Star Trek Picard — Series 1 Episode 5 — Stardust City Rag — A Review

26th March, 2020.

Right … 

I’m unemployed, have a long term health condition — diabetes, since you ask — and am mildly frustrated about the corona virus lockdown.

There’s many things worth complaining about, I think.

One thing that does give me mixed feelings?

Is the — admittedly few — people on TV complaining about the amount of benefits they’re getting, as a result of being laid of in the crisis.

I know it’s hard: having been out of a job for two years, now., and on a very low income.

There’s nothing I can do about that, until the job situation improves.

To see others unused to being in my boat complaining about it, when the system is creaking under unprecedented strain?

Smacks of … 

There was one woman on the BBC News, today, compiling about the amount of Statutory Sick Pay she was receiving.

She’d been given it, if I’ve understood things correctly, as she was having to self-isolate: and complaining about the amount.

That she couldn’t live on that amount.

To me, struggling to manage on the amount I get … ?

It smacked of either ingratitude … or just plain old whinging …

~≈‡≈~

At any rate … ?

At any rate, I — like many of us — am stuck indoors.

With, quite literally, just my TV for company.

The TV … and another episode in the first series of Star Trek Picard…

~≈‡≈~

Episode 5 — Stardust City Rag — opens with a potted summary of earlier episodes.

Then gives us a flashback of Seven (Jeri Ryan) of Nine’s life, thirteen years ago.

It seems she made an attempt to rescue former Voyager crew-mate, Icheb, who’d been captured so his Borg implants could be harvested.

An attempt that failed: as the torture inflicted on Icheb left him begging his adoptive mother, Seven, to take his life … 

~≈‡≈~

Time moves to forward … 

Picard (Patrick) and the crew of the La Sirena arrive arrive at the criminal haven that is Freecloud, in each of Bruce Maddox (John Ale) … only to find that local mobster, Bjayzl* (Necar Zadegan) is in the middle of selling him to the Tal Shiar.

The only way to rescue him … ?   Is to outbid the Romulans.

The only thing they have to do that … ?   Is to sell Seven to Bjayzl … 

~≈‡≈~

Now … 

What did I make of Stardust City Rag?

I loved it!

For starters?

I’ve said it before, and will possibly say it again, Star Trek Picard is very good at shapes.

As a whole?   It’s kind of a cross between The Magnificent Seven, and a good old fashioned thriller.

With shades of political thrown in.

There’s something else, as well.

They’ve not done much character  … 

No, let me rephrase that.

The male characters are well written: truthfully, they are.

Not necessarily overwhelmingly so, in the case of Evan Evagora’s Elnor†, but I don’t think the writers have had a chance to use him, just yet.   He is, at the moment, the eye candy.

Santiago Cabrera is getting good use: he got some mileage, tonight, as Rios was the team’s shotgun.

Patrick Stewart, himself?   I suspect Sir Patrick is loving the boiled ham routine!

No, really: there’s only a few people that could get away with Cohen the Barbarian in a serious drama!

But I’ll be frank with you … Star Trek Picard has given us some remarkably strong women.

OK, I mention Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) is the Ensign Tilly of the piece: just ever so slightly ditzy.   That changes in this episode, and tells us there’s more to her than we thought.   As the relationship between her and Bruce Maddox is far more strained than we thought.

There’s the big guest star, Jeri Ryan, herself.

It’s a great performance, I think: we get to catch up with a fan favourite, and see how’s she’s changed over the years.

Seven seems more relaxed: more human, if you will.   But there’s traces of the Seven that crewed Voyager for many years.

But?   The death of Icheb hit hard.

And, at the last … ?

Michell Hurd’s done it again.

The writers on this show are fantastic: as is the rest of the cast.

But Michelle Hurd’s scene, where Raffi meets her estranged son, Gabriel (Mason Gooding)?

Utterly stunning!

Writing, design and — this above all — performances like this?

If you’re not watching Star Trek Picard, a take on the franchise with teeth, strong women, and a good look at the odd issue?

You’re missing a treat.

*        It rhymes with Vajazzle, so you know.   If you’ve never heard of a Vajazzle, you don’t want to ask.   No, really, you don’t want to click … you clicked the link, didn’t you … ?   Dearie, dearie me … 

†        It struck me that the Qowat Milat, the Romulan nuns in the last episode were a Star Trek take on the Bene Gesserit in Frank Herbert’s Dune.   Powerful, all women, and with access to arcane power no man could access, bar one?  That possibly means Elnor’s either a Romulan take on a Kwisatz Haderach … or a just a pointy eared samurai …