Picard Season 3

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Cheers didn't know their names. I liked First Contact best Trek movie.

It probably is.
Even though some would argue that the invention of the Borg Queen (which was never alluded to before) in the movie changed the Borg for something less unique. Suddenly there is an evil "individual" steering it all, someone you can actually talk, reason, beg, argue or flirt with.
The TNG Borg feel a bit more... absolute, alien - they are a force of nature. You can't argue with a tsunami.

That said, I particularly enjoyed Anny Wersching's (RIP) potrayal of the defeated Borg Queen. She managed to both reflect Alice Krige's Borg Queen, and adding a new aspect to it. It's one of these wonderful but rare times where actors are building upon the work of other actor in the same role.
In such a strict manner, you don't really get it often - kinda Doctor Who and Star Trek might have the most common and notable occurenes: (Spock: Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, Ethan Peck).

 

[Ruin Explorer]

In such a strict manner, you don't really get it often - kinda Doctor Who and Star Trek might have the most common and notable occurenes: (Spock: Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, Ethan Peck).

The only other equally-strict example I can think of off-hand is Henry Cavill in the UNCLE movie (2015), who absolutely 100% was informed by the performance of Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo, right down to mimicking his (unusual) voice and manner of speaking. Whereas sadly Armie Hammer's Illya Kuryakin has pretty much nothing of David McCallum's performance (which admittedly seemed to be a directorial choice, as this Illya had massive anger issues the 1960s one didn't have).

 

[Ryujin]

The only other equally-strict example I can think of off-hand is Henry Cavill in the UNCLE movie (2015), who absolutely 100% was informed by the performance of Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo, right down to mimicking his (unusual) voice and manner of speaking. Whereas sadly Armie Hammer's Illya Kuryakin has pretty much nothing of David McCallum's performance (which admittedly seemed to be a directorial choice, as this Illya had massive anger issues the 1960s one didn't have).

And was a virtually unstoppable meat wall, that McCallum's Illya Kuryakin definitely wasn't.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Well, Episode 10. Once again I'll do the spoiler thing just because it only premiered a little over 2 hours ago, but I will say there is a post credit sequence unlike the other episodes, so make sure you stick around for that.

Spoiler

The basic structure of the climax was Return of the Jedi, and there's nothing wrong with that, Return of the Jedi has a great structure for the climax of a grand space opera with an ensemble cast but also a clear main character. So Picard had to go do the Luke thing redeeming a family member in front of the cackling ultimate villain while the Enterprise did the Millennium Falcon thing of flying into the core of a Death Star. I guess the retaking of the Titan doesn't really map onto the business on Endor, so I won't carry this analogy any further. Mostly I'll just say, in terms of a climactic saving of the day it pulled it off as well as they could given the runtime, the situation, and given that the characters established in the prior 9 episodes were going to be the ones doing all the day saving. Whether or not it was my ideal climax for the series, having accepted where things were left off at the end of the prior episode it was a way more satisfying ending than I worried it would be. My biggest quibble would be just this whole "Changeling to the Borg villain switcheroo surprise structure" of the series meant that the very credible threat built up all season of Changeling infiltration was basically handwaved with a couple passing mentions.

The last third was a Return of the King scale of endings and goodbyes, and whatever, I'm sure someone will complain that it was too many endings and goodbyes but I was on board all of them. If they'd thrown in another 5 minutes of the TNG crew hugging and bantering I'd have been there for that too. I loved all that stuff. Goodbye TNG crew.

They basically pitched a Captain Seven and the Enterprise G show. I don't know if that's something we'll actually see (for one thing, two shows simultaneously running centering around Starships Enterprise seems improbable). But I'd say that while that, and the post credit scene set up a series or whatever, they also just sort of imply that there will be ongoing adventures for this nexter generation that rhyme with those of the prior one, and maybe we don't necessarily need to see them. Still, if they weren't trying to pitch another series they probably wouldn't have spent that much time on the business about what Jack's job would be.
/

 

[Stalker0]

Episode 10

Spoiler

All in all, pretty darn happy with the conclusion. An epic finale, great character closures. For picard he finally "got it", the scene he messed up before when he was captain first, father second and drove Jack away. This time his character made it full circle, giving Jack that hug and connection he so desperately needed.

I loved the scene with Beverly and the weapons, everyone giving her the gawked stare and her shrugging, "a lot happened in 20 years". That was great.

