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Star Trek Picard Season 3 |OT| The Next Generation's Fifth Movie

So don't spoil the story but.... it's actually good?

Gonna watch this asap so I can enjoy RLM's take. They have been the best part of watching Trek for a while now.
No, it really isnt good. Dont know what Mike was smoking tbh

But he didnt even give New World a chance because the characters were too 'quippy'. Cant really take his opinion on Trek seriously after that.
 

kurisu_1974

is on perm warning for being a low level troll
I watched the first episode and the crew still hasn't found the lightswitch in their ship it seems. Weird how dark every scene is compared to vintage Trek. The plot seemed to be somewhat of an improvement allthought it's much too early to tell.

Fell asleep afterwards while watching RLM, gonna continue that tonight because I wonder why they liked it so much.
 

Trunx81

Member
Haven´t watched it yet, but with Discoverys future adventures, everything happening before seems so .. obsolete. We know that the Federation is still out there in 1000 years, nothing destroyed Earth or the Universe and therefore the stakes can´t be that high for Picard. Discovery really killed my joy for ST :(
 

Dazrael

Member
Hopefully it’s as RLM says, that season 3 is like a decent TNG film than the format of the original show.

I think that’s why Mike and Rich gave it as much of a pass as they did, seeing as the TNG films weren’t much cop and this has the potential to be good (although I do have a soft spot for Generations myself)
 
It's still only the first episode for those wondering if good/bad. Unless it's actually mind-numbling awful then one at least gives the show 3-4 episodes before deciding on to quit or feel it worth continuing.
 
seeing as the TNG films weren’t much cop and this has the potential to be good (although I do have a soft spot for Generations myself)

Same here. Generations is the only one of the films that captures the heart of the TV series, even if remains uneven and flawed from a film standpoint.

Starting with First Contact, some new action-SciFi franchise tried to emerge from the ashes of TNG and I don't care for it at all. I don't even consider those films canon.
 

ManaByte

Member
giphy.gif
 

Thaedolus

Member
Same here. Generations is the only one of the films that captures the heart of the TV series, even if remains uneven and flawed from a film standpoint.

Starting with First Contact, some new action-SciFi franchise tried to emerge from the ashes of TNG and I don't care for it at all. I don't even consider those films canon.
As an adult I agree, but seeing First Contact in theaters as an 11 year old = OMERGAWD
 

Bragr

Member
I sort of want to watch it, but I always thought the next generation was campy as hell, and the only Star Trek worth watching was the original series.

And no one credible in here seems to love it, so I'll wait before I waste my time.
 

xandaca

Member
My thoughts about episode two align with those about episode one: it's okay. It's not bad but also not really good. There are a few nice moments, like Beverly and Picard's unspoken understanding (at least until Picard blurts out 'he's my son!' just in case the audience hadn't already picked up what was far more potent going unsaid) and Picard capturing a hint of his old self in his interrogation of Jack. Frakes is still fun, if underused. I like Todd Stashwick as Shaw, even if the character himself has the aesthetics of a Jellico with none of the substance: Jellico was strict because he understood the importance of structure and preparedness in giving him a strong footing before taking the risks needed to save the day. Shaw doesn't want to take any risks at all and while his 'save the crew' position is correct on the surface, Starfleet captains and crews are trained to be prepared for death in defence of doing what is right (TNG, Picard, 'The Defector': "If the cause is just and honourable, they are prepared to give their lives." / TOS, Kirk, 'Return To Tomorrow': "Risk is our business! That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her"). The only time Shaw takes a risk (saving Picard and Riker) is presented as being motivated by ego - he doesn't want to be remembered as the man who let Picard and Riker die - rather than principle, reiterated by how he immediately backs down in the face of danger. In short, from what we've seen so far, he has no business being a captain. He also rightly strips Seven of her post for insubordination only to give it right back to her after she's insubordinate a second time by commandeering a security crew to search for Jack before she is reinstated.

