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Post by Bogatan on Apr 15, 2023 6:41:36 GMT
The most annoying thing about the set lighting, is they could have been so incredibly clever, and used it not only for dramatic mood, but as environmental story telling. I don't think I need to do this as it all revolves around early to mid season events, but just in case, spoilering the rest. Nothing to do with Episode 9. Spoiler
All they had to do was start the season with the sets properly lit, then get dark during the shrike attack and when they're sinking into the nebula, because of their power drain and damage.
Then go the rest of the season with half lights, because they're understaffed and heavily damaged. They can only work on critical systems, and dimmer lights would go a long way to show how much trouble they're in.
They get their Drama™️ and an in-universe reason for it. To me, it even makes it more dramatic than starting off with almost no lights. I feel like the in universe reason is already fairly valid. Ever since season 1 Picard has been showing a Star Fleet and possibly Federation that isn't in a great place. TNG starts at a time when the Federation had enjoyed decades, nearly a century of peace. They were so relaxed there was no issue having families on board starships. Of course those ships are then going to be bright and filled with soft furnishings. Then the Borg arrive. Then the Romulans. Then the Casrdassians, the Klingons, the Dominion. Then theres the AI thing and the loss of their main shipyards. Suddenly they are having to make use of 100 year old ships that werent designed for the modern luxuries. The current crop of captains, such as Shaw, (and really everyone else, ship designers etc) they've spent most of their careers in the post Borg Starfleet. For the ones like Shaw who do remember before then, they likely think that cozy version of Starfleet was naive and complacent. Im absolutely certain the ships lights could be turned up, but for Shaw and other Captains its about creating an environment of focus and preparedness. A visual break from the past. I'm certain other ships are much brighter, I cant imagine Captain Boimler turning the lights down unless he thinks in that moment that it will make him look cool. But the Titans lighting is exactly what I would expect of a ship commanded by Shaw. And really the same goes for the Stargazer under Rios and for the entire generation of Captains who almost certainly experienced real horrors in the early stages of their careers. Thats not to say they couldnt have had some bright scenes in private quarters and social areas. But again, Shaw is my explanation. Dont read this before seeing episode 9. Spoiler
Plus in a more relevant to the show way, if they start with a well lit Titan and things only get dark as a result of power failures and the like, it honestly reduces the impact of seeing the Ds bright and friendly bridge. Instead of saying look this is how we used to be, full of hope and positivity, its just saying hey look what a bridge looks like when it hasnt spent 8 epidsodes having the crap pounded out of it.
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Apr 15, 2023 7:45:16 GMT
I concur with my esteemed colleagues thoughts above. Lights were already dimming on the Enterprise E in First Contact. As for the Changling/Borg connection in episode 9... if the Borg can manipulate, cajole and assimilate via latent DNA and the rebel Changlings are perfect copies down to the DNA... were they even in control of their recent actions? Or were they all Borg themselves already? |
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Post by Toph on Apr 15, 2023 7:57:06 GMT
That's a really good point I'd not considered yet, that it was intentionally over dark, to contrast the E-D's return.
Maybe the whole borg/changeling thing is the origin of the 30th century's programmable matter
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 15, 2023 8:02:42 GMT
Is it next Friday yet? I haven't been this excited for a Trek show since Disco S2.
-Ralph
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Post by Llama God on Apr 15, 2023 8:13:29 GMT
Thoughts with slightly more words, and, as an additional warning, spoilers for Lower Decks season 3 as well:
As with the rest of the season that episode had some questionable moments from a story point of view, and then the end happened and I, too, lost my shit and with it the ability to be rational or critical about the rest of the episode. And I absolutely hate myself for it. I hate when series, including this one, show things from earlier incarnations for no reason other than to get a specific subset of the viewership excited through nostalgia. And this week, it was targeted squarely at me and I absolutely lapped it up.
Weak-minded idiot. If they'd rung a bell I'd've probably made a meringue, too.
But it was bloody glorious to see the D again. And whilst you could make the argument that they could've stolen any of the other ships in the Fleet Museum, the fact that those ships were actively on display suggests their computers might have been linked, too, so it makes perfect sense to use the D.
No, I'm not grasping.
The rest of the episode I'm mixed about. I do actually like the reveal of the Borg's plan, and all the fiddling they did with the transporters - that's actually clever. Although I can't really see how the whole Borg/Changeling alliance really worked, and with just one episode to go I don't think it'll be fully explained either. (Other than "revenge".)
What I don't like is the whole "linked Fleet" idea. Especially one that's spearheaded by Shelby, who, being at Starfleet Tactical and who actually fought the Borg, should know better about. And ESPECIALLY because Starfleet already tried it once with the California class ships and that all went horribly wrong. It is a moment of sheer lunacy that's very difficult to justify.
Speaking of Shelby, I do not like at all that they introduced her only to kill her. And I am very cross that they killed off Shaw. Although this is Picard, so chances are high that they'll both be fine and back to life by the end of the next episode. I shan't grieve yet.
So it's a bit of a mixed bag, really, with everything really just being set up to get the TNG back on the D and to be in the position of the only ship able to save the day. Same as it ever was...
Still, this episode is probably the media that featured the most Enterprises on screen (four - the NX-01, A, D and F), and I kinda liked the F (exterior, anyway) so that's something.
Will they stick the landing next week? I'm not hopeful, but we'll see...
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Post by Toph on Apr 15, 2023 9:14:35 GMT
At the very least, Shelby spearheading the fleet collective confounded the characters, too. So there at least was that.
I'm not ready to say Shelby is dead yet. We saw her take a hit, then the screen cut out. There's plenty of wiggle room there.
There's still a bit of wiggle room with Shaw, as no one actually declared him dead. They just left it up to us to assume. (no, I'm not grasping here, why do you ask?) |
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Post by legios on Apr 15, 2023 16:17:09 GMT
Just started this season today. Seen two episodes so far. Thoughts at the moment:-
1) It'd be really nice if at some point before this show ends they give Raffi a fracking break. God knows she's worked hard enough to deserve something good that lasts.
2) Shaw is being a dick about it, but he isn't actually wrong in quite a lot of what he is saying. He just isn't the protagonist so it is likely going to bite him in the rear.
3) Episode One and Two are perfectly serviceable - but we've been here before, we'll have to see how it goes.
4) Vadik is great. Clearly a student at the Char Aznable School for Smugness, and I do like her taste in ship-names. Shrike is a cracker of a name for an overgunned horror like she is running with.
5) The music is annoying me. Too much quoting of motifs from previous Star Trek spin-offs and feels like it is lacking in a sense of its own identity. Also, please stop with the grinding noises to emphasise menace, it just sounds like space arthritis.
Further thoughts no doubt as I proceed forward from this point in coming weeks.
Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 15, 2023 16:48:25 GMT
OK, by popular demand I binged episodes 6 to 9 today.
Google is so scary. After watching episode 9, I typed "what happened" into Google and the first autocomplete to pop up was exactly what I wanted to ask.
Everyone type those two words into Google now and see what you get.
Martin
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Post by legios on Apr 15, 2023 16:52:08 GMT
"What Happened to Monday?"
Which...is an odd question, and not one that had occurred to me.
Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 15, 2023 16:56:25 GMT
Really? That was the number two option for me. Maybe your part of the world isn't as interested in Star Trek as South Wales apparently is.
Edit: Or has a poorer understanding of the concept of bank holidays.
Martin
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Hero
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
King of RULES!
Everything Rules
Posts: 7,498
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Post by Hero on Apr 15, 2023 17:15:35 GMT
Non Spoiler. Episode 9 RULES.
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Post by Toph on Apr 15, 2023 17:53:42 GMT
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 15, 2023 18:16:07 GMT
It was so good bringing back the D. The only thing that could have given me an even bigger grin would be if Geordi had given it a third nacelle and made it the Future Enterprise from All Good Things. But I suspect I'd be in a minority on that one. Martin |
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Post by Toph on Apr 15, 2023 19:17:34 GMT
I suspect Geordi would have taken all the AGT enhancements off, had they existed during his restoration. He returned the bridge back to it's original state, after all. |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 15, 2023 20:32:36 GMT
So what's people's best guess as to the runtime of episode 10? Think it'll be a long one?
Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 15, 2023 20:34:59 GMT
I am guessing 65 mins (I think the Disco S2 Finale ran that long). It's not just a season finale, but also one for the 'Picard' show and TNG as a whole.
-Ralph
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 16, 2023 2:44:07 GMT
It's getting limited cinema screenings in the US. So i imagine it'll be at least 80 minutes
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 16, 2023 3:24:52 GMT
Thoughts on the last episode. Spoiler
If they don't head to transporter room 3 at some point and find O'brien there, I riot.
If we don't also see how he became the most important person in Starfleet history, I riot some more. |
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Apr 16, 2023 8:44:41 GMT
Miles would've discovered the transporter sabotage years before so doubtful the plot would allow him to be there... or alternatively he has been there helping Geordi restore the D all along.
