Ups & Downs From Star Trek: Picard 3.7 - Dominion

Human nature?

#StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #StarTrekTNG

[robertespley]

Vadik is bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase..
"Talk to the hand "

[lynnwaters]

Brent Spiner was fabulous in this episode. How he flipps from Lore to Data so smoothly. He is so incredibly talented.

[djco]

It was great to see LeVar Burton given the kind of emotional scene that they couldn't really give him when he was encumbered by the VISOR prop. In 30 years, it had never occurred to me to wonder how Geordi cried with that thing tight on his face; now I have visions of the VISOR grille filling up with tears...

The eyes are the windows to the soul and he deserves a lot of credit for being as expressive as he was with it in TNG, but it's so lovely that they're now taking full advantage of us being able to see them. Only the sunrise scene in Insurrection had previously come close.

[cyberken]

I loved the nod to Odo who also took the appearance of the scientist who experimented on him. Another great episode, quite dark this time but everyone did an amazing job.

[IchPepe]

The amount of Star Trek knowledge that Sean displays when he analyses that Vadic/Crusher/Picard scene is incredible. And he did it seemingly effortlessly just a few hours after the episode aired. What a feat!

[mary-kittybonkers]

Actually, Shaw’s tear as he lay on the floor of the bridge reminded me of Picard’s tear as he was lying down being assimilated by the Borg and becoming Locutus. Those tears conveyed much more than words could.

[mary-kittybonkers]

Levar Burton’s performance of Geordi’s emotion packed pleading and desperation in willing Data to come forward and suppress Lore was just amazing. His depiction of Geordi’s heartfelt emotions was very moving. This episode engaged me more than any other because of the amazing characters and their stellar acting but also the depth of the writing which dealt with the difficult topic of morality in warfare; also knocking the Federation off its perfect moral and ethical perch.

[kethf]

This season really gets better and better. No kid gloves on here, just a really good dramatic Science Fiction story with a solid cast, solid writing and fantastic visuals.

[hangontravellers]

Vadic made a comment how she felt what she was doing was inevitable, like a river taking different roads all to the same goal. It speaks to her religious conviction to her goals. She wasn't expecting Lore to do something, just that the "universe" would provide a way.

[georgeandritsakis]

The Vadic backstory is awesome. Plummer really chewed up the scenery with that.

[countroshculla]

Spiner, Burton, Plummer & McFadden - acting was top notch. Loved this episode.

[bryanabbott]

What Jack has (feels very extradimensional, with the Red Door & 'Come home' head voice) is something Jean-Luc had (the human remains still has) since the diagnosis for the syndrome he had to worry about was called into question.

It made me think, "how did Jean-Luc get this alien 'aspect'?" Was it on some mission, either while on the Stargazer where he was probably diagnosed with it by the then doctor on the ship who made a cameo in the first season, or maybe before before he became captain?

Then it make me wonder, "what if it goes further back?"

What if Jean-Luc inherited it from his mother? What if the nightmares that drove her insane were derived from the same source as Jack's nightmares?

[mp-kqvc]

For me, the tear from Shaw was the most powerful moment of the show, though there were plenty for certain. I think that scene set up the potential for huge character development in the future, and I hope it becomes so.

[wickideazy]

This episode was, to put it plainly, marvelous. It was heavy, it was impactful, it gave us a lot, and the acting was superb. The sheer amount of emotion LeVar Burton poured into this episode was incredible. From the little quaver in his voice when he said how he can't go through losing Data again, to the raw emotion when he was pleading with Data to hear him and help him, I cannot find enough good things to say about his performance in this episode.

I wouldn't exactly give Jean-Luc a down for agreeing that they could be the executioners of Vadic's fate. Beverly, it is completely understandable; and Jean-Luc, over the past few weeks, has come to understand what it means to feel for his son. He may not have been there for everything they went through, but Jack is his son and as his father, he is admitting that he can do anything to protect him. This is essentially his version of Sisko's "Because I can live with it" speech. He has his Starfleet ideals, yes, but this is the creature who's been trying to hurt his child.

