Line #112 Film/StarTrekNemesis


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_trek_nemesis_ver2.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''"Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse..."'']]
3
4	->'''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Janeway]]:''' Jean-Luc, how would you like a trip to Romulus?\
5	'''Picard:''' With or without the rest of the fleet?
6
7	JustForFun/TheOneWith Picard’s younger [[EvilCounterpart evil clone]].
8
9	''Star Trek Nemesis'' is the tenth movie in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' film series, released in 2002, and serves as the big-screen GrandFinale for the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' crew. It is directed by Stuart Baird, with the screenplay by Creator/JohnLogan and the story by Logan, Creator/RickBerman and Creator/BrentSpiner, who also played Data.
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11	After [[TheCoup a coup]], the new leader of the ever-secretive Romulan government makes an offer of peace to TheFederation. Our heroes find out that this new leader, Shinzon (Creator/TomHardy), is a younger clone of Jean-Luc Picard (Creator/PatrickStewart), the by-product of a botched Romulan plot. At first, Shinzon's intentions seem honest, but they quickly turn malicious for convoluted medical reasons. There's also a subplot about a prototype of Data, B-4 (Spiner), which serves as a counterpoint to Picard's identity struggles. See [[Recap/StarTrekNemesis here]] for a more detailed recap.
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13	The film also stars ''TNG'' series regulars Creator/JonathanFrakes as William T. Riker, Creator/LeVarBurton as Geordi La Forge, Creator/MichaelDorn as Worf, Creator/GatesMcFadden as Beverly Crusher and Creator/MarinaSirtis as Deanna Troi. Creator/RonPerlman appears as Shinzon's EvilChancellor. Cameos include Creator/WilWheaton as Wesley Crusher, Creator/WhoopiGoldberg as shipboard bartender Guinan, and Creator/KateMulgrew as Admiral Kathryn Janeway, the only one of the three to have lines.
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15	The film was released on December 13, 2002 in North America. It did poorly at the box office due to a combination of stiff competition [[note]]''Film/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', Franchise/JamesBond's ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' and ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers'' were all released within a few weeks of this film's debut[[/note]] and, despite having the StarTrekMovieCurse in its favor, was not well received. It is generally viewed as a FranchiseKiller signaling the decline of Star Trek movies, not helped by ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' also struggling before being cancelled several years later.
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17	''Nemesis'' provided a bookend in several ways. With a {{prequel}} show currently airing, this film was the chronological last story set in the 24th Century, and Creator/JJAbrams's AlternateTimeline ''Film/StarTrek2009'' (which is somewhat of a StealthSequel to this film) made it appear to be the last of the PrimeTimeline. But this would change as a new era of Star Trek television shows would return to the timeline with TOS-era ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'', while ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' are set after the events of this film. The Third Season of ''Star Trek: Picard'' would go on to serve as PuttingTheBandBackTogether for the TNG cast, acting as another GrandFinale.
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19	----
20	!!''Nemesis'' provides examples of:
21	[[foldercontrol]]
22	[[folder:Tropes A-I]]
23	* AbortedArc: Shinzon is an in-universe example. Picard's clone was created as part of an ambitious operation to replace the real Picard (who even at that point was a rising star in Starfleet) with a Romulan agent at the heart of Starfleet (and with none the wiser). However, the plan ultimately fell victim to a political shakeup in the Senate. A new government came to power, decided the plan was too risky, and pulled the plug and dumped Shinzon on Remus.
24	* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: The dinner scene, where Shinzon seems genuinely curious about the life that Picard lived.
25	* AlasPoorVillain: Yes, his motives were unclear, his tactical expertise was debatable (see InformedAbility below), and he wanted to kill everyone on Earth, but there's no denying that Shinzon's life ''sucked''. He was created solely to be a tool of war, and through no fault of his own, he was eventually condemned to a lifetime of back-breaking labor in a hellish mine. And even though he managed to overthrow his captors and the entire Romulan leadership, his engineered lifespan ensured that he had a very short time to live. In short, he lived a short, violent, brutal life, and never really had any chance to know love or happiness.
26	* AntagonistTitle: Shinzon is Picard's nemesis.
27	* AnythingButThat:
28	-->'''Worf:''' ...''Irving Berlin''.
29	* ApocalypseHow: Class 6, threatened.
30	* AppliedPhlebotinum: Thalaron radiation.
31	* ArcWords: "Never saw the sun shining so bright, never saw things looking so right..."
32	* ActivationSequence: After the ''Enterprise'' rams the ''Scimitar'', rendering their weapons inoperable, Shinzon activates the thalaron weapon, a process that takes about seven minutes as the targeting emitters on the wings are moved into position prior to firing.
33	* AttackPatternAlpha:
34	** Attack Pattern Shinzon Theta.
35	** Defensive Pattern Kirk Epsilon.
36	* AuthorAppeal: Primary screenwriter John Logan admits in interviews to being a huge fan of Data and Picard, and Brent Spiner co-wrote, explaining why Data gets a [[spoiler:HeroicSacrifice]] and he and Picard both get {{Long Lost Relative}}s and so much badassery they approach CanonSue status.
37	* BackportedDevelopment: Even though Picard was supposed to have lost his hair with age, his clone is also completely bald. Shinzon's baldness can perhaps be explained away as being a result of his screwed up DNA and the resultant premature aging, but a photograph showing Picard as a bald cadet, not so easily. Especially since on ''TNG'' younger versions of Picard were shown twice; "Tapestry", fresh out of the Academy with a full head of hair, and "Violations", ten years before the start of the series, with the hairline starting to recede. Though maybe he just shaved his head at one point in the Academy.
