It's honestly hard to believe that this season is part of the same show as the prior two, it's so much better in every way than the past 2 seasons it's insane.
That's because that STD kurtzman had nothing to do with this season. Sure, his name is mentioned as E.P. but he had absolutely nothing to do with this show. And if you search the net, you will not found him talking about season 3 at all. STD man is butthurt :p Just hoping his secret hideout will not be renewed after 2025 and Paramount puts anything Trek connected on a shelf before they fire him and break the agreement. Really don't want the woke Starfleet academy or section 31 to have anything to do with him
The second series had some redeeming moments. Evidently the writers had a crash course on star trek lore before writing it. It was evidently inspired by a host of classic episodes like Times Arrow, Futures End, Assignment Earth. They tried. A bit like with the second series of Discovery. They did try even if it didn't really work.
Shaw's life came full circle he never could get over he was one of the ones chosen to be on the escape pod while his friends/crewmates died at the metaphorical hands of the Borg. Now he went out saving his crewmates who got to live because he this time sacrificed himself fighting the Borg while they escaped.
If only he had an old style TNG phaser and set that to widebeam to hit multiple ex-crewmembers at once. If only technology hadn't devolved he may have lived.
Me too. 😔 But at least Shaw was able to go out a hero. Credit goes to writers for introducing new characters this seasons that worthy of the show and the fans' attention.
The nostalgia hit me hard when the space doors opened and I saw 1701-D. TNG was my introduction to Star Trek as a kid and that was my Enterprise. I was instantly transported back to my childhood when things were simpler. I am so glad that I got to have that big grin and happy tears as that gorgeous ship made her way out of space dock.
I loved it! TNG was also my introduction to Star Trek back in 1993 when I was 10 years old. I always hated it’s destruction in Generations so to see that ship rebuilt with these people on that bridge again made my heart so happy!
I hope that they're not bringing back the 'D' only to destroy or extremely severely damage it in the final episode - that would be a real slap in the face.
Which episode of TNG was it where they're in a different timeline, at war, and the aesthetic is all dark. When they get back to the correct timeline, it's all light again.
The metaphor of a mind virus, spread by technology, that only affects young people, and makes them susceptible to an authoritarian collective wasn't lost on me. It's the kind of social commentary that Star Trek was actually good at in all its incarnations until JJ Abrams came along.
@@rhekman ironic that it's not older people that are more vulnerable. We know their minds are certainly more feeble. The average fox news viewer is 80.
@@rhekman YUP. And it took a fathers love to save his son from the Groomer Queen and her internet cult, to pull him back before he did something he couldn’t come back from.
I like the tie-in with Picard hearing the Borg in First Contact. It kinda bothered me that Picard could hear them when he (presumably) should have had no ability to do so, due to his de-assimilation.
I thought that too, however in VOY, Seven still has a lot of her implants, probably because they can't all be removed (think: cortical node, etc). It kinda fits together I guess...
@@bfth121 I think it was a bit different (if you discount the obvious plot necessities) - Seven was assimilated as a child and was a Borg for 25 or so. In Picard's case, it was days - and he was a special case anyway. Plus it was before they thought of the Borg nanoprobes gimmick :)
I always thought it was because the Borg weren't limited to "three dimensional terms." In other words, Picard could perceive the Collective because he was once part of it. That gave him access to a connection that transcends our "three dimensional" understanding of how space and time work. They're sort of reaching thru spacetime with their communication systems. This is backed up in the movie itself with the "three dimensional" line I keep referencing and as far as I know there's nothing else mentioned in the movie itself that attempts to explain it, so I think that was probably the intention there. It seems to fit
There's no crying in Baseball. Granted, there are some that could get emotional about seeing the big D once again. For me it would be like getting to see General Lee run again or another example, watching Richard Childress drive the #3 car on to the track.
Who'd have thought a starship could make a grown man feel so emotional? I cheered when I saw that ship, but my goodness was I emotional when the bridge was powered up and we got to hear Majel Barrett's voice. It was beautiful. Kudos to Terry Matalas.
Nope, I'm with you there. Spent every episode squinting into the darkness hoping that someone will turn the lights on! I thought for a moment we were getting a dimly lit / haunted house (that's a great description 😂) Enterprise D bridge but thankfully request accepted, lights on full!
I was never a fan of the Galaxy class, but GOD DAMMIT!!, I had tears seeing the old girl. I had a strong feeling it would be the D in bay 12, but seeing her. . . . . . . DAMN! And yes, the borg have been over used and misused. . . But this use of the borg, they actually feel terrifying again. To assimilate from within. . . . WHERE IS ADMIRAL JANEWAY!!!
I am reliably informed that next weeks will have the first ever post credit sequence in Star Trek history. So, stick around after the episode finishes.
You hit on a possible salvation storyline for Jack. If he can resist the Borg queen in the final, as a transmitter he might be able to use the Borg ship to transmit to the other fleet drones to stand down. Only a theory, but we will see how it plays out. Who says that Jack is going to be under the control of the queen. He might have built up a resistance that Picard never had. Resistance in his case is not futile.
I was pleasantly surprised that Captain Shaw was able to die heroically. That is a surprise for Kurtzman Trek. It is also nice to see that Shaw and 7 of 9 resolve their conflict when he transfers command to her by referring to her as 7 of 9, not Commander Hansen. Matalas was also able to make "Android Picard" actually relevant. This also explains why Vadic killed Lieutenant T'veen. T'veen was too old to be "assimilated".
Shaw saying “The REAL Borg are still out there!” was the HUGE clue for me what this was all about. And then commenting about the transporters proves to me that he really was the divining rod for this season. I hope he comes back somehow.
@@CheriH-4321 Jurati is bad fanfiction, not canon. They're ignoring that garbage writing as much as possible and fixing what they can while working around what they can't.
I knew he was gonna die months ago. Every interview with the creators I saw when questions were asked about Shaw they shyd away from it. Also it was kind of predictable that he would die and how he would die. Finally dying with his ship and not being one of the chosen ones.
I cannot even express feelings, I have. To see some thing I thought was lost forever, again. I am grateful for this. It’s quite a relief after a decade of being disappointed and battered by the destruction of the things I loved. This brought a tear to to my eyes.
Isnt it mad how they overloaded the first 2 seasons with pointless feelings and all we the viewers felt was cringe and exasperation, and here they just did a great job at storytelling and oh the feels came back. Lol.
@@RoboticPope Be thankful there is an area down there for storage at all. That Spacedock was designed for Constitution and barely Excelsior classes for the main hold. She wouldnt fit in the main bay.
So good..... I am a 50 year old man and this episode has me choked up. I actually yelled out "Oh my God it's the ENTERPRISE" when they opened hangar bay 12. Mr. Matalas is pulling all the right heart strings.
@@michaelmcdermed700 Clearly @RedNekLvt22 is part vulcan. The goose bumps are real, seeing the old crew together on the Enterprise D is just fantastic, I was clapping the whole way through.
It'll be good to see Enterprise D in action again...I'll admit it brought a tear to my eye...this is what Picard should've been all along...thank tou Terry Matalas...you've made a long time trekkie happy...and thank you for posting this
They're being far too tryhard in trying to make them scary and evil. Like the music for them is so overbearing and much less eerie than what they played in TBOBW during the "We have engaged the Borg" scene in Part I. I am also sick of the fucking Queens. I really, really enjoyed the theory that it was Locutus itself that had someone became its own entity and was seeking some form of resurrection - Jack may have been it or his endgame for a new body, but, in meantime, it would occupy the original Picard body, which means we'd see Stewart as Picard squaring off against Stewart as a resurrected Locutus. None of the fucking Queens ever held a candle to Locutus when it came to having an intimidating individual Borg spokesperson. Picard vs. Locutus would have been new compared to another fucking over the top boring Queen as well as being much more entertaining and actually appropriate for a last hurrah for Picard as a character - in that he really is facing the most literal embodiment of his assimilation trauma there could be. Locutus fits that far more than a Queen.
I caught the Transporter stuff, but thought at first it was just them being used to off people and cause accidents. Then I noticed Vadik also didn't want to use the transporter. So I liked the outcome of the mystery.
I thinght Jack seeing that red vine transporter thing was just him seeing things but it was just him seeing their DNA being re-written. I really love what they did with Jack. I have a feeling he allowed himself to be assimilated to be able to destroy them from within. Also (last thought I promise) I found it weird that Picard and crew know Jerati is the queen so why is this even happening I’m so confused it’s like they are just ignoring all the stuff from the first two seasons which is fine cause this season didn’t even feel like it was part of the first two seasons they just totally reconned everything lol it’s so great tho!
@@DX2069 the thing is Jurati isn't the main borg queen, if you remember she became queen due to an alternate reality queen. There are two sets of borg now. I feel like Jurati will be the one who saves jack and it would be poetic if picards son becomes the borg king, and is able to fully control the main borg, essentially ending them once and for all. I feel like that's where it's heading.
@@jojoone1099 I thought so, but that may have been an alternate timeline by Q, or there's three due to the transwarp passage? Only a few know perhaps...lucky people.
@@CheriH-4321 Oh, right --- I think. I tell you, I've seen every ST and TV show (except most of Prodigy), but some of the things in Picard are confusing! 😄 Thanks for the explanation.
You know good and well by now, that she would NEVER be killed off before Shaw. I'd explain why, but the TH-cam overloads wouldn't like what I said. Read between the lines...
