Star Trek to return to the small screen.

[bileduct]

I tend to agree with Mike and Rich on most things Star Trek and this is no exception. I think the best point made here is the Nuevo Trek essentially takes out all of the elements that made Star Trek different from other sci-fi shows, to make it just like every other sci-fi show.

I like Rios, and I like the two ex-Tal Shiar goons on the vineyard, but I'm not feeling it for anyone else on the show, including Picard himself. I continue to watch because it's hard to walk away from the franchise, but I am certainly not loving the writing of this show at all. It's such a shame because it surpasses previous Trek in cinematography, special effects, set design, uniforms, actors (mostly)... but the writing stinks.

 

[Timbo]

Things I was not expecting to see in this series:

Spoiler

A recurring character from a previous series being graphically tortured in a teaser, only to be euthanised by Seven of Nine

.

 

[bileduct]

Things I was not expecting to see in this series:

Spoiler

A recurring character from a previous series being graphically tortured in a teaser, only to be euthanised by Seven of Nine

.

Meanwhile Lord of the Rings guy goes from being so very serious to comic relief guy in the span of one episode.

 

[Timbo]

I liked that episode, although I saw

Spoiler

Jurati being a traitor

coming a mile away.

I think they’ve set up the back half of the season nicely.

 

[bileduct]

I liked that episode, although I saw

Spoiler

Jurati being a traitor

coming a mile away.

Yeah dude, I called it a few weeks ago.

Eh... I don't care about her wearing sunglasses. I do have the feeling she coerced Jurati into joining Picard's mission though. Raffi is right, Picard should be more suspicious of her.

This writing in Nuevo Trek ain't subtle. Just like how obvious they made it that Michael would be the red angel a few episodes into season 2 Discovery, though in fairness I guess they did throw in a curveball that made you second guess that.

 

[Mr Spock!]

Can't beat classic star trek.

No one cares about these modern series.

They're soulless.

 

[bileduct]

Yeah I am going through classic Star Trek at the moment, watching the remastered episodes.

They put a shitload of effort into restoring the episodes, particularly the visual effects. There was a shot of the Enterprise flying through some nebula that looked way better than anything they did with the TNG remasters.

 

[Rhino_NQ]

Yep, would still smash 7 of 9 to pieces

 

[jargan83]

Yep, would still smash 7 of 9 to pieces

She can assimilate me any day...

 

[bileduct]

Jurati: Maybe these Borg dudes severed from the collective have changed?

Picard: THE BORG NEVER CHANGE!

Nek minnit...

Picard: Hey let's go to the artifact, I know the director, his name is Hugh, an old friend of mine.

 

[Timbo]

Jurati: Maybe these Borg dudes severed from the collective have changed?

Picard: THE BORG NEVER CHANGE!

Nek minnit...

Picard: Hey let's go to the artifact, I know the director, his name is Hugh, an old friend of mine.

I think his reactions are a combination of his PTSD and his degenerative brain condition that was revealed in episode 1.

 

[Timbo]

I had a bit of a quiet afternoon today so I rewatched Wrath of Khan.

If you ever lose track of why you love ST, fire that movie up. It as close to a perfect sci fi film as you’ll get.

 

[bileduct]

This whole Zhat Vash shitshow is a f**king mess and is a really, really bad retrofit to TNG. Data is now supposedly the precursor to "The Destroyer" and yet there wasn't a peep from the Zhat Vash, or the Tal Shiar or the Romulans in general about him or Noonian Soong during their entire existence. And yet...

Jurati: We are at a threshold.... Unless we act quickly and destroy even the possibility of synthetic life...

Picard: Hell... will come again.

Yes, they made the point of clarifying that the threshold was "The Destroyer", but this still makes no f**king sense if even "the possibility of synthetic life" needs to be destroyed.

Picard is a real f**kin' idiot on this show. A total f**king moron. Every episode he's getting chewed out by someone for doing or saying something stupid. The old Picard would have listened to his first officer, in this show he's all like "Pssssshhhhawwwww, WHATEVAS!" whenever Raffi says anything to him. Why'd he pick her as his first officer if he thinks she's a bumbling dumbass? She's proven herself to be correct over just about everything, yet in this latest episode she still has to go the hard yards to convince him of anything. Degenerative brain condition is a copout, imho. He's just written like a dumbshit. He trusts people he's known for five seconds over someone he's known for a long time.

Were those Romulan dudes trying to kill Elrond or what? They get him with the stun grenade, but then run in for some hand to hand combat instead of just blasting his ass with the phaser? Raffi can't tell the difference between the obvious Rios holograms and Rios himself? Can't she just ask the ship's computer "yo, where da f**k is Rios at?" Then again, if she did that we wouldn't have had Raffi's mystery shenanigans with the emergency holograms. Jurati's psychic block... like... WTF? She's goes on to talk about the visions anyway!

