S01.E10: Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

[ElectricBoogaloo]

SEASON FINALE!

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TBA

Promo:

Original air date: 3/26/20

[kokapetl]

And now, the disappointing conclusion.

[dwmarch]

When Commodore General Oh ordered "Planetary Sterilization Pattern Number Five" I couldn't help but think (with apologies to Lou Bega):

A little bit of Romulans in the sky
A little bit of Riker standing by
A little bit of JL is all I need
A little bit of Raffi smoking weed

The Borg ship got powered up again but did not end up being a factor in the standoff so that was kind of a waste.

Narek, in the manner of a true Romulan (sneaky fookers) just disappears. No one remembers that he was there.

I got a good laugh out of Narissa asking Narek if he had fucked any of the synths yet and his deadpan "not yet". Maybe that's where he is at the end.

Narissa is probably not dead. We have seen that she has a personal transporter for getting out of bad situations on the Borg ship. However, public service announcement: just because Buffy the Vampire Slayer can fight hand-to-hand while wearing tight leather pants does not mean that you can as well.

Raffi and Seven sure got friendly with the quickness.

Picard gets himself a new body! That was pretty telegraphed but hey, why not? However, in addition to noting that his new body did not have the brain irregularity they did not say anything about the Borg leftovers or artificial heart that he was carrying around in the old one.

Seems a shame to bring Data back just to kill him off again. Why didn't he ask if they could whip up a synth body for him? That way he could experience what it is like to be "human" but also have a normal lifespan. Oh well, he's not really dead-dead as they did establish he exists in that simulation courtesy of a single positronic neuron. Or Q could bring him back or he could fall out of a random time portal or...

Edited March 28, 2020 by dwmarch

[paigow]

Why can Soong not produce another Golem? Ran out of Vibranium? Typical Goldsman hack job...Where is the cube? Why is Seven not taking care of the XB? Did Elnor kill Narek off screen? If not, why is he not in the brig? Why does Riker have more juice than Picard? He gets to un-retire and command the D-Day invasion while Picard demands a Scout-class ship and is told to fuck himself....

[Delphi]

Oh,  I'm very glad Seven killed narissa and did it for poor Hugh. 

But,  um,  did she and Elnor just leave the drones and cube with the synth people?  That seems careless. 

The grieving scenes were all very well done,  even though clearly Picard wasn't going to stay dead,  they focused on those close to him while leaving Agnes and Soji out of it,  which makes sense for multiple reasons. 

Finally full on confirmation that Seven of Nine,  the Borg Fenris Ranger from the Delta Quadrant is bisexual. 

Elnor is just the best thing that Trek has given me in years. 

Eta: Riker presumably has more pull with Starfleet because he left on better terms than Picard. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Delphi

[paigow]

4 hours ago, Delphi said:

Finally full on confirmation that Seven of Nine,  the Borg Fenris Ranger from the Delta Quadrant is bisexual. 

Elnor has a 100 year old synthetic father and 2 moms now.

Agnes - the murderer - was not turned over to Riker???? Saving Picard cancels that out???

Narek: Get the weapons system online, but not to destroy the 100 metre tall tower of extinction, only these grenades can do that...

Edited March 26, 2020 by paigow

[MissLucas]

Well, I wish they had dropped the last 15 minutes. I know that the show is called ST Picard but I thought Stewart had only signed on to give Picard a good send-off and that this season was a test-run for all the new (and some old) characters to check whether they could carry a spin-off. I also hate sci-fi shows dabbling with the after-life and the whole idea that consciousness can be transferred although that's a sci-fi staple.

And yes, what's happening with the cube and the xBs??? And where the hell did Narek go? Also: those über-synths respond to an emergency beacon and when the door is slammed shut they just shrug it off as 'probably false alarm' and return to whatever they're up to when they're not raining down Armageddon on another organic galaxy. And the hippie synths are left in the care of Soong? And the ban on synths has been lifted despite evidence that they can be quite dangerous? Did someone at least think of deleting the number of the über-synths from all speed dials?

Best moment was Narek declaring that he chooses 'very much' to live when confronted with Elnor's blade, he! (I actually quite liked this iteration of Narek and wish he'd joined the La Sirena crew instead of Soji - yeah, I know that's all wrong.) I also enjoyed Agnes being proud of her spy skills and acting as XO. 

