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Five Thoughts on Star Trek Picard‘s “The End is the Beginning”

By | February 8th, 2020
Posted in Television | % Comments

1. Intolerance and fear

This third episode of the series again travels back in time. Here we travel back 14 years to Starfleet Headquarters and see Jean-Luc and Raffi. They’re obviously close, as Raffi calls Jean-Luc, JL, which is almost too cute for the Captain we have come to know in Next Gen, but so be it; they must have worked very closely and grown to trust one another. We can assume that much through just one nickname. It seems like a nickname Patrick Stewart would be more open to than Jean-Luc Picard, the man that can’t quite tolerate children. But I already digress. This is where we see the former Admiral give Starfleet his ultimatum, it’s he or his plan to evacuate and save the Romulan people. He tells her Mars is burning, nobody is thinking, nobody is listening; they’re just reacting. As is what happens after a great tragedy – including an abundance of intolerance and fear. Now he’s out of a job. Sadly, Raffi doesn’t have the same choice. She’s found evidence of the Romulans having a hand in the synthetic attack, which doesn’t make sense to Picard, but now Raffi is facing losing her job, not the grace of resignation Picard was lucky enough to have.

2. The ravages of time

Picard has spent his time post-Starfleet living a comfortable life on Chateau Picard, among friends; Raffi, on the other hand, hasn’t been quite so lucky. In fact, when Picard shows up, at what she basically describes as her hovel, she tells him he has some goddamn nerve. Cursing on Star Trek! It must be bad. These are two people whose lives have diverged since we last saw them together 14 years ago. Raffi has been self-medicating while alone and is bitter Picard has made zero effort to contact her. In fact, I want to know why he’s made no effort to contact her. Picard wants a ship, a pilot, and a crew, and now he kind of seems like a bad friend that just shows up when he needs something from his former college and close buddy. Picard wants Raffi to join him. He needs her ability to see things others do not. She refuses. And I can’t say I blame her. Time has not treated her well, and neither has Picard.

3. Captain Rios

I like this guy. Is he a man of contrasts? Yes he is. That seems to be purposeful. Picard beams aboard Rios’ ship, the La Sirena, and is immediately met by the ship’s Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) rushing to attend his captain who has been stabbed directly in the shoulder. By the way, he’s smoking a cigar and drinking while the EMH is attending to him. What a bad ass. But wait, he’s also reading a book! And it’s no lightweight reading either, it’s The Tragic Sense of Life by Miguel de Unamuno, a text dealing with his philosophy that states because we all know we will die, life holds within itself an inherent tragic nature. Wow, Rios. I love a book tie-in to a TV episode. Just like LOST. Through a conversation with the ship’s Emergency Navigational Hologram (ENH), we find out Rios has never really gotten over the tragic death of his former Starfleet captain. And who can’t get attached to Picard?

4. Help me Rhonda

Soji is given the opportunity to visit a former Borg, or as they are called on the reclaimed Cube, the disordered. Her project director, Hugh, it’s always good to see Hugh, allows her to meet with one disordered in particular, Rhonda. Soji seems interested in rehabilitating these disordered through a shared mythical framework, and attempts to approach her conversation with Rhonda through this lens. But Rhonda “hates this word, mythology” and prefers the word, news. From here, Rhonda is no longer helping Soji in her work, and the former Borg tells her, “I know you.” She starts spewing information that might sound crazy, but we know is most likely relevant, “I remember you from tomorrow. Which one are you? Which sister are you? The one who dies or the one who lives? I know who you are. You are the destroyer.” If Soji is the destroyer, maybe there’s something the Romulans know after all.

Continued below

5. The other sister

The one who dies. This is the one Picard got to know. Dahj. She’s the one Picard, Laris, and Zhaban question the Zhat Vash operative about when he attacks the three of them at Chateau Picard. It does seem a little ridiculous that the three of them can defeat these assassins, but again, they’re the good guys. I love the way this scene is shot – the cut between Rhonda telling Soji she is the destroyer and the Zhat Vash operative telling Picard that the other sister, Soji, “She’s the end of all. She’s the destroyer.” Which obviously sounds ominous, but perhaps she’s the destroyer of all evil. A girl can hope, right?

I just have to point out that this episode ends with Picard’s crew assembled and ready to go, but they can’t until they hear his, engage. And then the TNG music kicks in. It’s wonderful. *tear*


//TAGS | Star Trek Picard

Liz Farrell

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