salaydouk

Regarding Picard and the affection his TNG crew had for him and his inability to join them for off work activities. The thing is you cannot really use that as an example to show he had/has an issue with opening up - though I agree that he does. In the running of a ship, and using the US Navy as the best analogy and which is the basis for all of ST, the ship's captain normally does _not_ socialize with any member of his/her command/crew- aside from staff meetings. It is seen as being against "good order and discipline" to do so as the captain needs to have the ability to give any person under his/her command any order - even an order that will lead to that persons death - and without having any emotional attachments that might alter his/her decision making. (This was the reason why LT CMDR Daren, needed to be transferred off the Enterprise.) So Picard staying away from his crew was actually _very_ accurate. As for "hitting the self-destruct" and whether or not it was the right call... for the purposes of the story they are trying to tell, ie they "missed something" in their ignorance etc, I am not even going to speculate. But from a military process/perspective, looking at the situation they had in front of them it was 100% the right call for it to be initiated- you cannot allow an enemy/hostile force to take control of your ship. Full Stop.

But if the Borg Queen is in control, then perhaps the idea of biological copulation is too repugnant for her tech/mech perfect self/brain to go there? She should have manipulated Jurati to have sex with every hot guy before she took over control... I mean that could be the reason why she tried to "help" Jurati when she was at the bar with Rios.

Is it possible, I can't say that it is not, but... Given Q's reaction in the episode "True Q", when he told Picard about Amanda Rodgers' origins and how her parents took human mortal form, conceived a child, and then got attached to it... I somehow remember Q using the word "vulgar", so somehow it just doesn't seem plausible that he(Q) would go there. I recognized him(Callis/Baltar) immediately as well... but I was having more fun with the irony of Callis here playing a psychologist, at least initially, trying to help someone while 15 years ago he played the role of a supreme sociopathic narcissist who was in desperate need of a psychologist. Also if anyone is keeping score Callis has to have something like 20lbs/10kg on Siddig, so you can tell them apart just by that alone. For some reason, Siddig actually appears thinner now then when he was on DS9.

And that Picard and the crew of La Sirena are stupid with their beam in coordinates - beaming to a location right out in the open... 🤦‍♀️

No kidding... it was bad enough that all he told her was to "keep an open mind" before she went into the room to find Talinn all mind meldy with Picard. I mean no fight to keep her out at all... And then just showing her 24th century medical devices arriving by beam in after using his comm badge to contact Raffi to get it... It just seems like he just wanted her to find out so he could just have an excuse to ask her to go back to the 24th century with him. Yes... the Buddy cop drama that is Raffi and Seven

Robert was JLP's _older_ brother. So it would be the other way around- Robert's mother died. In the episode "Family" there was a dinner scene where JLP specifically says something along the lines of "the same discussion between mother and father" to his brother and sister-in-law. From that it would be normal to assume they were full brothers and not half. But it was never officially confirmed one way or another. It was also never confirm _how_ much older Robert was compared to JLP. From these mindscape scenes, It would seem that JLP is at least what 9 or 10 years old? If Robert was significantly older then JLP, he could simply be away at school. I believe JLP drop his comm badge on purpose. He was just shown a video of him beaming in just out side Guinan's bar and going to be arrested. I don't think he would want that comm badge to be collected from him and then some unsuspecting sap hits it and starts communicating with the rest of the team or worse gets beamed on to La Sirena. I also hate Mindscape episodes. Though I am very happy to see James Callis anytime. (I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of seeing him play a psychologist here while in Battlestar Galactica he played a complete and total narcissist.) There seems to be two separate/dis-jointed storylines going on. One that is the reason why Q is trying to extract a penance from JLP by altering the timeline and making the gang work to reset it and the other is what is causing JLP to not want to have a relationship/family. And after 7 episodes, I just don't see how these two storylines are going to converge. This episode should be or at least very close to the apex of all the information reveals. But there appears to be at least one more with child JPL holding the key in front of his mothers door, Soong and his daughter are MIA with no resolution if their part is done or not(which I doubt it is), we don't know what is going on with Raffi and her "seeing" Elnor, and Q is still no where at all. I am just not seeing how this season gets wrapped up in the remaining 3 episodes. And I still have to say it... I just don't understand how JLP could possibly be harbouring any deep seeded psychological issues at this late stage of his life. His character has been shown for a long time actively seeking out therapy for traumatic events. I just don't see how it is possible to recover from his POW torture in "Chain of Command" and how it does not bring up any issues stemming from what he now "thought" was an an abusive father. "There are four lights."