38	* BaitAndSwitch: At Riker and Troi's wedding party, Data begins singing the bridge of "Blue Skies" in a stilted, robotic way before switching to Brent Spiner's usual jazz singing style. In-universe, there's no reason for him to do this: all of Data's friends and people who have seen STTNG and its previous movies already know Data is a good singer. This seems to have been done solely to serve as an awkward EstablishingCharacterMoment for audience members who aren't familiar with Data's character.
39	* BaldOfEvil: Shinzon is completely bald.
40	* BeamSpam: The ''Enterprise'' uses this when attempting to locate the cloaked ''Scimitar'' during the battle in the Bassen Rift before the other Romulans arrive.
41	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: The Remans helped Shinzon survive in the mines, and now he's fighting to liberate them from the Romulans.
42	* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Commander Donatra arrives with two warbirds to assist the ''Enterprise'' and after realizing Shinzon was genocidal. Subverted, however, in that neither warbird succeeds in causing any damage whatsoever to the ''Scimitar'', which then cripples Donatra's warbird and destroys the other one outright, meaning that Donatra's intervention ends up achieving nothing]].
43	* BigNo:
44	** Troi screams it when Vkruk mentally rapes her, and again when Riker calls her name.
45	** Vkruk yells one when [[spoiler:Riker]] sends him falling to his death.
46	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Data is dead, and the crew of the ''Enterprise'' is going their separate ways after so many years together. But thanks to their efforts, Shinzon is killed and the Romulan Empire is finally willing to talk with the Federation, which may lead to peace between the two, and Picard, along with all those who remain on the ''Enterprise'', will continue their mission to go where no one has gone before. Sadly, ''Film/StarTrek2009'' establishes that eight years after ''Nemesis'', Romulus is destroyed in a supernova and the rest of the Romulan Empire blames the Federation for screwing up the project to stop it. In addition, ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' shows that Picard tried to help the Romulans, but TheFederation chose to withdraw their aid, and Picard resigned in protest. Also, Data's attempt to download himself into B-4 failed.]]
47	* BlankSlate: Data's "brother" B-4.
48	* BoardToDeath: Romulan Senate not cooperating? Kill 'em all with an experimental thalaron radiation bomb!
49	* BodyHorror: The effects of thalaron radiation: it turns you into powder from the inside-out. Quite painfully, it must be added.
50	* BodySnatcher: [[spoiler:Data imprints his neural net on his mentally handicapped brother's brain. He plays it off as "helping his brother grow" or somesuch, but it's implied that in the future Data will completely take over B-4's body...until ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' reveals that the download failed.]]
51	* BoldlyComing: DefiedTrope. Shinzon, a clone of Picard raised on the Romulan twin planet of Remus, organizes a coup against the Imperial Senate and takes over. Commander Donatra later [[PowerIsSexy tries to flirt with him]], but he stops her dead cold, as he grew up amongst the SlaveRace of the Romulan Empire and thus despises ordinary Romulans. Instead, he settles for engaging in some pretty literal MindRape against the half-human Troi.
52	-->'''Shinzon:''' You are not a woman. [[FantasticRacism You are a Romulan]].
53	* BondVillainStupidity: "I have you now, Picard. Now I can proceed with the operation to save my life, a short time after I walk away and leave you in a room with one guard. I'm sure nothing will happen during that time."
54	* {{Bookends}}:
55	** When we first saw the Prime Universe ''Enterprise'' on the big screen in ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture'', she was in spacedock undergoing a refit. In this last Prime Universe film, we last see her in spacedock undergoing repairs. The same Jerry Goldsmith ''Star Trek'' theme is played in both scenes.
56	** Similarly, as of 2023, this remains the final ''Trek'' film set in the Prime Reality. So, Jerry Goldsmith has the distinction of scoring both the first and last films of the original, pre-reboot Film Series.
57	** In their first meeting in the TNG pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint", Picard and Riker talk about how it was the first officer's responsibility to take on away missions. In their last meeting before Riker leaves for the USS ''Titan'', Picard offers some advice about how to handle that with his first officer.
58	** In the original ending, the ''Enterprise'' would have left for a mission to the Deneb system, which was where the TNG pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" took place.
59	** At the beginning of the film, Data sings "Blue Skies" at Troi and Riker's wedding reception. By the end of the film, [[spoiler:B-4 struggles to sing the song as the ''Enterprise'' is docked]].
60	* BottomlessPit: Riker kicks Vkruk into one of these; the ''Enterprise'' apparently has one starting at deck 29 (the bottom of the ship... or five decks below the bottom, thanks to a ContinuitySnarl) and going down far enough to be fatal.
61	* CallBack:
62	** In [[Film/StarTrekInsurrection the last movie]], Geordi was amazed at Picard's acute hearing. Turns out that it was painfully acute when Picard was a boy.
63	** Shinzon's backstory is that he was a clone of Picard developed as part of a plot to undermine the Federation. In "Redemption: Part II", when they first met Sela, [[UncannyFamilyResemblance the identical half-Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar]], Dr. Crusher briefly wondered whether she was actually Tasha's clone, created for undermining Starfleet.
64	* TheCameo:
65	** Janeway appearing as a (recently promoted) Admiral is the only {{canon}} description of what happened to the ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'' crew after their GrandFinale, until Star Trek: Picard added some further details.
66	** Creator/WhoopiGoldberg also has one line as Guinan.
67	** Creator/WilWheaton as [[CreatorsPet Wesley Crusher]] had a cameo that was mostly left on the cutting-room floor; you can see him on the far left with his mother at the wedding reception if you've got the widescreen version, but his speaking lines are gone.
68	* CaptainObvious:
69	--->'''Data:''' ''[picking up a robotic arm]'' It appears to be a robotic arm.\
70	'''Worf:''' [[LampshadeHanging Very astute]].
71	* ChekhovsGun:
72	** The micro transporter Data attempts to use when rescuing Picard is used later on... to rescue Picard.
73	** Troi uses Vkruk's telepathy (which she knows about after her MindRape) to locate the cloaked ''Scimitar''. She even says "Remember me?"
