3rd March, 2023: ‘Seventeen Seconds’.
Right … it’s official Friday, 3rd March.
Which implies a few things.
Yes: it’s my birthday, tomorrow.
I’m going to have my usual Saturday night review up, a little earlier than expected.
Or possibly later.
One of the two.
If you’d like to make to make my weekend, and buy me a Mac Studio … ?
You’d be welcome to!
It also implies I’m cooking my usual dinner.
Fish and chips … again.
I know that — here in the UK — we’re have the meal as a result of Roman Catholic religious practises from the time we were a collection of squabbling Catholic nations.
If someone with half an idea could let me know, I’d appreciate it!
At any rate … ?
And to reiterate?
It’s Friday, and I’m going to be watching ‘Seventeen Seconds’: the next episode of Star Trek Picard’s last series.
And … ?
I’ll have my written and video reviews up, tomorrow night … once I’ve had a celebratory birthday meal.
Episode 3 — ‘Seventeen Seconds’ — opens with a summary of earlier episodes.
Then moves to show us the USS Titan, taking desperate evasive manoeuvres, to get away from the Shrike: the warship commanded by Vadic (Amanda Plummer.)
It also shows us Jack (Ed Speleers) and Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) heading for Sickbay: where at least one of the Titan’s crew seems willing to blame Jack for the damage that’s being done.
Back on the bridge … ?
Things are looking equally as desperate: the Titan’s warp engines has been damaged under continual fire from the Shrike.
The only thing keeping the Titan from being destroyed?
Is hiding deeper in the nebula …
~≈🖖≈~
Post titles, we’re shown a flashback: to the time, many years earlier, when Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) are celebrating the birth of Riker’s son, Thaddeus: and sees Riker telling the Admiral that the seventeen second turbo-lift trip from the Titan’s bridge to Sickbay … were the longest seventeen seconds of his life.
Back in the present day, and with sensors down?
Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick) is concerned enough about the hidden Shrike to have to junior crewman watching out for the thing from the Titan’s back windows: and to make sure the his senior crew get some rest, as they’ve just pulled 36 hour shifts.
That gives ship’s pilot, Ensign Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut), a chance to check in with the confined Seven of Nine … who’s frustrated by being stuck in her quarters.
And gives Picard and Riker a similar chance to get off the bridge: Picard wants to have a long talk with Beverly, whilst Riker talks to Jack.
Dr Crusher has a lot to say to the Admiral: especially about his son, Jack …
~≈🖖≈~
Now … what did I make of this little lot?
What did I make of ‘Seventeen Seconds’ … ?
For a (very minor) start? I’ve got my answer: to why it’s called Seventeen Seconds.
It’s a line of Riker’s, from early in the episode: telling us how long it took him to get from Bridge to Sickbay, when his son was born.
Something that’s paralleled, later: when Picard has to visit his son, after Jack is critically injured.
The episode itself … ?
The episode, itself, is superb!
Way back in the day, many episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation would have an A and B storyline: the main one would be slightly darker than the B one.
Or the B one slightly more comedic: what have you!
Or they would be on a tonal par.
About the best example I can think of?
Is the utter classic, ‘Darmok’;
- Captain Picard’s struck on a planet, facing off against an invisible monster with a friendly alien whose language he can’t speak …
- Whilst Data and Counsellor Troi try and figure out the alien’s language: before the captain and his new found friend get eaten.
‘Seventeen Seconds’ does something similar.
Although, unlike ‘Darmok,’ it’s weaving two unrelated plots threads together.
- One follows the ad hoc crew of the Titan, as they try and fight — or hide — from the Shrike.
- The other follows Raffi (Michelle Hurd) and Worf (Michael Dorn) as they hunt for a human gangster connected to stolen weapons used to attack the Star Fleet base.
It’s reassuring to see a familiar structure.
It’s also giving us lots of red meat.
It shows us the destruction of the Star Fleet Recruitment base in as new light: when we see that it’s been destroyed by exactly the same kind of device the Shrike uses on on the Titan, a device that lets the Shrike move the Titan from here to there …
In much the same way it destroyed the base … by dropping it onto itself …
We have a pair of interweaved plots … complemented by some fine performances.
Jonathan Frakes? Is creditable as Captain Riker.
