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Post by Fortmax2020 on Mar 13, 2020 23:38:56 GMT
This weeks episode was the first time any of the swearing has bothered me. Not because its wrong in Trek, just that it felt really awkwardly placed. There was a lot more of it too. |
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Jim
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Post by Jim on Mar 14, 2020 23:09:03 GMT
Mostly really enjoyed this episode, almost enough to forgive the apparently massive coincidence a big part of it hinges on but still not enough to forgive them killing off Hugh last week. Still sore about that. |
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Mar 15, 2020 13:22:49 GMT
If someone hasn't made a meme out of Hugh's face as he gets stabbed they really should. Some quality 110% acting there.
I'm a little worried the plot of Picard is a bit too similar to the plot of Mass Effect at this point... |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 17, 2020 7:55:28 GMT
The level of contrivance and co-incidence in this episode was...RIDICULOUS.
This show has Torchwood s4 Syndrome: amazing first episode but only enough plot for 5 rather than 10 episodes. The deathly slow pace and stretched out plot is killing it. I also feel the story just isn't that interesting. The novel detailing the Romulan evacuation plans was much, much more gripping. Tie-in media should not be better than the actual show!
It's a very watchable and well produced show but the writing is letting it down.
-Ralph
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Post by Jim on Mar 17, 2020 10:25:19 GMT
Yes, watchable and well-produced, but at times feels like the dystopian alternate future that should be solved with some time travel. Maybe Picard can send Soji back in time to before Nemesis and retcon it away 
I had thought that there would be some Romulan prejudice against synthetic life due to something that happened a long time back in their history - like they made some big breakthrough and used it a lot and then some threshold was crossed that changed society in ways they, or at least the Romulan elite, didn't like and they pulled back violently, putting structures in place to prevent it happening again. That would be a nice, TNG-style, take.
The idea that when you cross that threshold SOMETHING IS COMING sounds like portentous nonsense in comparison. But maybe it's a feint and I should wait until the show is finished before judging too harshly.
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 17, 2020 12:55:18 GMT
Yes it's guff. Just bad writing.
I am frustrated by the show. It started so well, looks great and has a decent cast. But as it has went on it's just not working. I am now glad that s2 will have a different show runner.
When it started I thought this could be the best show since DS9 but right now I'd put it at the bottom.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 17, 2020 19:13:42 GMT
Wondering what makes intelligent holograms acceptable while androids are unacceptable. What's the difference, other than the fact that the android's brain is physically inside the android, while the hologram's brain is a ship's computer?
Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 17, 2020 21:07:02 GMT
Which is a good point, but not one I am convinced the show in its current format will bother to address though I would love to be proved wrong! I hoped the 'androids are bad' plot would be intelligent so guffawed when it boiled down to PORTENTOUS WAFFLE GUFF.
Also puzzled how the Borg plot appears to have sod all to with the synth plot when the parallels seem screamingly obvious.
Such a frustrating show. It's clearly well made and the cinematography is *gorgeous* and yet...
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 17, 2020 21:12:32 GMT
And since when did Picard start doing that crazy hard slap of his hand when he gets his own way? He's 92! He'll do himself an injury! It looks very painful!
-Ralph
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Post by Stomski on Mar 18, 2020 9:31:45 GMT
Why is the director so obsessed with slow camera pans and too many cuts during any meaningful conversation, let alone on faces, suddenly skip to behind a net and pan. Wondering what makes intelligent holograms acceptable while androids are unacceptable. Where's Moriarty in all of this? |
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Mar 18, 2020 10:50:19 GMT
I am enjoying this show very much even if there are a few things I dislike. The writing is good, I am liking characters getting space for proper development and consequences to their actions to play out. It is nice to have a Trek show where everything is not either 1) rosey and happy and 2) wrapped up in one or two episodes.
I do agree that there was a bit of coincidence going on in the show, but hey Trek novels have the entire galaxy revolving around a handful of people so why not in the shows themselves as well?
