[Shadowmeph]

1) Some much needed plot movement at last, although I am really enjoying the slow approach to this and the depth of the plot as well. There’sa lot of different angles going on and a great deal of links to historical stuff from various shows which really makes this series feel like it’s pulling together all of the different parts of Trek. I like that.

2) Hugh and Picard were wonderful together. Great acting from both and I hope they meet again. It was great to see development of the PTSD that both clearly suffer from their past as drones.

3) really good the way the ex Borg were portrayed as exiled but they themselves are actually not bad people. They have feelings when they see their bodies being fixed, they have a community and work together to survive. It was good to see that despite all the chaos of the Romulan situation there is some hope out in the far reaches with projects like this going on.

4) Narek and his sister are really good at being sneaky Romulan spies! It’s fitting that we get some proper Romulan mystery and deception going on and it’s quite a well planned and stealth approach they seem to have too.
Still no idea what they feel they are up to or who they real work for; are they actual Tal Shiar or something else?

5) planet with two moons and lightning..... no ideas on that tbh. We saw some lightning near the place where the guy in the short trek Calypso got dropped off. And obviously there’s the whole lightning storm in space angle from the 2009 film.
I’ve seen some suggestions it could be Omicron Theta; which is the planet where Data was found and which was subsequently stripped by the Crystalline Entity.

6) the trajector gate tech was taken from a DQ species meet way back in S1 of Voyager. The fact that the tech that species used was actually intrinsically linked directly to their planet core and not mobile doesn’t bode well for their existence if the Borg have it now. Another thing to blame Voyager for!
Kinda makes transwarp obsolete though if you can just send drones 40,000LY to assimilate any planet without warning. Maybe it’s power use it massive and it’s simply not practical.

7) I guess all cubes have a queen chamber in them and then one queen dies the nearest cube creates one? That would sort of make sense. In fact Someone on Reddit suggested it’s almost like a game with save files where if the queen dies the collective looks for the most recent file of that queen’s consciousness and loads it back up into a drone; so all cubes have a cell ready for this.

the planet they went to at the end is apparently where Riker lives so I reckon he’ll appear next week with Troi.

I think that allot of people say this was a great ep Idont think it was in a sense of it being great it was allot better then the last 5 eps and there is allot of information in that ep that I missed but thanks for stating most of what I missed I guess I am distracted from other things I am noticing. I am not looking forward to the Riker part I never liked his character reminds me of some spoiled kids from my past that Icvould see through lol

[Morris]

I'm, unsuccessfully, trying to refrain from commenting on these shows. If I just watch, without thinking about anything that I'm seeing...just go along for the ride, if you will...I'm not bothered by this show. In fact, I think that this episode was the best so far.

With that being said, the existence of this thread, and it's implied request for a vote on my analysis of this episode, forces me to come out of my stupor and think about what just happened.

First, near the beginning of the episode, Raffi gets high and drunk to build up her resolve to coerce an old friend in Starfleet to give Picard a diplomatic pass onto the Artifact. When she completes her task, everyone cheers her for her performance. Raffi clearly needs help, but no one can be bothered to look past their own motivations, let alone a member of their team needing help.

Second, there is a medical hologram on the ship. Why are we taking a cyberneticist's evaluation of what happened to Maddox as fact? I refer you back to my statement about no one being bothered looking past their own motivations.

Next, Picard is suffering near debilitating PTSD when faced with boarding the Artifact. I understand that PTSD is a complicated condition, that can reappear at any time, but Picard's brother helped him "man up" and face it while recovering from being unassimilated. Then, in 'First Contact', Picard is clearly traumatized by what happened to him with the Borg, and he doesn't always face them in the healthiest way, but he doesn't break down. He faces them head on. This version of Picard is weak...he's afraid to board the Artifact, he's been mourning Data for nearly 20 years, and he gives up when Starfleet refuses to continue trying to help the Romulans.

And then there's the matter of Soji. According to the show, Soji is suppose to be human with a positronic brain. When she activates, she becomes super-human, able to rip through wood floors...and the bulkhead underneath! She moves with super speed. She's basically a cyborg, like the Terminator...oh, I mean the Destroyer.

Elnor............whatever....and why???

And finally, the Borg Queen's chamber. Having the escape hatch portal is cool and all. It ties in with 'Voyager' canon...cool, I guess, but why do they need it? Since the Supernova led to the creation of the Kelvin Timeline, Spock from this timeline traveled to that timeline. Spock taught Kelvin-Scotty the transwarp transporter equation, developed by Prime-Scotty, which means that's a thing in this timeline. Khan transported, with a portable transporter no less, from Earth to Q'onoS...112 light years away! This presents all kinds of logic problems, from the oh so difficult evacuation of the Romulans, to the escape from the Artifact, to why do we need spacecraft anymore at all? That kind of transporter technology means a better than 'Stargate' version of stargates! I guess that technology doesn't persist in the future. It's used as one-off plot devices, then forgotten forever.

