.

[Enterprising]

As for bringing Data back....this is Science Fiction. There are like a DOZEN ways to bring Data back. Example one: Time Travel Example Two: Well......Q could snap his fingers.

Please don't give the showrunners ideas. I wouldn't put it past them trying to shove time travel & Q in TBH.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

What does everybody think of the theme song compared to Discovery's? TNG's? I personally like it.

[Enterprising]

What does everybody think of the theme song compared to Discovery's? TNG's? I personally like it.

Better than STD's and not as good as the rest, a stamp of "fine". Could have done without the visual spoiler of showing the borg cube though.

[Al-1701]

I like the theme just fine. The delicateness is an interesting change of pace for a Star Trek theme and I love the flute solo of the TNG as the stinger at the end.

You know, thinking about it, I wonder if these Luddite Romulans are the reason their science seems to progress unevenly compared to the other powers. They were still using hundred year old ship designs at the time of "Balance of Terror" and they bought ships from the Klingons by the time of the "Enterprise Incident" to make up the gap while also perfecting their cloak. Then, in the time of TNG, they had the Warbird which was a massive ship and an even match for the Federation's latest and greatest. This was also the time that Jarok was interested in cybernetics and the Star Empire as a whole was ascendent.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

What does everybody think of the theme song compared to Discovery's? TNG's? I personally like it.

Better than STD's and not as good as the rest, a stamp of "fine". Could have done without the visual spoiler of showing the borg cube though.

Well how they introduced it in the show isn't particularly lucid for a reveal.