I don’t know if it’s his best performance. But he’s directing this episode, and making a damn good job of it, in addition to his acting role.
If he is does drop a ball? I’ve not noticed.
And I’m not especially worried: Frakes done double duty too many times, for me to say he’s done one or the other job, badly.
He hasn’t!
The rest of the cast?
One thing I’ve noticed about the cast of The Next Generation, over the years?
Is that — like the cast in long running drama — is that they can wander back, years after they last played a ‘their’ character … and play them with very little trouble.
That is very true of Michael Dorn, as Worf.
He’s back: and it’s like thirty years haven’t gone by.
And that experience — both as an actor, and as a specific character, and a specific character as parts of different crews — shows. The Son of Mogh is back, looking good …
And paired with Michelle Hurd’s Raffi Musiker.
The two actors look like they had a blast: and seem as good a pairing as their two characters.
Raffi — Raffaella, if you’re Worf! — is the most watchable character in ‘Seventeen Seconds’: going from existential rehab crisis to the bad cop half of a Good Cop/Bad Cop the likes of which Star Trek hasn’t seen for quite some time.
I’m sorry: I know this show has both a heavyweight cast, and the name ‘Picard,’ over the door … but Michelle’s still the star of the show, from where I’m sitting.
And … ?
The script writers have found an interesting way of giving Raffi — and Hurd — much more screen time.
That is all to the good.
We have fantastic performances, good writing … and something of a twist.
As ‘Seventeen Seconds’ tells us exactly who else seems to be involved with the plot Raffi, Worf, Picard — and the crew of the Titan — are battling.
I’m not going to tell you who — or what! — makes an appearance in this episode.
Suffice to say, a very old foe — one Worf, in particular, knows well — has made an appearance in this episode.
Whether they’re working with Vadic, or not? Is a whole other episode.
I suspect that episode might — might — be next week’s ‘No Win Scenario’.
~≈🖖≈~
Just as a last word … ?
You’re possibly aware that I’ve caught a lot of Star Trek, over the past few years.
Including Star Trek Discovery: the series whose release, in 2017, generated enough interest in the franchise to kick start interest in other current members.
Star Trek Picard, itself, alongside Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek Prodigy and Star Trek Strange New Worlds.
All of which are doing well.
Sadly, though … ?
It’s been announced that the fifth series — due to air in early 2024 — is to be the show’s last.
With budget reasons being cited, by some, as an influencing factor.
I’m a little conflicted.
I’ve often found the series could be a little too right on, a little too evangelical for my tastes.
Not that reminding people that diversity exists is a bad thing.
No: it needs saying, sometime.
Just that being preached at wasn’t necessarily to some folks taste.
With that said?
It’s still a loss.
Dr Culber (Wilson Cruz) had just started warming up in series three, and his husband, Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) is a likeable, watchable character.
We can’t have enough of Jet Reno (Tig Notaro): David Ajala (Book Booker), is an utter star.
The 32nd Century background? Not explored enough!
And Sonequa Martin-Green, as Captain Burnham?
Possibly one of the most regal captains ever the ’Trek franchise has ever seen.
Losing the series may be a good thing: if it allows resources to be spread amongst other members of the franchise.
May be a bad thing: as it puts people out of jobs, and stops exploring another part of the background universe.
But?
I suspect and hope Star Trek Discovery will be watched and talked about for a long time.
~≈🖖≈~
Let’s close up this post, shall we?
I have thoroughly enjoyed ‘Seventeen Seconds.’
And thoroughly suggest you go see it.
It might make more sense, watching it as part of a series: but the performances — especially from Michelle Hurd — make it very watchable on its own.
Frankly?
I’m going to be watching the next episode of For All Mankind — ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’ — tomorrow night, and will have my written and video reviews up on Monday, 6th March.
I’m going to be watching ‘No Win Scenario’, episode 4 of this last series of Star Trek Picard, on 10th March.
It better be good: I’ll let you know, when I see you!
‘Seventeen Seconds.’★★★★
* Raffi’s line — ‘I think I feel my camomile tea coming back up.’ — is hysterical. And on a par with Worf’s ‘Beheadings are on Wednesdays.’
† That written review will go live, late on 11th March, 2023.
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