See what I mean!!! I can't turn on my brain for this show. It's inconsistent with canon. It's inconsistent with itself! Throw in all of the overly dramatic fluffy filler side stories, the violence and language for drama's sake, and you have yourself a space based soap opera. Because I wasn't bored watching it, and it didn't really bother me...until now...I voted Neutral on this episode.

This is just my opinion. I'm an older Trek fan, so this probably wasn't made with me in mind anyway, and that's fine. If you enjoy this, I'm happy for you. There's enough content in the world for all of us, and all of our varied tastes in entertainment. Personally, I think that CBS could do better. Maybe they do too. I don't know, but this is what we've got for now, and I'll watch it...with my brain turned off!

[Stormy]

I do not have fast enough internet to stream at the moment, so I can't watch the series. I'm guessing by the title of this episode, Jean Luc cannot get an Epic T6 ship voucher from a lockbox either!

[Sul-Matuul]

Soji is not human.
She is a machine, wholly artificial in the same way Data was.
That is the whole plot point for her being a character, she is essentially the perfect android creation; lifelike and indistinguishable from a living being.

When she activates I’m guessing some hidden programming in her memories turns her into a weapon. Although tbh she don’t exactly go crazy when active; she just defends herself so she hardly appears a threat to the galaxy going by what we’ve seen so far.

[Wallis]

I truly loved this episode it really added depth to Picard as a character, being genuinely terrified of stepping onto the borg cube and how he reacted with flashbacks. Also I liked how they gave a nod to voyager with the tidbit that the Sikarans were assimilated and the borg acquired trajector technology.

Im with you on this one. I loved this weeks episode and really got goosbumps when he arrived on the Artifact/Borg cube, and had those flashbacks, and I loved that most of the flash backs were from First Contact. I also loved Hughes reunion with Picard. It was rather an "awww" moment haha.

- - - Updated - - -

To be honest that made the least sense to me, he was so scary about the entire thing and meeting the Borg that is a way to big contrast to how he acted in First Contact.

True, but the man must be in his late 70's early 80's and certainly not the same mentally, with all that's been going on post Nemesis. I mean he's been cloned, assimilated, captured and tortured and now, he has to go back to the one place he probably never thought he'd end up in again. I felt really sorry for the character as he truly looked frighted and quite frankly broken.

[Bridger]

Soji is not human.
She is a machine, wholly artificial in the same way Data was.
That is the whole plot point for her being a character, she is essentially the perfect android creation; lifelike and indistinguishable from a living being.

But she is an organic android, so she is made out of flesh and blood while Data was made out of "metal"

[Draco]

But she is an organic android, so she is made out of flesh and blood while Data was made out of "metal"

This kinda bugged me too - I suppose one could handwave some of it by her activation somehow releasing a bunch of hormones, better reaction, all round biological 'hacking' as it were - but the sheer physical strength/toughness increase seemed a bit extreme for someone who is supposedly indistinguishable from a biological human... Still I've accepted far worse technobabbley stuff from Star Trek, this seemed relatively minor to me

[Shadowmeph]

I'm, unsuccessfully, trying to refrain from commenting on these shows. If I just watch, without thinking about anything that I'm seeing...just go along for the ride, if you will...I'm not bothered by this show. In fact, I think that this episode was the best so far.

With that being said, the existence of this thread, and it's implied request for a vote on my analysis of this episode, forces me to come out of my stupor and think about what just happened.

First, near the beginning of the episode, Raffi gets high and drunk to build up her resolve to coerce an old friend in Starfleet to give Picard a diplomatic pass onto the Artifact. When she completes her task, everyone cheers her for her performance. Raffi clearly needs help, but no one can be bothered to look past their own motivations, let alone a member of their team needing help.

Second, there is a medical hologram on the ship. Why are we taking a cyberneticist's evaluation of what happened to Maddox as fact? I refer you back to my statement about no one being bothered looking past their own motivations.

Next, Picard is suffering near debilitating PTSD when faced with boarding the Artifact. I understand that PTSD is a complicated condition, that can reappear at any time, but Picard's brother helped him "man up" and face it while recovering from being unassimilated. Then, in 'First Contact', Picard is clearly traumatized by what happened to him with the Borg, and he doesn't always face them in the healthiest way, but he doesn't break down. He faces them head on. This version of Picard is weak...he's afraid to board the Artifact, he's been mourning Data for nearly 20 years, and he gives up when Starfleet refuses to continue trying to help the Romulans.

And then there's the matter of Soji. According to the show, Soji is suppose to be human with a positronic brain. When she activates, she becomes super-human, able to rip through wood floors...and the bulkhead underneath! She moves with super speed. She's basically a cyborg, like the Terminator...oh, I mean the Destroyer.

