Picard. Series 3

[species5618]

Picard. Series 3. First ep now on Amazon Prime and it's actually not bad (but give it time)

But @Wanderingowl, they explained that identity scrutiny before entering was based on more than mere appearance. Clearly the old style Changelings wouldn’t have passed the relevant tests.

Reviews are suggesting that Jack must be a Changeling himself. I suspect it’s more complicated than that - and that he may be some new form of human designed to resist Changeling aggression. Which would explain why they’re so keen to nab him. (And I suspect his mother knows.)

I assume Ep5 is ok to talk about - since it’s been shown?

They said that since the Dominion war, they scanned all crew with technology designed to make sure they were not Changelings. And they were shocked that a Changeling had managed to bypass that. They did not say that they scanned every last object that was brought onto the ship. And as evidenced on DS9, any object could possibly be a Changeling. So it's like the writers here aren't aware that a Changeling could pose as absolutely anything, down to a patch of carpet or wall.

I hope they are not rehashing the discovery season 1 storyline of ash Tyler.

2 theory’s I have are:-
Jack could have some Borg in him since picard was once a Borg.
It was shown in first contact that picard must still have something borg in him as he could hear and feel the Borg.

Or He has a pah wraith in him.

When you hear the voice saying come and find me. I think it's Beverley Crusher's voice.

So it the current BC a changeling or clone perhaps?

Exciting stuff!

I think it's a Borg thing.

Definitely the first of your theories is persuasive, @8misskitty8. But presumably his simply being half Borg wouldn’t be crucial for the Changelings. The question is what use they plan to make of him.

(Having missed most of NG I have no idea what sort of relationship Borg and Changeling might have with / to each other.)

Picard is crap IMO. Compared to the original series, DS9, and the Next Gen, this is an insult. Bloody awful. See also Star Trek Lower Decks. Fecking awful. Just a load of hyperactive weirdos screaming and screeching and yelling loudly all the way through it. Problem is, there are enough people obsessed with Star Trek to keep this awful shit going.

Same with Star Wars. Was brilliant late 1970s/early 1980s, and even the trilogy Phantom Menace/Clones/Sith was OK, but most Star Wars stuff made from the 2010s onwards is weak and feeble, or just bleedin' awful.

Why can they not just leave these things in the past where they belong? Instead of flogging them to death til they're just awful.

'Discovery' is below par too IMO. Just dull and boring.

I was a huge Trek fan in the 80s/90s but had very mixed feelings about DS9. I watched it simultaneously with Babylon 5 and DS9 soooooo heavily borrowed from Straczynski's ideas that it made it very, very hard to watch at times. It also meant that elements like Section 31 were introduced, that just didn't really have a place in Roddenberry's Trek universe.

Once Trek started to change it's inner workings and it's whole core to match trends starting on other shows instead of staying true to it's optimistic ideals. The stage was set for what we've gotten over the last decade. It's why The Orville is such an utter breath of fresh air, because whether in the silly early episodes or the later, more straight sci-fi, McFarlane is sticking to that optimistic heart. The Union, matches what the Federation was intended to be. A force for overall good, with the best intentions even when it screws up. Dark things can happen, but not because of systemic corruption at the core of the power structures.

Other shows, from B5 to The Expanse, are created to incorporate that side of humanity. The whole point of Star Trek is for it to be at a time where humans manage to be better. Losing that heart in DS9, changed Star Trek for the worse. Even if to some viewers it seemed fresh and exciting, more grown up, at the time.

I'm enjoying Strange New Worlds though.

@Wanderingowl I agree. My Dad liked the DS9 dominion war as it was all dark, but I didn't like it once it got into that. And yes- this feels a little like B5, the baddies have infiltrated, there are pockets of drugs and crime. As a child/ teen I thought it would be amazing to live in the TNG's future (obviously knew it wasn't real), but it seemed glorious. But if they turned up in a shuttle today and offered to the me with them, I wouldn't want to go there. Why can no one have a nice happy ending?!? [Still watching though because I'm desperate for some TNG joy]

Also when they said "Ro Laren", I stared at her for ages- I had to Google if the actress was the same (similar to Dr crusher). What's with all the plastic surgery so you spend time wonder whether it's the same actress or if they are a changeling and so a little off. Sigh. (I know it's a product of Hollywood misogyny and the actors may feel they have no choice, but it's freaking me out)

Gosh, has everyone stopped watching?

