29th July, 2022.
It’s officially Friday.
And tomorrow? Is going to be Saturday.
You’ve probably worked that out, haven’t you?
If you’ve been following my blog for the last few weeks? You’ve possibly realised that I’ve been watching Stranger Things, series four on Tuesdays: and reviewing the episodes on Wednesdays.
I’ve been watching the second season of Star Trek Picard on Fridays, and posting my written and video reviews of each episode on Saturdays.
Tonight, of course, is Friday: so, on top of mentioning today’s Teaser — just in case you were wondering about the stuff I mentioned in the intro video —I’ll be watching the next episode, called Two of One.
I’ll have my reviews finished by tomorrow.
I’ll see you then.
30th July, 2022.
Episode 6 — Two of One — opens with the usual summary of earlier episodes.
Then shifts … to show us the unconscious body of Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart), himself: after something has happened.
The comatose admiral is having flashbacks: to a traumatic event involving his mother … after something equally traumatic has happened to him.
Thirty-four minutes, earlier? The scene shifts to the queue outside a high security gala, one the Admiral and his team are trying to infiltrate.
He and Tallinn (Orla Brady) are together: with Tallinn wondering why on Earth the Admiral keeps calling her Laris.
Tallinn is thankful he tells her what he does: as it makes her very aware of what he looks like when he’s lying.
We see Picard discreetly talks to Agnes Jurati: who has conned her way into the Gala’s security office, so she can hack the security systems and falsify the ID database.
The only problem Jurati has? Is the handcuffs chaining her to the chair.
The only way she has of getting those off?
Is with the insidious help of the Borg Queen, squatting in her head.
Post titles … ?
We shift to a hospital bed: where the Admiral is still being treated, whilst having flashbacks to a childhood incident involving his mother.
The scene shifts to twenty-six minutes earlier, where a Jazz band is playing at the gala: and the Admiral and Tallinn carefully watching Renée Picard.
Knowing that Q has been trying to persuade his ancestor into not flying on the mission … ?
The Admiral is very aware Renée seems to be drinking herself into a stupor.
He’s also curious to know who — if anyone — is watching Tallinn.
Both are aware that that have only ten hours to get Renée into quarantine, and happy to do the trip.
It’s only when Picard meets Picard, when Jean-Luc manages to meet Renée? After we see the parts of a story that shows us a deeply injured Admiral, a Jurati being possessed, and a Raffi facing her demons?
It’s only then … ?
That we find out why the Admiral has been injured.
After being run over by Dr Adam Soong: who was trying to kill Renée …
The only way to bring him out of the coma he’s in … ? Is a jury rigged mind meld with Tallinn …
~≈🖖≈~
Now … what did I make of Two of One?
Was it good, bad or indifferent?
I have to admit: Two of One has an interesting structure.
It’s a series of scenes of an unconscious Admiral Picard … alternating with scenes of the gala that lead to him being unconscious on the operating table of a free LA clinic.
And it’s a structure I suspect writers, Cindy Appel and Jane Maggs, and director, Jonathan Frakes, worked damn hard on building.
Successfully, I think.
Two of One’s structure had me sat down, avidly watching a thriller of a episode: another link in a very satisfying chain.
Last week’s episode — Fly Me to the Moon — showed us what the team needed to do.
With Two of One showing the first successful step, in a way that had me paying attention.
And … ?
And had some superb performances: Annie Wersching’s Queen, and her relationship with Alison Pill’s Dr Jurati is both watchable, and deeply Faustian.
As was Michelle Hurd’s: the look on her face, ordering a club soda? Was priceless.
It tells you everything you need to know about Raffi, without having to explain: and was quite gorgeous to watch.
Frankly?
I can only wish more TV was like this!
It would only encourage me to watch.
~≈🖖≈~
Which … ?
Is where I’ll be leaving this post.
I’ll be watching the next episode of Stranger Things — The Dive — on Tuesday. 26th July: and posting my reviews of it on Wednesday, 27th.
I’ll be watching the next episode of Star Trek Picard — Monsters — next Friday, 5th August, and reviewing them on Saturday, 6th.
I’d love it if you joined me!
Two of One.★★★★
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