Raffi and Seven are an item now? Okay, sure why not. Except that I thought Rios and Seven had more chemistry but I guess Agnes had called dibs.

Bottom line: I think I have become too cynical for ST.

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by MissLucas

[paigow]

8 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Raffi and Seven are an item now? Okay, sure why not. Except that I thought Rios and Seven had more chemistry but I guess Agnes had called dibs.

Rios clearly had a sexual conquest bucket list...Seven was at the top...They probably had a NSA sexytime while getting hammered on SynthSmirnoff

[paigow]

15 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Also: those über-synths respond to an emergency beacon and when the door is slammed shut

Uber Synth Leader: Why do we need to wait for someone on the other side to open a portal for us?

Uber Synth Tech: Our Arc Reactors are too big...

Leader: Soji just did it..in a cave...with a box of scraps!

[StarBrand]

Well, that was better than what last week's episode seemed to foreshawdow.

Picard is now an android-pretty much saw that coming when they were talking about downloading consciousness into a synth last week.

Yes, where did Narek go? What of the xb's and the Borg ship? I suppose next season we'll find out.

I liked when Riker showed up.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I thought it was a pretty awesome season finale. 

And I'll be back for Season 2, whenever that happens.

Edited March 26, 2020 by ottoDbusdriver

[paigow]

Did Data believe that orchids were the optimal planetary defence weapon? He had almost unlimited knowledge of galactic history and war strategy on repelling Invaders. Shaka when the walls fell.....

[kokapetl]

Hopefully android Picard won’t be borderline senile and will return to TNG form for season 2. I know I’m deluded. 

Nitpicks: Romulans are about equal in strength to humans. Seven of Nine, and the tan, cross-eyed androids should’ve made quick work of their opponents. I hope I never see incesty Romulan sister agent ever again. The Romulan and Starfleet armadas were a budget saving exercise in copying and pasting. The magic repair wand was very convenient, but they had only one?

You know who cared about Data and Hugh the most? Geordi. Bring Geordi back for next season. And who cared the most about Captain Picard? Dr Crusher, bring her back. And make the next season something like 18 episodes. 

i give the season a 4.5/10. This was like a couple of standalone TNG episodes and a two parter stretched out to ten episodes. 

ETA: we need more self contained episodes. I know it’s not cool, but there’s something satisfying about seeing the cast solve problems on a weekly basis.

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by kokapetl

[Wouter]

13 hours ago, dwmarch said:

Narissa is probably not dead. We have seen that she has a personal transporter for getting out of bad situations on the Borg ship.

Good point. She actually used the same device when she escaped Elnor (right after killing Hugh). They can definitily bring her back if they want.

It was surprising that she was still on the borg cube, I thought one of the Romulan warships had beamed her out. Seems they just gave up on her (some of her underlings were rather taken aback by her genocidal behaviour against the xB's).

9 hours ago, paigow said:

Agnes - the murderer - was not turned over to Riker???? Saving Picard cancels that out???

Narek: Get the weapons system online, but not to destroy the 100 metre tall tower of extinction, only these grenades can do that...

I'm glad Agnes wasn't turned over. I would forgive her too, after she played a major role in saving all life.

As for Narek, I liked that he turned in this episode, and that he was pleading with Soji shows that he didn't quite see her as the destroyer, in the end. He still hoped she would turn. That she didn't for him is only realistic I suppose, though I was very disappointed in Soji for going through with it, even after Sutra was exposed and knocked out (another surprise, for me). 

Did Soji not understand that Picard, and Kestra, and everyone (but maybe the synths) was going to die if her own plan succeeded?

That the Borg cube couldn't be used to destroy the tower may actually be quite logical, given that the cube was quite far from the site its beam weapons may not be able to reach it (unless drilling through an enormous amount of rock, which would also take time) due to lacking line-of-sight. Any projecticle weapons (I don't recall the Borg using any) may have been still offline.

9 hours ago, MissLucas said:

And yes, what's happening with the cube and the xBs??? And where the hell did Narek go? Also: those über-synths respond to an emergency beacon and when the door is slammed shut they just shrug it off as 'probably false alarm' and return to whatever they're up to when they're not raining down Armageddon on another organic galaxy.