74	* CommonalityConnection: Shinzon tries to forge a connection with Picard, though it's ambiguous how sincere he is given that he plans to kill Picard for his blood.
75	-->'''Shinzon:''' I want to know what it means to be human. The Remans have given me a future, but you can tell me about my past.\
76	'''Picard:''' I can tell you about ''my'' past.\
77	'''Shinzon:''' Were we Picards always warriors?\
78	'''Picard:''' I think of myself as an ''explorer''.\
79	'''Shinzon:''' Well, were we always explorers?\
80	'''Picard:''' I was the first Picard to leave our solar system. It caused quite a stir in the family, but I'd spent my youth...\
81	'''Shinzon:''' ...looking up at the stars, dreaming about what was up there, about...\
82	'''Picard:''' ...new worlds.
83	* ContinuityNod: There is one for every Trek series and crew up to this point in time:
84	** One of the ships waiting for the ''Enterprise'' is the [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise USS Archer]].
85	** A maneuvering pattern during the battle is called [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Kirk Epsilon]], and is used while trying to locate a ship that can [[Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry fire while cloaked]].
86	** Data finds B-4 [[TheSpock fascinating.]]
87	** A mention of the [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Dominion War]] and an appearance by [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Admiral Janeway]].
88	** Troi taking the helm when the first helm officer is sucked into space and consequently being given the order by Picard to ram the ''Scimitar'' with the ''Enterprise'' is a humorous nod to [[Film/StarTrekGenerations her similar actions on the Enterprise-D]] and its [[AscendedMeme status as a meme]] among the fanbase.
89	** The most subtle nod happens with Worf. While moving to intercept the boarding party Worf mentions that "The Romulans fought with honor." In the ''Next Generation'' episode "The Enemy", Worf went so far as to refuse to help save a dying Romulan's life (said Romulan made it clear he'd rather die than accept Worf's help in any case) while Dr. Crusher and Picard could not convince him otherwise (his family was killed in a Romulan surprise attack at Khitomer). The fact that the people he despised so much managed to impress him says a lot.
90	** Another subtle reference is the planet Remus itself, which was first mentioned all the way back in the Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries episode "Balance of Terror" (and never mentioned again until now).
91	** Riker recalls Data's failed attempt to whistle way back in the TNG pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint", though he can't remember the song. For the record, it was "Pop Goes the Weasel."
92	** Picard mentions Riker's refusal to let him lead away missions, also first mentioned in the TNG pilot.
93	** A technological nod occurs when Geordi notes that the ''Scimitar'''s cloak is perfect and doesn't leave any tachyon emissions or residual antiprotons, which were previous methods of revealing cloaking devices.
94	* ContinuityOverlap: ''Nemesis'' has the distinction of being the first and only TNG film ''not'' to be released alongside one of its spinoff shows (as ''Deep Space Nine'' ended its run after the release of ''Insurrection'' and ''Voyager'' ended its run just before filming began). Neverthless, the movie ''does'' acknowledge and is affected by the conclusions of the other 24th Century shows:
95	** ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'': The now-concluded Dominion War is acknowledged, as is the Romulan involvement in the conflict (which is used as a plot point to help establish Shinzon's military background). However, Worf's post-series status quo as the new Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire ''isn't'' acknowledged at all. He simply rejoins his old crew without any on-screen explanation (though a deleted scene from the Wedding confirms Worf had resigned from the Diplomatic Corps prior to the film).
96	** ''Star Trek: Voyager'': The ship's triumphant return home to the Alpha Quadrant is non-verbally acknowledged by Janeway's cameo.
97	* ConstantlyCurious: B-4 in the car-chase scene.
98	* CoolOldGuy: Picard is 74 years old in the film (Creator/PatrickStewart was only 62), but you wouldn't know it judging by how active he is, including how he [[spoiler:single-handedly takes out not only everyone on the ''Scimitar'''s bridge, but also manages to defeat Shinzon in hand-to-hand combat]].
99	* CoolStarship:
100	** The ''Scimitar'' is a decidedly evil-looking vessel, with forward-swept wings, dark gray hull, and an overall design that just oozes menace. It can also use its weapons ''and'' its shields while cloaked, something that, except for the Klingon Bird-of-Prey in ''The Undiscovered Country'' (the weapons at least, it still couldn't use its shields), is normally impossible.
101	--->'''Picard:''' ''(awed)'' [[AdmiringTheAbomination She's a predator.]]
102	** Plus the ''Enterprise''-E remains as cool as ever.
103	** The new [[http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Valdore_type Romulan Valdore-class warbird]], essentially a sleeker ''D'deridex''-class without the lower hull.
104	* TheCoup: At the start of the film, disgruntled Romulan senator Tal'aura and a group of Romulan military officers assassinate the rest of the Senate so they can install Shinzon as Praetor. [[spoiler:They eventually turn on him (though to little effect) after realizing he's a [[AxCrazy genocidal maniac]].]]
105	* CreatorCameo: Director Stuart Baird provides the voice of the ''Scimitar'''s computer.
106	* DamnYouMuscleMemory: When the ''Enterprise'' is hailed by the Romulans after the battle, Picard habitually says 'on-screen' despite [[spoiler:a hole into space existing where the viewscreen once was]] - he quickly corrects himself with 'open a channel'.
107	* DawnAttack: Picard reflects on this trope while recording his CaptainsLog during the LockAndLoadMontage: "...and like a thousand other commanders on a thousand other battlefields, I wait for the dawn."
108	* DemotedToExtra: Pretty much everyone except Picard and Data, but particularly egregious in the case of Dr. Crusher, who essentially disappears from the film after informing Picard of Shinzon's genetic problem, with a brief appearance in Data's wake scene (without any dialogue) being the only time she even appears after that. To a lesser extent this also applies to La Forge, who is mostly limited to providing bits of {{Technobabble}} and expository dialogue, and Worf, who is the butt of a few jokes early on and then has a minor action sequence late on, with neither getting any real character development. All three do get additional scenes in the novelization, though.
