Well, that was a ride. The episode draws from a huge amount of Trek backstory and crafts something bursting with emotion. I think that the the view of Picard's face lining up with the classic image of Locutus is one of the most arresting shots ever done in Star Trek.
Patrick Stewart is completely on form throughout, and it's hard to pick one singular moment that stood above the rest. From his anger about the Borg while speaking with Agnes, to his PTSD when first arriving on the Cube, to his genuine happiness at seeing Hugh again and all the work he's doing, this consistently feels like the Jean-Luc Picard we all knew. He's shown first hand that disconnected Borg are not the monsters he had assumed. Small bursts of moments from First Contact were used effectively, including an unexpected glimpse dof the Queen. The terror of what he experienced may never fully go away despite the strides we saw him make over the years, and it rings true.
Other random thoughts:
I really love the crew of the La Sirena. Raffi's struggles and shame are heartbreaking, and her friendship with Rios feels genuine. Elnor is adorable.
Agnes is a question mark here. It's surprising that her actions at the end of the previous episode haven't been discovered given that the EMH seemed aware of what she was doing. It's plausible that she was able to erase or modify computer records, but I expected some kind of repercussion instead of nothing. Still, her own emotional turmoil was played well and there's clearly more to be revealed.
I'm no fan of the scenes with Narek and his sister which continue to be repetitive, but I did enjoy all the moments with Narek and Soji here. The Romulan meditation exploring the dream felt very much like classic Trek. Plus, Narek's real pain at leaving her to die was a step up for his character.
The Borg "escape Stargate" was a really deep cut! It's taken from the Voyager episode 'Prime Factors', where the Sikarians wouldn't allow Voyager to use the technology. Sounds like the Borg wouldn't take no for an answer.
Review by LeftHandedGuitaristBlockedParent2020-02-28T10:36:17Z
Well, that was a ride. The episode draws from a huge amount of Trek backstory and crafts something bursting with emotion. I think that the the view of Picard's face lining up with the classic image of Locutus is one of the most arresting shots ever done in Star Trek.
Patrick Stewart is completely on form throughout, and it's hard to pick one singular moment that stood above the rest. From his anger about the Borg while speaking with Agnes, to his PTSD when first arriving on the Cube, to his genuine happiness at seeing Hugh again and all the work he's doing, this consistently feels like the Jean-Luc Picard we all knew. He's shown first hand that disconnected Borg are not the monsters he had assumed. Small bursts of moments from First Contact were used effectively, including an unexpected glimpse dof the Queen. The terror of what he experienced may never fully go away despite the strides we saw him make over the years, and it rings true.
Other random thoughts: