Line #90 Recap/StarTrekPicardS2E01TheStarGazer


1	->''Do you recall what I said to you [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E24AllGoodThings when last we parted ways]]? The trial '''never ends'''.''
2	-->-- '''Q'''
3
4	In the ColdOpen, Picard struggles against something that has taken over the bridge of a starship and activates the SelfDestructSequence.
5
6	[[HowWeGotHere 48 hours earlier]], it's been a year and a half since Ganmadan was prevented. We catch up with our crew: Jurati and Soji doing goodwill ambassadorship on behalf of synths; Rios and Raffi back in Starfleet, the latter at the Academy looking after newly-minted cadet Elnor; Seven captaining the ''La Sirena'' on behalf of the Fenris Rangers; and Picard back on Earth supervising the harvest at Chateau Picard. However, we are introduced to what will be the season's DrivingQuestion when Laris makes a move on Jean-Luc... and he is unable to reciprocate. A consultation with Guinan, now running a bar in Los Angeles, confirms that, for Picard, the final frontier is not space but romance. However, he is unable to continue soul-searching because of something odd: both the ''La Sirena'' and the ''Stargazer,'' which Rios now captains, have discovered a NegativeSpaceWedgie that is calling for help... from Picard specifically.
7
8	It turns out to be the Borg. In a state of emergency, Picard is mobilized, with Raffi and Elnor backing him up aboard the USS ''Excelsior'' and an entire fleet of starships arriving to confront the new arrival. The Borg claim to want to negotiate, and Picard allows the Queen to beam aboard ''Stargazer'''s bridge... But she begins to assimilate the ship and the rest of the fleet, and with no further recourse, Picard orders the self-destruct.
9
10	After a flash of light, he finds himself back on Chateau Picard on Earth... But a different Earth than he knows, with widespread pollution, widespread synth and Romulan slaves. And then Q appears...
11	----
12	!!Tropes:
13	* ActorAllusion: According to background details, Picard’s first starship posting was to the ''USS Leondegrance'' while it was serving as a training ship under the command of Captain Uhura; Patrick Stewart played Leondegrance in the film ''Film/{{Excalibur}}''.
14	* AlienSky: Earth in the new timeline has a BeehiveBarrier covering the planet, just in case Picard's altered Starfleet badge wasn't a big enough hint at things going wrong.
15	* AllThereInTheManual: [[https://twitter.com/DaveBlass/status/1501055817088335873?s=20&t=_0fNIE_uCI49Cvj3nHOvZA This tweet]] from Production Designer Dave Blass reveals what is said on the various Ships of the Line plaques. Among them:
16	** True to Captain Kirk's word, Commodore Decker is remembered as a hero who tried to destroy the Doomsday Weapon after it killed his crew and nearly destroyed the ''Constellation''.
17	** Sulu's time on the ''Excelsior'' ended at the same time as the ship was decommissioned, lasting an amazing 35 years.
18	** Uhura was captain of the ''Leondegrance'' after her time on the ''Enterprise'' and ''Enterprise''-A, even sticking around as training captain before retirement. This was also Picard's first assignment (after he recovered from his heart injury at Starbase Earhart).
19	** The ''Enterprise''-D's saucer section was retrieved and placed in a museum.
20	** The ''Voyager'' was decommissioned soon after it returned to Earth, like what happened in the alternate future of the titular show's finale..
21	* AlmostKiss: Picard and Laris come close to sharing a kiss, but he stops at the last second.
22	* ArtEvolution: Q's signature snap-flash is a Meta example. The basic visual effect is still the same as it was in the earlier 24th Century shows. But it's also undeniably more detailed and distinct as it's now being created digitally and for high-definition.
23	* AttackHello: The ''Stargazer'' security teams and several of the bridge officers open fire on the Borg Queen as soon as she arrives on the bridge (or the guards emerge from the turbolift). Not that it helps, because the Queen simply [[AttackReflector redirects their phaser fire right back at them]] (though non-fatally).
24	* BigSisterInstinct: Raffi pulled strings to get Elnor assigned to the ''Excelsior'' so she could keep an eye on him, as his Absolute Candor can rub people the wrong way and she wants to keep him out of trouble.
25	-->'''Picard:''' Keeping him under your wing.\
26	'''Raffi:''' That boy's Absolute Candor can get his ass kicked. So I'm protective of him.
27	* BilingualDialogue: Seven and Emmet converse in English and Spanish, respectively.
28	* BorrowedCatchphrase: Rios uses Picard's "Make it so" when giving orders after saying "Dale"[[labelnote:*]]pronounced "DAH-lay"[[/labelnote]], which is Spanish for "Do it".
29	* CallBack:
30	** Once again, as in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1]]", the Borg hail Picard specifically by name.
31	** The auto-destruct sequence aboard the U.S.S. ''Stargazer'' incorporates the "zero-zero-zero-destruct-zero" pattern also used in [[Recap/StarTrekS3E15LetThatBeYourLastBattlefield TOS]] and ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''.
32	** The ageless Q intentionally ages himself up to mock Picard similar to how he did to Future-Picard during the episode "All Good Things..."