109	* DiabolusExNihilo: The ''Scimitar''. It breaks suspension of disbelief that the Remans could build, almost literally under the Romulans' noses (whose society's most prominent feature is Big Brother-level surveillance and paranoia), a starship custom-designed for their kind (it's noted that the controls are in Reman) and with the equivalent firepower of what has to be at least a few dozen top-of-the-line warships, not to mention its perfect cloak and primary weapon system.
110	* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Vkruk]] falls to his death into a bottomless pit towards the end of the film.
111	* DisposablePilot: Poor Lieutenant Branson, who you knew would die the very moment you saw him.
112	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: B-4 acts and behaves much like there stereotype of someone with an intellectual disability. It is used for cringe-worthy jokes about social cues and [[spoiler: an attempted TearJerker moment when he is deactivated.]]
113	* DoomsdayDevice: The Thalaron radiation weapon.
114	* TheDragon: Vkruk serves as Shinzon's second-in-command.
115	* DreamSpying
116	* DrivesLikeCrazy: Flying an attack craft through the corridors of a starship? Pretty crazy.
117	* DrivingIntoATruck: The Argo Jeep and a cargo shuttlecraft play this role. Picard even drives the Argo over a ledge in order to park it in the shuttle. (They also drove out of the shuttle at the beginning of the scene.)
118	* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Data]]'s death was generally considered an underwhelming one for such a long-established character. In fairness, it wasn't as severely anti-climactic as the TropeNamer, nor as much an utterly pointless ShootTheShaggyDog moment as Tasha Yar's or Jadzia Dax's deaths, since [[spoiler:Data]] does at least go out in a HeroicSacrifice while saving the ''Enterprise''. It's more the execution that's at fault here, since his death is pretty abrupt and filmed more in the manner that you might expect some RedShirt to meet their end in, rather than a main character.
119	* EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse: Or, at least, TheFederation, which is why Shinzon makes it his first target.
120	-->'''Riker:''' Destroy humanity, you cripple the Federation.
121	* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Romulans start to side against Shinzon when they realize how genocidal he is. They want to conquer TheFederation, not wipe it out completely.
122	* EvilTwin
123	* ExplosiveDecompression: [[spoiler: An energy torpedo from the ''Scimitar'' blasts a giant hole in the front of the bridge, obliterating the viewscreen. A hapless conn officer is sucked out into space, with another one holding onto his console for dear life, as well as the rest of the bridge crew. They are only saved by the timely activation of the atmospheric safety forcefields.]]
124	* FairytaleWeddingDress: Troi wears [[PinkMeansFeminine a pink one]] at her wedding.
125	* FauxAffablyEvil: Shinzon.
126	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: The ''Enterprise'' is being stalked by Shinzon's cloaked ship, so it's hoping to rendezvous with the fleet for protection. On the way, they enter an area of space where long-range communications don't work. Data and Picard [[OhCrap realize]] that this would be a perfect place for Shinzon to attack them. Guess what happens next?
127	* FromBadToWorse: With the ''Enterprise'' already outmatched by the ''Scimitar'', two more warbirds show up. {{Subverted}} when they offer to help fight Shinzon.
128	* FromNobodyToNightmare: Shinzon may not have been the most competent BigBad ever, but given that he started out as the weakest slave in the mines, getting as far as he did in life was quite an accomplishment.
129	* FunWithHomophones: During the fight with the ''Enterprise'', Shinzon slowly and viciously says "Fire at will." Followed immediately by a cut to a frantic Will Riker.
130	* GenericDoomsdayVillain: Shinzon. The extreme actions that actually relate to his supposedly well-intentioned goals occur entirely in the opening minutes of the movie: as he was raised by the Remans, he understandably doesn't like their status as the [[ProudWarriorRace Warrior]]-SlaveRace of the Romulan Empire. But when he assassinates the entire Romulan Senate and installs himself as the new dictator...''he's already solved all the Remans' problems.'' At that point his only real explanation for wanting to destroy Earth is to eclipse Picard in the history books and make sure nobody ever subjugates the Remans again. For a poorly explained reason (to prove to everyone that the Remans are to be taken seriously), he has a super battleship way more advanced than every ship it comes up against. He also got a planet-destroying superweapon from... somewhere. The Literature/StarTrekNovelverse spent quite a few pages writing (non-canon) {{fix fic}}s to explain this mess.
131	* GrandFinale: For the ''Next Generation'' crew, and more: as [[Film/StarTrek2009 the next film]] returns to the TOS gang in an altered version of history, it was the final entry of the ''Next Generation'', of the whole 24th Century era, and of the ''entire Franchise/TrekVerse as it has been from day one''... until ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' was announced in 2019.
132	* GunsAkimbo: Picard wields two disruptors while Data figures out how to access the hangar on the ''Scimitar''.
133	* HandWave: Tom Hardy looking nothing like Patrick Stewart is handwaved during their characters' dinner scene where Shinzon notes "Not the face you remember? A life of violence can do that."
134	* HangoverSensitivity: Worf and Romulan ale do ''not'' mix very well.
135	* HeelFaceDoorSlam: Subverted. [[spoiler:Shinzon slams it himself.]]
136	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:The Romulans.]]
137	* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:After Shinzon dies, Picard suffers one. When Data appears, Picard barely registers his arrival at first.]]
138	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Data, homaging Spock's {{heroic sacrifice}} in ''Wrath of Khan''.]]
139	* HoistByTheirOwnPetard: The Romulans create a clone of Captain Picard for a KillAndReplace gambit, only to have their tool [[TheCoup kill and replace the Romulan Senate]]. So this is a case of [[{{Pun}} Hoist By Their Own Picard]].
