Star Trek Picard: 1x06 (The Impossible Box)
Another really strong episode as we cross the half-way point and the plot starts to really move forward.
Picard's scenes with Hugh were the first real signs of light we've seen in a long time. After so many episodes of the captain being confronted with the results of his failures, it felt like a massive weight being lifted for him to see the legacy of one of his successes. And Hugh's genuine kindness and empathy in dealing with Picard's trauma were delightful. Picard is never going to completely recover from what the Collective did to him, but now, for the first time, he has a community that shared that pain.
(Anyone else notice the irony in Hugh suggesting Picard help advocate for the ex-Borg? In effect, asking Locutus to speak for the Borg again...)
We get a bit more of an insight into the state of things in Romulan space - although the Neutral Zone no longer exists, Romulan borders are still closed, and the Federation and Starfleet don't want to risk a new confrontation. I'm increasingly getting the impression that the loss of Romulus was less a crippling blow and more a humiliation to Romulan pride. They're still a power to be reckoned with, and the new regime is just as prickly as the old Star Empire.
It was nice to see a present-day Starfleet officer portrayed somewhat positively; Picard - and the audience - may have jumped the gun somewhat in declaring Starfleet irredeemable. I was also amused that Picard's cunning plan ended up being “apply through legitimate channels for access”.
I am a little unsure what the show's trying to do with Raffi, however. Her life is falling apart, and her addictions consuming her more and more, but it seems like nobody but Captain Rios is noticing. She's not even getting the satisfaction of really contributing much to exposing the conspiracy. Picard in particular seems oddly callous in his treatment of her - making use of her skills while ignoring her obvious problems, and I'm honestly not sure if this is an intentional writing choice or not.
(I do like how much Picard and Rios have fallen back into Starfleet routines the longer their mission goes on. You can take the officer out of the fleet, but...)
We finally get some payoff for Soji and Narek, and it does do a lot to justify the long setup. The actor playing Soji does a fantastic job, and I find it remarkable that this is her first major acting role. Unlike Dahj, Soji has nobody she can trust, and seeing her confide in Narek, not realising how much he has been manipulating and gaslighting her is painful to watch. It is, I will say, satisfying however to see the Romulans living up to their reputations as masters of espionage and deception; the cliché romance proves to be exactly that - Narek moving through a well-worn script to get his target where he wants her. I honestly don't know at this point if he's going to redeem himself or remain a villain.
For those who thought the name sounded familiar - the Sikarians, who invented the transport device Picard uses to escape from the Artifact, are an established species. They appeared in Voyager's “Prime Factors”, where they refused to trade the technology to Voyager due to their own version of the Prime Directive. The Borg, though, don't ask when they see technology...
I really liked the disorienting notion that Picard recognises a Queen's chamber, even though, as Hugh points out, he's never been there. The Queen concept always works best when she remains an enigma, a disquieting anomaly even within the Collective.
All in all, a really interesting episode with some very juicy character moments.
Picard's scenes with Hugh were the first real signs of light we've seen in a long time. After so many episodes of the captain being confronted with the results of his failures, it felt like a massive weight being lifted for him to see the legacy of one of his successes. And Hugh's genuine kindness and empathy in dealing with Picard's trauma were delightful. Picard is never going to completely recover from what the Collective did to him, but now, for the first time, he has a community that shared that pain.
(Anyone else notice the irony in Hugh suggesting Picard help advocate for the ex-Borg? In effect, asking Locutus to speak for the Borg again...)
We get a bit more of an insight into the state of things in Romulan space - although the Neutral Zone no longer exists, Romulan borders are still closed, and the Federation and Starfleet don't want to risk a new confrontation. I'm increasingly getting the impression that the loss of Romulus was less a crippling blow and more a humiliation to Romulan pride. They're still a power to be reckoned with, and the new regime is just as prickly as the old Star Empire.
It was nice to see a present-day Starfleet officer portrayed somewhat positively; Picard - and the audience - may have jumped the gun somewhat in declaring Starfleet irredeemable. I was also amused that Picard's cunning plan ended up being “apply through legitimate channels for access”.
I am a little unsure what the show's trying to do with Raffi, however. Her life is falling apart, and her addictions consuming her more and more, but it seems like nobody but Captain Rios is noticing. She's not even getting the satisfaction of really contributing much to exposing the conspiracy. Picard in particular seems oddly callous in his treatment of her - making use of her skills while ignoring her obvious problems, and I'm honestly not sure if this is an intentional writing choice or not.
(I do like how much Picard and Rios have fallen back into Starfleet routines the longer their mission goes on. You can take the officer out of the fleet, but...)
We finally get some payoff for Soji and Narek, and it does do a lot to justify the long setup. The actor playing Soji does a fantastic job, and I find it remarkable that this is her first major acting role. Unlike Dahj, Soji has nobody she can trust, and seeing her confide in Narek, not realising how much he has been manipulating and gaslighting her is painful to watch. It is, I will say, satisfying however to see the Romulans living up to their reputations as masters of espionage and deception; the cliché romance proves to be exactly that - Narek moving through a well-worn script to get his target where he wants her. I honestly don't know at this point if he's going to redeem himself or remain a villain.
For those who thought the name sounded familiar - the Sikarians, who invented the transport device Picard uses to escape from the Artifact, are an established species. They appeared in Voyager's “Prime Factors”, where they refused to trade the technology to Voyager due to their own version of the Prime Directive. The Borg, though, don't ask when they see technology...
I really liked the disorienting notion that Picard recognises a Queen's chamber, even though, as Hugh points out, he's never been there. The Queen concept always works best when she remains an enigma, a disquieting anomaly even within the Collective.
All in all, a really interesting episode with some very juicy character moments.