After receiving a cryptic, urgent distress call from Dr. Beverly Crusher, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard enlists help from generations old and new to embark on one final adventure: a daring mission that will change Starfleet, and his old crew forever.
There was a lot of excitement going into this episode. Knowing that the season will bring the Next Generation cast together a final time despite losing some brilliant cast members form the first two seasons is an exciting concept. Especially from Terry Matalas who takes over as full show runner after splitting responsibilities last season with Akiva Goldsman. Thankfully, the first chapter lived up to those expectations.
Opening with the often cast aside member of the cold crew, Beverly Crusher. Years gone from her role as Chief Medical Officer on board the flagship, she’s got her own ship and under fire. But unlike days of old she’s throwing herself into the fight, thwarting the mysterious baddies and calling her old pal Jean Luc for help. She and Jean Luc haven’t spoken for over twenty years and here she is needing the help of the one person she still trusts the most. And she wants his help and no one elses. Especially not Starfleet. Or course, Picard ignores that bit, shares the message with Captain Riker and together they end up pulling Starfleet into the mix. Because of course they do!
Promising to be a bit of a slow burner reunion show there was both excitement and hesitation when it came to playing on the nostalgia of the 90’s and taking Picard to a more familiar past than Season 2’s dive into his childhood and family history. A lot of that hesitation fades as soon as Riker enters the scene. Back in uniform, but seemingly with more of a ceremonial role, he moves the plot along with an overly excited need to get himself in the thick of the action. Despite the years that have passed, there’s still that excited undercurrent of Riker playing at being young again – convincing the reluctant Picard to lie his way onto the brand new version of the Titan
This really was an episode setting the ground work for the season. We have Beverly Crusher in danger and reaching out with a paranoid message after ghosting her old crew for over twenty years. Her mysterious companion on her medical aid ship, who ends up announcing himself as his son Jack, and new faces including Captain Shaw who’s not putting up with any of Picards nonsense.
Shaw was one of the best elements of the show. An instant antagonist, the by the book master of sarcasm brings Picards ego back down to the place it was at in the series first episode. Maybe not as dramatically, but it brings us back to Picard being retired with no real power or control. All he has is Riker’s half baked plan to redirect a test run of the Titan to covertly help Crusher and a captain who can see right through him.
The elevation of Seven under Shaw also made for a nice touch, keeping her involved with genuine purpose as she works under Shaws clear loathing of the Borg, making her use her human name and giving her someone to rebel against when she disobeys her captains orders and follows Picard’s plan. It all came together rather nicely, with a lot of teases and pacing that all led to Picard and Riker showing their chemistry in an unauthorised away mission to save Beverly, stumble upon her secret offspring and come face to face with what they were running; The Shrike. An imposing and relentless starship…
For all that could be said about the previous two episodes of Picard, their openers have always been good viewing. This was no different and had just the right mix of action and fun. Riker and Picards chemistry as two men past their prime still ready to go into space was wonderful to see. In contrast we had Seven doubting herself and trying to be part of the new collective on board the Titan and her frustration at not really finding the home she hoped for, as well as Shaw who perhaps quite rightly put his foot down when he said it was his ship, his rules.
For an opener the show gave us a bit of everything. The pacing, style and performance all made a great hour of viewing and the way the story ended on a cliffhanger gave us a lot of anticipation of what’s to come with so many questions ready to be answered in the next nine instalments.
HIGHLIGHTS
-
Knowing there was more to their arrival, seeing Seven calling out Riker and Picard and standing up for herself whilst explaining while she struggled was a great moment for her. Jeri Ryan has always been “the one in the catsuit” in Trek popular knowledge but she’s really earned her pips over the years and being rewarded for it.
-
“It’s not a plan, it’s a ruse!” Riker’s near child like enthusiasm in getting back into space wads wonderful throughout, even when pointing out he and Picard were clearly too old and broken to be wielding phasers on a rogue mission…
-
Raffi’s sublot. I’ve not mentioned it at all, but her frustration over having to join the wonderful world of Starfleet intelligence shows both evolution and usage of her shaky career so far.
-
Shaw. Easy to hate him, especially ‘deadnaming’ Seven. But his sarcastic and blunt analysis of Picard and Riker wasn’t far off. How many Badmirals did the Enterprise deal with in their time?
About the author
Resistance Is Optional: Choose Your Adventure!
Our trials of bringing the fleet together have been hit and miss with scheduling and dates being a bit slim. So we're opening the floor to the fleet to pick the next date and theme! You can make your selection below on what works best for you ahead of our next fleet event! The final outcome will be shared at Europa on Facebook and in Fleet Alert in the Officers Hub as soon as we have a comfortable number of notes. For more information or to get direct updates on non-Discord online events, you can the subscribe to Twitch channel, visit twitch.tv/sfcq2. Google Meets events are hosted by our google account - you can add sfcquad2@gmail.com to your whitelist to ensure direct notification. Info and invite confirmations may also come from jt@sfcq2.com directly.