If there was one thing "missing", it would have been nice to have Laris on the final episode, have her meet Jack, remind everyone that Picard not only has a son but a romantic partner as well.

If I were to nitpick one thing, its that the Borg Queen let them in. I could respect the arrogance at a time of strength, but this is last ditch effort to restart your people, and this crew has beaten you before. You don't take that kind of chance, no way no how. In my headcannon, the cube was so cannibalized that its defensive systems were just inoperable and the enterprise was able to get aboard, and it wasn't until the Queen saw Jean Luc that they knew the enterprise was outside and ready to be targetted. That to me would have made so much more sense for the current narrative. I get that sometimes your Villain has to villain, be arrogant, and give the monologue....but not when your in an old jalopy barely scrapping by.

One thing I'm confused about Data. Data had an emotion chip installed in teh early movies, yet they act like the emotion thing is completely brand new. Am I forgetting some history there? (certainly could be, a lot of trek I have probably forgotten).

I do think Borg element was confusing with the Borg season 2 part, and it would have been good to remind everyone that it was Voyager and Janeway that brought these current borg to their state (I had to look it up as I couldn't remember).

But yeah, overall this was a great season of Star Trek, really enjoyable. It had its lumps, but it was a wonderful send off to the "last generation", while bringing up the new guard should they want to continue shows in that vein.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Episode 10

Spoiler

One thing I'm confused about Data. Data had an emotion chip installed in teh early movies, yet they act like the emotion thing is completely brand new. Am I forgetting some history there? (certainly could be, a lot of trek I have probably forgotten).

Spoiler

Data was still being seen as getting used to his emotion chip when he was killed. Not much, but a little. Of course, one could also say that since this is really a Data/Lore/Lal/B-4-hybrid, perhaps the emotional integration is throwing some spanners in the works. However, mostly I think they are reverting to early-movie Data mostly because the later movies aren't well-loved and Brent Spiner clearly enjoys not playing Data as deadpan.

Spoiler

But yeah, overall this was a great season of Star Trek, really enjoyable. It had its lumps, but it was a wonderful send off to the "last generation", while bringing up the new guard should they want to continue shows in that vein.

Spoiler

Personally I wanted Picard to get to walk off into the sunset with Laris and Data to try to rekindle things with a resurrected Lt. Yar (who was re-made by the season BBEG, Armus, whom they face after defeating the infiltrating parasite aliens from "Conspiracy"), but...

...in general, I agree that I don't mind where they left the crew. I didn't love three seasons of mostly Borg plots (talk about villain decay) or the idiot balls everyone else had to be holding so the main cast could save the day each time, but overall it was not as bad as many tv-show ressurections have been (be they actual continuations, reboots, or this model).

 

[trappedslider]

Spoiler: episode 10

so do EMP weapons no longer exist or they just don't work?

and now ends my sub to paramount + till Halo season 2.

 

[Zardnaar]

Spoiler: episode 10

so do EMP weapons no longer exist or they just don't work?

and now ends my sub to paramount + till Halo season 2.

Halo is free here on an app. Pivards on Anazon, tge other ap has the rest of Trek. Well had it cycles in and out fast.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

If there was one thing "missing", it would have been nice to have Laris on the final episode, have her meet Jack, remind everyone that Picard not only has a son but a romantic partner as well.

Given that they brought the actress in and incorporated the relationship into the season opener, it does seem unlikely the writers actually forgot about her. My assumption would be that they addressed that in some draft of the finale or even filmed it, and it just got lost on the cutting room floor because there was too many other things they wanted to treat in the limited amount of falling action they felt audiences would tolerate that felt more relevant to the rest of the season.

It's hard to fit all the necessary falling action for this season, and the series, and a prior series that had seven seasons and a movie into the last third of one episode, and I think they rightfully prioritized tying up the season and the Next Gen franchise over the earlier seasons of Picard.

The real shame to my mind is that they didn't just work Laris into this season in an actual way. Laris was cool, and there's lots of relationship drama to mine there. But it was a pretty busy season as is.

 

[Hussar]

I am probably one of the least nostalgic person you could meet. I usually strongly dislike it and find it endlessly grating.

But good god damn did that shoot straight into my ten year old self. Holy crap. That just went straight into the emotion brain and did a big old tap dance. Very excellent ending for a very long series.

What a send off.