One of the greatest moments I have seen in recent, if not all of, Trek history. *Enterprise-D is ACTIVE in 2401.* Moon help me, I'm fangirling SO hard right now. I honestly wouldn't have expected this level of awesome. My *personal* thanks to Terry Matalas and co. of Star Trek Picard Season 3 for giving the TNG crew and us TNG fans this absolutely INCREDIBLE gift. You and your crew are to be commended and Star Trek Picard Season 3 serves as an example to all other franchises of how to appeal to your fanbase. THIS was just mind-blowing. And I loved how the TNG crew just went 100% BACK. TO. FORM. Picard said that "engage" without a hint of age. Just as he had done 20-30 years ago. Just amazing work to all involved. Immensely well done!!!👏
Really Sad that they killed Captain Shaw. (Which I thought was a real big possibly from start ). I thought that the Character good for a spin off series.
Shaw is one of the best new characters introduced in Picard and I think it was a little short sighted killing him off. I don't think they realised how popular he would be.
No one is really dead in science fiction. If they don’t resurrect him they’ll create a cloned twin brother. Remember Yogurt - “Spaceballs 2 The Search for more money!!”
The one major nitpick I have that really bothers me about this whole season is that it's utterly unbelievable that Starfleet would have the entire fleet congregate in Sector 001. All of their borders with other powers, all of the Starbases is that have ship detachments, all of their scientific missions, all of their long-range exploration missions. It's akin to making the central plot of a movie require that the entire US Navy moves every ship that we have everywhere in the globe and parks them all outside Washington DC for a 4th of July celebration. It's ridiculous and would never happen. And no, not even with key Admirals being imposters orchestrating it. Enough none changeling personnel, captains, other lower ranking admirals, would all immediately and loudly call that plan out as dangerous nonsense and put a stop to it.
Sadly, the utter stupidity of assembling the whole fleet in one place... and... having all the ships interconnected is totally believable.😂 I could see the "utopian visionists" of Earth and Starfleet doing something like this.
The best thing you noted was the strength in Picard's voice upon returning to the Captain's chair. Kirk told him to never let them take you out of it. We see why now. Other than Wesley popping up, I coupdn't be happier with this tribute.
That final scene with the Enterprise-D was the greatest feelgood moment I've had from a TV show or movie in a long, long time. After all fans have endured these past few years in seeing our beloved franchises (Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR etc.) being 'improved for modern audiences', i.e. mutilated and violated, this scene was emotional. And the contrast of the darkness that preceded it in prior episodes against the brightness of this classic bridge, the score, the crew together, and Majel Barrett's voice, really drove home the optimism and inspiration that was conveyed in TNG. I'm so excited to see them foil the Borg one final time in next week's episode, and giving fans and the crew the send-off they deserve. It's bittersweet saying goodbye, but I'm so very grateful to Terry Matalas for salvaging this series, and to all the TNG cast and crew for enriching my childhood and teens with such incredible stories throughout the late 80s and 90s-and now my mid-40s with this season. For me, season 3 of Picard is season 8 of TNG by another name, and I look forward to rewatching all the episodes again from season 1 onwards. When all is said and done, Kurtzman and co. can never take that away from me. And maybe, just maybe, we'll see Mr. Matalas given another opportunity to bring us some more quality Trek.
Probably the last moment as great as this was when the Enterprise-E showed up at the battle of sector 001 in First Contact! "Perhaps today is a good day to die. PREPARE FOR RAMMING SPEED" "Sir there's another star ship coming in. Its the Enterprise!" *queue heroic and timely entrance*
I wish i could watch it in IMAX. The proper send off for the TNG crew. And yes they truly deserved it. I am watching and rewatching the last 15 minutes over and over again. I just cant believe how this made me happy. Yes it was several decades and I lost hope many years ago. It was worth waiting though. This episode gave me much joy and hope for a better tomorrow. This is what star trek was envisioned for in the first place.
That was clever depth to the transporters, I assumed it was because the Changlings were using them to move operatives back and forth and capturing key personnel. Not that they were using it to install Borg Tech. BTW, the ending was heartfelt. But the Enterprise-D saucer being recovered was spoiled a while ago, the twist was her being fully restored. Had to replay that scene dozens of times.
Good catch by Cullen - Geordi should have said that he retrieved the STAR DRIVE and Engines from the USS Syracuse instead of him just saying the engines and nacelles. The Nacelles would have been part of the Star Drive, right?
Having Vadic's crewman be confirmed to be new Jem'hadar or something would've been cool too. Would explain why sometimes they opt for hand to hand combat, why Vadic just kills them (not wanting to harm changelings) and why they dress that way. I wish they'd dropped a throw away sign or scene to show that
@@dawnpalacios8312 Nothing to "her", but Picard wasn't exactly a spring chicken even when they first met. Then again, Kirk (miraculously) only had one son himself, so Picard could have been Casanova and having kids wasn't guaranteed.
The line about the carpet was funny to me as I always thought carpeting was silly. How do you keep it clean. We need a mudroom to take off boots and walk around in booties.
Hearing Majel Barrett again is the part that got me. She would have been horrified with what they've done to Trek. That said, this last season of Picard has been good.
Shaw at least died a hero and the Ent-D reveal till the end made me geek out with glee. Writing was handled with care and seeing the young Titan Bridge crew getting assimilated explained why Jack eliminated them in his vision earlier in the Season. Bring on the finale!
It's a long shot... But I hope Janeway shows up in the last episode to finish what she started with the Borg. She's invested in the plot given her history with them. Plus her ship is just sitting there. 7 of 9 and her could arrive in voyager to aid the enterprise. I can dream!
@@icarusandtherabbit Wouldn't it be the perfect fan service if the crew of voyager blasted in when they're needed most? Everything looks dire for the enterprise, Janeway drops out of maximum warp with a thud, the same way the titan did in the earlier episode with the crushers ship. Your information regarding Tim Russ is interesting as well. Janeway is a highly intelligent character, I'd imagine she would have the capacity to realise something was off with one of her closest friends and be on her own off screen quest. I really, really hope we get her in the last episode!
@Honk Honkler haha, plus all of the high quality CQI they've put together. But then again, I feel that they know they needed to pull something out if the bag.. ten minutes of screen time.. hell, I'd take 2 minutes! I'd hope they could stretch to that!
The bit of Majel Barrett's computer voice was taken directly from the episode "Chain Of Command" part 2 when Captain Jellico returns command of the Enterprise back to Captain Picard.
@@anthonylogiudice9215 She had her voice phonetically recorded and encoded in detail before she passed. I've never heard of it ever being used, though.
The article: "The late Majel Barrett might still voice the computer on Star Trek: Discovery". We all now know how the cheapskates and bumblers at Secret Hideout had this end up.
I was starting to suspect it was the Borg earlier in the season. The voice whispering the line "connect us" started to point me in that direction and the hints sprinkled in after that seemed to confirm my suspision. So as you can imagine, I was very happy with the reveal, and soo pleased with myself I nearly dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back😁
Friggin Borg. It's always the Borg... I was meh on that reveal, but the rest of the episode did a good job of winning me back once more. Jean-Luc and Beverly have emotionally resonant responses to the news, Picard and Jack have an emotionally plausible and well acted conversation, and then, once the conspiracy kicks into high gear, the complexity and subterfuge that went into it make a lot of sense in story and is complicated enough to be a believable way that galactic powers would try to win an advantage. So basically, finally a story that turns out to make emotional and tactical sense! I'm delighted!
I cried like a baby when the Enterprise D was revealed. I did not see that coming. Terry Matalas, thank you for one of the best seasons of Star Trek ever and thank you for including aspects of DS9, which has always been shamefully ignored.
“No ones heard from the Borg in over a decade” last season the Borg tried to join the Federation and stopped half the quadrant from being destroyed. But yeah, no one has seen the Borg in over a decade.
They made a point of showing the borg queen from the back, but looking at the silhouette, I can't help but think that the new queen is actually future Janeway from Endgame
Honestly I've been judging this season as if it were the proper Season 1 of ST Picard and it is a really good light to view it under. Matalas can't be blamed for the trashfire that came before, his first entry is a solid first season so far. It also felt very self aware when the bridge lighting on the Enterprise lingered on Generations dark before going full 90s TV bright. I had time to be mad it was dark then bang, right in the feels
Dave - did you notice the angle of the Ent-D at the end, before it went into warp? The whole scene is reminiscent of the painting from PIcard's Ready Room. A BIG nod from Terry for that one!!
@@JuricksEnterprise - I knew it was coming before the show started. I thought they would have a leisurely stroll around it or it would be used in a flashback or holo deck. Then I heard about Hangar 12 and thought 'no way - are they taking this into action'. I dared not dream. And then I sort of thought it was inevitable. And nothing can prepare you for that scene. It was glorious.
So let me get this straight: in the 2(?) days that Picard was Loctus, the Borg had the foresight that they would lose Picard back to the Federation so quickly and so surely so they should implant this organic code in him pronto in order for Picard to continue as Picard and facilitate the assimilation of Starfleet decades later? Not to mention the Borg were betting on already older Picard having a kid to pass on this organic genetic code (in his Borg-ified sperm no less) to his offspring who would help in the assimilation of Starfleet? This is some next level ret-conning if I ever saw it!