Sixty Year Mission…
It's been a really weird year already for the world of Star Trek fans. We started 2026 with a new venture into a strange new future with Starfleet Academy. Then just as the show had won people over, we found out it's the latest in a long list of recent productions to get a cancellation order, is a bit of a weird way to start the 60th anniversary of a legendary franchise. The past few years we've kind of spoiled. Growing up it was exciting to have Deep Space Nine run alongside the Next Generation. In modern times we had multiple shows going at once with Discovery's launch spawning a new world of story telling from revisiting Picard in his post-Starfleet years, to animated comedy with Lower Decks, to finally telling the story of Captain Pike and even a peek […]
[Retro Review] Let This Be Your Last Battlefield
Often shown in highlight reels and quoted in discussions about Star Trek's more forward thinking messages, Let This Be Your Last Battlefield is at it's simplest, a story of the ridiculousness of segregation. En route to a vital mission of mercy, Kirk and his crew end up in the middle of a political minefield. Interrupted in the mission by a stolen Federation shuttle carrying an injured alien, Lokai from the planet Cheron, they're soon further interrupted by Commissioner Bele, an official representing Cheron who announces Lokai as a political traitor and demanding custody. One asylum request later, Kirk's stuck between the two trying to find the right course of action knowing he has orders to follow beyond the situation. The separation between Belle and Lokai is a simple context. And also a strangely charged one looking at it from a […]
[Treknology] The Holodeck
An immersive experience in itself, the Holodeck is one of the many creature comforts that help bring comfort and entertainment within the life of a starship years from home that not only acts in creating a live action gaming environment, but as a useful tool for educational simulations, experiments and the occasional Hirogen nightmare! The holodeck is a complex device. Essentially a simulated environment generator, the holodeck is usually a vast room that used a combination of forcefields, matter replication and visually manipulative holographic systems to create an immersive environment that one or multiple people can use to not only see and hear, but physically interact with. Able to replicate anything from historical settings to an entirely original landscape, the holodeck ios Knightmare in ultra high resolution without a headset or guide, but a physical interaction with a created world […]
A Fistful of Sisko
In the past few years, Star Trek has made several nods to it's past. But while The NExt Generation and Voyager had their continuations, Deep Space Nine continued to 'black sheep' of the family with it's history and name drops being few and far between. Until Academy when we had an entire episode based around the legend of Starfleet's most complex captains. Starting his show as a widower and single parent, Benjamin Sisko started his time in Star Trek as a reluctant hero turned religious icon who's become a prime figure in Bajoran history, the Federation-Dominion war and much more. If you missed his series, first of.... why?! And also, if you want a quick intro - here's our Sisko top five to see what the fuss is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzBkvzPoofQ IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Season 6, Episode 13 Lets […]
Starfleet Academy to end with with Season 2
Announced first by Variety, it's been announced that Starfleet Academy will end with Season 2. Having just launches in January with the first season finale receiving positive reactions, and it's second season now in post-production following the completion of filming, the announcement comes at an unsurprising time with Paramount undergoing new ownership under Skydance and more business shenanigans with further consolidation in the works with plans to absorb Warner Brothers into the mix. Set in the 32nd century and using Discovery's season 3 'Burn' storyline as a reset point, Starfleet Academy was focused on new original characters who had signed up to be the new stewards of Starfleet's future to rebuild the strength and vision of the Federation. Opening strong, Academy improved throughout it's first season and used it's setting to help strengthen the hopeful vision of the future and […]
Related
Starfleet Academy Welcomes It’s First Class!
The first batch of cast announcements for Academy focused on veteran actors Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter, the latter in the role of the new Academy Commandant, but now we're getting a full look at the shows first class of cadets as the first five are ready to enlist!
Paul Giamatti joins Holly Hunter for Starfleet Academy!
Looking ahead to the next generation of Star Trek shows, Paramount and Secret Hideout have already began announcing new cast members to lead the Starfleet Academy series coming to the streaming platform in the near future. News of the show has already turned heads with notes that the new academy campus will be the largest seen on TV so far, being filmed in Pinewood';s largest stage in Canada, though in terms of what to fully expect from the young adult drama, things are largely being kept under Red Directive secrecy. However we now at least know who will be leading the new class ahead of the shows production...
The Last Generation: Picard S310 Review
In a desperate last stand, Jean-Luc Picard and generations of crews, both old and new, fight together to save the galaxy from the greatest threat they've ever faced as Picard and the Next Generation era comes to an end.
Starfleet Academy Series Announced
An idea teased and thrown around for decades will finally come to life as Paramount+ confirmed the next venture of Star Trek. As Picard and Discovery come to an end, we'll see a new brand of hero come to the forefront in Starfleet Academy in the near future.
The Bounty: Picard S306 Review.
Now on the run, Picard and the skeleton crew of the USS Titan must break into Starfleet's most top-secret facility to expose a plot that could destroy the Federation. Picard must turn to the only soul in the galaxy who can help: an old friend.
Imposters: Picard S305 Review.
Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether a prodigal crewman from his past has returned as an ally or an enemy hell-bent on destroying them all.