Agreed, I completely enjoyed seeing Rios being able to see the good side of 2024 instead of the ICE experience. Though I still dont really understand how he is even walking after the fall he took and his tasering. Regarding the name badge the problem is/was Rios was alternating wearing it and then not wearing it even before he gave it to Picard. I even checked that the name on the name badge was the same when it was on Rios and Picard. At the top of the episode Rios is wearing it and then in the next scene he is not?!?? Agreed I can let it it slide, but I just don't see the point if Rios having it at all to start out with... and honestly I was a bit annoyed that of the entire group it was the Latino going into the party as a worker and not a guest - because you know every Latino in LA in 2022/4 is working class only. 🤬 Please note that last statement is meant/said being extremely POed and dripping with sarcasm. While that is a very common time travel occurrence for to have someone to wind up their own ancestor and Rios is not the main character...

Agreed the character interactions where fun... and I second the want for a spinoff with these characters without Picard. Though I am starting to wonder if Rios' is going to say in 2024? Well if you go by that logic, then how did the TNG crew know about Mozart and Beethoven or want to attend string quartet playing their music at 10-Forward? Some things just transcend time... I am mean Sinatra was at his peak nearly 90 years ago, Elvis was at his peak nearly 70 years ago and the Beetles were peaking 50-60 years ago but I guarantee there are _huge_ numbers of people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s that are very familiar with the majority of the musical catalogs for all three. And my goodness Tony Bennet had a resurgence in the 90s that continued up until recently when he was forced to retire for health reasons. So I don't see anything odd about someone knowing a song that happened well before his/her "time." Also it is was Pat Benatar - I mean you can't get more 80s cool then that! But my best fun in this episode happened on re-watch on my computer when I got a better view of Rio's "passport" - just classic.... Apparently Rios's alterego's name was Villalobos Xavier Vicente instead of Xavier Vicente Villalobos. They decide to not read the passport headers first and put the given names in the surname section. Also is it just me... but I could have sworn Rios went from having then not having a name tag on his suit coat and it was happening well before he supposedly gave his name take to Picard so he could talk to Renee. So I kept getting confused if he was supposed to be a guest, a security guard, or a waiter. Because if he was supposed to either of the last two he would not have been coming in via the front door, no?

Right there with you on both counts! The Borg have _always_ creeped me out and the Queen especially. I feel like they are the adult version of "monsters under the bed".

Right there with you! I came here today to write something along the same lines... I was going to try to be positive but I am finding it really difficult to not be critical and annoyed right now. We are what halfway into this season's set of shows and it still seem like this show has not gotten to its point and is add more ingredients to the pot instead of letting it coalesce. Since now everyone is back on La Sirena, what was the point to have us for ~3 episodes watching Raffi, Seven and Rios bomb around LA? I mean they were sent to LA with no information/way to find the "Watcher." Not that I didn't enjoy the Raffi/Seven buddy cop vibe or the Easter Eggs, but what did it do for this season's plot as far as we know up to this point... absolutely nothing. Since this show is named Picard, of course it would have to be Picard that would find the "Watcher" and the only means, knowledge of Guinan her location, to do so. So why didn't he just go looking first with Raffi/Seven or basically any two of those three(adding Rios)? Also it resulted in leaving one person(Agnes), and the weakest one at that, alone with the Borg Queen how is that freaking safe? And now Q with what appears to be an vendetta aganist Picard?!?! Actively undermining/destroying the timeline? Q's MO was always about testing/needling what he(Q) thought was Picard inflated sense of intellegence( Encounter at Farpoint), ability to handle difficult situations(Q Who), or his hubris( Tapestry.) It was always about Q, for the most part, playing with Picard and marionetting him around for his own enjoyment and not necessary playing with all of humanity or other sentient life in the alpha quadrant. (Though you could say that Q exposing the Federation to the Borg "early" does fall into that category.) But here now he has not only has altered the timeline, he is an active participant to that divergence and seeking help to do so since he doens't seem to be able to do it himself. It doesn't align to his prior behaviour. And doesn't align with why I thought Q showed up in the first place in episode 1/2( inability maintain a relationship/family), unless of course I was just "fooled." Of course this could throw back to Picards comment that Q is not well which at the time we did not know if it was true or not and if so mental or physical. But at this point, after the end of "The Watcher", it would seem to have to be both?