140	* IdiotBall:
141	** So to be clear: the series has established that quite a few members of the ''Enterprise'' are geniuses, and they know, by this point, that Shinzon is literally out for Captain Picard's blood. And yet, it doesn't occur to any of them that flying the ship alone into a gas cloud which prevents them from calling for help is a really, ''really'' bad idea.
142	** The last time they found a disassembled Soong-designed android, he turned out to be Data's EvilTwin and went on to nearly kill the crew on two separate occasions. Why not ONE of the senior staff, all of whom were present for both events, brings up even the vaguest mention of this...
143	** [[spoiler:So, Shinzon and the Remans discover B-4 somewhere, add programming to turn him into their spy, and plant his remains in the desert for the ''Enterprise'' to find. The goal here is to acquire the position of the Federation fleet, the same fleet the ''Scimitar'' can trivially bypass thanks to its perfect cloak. The whole thing failed anyway, but it's not made clear why he ever needed the data in the first place, given his plan never involved the fleet in the first place. Presumably this would have tied in to the deleted subplot where Shinzon intended to launch a full-scale assault on the Federation, and the information would have been for the benefit of the ''rest'' of the Romulan fleet, which would have otherwise been vulnerable to the Federation's normal methods of rooting out cloaked ships.]]
144	** In the original script, Doctor Crusher and several others ask B-4 how he'd ended up on the desert planet after turning him on. He then launched into his ''autobiography'', explaining every moment of his life since he was first turned on by Pakleds ("they are fat.") Most of the tale would repeat several times over because he would also include instances of ''others'' asking him where he came from, at which point he tells the story about telling those people the story. On a second watch, the viewer would [[FridgeLogic realize]] that at some point in there, B-4 had actually spilled everything about Shinzon's plan, but Doctor Crusher had long since ''[[LongSpeechTeaTime fallen asleep]]''.
145	* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The Reman side of this is lampshaded early on when it's pointed out that the Romulans used Remans for cannon fodder in the Dominion War.
146	* InertialImpalement: At the climax, [[spoiler:Picard inflicts this on [[BigBad Shinzon]] with a piece of broken-off metal.]]
147	* InformedAbility:
148	** Shinzon is stated to be a tactical genius and a successful commander. However:
149	*** He waits for two days to talk to Picard personally, along with other general procrastination ([[spoiler:due to CloneDegeneration, Shinzon at this point has something like a week to live]]) because he was "curious" about Picard.
150	*** He unveils his secret flagship, the ''Scimitar'', in a show of strength, not only nullifying the surprise of his trump card but also eventually revealing to Picard that he has a planet-killer weapon.
151	*** He leaves the ''Enterprise'' in orbit of Romulus after kidnapping Picard.
152	*** While ambushing ''Enterprise'', he flies unnecessarily close to them, allowing them to hit him despite ''Scimitar's'' cloaking device.
153	*** He orders the ''Scimitar'' to move to port when he sees the ''Enterprise'' proceeding to ram it, rather than moving full reverse. Even if the ''Enterprise'' had inertia on its side, moving back would have softened the blow considerably.
154	** Shinzon says the Remans are "A race bred for war", yet they get slaughtered easily in most of the combat scenes. To be fair, they do slightly better against the generic security team members on the ''Enterprise''. It could be their problem is they constantly go into combat against main characters who are protected by PlotArmor.
155	* InterfaceSpoiler: At one point, the subtitles spoil the surprise of [[spoiler:Picard being beamed off the Enterprise [[KilledMidSentence mid-sentence]] ]]a few seconds before it actually happens. The details may not be obvious, but it's clear that something critically interrupts him.
156	* ItsPersonal: The only explanation for Shinzon's attitude towards both the Romulan establishment and Picard.
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	[[folder:Tropes J-Z]]
160	* KickTheDog: Shinzon's MindRape of Troi, which serves no real purpose except to demonstrate how evil he is.
161	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Data]].
162	* KirkSummation: Picard gives Shinzon one during the climactic battle, trying to get him to see past his rage and become a better man. Unfortunately, Shinzon responds with a [[ShutUpKirk Shut Up, Picard!]]
163	* TheLastDance:
164	-->'''Shinzon:''' I'm glad we're together now - our destiny is complete.
165	* LeanAndMean: Shizon is especially skinny, emphasized with the black latex outfit with tall shoulders. This is somewhat amusing given that Creator/TomHardy later became famous for [[DyeingForYourArt packing on a lot of muscle]].
166	* LightningBruiser: The ''Scimitar'' is faster than the ''Enterprise'' while boasting [[MoreDakka more firepower]] and stronger DeflectorShields. Even the combined might of the ''Enterprise'' and two Romulan ''Valdore''-class warbirds isn't enough to defeat it.
167	* LockAndLoadMontage:
168	-->'''Picard:''' All hands...[[RedAlert battle stations]]!
169	* LooksLikeOrlok: The Remans were explicitly designed to resemble ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}''.
170	* LosingYourHead: B-4.
171	* MadeOfIron: The ''Enterprise''. While she's not nearly as well-armed as the ''Scimitar'', she takes a ''beating'' during the battle and keeps on going (granted, Shinzon wanted Picard taken alive). The only thing that stopped her was ''running out of torpedoes''. And then when Picard decided to [[RammingAlwaysWorks ram his opponent]] anyway, the ''Enterprise'' only loses about 1/6th of its saucer section while the ''Scimitar'' folds like cheap cardboard, losing all its disruptors and the cloaking device in the process. If not for his WaveMotionGun, Shinzon would have been defeated right there.
172	* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: Riker and Worf leave their posts on the bridge during a battle to go shoot it out with the Reman boarding party below decks. Why the ship's senior officers needed to leave their posts in the middle of battle to go do basic grunt work is anyone's guess.
