Star Trek Picard 3.07 "Dominion" REVIEW

[@ColumbaMacFearghas]

The scene between Seven and Tuvok really felt like the opening to the TNG Season 1 episode, "Conspiracy", when Picard is being tested by the other captains to see if he was compromised.

[@brendancaulfield970]

@@Knightfall182 walker says I have aids.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

I loved that scene. I don't even like Voyager. I haven't watched a lot of it but I have seen some episodes. It's just not for me. But that scene was so good it doesn't matter. The acting was great, no surprise given who had lines, but technically it was so good. It was edited and scored to add the perfect amount of tension. It didn't drag it out, it didn't skip ahead, it just flowed. It was slow and methodical and every second was incredibly tense. The twist with the second test, perfect. They even played the Voyager theme to signal that it was really Tuvok. And then they pulled the rug. Just pulled it right out. The cinematography was on point too. The angles, the slow zooms, the one and two-shot inserts/pickups... Just perfectly executed. I'm being completely serious here. It was just an excellent scene. Absolutely top notch filmmaking, no caveats. I was very impressed with the cast and crew and I wish we could get that kind of quality all the time. It's top tier Star Trek and I will die on this hill. I can't praise it enough

[@LGranthamsHeir]

3:45 Tim Russ did show his ability to play 'good' Tuvok and 'evil' Tuvok in his 3-minute scene here, just like he did so during 7 seasons of 'Voyager'

[@LGranthamsHeir]

See for instance "Meld" (VOY S2E16) where Tuvok's 'evil' persona resurfaced.

[@valueofnothing2487]

​@@LGranthamsHeir One of the best episodes of all Trek.

[@valueofnothing2487]

Why they wouldn't bring back the real character and give him more time and perhaps a story is beyond me. Same with Forbes - although maybe she didn't want to.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

I love that scene. I can't sing its praises enough. Tim Russ was pitch perfect. Absolutely on point. I don't even like Voyager and I loved that scene. The editing gave the perfect amount of tension and the score really drove it home. Like when they played the Voyager score. We all understand that according to the commonly understood language of film that means he's really Tuvok. That's a common part of our collective cultural vocabulary. So when the rug was pulled it was that much more impactful. The timing, the one and two-shots of our characters, the facials, the body language... All superb. This is quality television and I wish it were all this great. Just an exceptional scene top to bottom

[@vintagezebra5527]

@@valueofnothing2487 They would have needed a couple of more episodes for that, but I agree with you totally.

[@xedalpha1]

LeVar was on fire this episode. The entire cast just gel so well in this. Loved to see Tim Russ too, even if he was a jelly man and not Tuvok. My only criticism would be the drawing out of the Jack Crusher mystery box.

[@Purplefoxsoul]

The Jack Crusher mystery box is all the worse because it's for a very generic character that I've been completely unable to care about this entire time tbh

[@esecallum]

his EARS gave it away.....

[@xedalpha1]

@@Knightfall182 rumour has it the final boss will be a recreated locutus.

[@KatharineOsborne]

Yeah this cast…they just inhabit these characters. Not rusty at all. I think Patrick Stewart and Jeri Ryan showed that in the previous two seasons, but having the legacy characters here reflecting off each other…oh my gosh. Magic.

[@peterl.104]

@@xedalpha1 They should've made a Picard-Seven baby instead of Jack Crusher. I know there's the age difference but it's a Borg baby in a bottle. :D

[@ztomas1]

At 4:50 - Seven was referring to the time when Tuvok did a mind meld with Seven to stabilize her neural pattern in Season 5 - Episode 7 of Voyager "Infinite Regress" Seven was losing control of her own personality and Tuvok helped her regain it by mind melding with her

[@briangressett902]

If Riker hadn't been at Daystrom station he would have pointed out the NX-01.

[@MichaelP833]

that probably would have been a mistake, reminding us of .... that episode

[@sallensmae4995]

remind us of the episode - AND USE IT AS A WAY TO RETCON TRIP’S DEATH! Riker: The NX-01… man, such a great ship. I’ve done so many holo stories set on Archer’s Enterprise. In one of them, Trip actually died… that was a weird ending… RETCON TRIPS DEATH FOR THE LOVE OF Q!!! 😭

[@andycooper6085]

@@sallensmae4995 Novels made it so much better, 'The Good that Men Do' will always be canon for my for that correction.

[@sallensmae4995]

@@andycooper6085 I'm right there with you in principal, but at the same time I want them to push this conspiracy theory out of the Beta Cannon Shadows and into the Prime Cannon Light of Day!