Other than that, the plot appears another attempted rehash of TWoK and while Plummer's performance as Vadic is fun in a superficial way, her dialogue is so overwrought it pushes her into exaggerated hamminess rather than allowing the actor to find the right balance. A performance can be hammy without going completely over-the-top, indeed more subtle camp is often more fun - Tom Hardy was more engaging as Shinzon in Nemesis, a film which has far more in common with this season so far (the Shrike might as well be a Scimitar refit) than TWoK. Raffi's plot is more of the same old swamp of sleaze and angst, and while I might be biased due to my instinctive dislike of the character, it's so far as tedious as her scenes always are and without much by way of substance (except substance abuse, because that's Star Trek now). Nice to see Dorn as Worf again, though the beheadings once again betray the new series' adolescent infatuation with violence even if there's mercilessly nothing as egregious as Picard S1's outright fetishisation of cruelty. At least his reveal wasn't dragged out for half the season.

So far the first two episode of S2 were much stronger than these first two - especially S2 e1, the low bar for as good as the series has ever been - and while an imminent collapse is not quite as obviously on the cards (at least it's not all going to take place in contemporary-ish Los Angeles, for one), I can't say I personally see any reasons for optimism that this understands the spirit of Trek much better than previous seasons. There's no curiosity or intelligence, none of the characters seem to want to better themselves, and no light either spiritually or in terms of, you know, lighting.

PS: I'm also pretty sure the narrative contents of this episode could have been covered in ten minutes, as is the perennial streaming show problem.

PPS: Seven referring to Picard and Riker 'legends' and 'heroes' is overwritten and a cringingly childish way of expressing what she's trying to say, an argument which ought not hold any sway with Shaw at all were the character writing more consistent.
 
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ManaByte

Member
PPS: Seven referring to Picard and Riker 'legends' and 'heroes' is overwritten and a cringingly childish way of expressing what she's trying to say, an argument which ought not hold any sway with Shaw at all were the character writing more consistent.

Nah that was just her telling Shaw that no one wants to be John Harriman without naming him.
 

xandaca

Member
Nah that was just her telling Shaw that no one wants to be John Harriman without naming him.

I get that, but until that point Shaw had shown little respect for Picard and Riker's status and was very much a 'needs of the many' type person. That he's suddenly swayed because Seven tells him he could be a 'hero who saves heroes' (urgh) does not strike me as convincing given the type of man Shaw had been until that point. She'd have done better, I think, finding some regulation about saving a ship in imminent distress. It isn't as though Federation ships haven't set that precedent many times in the past; hell, the very basis of Starfleet training with the Kobayashi Maru is almost exactly what was depicted here.
 

DeafTourette

Older than air but younger than the foundations of the earth
I don't know how many times I have to say this... This season isn't "the show"... It's the TNG crew's Undiscovered Country... Sure, lots have said it's the final final season of TNG, but it's playing out more akin to Undiscovered Country...
 
I will say that I like Captain Shaw a lot. Todd Stashwick is a hell of an actor, but everytime I see him in something it just makes me sad because it reminds me of what Uncharted 4 could have been. For those that don't know: he was the original actor for Nate's brother, and primary antagonist of the game before Amy Hennig was let go and the changes to the story resulted in the fairly mediocre game that eventually released.

Contracted for three seasons.
Ugh. I'd rather have Elnor than Raffi, honestly.

Edit: Oh, I finished the episode and I now see that Worf is this season's Elnor (aka Guy that cuts people's heads off)

This season just feels like another Nemesis to me so far.
 
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Ep 2 was more trash... Twitter shills looking more and more sus by the second :messenger_tears_of_joy:

Like, what is season 3 doing better than the first two seasons so far? It has more TNG regulars. That's it. That's the whole list.

And what do you mean you'd rather have Elnor? Worf basically played Elnor, decapitating the entire seedy gang on planet seedy.

The bridge dialogue on the Titan is just bad. I don't get how NuTrek can get it so wrong. What exactly is the appeal of Crash LaForge talking more like my Starbucks barista than a military professional? And I can forgive her being informal with beloved god-grandpappy Picard, but overall? Nah.