Best moment was Narek declaring that he chooses 'very much' to live when confronted with Elnor's blade, he! (I actually quite liked this iteration of Narek and wish he'd joined the La Sirena crew instead of Soji - yeah, I know that's all wrong.) I also enjoyed Agnes being proud of her spy skills and acting as XO.

I guess that Narek went back to his aunt Ramdha, and to go look for his sister (both on the cube)? He didn't show hatred for xB's. And the xB's can probably stay on the planet, with or without the help of the synths. Free from Romulan interference.

The uber-synths (or whatever they actually are) probably need the power from the other side to get through. Tough luck for them.

Narek was excellent, I had half hoped he would join the crew. I guess we will see him again next season.

And what will next season be about? Will it still focus on the synths and the machinations of the Tal Shiar/Zhat Vash, or will the latter decide to give up on their vendetta? Given how close they were to "ganmadan", I guess Oh and co will still be inclined to take extreme measures.

In any case, Picard will need some new excuse to not return to his vineyard.

[TVbitch]

I'm disappointed that the synth saviors sent worms with scissors. 

Agnes saying "make it so" ....no. 

So, Data's consciousness is in B4? I can't remember where we left B4. I want Spiner in next season whether it is as Soong or Data. 

Um, when did Rafi/7 couple up? 

Why not let Picard decide if he wants to be immortal or not? 

I have a hard time believing the synth ban is over just like that, since they came this close to destroying all organic life! 

I enjoyed the season but hope season 2 is more in the spirit of TNG. 

[starri]

I think....I ship Raffi and Seven now?

[Stardancer Supreme]

I'm easy and I'm happy with the finale. 

Hopefully Narissa is dead. She was too damn lucky escaping from the xBs yet stuck on the cube. Guess there is another Zhat Vash washout in the family!

General Oh No will still be around doing Tal Shiar shit since she won't be able to go back to Earth.

I cried when Picard died, knowing full well that he would be resurrected. Those scenes hit all the feels it should have, with us seeing Rios, Elnor, and Raffi grieve openly. I so felt Rios when he lamented letting another stubborn Starfleet captain into his heart.

15 hours ago, dwmarch said:

Picard gets himself a new body! That was pretty telegraphed but hey, why not? However, in addition to noting that his new body did not have the brain irregularity they did not say anything about the Borg leftovers or artificial heart that he was carrying around in the old one.

They said everything about his body was new, yet what they should be for a 90 something year old man in this timeline. No more metal heart, no more Borg remnants. 

And where did Narek go?  I thought for sure Elnor was going to behead him in a gruesome fashion once he spotted Narek slinking around the cube. He wasn't seen by any xBs or the drones? Sloppy. 

I did like that Soong took out Sutra. She was the one who killed Saga. He was so disappointed in her!

Can't wait until Season 2. 

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by Stardancer Supreme
Added more stuff.

[SgtMathias]

Usually, SciFi shows take three or four seasons until they run out of ideas and decide to pull a Starbuck. I'm not fond of the not-really-dead! Scifi trope, and making this move in the first season's finale makes it worse: what are you going to use to create drama in the future, if the most dramatic card possible - the death of your main character - has already been played?

Also, the ubersynth's were dissapointing.

Still, it was better than Discovery, even if you ignore the nostalgia factor.

[TAG42481]

I thought the best episode (in its entirety) was where Picard, Riker, and Troi were hanging out as FRIENDS as opposed to a captain and his subordinates.  I thought the best scene of the season was the 5 minutes between Picard and Data here.

I also have the same questions as some other peoples.  How are synths allowed *snaps fingers* liked that?  How did we end up with 2 couples forming in the last minute of the season? (edit - My main problem is that both couples just happened out of NOWHERE - there was absolutely zero that happened before then to introduce the concept)  And what will we do for season 2, seeing as we don't seem to have anything at all unresolved?

I'll give the season a 6 out of 10.  Good, but not great.  You have Picard, so there's all sort of potential, it just hasn't been realized at this point.

Edited March 27, 2020 by TAG42481
Add another point

[wanderingstar]

I enjoyed the space battle, with Agnes being Picard's XO. They make a good team.

Lots of dropped/anti-climatic stuff in this ep. Others have mentioned the xBs and Narek just...disappearing. But what about the synths on Coppelius? They're just...ok with Soji smashing the beacon? Ok.

