Hooray, another direct reference to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Challenged by the 21st Century physician and current love interest, Dr. Ramirez, to account for himself and his technology, Rios explains that he's is human but that he "works in outer space." Wonderful.
And the romance between Rios and Dr. Ramirez certainly does have clear resonances with Kirk's wooing of Dr. Taylor from that earlier classic Trek film. Right down to throwing caution to the wind and beaming her aboard the spaceship.
Other than that, is there really much about "Monsters", the seventh episode in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard (STP) to like?
I guess if you are as much enthralled with the Jean Luc Picard as a character as the creators, producers and writers of STP seem to be, you might love this self-indulgent venture into JL's psyche. And the fact that, in STP at least, the fate of the entire universe appears to revolve around the former Star Fleet captain.
But, my goodness, if you don't really feel that the entire universe, and the entire Star Trek mythos, sprang from Picard's ass, this episode is practically unbearable.
So bad that I laughed out loud several times at just how awful it was.
As we all predicted six episodes ago, the Borg Queen (aka Borgati) is loose on 21st Century Earth and quickly approaching full assimilatory power. So what do Seven and Raffi immediately say, with all the conviction they can muster? "We need Picard."
Wait. I have made an assumption. In the original timeline, Seven and Raffi were capable and accomplished -- maybe in this new timeline they aren't. Seven was President of the Confederation and Raffi chief of Security but perhaps these were just patronage appointments and the two of them are really useless.
And I loved it when Tallin reveals that she is a Romulan. Because, you know, that explains the physical similarities. And, really, there is no risk associated with putting a Romulan on earth of the 21st Century. In fact, the distant race that trains these watchers -- it was not clearly established in the original series episode, "Assignment: Earth" that the distant race took and trained humans for this role on Earth specifically to avoid inter-racial problems. No... not at all.
I laughed out loud when Tallin showed off the tech that allows her to pass but then immediately mentioned that, you know, if she undoes her protection, it takes eight hours for the tech to recharge before she can use it again. How convenient for the development of tension!
And isn't it great that Picard immediately knows how to summon a Q and Guinan happened to wait around for him in an abandoned bar!
I have to stop. There is just too much.
A couple of last points, though:
1. In this altered timeline, Seven was never assimilated. So how does she know all about Borg technology and Borg code? And why doesn't Raffi, who in this new timeline is the Chief of Security and must have played a part in the defeat of the Borg, know about it instead?
2. It was established that Tallin is from the 21st Century and did not recognize Picard when he first showed up. So how does she know that he has saved countless lives? She says that to him during her long dark journey into his soul. But she would not know.
3. How many times can Martinez say some form of "Anyone who has to say that they are good/human, usually isn't"?
4. How does Martinez know what button to press on the Neural Oscillator to save Picard? How does she know to press a button? How does she know to point it at him, or at his head, and not just place it on his forehead? How is that Seven/Raffi knew just what to send Rios based on his ridiculously vague request? And, for all that, what purpose did this little incident serve in relation either to plot or character?
5. Why has no one cleaned up the broken glass, boarded up the window and locked down the bar that Borgati trashed by the time Raffi and Seven get there the next morning? And why do the people shown so clearly sitting having a quiet coffee together at the end of the block not react at all when Seven smashes a bottle on the street near them?
6. And haven't we already done the "24th Century person arrested by 21st Century authorities" story line?
At least episode seven has helped Picard resolve his Daddy and his Mommy issues. I was really concerned that they would never be properly addressed. And I am really hopeful that the great man will finally be able to love, fully and openly. By the end of season 2. Because then perhaps we will be spared a season 3.
