Picard Episode 1 review - Not that hard a pick.

WARNING: SPOILERS

So coming into this I should lay my card on the table:

1) I like Star Trek but I'd probably be a more casual fan. I've not seen every episode of every series (I've seen a good chunk of them) I came in watching Voyager which I think in total I maybe missed 3-5 episodes in its entire run. I do get the complaints people have about Voyager E.G. the limited resources issue goes out the window pretty damn quick and there's little tension around having to bend rules to survive mostly. I watched Enterprise up until the arc Xindi arc. I watched Deep Space 9 but missed most stuff after the Dominion War. I've seen a good chunk of Next Generation and The Original series. I own copies of all the JJ Abrams Star Trek films and yes I once said it's possible to enjoy Into Darkness but NOT as a star Trek film, I will also say that I liked Star Trek Beyond even if I feel it has some flaws it felt more star Trek. I've seen the Star Trek 2, 3, 4, First Contact and Nemesis (yes that means I've not seen all the films) I've also seen the parody film Star Wrek on and all The Orville so far. I'd say I'm a casual fan, even though as a kid (and I may still have it but I'm not sure where) I did have a Star Trek Next Generation ship Innerspace playset. Oh and for the record I'm more of a fan of Star Trek than Star Wars even before the sequel trilogy. Hopefully that's established I'm not on the level of Red Letter media able to name the exact episode off by heart based on a description of the aliens or events but I'm not pretending to be a fan to seem "with it" I'm a casual fan at best but still a fan.

2) I'm not access media so I'm writing this having just seen the episode and just drunk most of a gin and tonic because I was expecting to need alcohol, turns out I didn't but still I've had a drink before writing this.

So given all that info before I start going in deep, how was Star Trek Picard episode 1 for me? I found it fine. Nothing springs out as super wrong so far the first episode was a ok introduction that quickly answered the obvious question people brought up based on the trailer and then posed more questions for the audience instead. It's done enough to get me to watch more of it and it's not a hard pick for me to choose to tune into the show to see where it goes.


So now for the deeper dive.

The initial part of the episode cuts between Picard's life in his vineyard with the two other members of staff that help keep things running and a mysterious girl whose boyfriend is killed by black suited masked people who try to kidnap her only for her to kill them all.

Picard is having dreams about his time with Data which helps to foreshadow events later in the episode while the girl in question is having visions of Picard.

Picard does a TV interview where let's say they're very focussed on the idea of keeping old animosity alive and Picard basically tells the reporter that she should probably read up on history more. It's revealed that the sun near Romulus went supernova wiping out Romulus (for those keeping track that means this is not the JJ Abrams timeline) and Picard led the attempt to co-ordinate an evacuation and relocation of all of Romulus. Things when horribly wrong with this however when the staging ground on Mars for some or a good deal of the rescue ships including those coming back with civilians come under attack after a group of rogue synthetics drop the planetary shields and hack the defence net on Mars wiping out the rescue armada, the shipyard and setting Mars on fire, a fire that lasts many years. After this attack synthetic lifeforms were banned within the federation, a decision Picard still objects to. (I wonder how much of that ban was angry Femcels upset at the competition from sex robots really). It's also revealed after the attack Star Fleet called off the rescue attempt leaving many on Romulus to die to the supernova which is why Picard resigned from Star Fleet in protest and belief they abandoned their duty to help save and protect people.

Now I can see people likely objecting to the while "Star Fleet refused to save the Romulans" bit as that does really feel like a big kick to the whole future of hope and co-operation Star Trek has always shown (until STD). However anyone objecting to the whole ban on synthetic lifeforms thing might be on more shakey ground as the Federation has previously banned genetic modification due to the eugenics wars so banning non naturally things has happened before.

The next day after the interview the girl finds in his vineyard in the evening and approaches him explaining what happened and saying her name is Dahj as he listens intently at one point leaving her necklace with Picard after saying her father made it for her. Picard has a room made up for her and retires to sleep where he dreams of Data painting a picture of a girl in a cloak very similar to the cloak Dahj turned up in. He awakes to realise the painting is hanging in his study but doesn't show the girls face. One of Picard's staff comes in and tells him Dahj has left some time in the night


Picard goes to the quantum archives to access his personal effects from when he was in Star Fleet. In Picard's archive room we see little mementos from previous adventures and events. Picard uses the archives to bring up a large packages which then unpacks itself and Picard pulls off a cloth to reveal a 2nd painting this one showing the girls face. It looks exactly like Dahj. Bringing up the index system he finds out that no-one has been in the room other than him and finds out the painting is titled "Daughter".

