Star Trek Picard Review 8/10
Review up to episode 7
MAJOR SPOILERS
I found myself wondering why I'd watched the first two episodes then left it for five weeks to catch up? It wasn't because I hadn't enjoyed episode one and two, I had, I suppose it just didn't grip me enough to sacrifice my gaming time to watch, and I was in the middle of watching DS9 Dominion war episodes which I finished yesterday. So, last night and this morning I got myself up to date and here is what I think.
This is not the Star Trek I was hoping for but it is the Star Trek I expected. Picard is an old man in his seventies, had he not resigned already he would have retired by now, so no seven-year voyage of discovery to look forward to. This had to be about a personal journey, a story that could mean something to not only Picard but also to us, the fans. What more noble deed than to save Data's daughter after Data died to save Picard in Nemesis? Incidentally, she could not be data's daughter as Data was dead years before Soji was created, more she was Data's granddaughter, Maddocks created Soji using tech derived from Data from what I can see.
So Picard learns about Data's progeny from Soji's sister who very quickly gets killed by the Tal Shiar. We learn throughout the series that the Synths have gone mad, destroyed Mars and through, presumably some vision of the future mind-melded into Aggi via Commodore Oh, will destroy the Earth and trillions will die. That's why the Romulans are hell-bent on wiping out all Synths. Obviously this will not be the reality and someone is manipulating everyone else, we'll find out later no doubt.
So what do I think? I'm not sure, I can say I am enjoying it and I'm looking forward to Friday and the next episode. Maybe it's easier to say what I didn't like.
I don't like the dark oppressive future assigned to the Federation, clearly, neither does Picard, but the point is it should not be written like that, please don't take away our optimistic future.
I don't like some of the silly "clever" dialogue, some are so bad I have to put subtitles on to understand what they are saying.
I find it silly that the Captain would have to smoke a cigar to look cool hundreds of years after they will have been outlawed.
I don't like how characters tend to greet each other with weapons drawn and decades of baggage hanging from their shoulders.
I don't like this entire thing not being about a Starfleet crew exploring the galaxy, it's more like a futuristic Bourne identity, which in itself is not a bad thing, it's just not Star Trek.
I don't like characters using the "F" word in Star Trek, ever, it's unnecessary and means I won't be able to watch it with my grandkids when I get some!
I despised what happened to Icheb, it was disgusting to watch and to one of my favourite Voyager characters, it was also a total waste of an excellent character who could have joined up with Seven later in the series, graphic torture has no place in Star Trek, for the same reasons the F word does not.
I didn't see any reason for Hugh to be killed, although I have a feeling his nanites will save him.
I didn't like the hints of an incestuous relationship of Narek and Rizzo, just odd man.
Why would the EMH's all look like Rios, seems silly, is the man so narcissistic he needs all of them to look like him?
The rest I totally loved and it's what will keep me coming back for more. Episode 7, Nepenth, was lovely, seeing Troi, Riker and Picard together again brought tears to my eyes, fantastic chemistry which can never be acted, these people really do love each other in real life and are not acting in these scenes other than the words they say, and that was lovely.
Looking forward now to see what happens next and will review again at the end of season 1.