Despite these flaws, I enjoyed this finale.

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Picard gets himself a new body! That was pretty telegraphed but hey, why not?

Oh, you caught Chekov’s golem? Hee. I’m actually cool with this development. Should make season 2 very interesting.

[starri]

I had pegged who the golem was ultimately going to be for from jump, and was kind of dreading it...but they used the plot device in a way that didn't feel cheap.  Especially because that's what got us that scene between Picard and Data, which was one of the best of the entire season.

[Athena]

I liked it. Called the Golem thing and the Raffi/Seven thing was a nice little addition. My partner didn't get the Seven subtext earlier in the season and went "Whaat?" when he saw that little moment. 

Actually it's been interesting watching this show with someone who is less emotionally invested than me but still knows enough about TNG. My partner really enjoyed it and actually preferred this over the other new sci-fi show we tried "The Mandalorian". I liked them both for different reasons. We both agreed that ST: Picard had a really good definitive arc for its first season and lots of good character moments. It has a lot sentimental value for me as someone who grew up with TNG and loves these characters (Data!) to bits. I know it's controversial among fans but as someone who mainly liked TNG, this show worked for me. I couldn't ever really get into the post-TNG shows except Voyager and some of DS9. Couldn't do Enterprise or Discovery so I'm happy that I can continue with this show. 

I  have a few questions too: xBs? Soong? Narek? Synth colony? I hope Narissa is truly dead because she was not a compelling villain. 

[paigow]

Picard was called a hypocrite several times this season, but not for keeping Agnes out of jail. Maddox was not killed so the beacon could be destroyed. His absence made the mission harder than needed. Agnes endangered the Galaxy and deserves hard time. If there is no more golem material, further synth research is pointless.

[MrWhyt]

where the did the tool that they used to repair the ship and fake out the romulans come from?

[Delphi]

3 hours ago, starri said:

I think....I ship Raffi and Seven now?

Enjoy it.   I'm still regretting what I'll never get with Elnor and Hugh.

[SourK]

LMAO that was so dumb.

I can't even pick my favourite part. When the mysterious hellish synth intelligence turned out to be a space kraken that got sucked back into its portal? When Picard was saved from death and went, "Amaze. Let's unplug Data"? When Elnor, the neediest Romulan, just walked up to Raffi and cried?

I think it actually has to be the scene where Rios and Seven were bonding because they'd both done something they regretted, and Seven was like, "I killed someone just because I hated them again," and Rios was like, "Okay, cool. Mine is that I got attached to an authority figure."

15 hours ago, Delphi said:

Finally full on confirmation that Seven of Nine,  the Borg Fenris Ranger from the Delta Quadrant is bisexual.

On the one hand, I'm happy for the fifteen-year-old version of me would would have really liked to have a gay or bi character on my favorite TV show. On the other hand, it's been 20 years and the best they can give me is awkwardly holding someone's hand for five seconds.

14 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Raffi and Seven are an item now? Okay, sure why not. Except that I thought Rios and Seven had more chemistry but I guess Agnes had called dibs.

I agree with this. I had literally just thought, "Wow, I think I like Seven with Rios, now," when we randomly got that panning shot letting us know who all the couples were.

5 hours ago, kokapetl said:

You know who cared about Data and Hugh the most? Geordi. Bring Geordi back for next season. And who cared the most about Captain Picard? Dr Crusher, bring her back.

This is a fair point, on both counts.

5 hours ago, Wouter said:

As for Narek, I liked that he turned in this episode, and that he was pleading with Soji shows that he didn't quite see her as the destroyer, in the end. He still hoped she would turn. That she didn't for him is only realistic I suppose, though I was very disappointed in Soji for going through with it, even after Sutra was exposed and knocked out (another surprise, for me).

This is a nitpick in a sea of much more glaring problems with their plan, but was it really awesome to bring the most garbage person Soji's ever met and let him plead with her to spare organic life? I know there's an excuse where they used him to get past the guards, but...

I do think it would have been a much more interesting choice, dramatically, if she had been faced with a decision that revolved around saving the most garbage person she'd ever met rather than people who were trying to help her.

[MissLucas]

26 minutes ago, MrWhyt said:

where the did the tool that they used to repair the ship and fake out the romulans come from?

Olivander Saga gave it to Raffi during last episode.

