And the plot thickens. This second episode spends much of its time introducing new players to the game, and upping the game itself.
1. Taking time to build
Modern television moves fast. Old Trek series do not. Picard seems to be bridging the divide between the two, and I am here for it. I want to get to know these new characters and what motivates them within this world. I want to get a handle on the plot before we jump to something else down the line. I am someone that enjoys watching British period pieces with great frequency, so that may speak to my level of patience when it comes to plot and character development, but with all honesty, Picard is doing it right. We need time to develop things within this new world. Our first episode speaks of the synthetic attack on Mars, and we see it with our own eyes in this second episode, except this time it’s personalized. We see regular people going about their regular, every day jobs, making jokes with their friends one minute, brutally slaughtered by one synthetic the next minute. One synthetic in particular, F8, on First Contact Day, no less.
2. Top Secret!
While Picard and his housekeepers, I guess that’s what they are, housekeepers, Laris and Zhaban, investigate Dahj’s death, Laris brings up the Zhat Vash, a super top secret Romulan organization. Even more top secret than the Tal Shiar, their own former organization and employer. Laris brings to light the fact that Romulans have zero artificial life within their own culture because of the fear and loathing they possess for any form of synthetic life, which could better explain the hunt these Romulan assassins were on for Dahj. Picard and Laris do discover Dahj’s twin is not on Earth and Picard makes a ghost in the machine comment, which makes me wonder what sort of duality we’ll see between her and her sister as the series moves forward, or what duality we’ll see between her and her supposed father, Data.
3. What’s going on with the Romulans?
Let’s head over to the Borg cube. Oh, wait. They call it the artifact. It seems the Romulans and Dahj’s sister, Soji, are there for what seems like archaeological purposes. But first, Soji sleeps with Victor Frankenstein, no, that’s a different series; here, he’s a mysterious Romulan she doesn’t really know yet. Soji heads to her day job at the Borg Artifact Research Institute, and we quickly see she is willing to help a new arrival survive her first day on the job. She and others are performing medical experiments on the Borg, who are, in reality, versions of artificial life forms, and are referred to as “the nameless” by the Romulans. But Soji, who unbeknownst to herself, is most likely an artificial life form to some extent, doesn’t like the impersonal nature of it all and tells her patient, after his last implant is removed, that he’s finally free. She’s empathetic, that’s for sure.
4. What’s happened to Starfleet?
Was there a time you could imagine an Admiral dressing down Picard? Was there a time you could imagine and Admiral calling Picard a crazy old man and telling him to go home? Was there a time you could imagine an Admiral telling Picard he was filled with “sheer fucking hubris?” No? Well, it’s finally happened. An argument over the morality of allowing an entire species to be destroyed ensues and Picard is sent packing without the ship and crew he requested. Foolishly, he did reveal his beliefs regarding the Zhat Vash operating on Earth, right under Starfleet’s noses, which is information the Admiral then passes up the chain of command to the Commodore, Commodore Oh. Is she a Vulcan or a Romulan in disguise? Well, it soon becomes clear that she’s not the only disguised Romulan involved in the upper echelons of Starfleet with wide-reaching power. Her lackey, Lt. Rizzo, who we soon find out is also a Romulan, disguised as a human, is deeply involved in this deception as well; so deep, in fact, her brother, Narek, is on the Borg cube, sorry Borg artifact, spying on Soji. He’s the guy she slept with. Looks like she’s making at least a few poor choices.
5. Random Thoughts
Will the Borg come to play a larger role in this series? They did play a large role in TNG; Locutus of Borg is an unforgettable character. There was that sign outside of the Borg Artifact Research Institute that stated there were over 5,000 days without an assimilation. I assume that sign is just begging to be updated. Will Beverly answer Jean-Luc’s call? So far, this is a Trek show that seems to want to appeal to a wider audience. Patrick Stewart is an actor that can do just that, and so far, it doesn’t seem as if a wide range of background knowledge is needed to get into the show. (This is for you, my non-Trek fan friends. You know who you are.) Also, I can’t leave without mentioning Jean-Luc’s sweaters. They’re great. Nice work costuming department.