173	* MeaningfulName: Shinzon is a Chinese name meaning "heart". It's also a Japanese name meaning "new existence".
174	* MilitaryCoup: The entire Romulan Senate is assassinated by Shinzon and a group of Romulan generals who were promised that he would invade the Federation.
175	* MindRape: Shinzon and Vkruk use an unusually literal version on Troi, though she turns it back on them.
176	* MisappliedPhlebotinum: [[WebVideo/RedLetterMedia Mr Plinkett]] went into a long rant in his review about the shuttle that brings the Argo buggy down to Kolarus [=III=]. Complaining that a flying space vehicle is vastly more useful than a car but they only use it to house and transport a vehicle that's less useful than itself.
177	* MisplacedRetribution: Shinzon despises being Picard's clone and is willing to kill every person on Earth just to make sure that ''his'' name is the one history remembers.
178	* MissileLockOn: Averted for most of the Battle of the Bassen Rift thanks to the ''Scimitar'''s advanced cloaking device. Similarly to [[Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry General Chang almost a century earlier]], Shinzon's firing through the cloak and thus Worf ''can't'' achieve targeting locks. He has to fire blindly and manually (which scores as many hits as misses). The ''Valdore'' has the same problem, necessitating Worf coordinating with them to triangulate fire on any shield impact. It's not until Troi telepathically locates the Viceroy that Worf's able to finally knock out the cloak and achieve automatic targeting locks -- though by that point in the battle, the ''Enterprise'' has already expended most of its weaponry and is heavily damaged.
179	* MoreDakka:
180	** The ''Scimitar'' is more loaded for bear with more disruptors and torpedoes than almost any other ''Trek'' ship, not to mention its WaveMotionGun.
181	** During the battle, when Troi gives Worf a solid point to aim at, he starts firing the Enterprise's quantum torpedoes. These are a lot more powerful than the standard photon torpedoes, and at this point the barrage succeeds in bringing down the ''Scimitar'''s cloak, but it's still not enough to break through the shields and do any meaningful damage.
182	* NamedByTheAdaptation: The Viceroy's true name, Vkruk, is given in the novelization.
183	* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: Shinzon invites Picard to a private dinner, where he shares his backstory with him.
184	* NonHumanNonBinary: Data makes a brief reference to "invited transgendered species" early on in the movie, the franchise's first reference to transexuality. However, the word was badly misused. Instead of having anything to do with a person whose gender identity and physical sex do not match, it was added onto "Ladies and Gentlemen," meaning it referred to races whose physical sexes are not the same as humans. [[note]]If ''Franchise/StarTrek'' has an example of transsexuality, it's the TNG episode where a member of a genderless race caused a stir by considering herself female; a failed attempt at an episode about homosexuality (ButNotTooGay and RuleAbidingRebel were taken a bit too far; a nominally genderless character played by a woman who isn't being made to look or sound any less female and who identifies as a woman falling in love with a man is not even ''sorta'' homosexual-ish, it's just Riker [[BoldlyComing getting his Kirk on]] one more time. However, they accidentally ''backed into '' having an episode about transsexuality that ''isn't'' the worst you've ever seen, at a time when it was hardly on the radar).[[/note]]
185	* NoOSHACompliance: Not only is there nothing protecting anyone from coming into contact with the beam coming out of the thalaron generator, which is located in an anteroom just behind the bridge of the ''Scimitar'', but firing a hand phaser into the beam is sufficient to blow up the entire ship. Downplayed a little in that the beam is only present when the thalaron generator is active, and it's still a much lesser case than what was in the original script, where it was the ship's ''warp core'' that was on the bridge.
186	* NoSeatbelts: A deleted bit from the ending would show that the ''Enterprise'' was ''finally'' being equipped with them, to which Picard even says "About time!"
187	* NotSoDifferentRemark: Picard and Shinzon, explored at some length. Shinzon claims that he is what Picard would have been under different circumstances, then brushes off Picard's attempt to turn the "mirror" metaphor around on him. [[NotSoSimilar Data later points out a key difference by comparing him to]] B-4: Neither makes any attempt to better themselves. Subtly lampshaded when Shinzon tells his ship's replicator to give him a hot tea.
188	* NoodleIncident: The twelve major engagements Shinzon fought in the Dominion War. We don't learn any details, save that they establish his backstory and reputation as a young, capable, and successful commander.
189	* NotWorthKilling: For obvious reasons, Shinzon doesn't want the ''Enterprise'' destroyed with Picard still aboard, and tells his gunners to focus on her weapons and shield emitters. When he then demands Picard's surrender, he claims that he has "little interest in [his] quaint vessel", implying that he'll let the ''Enterprise'' go.
190	* {{Novelization}}: The film's novelization stays mostly true to the finished film, with several small scenes deleted from the film, but notably expands on Shinzon's motivations: Having bonded so much with the Remans after his years of slavery, he honestly wants the best for them, and intends to lead a galactic war to make them the dominant species in the universe, and it's made clear that with the ''Scimitar'', and the Thalaron radiation, ''he could have pulled it off''. The book also expands Worf's role during the final battle, and actually gives Beverly something to do: Worf battles a few more Remans, and chases one into a cargo bay that's been converted into a makeshift hospital, only to be near-fatally wounded. Beverly stuns said Reman soldier, and with the help of Romulan doctor, manages to save Worf's life.
191	* OhCrap:
192	** When the ''Enterprise'' crew realize that the region of space they have just entered would be the perfect place for an ambush.
193	--->'''Data:''' [[ExplainExplainOhCrap The rift will affect all long-range communica...]] ''(OhCrap face)''\
194	'''Picard:''' ''(calls TheBridge)'' Commander Riker, evasive maneuvers!\
195	''(ScreenShake)''
196	** When Shinzon realizes that the ''Enterprise'' is about to ram him.