I sympathized SO MUCH with Vadic as she told her story, and it made me understand. I cannot fathom how Starfleet could allow what was done to her and the other changelings. Torture and experimentation on POWs is NOT the Starfleet we know. But you cannot by any stretch of the imagination believe that what was being done to them was happening without any knowledge at all. SOMEONE in Starfleet had to know what was going on. If I were Vadic, and I had gone through what she went through, I'd be champing at the bit to get my revenge on those who tortured me as well. Whoever in Starfleet turned a blind eye to what was going on, they have a hell of a lot to answer for. During that whole scene, I legit got angry at Starfleet for allowing this to happen.

And finally, big kudos to the writers for keeping us guessing about Jack. We're 7 episodes in and we still don't know what his deal is; is he a Pah Wraith in disguise? Is he some sort of weird Borg offshoot? Is he secretly a Breen and is just cranky 'cuz it's too warm? We don't know, and that's not the best part. The best part is that we WANT to know. It doesn't feel stale. It doesn't feel like we're being dragged along. We're not sitting here going "oh ffs will you just get to the point already?" The writing is fresh and keeps us engrossed in the story, and the writers deserve massive cheers for doing such a wonderful job of keeping us engaged. Like Sean said, I cannot wait for next week. I want to know what is going on with Jack.

[weltato]

To tell you that I *screamed* when I saw Tim Russ is an understatement. I fully squealed and had to pause in my excitement so I didn't miss anything. As much as _ST: Enterprise_ with Archer and the NX-01 was my first, _ST: Voyager_ will always be my favourite. I love seeing my VOY boys.

Also, yet _another_ mention of Admiral Janeway AND STILL NO LIVE ACTION JANEWAY T-T I KNOW SHE'S IN ANIMATED FORM RN BUT LEMME SEE SOME LIVE ACTION, *PLEASE!*


Ahem- ok I'm done now.

[TheSheebeen]

Picard's "I didn't know" was heartbreaking. He was kept out of a lot of important conversations over the course of his career, possibly as a result of his abduction and being forced into the Locutus role, either intentionally or via unconscious bias (or tbh because a Captain doesn't get to know everything that goes down everywhere). Also following Vadic's monologue I definitely had an "Are we the baddies?" moment, wondering how much stuff Starfleet did was S31 and how much was sanctioned. The badmirals are a star trek trope for a reason. Excellent episode, and I genuinely hope it builds to a DS9/VOY heavy spinoff.

[kevinloomer]

As much as a absolutely loved this episode, I was almost screaming at my TV after Vadic’s monologue;
“I’m sorry, do the founders have a problem with the capture, torture, and genetic manipulation of other species for personal gain?!? Like, we’re talking about the same Founders here? Leaders of the dominion?”
If I was actually in that room, in that moment, I would be losing my marbles on her.

[TheJanda]

The thing I wish the most is that Shaw becomes the one person that performs the heroic act that saves the Federation by the end of the season. That he would become a thing that he struggles to understand about Picard and Riker. That he would not hate himself for being one of the people that was spared, but instead realize that his life had a purpose that he fulfilled. And most importantly, to avenge his crew and ship!!

[Al]

I want to say up to Vadic's backstory in the willingness to show they are still monsters within Humanity. It was also just brilliantly presented. The way it was shot was intentionally disjointed and meant to convey to the audience the unvarnished horror of it especially with that haunting whistling of "Three Blind Mice".

[Momijisu]

I feel the down for Vadic seemingly knowing that Lore was going to do that was a lil unfair, especially when you skip over her monologue at the climax of the episode where she explained exactly how she knew.

"I warned you it would end this way, you could have spared yourselves then where you are now...

...to be mutable, fluid, means knowing what the river knows, that there are many ways to the same sea. So here we are, where we were always going."

She knew it would happen, not literally, but spiritually, she had faith that because she's 'right' she'd end up exactly where she wanted to be. And in the climax of the episode she brags about how she knew she'd get there. Which imo completely explains how she knew she'd get out. Sure she had no clue about Lore, or in reality if she would break free, but she had faith, and acted with that confidence only that kind of person could deliver in such a situation.