Season 2, Episode 5: ‘Fly Me to the Moon’
OK, children: The phrase of the day on this week’s “Picard” is Ancestor.
The newly found lineages of some very well-known “Trek” figures are figuring into the plot extra often as this season progresses, which isn’t too dissimilar from what occurred final season. This has been a operating theme of the present — an in-depth exploration of how our histories, each private and political, form the world we dwell in.
The Watcher — who seems like Laris however isn’t? — reveals that Renée Picard, Jean-Luc’s ancestor, is about to take off for a seminal spaceflight — the Europa mission — which leads not directly to the primary encounter with an alien organism and the Federation as we’ve come to comprehend it. (Is it simply me or is this gorgeous a lot the plot of “Star Trek: First Contact?” In that case, you’d assume Picard would point out his earlier expertise going again in time to take care of an analogous factor.) The Watcher is a Guardian of the Galaxy sort, and concurrently a Supervisor, a reference to the unique collection episode, “Project: Earth,” one other traditional time journey story.
One thing else goes unmentioned: Picard had a younger nephew, René, who dies in “Star Trek: Generations.” Presumably, he was named after Renée.
Picard is knowledgeable by The Watcher that she “watches” Renée however is rarely seen. (An alumnus of Milford Academy, it seems.) She’s additionally liable for defending the tapestry of the universe, however by some means doesn’t really make contact along with her or seemingly anybody else. (So what would you say you do right here?) She creepily retains monitor of Renée’s remedy periods and it’s revealed that her therapist is Q — with a German accent! (Some Watcher we’ve right here. So good at watching and doesn’t understand one thing is off with the physician.)
To be sincere, it was a bit off-putting watching Picard and the crew plot out methods to maintain Renée’s anxiousness in verify so she will make the Europa flight. She actually appears to be anxious to the purpose that it’s not secure for her to take off. So why is it assumed that Q is within the improper to inform her she shouldn’t do it? How is Jean-Luc certified to touch upon Renée’s psychological well being a technique or one other?
We meet one other Soong performed by Brent Spiner. Spiner is an actor with limitless vary — that he performs one other one in every of Information’s ancestors with a brand new twist is spectacular. Right here, Dr. Soong is a geneticist with a dying daughter. He’s operating unmonitored, unlawful genetic experiments on troopers in an effort to avoid wasting his daughter, who can not encounter daylight. The daughter seems to be whom Soji and Dahj have been created after. This was a pleasant robust to carry Isa Briones again into the fold. It’s straightforward to think about a world through which Information finds an historic Soong to mannequin his daughters after.
(Facet be aware: The Soong seems to be the daddy of Arik Soong, whom we meet in “Star Trek: Enterprise.” If this episode is any indication, this may start generations of problematic genetic engineering carried out by Soongs.)
However what’s Q’s goal? This has been a lingering query all season. Right here, he seeks out this Soong to current him with a treatment for his daughter. In return, he desires Soong to assist him eliminate Picard. This looks like an odd strategy. Despite the fact that Q’s powers seem restricted, he’s nonetheless sturdy sufficient to alter whole timelines. So logically, he shouldn’t want a human like Soong to realize his goals, until they’re fully sudden. The Watcher brings this up herself and Picard doesn’t have a solution.
Right here’s a thought: What if the 2024 occasion that adjustments the timeline isn’t Renée’s flight, however slightly Q giving this Soong a genetic treatment which didn’t beforehand exist?
We additionally verify in on Operation Rescue Rios, the place Rios is on a detention bus primed to be rescued by Seven and Raffi. Seven remarks, “If we beam him out in entrance of a dozen eyewitnesses, who is aware of what impact teleportation might need on the twenty first century?”
Raffi’s aghast response was the identical as mine: “Time journey guidelines?!”
Time journey episodes in “Trek” all the time contain a personality randomly moralizing concerning the results on the timeline. However such issues really feel a bit out of character for the Seven we’ve come to know in “Picard.” She’s a rogue bounty hunter sort. Raffi is the Starfleet officer — she’s the one who ought to care concerning the temporal prime directive, an precise Starfleet coverage. (Actually, simply by transporting to the twenty first century, they’ve modified the timeline. And Raffi already recklessly shot off a phaser within the final episode, in order that horse has left the barn.)
Finally, Seven presses a button on a tricorder which causes the bus holding Rios to come back to a cease. By some means, this doesn’t violate Seven’s requirements for impacting the twenty first century, however let’s transfer on. Rios is rescued, and our temporary take a look at the inhumane immigration system has come to an finish.
It’s nonetheless unclear precisely what the Borg Queen’s plan is, although it appears to contain taking up Jurati as a companion, just like what she tried to do with Information in “First Contact.” Like Q, the Queen is completely unpredictable, which suggests Picard is preventing a battle on a number of fronts. All we all know is that she desires to resurrect the Borg as a power. The reveal on the finish, that Jurati has been type of, type of assimilated was a stable punch to finish the week.
This season has spent far more time in 2024 than one would possibly anticipate, which supplies the present much less of a science fiction really feel. Even so, there may be sufficient materials and sufficient high quality performances to maintain the season compelling.