[Petrarch]

Attachment 12768

Episode Discussion

"Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2"

US Airdate: 26/03/2020 (CBS All Access)
International: 27/03/2020 (Amazon Prime)

This thread is for the pre and post discussion of the 10th episode "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2" - this will be a spoiler filled discussion so if you've found your way past the warnings in the activity stream and the spoiler tag on the thread, this is your last chance to turn back, or at least it will be at the end of this first post. You have been warned!

Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 is episode 10 of 10 and forms the second half of the 2 episode season finale. Season 1 concludes this week, but the show will return for Season 2 as will these episode threads!

[Shadowmeph]

well I got home from work and atched it and well ok I was disappointed with it I might have to watch the whole season again to see if maybe Imissed something but I doubt it I mean it was ok but I am disappointed not even a space battle if this was the original kirk style ther would have been at least that but nope just a snooze fest I expectedt so much more to be hornets between this and discovery I prefer discovery which iosnt saying myuch becasue I dont consider Discovery real trek lol I could have written a way better way to end the season I do think that this will survive just because there are so many clueless people out there so hard up for trek they will watch anything

[merTYol]

I really enjoyed it. I predicted the part of the ending but still it was enjoyable.

Starfleet ships looked like the Avenger Class Battlecruisers from STO. or atleast a variant of the design. its a design i really like so i absolutely approve. they looked REALLY GOOD!

[Arno12]

I enjoyed the episode, I'll give my thoughts later but I have to say I grinned in that particular scene with Narissa

[Morris]

I don't think that I'm a fan of Akiva Goldsman's directing. The pacing has been bad throughout this series, but seemed worse during these last 2 episodes.

The emotional beats seem to draw off of the viewer's connection to Picard, rather than the character's connection to him...as there really hasn't been any time for character development, or relationship establishment during this series. So, any emotional reaction regarding Picard's death seems to play on how we should be feeling rather than how the characters should be feeling.

All of that being said, this finally felt more like a Star Trek episode than most this season. It relied on an evolution of the characters, with a push from Picard and the Federation, to peacefully resolve the conflict. There was no huge battle, as cool as that would have been to see! Classic Star Trek was about trying to peacefully resolve conflict, with force being a last resort. That's what this episode was, so I'm good with it.

I guess Brent Spiner really, really wanted to be done with Data!

I'm not a fan of the writing, or the directing for this episode, and for those reasons I give this episode...and the season on the whole...a neutral vote. It would have been a down vote for the season, but having the season end in a Star Trek way uplifted the season for me, in spite of the very bad writing, and uneven pacing throughout the series. I hope that gets better next season, if that still happens.

[Shadowmeph]

there was something I noticed or maybe it isnt anything but Vulcan and Romulan ears seemd at least in this ep a little different the points on ROmulan ears seem to be more on top of the ears like an elf and the Vulcan ears points seem to be around the 1-1:30 position ?

[darthnovawave]

It isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was a fitting story for Picard. TNG and Picard in particular were never really so much about big, epic space battles. Instead, Picard was the "diplomat captain", with debate and discourse being the weapons of choice, not phasers and photon torpedoes as was pretty much the hallmark of every other Star Trek series captain. I love amazing eye candy battles too with boundary-pushing SFX, don't get me wrong, but that kind of thing was way more common for every other captain than it was for Picard. In a sense, it would have been an epic failure of Picard being Picard to see a massive space battle erupt and story-wise a rough way to close out that particular chapter of Picard's life and would have signaled that "Picard's Starfleet" and Roddenberry's ideas had no place in the universe of 2399. It would also potentially having fans cry foul since it would have made things echo Discovery last season (e.g., a great mystery the crew chases all season that leads to an massive space battle), so it was another reason to put a different twist in here.

I also thought it was nice closure for Data's story. The B4 download scene always left the door open for a comeback for the data of old, but Picard had a chance to say a proper goodbye and give closure to the Picard/Data storyline that ended pretty abruptly in Nemesis without undoing the sacrifice Data made at the end of the movie. That said, we still have a Dr. Soong running around, B4 is allowed to be pulled out of storage with the synth-ban lifted, and who is to say that there aren't other positronic neurons still out there from Data (or part or all of Lore), or any number of other ways to bring Spiner in to the story again if they so choose. I think it is nice to see such care to bring in the old characters in an effort to tell and extend compelling character storylines rather than just pulling them in for the sake of fan service. I just hope they continue to hold such standards in the future seasons.

