10th March, 2023: ‘No Win Scenario’*.
It has to be said: life, sometimes, is full of mysteries.
Yes: it’s Friday
Yes: I’m preparing dinner.
And yes: I’ll be watching the next episode of Star Trek Picard, tonight
And — as a fourth yes? — I’m having fish and chips.
I’m still clueless as to why we’re supposed to have fish.
Except it ties into when the UK — or England, at least — was once a Catholic country.
Basically?
‘A bunch of bishops said so’.
Heigh ho!
~≈🖖≈~
At any rate … ?
It’s Friday night, I’m going to watching ‘No Win Scenario’, the next episode of Star Trek Picard’s last season.
I’ll have my reviews up, tomorrow night.
You can find out what I though of it …
Tomorrow night!
Then shifts.
To five years ago: to show us Admiral Picard eating alone at a restaurant.
And just about to start on a posh haddock dinner, when he’s approached by a group of eager cadets: keen to hear inspiring stories of derring-do that only he can tell them.
The scene shifts back to now.
Where we find the Admiral in his quarters on the seemingly doomed USS Titan: a USS Titan whose bridge crew are telling Captain (pro-tem) Riker that the ship is sinking.
As it’s rapidly losing power from every single system, and has little that can be shunted to life support … and less to the engines!
Captain Riker … ?
Has some tough decisions.
And, in an admission he makes to Admiral Picard?
Both an apology, and news.
It’s their last few hours: and Riker says that he, Picard? Should spend those getting to know his son, and putting his affairs in order.
~≈🖖≈~
Now … what did I make of this episode … ?
Was it good, bad, indifferent … ? Did it match the promise of the first three episodes?
I have to say, the opening three episodes of this series of Star Trek Picard — ‘The Next Generation’, ‘Disengage’ and ‘Seventeen Seconds’ — have been very watchable stuff: with ‘Disengage’ being a particular standout.
At least, for me.
‘No Win Scenario’?
Keeps that quality, absolutely keeps that quality!
And possibly improves it.
Can I make a minor confession … ?
‘Seventeen Seconds’ and ‘No Win Scenario’ feel like two halves of a two part story: although, granted, halves written by two sets of writers, ‘Seventeen Seconds’ by Jane Maggs and Cindy Appel, ‘No Win Scenario’ by Terry Matalas and Sean Tretta
What possibly helps that feeling?
Is that they’re two halves of a story with one director, Jonathon Frakes: which, I suspect, is what helps the coherency.
I’m assuming Mr Frakes planned both episodes at near enough the same time: and was able to direct the pair — a pair, at a collective one hundred and thirteen or so minutes — that as if it were one continuous feature film.
That direction is first-class: and is a credit to the man.
The performances? Are just as good.
Patrick Stewart, as Admiral Picard, has some work to do.
Not only be the inspirational elder the cadets in the flashback scenes expect him to be, not only been the wise leader needed by the Titan crew, not only be the demonic Locutus of Borg that Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick) is evidently still traumatised by …
But also be the father he never knew he was: to a son who, he finds, was the stranger asking many years ago.
All that and deliver the funniest line off the episode: “… despite the fact you are, indeed, a dip-shit from Chicago†.”
The other performance I should highlight … ?
Was Todd Stashwick’s, in that self same scene, in the Titan’s emergency bar.
We learn that the last time Shaw met Picard? Was at the Battle of Wolf 359‡: when a Borg-enslaved Picard had led an attempt at conquering Earth.
It’s explains Shaw’s frosty reaction to Picard … and gives Stashwick a chance to air his acting chops, at the PTSD-afflicted Captain.
It’s one hell of a performance … and one hell of an episode!
~≈🖖≈~
With all that said … ?
With all that said, I have only two, relatively trivial, complaints.
And they are trivial.
Firstly?
You’re possibly aware of the fact I write the Daily Teaser, a set of brain teaser quizzes: posting them to my blog, and to YouTube, once a day.
I’ve just recently written one about Quentin Tarantino: one that’s due to go live on 27th March, only a few days from now.
The research for that … ?
Reminded me that Amanda Plummer — Vadic — played the enthusiastically psychotic Honey Bunny in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.
I couldn’t watch most of her scenes in ‘No Win Scenario,’ without imagining her waving a gun about and yelling obscenities.
Until, of course, the big revelation: that yes … Vadic is a Changeling.
Or, at least, can communicate with them: in a weird ritual that involves cutting a vein.
My only other complaint?
Assuming what I’ve said about Amanda Plummer IS a complaint?
It is simply that we’ve not seen more of Raffi’s story, this week.
I still feel Michelle Hurd is the best individual actress in Star Trek Picard.
But, frankly?
I’m happy to wait to wait for the next episode: to see what happens, there!
~≈🖖≈~
At any rate … ?
That’s where I’ll leave this post.
Having seen a superb episode of Star Trek Picard: one that leaves me wanting another.
I’m posting this on a Saturday.
So?
Tomorrow night is Sunday, 12th March.
I’ll be watching the next episode of AppleTV+’s For All Mankind, ‘New Eden’, tomorrow.
I’ll be watching the next episode of Star Trek Picard, ‘Imposter’, on Saint Patrick’s Day, 17th March: and have my written and video reviews of that up, on the 18th.
I’d love it if you joined me.
We can all find out what happens!
‘No Win Scenario’.★★★★
* As a thought? I believe the title of this episode refers to the Kobayashi Maru test Star Fleet officer candidates have to take. Introduced in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, it’s a test designed to see how the cadets deal with a no win scenario.
† You had to be there.
‡ The Borg, in case you don’t know, are the Star Trek franchise’s equivalent to Dr Who’s Cybermen. Much like the Cybermen, they spread by turning members of other species into Borg. The Battle of Wolf 359 mention in this episode is a key part of Parts one and two of The Best Of Both Worlds: a story that sees Picard kidnapped, and assimilated by the Borg. That assimilation? Forms a major thread in Picard’s story arc.
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