[@ERHershman1]

LeVar Burton brought me to the edge of tears the way he played that pleading with Data at the end. Every single TNG legacy actor is bringing their absolute A game to this season.

[@lovipoekimo176]

I am secretly hoping that the ship getting captured by Vadic and her taking them to where she wants to take Jack is part of Picard's plan. Lore endangering Jack and Sidney probably was a hiccup but all in all I hope this was all a ruse they concocted. And love the Tuvok appearance here and LeVar's acting. Wow!

[@langleymneely]

Same because the way they fling themselves into danger feels too reckless. I assume all the hand wringing about killing Vadic was 100% theater for Vadics sake?

[@misha5670]

I had the same exact thought. Kind of like that one episode in season 3 of Enterprise; a deep fakeout or something.

[@misha5670]

@@langleymneely They do talk about she is only telling them what she wants them to know, and that they won't get more out of her like this. So let her think she is winning and see what happens.

[@Sk8rToon]

I hope so too. Because otherwise Picard’s plans have been batting zero this season. Maybe the positron if brain isn’t as good as the human brain??

[@lovipoekimo176]

@@Sk8rToon His plan to counterattack the Shrike in the nebula didnt work coz Riker kept hesitating.

[@raymondcharbonneau324]

As an old school 55 year old nearly elderly trekkie, I absolutely love your weekly reviews of Picard season 3. Keep up the great work.🙂

[@CaptainPikeachu]

I’m glad they finally gave Vadic her own episode and let her get off her ship to actually interact with people. The character felt stagnant for the last few episodes and now she’s got renewed life again! Also my heart broke when Shaw was lying on the floor all bloodied and defeated and with tears in his eyes - he just wanted to protect his crew and he couldn’t 😢

[@AFringedGentian]

This Niner’s heart was SINGING all through this episode. And I had Faith of the Heart that we’d see the NX-01!

[@MrEddyk3]

I don’t think they want to clone Picard, I think they’re trying to clone Locutus. They’ve name dropped locutus a couple times

[@AzaleaJane]

Episode 1: Who is this Shaw axxhple Episode 7: If Shaw dies I'm suing Paramount

[@scottmackay8462]

I kind of hope that the thing Picard/Jack has that they want isn’t because of the Borg. But could it be because of Picard’s time in the Nexus in Generations? It connected people kind of like the link. Could explain why Daystrom had both Kirk and Picard’s bodies. They have that in common.

[@christinacody8653]

That actually thought as well.

[@lovetheblue6659]

Wow!! The “Nexus” Connection!! I had not considered that at all! GREAT CATCH!

[@lovipoekimo176]

Did y'all catch Vadic's line to Jack saying "I thought you'd be taller." Reminds me of Shinzon's line to Picard on their first meeting where he said "I always imagined you'd be a little taller. Isnt that odd?" I thought that was...interesting.

[@Trekpanther]

Or the Romulan Senator to Sisko in "In the Pale Moonlight"

[@lovipoekimo176]

@@Trekpanther well, the Nemesis quote is a closer one IMHO for two things--they were about Picard's height (Shinzon being a Picard clone is KINDA like being his son, while Jack is his actual son); and two, Vadic keeps lopping off her hand to speak with the floating head boss guy using Shinzon's Reman blade dagger thingy

[@leafandlore]

That's what it was! When she said that it tickled something in my memory and I couldn't remember what but I just watched Nemesis a few weeks ago and that was it.

[@keith.morgan]

Vadic said she was part of section 31s project Proteus, looking into this name it turns out Proteus was a Greek god, son of Posideon, who ruled the sea (great link) and was also able to take on many shapes too! Ie a changing! Interesting stuff! Great report as always 😊

[@claytonberg721]

Thank you for being one of the few trek channels not spoiling people with thumbnails.

[@janicielle]

Jack telepathically connecting with Sidney to help her fight the changeling miniboss reminded me of the DS9 episode "Looking for Par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" when Worf uses a linkup to connect with Quark to help him fight Grilka's bodyguard.

[@kensmith2285]

This was an awesome analysis of the episode and of Vadic as a character. The use of the three blind mice tune and how relevant it was to her past all made sense. The fact that she would also use the face of her Tormentor as a reminder of her motives was deep

[@jbwj032977]

The reveal of Vadic's true motivations was heartbreaking, and she is easily becoming one of the best Trek villains ever, if not the most hustofied...

[@Eleglas]

Essentially the alternate history version of Odo.