So in my opinion this is where the guessing of ST and the realities 20th/21st century life simply come into conflict. So there are two choices: one keep to the original guess or two start to "delay" your guess. ST TOS was shown in 1967-69 during arguably the height of the Cold War and the Space Race. At the time it was not a matter of if but a matter of when World War III would occur. So with the 90s feeling like an eternity away ST decided to plant WWIII as occuring then using Khan and the Augments as the antagonists. So if they kept to the original guess, you are correct the Earth would still be mopping up after a WW and the Earth shown should not resemble anything of what we know. But following that route would then take ST out what I have always thought was its main point of showing where humanity on the planet now will be in 400 years. Also by the time we got around to TNG in the 90s we knew Eugenics was not yet possible and we were possibly the furthest away from a WW that we had ever been. So "Encounter at Farpoint" would have looked/sounded pretty silly to viewers in 1987 if it stated the "post-atomic horror" happened in late 20th-century when there was only 14 years left to go. Which is why Picard instead said it(WWIII) happened in mid-21st century and based on the characters/Central Asia costuming in the episode the intent was still to imply the Eugenics Wars were still apart of a WWIII. So I have always "rolled with ST" here because they did not remove events from the ST timeline just moved them.

no worries... because it seems like we might have been the only two to catch it. And I missed the Torme one completely until you mentioned it. I had been trying to figure out what about the actress was specifically so special to now realize it was the book, i am like duh!

Oh I caught that one... it was so in your face it was impossible to miss - "The Changling". Ironic too be cause that darn machine got scrambled and had to eliminate imperfect biological infestations. Which is humanity no matter time or age. 🙄 Well based on this threads assumptions, and what the writers supposedly "confirmed", since the divergence affected all events after 2024 and therefore any time travels of Kick and Picard to time before 2024 are also affected. So that means that the 2024 that we are currently seeing isn't even the correct timeline and therefore I don't believe they really need to be concerned about creating any ripples/changes. No? Because what they are already seeing is "dorked" and would be corrected if they prevent the divergence from happenining. And Scotty... sigh... just pure awesomeness! Holds up mouse, "Hello Computer!" and "Keyboard, how quaint." Cracks knuckles and off to the races.... Forever engraved into my brain!

Just guessing 1) That is the shows way of telling us he was "actually" speaking in French but they did not want to have to make the kid speak French and add subtitles later? 🙃 2) He hasn't had his English tutor/governess yet. This was the non-canon explanation/in joke to explain the reason for why a Frenchman(Picard) spoke English with an English(Stewart's) accent. While supposedly an Iowan(Kirk) spoke English with an occasional French-Canadian accent(Shatner's) becuase he had a Quebecois nanny. 🙃 Example watch "Journey to Babel" and listen when Shatner says the word "delegates."

Yeah.... i vaguely remember that. But don't the Borg also have to go into a regeneration cycle too? Or is the Borg Queen the exception since she feeds on the drones? If so then how is she feeding/regenerating without a collective? Based on what we know of the food replicators they are doing the same thing, no? Don't they convert energy in to matter? So technically even the humans using them are doing the same thing as the Borg, just without the extra step of eating. 😜

that brings up a good point... how are they feeding/regenerating the Borg Queen right now? and yeah drunk Borg Queen ... priceless!

I can't/won't say there isn't a contingent of persons on these forums who are as you describe. However speaking for myself, I ain't expecting perfection What I am expecting however is a Trek that has consistent storytelling and that holds itself to ST canon( otherwise why have it?) and at the very least explains itself when it "fudges." This particular ST show is about a much beloved character who has a rich backstory that is well known to ST viewers in very nuanced detail. This show is/was banking on that nostalgia to lure viewers - so if you want the older viewers you have to "do your homework". So while I am all for the occasional "fudge", in my opinon the "fudges" in this episode are a bit extreme and hard to just wave off - it makes me think the writers were writing for ST newbies instead of long running fans. But juxtaposing that idea against the in-jokes/references to Voyage Home in the episode makes my head hurt. So basically, you shouldn't be dropping "easter eggs" if you are not holding yourself to canon. Again just my two cents. Yeah I had the same thought that he could have been killed by that fall, my laughing pretty hard when I first watched that scene in the last episode aside. 😬 I honestly just don't like the subplot which just seems like a giant in-joke/reference to Voyage Home instead of being important to the story. But I guess we will have to wait out the remaining episodes to know.

Yes!!! She had an uncanny resemblance to Whoopi and had the personality down too. The episode you are thinking about is titled "Rascals" and is one of my personal favorites. Side note, the kid they had playing Ro Laren was on point as well. Which leads to another side note wondering if Season 3 will bring about the return of Ro Laren. I don't believe there is anything in canon that states what happen to her after she joined the Maquis.

Come on... forum sites are all about negativity. 😜 And I would say the jury is really out on if they really know the show... There are too many _large_ compromises. But generally speaking I am also enjoying this season as well... I am not sure if Raffi and Seven are really a mis-step - their subplot is more akin to the Voyage Home and rescuing Chekov from the hospital. Saying something would have been welcome. I had the distraction problem for the timeline circle more then the recast as well. Considering that in Yesterday's Enterprise Guinan noticed the change immediately. And she should have been feeling a change for over 100 years by this point and seeing Picard should have been like getting hit by a tractor-trailer. At some point during her meeting Picard this should have come up... she should not have had to have Picard repeat back words to her before she had confirmation something was wrong/believe him.