33	* CanonImmigrant: Four starships from ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'' make the jump to canon status in this episode:
34	** The ''Gagarin''-class, a 25th Century variant of the ''Shepard''-class from ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery''.
35	** The ''Reliant''-class, the 25th Century variant of the iconic ''Miranda''-class.
36	** The ''Sutherland''-class, the 25th Century variant of the ''Nebula''-class.
37	** The ''Ross''-class, a variant of the iconic ''Galaxy''-class. This is a double one as this was designed for the ''Star Trek Adventures'' ActualPlay show ''[[WebVideo/ClearSkies2020 Clear Skies]]''.
38	* CharacterAgedWithTheActor:
39	** Cleverly acknowledged and executed with Q (and Creator/JohnDeLancie still playing an ageless character despite now being in his seventies). In his very first shot, de Lancie is digitally de-aged to appear just as he did back during TNG. Seeing Jean-Luc is now much older, he snaps his fingers to mockingly 'catch up' with ''mon capitaine''.
40	** Likewise, when Picard notes he thought Guinan's species didn't age, she responds "we can when we choose to." She says humans find her lack of aging off-putting, so she allowed her physical appearance to age with them.
41	* ContinuityNod:
42	** Jurati mentions how the Borg are supposed to be [[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS7E23Endgame in a crippled state]] these days.
43	** Guinan's lounge on the Enterprise-D was called "Ten Forward" owing to its location on Deck 10 at the very front of the ship. Here, her bar is again named for its location, now in Los Angeles: Number 10, Forward Avenue.
44	* ContrivedCoincidence:
45	** Seven, aboard ''La Sirena'', just so happens to be within sensor range of the anomaly while fending off some pirates trying to steal her cargo of medical supplies.
46	** The anomaly also happens to coincide with Starfleet Academy sending a class of cadets on training flights aboard actual starships, meaning both Raffi and Elnor are aboard ''Excelsior'' when they join the fleet that is sent to the site of the anomaly.
47	* DeathOfTheHypotenuse: Zhaban's off-screen death is quite transparently done to enable a Picard/Laris romance to be teased.
48	* DoubleMeaningTitle: The title can refer to Picard, who's gazed at the stars since he was a child and once commanded a ship named ''Stargazer'', or the new USS ''Stargazer'' that Rios now commands.
49	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
50	** Mechanical tentacles, an anomaly with a SicklyGreenGlow, many [[VoiceOfTheLegion voices speaking in unison]] ... the Borg reveal can be seen coming a mile away.
51	** Picard is told that the anomaly is putting out a ton of temporal radiation, suggesting the return of the Borg is more than merely a rather showy method of space travel.
52	* HardLight: Seven summons Emmet so he can distract the pirates, being impervious to phaser fire as an incorporeal hologram. Once the pirates start ignoring him, she disables the safety protocols so he can fight them.
53	* InMediasRes: The episode begins with [[ActionPrologue a starship under attack]] and Picard activating the SelfDestructMechanism. It then shows HowWeGotHere.
54	* LegacyVesselNaming:
55	** Rios is now TheCaptain of the newest USS ''Stargazer'', which looks like a 25th-century descendant of Picard's first command, quad-nacelles and all.
56	** There's also a new USS ''Excelsior'', where Raffi is XO and Elnor is a midshipman cadet. The nacelles are different and the neck is thicker, but it's still the same basic shape.
57	** Another USS ''Grissom'' is also mentioned.
58	** In addition, three of the new starship classes are named after previously-featured starships: the ''Reliant'' from ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', the ''Sutherland'' from the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E26S5E1Redemption Redemption]]", and the ''Gagarin'' from the ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS1E08SiVisPacemParaBellum Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum]]".
59	* ALighterShadeOfBlack: While forcing your way onto TheBridge of a Starfleet vessel and attempting to hijack an entire fleet isn't precisely a gesture of good will, the Borg Queen avoids killing anyone as she does it, merely stunning all who fire upon her. This is a significant change of behavior from the Borg, who would have assimilated the ship -- crew and all -- without sparing a thought for the lives destroyed in the process.
60	* LittleNo: Becomes a little RapidFireNo when Picard hears the voice of Q behind him.
61	* LuredIntoATrap: Picard, the ''Stargazer'', and numerous other Starfleet ships are lured to the site of a NegativeSpaceWedgie by a DistressCall specifically asking for Picard's help. The wedgie in question then spits out a Borg ship which beams the Queen to TheBridge of the ''Stargazer'' so she can begin assimilating the assembled ships.
62	* MalevolentMaskedMen: The new Borg Queen design features a creepy mask made of many shifting metallic layers.
63	* MileLongShip: According to [[https://twitter.com/DaveBlass/status/1500859197075836930 this tweet]] by Dave Blass, the Borg ship is 6.29 miles (10.16 km) across.
64	* MissedHimByThatMuch: Laris returns to the villa of Chateau Picard just moments before Picard boards a shuttle to head to the anomaly, entering the house through the front door as he leaves out the back.
65	* MundaneUtility: Chateau Picard has drones which beam the ripened crop right off the vine for processing, and wine labels which materialize on the bottles as they're being packed.