[JByb04]

I felt that this was a wonderful conclusion to this season.

I also haven't cried like that over a character in a very long time. Jean-Luc Picard has been a role model for me in many ways. I'm sure those who felt the same way about James T. Kirk could say the same after watching Generations.

Seeing Picard and Data's story come to a conclusion was also wonderful to see. But now, what's next? The Admiral has a new lease on life I wonder what he will do with it. Will he return to Starfleet? Continue on with his new and intrepid crew?

I look forward to the next season so we can find out.

Engage.

[Mack]

The starfleet ships whicch warped in, seemed very similar to the Avenger class battleships from STO

[Arno12]

The starfleet ships whicch warped in, seemed very similar to the Avenger class battleships from STO

I was just thinking that, truth be told kinda looked like the models were hastily put together, kinda eager to see the sto designers work their magic on it like they did the Section-31 Battlecruiser since it was originally a outback to fill an antagonist role.

[Draco]

I felt that this was a wonderful conclusion to this season.

I also haven't cried like that over a character in a very long time. Jean-Luc Picard has been a role model for me in many ways. I'm sure those who felt the same way about James T. Kirk could say the same after watching Generations.

Seeing Picard and Data's story come to a conclusion was also wonderful to see. But now, what's next? The Admiral has a new lease on life I wonder what he will do with it. Will he return to Starfleet? Continue on with his new and intrepid crew?

I look forward to the next season so we can find out.

Engage.

Damnit! You pretty much wrote what I was going to write Even my 13 year old daughter was going 'not Picard!'...

I just want to add that I really liked the way the 'uber destructo synths' were handled, because I was really wondering how they were going to do that... ... in the end, it was never about them, it was a story about morals and character. It seemed fitting that the 'big bad guys' never got more screentime than a few tentacles in the sky. They could have even left it as a vague dark patch in the sky actually.

[Shadowmeph]

for turned me off was RIKER being Riker I Never liked him accept for in this season earlier but then he shows up and being RIKER the Savior urks me it was picard that saved from battle it was RIKER the savior Picard had very little to do with it accept for stalling Riker is the school klid I would hget pissed at and spank for being a fake I have isses taking that character serious at all.
I was hoping more for one of those things slipping through and having to deal with it then they let the Romulan spy who apparently is the head of Federation security I mean really ok I doubt that would happen all of those security issues and that is jus t one tiny hole in the writing also the synth are they bad or is it just the interpretation of them ?

[Novalance]

Definitely the best season end so far in all the new Trek we have.
Having Riker come back for support was great. Picard's Transformation is interesting to say the least and it was fantastic to have Brent play the "real" Data even if it was just to really say goodbye.

Petrarch probably hates me doing it but I always voted Liked it! before seeing the episode, its my way of combatting the Negative Nancies we have over all media platforms, sort of my "stick it to em!" i'll enjoy the show no matter how much people rip it apart

[Petrarch]

Petrarch probably hates me doing it but I always voted Liked it! before seeing the episode, its my way of combatting the Negative Nancies we have over all media platforms, sort of my "stick it to em!" i'll enjoy the show no matter how much people rip it apart

Your vote, your voice, your choice!

[Draco]

Definitely the best season end so far in all the new Trek we have.
Having Riker come back for support was great. Picard's Transformation is interesting to say the least and it was fantastic to have Brent play the "real" Data even if it was just to really say goodbye.

Looking back after a night's sleep, I think the only thing that vaguely felt 'wrong' was the emotional impact of Picard dying. It was totally blunted for me because, well, we knew there would be a season 2 and that golem thing had been pretty heavily foreshadowed - it was kind of obvious right away. Otherwise it would have definitely had me complaining about all the dust in my eyes! Although I liked how they pulled a kind of switch by having Data 'die' instead...

- - - Updated - - -

Ps. Sorry, I still must give the 'best' season end to TNG