[Picard review starts at 34:25]
Tony and Laurie start off with the biggest news: The Star Trek: The Next Generation main cast is reuniting in season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, getting a proper sendoff in the show’s final season. They dig into Picard showrunner Terry Matalas’ tweets with more season 3 details, then switch over to Strange New Worlds to cover the new trailer and character promos. But wait, there’s more! Next, it’s a discussion of Chris Pine’s comments that the next Trek movie shouldn’t be aiming for Marvel-level audiences, then an update on the just-released 4K Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, new footage from the upcoming Star Trek: Voyager documentary, and the latest guests booked at Mission: Chicago.
They talk about Tony’s recent interviews with Jonathan Frakes and Orla Brady, then—finally!—get to their review of the newest Picard episode “Two of One.” They wrap up with Gates McFadden’s response to a “Sub Rosa” tattoo and some new Trek tech being worked on at Apple.
Links:
‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Cast Reuniting For “Proper Send-off” In ‘Picard’ Season 3
Watch: New Official Trailer For ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ + New First Look Images Too
Watch: ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Promo For Captain Pike
Watch: New ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Promo For Una AKA Number One
Watch: New ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Spock Promo
Watch: New ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Promo Introduces Nurse Chapel
Watch: New ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Promo Introduces Dr. M’Benga
Check Out New ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Character Posters
Chris Pine Doesn’t Want Paramount To Chase $1 Billion Box Office For ‘Star Trek 4’
Review: ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ Comes Alive In The 4K ‘Director’s Edition’
First Look: ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ Cast Speaks Frankly In Teaser For ‘To The Journey’ Documentary
Pat Benatar’s video for “Shadows of the Night”
Trekbits:
Laurie: Gates McFadden comments on “Sub Rosa” tattoo
Tony: Apple researching how to make a ‘Star Trek’ communicator badge
Let us know what you think of the episode in the comments, and should you be so inclined, please review us on Apple.
Subscribe to our podcasts
The All Access Star Trek podcast has joined the long-running Shuttle Pod as part of the TrekMovie.com Podcast Network. If you already subscribe to The Shuttle Pod, your subscription will now include both shows from the TrekMovie Network. If you prefer, you can sign up for only the Shuttle Pod or All Access Star Trek using the links below.
| TrekMovie.com Podcast Network of Shows | ||
|---|---|---|
| TrekMovie.com Podcast Network | All TrekMovie.com podcasts | Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Stitcher |
| The Shuttle Pod Podcast | The original TrekMovie.com podcast | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Stitcher |
| All Access Star Trek Podcast | All about the Star Trek Universe | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Stitcher |
Keep up with everything to do with the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
The energy of this show was great from ep. 1-3. 4-6 have been a slow drag. Even exciting scenes feel flat. The stories aren’t even stories. They are chunks of scenes that we’ll get the short and underwhelming answer to in the first 10 minutes of the next episode. Unless there is a massive turnaround, I’m not hopeful for season 3 despite the TNG cast’s return.
I still say that serialization is the death of current Trek. The writers and/or showrunners just can’t seem to handle it. Because of it they are not forced to write stories with a beginning, middle, and end. They just write segments of a story that don’t need to properly connect to other scenes or episodes before or after; they can just kick the can of logic and setup/payoff down the road for another writer to not address in a later episode (and I guess they hope by that time no one will notice?). This is why I am really enjoying the writing on Lower Decks, most of the writing on Prodigy, and very much looking forward to SNW – they actually write complete stories!
The serializations / arcs are definitely the friend of lazy and mediocre writers. Although I haven’t been watching Picard recently I listened to Anthony P. and Laura discuss the latest ep and and was astounded by the apparently convoluted and aimless “story” they were describing! I hope that SNW’s episodic format will impose discipline on the writers to do much better work than they have with DISC and Picard.
don’t blame the format, blame the writers, showrunners who can’t handle it as well as other shows do with their story arcs
Serialization for virtually any show out there has usually worked best when each individual episode still conforms (roughly) to a 3-4 act structure.
Many serialized shows have turned into little more than long 8-10 hour movies with very little to differentiate one episode from another.
They’ve turned back into the old 1930 and 1940s serials that run at breakneck speed to a cliffhanger, except in some cases, these shows don’t even have a cliffhanger, they just end when the allotted time is up. There’s hardly any standout episodes of shows outside the premiere and final episodes, it all blends together.