[@furryjackal]

Oh my God! I was right there with you in the “don’t kill my grumpy asshole! I will riot!” And the whole episode exploring the friendships with Data and Geordi, LaForge and young Crusher! So much love for this season!

[@TheRealWalkingDude]

I think because of Todd Stashwick and Terry Matalas going with the crowd pushing for a Star Trek: Legacy show featuring the Titan and captain Shaw that it is unlikely Shaw dies.

[@philwright4826]

Heres my take - Picard's assimilation by the Borg helped to spur a new phase of human evolution, previously mis-diagnosed as irumodic syndrome. This explains why Q took a special interest in Picard for all those years and adds a whole new context to 'All Good Things'. Perhaps Jack is a further more refined evolution of his father, hence all the 'superpowers'

[@anvalisok]

Jack Crusher is going to be the new spokesperson for Visine.

[@Sonata675]

Vadic’s monologues were really compelling, was glad to see the story was nuanced and I also liked the moral dilemma that put Picard and Bev in. It was all sorts of shenanigans with Lore making things more difficult, and I kept thinking that Vadic would get booted off the ship. But nope! My expectations were all skewed because of Jacks mysterious abilities a few episodes ago, I thought ht was gonna John Wick the changelings off the ship and save the day. I am really starting to like Jack…wait…is that a Jack Crusher bust by your PC screen??? How are those even out already, didn’t he just get introduced several episodes ago? Pretty cool though.

[@LGranthamsHeir]

4:50 - 4:57 Seven-Tuvok 'mind-meld' scene was seen in VOY's "Infinite Regress" (S5E7)

[@Nimariel]

They called that out on The Ready Room, but with the worst /least accurate summary of that episode ever.

[@apophis40123]

I thought section 31 created the virus based on the samples from Odo. What if Vadic and her "brothers and sisters," are the samples from Odo that developed into their own changelings.

[@johntousseau9380]

Very possible. I like that idea.

[@TheRealWalkingDude]

We didn’t know (as far as I can remember) that Starfleet ever captured any changelings (in fact, I have been wondering how that even happened… I don’t think you can stun them), so it had to be Odo. Now, though, this does open the door that they used other changelings to make the virus. But since they had captured other changelings, it does make the decision to have Odo, the only changeling that was an ally, take the virus back to the Great Link a really fucking evil move, when they could simply have used one of their prisoners who weren’t good guys do it

[@Dave102693]

Probably, especially we don’t see the Votar and Jem’Hardar this season.

[@Seal0626]

"Who cut off their tails with a carving knife..." Three blind mice are exactly the sort of thing a shrike would eat. Vadic taking her torturer's face echoes Odo doing the same thing.

[@ladyarkham_home]

Amanda Plummer has been so bloody stellar. Vadic's line to Beverly, "He's not for me. We could bond over that since he was never really for you either," made my stomach sink, though I can't quite figure out why. It just felt horribly foreboding. Then, this whole episode was a kind of 'frozen on the edge of your seat can't look away can barely breathe don't make a sound' thing. Except the part where I was genuinely worried they were gonna drop Shaw's dead body on the bridge and I actually yelled "Don't you dare!" at my screen. Every episode has been better and better. The next one can't come soon enough.

[@CRanapia]

Me too - and frankly, I really hope they're not going to go for the incredibly tired and more than a little creepy SF trope where getting pregnant is the cue for being turned into a lab rat without your knowledge, let alone consent.

[@hagbardceline7118]

I think Worf and Raffi being on the way back may be setting up the next episode where they, along with Riker, take over the Shrike.

[@ThomasLJonesJr]

In DS9: "What You Leave Behind," the Dominion went all scorched earth (scorched Cardassia Prime) on the Cardassians, killing over 2 million via orbital bombardment (Lakarian City) and, ultimately, over 800 million, as a reprisal for their face turn.

[@ashtonrooks7899]

Good to see your videos again! Need to go back and binge my way through your Picard reviews

[@alexandralillywhite5997]

The Borg telepathy doesn't work on people who haven't been in the hive mind, and if it did - you'd expect the first person Jack would link with would be 7. So while plausible, I think the theory unlikely. This being said, with all of our new captain's anger about Picard's ex-Borg status, that could have been foreshadowing. My guess is that Beverly was experimented on by the changelings while pregnant with Jack. Rather than needing Jack's body to finalise cloning Picard, my theory is they wanted his body to finalise cloning Jack, with Jack's biology being the final piece in the puzzle to link humanity by leveraging the linked systems in all the federation ships and outposts (that Jordi mentioned opposing and being the way they were tracked). Again, this could be another reference to the Battlestar Galactica story line of networked starships being their downfall.