Also, thinking about Elnor on the Excelsior... he'd be a drone now too? A Ninja Borg drone... |
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Post by Llama God on Apr 16, 2023 8:49:25 GMT
It was so good bringing back the D. The only thing that could have given me an even bigger grin would be if Geordi had given it a third nacelle and made it the Future Enterprise from All Good Things. But I suspect I'd be in a minority on that one.
I'm not a fan of the three-nacelle Enterprise, so I'm kind of glad he didn't go with that. BUT it would also have been highly amusing, so I equally would've been more than happy with it.
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Post by Llama God on Apr 16, 2023 8:51:02 GMT
Thoughts on the last episode. {Spoiler}
If we don't also see how he became the most important person in Starfleet history, I riot some more.
That'd be like teasing Captain Archer's speech at the founding of the Federation for four whole seasons of Enterprise and then ending the final episode before he gives it. What're the chances they'd ever do anything like that..?
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Post by Llama God on Apr 16, 2023 8:52:53 GMT
Also, thinking about Elnor on the Excelsior... he'd be a drone now too? A Ninja Borg drone...
Well they blew up the Excelsior, so he'd be dead, is what he'd be. Thankfully Terry Matalas tweeted this week to confirm that Elnor wasn't actually on the Excelsior at the time. It's almost like they didn't think it through or consider most of the recurring characters from previous seasons of Picard when writing this season of Picard...
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Post by Llama God on Apr 16, 2023 8:55:01 GMT
5) The music is annoying me. Too much quoting of motifs from previous Star Trek spin-offs and feels like it is lacking in a sense of its own identity. That's one of my big problems with this series. It's trying really hard to go "Hey, remember how much you liked First Contact!" instead of doing its own thing. Much as I was unimpressed by the previous seasons, dropping the Picard theme, weak as it was, just feels like they've given up on the Picard series as being anything other than an extension of TNG. Which is, of course, exactly what they've done. |
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 16, 2023 9:05:31 GMT
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 16, 2023 12:42:08 GMT
It's trying really hard to go "Hey, remember how much you liked First Contact!" To be fair, the First Contact theme is my favourite of all Star Trek music. Every time I hear it makes me think of this masterclass of writing, acting, directing and editing: Really annoys me the way Amazon Prime keeps trying to take me to the next episode rather than playing the closing theme music. Martin |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 16, 2023 12:48:09 GMT
I'm not a fan of the three-nacelle Enterprise, so I'm kind of glad he didn't go with that. My like or dislike for starship classes is determined more by association with episodes than the actual design. So I dislike the latest Enterprise because it looks like Voyager, which is my least favourite series of Star Trek. But I love the three-nacelle Enterprise-D because I loved the episode it was in in general, and its entrance in particular. Martin |
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Apr 16, 2023 13:30:23 GMT
5) The music is annoying me. Too much quoting of motifs from previous Star Trek spin-offs and feels like it is lacking in a sense of its own identity. That's one of my big problems with this series. It's trying really hard to go "Hey, remember how much you liked First Contact!" instead of doing its own thing. Much as I was unimpressed by the previous seasons, dropping the Picard theme, weak as it was, just feels like they've given up on the Picard series as being anything other than an extension of TNG. Which is, of course, exactly what they've done. I don't think it has been trying to do that at all. It has taken themes and motifs from previous music and visuals from across TNG and all the movies to create continuity and resonance, that's all. Only in the last episode has a connection been made obvious and even then it is as connected to Q Who and BoBW as First Contact.
I also suspect the 'forgotten' characters and seasons will pay off in the finale. They seem too obviously overlooked to me to actually have been.
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 16, 2023 16:30:06 GMT
Spoiler
or alternatively he has been there helping Geordi restore the D all along.
Spoiler
This is literally what I am hoping for.
And now he knows about the assimilation via transporter Im sure hes working out how to undo it. Thereby saving the universe and becoming the most important person in Starfleet history.
Everything is coming together perfectly. |
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Post by Toph on Apr 16, 2023 16:46:58 GMT
Aye. Knowing about the E-D now, the only two things that make sense for O'Brien are to be retired (likely on Bajor while Keiko has been helping to restore the ecosystem), or to have been brought in by Geordi.
Also, O'Brien doesn't need to do anything. He's already the greatest person in federation history. They just haven't recognized it yet. |
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 16, 2023 18:49:51 GMT
You know that and I know that, but the Federation are dumb and need convincing.
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