197	--->'''Shinzon:''' HARD TO PORT!
198	* OrcusOnHisThrone: Shinzon needs a transfusion of Picard's blood to prevent his own CloneDegeneration. Despite having Picard prisoner for quite some time and being ''repeatedly'' told by Vkruk to begin the procedure, he does not... [[IdiotBall for some reason]].
199	* OutOfCharacterMoment: The Dune-Buggy Scene. Picard apparently decides to screw decades of adherence to the Prime Directive and perform CarFu on a pre-warp planet, despite being willing to condemn entire species to death rather than break it before.
200	* PalmBloodletting: Shinzon does this to provide our heroes with a blood sample so they can see that he is Picard's clone.
201	* PhlebotinumProofRobot: Data, not needing to breathe, launches himself through outer space to go from the ''Enterprise'' to the ''Scimitar''.
202	* PullYourselfDownTheSpear: The last scene between Picard and Shinzon is a nod to Myth/KingArthur, as [[spoiler:Shinzon pulls himself down the beam stuck in his gut to to make his final verbal attack against Picard, a poignant parallel to Mordred hauling himself down the spear to aim a final attack at his father Arthur.]]
203	* PunnyName: B-4, Data's prototype. The name was planned to be B-9 but got changed. {{Lampshade\|Hanging}}d by Picard:
204	-->'''Picard:''' [[ContinuityNod Dr. Soong's penchant for whimsical names seems to have no end!]]
205	* RammingAlwaysWorks: Subverted. While the [[JustifiedTrope egg-like structure of the saucer section]] gives the ''Enterprise'' physical resilience against head-on impacts, and it did seemingly succeed in disabling the ''Scimitar'''s primary weapons and destroy the hangar containing her complement of ''Scorpion''-class fighters (hence why the ''Enterprise'' wasn't reduced to space dust for its failure), it also disabled the ''Enterprise'' completely while the ''Scimitar'' still had impulse and warp capability. In the long run, however, the ''Scimitar'' also had a damaged cloak, which would have rendered it a lot more vulnerable to the Federation fleet.
206	* RankScalesWithAsskicking: By the end of the movie, Picard blasts his way out of prison, single-handedly wipes out the entire bridge crew of the ''Scimitar'', and defeats Shinzon in hand to hand combat. Not bad for a 76-year old.
207	* RealLifeWritesThePlot[=/=]RealitySubtext: [[spoiler:Data's death came in large part because Brent Spiner, in his own words, is getting older and can't play an ageless {{artificial human}} so well anymore.]]
208	* RedemptionRejection: [[spoiler:Picard tries to convince Shinzon to see past his rage. It doesn't work]].
209	* RedShirt: Lieutenant Branson gets sucked out into space when [[spoiler:the ''Scimitar'' blows a hole in the bridge of the ''Enterprise'']].
210	* RememberTheNewGuy: The entire Reman species which, given its back story, should have shown up at least once or twice on the various series -- especially given they fought during the [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Dominion War]]. Everyone just acts like they've always existed. The film does try to justify it by saying the Romulans consider Remans less than real people, and thus keep them locked away on Remus toiling in slavery, but it ''is'' a bit difficult to swallow.
211	* ReplacementGoldfish: It's implied that [[spoiler:B-4 will become this to Data thanks to the memory download he underwent]]. ''Star Trek: Countdown'', the non-canon prequel to ''Film/StarTrek2009'', embraced this and featured a restored Data, though ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' eventually confirmed that the download didn't take, and that B-4 was dismantled.
212	* SeeTheInvisible: Geordi tries this, but fails -- Shinzon's InvisibilityCloak is just ''that'' good.
213	* SelfDestructMechanism: Picard tries to activate it as a last-ditch attempt to stop Shinzon, but it's offline from the battle.
214	* SeriesContinuityError:
215	** Picard, who has consistently been depicted as being willing to lay down his life before violating the [[AlienNonInterferenceClause Prime Directive]], happily takes part in a car chase on a pre-industrial world. He's also violated it just about as much as Kirk did, but not so whimsically and randomly.
216	** Picard as a younger man has consistently been shown as [[http://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/season-6/6x15/tapestry-hd-061.jpg having hair]], or even [[http://tng.trekcore.com/hd/albums/season-5/5x12/violations-hd-265.jpg thinning hair]]. ''Nemesis'' presents a [[http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/nemesishd/nemesishd1093.jpg bald Picard in his cadet days]] and correspondingly a bald Shinzon. Note that the shooting script actually specified that Shinzon ''did'' have hair at first, only for it to start falling out as his condition deteriorates ending with him being bald by his climatic fight with Picard, but the director apparently decided that Tom Hardy with hair didn't resemble Patrick Stewart strongly enough.
217	*** Also, the photo shows him in the ''[[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan Star Trek II]]''-era trainee/NCO uniform, not the cadet/commissioned officer uniform.
218	** While trying to reason with Shinzon, Picard tells him "Your heart, your hands, your eyes are the same as mine," despite the fact that TNG established that Picard has an artificial heart due to an incident where he was stabbed as a young man.
219	** The script goes out of its way to have Data say that he doesn't feel emotion; he gained the emotion chip three movies ago, and is shown having a wide range of feelings like any other character in the previous film. There isn't so much as a throwaway line to handwave this, let alone a real explanation.
220	*** A deleted scene shows Geordi discovering the emotion chip in Data's quarters. By ''Insurrection'', Data had figured out how to remove the chip, and seems to be using it less frequently. The fact that he ''displayed'' emotion at the end without the chip is the culmination of his CharacterDevelopment.
221	* SeriesFauxnale: As the final theatrical ''Next Generation'' film, ''Nemesis'' would serve as the sendoff for the ''Enterprise''-D/E family for two decades, until the final season of ''[[Series/StarTrekPicard Picard]]'' in 2023 would deliberately affirm itself as the true GrandFinale for the TNG cast and story.