Yeah I was not relishing the idea of watching Season 1 again... Yeah and I found the levity to be fun. Also a fun was the shout out to the movie Starman during the Cop chase/Seven driving... Seven: Wait what does the yellow light mean? Raffi: Go faster... No red means stop! No red means stop! No red means stop! Starman - Jeff Bridges Alien character, "Red light stop. Green light go. Yellow Light go very fast. "

I will need to go back to watch season one... if they did drop something. Agreed writer's are totally off and think they are cute... when they are just 💩 It is just super funny and annoying because I specifically remember the start of TNG Season 2 when they announced the character of Guinan. I recall seeing a few of the TNG actors in interviews discussing the new set of "10 Forward" and why it had that name and explaining the US Navy's habit of referring to certain locations aboard ship simply by its location instead of function. So if the actors can get it... why can't the writers. Just 💩!

Yeah these writers don't know Star Trek. The rant there is... this is SciFi which by in large attacts people who enjoy and appreciate long story arcs and are into details. So when no attention is paid ... lets just say I get really irked! :) Agreed hated the recast and it makes no sense and the fact that they did not setup ahead of time in anyway is just annoying. As for time travel aspect... everything up to 2024 would have occurred normally to an extent. But after the divergence what we know happened didn't happen and based on the 24th century we saw it is unlikely the time trip that Picard took to 1893 ever happened. So Picard and Guinan would not have met until in the bar in this Alt-Timeline. That said... because Picard did not go back it doesn't mean that the events of Time's Arrow not including the Enterprise's involvement did not take place. So the timeline post 1893 should also be "different" as well. But just how much we will not ever be told within the confines of this show. Now for a slight rant.... In Episode1, I let it go that Guinan's future bar had an address of 10 Forward in the "Histortic Foward District." I let it go becuase this was occuring after the events of TNG( where we first heard the term 10 Forward in ST canon) and so it was easy to think Guinan found a way to place her bar using a name that "had meaning." But to now find out that Guinan has probably run/owned a bar at an address of 10 Forward for at least 400 years just doesn't make sense. The usage and the reason for the name 10 Foward was 100% related to the Enterprise and the bar's location on the ship which in turn is based on real world US Navy nomenclature - the bar was on Deck 10 in the forward section of the ship. She could not have named her bar something for which she had absolutely no context/knowledge of and the coincidence is not believeable Maybe... And like Elnor when the timeline is rectified he will be alive again...

Yeah definitely mindmelded because I came to the same conclusion myself. And totally agree that Guinan should have known the minute she saw Picard something was wrong. Heck in actually she should have been thinking every since 1893 something was "off" and Picard showing up in 2024 should have confirmed it immediately. Agreed, the personality change in Guinan was a bit much. But perhaps that is a function of how long she had been on Earth. I can't remember if we were told in Time's Arrow just how long she had been on Earth by then. But perhaps she had been on Earth for so long that by 2024 she was just completely jaded and had changed. And that it took the 400 years of human evolution for her to go back to her serene self. Loved the hot chocolate line too... Yeah I get all the technical reasons why they did what they did... but really since they could have just had Guinan say she can age herself as well as de-age herself and that would have been the end of that line of disconnect. So it was the _same_ guy... I thought he looked familar but wasn't sure... But that now makes his very quick agreement to turn the boom box off make sense. He was more like Sarah when he was ranting about the future and his mission and basically spilling the truth to the ICE agent... just like the video shown of Sarah in T2 talking to her shrink about what was going to happen in the future.. But yeah everything else about that subplot screams The Terminator.

Someone please explain to me how 2024 Guinan doesn't know who Picard is immediately!??!?!? Considering she first met him in Time's Arrow which took place in 1893?!?! I mean her reaction should have been more akin to, "This isn't right... you should not be here." Or could it be that they are saying that since the divergence took place the Time's Arrows events did not take place so Guinan never met him until just then? Hmm... And I thought Guinan in ep1 stated that she could age herself... okay that is fine. But I did not get the impression that it would be possible to de-age herself... or can she? So how are we to work out that Guinan in Time's Arrow circa 1893 looked like Whoopi but now in 2024 looks younger?!?!? So again... same question about divergence causing the difference... basically can Guinan can look different here because Time's Arrow did not occur so the image we have of Guinan "never happened" and has to be discarded? Nice trick writers, nice trick... But this episode was really tongue in cheek... They really leaned in hard to Voyage Home... A bus, a mohawk puck, a boom box play the exact same song... at least they let us know that they know that we know they were being cheeky... Dixon Hill!!!! Raffi the vigilante.... so much fun! Raffi and Seven the bickering couple... even more fun! And Rios channeling Sarah Connor... priceless! And WOW "The Changeling" shoutout with the Jackson Roykirk Plaza... sweet!