Have to say, while I’m still enjoying it, they do seem to have stretched it out rather. Not sure it needs another three episodes after Ep7.

I thought she just looked older. Unsurprisingly.

I'm still watching it and enjoying it.

I'm marginally irritated by the way they've dragged up other old characters for no reason other than to have them in it really. Like Tuvok and Ro Laren. It sort of jars slightly.

1 - rubbish
2 - better
3 - brilliant with lots of TNG reminiscence

You don't have to watch 1 & 2 to enjoy 3

I've given up now, really bored of The Mandalorian as well now.
I never saw TNG so all the nostalgia is completely passing me by.

Not! It's my favourite Stark Trek series EVER!

S1 was all right but mega boring
S2 watched it, but omg what a lot of navel gazing nonsense.

S3 - LOVE IT. LOVE IT LOVE IT!!

Yeah I def think it's a bit of Borg influence I mean you can't have Picard without the Borg.

Also I reckon Dr Crusher's first son has to make an appearance, maybe saving the day in the last episode. What's his name again Wesley.

And as for calling your second son the snake of your deadliest husband. What the fuck!!

I also thought her face was make up of some terrible burn. Sorry Cheryl. Love the wig though!

Yet another episode this week which barely moved the story on. The floaty head thing the changling converses with though is quite good. I presume it's changling high command or something else?

I think the last two episodes have been dreadful. Ep 6 was just NOSTALGIA! NOSTALGIA! NOSTALGIA!!!!!!!!!!! in place of coherent plot. Ep 7 was just really, really bad. More retconning of everything. Vadic just went on and on and on and her arguments were crap. The Changelings were 100% awful, they destroyed numerous species and created slave races that they deliberately made addicted to drugs that only they could provide. The created the "quickening" as a multigenerational plague to slowly and painfully punish a species that dared to defy them. A diseases, far, far, far worse than what Section 31 created to destroy the Changelings. As arguably abhorrent as creating that disease was, Section 31 only did it because the Changelings were going to do to the Federation, as well as the Cardassians, Klingons and Romulans, what they had done to every species in the Gamma Quadrant. It wasn't something that the Federation did out cruelty, it was only created in defence against the real threat of annihilation.

Seeing Picard and B Crusher, stumped by Vadic's long, long monologuing was offensive to everyone's intelligence. It made me wish for one of them could channel they inner Chrisjen Avasarala and tell her to 'cry me a river.' The Changelings were clear bad guys and Vadic shouldn't sway anyone for acting aggrieved because the Federation had the capability to fight dirty when their backs were against the wall. Especially when the Federation ultimately showed more mercy than the Changelings ever would have. They were literally in the middle of annihilating the Cardassians and only stopped for the cure. At most, Picard and Beverly might have some understanding for why Vadic, personally feels angry. But she still doesn't have anything approaching moral high ground. She's the equivalent of a high ranking Nazi who was captured and tortured in order to help the Allies win WW2. Horrible on a micro level but unfortunately necessary.

And not only was her rant offensively stupid. It was boring. Just dull, overly long and boring. S3 hasn't been perfect. Beverly in particular has been written deeply out of character. But it was still entertaining and a big improvement on any Trek since the Abrams movies and anything Alex Kurtzman has touched. But these last two episodes make me think that the reviewers who have been so positive about the series, have been paid off. These last two episodes have been bad. The last three may end on more of a high note. I hope they do, but this series doesn't deserve the praise it's been getting.

I am so glad I'm not watching!

Yeah this last episode left me completely cold. I was seriously considering paying for paramount to try Strange New Worlds but I don’t want further disappointment.

I thought her nasal bridge ridges were much less defined to the extent that I was really confused about whether it was a plot point.