222	* ShouldersOfDoom: Shinzon. Lampshaded on-set by his co-star Frakes, who described his outfit as "a reject from ''Film/{{Rollerball}}''."
223	* ShoutOut: All (then-)five television series in the franchise are referenced at some point. Screenwriter John Logan, an avowed Trekkie, says he explicitly tried to combine all the best parts of the franchise as a whole into a movie.
224	** Is B-4 hacking into the ''Enterprise'' computer or ''Film/TheMatrix''?
225	** The Jackal knife in the film was a prop used in TV before. Who else wielded that weapon? [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Faith.]]
226	* SinisterScimitar: Shinzon's warbird, which proves to be more than a match for the ''Enterprise''.
227	* SoulFragment: B-4 sings "Blue Skies" at the end.
228	* SpaceIsAnOcean: Averted. The majority of the final battle takes place in mostly a flat plane but there is still plenty of swooping over and under each other. Also, a major part of the combat involves the ''Enterprise'' rotating damaged sections away from the ''Scimitar'''s line of sight, which includes turning (relative to us) upside down.
229	* SpotlightStealingSquad: The film plays out like a Picard and Data FanFiction, with most of the main cast limited to holding the floor down. They were the primary characters of ''all'' the TNG movies, but not quite to this degree of no one else having much to do at all.
230	* StatusQuoIsGod:
231	** Despite leaving Starfleet in the finale of ''Deep Space Nine'', Worf is back in his old position of tactical/security officer on the ''Enterprise'' without so much as a line of dialogue to explain it. In the other movies he didn't belong in, we got an explanation: in ''The Undiscovered Country,'' the TOS era ''Colonel'' Worf is the guy TNG's Worf is an IdenticalGrandson of. In ''First Contact,'' the crew of the damaged Defiant was beamed onto the ''Enterprise''. In ''Insurrection,'' he was asked what he was doing there but the action cuts away before he answers; we're given a humorous UnReveal but the fact that he's stationed elsewhere and a reason why he dropped by ''this'' time exists in-universe. Here? He's just there, in full uniform from the start, manning his old station like it's still his station. Not even a HandWave, or events that make a FanWank easy. A deleted line had him saying that he wasn't suited to the life of a diplomat.
232	** Despite their wartime alliance against the Dominion during ''Deep Space Nine'', relations between the Romulans and Federation have reverted right back to their traditional cold war status quo within less than 4 years after the War ended. This at least can be justified in-universe, as it was made clear repeatedly on [=DS9=] that the Romulans joining the War effort was an alliance of necessity (and that the UFP and Star Empire would be left as the major powers vying for control of the Quadrant in its aftermath).
233	* StealthInSpace: The ''Scimitar'' can fire while cloaked and its cloaking ability was capable of countering previously established means of detecting cloaked ships. The ''Enterprise'' does manage to land a fair number of hits on it, though, suggesting that the ''Scimitar'''s constant firing gave away its position. Not a big deal, however, since unlike most ships in Star Trek, the ''Scimitar'' also retains its shields while cloaked too.
234	* StupidSacrifice: Several (attempted) times in fact. [[spoiler:First Data tries to do this when saving Picard, but Picard tells him no. Then Picard attempts to do this when the ''Enterprise'' is disabled. Then Data comes to save Picard ''again'', before following through on his initial plan to kill himself in a semi-heroic fashion. The latter two are because no member of the crew seems to realize that the ''Enterprise'' has functioning shuttles with functioning transporters]].
235	* TakenForGranite: The entire Romulan Senate (save for Tal'aura) are turned to stone at the beginning of the film. This is also the fate that Shinzon intends for the ''Enterprise'' crew, and then Earth.
236	* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself
237	-->'''Picard:''' Data, this is something I have to do myself.
238	* ThrownOutTheAirlock: When one of the ''Scimitar'''s torpedos hits TheBridge. Bye bye, [[RedShirt Branson]].
239	* TidallyLockedPlanet: The Remans evolved on the dark side of tidally-locked Remus, explaining their photosensitivity.
240	* TimeshiftedActor: Technically, Creator/TomHardy as Shinzon, although they didn't bother to get an actor who actually looked anything like Creator/PatrickStewart.
241	* ToAbsentFriends: Borrowed from ''Film/{{Star Trek III\|The Search for Spock}}''.
242	* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The reveal of Shinzon being human was originally meant to happen quite early on, but was pushed back to much later in the film when the producers decided it'd be more dramatic if the audience found out about Shinzon at the same time that Picard did. Something that might have worked better if not for the fact that the first trailer showed a good chunk of Shinzon's original introductory scene.
243	* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: [[spoiler:Data's switch with B-4]].
244	* VillainOpeningScene: But, y'know, who really liked the Romulan Senate anyway?
245	* WeaponOfMassDestruction: The planet-killing ship.
246	* WeldTheLock: Picard seals the door to the shuttle bay but discovers that that door is the only way out.
247	* WholePlotReference: To ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan''.
248	* WoundedGazelleGambit: Shinzon utilizes this in the finale battle. In a three-on-one fight against the ''Enterprise'' and two warbirds, it was becoming easier for them to track down the Scimitar even with the cloak. He lured in the lead warbird by dropping part of the cloak, making them think they were doing worse than they were. Once in close, a full weapon spread at close range quickly disabled them.
249	* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Picard attempts to convince Shinzon of this. He fails, miserably.
250	* YouHaveFailedMe: Shinzon orders a Reman guard who failed to stop Picard shot. So much for that whole "freeing your Reman brothers" bit.
251	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: The Romulans pulled this on Shinzon before they even ''started'' using him -- they abandoned their plans for him when he was still a boy and sent him to the Reman mines, not expecting him to survive.
252	[[/folder]]
253	----

Context Film / StarTrekNemesis