[MrWhyt]

10 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Olivander Saga gave it to Raffi during last episode.

completely missed that

[Vandy10]

Who was sitting with Data when he died? I couldn't tell, except that I think it was male. When I first saw the figure, I was hoping it was Lal (I just watched The Offspring), but I'm pretty sure it wasn't her.

[Cthulhudrew]

 

I enjoyed several parts of this episode:

• Elnor and Seven's brief dialogue
• Seven's fight with Narissa (though she should have just shot her immediately, or at least stunned her)
• Riker
• The reactions to Picard's death, particularly Elnor and Raffi's
• A Soong didn't turn out to be completely bad. (Will Sutra/NewLore return?)
• Riker

What I didn't care for is a show undercutting its strongest emotional moment with its characters by immediately undoing its impetus (Picard's death); and worse, compounding that by interjecting a morality play with a message that "mortality is what makes us human," and then undercutting that by immediately undoing its impetus (Picard's death).

Worse yet, it isn't like he was given much of a new lease on life- no android superior abilities of heightened strength, durability, and senses; no additional lifespan. Just "you're pretty much exactly like you were before you died, except now you have no artificial heart or brain condition." La di da.

Not that I expected Picard to die, but if he had, this would have been a great way to go. I would have really been excited if the creators pulled a Penny Dreadful and slapped a giant "The End" right there.

And I still would have watched "Star Trek: Seven of Nine" with this new cast next season.

 

5 hours ago, TVbitch said:

So, Data's consciousness is in B4? I can't remember where we left B4.

He was last seen in Episode 1, at the Daystrom Institute when Picard was talking to Agnes. They showed his detached head and a couple of body parts. I believe they mentioned that his less-advanced positronic brain couldn't long hold Data's consciousness and he shut down or something to that effect.

I am curious though; supposedly Soong can't create another golem now (hmmm) but the process and method are still out there. Isn't this a gigantic game changer for life as we know it across the galaxy?

3 minutes ago, Vandy10 said:

Who was sitting with Data when he died? 

It was Picard. You can see him more clearly in the final scene. Presumably him "holding hands" with Data paralleled his hands pulling the plug in the real world.

[thuganomics85]

Sure, show.  You're totally going to kill off Jean-Luc Picard on a show that is called... Star Trek: Picard!

That said, I won't lie that I still got a little emotional over his "death", and I did think the reactions from everyone was well-done.  Seven and Rios drinking whatever passes for alcohol was a nice touch, but Elnor breaking down and being comforted by Raffi was the highlight (err, sounds odd saying that for something so sad.)

But I figured that Dr. Soong's memory transfer thing was going to come into play, so I'm not surprised that Picard basically got his mind transferred to a new/old body, without the disease.  But they should have given some kind of upgrade!  Maybe not a full-fledge superpower, but maybe slightly improved skill?!

As satisfying as it was watching Seven boot Narissa, I also worry that Narissa's personal transport will come into play, and she'll end up surviving and returning with a vengeance.  Granted, after Hugh, I'm pretty much in bloodlust mode, and I really wouldn't have been happy unless Seven shot her in the chest, snapped her neck, and then shot her one more time in the head for good measure, before she tossed her.  Maybe next time!

I did feel like they rushed a whole lot of things though.  Did Narek go back with the Romulans or is he in Starfleet's custody?  Whatever happen to Agnes turning herself in?  I also wish we actually got Rios/Raffi/Seven/Elnor's reaction once they heard that Soji and Agnes saved Picard.  I kind of feel like this episode either should have been longer or it should have been a three-parter instead.

Riker's return was fun, but I was hoping for a Geordi or Worf cameo.  Maybe next season!

Data's officially dead now, but at least Dr. Soong is still around, so Brent Spiner can still get work!

Overall, the season was a bit hit or miss, but I've kind of accepted at this point that all Star Trek series are going to have a rough first season (I think the best was Deep Space Nine, but even that had a few clunkers), and it's all about them hopefully figuring things out going forward.  I will say that I now actually like all of the new crew members now, so that's good, and I certainly hope Seven being on the ship at the end means we'll be getting more of her going forward.  That said, as long as I can see more of Patrick Stewart playing one of my favorite characters of all time, I'm going to be with this show until the bitter end!  Make it so and engage!