Why are you assuming that this was some sort of master plan? The borg assimilated Picard. They failed in that attempt. But Picard having a kid gave them another shot. The borg don’t give up. Remember what Q said about them: they are relentless.
It's utterly dumb. Borg should have been left alone before first contact. They're terrible now The queen ruined the borg, the antagonist in first contact should have been someone who was working to help their plan for some reason. They're scary as a hive mind, with a leader they're not as cool
I don't think that's it. From the technobabble I gathered more that they changed Picard's DNA to become Locutus; so he was unique, not just assimilated like any other drone. This just happened to have a side effect of him still 'receiving' because they left a sort of organic tech behind. This was passed on to Jack. I didn't get the impression it was planned, more that it was an accident and once the Borg discovered Jacks existence, wanted to utilise it.
Now, finally, after all this time and misery the last few scenes felt like we really returned home, like we finally got our treck BACK and in style. I dont remember when I rewatched few scenes from the show, over, and over, and over again so many times. This felt like real treck, the one we missed and loved.
I just watched episodes 8 and 9 and you nailed the review. TNG being my all time favorite Trek series, I felt all the emotions you did. But the thing that kept hitting me most from these episided were the parallels to what the real world is going through now. A human Borg mind is infecting millions and I'm praying that resistance will not be futile. As with the error of tying all of Starfleet together, I pray it is the case that a mass centralization of earthly power is doomed to fail. Freedom is messy but boy is it beautiful.
Thank you for your review of this episode ! I would say the only issue that I did have with this fantastic episode was how Jack felt so betrayed by Picard ! Picard kept telling him I've got your back I've got your back and then when Jack finally needed Picard to have his back he turned away !
It seemed a bit dumb, but I am choosing to believe that his subconscious was forcing him to do that I mean, taking a shuttle and beaming aboard a hive to kill a queen single handed? Really?
This is like Luke returning in the Mandalorian, I think. That last five minutes did it for me. All 3 seasons of Picard are worth it for those 5 minutes.
Yea, it's exactly like the final ep of season 2 of the Mandalorian with the grand return of the real Luke Skywalker, but as we know, all of that achievement and the fans praise and return was thrown to the garbage bin by Kathleen Kennedy in Bobba Fett and in the current season of the Mandalorian. Kathleen wants him gone not only from the current shows, but to remove all of his character's future canonical achievements in both of the upcoming movies. Kathleen has literally decided to give Luke's achievements to both Ahsoka and Rey making him completely irrelevant in the overall timeline that goes beyond the original trilogy. KK hates his character and what George created. Let's hope we won't get a similar result with Star Trek in whatever the network plans for the future of the franchise.
I had tons of issues with this episode. For me, barring the Moneyshot-D (and awesome joke about E), there was a lot of Picard Seasons 1 and 2 here. Troi instantly abandons Picard’s son at his most vulnerable therapeutic moment! Picard himself betrays his son, alienating him for no reason but the telegraphed meeting with the villains! Admiral Shelby is apparently an idiot! And Beverly does nothing! No one is acting like themselves here. Even the Shapeshifter stuff just gets tagged out for the new villains, never appearing even once. It’s frustrating, and the only real saving grace this week is the memberberries.
I know, I know, there are problems and I saw two of them as clear as you, but the memberberries were so tasty and numerous and the ideas they had teased all seasons were revealed and tied together it was a major win for me. If the previous seasons were half as well done as this...
You forgot to mention just how jarring it is to hear Seven refer to a sentient life form as 'the robot'. Meanwhile we have Picard in a similar android body and that's no big deal, business as usual.
The Borg Queen told them that God or Bog or Kurtzman would retcon the screw into something dark and edgy in season 4. Oh, there's only 3 seasons of Picard? What a twist!
You have got to love how Matalas didn't lie (He literally did a Spock) when he said that the real Borg where probably somewhere in hiding licking their wounds after Voyager. On Twitter when everyone kept badgering him for plotspoilers.. :D Btw.. that reveal at the end... Brought a tear to me eye...
It's been a while since I watched Voyager, but as far as I recall, Janeway pretty much killed off the Borg. They werent licking their wounds, they were gone. Hack, lazy writing.
@@shogunofharlem8240 Not really. The old Admiral Janeway states that the infection will be just enough to bring a bit of chaos to order. But it will not be enough to kill of the borg completely.
@@DX2069 Do they? I didn't feel that way. My one big criticism is probably that the Borg agreed to work with the changelings in the first place. Seems odd.. That the queen could have had a long term plan after sensing that Locutus had a child is not in my mind impossible. Just weird.. But yes, some more exposition would be welcome.. (And i assume that we'll get most of it)
I really did not want it to be the Borg... again. However after seeing this episode I'm very happy with the way things went. At least it's the cool Borg and they're threatening and scary again. And when they turned on the Enterprise-D bridge lights I thought, "Finally." Great episode, this is all really being done masterfully well.
I suspect, had Terry Matalas had control of all 3 seasons, they wouldn't have used the Borg in season 1 and 2. That said, I think they way they have brought them back is fresh and threatening - and clever.
I just am beside myself at the ending, I must have watched it over and over again now 10 times at least, and I’ve been like a giddy little child every single time. This is like a waking dream-I mean, I think I’ve actually had vivid dreams about the Enterprise D coming back in Star Trek, or a “new” season with the ship again, and now it’s real! It never got a proper send off; it’s destruction in Generations was a cheap waste. And to think that it will be facing off against the Borg again…this is beyond my wildest imagination!!! Thank you Terry!!!!!!!!
This episode did the one thing every episode of Picard failed at so far. It felt like the STAR TREK I remember growing up watching TNG. Thank you to all involved. You have no idea how much I needed this episode right now.
I don't know if you'll see this comment, but the linked ships and the fact they are using an older "analog ship" to evade it had such Battlestar Galactica vibes to it. Especially considering that the borg are somewhat Psylon like.
The last few seconds were amazing. Picards voice is back baby engage! How amazing! Hearing the computer with majel again my goodness chefs kiss. The bridge is restored to tng more than generations what a touch .remember generations had extra stations like yesterday’s enterprise but they did it right. So good ! Only thing I noticed on the bridge was the trim around the chairs but it’s ok lol we’re happy. Amazing set build. What you guys think, this set sticking around for more missions?
Great episode recap! I agree the writing/photography/music of this episode was epic. Also, we finally got to hear Picard say his other famous line: “Make it so.” #feelsandchills
"Jack, You're the weapon the Borg are after" "Ok, I'm going to the Borg now, Goodbye!" Everyone else: "Should we stop him?" "Yes lets do tha.... oh he's gone"
Personally, I love how some of the grifters who tried to talk shit about this season of Picard after the first episode have all, to a one, been completely silent for the rest of the episodes. That's how I know they're grifters. They won't admit they're wrong. They're just here to preach to the converted. You, Critical Drinker, and others have kept an open mind, and that's appreciated. Terry Matalas has restored my faith in Star Trek.
It would’ve been hilarious when they open the hangar bay, they first saw the Battlestar Galactica and then the crew looks to the right…with the lights illuminating the beautiful enterprise D and Jordy says “that one”
The day before this episode premiered I was having a discussion with someone about how in the very long history of Star Trek I thought it was strange at how little the transporters have been weaponized for the many horrific and nefarious possibilities that they could use be used for. Talk about timing...
This was the best episode of the season so far. Shelby coming back was nice and I loved Riker pointing out the irony of Starfleet’s Borg expert ok with a Borg concept. Very BSG with the fleet integration and it being used for nefarious purposes by an enemy no one had seen in a long time. Loved Alice Krige back as the Borg queen. Loved Majel Barret back (in a sense) as the Enterprise D computer. Loved seeing the Enterprise F. I loved seeing the Enterprise D back. I teared up something fierce seeing her again. It wasn’t a flashback or a holoprogram. It was the real deal. The Enterprise D is my favorite iteration of Enterprise. So beautiful and graceful. I can’t wait to see her in action on more time. I was sad to see Captain Shaw killed off. Like T’Veen I was really liking Shaw and hated seeing him taken out.
I was going with the Pagh-Wraiths theory (although I had no idea how it would tie in with Picard's body) but I am glad I was so wrong. This concept is pretty scary and raised the stakes. Very good job .
@@shogunofharlem8240 Yeah, I think I've sort of tried to purge the first 2 seasons from memory, but didn't they just use the Borg as the major threat in season 2, which ended with the 'birth' of a kinder/gentler Borg? Although beyond creating a BRAND NEW adversary, I guess the Federation just doesn't have any other enemy that represents a serious threat... The Romulans have been 'defanged', which really only leaves 'The Founders' or 'The Borg', and this season they used BOTH!
@@shogunofharlem8240 What does the fact that villain is Borg again have to do with risen stakes? What, just because it's a Borg again the idea of taking minds of whole Starfleet young generation isn't threatning in a large scheme of things ? I would also prefer something different but what they did isn't bad.
The Pagh-Wraith theory had me watching every episode featuring the Pagh-Wraith on DS9 that I could find mentioned on Memory Alpha. I would have bought it.
The funniest part of this episode is when the fleet flies by, and the Ross Class star ship had his nacelles not rendered and the bussard collectors are the only thing vissible parts of the nacelles
I'm not surprised that the Worf joke didn't land for you, considering last week you seemed to think Troi was fearing for her life and subsequently forced to have sex with a changeling and eat his awful pizza 🤣😂🤣 Anyway, another awesome breakdown sir.