66	* NegativeSpaceWedgie: The main plot is kicked off by a tear in space forming out of nowhere. From it, a signal calls Picard for help and asks for Federation membership, before spitting out a Borg ship as soon as the former announces his presence.
67	* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Both the Borg Queen and her vessel are very different from the usual Borg look:
68	** Instead of the usual "bald woman with cables for hair", the Queen has a BadassCape and a creepy faceless metal mask. Jurati {{Lampshades}} it, saying, "Okay, that's new."
69	** The Borg ship is a jagged starburst shape with plenty of SpikesOfVillainy, instead of a geometric shape of some sort.
70	* NotMeThisTime: Q denies responsibility for the altered timeline, and in fact implies that he rescued Picard so he could fix it.
71	* OnceMoreWithClarity: When the plot returns to the scene of the Borg Queen boarding and attempting to assimilate the ''Stargazer'', we not only see her actual arrival along with that of her vessel, but we also find out that the Queen is actually only stunning the crew members trying to shoot her, rather than killing them with their returned phaser fire as was implied in the ActionPrologue.
72	* OhCrap:
73	** It's [[TheDreaded The Borg]]. And they're asking for Picard ''by name''...
74	** Picard has this reaction when he hears Q's voice for the first time in decades.
75	--->'''Picard:''' What is ''happening'' here?\
76	'''Q:''' An excellent question, Jean-Luc... ''Mon Capitaine''. How I've missed you.\
77	'''Picard:''' [[LittleNo No…]] [[RapidFireNo No… no, no, no, no, no…]]
78	* PlotRelevantAgeUp:
79	** As only an immortal RealityWarper can -- Q first appears to Picard as he did decades ago before [[BadassFingersnap snapping his fingers]] and making himself look old like Picard.
80	--->'''Q:''' Oh dear. You're a bit older than I imagined. Let me catch up.\
81	''(Snaps fingers. Adopts grey hair and a beard.)''\
82	'''Q:''' There. Now we're even.
83	** Guinan says that El-Aurians can control their ageing process as well.
84	* PrecisionFStrike: When Q finally appears before Picard, the former captain's first words to him are "Q. ''God damn'' Q."
85	* ProperlyParanoid: Seven is naturally completely right about the Borg having ill intent, though the Queen conspicuously avoids killing anyone.
86	* RobotMaid: In the new timeline, Picard has a synth assistant, the same model that was used on Mars in the first season before the attack on the shipyards.
87	* SelfDestructMechanism: When the Borg Queen boards the ''Stargazer'' and attempts to use it as a hub to hijack the entire fleet, Picard activates the autodestruct to stop her.
88	* SpaceCadet: Elnor is now the first fully Romulan cadet at Starfleet Academy. (The "''fully'' Romulan" bit also serves as a ContinuityNod to the fact that there were partial Romulans in Starfleet who claimed that they were wholly or partially Vulcan, like Oh and Simon Tarses. And Saavik, if you count the DeletedScene that establishes her as half Romulan as canon.)
89	* SpacePirates: Seven and Emmet successfully defeat several pirates who try to raid ''La Sirena''.
90	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: The moment he hears that familiar voice call him "''Mon Capitaine''", Picard can only let out a RapidFireNo when he realizes who's back...
91	* TimeSkip: It's been over a year and a half since the end of season 1. In that time:
92	** Picard has become Chancellor of Starfleet Academy, [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E18ComingOfAge a position he was previously offered back in Season 1 of TNG]]. He also still manages Chateau Picard.
93	** Raffi is back in Starfleet and is XO of USS ''Excelsior''.
94	** Rios is ''also'' back in Starfleet and is TheCaptain of USS ''Stargazer''.
95	** Elnor is a cadet at Starfleet Academy and has been assigned field duty aboard ''Excelsior''.
96	** Seven is flying ''La Sirena'' and still with the Fenris Rangers.
97	** Soji has been on a diplomatic tour on behalf of her fellow synths. Agnes is with her; she has been cleared of murdering Bruce Maddox, since she was under the influence of a mind-meld.
98	** Zhaban has died, leaving Laris a widow.
99	* UncomfortableElevatorMoment: The Starfleet Security team waiting in the turbolift to arrive at the ''Stargazer's'' Bridge during the teaser.
100	* VillainousRescue: Say what you will about him, but Q ''did'' pull Picard out of a self-destructing starship.
101	* WatchThePaintJob: Rios is upset to find his ship, now under Seven's command, is pretty banged up. She brushes off his complaints because it belongs to her now and battle damage is just part of the job of a Fenris Ranger protecting innocents.
102	* WeComeInPeaceShootToKill: The Borg invoke Article 15 of the Federation charter to imply they wish to join, but as soon as they confirm Picard's presence, they forcefully beam their Queen through the ''Stargazer's'' shields so she can hijack the vessel and through it the assembled fleet.
103	* WorkingWithTheEx: Jurati broke up with Rios, but she still works with him in some capacity on the ''Stargazer''.
104	----

Context Recap / StarTrekPicardS2E01TheStarGazer