Warning: Spoilers forward for “Star Trek: Picard” Season 3, episode 3
Has “Picard” set itself a excessive normal it may’t preserve? Following final week’s surprisingly high-quality installment, we now have a cautiously optimistic view for this third and ultimate season … however, we have been damage earlier than. That stated, this incarnation of “Nu-Trek” is borrowing greater than little bit from the perfect that the “Star Trek” universe has to supply, particularly “The Wrath of Khan,” which is a welcome change from lifting off of different mental property, like “Discovery” has accomplished up to now. And when you concentrate on how a lot in-universe historical past there’s in “Trek,” you must surprise why there would ever be a must look elsewhere.
This week’s installment is entitled “Seventeen Seconds” and efficiently establishes the that means and significance of that notably particular period of time and circles again to it simply as efficiently to create a pleasant bookended really feel to this episode. Though fairly why Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) did not do a site-to-site transport between the bridge and the infirmary fairly than mucking about (opens in new tab) in a turbolift for an eternity is not adequately defined. Lest we neglect, within the thirty second century at the least, transporters have changed stairs … and whereas we’re not fairly at that stage simply but, site-to-site transport is a really actual factor within the twenty fifth century.
And that is what occurs whenever you begin going to date into the long run that the aptitude of know-how creates story writing minefields that can not be prevented as soon as established. You realize, like the truth that Jean-Luc Picard is now an android … which curiously sufficient truly will get referenced this week. After which simply as shortly brushed again underneath the carpet from whence it got here, in all probability by no means to be talked about ever once more.
Associated: ‘Star Trek: Picard’ episode 2 is unexpectedly wonderful
That minor plot pickle apart, the writing is as soon as once more of a top quality this week, hopefully marking a breakthrough when it comes to how Paramount, Kurtzman et al produce “Star Trek” going ahead. And whereas a few of the dialogue is incredible, “I’m Worf, son of Mogh, Home of Martok, son of Sergey, Home of Rozhenko, Bane to the Duras household, slayer of Gowron … I’ve made some chamomile tea, do you are taking sugar?” it walks a really positive line between simply sufficient and an excessive amount of.
The reintroduction of Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) can also be properly dealt with and mercifully we’re not given a “Joyful Days”-style, live-in-front-of-a-studio-audience scene that has been recognized to occur occasionally. Plus we’re given some extra backstory to Troi and Riker’s son, Thad. In the event you recall within the episode “Nepenthe” (S01, E07) Troi speaks of her son, Thad, and the way he was born and raised on starships and thus he felt like he had no homeworld of his personal, however when he turned sick, Troi and Riker got here to Nepenthe and it turned his homeworld.
Based on Troi, Thad had “mendaxic neurosclerosis,” (MN) a really uncommon silicon-based virus (opens in new tab) and in concept, utterly curable (you simply should tradition the contaminated cells in an lively positronic matrix), however by the point Thad got here down with MN, there have been no lively positronic matrices and nobody was allowed to develop new ones, due to the synth ban. This was after all a small a part of the artificial storyline from the primary season, however on this episode the main target is someplace utterly totally different. Fortunately.
Thus far, the story hasn’t actually gone anyplace notably new or thrilling and all the pieces up till now appears to be serving the Son of Picard plot. Hopefully Vadic (Amanda Plummer) will develop into greater than only a deus ex machina. It’s enjoyable, although, to see the top results of 65 years of unresolved sexual pressure between Jean-Luc (Patrick Stewart) and Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), however is it sufficient to hold the following seven episodes?
Picard’s hubris may additionally get very drained in a short time and whereas he shuffles off the bridge of the Titan like a young person who’s simply been scalded, you must surprise why Riker listened to him within the first place. Social media has been fast to level out that Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) was the truth is one hundred pc appropriate in his reluctance to bow to the whims of an eccentric previous admiral and Riker fails in that respect. Although it could possibly be advised that his sense of loyalty to his previous buddy took priority, however that is not the job of a starship captain and never a accountability he would simply neglect.
Different Trek references are additionally properly positioned, together with Worf listening to the opera “Les Troyens” by Hector Berlioz, which after all is a nod to the film “First Contact” — however once more, runs the positive line between simply sufficient and an excessive amount of. All that extreme fan service does is present an absence of creativeness. This week additionally sees a large throwback to “Deep Area 9” and the Dominian Battle, which could develop into fascinating. Or it won’t.
Loads unfolds this week and the episode is properly paced, although maybe not fairly as efficient as final week’s installment. That stated, that is among the many greatest Nu-Trek that we have seen to date, however Frakes nonetheless tends to over do it on the humor, clichés or theatrical set items and one suspects that he nonetheless needed to dial it again a bit. The dialogue is nice and the precept story writing continues to be far superior than something we have seen to date in “Discovery.”
“Star Trek: Picard” and each episode of each “Star Trek” present at the moment streams completely on Paramount Plus within the US. Internationally, the reveals can be found on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, in addition to on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel.
In addition they stream completely on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.
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