Star Trek: Picard
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If Jean-Luc Picard were disappointed in me, Id crawl into a hole and never come out.
Even so, hes not perfect.
And as viewers, weve come to understand the weight of his expectations in this latest episode.
What happens when youdontbecome the person he thinks you should be?
Its easy to breathe a sigh of relief at the beginning of Imposters.
Were only halfway into the season, after all!!
Starfleet arrives on the scene, ready to take Jean-Luc and Will to task for their actions.
Things are amped up, but once the USS Intrepid arrives, everything feels off.
The Starfleet representative is arriving by shuttle, not the transporter.
Theres no real communication as to whats happening.
Everything about thisscreamschangeling imposter.
When that shuttle docked, I was prepared for the Starfleet representative to be anyone, anyone at all.
And yet I still gasped at the reveal: Ro.
My personal relationship with Ro Laren has changed over the years.
SHE TURNED AGAINST JEAN-LUC PICARD?
It is fascinating to watch the different reactions.
He bore her message Im sorry back to Captain Picard.
Unsurprisingly, he tries to talk Jean-Luc down and curb his anger.
But Picard is havingnone of it.
She betrayed Starfleet, sure, but more importantly, she betrayedhim.
And now shedarescourt-martial him??
Its a tense chess game.
Commander Ro doesnt help things when she pulls a phaser on him and redirects Picard into the holodeck.
(Apparently, Ten Forward is just where all the good conversations will happen this season.)
Its here that they begin to really test each other out.
Theyre half examining each others memories, half having the confrontation theyve thought about for years.
The conversation between them is so good that I struggle to write about it.
My notes from the scene are just the dialogue written out because its so emotional and poignant.
And you broke mine, Ro says back.
Interestingly, Jean-Lucs anger is palpable, while Ros is quieter.
It seems shes accepted she betrayed him and that he will never forgive her.
She tries to defend herself but also feels resigned to bear the brunt of his disappointment.
Its a weight shes been carrying for decades.
In the end, Jean-Lucs anger at Ro convinces her to trust him.
Neither of them are changelings.
Ro tells Jean-Luc of a changeling infiltration of Starfleet at the highest levels.
(At once, it becomes clear who Worfs handler is.)
Ro doesnt even trust the Starfleet officers who traveled with her from the Intrepid.
But her crewmates cant find him because Seven of Nine disguised Jack as a Starfleet officer.
His visions are getting worse, but hes safe for now.
Ro returns to the Intrepid, leaving the investigation in Jean-Lucs hands.
She pulls him aside and gives him an emotional goodbye, putting her Bajoran earring in his hand.
Its an ominous sign.
Theyre clearly changelings and are going after Jack Crusher.
He realizes how much hes misjudged and vilified her.
Hes in tears as, in her final moments, he finally understands who she is.
After her death, the Titan escapes.
They are such an incredible team and an absolute delight to see onscreen.
It makes for a nice balance.
This is one of those episodes that, asTrekfans, well talk about for a long time.
Was it a bit of fan service?
Will anyone who cares about these characters actually mind?
No, I dont think so.
Captains Log
Legacy character count: Five.
What is going on with Jack Crusher?
The voice saying, Find me?
That has to be why the changelings want him, but what does it mean?
Im going to step outside so the three of you’re able to get your bullshit story straight.
Captain Shaw continues to be the most delightful asshole.
Will Jean-Luc eventually succeed in recruiting his son to Starfleet?
Thatd be a lot of fun, but I also like the idea that Starfleet isnt for everyone.
Changelings no longer revert to goo when theyre killed; thats fun and disturbing news.
I knew Worf wasnt going to die, but Today was a good day to die GOT ME.