 

Edited March 30, 2020 by thuganomics85

[pootlus]

I think they should have taken Narek with them - sure it wouldn't have made much sense plotwise, but with the crew all getting on pretty well they need a source of tension, and I liked his interactions with Elnor.

I completely missed the MacGuffin too @MrWhyt.

I wonder if there was some Seven/Rafi stuff that got cut?  Not a huge fan of Agnes/Rios but eh.

Loved Riker showing up to save the day but that was ridiculously implausible.  I mean can you imagine? "Oh hey, can I come back - just for a week or so?"  As @thuganomics85 says it would have been better with Worf or Geordi or anyone from TNG who hadn't been established as quitting/retiring.

Enjoyable but a bit of a hot mess of a finale, but I only saw The Rise of Skywalker a few days ago so my bar is set pretty low.  I'm definitely sticking around for Season 2.

[Wouter]

11 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Lots of dropped/anti-climatic stuff in this ep. Others have mentioned the xBs and Narek just...disappearing. But what about the synths on Coppelius? They're just...ok with Soji smashing the beacon? Ok.

I think they resolved their storylines pretty well actually, and I appreciate they did not go for a cliffhanger. I'm still looking forward to S2 (though patience will be needed).

The xB's are now on a planet under Federation protection, and Picard had promised Hugh to campaign for them. I think they will be fine, maybe taking up residence on the planet. If not, they will probably take this plot up again in S2.

Soji became the gang leader all of a sudden, the one who pushed for the extermination of organics, once Sutra was taken out. I had thought/hoped the finale would be Sutra manipulating the synths and Soji gradually starting to resist that, but learning that Sutra had killed Saga didn't even seem to phase her. Soji became fixated on becoming a mass murder on an immense scale so that the synths woudln't have to run, for me a jarring change from her pre-S9 attitude and personality. That she was accepted back in the crew so easily afterwards is a bit hard to swallow.

8 hours ago, MrWhyt said:

where the did the tool that they used to repair the ship and fake out the romulans come from?

As Misslucas said, Saga gave it to them. And the use as a repair tool with an exotic interface isn't that out of the norm for Star Trek, but what the tool pulled off during the battle with the Romulans must be unheard of for such a small device.

The question may be, where did the technology for this come from? It's a bit hard to swallow that Soong and/or Maddox not only were brilliant at building all kinds of intelligent androids, but also produced other tech seemingly far ahead of what the Federation can build itself?

8 hours ago, SourK said:

This is a nitpick in a sea of much more glaring problems with their plan, but was it really awesome to bring the most garbage person Soji's ever met and let him plead with her to spare organic life? I know there's an excuse where they used him to get past the guards, but...

I do think it would have been a much more interesting choice, dramatically, if she had been faced with a decision that revolved around saving the most garbage person she'd ever met rather than people who were trying to help her.

I think it was nice that Narek showed capacity to change (unlike Narissa), by working with the La Sirena crew (being open in the process, a change for a "private person" like him) and by attempting to appeal to what his superiors considered to be an abonimation. He's improving.

I do think Rios and co should have been pleading as well though, and if I was Picard I would have mentioned Kendra and Hugh and the xB's as well. I still have problems with Soji not considering the possible alternatives, like fleeing in the La Sirena (very doable), fleeing in the Cube (if it could be repaired), calling Starfleet instead of jamming transmissions from Picard,...

Soji's respons on a moral level wasn't very different from Oh's, I feel. Oh backed down in the end, too.

4 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

That said, I won't lie that I still got a little emotional over his "death", and I did think the reactions from everyone was well-done. 

I did feel like they rushed a whole lot of things though.  Did Narek go back with the Romulans or is he in Starfleet's custody? 

[...]

Overall, the season was a bit hit or miss, but I've kind of excepted at this point that all Star Trek series are going to have a rough first season (I think the best was Deep Space Nine, but even that had a few clunkers), and it's all about them hopefully figuring things out going forward.  I will say that I now actually like all of the new crew members now, so that's good, and I certainly hope Seven being on the ship at the end means we'll be getting more of her going forward.  That said, as long as I can see more of Patrick Stewart playing one of my favorite characters of all time, I'm going to be with this show until the bitter end!  Make it so and engage!