Dahj meanwhile having fled Picard's vineyard in the night tries to contact her mother only for her mother to strangely know she went to Picard without being told and the mother's image seems to glitch out before telling her to find Picard again. Dahj hacks into a number of systems and uses them to track down Picard.

Meeting Picard outside the archives he and Dahj talk things over with Picard with her saying she left fearing she was putting Picard in danger and the men who previously attacked her might come for her again. Dahj initially believes something is medically or psychologically wrong with her only for Picard to tell her about commander Data and his belief that she may be his daughter somehow, an android who appears human (worth noting Data's previous attempt to create another android was with Lal who also appeared more human but unfortunately died due to "cascade failure of her neural net"). Dahj objects saying she's human and about her memories of growing up which Picard says no-one can take from her but she needs to look deep down as she could be something lovingly created and it might mean she is very important to him. Picard ends suggesting they go to the Federation research institute The Daystrom Institute.

Dahj and Picard's talk and plans are interrupted when Dahj states that the people hunting her have found her again. After a brief attempt to escape men in black space suits start beaming into the roof where Dahj and Picard are.

Dahj tells Picard to take cover and begins fighting an dispatching the armed attackers. After pulling a helmet off one the attacker is revealed to be Romulan or Vulcan. Before Dahj can shoot one of the other downed attacks he spits a corrosive substance onto Dahj and the weapon. The substance causes the weapon to start to heat up and begins to eat away at Dahj's face seemingly burning it like acid. The weapon then explodes seemingly killing Dahj and throwing Picard into the air with him landing further along the roof top walkway and losing conciousness.

Picard wakes up back at his Vineyard surrounded by his staff as he lays on the sofa. It's revealed by his staff that the Police said he was found alone o the roof and the feeds showed no-one else with him indicating some kind of cloaking device working that automatically activated on Dahj that disrupts her images from appearing on feeds. Picard reveals the assassins were Romulan and laments his failure to save her. Picard decides he owes it to Dahj to find out who killed her and why.

Picard goes to the The Daystrom Institute where he talks with one of the researchers there. It's revealed that B4 has been disassembled and that the attempt by data to transfers his neural net information to B4 in Insurrection ultimately failed with most if not all of the information being lost. Picard enquires about making sentient androids out of flesh and blood. It's revealed that without Data's neural net no-one could make a flesh and blood sentient android. Picard then pulls out Dahj's necklace and asks the researcher if it means anything to her, it does it's a theory of her mentor / the person who recruited her that 'Data's entire code and even memories could be recreated if they just had one of his neurons'. It's also suggested that some part of Data must therefore survive out there. It's also revealed that using the technique they'd be created in pairs. It's then revealed the twin of Dahj is Soji who is presently in a Romulan Reclamation site which is later revealed to be the remains of a borg cube.

Overall the episode felt quite fine with Isa Briones holding her own acting wise as Dahj and Soji and Sir Patrick Stewart giving his normal excellent performance as Picard. The fight scenes felt well executed and weren't a mess of jump cuts and shakey cam, the shots that were shown seemed deliberately planned to show the action from the best angle and clearly show it which gives it a point about some recent Hollywood films for action direction. My only objections so far was it felt like some of the shots were more filler and sort of artsy shots that are meant to seem deep and meaningful but early on in the show felt unearned and like they were filler. I do however like how they didn't try and tease her being linked to Data and use that as a whole mystery box throughout the show. I also like how they reveal the people hunting her as seemingly not section 31 operatives pretty quickly too. 

In terms of the rumour and talk of it being about it being woke? Not really as Dahj does suffer loss and it is explained sort of why she is as capable as she is. It's also shown she isn't unstoppable as she actually dies and is vulnerable. 

There's also no over jabs or comments about Trump or any current year politics so far, even I'd suggest more taking a shot at the nature of press at present trying to sow division.

It's not quite Star Trek in feel yet with no complex ethical dilemas yet to navigate but it does feel mostly like a story that is taking place in the Gene Rodenberry Star Trek universe rather than the JJ Abrams universe of lens flare and gunfights. I actually am interested to see where this goes and suggest you give it a look.

Thank you for reading my review.

ALL IMAGES USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMMENT / CRITICISM AND REVIEW AND COPYRIGHT OF THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS. (I literally screencapped them from the thing)