Picard Season 3

[Benjamin Olson]

I'm still not a big fan of the, essentially, 10 hour movie format that Picard has adopted. Despite that, I find this season very watchable and above all fun.

I can't speak to the later seasons of Discovery, as I never got around to watching them, but this season of Picard is the first time in my experience serialized Trek has actually produced a storyline that seemed momentous enough to justify a ten episode treatment.

It also doesn't suffer the deficiency of needing to completely develop every character within the confines of a grand serialized narrative (certainly not impossible by any means, but compared to Next Gen, which would just have a Data episode or a Worf episode it's trickier). It's not just the nostalgia we have for these characters that makes this season better, it's that it requires only a few lines updating their situation to have them once again function as fully formed characters in the audiences mind.

 

[Mort]

I can't speak to the later seasons of Discovery, as I never got around to watching them, but this season of Picard is the first time in my experience serialized Trek has actually produced a storyline that seemed momentous enough to justify a ten episode treatment.

It also doesn't suffer the deficiency of needing to completely develop every character within the confines of a grand serialized narrative (certainly not impossible by any means, but compared to Next Gen, which would just have a Data episode or a Worf episode it's trickier). It's not just the nostalgia we have for these characters that makes this season better, it's that it requires only a few lines updating their situation to have them once again function as fully formed characters in the audiences mind.

Sure, I agree.

I think one reason this season works better for this format is that most the "main" characters are already REALLY well developed - so you don't have the problem of having to develop multiple characters at the same time, in one hour chunks.

 

[Hussar]

Nitpick mode.

Since when is there a “door” to space, not an airlock, on the bridge? Wtf?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Nitpick mode.

Since when is there a “door” to space, not an airlock, on the bridge? Wtf?

Because it wasn't a "door", it was an emergency evacuation deal, presumably designed exactly for situations like this - i.e. when something is on the bridge and it needs to not be on the bridge anymore.

We all know that if they were still doing technical manuals there'd be like a six-paragraph explanation of exactly how it worked and why it worked that way and we'd all nod and go "Huh, makes sense". I figure Okuda is too busy for that sort of thing now though.

Anyway, started out a bit shake-y, but they pulled it all together, and I loved that Data basically explained his plan before carrying it out - it was also a classic "Data screws over Lore via Lore's own base emotions" move.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

And only four torpedoes obliterate the Shrike?

Five and as pointed out, the Shrike is a "missile boat", and thus absolutely chock-full of explosives just looking for an opportunity to detonate.

 

[Mort]

Five and as pointed out, the Shrike is a "missile boat", and thus absolutely chock-full of explosives just looking for an opportunity to detonate.

As soon as the armament of the Shrike was explained, I was 100% certain it was going to get taken out in such a manor - it was almost a Chekhov's gun situation.

 

[Hussar]

Because it wasn't a "door", it was an emergency evacuation deal, presumably designed exactly for situations like this - i.e. when something is on the bridge and it needs to not be on the bridge anymore.

We all know that if they were still doing technical manuals there'd be like a six-paragraph explanation of exactly how it worked and why it worked that way and we'd all nod and go "Huh, makes sense". I figure Okuda is too busy for that sort of thing now though.

Anyway, started out a bit shake-y, but they pulled it all together, and I loved that Data basically explained his plan before carrying it out - it was also a classic "Data screws over Lore via Lore's own base emotions" move.

Isn’t that what transporters are for? Flat out murdering everyone on the bridge seems a bit extreme.

 

[Ryujin]

Nitpick mode.

Since when is there a “door” to space, not an airlock, on the bridge? Wtf?

I seem to remember people walking straight out onto the primary hull from at least one of the crashed Enterprises. Also, Enterprise D had a stupid little glass dome that blew out when it crashed, that looked like it could have been smashed out with a rock.

 

[MarkB]

Nitpick mode.

Since when is there a “door” to space, not an airlock, on the bridge? Wtf?

They said it was for emergency evacuation. Presumably there are some simple emergency spacesuits stashed somewhere on the bridge or in the ready room, and this would allow a fast exit.

I seem to remember people walking straight out onto the primary hull from at least one of the crashed Enterprises. Also, Enterprise D had a stupid little glass dome that blew out when it crashed, that looked like it could have been smashed out with a rock.

So does the Titan, they did that lingering shot of Vadic reflected in it early in the episode.

And in Star Trek Beyond, the front of the bridge is a window which can be taken out with hand-phasers.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Nitpick mode.

Since when is there a “door” to space, not an airlock, on the bridge? Wtf?

USS Titan is a convertible. There is nothing quite like flying through space with the hood down.