They get all the little things wrong.... Seven's like, "Helm, how long would it take to <whatever>" and Capn Asshat is like BELAY THAT! Yeah... we're "belaying" tactical assessments now? You want less situational awareness? Just to yell at Seven who you haven't relieved of duty yet for some reason?

Then at the end, despite Retired Admiral Picard seemingly not having any authority up until that point, he starts giving orders and Shaw is all "Well, he's the admiral he outranks me what can ya do?" Or was the intent that he was so moved by Jean-Luc finding out he's got a bastard son that he just up and changed his mind? Because it didn't play like that to me.

And let's talk a little bit about recycling Carol/David Marcus... First off why are we acting like recycling TWoK over and over again is a good thing? I don't get it. But anyway, that plot makes a decent amount of sense for James T Kirk... because Kirk is a man of passion, and a man of moving on to the next fucking planet.

So the show hasn't really tried to explain the situation w/ Beverly just yet but... contrasting the lifelong friendw/benefetship with Picard, it just seems grossly out of character because Picard ain't Kirk, and Picard/Crusher ain't Kirk/Marcus. Then you pile on the whole "nobody's heard from Beverly in 20 years" and well... they got a lot of explaining to do. But even if they adequately explain it in the end, it was a horrible direction to go with it.

And Shrike lady hamming it up space-lighting her space-cigars... okay here's the problem. I guess she's some kind of warlord or whatever... normally, in like... decent Star Trek, Starfleet vessels are... ya know.... pretty good. Like... US Navy good.... this feels kind of like if an Aegis Cruiser rolled up on some Somali pirates and then was like "Holy shit it's an aircraft carrier, and they got fuckin' hypersonic nukes, and F35s, and all kinds of shit oh god oh no!"

This is the edge of federation space... a ship that impressive is gonna be a known entity, or at least would be from a known power. The basic logic that say Trek would generally adhere to is that they'd be way the fuck out there, and thus could run into some power that they didn't know about because they're uhhh... what do you call it... exploring? And if it's not some big power they're rubbing up against, then at least the aliens would be super-advanced... like... they just have better tech. Aside from the ship-tosser it's all tech they're clearly familiar with.

So then you have to think, okay well they just wanted a big gigantic supership so that Picard and friends have something to overcome, but let's go back to TWoK. The Reliant wasn't exactly the Enterprise. Kirk had to, at great cost, fight from a disadvantage against what should have been an inferior opponent just because of his "sheer fucking hubris (tm)". That kind of thing is far more engaging than this space-cheese. If they gotta copy TWoK till the end of time why can't they copy that part?

All I see here is OMG Space-Thanos is here and she has all the Infinity Crystals, what can Captain America and Iron Man do?!?!? OMG OMG OMG I hope Thor shows up and saves the day!
 

Thaedolus

Member
Ep 2 was more trash... Twitter shills looking more and more sus by the second :messenger_tears_of_joy:

Like, what is season 3 doing better than the first two seasons so far? It has more TNG regulars. That's it. That's the whole list.

And what do you mean you'd rather have Elnor? Worf basically played Elnor, decapitating the entire seedy gang on planet seedy.

The bridge dialogue on the Titan is just bad. I don't get how NuTrek can get it so wrong. What exactly is the appeal of Crash LaForge talking more like my Starbucks barista than a military professional? And I can forgive her being informal with beloved god-grandpappy Picard, but overall? Nah.

They get all the little things wrong.... Seven's like, "Helm, how long would it take to <whatever>" and Capn Asshat is like BELAY THAT! Yeah... we're "belaying" tactical assessments now? You want less situational awareness? Just to yell at Seven who you haven't relieved of duty yet for some reason?

Then at the end, despite Retired Admiral Picard seemingly not having any authority up until that point, he starts giving orders and Shaw is all "Well, he's the admiral he outranks me what can ya do?" Or was the intent that he was so moved by Jean-Luc finding out he's got a bastard son that he just up and changed his mind? Because it didn't play like that to me.