Elnor............whatever....and why???

And finally, the Borg Queen's chamber. Having the escape hatch portal is cool and all. It ties in with 'Voyager' canon...cool, I guess, but why do they need it? Since the Supernova led to the creation of the Kelvin Timeline, Spock from this timeline traveled to that timeline. Spock taught Kelvin-Scotty the transwarp transporter equation, developed by Prime-Scotty, which means that's a thing in this timeline. Khan transported, with a portable transporter no less, from Earth to Q'onoS...112 light years away! This presents all kinds of logic problems, from the oh so difficult evacuation of the Romulans, to the escape from the Artifact, to why do we need spacecraft anymore at all? That kind of transporter technology means a better than 'Stargate' version of stargates! I guess that technology doesn't persist in the future. It's used as one-off plot devices, then forgotten forever.

See what I mean!!! I can't turn on my brain for this show. It's inconsistent with canon. It's inconsistent with itself! Throw in all of the overly dramatic fluffy filler side stories, the violence and language for drama's sake, and you have yourself a space based soap opera. Because I wasn't bored watching it, and it didn't really bother me...until now...I voted Neutral on this episode.

This is just my opinion. I'm an older Trek fan, so this probably wasn't made with me in mind anyway, and that's fine. If you enjoy this, I'm happy for you. There's enough content in the world for all of us, and all of our varied tastes in entertainment. Personally, I think that CBS could do better. Maybe they do too. I don't know, but this is what we've got for now, and I'll watch it...with my brain turned off!

I think you might be partially wrong about Raffi she didnt get Drunk and High for Picard she is upset because of her Son dosent want her in his life and with a Grandchild on the way she is Hurt . I do agree that she has issues with self medicating her self and does need help and everyone on the ship seems to either not want to get involved or is just using her and not caring either way they are not friends with each other a friend would help and say something know matter how much it would hurt.
I am the same about the just watching the show but most of the time I remember it is Picard and so am forced back into all that seems wrong. at least with Discover I can get past 98% of the things and just watch it as a show and not relate it to Trek

[Bridger]

[SRelar]

If I had to guess; I'd think Iconian gateways were far more advanced and streamlined, whereas the trajector required far too much power (only one on a borg cube that can sustain massive power outputs?) to be effective at anything other than "a fancy escape pod". Of course, the writing for Picard isn't exactly the finest that pen ever put to paper so.. going to chalk this one up as a deus ex machina.

As for the episode itself... eh, it was better than the incredibly slow and plodding previous episodes at least. And THANK GOD no more soap opera scenes between the android girl and Manchester Romulan on the borg cube anymore, woohoo!

[Emmy]

Speaking of language.. It's so funny that the german translation is different from the original meaning...
When Picard is asked to enter the borg cube alone and forbidds Elnor to come with him, Elnor says in English ` I already hate this place'.. But in german he says ' I hasse sie jetzt bereits# (I already hate you/them'.. that would mean , with the wrong intention, that Elnor actually hates Picard instead of the borg cube XD

[Dark]

THANK GOD no more soap opera scenes between the android girl and Manchester Romulan on the borg cube anymore, woohoo!

[Chris Wilkinson]

And THANK GOD no more soap opera scenes between the android girl and Manchester Romulan on the borg cube anymore, woohoo!

This is where we now get soap opera scenes between the android girl and/or Picard, Raffi? or maybe the Doctor chick.

[SRelar]

This is where we now get soap opera scenes between the android girl and/or Picard, Raffi? or maybe the Doctor chick.

As long as it's nothing to do with Raffi, I can't stand her character. She's arrogant, treats Picard like crap, is a deadbeat mom, has a drink and drug problem and is generally an awful person. How she even got into Starfleet in the first case is.. no wait.. actually I think I know.. she has a lot of "contacts" who owe her favours so I think she's just very good at manipulating people. Like I said, a truly awful human being.

The only character I like on the show is the starship captain, he's fun and his "crew" of emergency holograms are interesting.

[DeWolfe]

Can't anymore.

Angry Joe sums this show up for me pretty well.

warning explicit language

https://youtu.be/HFCEve4jb38

I respect others opinions but for me this isn't Star Trek, this is like every other modern tv show with the same downtrodden protagonist types against the antagonist where the antagonist is actually society and the issues systemic.

Not a future I want to live in. Not a place for hope because that's what Star Trek was, hope. Now they have destroyed all the sacrifice told in tales that humanity was out of the darkness and had begun reaching the light, and basically yanked us back from that light.

Star Trek Online may be outlandish bits its Story Writing is much better. For me its canon at least until they incorporate Picard somehow.

I mean Jumping Jevosafat one Episode had Icheb getting his eye ripped out and then shot by 7 who did nothing, nothing to save him in a future where it's possible.

This is modern Battlestar with Babylon 5 mixed with something darker like Expanse. Not Star Trek.