LOL. Yep, Dave seems to have an issue with picking up on things that are inferred. He says he'd like to know more about what happens to the Enterprise-E. Clearly, by inference alone, we can deduce that it was destroyed while under Worf's command. That's all you really need to know. What does he want an entire history lesson of the Enterprise-E?
Many people don't realize that the fate of the Enterprise E is supposed to be ambiguous. This maguffin stretches all the way back to STO. There are many theories, but no one knows for sure. That's the point.
I'm sorry, but killing off Shaw was totally unnecessary, and I imagine it will not go well with the public, who have come to embrace this character!!!! He could have stayed on the Titan, refusing to abandon ship, and he, Rafi and Seven could be fighting side by side to rescue the Titan!!!! Don't like how they handled this at all!!!!!!!!!!🤬😠😡
His character came full circle. Staying back and fighting the borg while others got to board the shuttle. It was a fitting end for him after what happened at wolf 359
@@notajull5193 I disagree Nota, of course, we haven't seen episode 10 so we can't be sure what will happen, but if it is going in the direction that I think it is going I'm sure they could have kept him alive!!!
I certainly found it unfortunate, as I was really enjoying not liking Shaw (the character, Stashwick did a great job here). Great character...he was a jerk, but very human and relatable too. A nice non-antagonist foil to your typical hero/leader. I'll miss Shaw.
Within the first few minutes when Jack said “connection” I was like “NO! PLEASE GOD NO! NOOOOOOOOOO!” And then they revealed the cube. 🤦🏽♂️ Again with the fucking Borg. This show just careened off the road and plowed right into a tree.
My eyes were all watery. Damn it. Couldn't fight it. They did her right, gave her her own Enterprise-A "My friends, we're home"-moment. She is family. I thank you dearly, Matalas. And props for the Trekyards-shoutout :D
I'm a huge, life long Trek fan since 1993 age 13....I think this might be the greatest episode of trek ever, as a love letter to TNG fans....I was crying hysterically during the whole end reunion on the D bridge.....so incredible and well written!
Yes this two parter will definitely be up there, probably the best. Best of Both Worlds - part one was astonishing. But Part 2 doesn't really maintain the momentum. All Good Things though - tough to beat.
So....McCoy was correct to not trust the transporters after all.
Also, Pulasky
24th Century Xerox machine.
anti-transporters were considered crazy conspiracists at the time, time proved them right
First thing I thought of lol
Yes! I'm sure everyone had that exact same thought when it came up.
It's honestly hard to believe that this season is part of the same show as the prior two, it's so much better in every way than the past 2 seasons it's insane.
That's because that STD kurtzman had nothing to do with this season. Sure, his name is mentioned as E.P. but he had absolutely nothing to do with this show. And if you search the net, you will not found him talking about season 3 at all. STD man is butthurt :p Just hoping his secret hideout will not be renewed after 2025 and Paramount puts anything Trek connected on a shelf before they fire him and break the agreement. Really don't want the woke Starfleet academy or section 31 to have anything to do with him
The second series had some redeeming moments. Evidently the writers had a crash course on star trek lore before writing it. It was evidently inspired by a host of classic episodes like Times Arrow, Futures End, Assignment Earth. They tried. A bit like with the second series of Discovery. They did try even if it didn't really work.
Right? This totally felt like a Next Generation episode.
Fuck Kurtzman with a quantum torpedo! THIS is real Star Trek!!!
The first two seasons don't count. Otherwise you can't watch season three.
Amazing what happens when you get a show runner that actually knows what they're doing..
Shaw's life came full circle he never could get over he was one of the ones chosen to be on the escape pod while his friends/crewmates died at the metaphorical hands of the Borg. Now he went out saving his crewmates who got to live because he this time sacrificed himself fighting the Borg while they escaped.
i was pretty angry at his death until i read this, rip shaw!!
If only he had an old style TNG phaser and set that to widebeam to hit multiple ex-crewmembers at once. If only technology hadn't devolved he may have lived.
@@NephritduGrey I don’t think he had time in the heat of the moment xD
I didn't figure that out, until you just said it. 😢 Revenge of Survivor's guilt. That was poetic.
Death of paz vizsla and then shaw. I wasn't ready for either. 😢😮
Absolutely devastated about Shaw. A show about his command of the Titan as a follow-up would have been amazing.
Me too. 😔 But at least Shaw was able to go out a hero. Credit goes to writers for introducing new characters this seasons that worthy of the show and the fans' attention.
I agree, Captain Shaw is easily the best new character created during the new Trek era.
They had to get the man out of the way for that Girl Power™
We're talking about modern day Star Trek... no one's really ever gone
@@HellsCaretaker true. Possible that Shaw gets an Android body or gets injected with Kahn superblood.
I loved that Jack inherited his telepathic powers from his father, Professor Xavier. Why has NO ONE made that connection??
The nostalgia hit me hard when the space doors opened and I saw 1701-D. TNG was my introduction to Star Trek as a kid and that was my Enterprise. I was instantly transported back to my childhood when things were simpler. I am so glad that I got to have that big grin and happy tears as that gorgeous ship made her way out of space dock.
I was cringing
I loved it! TNG was also my introduction to Star Trek back in 1993 when I was 10 years old. I always hated it’s destruction in Generations so to see that ship rebuilt with these people on that bridge again made my heart so happy!
Used to watch TNG with my dad when I was a kid, and he would've LOVED this scene if he was still here.
I hope that they're not bringing back the 'D' only to destroy or extremely severely damage it in the final episode - that would be a real slap in the face.
I remember exactly where I was when I first saw enterprise D around 1995.
I love how they finally brightened the lighting when they entered the Enterprise D. Nostaligic and tear jerking for me.
Btw..... is that Bytor as in Bytor and the Snow Dogs?
Epic stuff
@@davidlutz2242 Always happy to meet a fellow Rush fan!
I had a few tears of joy myself.
Which episode of TNG was it where they're in a different timeline, at war, and the aesthetic is all dark. When they get back to the correct timeline, it's all light again.
@@robbie_ That was one of my all time favorites: "Yesterday's Enterprise".
Shaw's final thoughts:
-"Better wetworked than networked."
-"Better morgue than Borg."
It's a Chicago thing
I do like the consistency that Jack was only able to control the younger crew members in the previous episodes.
The metaphor of a mind virus, spread by technology, that only affects young people, and makes them susceptible to an authoritarian collective wasn't lost on me. It's the kind of social commentary that Star Trek was actually good at in all its incarnations until JJ Abrams came along.
The Zoomers v The Boomers
@@rhekman ironic that it's not older people that are more vulnerable. We know their minds are certainly more feeble. The average fox news viewer is 80.
@Reid H I was thinking the exact same thing 😄 I was almost expecting Picard to say, 'let's teach these zoomers a lesson, engage!'
@@rhekman YUP. And it took a fathers love to save his son from the Groomer Queen and her internet cult, to pull him back before he did something he couldn’t come back from.
I’ve never trusted Kurtzman. And I never will. I can never forgive them. For the death of my Shaw.
Kurtzman wasn't the showrunner here, he had nothing to do with the death of Shaw.
Great job borrowing a quote from Star Trek VI
Nobody really dies in science fiction
I like the tie-in with Picard hearing the Borg in First Contact. It kinda bothered me that Picard could hear them when he (presumably) should have had no ability to do so, due to his de-assimilation.
I thought that too, however in VOY, Seven still has a lot of her implants, probably because they can't all be removed (think: cortical node, etc). It kinda fits together I guess...
@@bfth121 I think it was a bit different (if you discount the obvious plot necessities) - Seven was assimilated as a child and was a Borg for 25 or so. In Picard's case, it was days - and he was a special case anyway. Plus it was before they thought of the Borg nanoprobes gimmick :)
I always thought it was because the Borg weren't limited to "three dimensional terms." In other words, Picard could perceive the Collective because he was once part of it. That gave him access to a connection that transcends our "three dimensional" understanding of how space and time work. They're sort of reaching thru spacetime with their communication systems. This is backed up in the movie itself with the "three dimensional" line I keep referencing and as far as I know there's nothing else mentioned in the movie itself that attempts to explain it, so I think that was probably the intention there. It seems to fit
Actually they covered this and Picard states he still has some of their implants in his body
@@hezekiahramirez6965 it makes somewhat better sense since the Queen was grooming Locutus as her counterpart.
Me: "A grown man can't cry at a TV show"
Enterprise D: "Oh really?"
same here 😂
@@BladeRunner61661 I was expecting the Enterprise E, which made this all the sweeter even though I love that ship too
There's no crying in Baseball. Granted, there are some that could get emotional about seeing the big D once again. For me it would be like getting to see General Lee run again or another example, watching Richard Childress drive the #3 car on to the track.
Who'd have thought a starship could make a grown man feel so emotional? I cheered when I saw that ship, but my goodness was I emotional when the bridge was powered up and we got to hear Majel Barrett's voice. It was beautiful. Kudos to Terry Matalas.
It's enough to make a grown man cry, and that's ok
Is it just me that is happy about being on a starship bridge that isn't lit like a haunted house? Actually surprised Dave didn't give that a mention
And of course The Carpet
Nope, I'm with you there. Spent every episode squinting into the darkness hoping that someone will turn the lights on! I thought for a moment we were getting a dimly lit / haunted house (that's a great description 😂) Enterprise D bridge but thankfully request accepted, lights on full!
so satisfying to hear Picard's voice with power again as he orders to engage. thank you so much, Mr. Stewart!