Both Starfleet and Romulans left while Narek was still in the synth compound. I guess the synths released him, like they did the others (he didn't kill Saga), and he probably picked up a ride from the planet from somewhere (maybe repairing his own ship) or went back to the cube where his aunt and/or sister may still be. If the synths wanted him death or punished by other means, I think this would have been shown.

In spite of the flaws, it was probably the best first season of any ST show. DS9 was pretty boring in its first season IMO, most of the good arcs/episodes came later (usually revolving about the Dominion). TOS was always a show with ups and downs and some very silly episodes, and so was TNG especially in its first season. I think Voyager may actually have had the best first season of the classic shows.

While the scenes of the others grieving for Picard were nicely done, it did feel like emotional manipulation, given that Picard would be back and that something similar would follow with Data. The talk about mortality also didn't make all that much sense to me, and with Picard being resurrected he didn't really lead by example in this specific case.

I did like though, that Picard got through to both Soji and Oh with his stunts on La Sirena and on the open communication channel. That was well-deserved. Picard is the big hero of the Federation again.

But it shouldn't have been needed to convince Soji. I'm sure she's supposed to be better than people like Oh, but in this episode that wasn't the case.

3 hours ago, pootlus said:

Loved Riker showing up to save the day but that was ridiculously implausible.  I mean can you imagine? "Oh hey, can I come back - just for a week or so?"  As @thuganomics85 says it would have been better with Worf or Geordi or anyone from TNG who hadn't been established as quitting/retiring.

Enjoyable but a bit of a hot mess of a finale, but I only saw The Rise of Skywalker a few days ago so my bar is set pretty low.  I'm definitely sticking around for Season 2.

Geordi really should have been on the show, now both Data and Hugh are gone there isn't that much point anymore in bringing him back.

Riker showing up like that was indeed very implausible, in my view it should have been Clancy herself (with Riker beside her after giving pointers about where Picard went), or otherwise some fleet admiral a la Ross. How can a reservist suddenly get command of not only one vessel, but an entirel fleet of the most advanced warships Starfleet has? He would have to be out of touch with the latest procedures and equipment.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Wouter

[TV Anonymous]

What kind of security does Starfleet Security have if its Head is actually an active Senior Officer of Romulan Empire? 

[marinw]

Picard has a robot body? WTF? I'm still digesting that.

I thought  Irumodic Syndrome was like dementia. Not a death by migrane thing. 

Overall I kind of loved this. Elnor's crying reslly got. to me. Seven/Raffi came out of nowhere but I'm here for them if the show gets a dsefcond season.

Stating the obvious: Sir Patrick was wonderful. Maybe he will finally get an emmy nod, after all these years.

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by marinw

[Stardancer Supreme]

32 minutes ago, TV Anonymous said:

What kind of security does Starfleet Security have if its Head is actually an active Senior Officer of Romulan Empire? 

General Oh No is half Vulcan/half Romulan. Presenting as Vulcan was enough for Starfleet to accept her. You would think by now if Starfleet didn't want Romulans in its ranks that they would vet better.

[starri]

1 hour ago, marinw said:

Seven/Raffi came out of nowhere but I'm here for them if the show gets a dsefcond season.

Second season was announced prior to the debut of the first.

[Florinaldo]

Where did Soong go after deactivating Sutra? He nodded to Raffi and then just was not in any other shot, until the Picard transfer. Why did he not also deactivate Soji instead of letting her go through with the portal opening? Of course, that would have robbed JLP of his Great Moment when he convinced Soji to make the right choice.

How many orchids were there exactly; didn't they mention last episode that about a dozen were left? It looked like the Romulan fleet was facing a whole Amazonian forest!

That little device is close to a magic lamp; make a wish and it will come true, as long as you can imagine it. If they keep it and have constant access to such a magical tool, there wont be much sense of jeopardy in  Season 2.

There seemed to be a scene missing between everyone weeping over JLP's death and the next time we saw them all together on the Sirena, everything hunky-dory.

The golem body being bald may have been a visual foretelling that JLP would end up in it (it did become quite the obvious outcome while he was dying and there was so much time left in the episode). But what will be the legal status of JLP: will his golem self be recognised as equal to his human one and will he still be entitled to his properties like the vineyard?

Narissa was activating the Cube weapons. Seven might have tried to finish the process and wiped out a few of those Romulan ships in space. I guess the synths will now be caretakers for the ex-Bs. I hope Seven dactivated the Queen chamber, just as a precaution.