And let's talk a little bit about recycling Carol/David Marcus... First off why are we acting like recycling TWoK over and over again is a good thing? I don't get it. But anyway, that plot makes a decent amount of sense for James T Kirk... because Kirk is a man of passion, and a man of moving on to the next fucking planet.

So the show hasn't really tried to explain the situation w/ Beverly just yet but... contrasting the lifelong friendw/benefetship with Picard, it just seems grossly out of character because Picard ain't Kirk, and Picard/Crusher ain't Kirk/Marcus. Then you pile on the whole "nobody's heard from Beverly in 20 years" and well... they got a lot of explaining to do. But even if they adequately explain it in the end, it was a horrible direction to go with it.

And Shrike lady hamming it up space-lighting her space-cigars... okay here's the problem. I guess she's some kind of warlord or whatever... normally, in like... decent Star Trek, Starfleet vessels are... ya know.... pretty good. Like... US Navy good.... this feels kind of like if an Aegis Cruiser rolled up on some Somali pirates and then was like "Holy shit it's an aircraft carrier, and they got fuckin' hypersonic nukes, and F35s, and all kinds of shit oh god oh no!"

This is the edge of federation space... a ship that impressive is gonna be a known entity, or at least would be from a known power. The basic logic that say Trek would generally adhere to is that they'd be way the fuck out there, and thus could run into some power that they didn't know about because they're uhhh... what do you call it... exploring? And if it's not some big power they're rubbing up against, then at least the aliens would be super-advanced... like... they just have better tech. Aside from the ship-tosser it's all tech they're clearly familiar with.

So then you have to think, okay well they just wanted a big gigantic supership so that Picard and friends have something to overcome, but let's go back to TWoK. The Reliant wasn't exactly the Enterprise. Kirk had to, at great cost, fight from a disadvantage against what should have been an inferior opponent just because of his "sheer fucking hubris (tm)". That kind of thing is far more engaging than this space-cheese. If they gotta copy TWoK till the end of time why can't they copy that part?

All I see here is OMG Space-Thanos is here and she has all the Infinity Crystals, what can Captain America and Iron Man do?!?!? OMG OMG OMG I hope Thor shows up and saves the day!
Point on the doll to where the ferengi touched you.
 
Tell us you never saw Wrath of Khan without telling us you never saw Wrath of Khan.
I didnt but that does make it less stupid in regards to Picard?

Didnt they decide not to act on their feelings and not ruin their friendship? Thats what I remember from the episode were they were linked
 
Point on the doll to where the ferengi touched you.
I swear I was going to just leave it at that first line.. I was already hovering over "post reply" and I'm sorry to say that's not the way that it's all worked out.

"Sneed" is a pretty decent name for a Ferengi. That's the one nice thing I have to say about the Ferengi scene and possibly the whole episode.
 

6502

Member
Cant criticise the sets... because I cant see a damn thing.

Who still can't get enough of Rafi? Space junkies is what I loved most about TNG....

The titan captain.... It's like they gave 20 people a chance to write 1 thing he does each, without letting them see anything he said or did before.

There is no talent in 90% of what hits the screen.

Series 10 onwards (the modern continuation) of Red Dwarf is a lesson in how to carry on a tv series.

Star Trek and Star Wars appear to be in competition to ruin their respective franchises.
 
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Locutus

Neo Member
Rafi continues to be the worst thing to happen to Star Trek aside from Alex Kurtzman.

I don’t watch Star Trek for severed heads and there were two in this episode. At least neither of them were babies, so the folks running Nu Trek at slowly getting better.

I hope someone punches Jack Crusher and knocks that smug look off his face.

And yet, I enjoyed this episode. I would probably rank it as the best episode of Picard, with the possible exception of season 2, episode 1. My expectations for this season are almost impossibly low, so hopefully I will be surprised.
 

Forsythia

Member
I'll be honest. I liked this episode. I actually saw Jean-Luc Picard for a moment. And I'm looking forward to the next episode. What a shame this isn't the first season.
 