If you don't like it, stop watching it frankly. Other Trek still exists and is out there for you. Vote with your clicks.
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Post by Jim on Mar 18, 2020 11:22:21 GMT
I enjoy it enough to continue watching, in fact I look forward to it, but that doesn't mean not acknowledging or pointing out weaknesses. I also see and acknowledge weaknesses in TNG (e.g. its treatment of women characters), despite it being a favourite! We've already had Trek shows where not everything is rosey and happy or wrapped up in one or two episodes, so from that point of view it brings nothing new, though it does it in a more modern way (though IMO with an unnecessary and cynical dash of torture gore). The acting is excellent, and the writing in-the-small is also very good. I am holding out some hope that the larger plot will work out better than it currently looks like doing, but I also find that to be a plague of modern-ish shows - the inability to conclude a plot satisfyingly, falling back on the excuse that it was the journey that mattered. That is true, but it can be overused as cover. For me, the coincidences in the most recent episode broke suspension of disbelief, and I would call that weak plotting unless it turns out that more is being manipulated behind the scenes than we think. Coincidences happen, I just don't trust them, as a wise man once said  |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 18, 2020 12:50:09 GMT
I am enjoying this show very much even if there are a few things I dislike. The writing is good, I am liking characters getting space for proper development and consequences to their actions to play out. It is nice to have a Trek show where everything is not either 1) rosey and happy and 2) wrapped up in one or two episodes. I do agree that there was a bit of coincidence going on in the show, but hey Trek novels have the entire galaxy revolving around a handful of people so why not in the shows themselves as well? If you don't like it, stop watching it frankly. Other Trek still exists and is out there for you. Vote with your clicks. Coincidence is par for the course with tie-in media, which is aimed at a different market. I expect better from the main source. My partner is quite enjoying the show. Otherwise I would have quit on it by now. It's just not very good. Much more looking forward to the far superior Discovery returning at some point. I hope it rallies in the last two episodes. -Ralph |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 21, 2020 18:01:53 GMT
1.9 set off like a rocket and it looked like the show was going to pull it together. Great pre-credits sequence.
Unfortunately, the season plot turns out to be utter guff. This felt like a bad TNG episode but an enjoyable bad episode. It is guff though. The promise of the first few episodes has been utterly peed away.
Loved that pre-credits sequence though. That was tremendous stuff.
-Ralph
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Post by Jim on Mar 21, 2020 21:30:44 GMT
Ok episode with some good moments. "Our heroes arrive on an unknown world where a scientist has created a small utopian community, but it can't last!" is pleasingly trad, even if it made things a bit predictable.
The crashed Borg cube reminded me of some of the earliest Trek fanfiction I wrote as a teenager, which was nice.
The pacing of this series is all over the place though. There's going to be a lot to pack into the finale. |
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Post by browny87 on Mar 22, 2020 20:38:52 GMT
i have avoided reading this thread and have 4 episodes saved up, tomorrow is my first day teaching video lessons from home so no doubt will be stressful, theres a beer in the fridge and 4 eps of picard on tap tomorrow night
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Post by Bogatan on Mar 22, 2020 21:02:53 GMT
I thought you were telling us you planned to teach drunk while watching Picard for a moment.
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Post by browny87 on Mar 22, 2020 22:26:11 GMT
its a thought!! im sure thats doable lol >.<
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 27, 2020 6:37:14 GMT
Final episode up. 56 minutes long. DO NOT hover over the time position slider while watching. It contains MASSIVE spoilers. "This is for Hugh."
"Really, it's no trouble at all."
"I've got it from here." Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 27, 2020 22:45:57 GMT
Pretty awful, albeit much much better than recent episodes, but awful.
Let's just forget this show happened. Onwards to Disco s3!!!
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 28, 2020 6:38:40 GMT
For the sake of cosmic balance, I quite enjoyed it.
