Picard Season Finale Review · 3:04pm Mar 27th, 2020
"Blue skies smiling at me..."
Throughout this whole season, I've seemingly learned one thing. This story isn't just Picard's story, it's Data's story. His epitaph. His legacy.
No episode emphasizes this better than the finale. We've learned and watched these characters grow, change and evolve and it's pretty sad to see them go, at least for a year and perhaps maybe more. But change is a good thing, and while this probably won't sound as inspirational as I hoped, change keeps us moving forwards.
We start with Picard and company fighting off Narek, aka the bastard boyfriend who just won't take a hint and stay down. We actually see Rios getting some pretty fancy moves out of La Sirena, mind you Narek's no slouch. He fakes his cloak being offline and projects his ship using his cloaking device. He then lunges from behind... just in time for Seven to show up in total command of the Artifact. For the first time, you'll be reacting with elation and relief when a Cube warps in, not horror. Of course, the Sirena and the Artifact are soon dragged down to the planetside, and the Artifact finally gives up the ghost. It's actually rather sobering. Normally, you'd see a Borg Cube being totally decimated as a good thing, but not here.
When we next see the insides, the remaining XBs are staggering about dazed and confused. It's... as I said, very sobering. Now, Synthville for lack of a better name is... interesting. It feels like paradise but as soon as you walk in you just know something's off. It's... just too perfect, really. Handsome men and women and a beautiful little villa and... yeah, you know something's going to go wrong. Now, it's in this episode we finally find out what's wrong with Picard. It's been hinted through the season that he's dying of... something, and we only now know what it is. Brain abnormality, though it loses a lot of its weight when you remember that yes, there is a second season coming.
Now, Altan Inigo Soong. Played by Brent Spiner, he's... odd. You can never really tell his motivations or who's side he's on. At first he's on the side of the Synths, then he's implied to have been secretly on Picard's side. Or maybe he just realizes he's in over his head. It's all kinda confusing really. Not really sure what to make of him. Now, he's making a golem in order to transfer brainwaves into. Yeah, I think you can see where this is going. Sure enough, Picard dies near the end of the finale and is back within 10 minutes inside a new body. It does give the sense that this entire thing was written in at the last moment just as everyone realized: "Hey, we can't kill off Picard just yet!"
Sure enough, everything goes wrong when a combination of Narek and the lead android in charge, Sutra misuse poor Saga to further their own plans. Picard and company find themselves betrayed, and Altan becomes the first person to stop a classic Picard speech in his tracks. Picard tries to reason with the Synths, sure, but... well, Altan rightfully points out that the Federation didn't listen to Picard before so why would they now?
Now, here's where I'm divided. This episode presents two opposing factors. One, it shows what the Romulans think of as Ragnarok is quite real and it is indeed the Synths being responsible. On the other hand, Picard points out the Synths are only children who need to learn via positive example and not via crazy hermits. Classic Star Trek, really. Makes you think.
So Picard shows them that positive example, as 218 Romulan Warbirds -in awesome new designs, I'll call them Deathbirds- and he and Agnes go to face them alone in the Sirena. Meanwhile, Narek and the rest of the cast go to destroy the beacon that summons doomsday. The plan on their part fails, but Picard earlier sent a signal out to Starfleet. Because of a comms block, it never gets through. However, a heartened plea to Soji and his battle with the Romulans convinces her to take the beacon and use it to send a signal to Starfleet instead.
Then, quite possibly the biggest collection of Starfleet vessels ever put to TV arrive, lead by... Acting Captain Will Riker of course, accompanied by a fantastic reprise of the TNG theme. What follows is... well, read for yourself.
Riker: Acting Captain Will Riker, in command of the U.S.S. Zheng He.
Oh: And ...?
Riker: And it is my duty to inform you that the United Federation of Planets has designated planet Ghulion IV in the Vayt sector under the protection of Starfleet, according to the terms of the Treaty of Algeron.
Oh: Too late. Our claim to this world takes precedence. Move aside.
Riker: Afraid not.
Picard: (recorded message) I have a priority request to open diplomatic negotiations and protection for the inhabitants of Ghulion IV.
Riker: General, or Commodore, or whatever you're calling yourself, right now, I'm on the bridge of the toughest, fastest, most powerful ship Starfleet has ever put into service, and I've got a fleet of them at my back. We've got our phasers locked on your warp cores. And nothing would make me happier than you giving me an excuse to kick your treacherous Tal Shiar ass. But instead, I'm going to ask you one time — to stand down.
Of course, this is where Picard's brain trauma kicks in and he's got barely enough time to beam down and say his final goodbyes. .......of course, you know this doesn't stick. Now, I want to talk about Elnor for a moment, yes he's a badass but he's a kid who quite possibly never got to really grow up. There's two scenes that really say it all. The first is in the Cube with Seven.
Elnor: Would the xBs be better off dead? Everyone hates them, they have no home. They don't belong anywhere.
Seven: Am I better off dead? I'm an xB, I have no home, I don't belong anywhere. Why don't I just put a phaser to my head and get it over with?
The other is when he breaks down crying at Picard's death like... well, a little kid and Raffi just moves in to comfort him like a mother. Now, of course, the greatest scene is left for last, and well, while I won't spoil it it does finally give us some long-awaited closure. Honestly, final thoughts? Great season. Started out slow, and had a few missteps but ended up with a great payoff. It is definitely worthy of the Star Trek and more importantly the Picard name.
"Knowing that you loved me... formed a small... but statistically significant part of my memories."
Okay but wtf happened to Narek? He kinda just..m disappeared.
and I'm not the only one who thought that the tentacle robots look like some transformer thing from a Michael bay movie, right?
5229836
I can only presume he got captured and arrested. As for the higher synths... yeah. Just yeah. Not sure what I was expecting, but not that.
5229841
I guess higher synths are into hentai? and the entire time I was telling at Narek REDEEM YOURSELF. RE. DEEM. YOUR. SELF.
5230095
No, Narek's too much of a scumbag. He's a bastard, simple as that. It was an alliance of convenience, nothing more.
5230096
I know but I was just praying for a miracle the entire time. Idk why my brain was like this.