I'm pretty sure that was an over dub from earlier TNG , it was so perfect and powerful lol
I was never a fan of the Galaxy class, but GOD DAMMIT!!, I had tears seeing the old girl. I had a strong feeling it would be the D in bay 12, but seeing her. . . . . . . DAMN! And yes, the borg have been over used and misused. . . But this use of the borg, they actually feel terrifying again. To assimilate from within. . . . WHERE IS ADMIRAL JANEWAY!!!
Def. older than 25, so had a target on her back from everyone ranked lower than Lt. Commander.
The Queen would want a special punishment for Janeway.
I also doubt she would kill 7 since she is one of her favorites.
Let's be honest here Kate mulgrew doesn't look anything like Janeway anymore
That was my question where THE FUCK IS JANEWAY or i like to call her queen who bitch slap the Borg
@@vismortiswhat if Janeway is the new Queen?
I hope we get a 2-hour finale next week. A 45-min episode feels too short.
I was thinking the same thing.
I am already predicting what might happen in last episode, and Jack may be a key element as a transmitter to other drones.
I agree
@@adrianvanleeuwen yep he’s a ‘sender’ so will switch off the drones / collective.
I am reliably informed that next weeks will have the first ever post credit sequence in Star Trek history. So, stick around after the episode finishes.
Wow! Jack doesn't have telepathy, he is simply controlling sleeper Borg drones.
One could say he is assuming Direct Control.
@@NephritduGrey I see what you did there Shepard :)
You hit on a possible salvation storyline for Jack. If he can resist the Borg queen in the final, as a transmitter he might be able to use the Borg ship to transmit to the other fleet drones to stand down. Only a theory, but we will see how it plays out. Who says that Jack is going to be under the control of the queen. He might have built up a resistance that Picard never had. Resistance in his case is not futile.
@@adrianvanleeuwen
If Jack somehow overcomes assimilation, the show loses all credibility with mem
@@adrianvanleeuwen It is most likely the only way to save the Day. Only jack can probably reverse the assimilation process.
Can't wait to see what Rich Evans and Mike Stoklasa have to say about this episode. It's a shame they let kurtzman waste 2 of the 3 seasons of picard.
"It's a shame they let Kurtzman waste ____." You can fill in the blank there with just about anything.
@@PRLYago I don't like how Kurtzman has handled Star Trek either but don't say things like that. Not cool.
Don't forget the Patrick Stewart responsabilty
They're going to hate the Borg coming back.
It's awful.
What was going on with the changelings was interesting, Borg are done
Right?! Imagine if THIS was actually season 1...
I was pleasantly surprised that Captain Shaw was able to die heroically. That is a surprise for Kurtzman Trek. It is also nice to see that Shaw and 7 of 9 resolve their conflict when he transfers command to her by referring to her as 7 of 9, not Commander Hansen. Matalas was also able to make "Android Picard" actually relevant.
This also explains why Vadic killed Lieutenant T'veen. T'veen was too old to be "assimilated".
That's because this isn't Kurtzman Trek, this is Terry Matalas Trek.
@@chipwallaceartdefinitely! We wouldn’t have had this under Kurtzman. That guy has got to go.
They just needed to make sure every boss was a girl boss except for Picard.
Do you think Terry was using the plot line of only the young being assimilated, as a metaphor for our current situation of youth indoctrination?
Or you could take it as a snide remark when he called her 7 of 9. Basically well the ship is yours...borg.
Shaw saying “The REAL Borg are still out there!” was the HUGE clue for me what this was all about. And then commenting about the transporters proves to me that he really was the divining rod for this season. I hope he comes back somehow.
He was a great character, I hope he isn’t dead.
Why not? EVERYONE ELSE DOES I GUESS. Ugh. I'm fine with SOME resurrections, it's sci-fi, but REALLY? "Oh, he'll be back in a season or two." UGH.
Will it be Jurati v. Classic Queen?
I hope he doesn't, he was good but let's actually let people die.
@@CheriH-4321 Jurati is bad fanfiction, not canon. They're ignoring that garbage writing as much as possible and fixing what they can while working around what they can't.
The only thing missing from episode 9 was Picard telling Wesley to shut up on the bridge of the D.
They should have found a way to bring back Tasha
When Picard sits in the center seat again he does the Picard maneuver with his shirt. I admit I chuckled at that.
I didn't pick up on that! I'll go rewatch it again now! 🙏🏽🔥🙂
He didn't miss a step, did he? So wonderful to see that scene!
Glad someone else caught that. I actually cheered lol
I didn’t catch that! And here I’m thinking Stewart probably bristled at being on that set again playing the same character the same way.
You caught that, too?
I will be honest Shaw really grew on me. I was hoping to see him in another series.
Maybe he has a twin brother in Starfleet. ;)
Ahhh, but the beauty of Borg nanoprobes from Seven....
@lolno that would be a different shaw the more ahole version, reason he grows on people is that he as changed.
He's really not dead...as long as we remember him.
I knew he was gonna die months ago. Every interview with the creators I saw when questions were asked about Shaw they shyd away from it. Also it was kind of predictable that he would die and how he would die. Finally dying with his ship and not being one of the chosen ones.
I cannot even express feelings, I have. To see some thing I thought was lost forever, again. I am grateful for this. It’s quite a relief after a decade of being disappointed and battered by the destruction of the things I loved.
This brought a tear to to my eyes.
Isnt it mad how they overloaded the first 2 seasons with pointless feelings and all we the viewers felt was cringe and exasperation, and here they just did a great job at storytelling and oh the feels came back. Lol.
the way the D left the museum...the visuals...the music...epic
That's PROPER Trek.
Not to mention the damned awesome LIGHTS on the bridge so you can SEE everything and NOT trip over their own feet.
Could have done with a bit more clearance going through the hanger door. Underside almost scraped along.
@@RoboticPope Be thankful there is an area down there for storage at all. That Spacedock was designed for Constitution and barely Excelsior classes for the main hold. She wouldnt fit in the main bay.
So good..... I am a 50 year old man and this episode has me choked up. I actually yelled out "Oh my God it's the ENTERPRISE" when they opened hangar bay 12.
Mr. Matalas is pulling all the right heart strings.
They could have gone with the Enterprise E being restored by Laforge. Glad it was the D instead!!!
@@RedNekLvr22 lol you seem bitter. I hope one day you can let go whatever it is you’re still carrying.
@@michaelmcdermed700 Clearly @RedNekLvt22 is part vulcan. The goose bumps are real, seeing the old crew together on the Enterprise D is just fantastic, I was clapping the whole way through.
yes, seeing em on the bridge together, Riker saying we're your family, and then Picard saying Engage. Man I miss the Enterprise D, she's such a beaut!
Yep. Same age, too.
"The Borg, as a threat, just lack the intensity, menace and fear factor they once had."
The Daleks: "Tell me about it."
It'll be good to see Enterprise D in action again...I'll admit it brought a tear to my eye...this is what Picard should've been all along...thank tou Terry Matalas...you've made a long time trekkie happy...and thank you for posting this
Whether it's the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Cylons, the list goes on and on
They're being far too tryhard in trying to make them scary and evil. Like the music for them is so overbearing and much less eerie than what they played in TBOBW during the "We have engaged the Borg" scene in Part I. I am also sick of the fucking Queens. I really, really enjoyed the theory that it was Locutus itself that had someone became its own entity and was seeking some form of resurrection - Jack may have been it or his endgame for a new body, but, in meantime, it would occupy the original Picard body, which means we'd see Stewart as Picard squaring off against Stewart as a resurrected Locutus. None of the fucking Queens ever held a candle to Locutus when it came to having an intimidating individual Borg spokesperson.
Picard vs. Locutus would have been new compared to another fucking over the top boring Queen as well as being much more entertaining and actually appropriate for a last hurrah for Picard as a character - in that he really is facing the most literal embodiment of his assimilation trauma there could be. Locutus fits that far more than a Queen.
I think part of the problem is that for them to truly be scary they'd have to always win, and if they did that there would be no show.
Horse beaten to death - but no, just put lipstick on it.
The VOY episode "Dark Frontier" also establishes that the Borg were considering a biogenic weapon to assimilate humanity with.
It also explains why the Borg didn't send more cubes to Earth... They didn't need to.
This season has been TOO GOOD so far. I REALLY loved the ending. The only complaint I have is that there's only 1 more episode of this masterpiece.
I caught the Transporter stuff, but thought at first it was just them being used to off people and cause accidents. Then I noticed Vadik also didn't want to use the transporter. So I liked the outcome of the mystery.
I thinght Jack seeing that red vine transporter thing was just him seeing things but it was just him seeing their DNA being re-written. I really love what they did with Jack. I have a feeling he allowed himself to be assimilated to be able to destroy them from within. Also (last thought I promise) I found it weird that Picard and crew know Jerati is the queen so why is this even happening I’m so confused it’s like they are just ignoring all the stuff from the first two seasons which is fine cause this season didn’t even feel like it was part of the first two seasons they just totally reconned everything lol it’s so great tho!