Great goodbye and death scenes for Data, even withering into old age. BS can now return only as a Soong, without the need for so much make-up to try and hide the fact that his face is no longer credible as an android who supposedly does not gain weight or wrinkles. His Data hairpiece was also rather strange looking.

So Agnes, Soji, Narek and Soong were redeemed (although the latter only sided with the synths because he thought his children were being threatened, until he realised that the threat was coming from the inside). Quite an accomplishment for the Power of the Picard.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Florinaldo

[marinw]

Picard seemed weirdly ok with becomming an andriod without his consent. If Synths are still banned, that means he can't go back to Earth.

6 minutes ago, Florinaldo said:

without the need for so much make-up to try and hide the fact that his face is no longer credible as an android who supposedly does not gain weight or wrinkles. His Data hairpiece was also rather strange looking.

Very CGI Uncanny Valley. I'm glad they didn't give Picard his 50-ish TNG body, hot as it was.

[Biggie B]

12 minutes ago, marinw said:

If Synths are still banned, that means he can't go back to Earth.

They're no longer banned; Soji confirmed as much in the last scene. She's going to travel now, rather than stay on her home world.

[kokapetl]

I don’t recall Commodore Oh being exposed as a Romulan spy, her running back to Romulan space didn’t quite make sense, and her commanding the armada was extremely convenient. 

[marinw]

4 hours ago, Biggie B said:

They're no longer banned; Soji confirmed as much in the last scene. She's going to travel now, rather than stay on her home world.

True, but racism and xenophobia won't go away overnight. I suppose Picard can just not tell everyone except a few trusted people that he is now an Android, as he can still easily pass for a regular human.

Edited March 27, 2020 by marinw

[TV Anonymous]

4 hours ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

General Oh No is half Vulcan/half Romulan. Presenting as Vulcan was enough for Starfleet to accept her. You would think by now if Starfleet didn't want Romulans in its ranks that they would vet better.

It is not her ethnicity / species that bothers me. It is the fact that she is an Officer with other power. Imagine if there is an Admiral in the U.S. Navy who is also a Colonel with the Venezuelan Army and the U.S. Navy does not even know that.

[paigow]

16 minutes ago, marinw said:

. I suppose Picard can just not tell everyone except a few trusted people that he is now an Android, as he can still easily pass for a regular human.j

Human Picard could tell if warp coils were aligned by listening...a side effect of his neuro pathology.

If Soong removed this ability, this would be how he inadvertently outs SynthCard.

[Stardancer Supreme]

38 minutes ago, kokapetl said:

I don’t recall Commodore Oh being exposed as a Romulan spy, her running back to Romulan space didn’t quite make sense, and her commanding the armada was extremely convenient. 

Riker and Picard knows she is Tal Shiar; I'm sure Starfleet also knows that now. Another Commodore bites the dust!

[starri]

23 minutes ago, Stardancer Supreme said:

Riker and Picard knows she is Tal Shiar; I'm sure Starfleet also knows that now. Another Commodore bites the dust!

Presumably, Picard told Admiral Clancy when he spoke to her to ask for Starfleet's help.

Apparently they gave her real name as General Nedar during the episode, although I missed it.

[paigow]

The captioning people only did it once. All the other times it was Oh.

[wanderingstar]

I'm intrigued by the Raffi/Seven connection, but I do think Rios has way more chemistry with both of them than he does with Agnes. I do not get the Rios/Agnes pairing at all.

[Wouter]

7 hours ago, TV Anonymous said:

What kind of security does Starfleet Security have if its Head is actually an active Senior Officer of Romulan Empire? 

The bad kind, which is why an organisation like Section 31 exists. Starfleet Intelligence/Security is a joke compared to Romulan and Cardassian equivalents.

6 hours ago, marinw said:

Picard has a robot body? WTF? I'm still digesting that.

Not a robot body: a synthetic but organic body. The net result is that Picard is more human than ever, since he got rid of the artificial heart (his orginal heart had to be replaced after he was stabbed by a Nausican) and any leftover Borg bits.

 

[kokapetl]

And the way they lured the golden-tanned, evil Soji behind the pilar and tranqed her without anyone noticing. Thank god androids are so stupid.