A better note to go out on than Nemesis, anyway.
Maybe try to get back into Discovery some time. Is it still going on Freeview?
Martin
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 28, 2020 9:46:15 GMT
{Spoiler}So it turns out the show was nothing more than fanfic because someone didn't like the end of Nemesis? Waaaaaaaaaaaaaank.
And Picard dies but gets a new (old) body exactly the same as the old one, thus undermining the whole point of his character arc. The show therefore turns out to be utterly pointless!
Words (mostly) fail me.
Great acting, great production design, GREAT cinematography.
And why were the Borg in this show? What did that have to do with anything? Where did Narek go? The snyth ban was done away with between scenes?? Soji just suddenly decides to leave? What happened to Dr Soong? ARRRRRGGHHHH. Stupid show!
But 10 episodes just to get to THAT? Get bent! |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 28, 2020 10:21:52 GMT
Calm down, or you'll burst something! It's only entertainment! I always give plus points to films and shows where it looks like the old guy is obviously going to die and pass on the baton at the end, but they actually don't.
And I loved Stewart's acting when he was actually really disappointed they hadn't given him super-strength or extra years of life or suchlike, and they were all, "We knew you wouldn't have wanted that," and he was polite and grateful while part of him was clearly thinking, "Damn it!" Worth bringing him back just for that. Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 28, 2020 10:23:07 GMT
Oh yes the acting in the show has been top-notch. First class.
Just the writing has been awful.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 28, 2020 10:28:35 GMT
I agree with you about the glaring omission as to how Narek vanished mid-fight scene and was never mentioned again. That was ridiculous. Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 28, 2020 14:11:14 GMT
There is a big plot point in the series I now don't understand as all the eps are out: {Spoiler}Why were two of the androids sent out from their planet (one to Earth, one to a Borg cube) but with their memories altered so they thought they were human? What was the point of it? I just don't get it. Stumped.
Also, there must have been 4 of the Soji style androids: one went to Earth, one was killed 9 years before, one went to a Borg cube and one went EVIL. So, um, why? I thought they were made in pairs, not quads? Were there 4 or more of the other designs on the android planet? There might have been and I missed it.
And the EVIL SYNTHS FROM BEYOND TIME: we were told they would come through instantly when the beacon sent its signal...but they didn't? Took a while for some robot tentacles to very slowly wiggle about.
None of the android plot line makes any sense to me, and I am still unclear what the Borg plot had to do with anything.
HELP! What have I missed? |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 28, 2020 14:21:15 GMT
Perhaps all will be revealed... in season 2??? Martin |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 28, 2020 14:38:00 GMT
I'd much rather have a spin-off show with the vineyard Romulans solving crime. They were great.
-Ralph
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Post by Bogatan on Mar 28, 2020 21:34:50 GMT
Happy with that.
Purely on the visuals its boggling my mind that the new uniforms were so consistantly bad. And constantly seeing Picard in the still brilliant late TNG uniform made it more annoying.
Yet the ship designs are fantastic. Okay we dont see much of the Federation ones but what we do feel like proper Starfleet rather than the increasingly blobby things that started with Voyager. The Romulan Warbirds are works of art and the Cube is a nice mix of what we are used to and something new and interesting.
Oddly Disco is the opposite. Great uniforms. What the hell is happening with the ships.
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Post by Jim on Mar 28, 2020 23:38:21 GMT
That was OK. Better than I expected, but all those gaping plotholes still...
Totally with Ralph on expecting there to be _some_ explanation given for the twins' (unknown even to them) mission.
And something that would justify the massive coincidence of Rios encountering an identical synth.
And various other things.
Also, opening portal to eeeevil extra-dimensional robotic Lovecraftian tentacled thing that wanted to kill everything didn't feel very Trek, to me.
Still, it was well-made fun and I won't object to seeing another season. But with more Irish Romulans, please! |
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