@@DX2069 the thing is Jurati isn't the main borg queen, if you remember she became queen due to an alternate reality queen. There are two sets of borg now. I feel like Jurati will be the one who saves jack and it would be poetic if picards son becomes the borg king, and is able to fully control the main borg, essentially ending them once and for all. I feel like that's where it's heading.
@@SimonsBand1
Didn't they kill the borg queen in season 2?
@@jojoone1099 I thought so, but that may have been an alternate timeline by Q, or there's three due to the transwarp passage? Only a few know perhaps...lucky people.
@@CheriH-4321
Oh, right --- I think. I tell you, I've seen every ST and TV show (except most of Prodigy), but some of the things in Picard are confusing! 😄
Thanks for the explanation.
Damn it Shaw, why did they have to give him such a predictable death?
Did they not know how much fans were going to like him?
Borg might reanimate him?
@@alfinpogform4774 and what have him be killed again?! hahaha I hope not!
Because he had red on his shirt?
Well, maybe he's just unconscious and we see him next on a medical bed and as neither Ralphy nor Seven are doctors there could be a cameo appearance?
@@stevemcmillan6776 Jesus Christ, you're right, he was a red-shirt!
They could have killed Raffi and chose to kill Shaw. 🤦🏻♂️
Well they can kill Ralphy when she flies the titan into the Borg Cube or Transmitter?
@@NephritduGrey fingers crossed
@@dancandy7296 "muh wamens!"
@@NephritduGrey Ralphy!! 🤣🤣🤣
You know good and well by now, that she would NEVER be killed off before Shaw. I'd explain why, but the TH-cam overloads wouldn't like what I said. Read between the lines...
I actually sort of figured it out in the last episode when Vadik told Seven; "It is fitting that you should witness this one" on the Titan's bridge.
Yes I knew something borg related was coming.
One of the greatest moments I have seen in recent, if not all of, Trek history.
*Enterprise-D is ACTIVE in 2401.*
Moon help me, I'm fangirling SO hard right now. I honestly wouldn't have expected this level of awesome. My *personal* thanks to Terry Matalas and co. of Star Trek Picard Season 3 for giving the TNG crew and us TNG fans this absolutely INCREDIBLE gift. You and your crew are to be commended and Star Trek Picard Season 3 serves as an example to all other franchises of how to appeal to your fanbase. THIS was just mind-blowing. And I loved how the TNG crew just went 100% BACK. TO. FORM. Picard said that "engage" without a hint of age. Just as he had done 20-30 years ago. Just amazing work to all involved.
Immensely well done!!!👏
Really Sad that they killed Captain Shaw. (Which I thought was a real big possibly from start ). I thought that the Character good for a spin off series.
I totally agree. Numerous people thought Shaw is safe due to the possibility of new series. It was a kind a shocker to me.
Shaw is one of the best new characters introduced in Picard and I think it was a little short sighted killing him off. I don't think they realised how popular he would be.
It’s Trek. There are a milliom ways to bring him back.
@@hdattila exacly - seven could give him a inject of her nano-probes and revive him and piss him at the same time lol
No one is really dead in science fiction. If they don’t resurrect him they’ll create a cloned twin brother. Remember Yogurt - “Spaceballs 2 The Search for more money!!”
The one major nitpick I have that really bothers me about this whole season is that it's utterly unbelievable that Starfleet would have the entire fleet congregate in Sector 001. All of their borders with other powers, all of the Starbases is that have ship detachments, all of their scientific missions, all of their long-range exploration missions. It's akin to making the central plot of a movie require that the entire US Navy moves every ship that we have everywhere in the globe and parks them all outside Washington DC for a 4th of July celebration. It's ridiculous and would never happen. And no, not even with key Admirals being imposters orchestrating it. Enough none changeling personnel, captains, other lower ranking admirals, would all immediately and loudly call that plan out as dangerous nonsense and put a stop to it.
Changelings were running everything, not actual Starfleet commanders.
Who says it's the entire fleet?
@@killerbee2562 the show. The show says it. It’s been saying it all season.
Have you SEEN the current administration?
Sadly, the utter stupidity of assembling the whole fleet in one place... and... having all the ships interconnected is totally believable.😂 I could see the "utopian visionists" of Earth and Starfleet doing something like this.
I was half waiting for Kirk's line...."My friends, we've come home."
Me too!
The best thing you noted was the strength in Picard's voice upon returning to the Captain's chair. Kirk told him to never let them take you out of it. We see why now. Other than Wesley popping up, I coupdn't be happier with this tribute.
Shaw was wasted. If you wanted a character dead, RAFFI WAS RIGHT THERE!
That final scene with the Enterprise-D was the greatest feelgood moment I've had from a TV show or movie in a long, long time. After all fans have endured these past few years in seeing our beloved franchises (Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR etc.) being 'improved for modern audiences', i.e. mutilated and violated, this scene was emotional. And the contrast of the darkness that preceded it in prior episodes against the brightness of this classic bridge, the score, the crew together, and Majel Barrett's voice, really drove home the optimism and inspiration that was conveyed in TNG. I'm so excited to see them foil the Borg one final time in next week's episode, and giving fans and the crew the send-off they deserve. It's bittersweet saying goodbye, but I'm so very grateful to Terry Matalas for salvaging this series, and to all the TNG cast and crew for enriching my childhood and teens with such incredible stories throughout the late 80s and 90s-and now my mid-40s with this season. For me, season 3 of Picard is season 8 of TNG by another name, and I look forward to rewatching all the episodes again from season 1 onwards. When all is said and done, Kurtzman and co. can never take that away from me. And maybe, just maybe, we'll see Mr. Matalas given another opportunity to bring us some more quality Trek.
Looks like we have Kurztman Trek until 2030. Matalas hasn't been mentioned going forward.
Probably the last moment as great as this was when the Enterprise-E showed up at the battle of sector 001 in First Contact!
"Perhaps today is a good day to die. PREPARE FOR RAMMING SPEED"
"Sir there's another star ship coming in. Its the Enterprise!"
*queue heroic and timely entrance*
I wish i could watch it in IMAX. The proper send off for the TNG crew. And yes they truly deserved it. I am watching and rewatching the last 15 minutes over and over again. I just cant believe how this made me happy. Yes it was several decades and I lost hope many years ago. It was worth waiting though. This episode gave me much joy and hope for a better tomorrow. This is what star trek was envisioned for in the first place.
I tried to get the free IMAX tickets for next weeks final episodes….almost got through yet about as successful as Shaw at the end of this episode.
The whole season should be shown in IMAX
What gets me is that it was only a few IMAX theaters, not all.
That was clever depth to the transporters, I assumed it was because the Changlings were using them to move operatives back and forth and capturing key personnel. Not that they were using it to install Borg Tech. BTW, the ending was heartfelt. But the Enterprise-D saucer being recovered was spoiled a while ago, the twist was her being fully restored. Had to replay that scene dozens of times.
So Geordi has been skimming credits from the museum budget for years?
@@putinscat1208 I thought that! I’m sure star fleet are thrilled he rebuilt a galaxy class star ship for no reason other than his own nostalgia
Good catch by Cullen - Geordi should have said that he retrieved the STAR DRIVE and Engines from the USS Syracuse instead of him just saying the engines and nacelles. The Nacelles would have been part of the Star Drive, right?
Having Vadic's crewman be confirmed to be new Jem'hadar or something would've been cool too. Would explain why sometimes they opt for hand to hand combat, why Vadic just kills them (not wanting to harm changelings) and why they dress that way.
I wish they'd dropped a throw away sign or scene to show that
Nice to hear that Terry agrees with us. The carpet is a must-have
I find it amusing to think that the Borg Queen waited decades for her master plan to come to fruition just because Picard wasn't getting laid.
What is decades to a creature that is centuries old?
Her plan could have easily never came true she gambled a lot on Picard making a child cause he very nearly didn’t
@@dawnpalacios8312 Nothing to "her", but Picard wasn't exactly a spring chicken even when they first met.
Then again, Kirk (miraculously) only had one son himself, so Picard could have been Casanova and having kids wasn't guaranteed.
OMG!! THAT was funny!! 🤣🤣🤣
@@RedNekLvr22 Silly, yeah. But Star Trek has always been silly.
At least they made sure the Lights on the D actually turned on all the way.
We can actually see what's happening now.
hahahaha
And the nod to the carpets was gold.
It's such a welcome contrast to the rest of the show, and made the scene so much more impactful. Kudos to Terry Matalas.
The line about the carpet was funny to me as I always thought carpeting was silly. How do you keep it clean. We need a mudroom to take off boots and walk around in booties.
@@larrybeagle66 they just beam the dirt off of it once a week, LOL
Hearing Majel Barrett again is the part that got me. She would have been horrified with what they've done to Trek. That said, this last season of Picard has been good.
Shaw at least died a hero and the Ent-D reveal till the end made me geek out with glee. Writing was handled with care and seeing the young Titan Bridge crew getting assimilated explained why Jack eliminated them in his vision earlier in the Season.
Bring on the finale!
Nice irony having the USS Hikaru Sulu be one of the firing squad ships for the Excelsior.
It's a long shot... But I hope Janeway shows up in the last episode to finish what she started with the Borg. She's invested in the plot given her history with them. Plus her ship is just sitting there. 7 of 9 and her could arrive in voyager to aid the enterprise. I can dream!
Starfleet is in need for a new CinC. Janeway, where are you?