I have no insight into the writers room, but most serialized shows need to have the ending planned out FIRST. The destination needs to be known so they’re always writing towards that inevitable ending. If they change direction mid-stream, they need to re-write the ending, but always have an ending in mind. A lot of serialized shows don’t know where they’re headed and it translates into a mediocre product.
I can’t decide which is worse: Star Trek: Picard teasing 3 halfway through their current season or The Book of Boba Fett inserting another show’s episodes to fill the time! 🤔
I feel sympathetic for Raffi. She’s eying the alcohol, she’s having a tough time coping. I hope she get’s better by the end of this season.
I found it odd that Rios was so happy and loving the intensity of the 21st century and all of it. Has he already forgotten about being put in a cage by ICE just a day or so ago? I loved the scene between Renée and Jean-Luc.
You´ll have to write a post clarifying why you think it´s all a big simulation because I´m still not buying it. :)
As regular listeners will know we usually test drive our theories on the pod before we do a big post about them and TBH I’m not sure we’re ready yet on the simulation theory
Agreed. It just makes some of the pieces fit better so far (for me), but there is not enough evidence yet! Just a theory so far.
Way back in the first episode of Season Two I speculated that the ‘Stargazer’ wasn’t real. The reason is that I didn’t buy a cigar-chomping Rios as a Starfleet captain and I didn’t buy Picard’s sudden pronouncement that he was going to auto-destruct the ship. And seemingly had the authority to do so on his own, after having been retired for years? Was I wrong?
Adding that to my list.
Tony and Laurie
While I’m not the kind of trekkie who holds TNG as the gold standard of trek, I am excited about the return of Levar Burton and Michael Dorn. As an educator, I have always admired Levar Burton’s contributions to children’s education and grew up with reading rainbow. I still wish he would take over Jeopardy. And Michael Dorn’s Worf is awesome. So, I am excited to see what they have been up to since NEM.
I think we are all getting tired of the weekly mystery box. The hiatus in Disco S4 did make the season finale seem like it took months to finally solve the DMA problem. And now we have to wait again towards the very end to uncover the Q plot in PIC. It’s time for a change of pace. I too welcome SNW and a lighter more episodic series. SNW looks like it’s going to be fun. And occasionally, I hope campy. Yes, the old campy fun of the sixties.
I agree with both of you on the episode. I don’t have much to add.
LLAP!
I am also very happy to know LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn are part of the new season! I agree that the mystery box thing is wearing thin. I’m not so big on solving mysteries, I just want really great stories. I almost wonder if it would be more fun to KNOW what Q’s plan is, at this point, even if our heroes don’t, you know?
Agreed! If they are going to continue to serialize trek, then they should approach it differently for each series.
And it’s possible to have a serialized story but still have episodes with beginnings, middles, and endings. Discovery actually did a pretty decent job of this in season 1, as well as in the first half of season 4. I’m enjoying many things about Picard, but I feel like with this middle batch of episodes, the places where each episode starts and ends this season is oddly random.
Agreed! Another great example is Westworld. I’m on S1 right now. I don’t binge watch shows, but I watch at least 2 episodes on the weekends. Each episode tells a story, reveals more of the mystery, leaves me wanting more, but I get my fix and not left frustrated. Picard is just frustrating right now.
At its peak, Game of Thrones was really good at this too. 24 was great at it.
Let’s play Picard Season 2 or Star Trek IV:
Iconic former captain of the Enterprise, who is now an admiral, travels back three centuries to California with his crew to prevent a catastrophic future.
Time travel achieved by slingshot around the sun.
Ship is damaged in the process of time travel.
Crew member is detained and is rescued by the rest of the crew.
Crew member is hospitalized.
Punk on bus listens to loud song about hating everyone.
Crew member reluctantly tells someone the truth about the mission.
Woman native to the century he travels to helps the admiral with his mission. Possible romantic relationship.
Great round up and boy was there a lot of news!
Laurie’s simulation theory is interesting and when I think back to the Jurati’s song then that explanation fits very well.
I guess “time will tell”; pun intended.
It seems to me that this season is being designed to be binged. I agree with Laurie that the last episode was fun to watch, but when you start thinking about things you scratch your head. My guess is that all the end it will be pretty much make sense. That said, I think Annie Wersching and Allison Pill have been great. Also nice to see more of Orla Brady, and Brent Spiner has really stepped it up as Adam Soong. Anyway, keep up the good work on the pod.
wil wheaton is bound by contract so he can’t say anything. he’s andrew-garfielding it. wesley will pop up as the traveler as there are a number of cameos