I liked seeing Riker and Troi last week even though their kid sucked. At least it felt like they were written true to their original selves. But the rest of this show... This is bad Trek on a massive budget.

Oh, and the "he loved you..." Give me a f**king break.

 

[bileduct]

I'm wondering if Lore plays any role in all of this. He was just disassembled at the end of Descent Part 2, yeah? Maddox could have found his parts. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch that.

I f**king knew Data's brother would show up. I just picked the wrong one.

Looks like Picard has had its own Sybok moment.

Edit: Actually, I'm convinced that Lore does play a role in this. I think Sutra is most definitely Lore's "daughter." Soong Jr. seems skeevy as well, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a more human-like synth that is also based on Lore. There was two of everyone else except for him and Sutra, and we still don't know who "Beautiful Flower" is who was killed along with Jana, Sutra's "twin".

Has Lore even been mentioned once this season? I certainly don't recall him being brought up at all. In fact, in the very first episode Jurati says that there's been no other synth like Data and seems completely unaware of the existence of Lore, and Picard doesn't say shit about him. She worked on trying to redevelop the science used to create Data with B-4 bits but didn't get anywhere, and then Maddox appeared and they came "so close." Maddox had Lore's bits.

They've deliberately avoided mentioning Lore all season because he's the end of season twist.

 

[Timbo]

Oh, I think there’s a very good chance Brent Spiner is playing Lore who has transferred himself into a biological host.

My big tip for the twist next week will be Riker showing up in command of the Enterprise to save the day. They telegraphed the fact that he’s still on active reserve.

 

[bileduct]

Oh, I think there’s a very good chance Brent Spiner is playing Lore who has transferred himself into a biological host.

My big tip for the twist next week will be Riker showing up in command of the Enterprise to save the day. They telegraphed the fact that he’s still on active reserve.

I think it's a little too early for the Federation to be saving anything. Next week's episode will most definitely be a cliff hanger, and the Romulans will most likely get toweled up by whoever it is that gets summoned in by the synths who then become the main threat in season 2 and the Federation will have to deal with them then. I think it will be the Borg who end up saving Picard and the others.

 

[bileduct]

What the f**k did I just watch?

Honestly, assuming they were going down the Lore path was just giving the writers too much credit. I thought surely they wouldn't be stupid enough to do a Sybok Soong, but nope, they are.

The dumbest part of this episode was the pivotal moment where Sybok Soong recalls Saga's memories and finds Sutra was the one who jabbed her in the eye. If he doesn't see that, then he doesn't turn against Sutra and he doesn't help Picard and friends. Why the f**k did Sutra have to stab Saga in the eye? Like, really, WHY? Narek could have sorted her out easily enough, He could have just kicked her head clean off. But no, Sutra has to stab her in the eye for Sybok Soong to then later find in her memories.

There was other nonsense, like Picard's plan against the Romulans. What was it? Picard just pilots the ship and goes up there only to have no idea whatsoever what he was supposed to do, only for Jurati to pull out the magic does anything device. Yep, that's right, the magic does anything device. Are we for f**king real here?

Timbo, your big tip turned out to be right, but geez, what a f**king waste. There was an opportunity here to build a compelling multi-season arc and they just flushed it down the shitter.

Seven and Raffi holding hands at the end? You know what that reminded me of? The lesbian kiss at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. Just thrown in there without any buildup whatsoever between those two characters.

On a scale of your typical CW show to The Wire, this is your typical CW show.

 

[zombie jesus]

I enjoyed it. Got a bit of the ol' warm and fuzzies going on.

 

[Timbo]

My big tip for the twist next week will be Riker showing up in command of the Enterprise to save the day. They telegraphed the fact that he’s still on active reserve.

Called it!

 

[Timbo]

I think there were some issues with the pacing, but on the whole I really enjoyed the first seasons. Looks like Seven will be a regular next year too?

Picard getting to say goodbye to Data was a nice moment. It’s a shame they didn’t have LeVar Burton come back this season, his and Data’s friendship was such an important part of TNG so it would’ve been nice for one more scene between them.

I really wasn’t digging the 2499 uniform, but it really seemed to suit Riker in his final scene. That was a cool touch. What was not cool was that we didn’t get a single good look at one of the new Starfleet ships in Rikers fleet. I guess the CGI budget just wasn’t there.

Wobbly in parts, but some solid worldbuilding. I really enjoy the Rios character too.

Looking forward to next season.