Star Trek: Picard Season 1 Finale

by Russell Brown, “The Opaque Senator,” GGR Contributor

So here we are, the end of season 1! Wow. What a ride it's been! I'm going to dig right into the recap and give my episode and season thoughts at the bottom

So we are treated to a complete season recap, which really did serve to show me just how much has happened on this show this year. There has been a lot. We open with an escaped Narek returning to the Borg ship, and sneaking on to see Narissa. He comes across Seven of Nine and Elnor talking, figuring out where their homes should be. Back we cut to Picard and Soji visits. She tries to convince Picard why she feels this is the only way, to which Picard says that this false choice is a “failure of imagination.” Cut to opening credits.

Narek gets the explosives he needs to blow up the beacon, while Narissa works to get the Borg Cube under her control. Back on La Sirena, Raffi and Rios try to figure out how to get the androids repair item to work, which they do through...imagination? I think? Okay, well ship gets rebooted. But then they are visited by Narek, who convinces them to go back to the android city to blow up the beacon. They come up with a plan to get back into the city with the explosives hidden in a soccer ball, using Narek as their way in as they 'captured' him.

Back with Jirarti, she and Soong have a conversation about mothers and sacrifices, but when he leaves, Jirarti decides she's going to break Picard out. She uses an eye from the murdered droid to get into Picard’s locked chambers. They get to La Sirena to try to stall the Romulan fleet to make time for Starfleet to arrive. Narissa attempted to target and destroy La Sirena, but Seven intervenes. They have a fight in which Seven throws her over the edge (yay!!!!!).

Cue big space battle, battle against the clock, and Picard's illness taking its toll. Suspense! We see some creativity, the orchids in space, and a new Picard maneuver! Though the Romulans take every thing meant to stop or stall them head on with their singular mission just moments away. And then, the Feds show up!

You know, the Federation of course comes with some brand new, technologically superior ships, led by the newly instated Captain Riker! A nice game of brinkmanship ensues between General Oh and Riker, very similar to what those astute TNG fans will compare to Picard and Tomalak's rivalry from days past.

Soji's beacon starts to release the Kraken so to speak, but Picard reaches out one more time to her, with the Federation now firmly in their camp, to talk her down. Soji relents and destroys the beacon herself, which de-escalates the situation and forces Oh to retreat or face the onslaught of Riker’s fleet.

Riker and Picard have a great moment, before he takes his armada back home.

“You didn’t think I would stay in the woods, making pizza and let you have all the fun, did you?”

Picard finally succumbs to his brain abnormality, not before giving his farewell to everyone in a tearjerker of a scene...

Okay, so there's no way they’re going to kill off the title character in season 1 of a series. Okay, well, they do. But, yeah. Not really. First things first. Rios and Seven share a nice moment about regrets.

Rafi and Elnor share a nice cry. But then we return to Picard, in a Sherlock Holmes-esque study...with Data! “Another damn dream” Picard exclaims, but Data comes in “No Captain, it is a massively complex quantum simulation. I would imagine however, from your point of view, hearing me say so, would not be out of place in dream you might have about me.” This whole dialogue was magnificent and I won't give anymore away. Suffice it to say, it's the good bye from Data and Picard we did not get in Star Trek: Nemesis (man, the entirety of season one of a series to right that wrong, huh?). Please watch this scene, even if just on YouTube.

Picard awakens, looking like himself. The Golem that Dr. Soong made for himself, he instead gave to Picard. So, as Data was fond of saying, he “is an Android!” Though apparently a very human one that will expire. It isn't augmented in anyway. But the final real good bye happens now, as Data asked that Picard end his brain simulation, basically euthanizing him. Data believes humanity and life has meaning precisely because it can end. Of course, the song playing as this happens is Data's favorite, “Blue Skies.” The crew reunite on La Sirena, and off into space they go. Engage!

I have so many thoughts on this episode. It was a wonderful season 1 ending that leaves open numerous possibilities for the future. The highlight was Picard and Data's final meeting and farewell, in addition to seeing Captain Riker in action. Huge shout out to Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, as their relationship really shows through. It wrapped up the “Data saga” as I'll call it, in a nice bow. My only regret for it was not having Data meet and talk one time with Soji, as that would have been another beautiful moment and conversation. I'm sure it isn't there because they didn't want to diminish Picard's moment with Data, but I think it would have been appropriate and above all, human and interesting for Data to talk with his daughter. What would they have said to each other? One can wonder...

Riker in action was the other excellent part of this episode. Jonathon Frakes still has that confidence and swagger he's always had in his acting roles (his acting as Xanatos in the Gargoyles TV show as another great example). The face-off with Commodore/General Oh was tense, exciting, and chaotic. Definitely reminded me a lot of this scene...

Riker was really taking notes, hahaha.

I'm also glad General Oh is still alive. She is an effective villain, also well acted and threatening, and I'm sure we will see more of her and the Romulans in future seasons. The new Picard maneuver was a little contrived, but again super-interesting. I would also have liked a bit more closure with the XB's, as Seven was on La Sirena with everyone. Are they with the androids? Whose leading them? Is she going back? This could be for future seasons to go over, but they were such an important part to the fabric of this season it feels weird to “forget” about them.

I have many more thoughts, but I think I will need a longer format to get them out, and a little more time to digest this finale. I hope you all enjoyed Picard season 1! Stay quarantined all and engaged in the many great series we have at our disposal. Until next time...