Pretty sure there was something about Tim Russ not only having that one scene this series. Soooo…
@@icarusandtherabbit
Wouldn't it be the perfect fan service if the crew of voyager blasted in when they're needed most? Everything looks dire for the enterprise, Janeway drops out of maximum warp with a thud, the same way the titan did in the earlier episode with the crushers ship. Your information regarding Tim Russ is interesting as well. Janeway is a highly intelligent character, I'd imagine she would have the capacity to realise something was off with one of her closest friends and be on her own off screen quest. I really, really hope we get her in the last episode!
@Honk Honkler haha, plus all of the high quality CQI they've put together. But then again, I feel that they know they needed to pull something out if the bag.. ten minutes of screen time.. hell, I'd take 2 minutes! I'd hope they could stretch to that!
If Janeway shows up she'll just be gunned down in 30 seconds
I'm okay with that, lol
The bit of Majel Barrett's computer voice was taken directly from the episode "Chain Of Command" part 2 when Captain Jellico returns command of the Enterprise back to Captain Picard.
They got plenty of Majel Barett's voice material to work with. We're talking hundreds of episodes across TNG, VOY and DS9.
@@anthonylogiudice9215 She had her voice phonetically recorded and encoded in detail before she passed.
I've never heard of it ever being used, though.
The article: "The late Majel Barrett might still voice the computer on Star Trek: Discovery".
We all now know how the cheapskates and bumblers at Secret Hideout had this end up.
I was starting to suspect it was the Borg earlier in the season. The voice whispering the line "connect us" started to point me in that direction and the hints sprinkled in after that seemed to confirm my suspision. So as you can imagine, I was very happy with the reveal, and soo pleased with myself I nearly dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back😁
great catch with Ro not trusting the transporters! Thanks for the video man!
I keep watching and hoping O'Brien will show up. Colm meany was always one of my favorites from the show.
Friggin Borg. It's always the Borg... I was meh on that reveal, but the rest of the episode did a good job of winning me back once more. Jean-Luc and Beverly have emotionally resonant responses to the news, Picard and Jack have an emotionally plausible and well acted conversation, and then, once the conspiracy kicks into high gear, the complexity and subterfuge that went into it make a lot of sense in story and is complicated enough to be a believable way that galactic powers would try to win an advantage. So basically, finally a story that turns out to make emotional and tactical sense! I'm delighted!
I'm shocked that they did a complete 180 on the storytelling.
yeah, bringing the Borg back AGAIN is still not that thrilling.
It was nice to see them finally turn the lights on. New Trek is so dark.
I cried like a baby when the Enterprise D was revealed. I did not see that coming. Terry Matalas, thank you for one of the best seasons of Star Trek ever and thank you for including aspects of DS9, which has always been shamefully ignored.
“No ones heard from the Borg in over a decade” last season the Borg tried to join the Federation and stopped half the quadrant from being destroyed. But yeah, no one has seen the Borg in over a decade.
They made a point of showing the borg queen from the back, but looking at the silhouette, I can't help but think that the new queen is actually future Janeway from Endgame
I was starting to believe it too as I watched that scene between the queen and Jack
That they used Alice's voice, I expect it will be her (albeit 25% different)
Honestly I've been judging this season as if it were the proper Season 1 of ST Picard and it is a really good light to view it under. Matalas can't be blamed for the trashfire that came before, his first entry is a solid first season so far. It also felt very self aware when the bridge lighting on the Enterprise lingered on Generations dark before going full 90s TV bright. I had time to be mad it was dark then bang, right in the feels
Dave - did you notice the angle of the Ent-D at the end, before it went into warp? The whole scene is reminiscent of the painting from PIcard's Ready Room. A BIG nod from Terry for that one!!
I couldn't believe that the used the same camera pan on the bridge down from the ceiling to the viewscreen. I was weeping!
@@JuricksEnterprise - I knew it was coming before the show started. I thought they would have a leisurely stroll around it or it would be used in a flashback or holo deck. Then I heard about Hangar 12 and thought 'no way - are they taking this into action'. I dared not dream. And then I sort of thought it was inevitable. And nothing can prepare you for that scene. It was glorious.
So let me get this straight: in the 2(?) days that Picard was Loctus, the Borg had the foresight that they would lose Picard back to the Federation so quickly and so surely so they should implant this organic code in him pronto in order for Picard to continue as Picard and facilitate the assimilation of Starfleet decades later? Not to mention the Borg were betting on already older Picard having a kid to pass on this organic genetic code (in his Borg-ified sperm no less) to his offspring who would help in the assimilation of Starfleet? This is some next level ret-conning if I ever saw it!
Just consume memberberries and be happy. That's season 3.
Why are you assuming that this was some sort of master plan? The borg assimilated Picard. They failed in that attempt. But Picard having a kid gave them another shot. The borg don’t give up. Remember what Q said about them: they are relentless.
It's utterly dumb. Borg should have been left alone before first contact. They're terrible now
The queen ruined the borg, the antagonist in first contact should have been someone who was working to help their plan for some reason.
They're scary as a hive mind, with a leader they're not as cool
I don't think that's it. From the technobabble I gathered more that they changed Picard's DNA to become Locutus; so he was unique, not just assimilated like any other drone. This just happened to have a side effect of him still 'receiving' because they left a sort of organic tech behind. This was passed on to Jack. I didn't get the impression it was planned, more that it was an accident and once the Borg discovered Jacks existence, wanted to utilise it.
Now, finally, after all this time and misery the last few scenes felt like we really returned home, like we finally got our treck BACK and in style. I dont remember when I rewatched few scenes from the show, over, and over, and over again so many times. This felt like real treck, the one we missed and loved.
Imagine what we could've got if this had been Picard Season 1...
I just watched episodes 8 and 9 and you nailed the review. TNG being my all time favorite Trek series, I felt all the emotions you did. But the thing that kept hitting me most from these episided were the parallels to what the real world is going through now. A human Borg mind is infecting millions and I'm praying that resistance will not be futile. As with the error of tying all of Starfleet together, I pray it is the case that a mass centralization of earthly power is doomed to fail. Freedom is messy but boy is it beautiful.
Like many of You I had tears in my eyes. I was watching and suddenly I felt tears running down my cheek. This is trully masterpiece.
You need to get laid
Thank you for your review of this episode ! I would say the only issue that I did have with this fantastic episode was how Jack felt so betrayed by Picard ! Picard kept telling him I've got your back I've got your back and then when Jack finally needed Picard to have his back he turned away !
It seemed a bit dumb, but I am choosing to believe that his subconscious was forcing him to do that
I mean, taking a shuttle and beaming aboard a hive to kill a queen single handed? Really?
This is like Luke returning in the Mandalorian, I think. That last five minutes did it for me. All 3 seasons of Picard are worth it for those 5 minutes.
Yea, it's exactly like the final ep of season 2 of the Mandalorian with the grand return of the real Luke Skywalker, but as we know, all of that achievement and the fans praise and return was thrown to the garbage bin by Kathleen Kennedy in Bobba Fett and in the current season of the Mandalorian. Kathleen wants him gone not only from the current shows, but to remove all of his character's future canonical achievements in both of the upcoming movies. Kathleen has literally decided to give Luke's achievements to both Ahsoka and Rey making him completely irrelevant in the overall timeline that goes beyond the original trilogy. KK hates his character and what George created. Let's hope we won't get a similar result with Star Trek in whatever the network plans for the future of the franchise.
Also, Shaw's death reminded me a lot of the last episode of The Mandalorian I just watched too.
I had tons of issues with this episode. For me, barring the Moneyshot-D (and awesome joke about E), there was a lot of Picard Seasons 1 and 2 here. Troi instantly abandons Picard’s son at his most vulnerable therapeutic moment! Picard himself betrays his son, alienating him for no reason but the telegraphed meeting with the villains! Admiral Shelby is apparently an idiot! And Beverly does nothing! No one is acting like themselves here. Even the Shapeshifter stuff just gets tagged out for the new villains, never appearing even once. It’s frustrating, and the only real saving grace this week is the memberberries.
I know, I know, there are problems and I saw two of them as clear as you, but the memberberries were so tasty and numerous and the ideas they had teased all seasons were revealed and tied together it was a major win for me. If the previous seasons were half as well done as this...
Memberberries, that's a new one for me. Anyway your objections are noted, Number One, but the mission must be completed. Engage.
You forgot to mention just how jarring it is to hear Seven refer to a sentient life form as 'the robot'. Meanwhile we have Picard in a similar android body and that's no big deal, business as usual.
@@klac4916 I view that as a lame attempt at comedy. I suspect this, like many of the jokes in STP, were added as an afterthought by lame suits.
Well said. 👏🏾
Proper lighting on the D, thank god
Now comes the question: how did the Borg convince the Changelings to screw themselves over that hard?
The Borg Queen told them that God or Bog or Kurtzman would retcon the screw into something dark and edgy in season 4. Oh, there's only 3 seasons of Picard? What a twist!
i think they got a note in the contract that they had to bring the Borg back for another run to make them even more boring
to be fair, these changelings where just a splinter cell of psychotic individuals without any contact to the Link, so why not.
The show: "Everyone under the age of 25 has been assimilated by evil forces so now think and act identically!"
BASED. AS. FUCK.
