On Star Trek: Picard, Connection’s Not Always a Good Thing

Star Trek has all the time been concerning the energy of unity and standing collectively, however as of late it’s been on a little bit of a connective kick. Discovery’s most up-to-date season was a paean to reaching out and understanding one another to barter hardship, and even Picard’s first season, when it lastly determined what it was about, explored the significance for its titular hero to achieve again out after isolation. This week, Picard season two finds nevertheless that making these connections can typically result in a number of harm alongside the best way.

“Watcher” actually spreads crew La Sirena throughout its near-future LA, making for an episode that’s a number of set-up because the crew’s 2024 sojourn—which this week we uncover has simply three days on the clock to cease the long run from being modified without end—will get far more chaotic. After being arrested by ICE final week, Rios finds himself going through the complete prejudice of an American system not totally too dissimilar to our personal time, and solely anchored by the fleeting bond he has cast with the equally detained physician, Teresa. Seven and Raffi, on the hunt for Rios, discover themselves having a cute bonding session by… stealing a police automotive, which may be very hilarious regardless of the stakes at play. And in the meantime after scoping out his previous and future ancestral dwelling, Picard decides to go away Agnes Jurati to observe the Borg Queen (who herself begins hatching a harmful connective play) with the intention to search out the Watcher himself, bringing him to LA for an encounter with a pal of future previous.

All of that is finally nonetheless set-up for what’s to come back, however spreading the crew out throughout myriad plotlines like this permits “Watcher” to briefly contact upon the thought of connection in methods good and unhealthy. The crew, largely remoted from one another as Jurati struggles to strengthen La Sirena’s comms alerts to permit their communicator badges to work, all should make their messy means by way of the realities of up to date America. In some methods that is good, forcing individuals like Picard and Jurati particularly to take motion as an alternative of merely sitting round worrying. In some methods it’s inflicting them hurt—in spite of everything, Rios’ want to achieve out and shield others is what places him at odds with ICE’s prejudice within the first place, and his fury on the state of the world he’s in means he’s not going to take a seat again and simply comply as a result of he’s meant to be a distant observer of this previous second in historical past. In some methods it’s enjoyable even, as Raffi and Seven get to have a bizarre second of hilarious bonding when the latter makes an attempt to learn to drive one thing that’s not a starship mid-car-jacking. It offers “Watcher” a comedic bent as the 2 get to be a stunning romantic odd couple bonding over the expertise of making an attempt to not crash a automotive throughout an prolonged chase, or be shot by the police.

But it’s certainly Picard and Jurati who maybe each get essentially the most fascinating mediations on connection right here. After the 2 briefly bond over exploring the ruins of Chateau Picard—deserted since World War II, and never able to be reclaimed by Jean-Luc’s personal ancestors for hundreds of years extra at this level—splitting Picard and Jurati up on separate missions offers every character an opportunity to shine on their very own and discover the nice and ailing of connection on their very own phrases. For Picard, this entails following a hunch on the coordinates Agnes obtained out of the Borg Queen final week and placing himself as soon as once more on a path to 10 Forward—this time to fulfill a younger Guinan, performed spectacularly by visitor star Ito Aghayere. This is a model of the El-Aurian that not solely hasn’t met Jean-Luc but after all, however as we rapidly study, is remoted herself, an alien observing the planet in secret and simply dismayed by the state of humanity in one in all its darkest hours.

Looking to peace out and depart humanity to rot within the mess it’s made for itself between poverty, local weather change, and a seeming incapability for humankind to care about its fellows, it falls to Picard to attempt to give Guinan the hope that change is occurring, even when he acknowledges that it’ll by no means come as rapidly as we hope it could (no one inform her World War III is supposed to interrupt out a couple of years in spite of everything this). It doesn’t work, and for essentially the most half Guinan, regardless of how a lot Picard tells her his mission to avoid wasting the previous is significant to the higher future she needs humanity to get on observe with, is keen to chop Picard off totally and stick with it leaving humanity to rattling itself. It’s not till Jean-Luc takes the calculated danger to essentially inform her who he’s—and that sooner or later she might be his oldest and most trusted pal within the universe—that Guinan is keen to attach with him, and assist him discover the knowledge he wants. Well… that’s, till the Watcher he’s in search of seemingly kidnaps him after Guinan arranges a gathering—and never solely that, is, or has an agent, that appears an terrible lot like Laris, throwing up some sophisticated emotions for Jean-Luc after their very own potential romance within the premiere. Sure that’s not going to come back up in any respect going ahead, no sir!

Meanwhile, Agnes finds herself alone on La Sirena and taking part in extra harmful video games with the re-awakened Borg Queen. After her little victory final week mind-heisting the co-ordinates Jean-Luc wanted out of the Queen’s thoughts, Agnes’ mediation on connection in “Watcher” comes from the intruiguing place that she is each somebody who craves it and for who it’s a potential hazard. As she’s left to attempt to maintain the remainder of crew La Sirena related, we see how the others considerably make the most of her—like Seven and Raffi yelling at her to repair comms and transporters throughout their police chase regardless of, nicely, the disastrous circumstances Agnes has to cope with alone. There’s a frustration there that she’s valued extra for her knowhow than as an individual. That’s one thing the Borg Queen begins pouncing on, not simply providing to assist Jurati repair La Sirena’s programs in trade for extra connection to Jurati herself, but in addition needling the cautious physician that their connection final week was valued by either side—two lonely individuals looking for larger understanding. If the remainder of the crew maintain treating Agnes extra like a pc repository than an individual, that promise of connection that is available in assimilation may develop into extra tempting for her, even because it’s clear that the Queen, herself remoted from the siren music of the collective, wants it as a lot as Jurati does.

It’s simply one other downside left up within the air as Picard continues this timey-wimey journey—even earlier than you seemingly get to that last-second tease that Q is wandering about in 2024 LA too, unable to make use of his continuum powers to warp actuality. Time will inform the way it’s all going to go down, however for now it’s secure to say that Picard and his pals are going to wish all of the connection they will get—for good or ailing—to make it out of 2024 with their future intact.

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