Oberstein

Member
After watching episode 2, I'm still skeptical. I don't understand the excitement of Cullen, Critical Drunker & co. on this season, unless it really takes off from episode 3.

Even if it respects a bit better in terms of writing already established characters, there is still this Nutrek aspect that bothers me. Nothing really exciting on the horizon. The plot around Raffi is uninteresting as the character and it still lacks depth for me to care about Jack Crusher at this point.

Shaw removing Seven from her position and then bringing her back as 1st officer without any explanation is a bit too quick. Worf replacing Elnor as a ninja, I don't see the point either. Shouldn't he have become a pacifist or something according to the leaks? Anyway, I don't hate this episode, Riker is still at the top and even the villain seems too much of a caricature to be just that (very good laugh at the end of the episode though).

It's just OK for now.
Shaw doesn't want to take any risks at all and while his 'save the crew' position is correct on the surface, Starfleet captains and crews are trained to be prepared for death in defence of doing what is right (TNG, Picard, 'The Defector': "If the cause is just and honourable, they are prepared to give their lives." / TOS, Kirk, 'Return To Tomorrow': "Risk is our business! That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her").

To be honest, that's Picard's opinion, not necessarily Starfleet's regulations on this. So Shaw is right for the most part.
 
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xandaca

Member
To be honest, that's Picard's opinion, not necessarily Starfleet's regulations on this. So Shaw is right for the most part.

As mentioned in my earlier reply to ManaByte, Shaw's predicament is a nearly perfect mirror of the Kobayashi Maru: leave Federation space to rescue a friendly vessel in danger, with a very high chance of engaging a powerful enemy. While the Kobayashi Maru is more of a philosophical exercise, doing your best in a no-win situation, it's nevertheless part of the program that the captain has to go to the vessel's rescue to initiate the test, meaning taking that risk is what they're trained to do. I don't buy that any Starfleet captain would be happy to sit back and watch another Federation vessel get destroyed, even with only a small complement, and it certainly shouldn't be an appeal to ego which makes the decision for him. There are many situations where a captain has sacrificed their vessel for a greater good - Rachel Garrett referenced in the last episode for one. The Federation's respect for life means I doubt there'd be many on any given crew who wouldn't be ready to sacrifice themselves to try and save others (Vulcans might have a debate first, though).
 
Tell us you never saw Wrath of Khan without telling us you never saw Wrath of Khan.
This kind of response is nonsense.

Just because they pulled some plot point from a prior franchise film or episode doesn't mean it makes sense in this context.

Kirk isn't Picard. In fact, they're about as far apart as you can get within Star Trek. Pulling some plot written for the former and applying it to the latter is guaranteed to fail and also betrays a total misunderstanding of their differences on the part of the the writers.

In fact, the whole Khan-like adversary thing in this episode has the same fundamental problem. The woman on the viewscreen can't function as Khan in the plot because there is no Kirk. It makes zero sense with Picard... he's just going to stand around confused on a bridge while other people do things, instead of the tension when Kirk was raging at the viewscreen. I have no idea why they thought Star Trek II was a good thing to revive here.

Edit: Oh, I finished the episode and I now see that Worf is this season's Elnor (aka Guy that cuts people's heads off)

My thoughts exactly, when he cut that head off.

Actually, everything in Raffi's scenes feels like it belongs to the trash seasons 1&2. I suspect that the same writers carried on with her character. That didn't feel like seeing Worf at all when he efficiently cut off a head and then sheathed his blade... it was 100% Elnor.

Worf loves a fight, but he has a more traditional kind of "honorable battle" approach where he wants to look each opponent in the eye and take his time with the showdown. He isn't a samurai assassin.
 

FunkMiller

Member
Wait, so Bev had Picards secret love child (or maybe clone or whatever) and then named him after her late husband? Yikes.

I’m fine with it as long as the reasons she did it are brought up and dealt with.

Agree with everyone else that the Raffi stuff is garbage. Awful character. Should have got Michelle Forbes back as Ro, or any other character suitable from back in the day.
 
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