What They Say:
Picard and the crew track Soji to the Borg cube in Romulan space, resurfacing haunting memories for Picard. Meanwhile, Narek believes he finally found a way to safely exploit Soji for information.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As Picard moves smoothly into the back half of the season with this episode, the show has finally brought our title character into Soji’s orbit. A lot of folks have complained about the time spent with Soji and Narek and the Artifact itself since it hasn’t contributed much but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this subplot a lot since the start. It’s played into the novel-style approach of the story being told here by seeding small things and it’s worked with what Narek has been trying to do in unlocking Soji without activating her and losing their link to the synth homeworld. This is not something you rush but it’s also not something that dominates an episode, hence it being a small subplot that has been poked and tweaked along the way. It’s also done a nice education on the Borg Reclamation project and what the xBs are up to, which has been fascinating.
This episode gives us a bit more with Raffi as she’s called upon to get Picard some diplomatic access to the Reclamation Project but it comes at a cost by using an old friend and lover by all appearances. Raffi’s not been in a good space since coming back on the ship and it shows more so here with her drinking and telling Rios a bit about her son, which makes clear just how much it’s impacting her. It’s not a huge part of the show but it’s working the character through things and hopefully she’ll find what she needs to come back to living her life. We also get a little fallout from what Juarti did in the last episode in killing Maddox as it’s still not been figured out. It’s making an impact on her emotional wellbeing, however, and that has her looking for any sort of distraction for a few hours. It’s played well in how she and Rios end up in that situation but it’s also just something that can’t be anything but blunt.
The main focus is on Picard and his being on the Cube. There are a lot of unresolved issues even decades later and it feels right that he’s still angry. He’s got a lot of issues as Locutus is always a part of him and returning to a Cube, even one like this, really does a number on him. I like how he’s handled on there as some of the xBs recognize him as Locutus and call out to him while others are protecting/assisting him in small ways to keep him stable. The best part, however, is Hugh. We know how instrumental Picard was in getting Hugh on the right path and Hugh is able to provide some of the back at this point, re-centering Picard when his fears are really starting to ramp up. The bond these two share is magical and one of those things we really wanted to see in the series once we knew Hugh was here. There’s a lot of good stuff they both talk about in how the Project is operating – and a curious reference the Romulan queen as well. I’m amused at the fans that are saying it might be Sela because that would be a really surprising guest appearance and possibly the right move for the Romulan Free State post-Empire.
Picard’s mission does get him to Soji eventually and that comes after the subplot involving Narek and her takes center stage. She doesn’t activate until closer to the end of the episode as she struggles with her identity first, which allows Narek to finally get what he’s after, but it’s enjoyable to watch as she grapples with the understanding that nothing she knew may be real and feeling the solidity under her give way. With Narek offering a way forward for her that only helps him and makes it easier for him to kill her afterward, it’s easy to understand her reticence to trust anyone, particularly Picard when Hugh helps to connect them. You knew that necklace of Dahj’s was going to be the saving grace and I don’t mind that but I’m glad she’s wary. The escape itself is positively fun as it’s a solid deep cut to Voyager in how Picard and Soji get away and between that and the Romulan meditation piece there are some really enjoyable set pieces in this episode.
In Summary:
While there isn’t a lot of action per se in this episode there’s a good sense of forward momentum that really carries us through some key events. The arrival at the Cube, the meeting with Soji, Soji’s activating, the reunion between Picard and Hugh, and Picard coping with being the last place he ever really wanted to be again. With the episode clocking in ten minutes more than most of the prior episodes, it’s got the extra meat on the bone to make it a very tasty episode. The smaller moments on board the ship with Rios and the rest adds a little color and nudges most of their stories forward a touch, but all focus is on Picard. And seeing that anger still in him, and to then see him starting to understand more that the xBs are victims themselves, it helps to reorient the character in a really good way as he continues to grow and learn. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this season takes us.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: CBS All Access