If that upcoming midcredits scene isn’t Shaw suddenly sitting up alive, I don’t need it 😜
You have got to love how Matalas didn't lie (He literally did a Spock) when he said that the real Borg where probably somewhere in hiding licking their wounds after Voyager. On Twitter when everyone kept badgering him for plotspoilers.. :D
Btw.. that reveal at the end... Brought a tear to me eye...
It's been a while since I watched Voyager, but as far as I recall, Janeway pretty much killed off the Borg. They werent licking their wounds, they were gone.
Hack, lazy writing.
@@shogunofharlem8240 Not really. The old Admiral Janeway states that the infection will be just enough to bring a bit of chaos to order. But it will not be enough to kill of the borg completely.
They made it seem like 3 cubes where just chillin in a nebula close by for 25 years just waiting for Jack to arrive. They need to explain that lol
@@DX2069 Do they? I didn't feel that way. My one big criticism is probably that the Borg agreed to work with the changelings in the first place. Seems odd.. That the queen could have had a long term plan after sensing that Locutus had a child is not in my mind impossible. Just weird..
But yes, some more exposition would be welcome.. (And i assume that we'll get most of it)
@@DX2069 They came thru a Transwarp Conduit the shuttle said.
seeing the gang all together again got me in the feels. On a side note, season 3 is like Battlestar Galatica storyline and Star Trek merged together.
I really did not want it to be the Borg... again. However after seeing this episode I'm very happy with the way things went. At least it's the cool Borg and they're threatening and scary again. And when they turned on the Enterprise-D bridge lights I thought, "Finally." Great episode, this is all really being done masterfully well.
to be fair. Noting can make the Borg scary again after VOY and PICARD... and the total overuse of them
I suspect, had Terry Matalas had control of all 3 seasons, they wouldn't have used the Borg in season 1 and 2. That said, I think they way they have brought them back is fresh and threatening - and clever.
I just am beside myself at the ending, I must have watched it over and over again now 10 times at least, and I’ve been like a giddy little child every single time. This is like a waking dream-I mean, I think I’ve actually had vivid dreams about the Enterprise D coming back in Star Trek, or a “new” season with the ship again, and now it’s real! It never got a proper send off; it’s destruction in Generations was a cheap waste. And to think that it will be facing off against the Borg again…this is beyond my wildest imagination!!!
Thank you Terry!!!!!!!!
This episode did the one thing every episode of Picard failed at so far.
It felt like the STAR TREK I remember growing up watching TNG.
Thank you to all involved. You have no idea how much I needed this episode right now.
I don't know if you'll see this comment, but the linked ships and the fact they are using an older "analog ship" to evade it had such Battlestar Galactica vibes to it. Especially considering that the borg are somewhat Psylon like.
The last few seconds were amazing. Picards voice is back baby engage! How amazing! Hearing the computer with majel again my goodness chefs kiss. The bridge is restored to tng more than generations what a touch .remember generations had extra stations like yesterday’s enterprise but they did it right. So good ! Only thing I noticed on the bridge was the trim around the chairs but it’s ok lol we’re happy. Amazing set build. What you guys think, this set sticking around for more missions?
Also it was much darker in Generations! Something we all hate ;)))
Great episode recap! I agree the writing/photography/music of this episode was epic.
Also, we finally got to hear Picard say his other famous line: “Make it so.” #feelsandchills
You could say. This episode explores the dangers of "the internet of things"
And was it just a coincidence that the old Enterprise-D was VERY nicely well lit, unlike everything else in every other scene of Picard?
"Jack, You're the weapon the Borg are after"
"Ok, I'm going to the Borg now, Goodbye!"
Everyone else:
"Should we stop him?"
"Yes lets do tha.... oh he's gone"
Personally, I love how some of the grifters who tried to talk shit about this season of Picard after the first episode have all, to a one, been completely silent for the rest of the episodes. That's how I know they're grifters. They won't admit they're wrong. They're just here to preach to the converted. You, Critical Drinker, and others have kept an open mind, and that's appreciated. Terry Matalas has restored my faith in Star Trek.
It would’ve been hilarious when they open the hangar bay, they first saw the Battlestar Galactica and then the crew looks to the right…with the lights illuminating the beautiful enterprise D and Jordy says “that one”
The day before this episode premiered I was having a discussion with someone about how in the very long history of Star Trek I thought it was strange at how little the transporters have been weaponized for the many horrific and nefarious possibilities that they could use be used for. Talk about timing...
I can’t believe they stole the old fleet automation trick from the Battlestar Galactica reboot.
This was the best episode of the season so far. Shelby coming back was nice and I loved Riker pointing out the irony of Starfleet’s Borg expert ok with a Borg concept.
Very BSG with the fleet integration and it being used for nefarious purposes by an enemy no one had seen in a long time.
Loved Alice Krige back as the Borg queen. Loved Majel Barret back (in a sense) as the Enterprise D computer. Loved seeing the Enterprise F.
I loved seeing the Enterprise D back. I teared up something fierce seeing her again. It wasn’t a flashback or a holoprogram. It was the real deal. The Enterprise D is my favorite iteration of Enterprise. So beautiful and graceful. I can’t wait to see her in action on more time.
I was sad to see Captain Shaw killed off. Like T’Veen I was really liking Shaw and hated seeing him taken out.
I was going with the Pagh-Wraiths theory (although I had no idea how it would tie in with Picard's body) but I am glad I was so wrong. This concept is pretty scary and raised the stakes. Very good job .
Raises the stakes? LOL it's the Borg. Again..
Makes you wonder who's controlling all the under-25's in our own century right now!!
@@shogunofharlem8240 Yeah, I think I've sort of tried to purge the first 2 seasons from memory, but didn't they just use the Borg as the major threat in season 2, which ended with the 'birth' of a kinder/gentler Borg?
Although beyond creating a BRAND NEW adversary, I guess the Federation just doesn't have any other enemy that represents a serious threat...
The Romulans have been 'defanged', which really only leaves 'The Founders' or 'The Borg', and this season they used BOTH!
@@shogunofharlem8240 What does the fact that villain is Borg again have to do with risen stakes? What, just because it's a Borg again the idea of taking minds of whole Starfleet young generation isn't threatning in a large scheme of things ? I would also prefer something different but what they did isn't bad.
The Pagh-Wraith theory had me watching every episode featuring the Pagh-Wraith on DS9 that I could find mentioned on Memory Alpha. I would have bought it.
They should rename the show Star Trek: Member Berries
The lighting on Enterprise D was magnificent.
THANK YOU for not putting the blatant spoiler in the thumbnail or description. I wish others did the same
The funniest part of this episode is when the fleet flies by, and the Ross Class star ship had his nacelles not rendered and the bussard collectors are the only thing vissible parts of the nacelles
Disney's CGI department: "First time?"
Hahahah. I guess it doesn't matter, there's lot of mistakes with old models they used to use....it's part of of the charm
I'm not surprised that the Worf joke didn't land for you, considering last week you seemed to think Troi was fearing for her life and subsequently forced to have sex with a changeling and eat his awful pizza 🤣😂🤣
Anyway, another awesome breakdown sir.
LOL. Yep, Dave seems to have an issue with picking up on things that are inferred. He says he'd like to know more about what happens to the Enterprise-E. Clearly, by inference alone, we can deduce that it was destroyed while under Worf's command. That's all you really need to know. What does he want an entire history lesson of the Enterprise-E?
Many people don't realize that the fate of the Enterprise E is supposed to be ambiguous. This maguffin stretches all the way back to STO. There are many theories, but no one knows for sure. That's the point.
I'm sorry, but killing off Shaw was totally unnecessary, and I imagine it will not go well with the public, who have come to embrace this character!!!! He could have stayed on the Titan, refusing to abandon ship, and he, Rafi and Seven could be fighting side by side to rescue the Titan!!!! Don't like how they handled this at all!!!!!!!!!!🤬😠😡
His character came full circle. Staying back and fighting the borg while others got to board the shuttle. It was a fitting end for him after what happened at wolf 359
@@notajull5193 I disagree Nota, of course, we haven't seen episode 10 so we can't be sure what will happen, but if it is going in the direction that I think it is going I'm sure they could have kept him alive!!!
I certainly found it unfortunate, as I was really enjoying not liking Shaw (the character, Stashwick did a great job here). Great character...he was a jerk, but very human and relatable too. A nice non-antagonist foil to your typical hero/leader. I'll miss Shaw.
It was unfortunate, but it was absolutely necessary to bring his arc to a close. Characters aren't required to stay around just because we like them
@@chipwallaceart Nonsense, amigo, they could have him stay around for another Legacy series show. Ridiculous to kill him off like that.
Within the first few minutes when Jack said “connection” I was like “NO! PLEASE GOD NO! NOOOOOOOOOO!” And then they revealed the cube. 🤦🏽♂️ Again with the fucking Borg. This show just careened off the road and plowed right into a tree.
My eyes were all watery. Damn it. Couldn't fight it. They did her right, gave her her own Enterprise-A "My friends, we're home"-moment. She is family. I thank you dearly, Matalas. And props for the Trekyards-shoutout :D
I'm a huge, life long Trek fan since 1993 age 13....I think this might be the greatest episode of trek ever, as a love letter to TNG fans....I was crying hysterically during the whole end reunion on the D bridge.....so incredible and well written!
Yes this two parter will definitely be up there, probably the best. Best of Both Worlds - part one was astonishing. But Part 2 doesn't really maintain the momentum. All Good Things though - tough to beat.