[@noahstackhouse9818]

It was great to see Tim Russ again, he played the changeling Tuvok with just the right amount of emotion. Russ has said that he'll appear again, hopefully they rescue the real. My dream cameo would be that when the Enterprise-F appears the Captain is the Andorian character from Star Trek online and played by Scott Backula, the man's overdue for a Star Trek comeback.

[@willlasalle1495]

Hear me out here. Jack is telepathic? But he's Picard and Crusher's son for sure. Michael Burnam shares Sarek's katra, and that makes her telepathic in a sense. Picard must also share Sarek's katra, because of the mind meld to control Sarek's Bendii syndrome. Sarek gave Picard Bendii syndrome. Picard passed it on to Jack, along with some telepathic abilities. Iromodic syndrome coupled with Bendii syndrome explains Jack's hallucinations, and his abilities. The only piece of the puzzle I don't get is why the Changelings care or how this helps them. Or how Jack could be partially Changeling (linking is how I assume is how Vadic was going to "show" him rather than "tell" him).

[@TheRealWalkingDude]

I don’t know if this correct, but yeah, I hadn’t even thought of this one. Picard has been through so much weird shit, being assimilated, all kinds of crap with Q, being in the Nexus, time travel on a bunch of occasions, etc etc etc, there’s a million things they could want him for and I’m sure like his meld with Sarek I’m forgetting a million of them. He also melded with Spock. I’m sure Spock knew something the changelings could use, for instance. It’s probably Borg tech, but it could be so many things.

[@awnb95]

Yep, Archer also did get Syrran's Katra, plus Trip did have that connection with T'Pol.

[@Nimariel]

Vadic’s words to Jack sound a lot like the Female Changeling’s words to Odo in The Search.

[@williampineda1841]

The snow should give some references to the Cardasians and the aftermath of the War. Would love to see Garak again.

[@xTheOneToSaveUsAllx]

Jessie, your love for Enterprise has made me move it up several positions on my Star Trek watching list. This enthusiasm is just so contagious, I can't help but be affected

[@DoctorWhoNo1A]

And once again, Section 31's activity, while arguably good intentioned at times, bites some more into Starfleet's reputation and puts humans at risk

[@hawkiowan]

You know that I am with you on the Borg theory concerning Jack.

[@DorimantHeathen]

I like your theory about Borg involvement in the Picard’s body theft and Jack’s issues, but I’m leaning more towards Pah-Wraiths involvement. It may turn out to be both, actually. Pah-Wraiths would also explain the face commanding Vadic and the changelings (using part of her goo, her hand)…

[@THEAdmiralXizor]

(1) I bet one of the reasons Vadic is so pissed is because of the Starfleet experiments, Vadic and her kind can never return to the Great Link... (2) Can you imagine what the Tal'Shiar were doing to the changelings *they* captured..?!🤔😰

[@DeannaGilbert616]

My current theory is that Vadic's "boss" (who is NOT a changeling because he talks about changelings as if he wasn't one of them) is a backup of Locutus, and they want Picard's body so he has something to inhabit. But they need Jack for some reasons as well...and that Jack's ability to link with other humans is going to be used to try to assimilate a bunch of Starfleet (and maybe the Federation) all at once.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

What if he is a Changeling tho? I don't think he is, I think he has something to do with the god aliens in Deep Space Nine, but the "your kind" remark, etc. isn't dispositive because Vadic is different from the other Changelings. They may have been rejected by the others or they might have just been weaponized. I don't think that's the case but it isn't ruled out by those lines

[@DeannaGilbert616]

@@hezekiahramirez6965 Maaaaaybe? I'm not sure Vadic would fear normal changelings though.

[@elim_inator]

I didn't care about Vadic right up until this episode, but now I really feel for her and her cause. The music and the editing in this middle chunk of the episode was just so good. There was this build-up right until the point when Lore lowered the force fields, the rising tension was tangible, and I loved it so much.

[@purplepothos5794]

Speaking of Lore's lack of control of his utter revulsion at Picard's ancient face, it's also funny how in season 2 Q mentions it to but with much more tact, it's quite a fun contrast between the 2 villains; Lore's delivery was just pure venom and gave me a good chuckle too because of that theatricality you mentioned.

[@bricksloth6920]

Vadic is reminding me of Gary Oldman's character in The Fifth Element. Zorg?

[@aschen]

Hey if the NX-01 Refit is canon now, that strongly suggests that These Are The Voyages, at least in part, isn't!

[@PolesitterPictures]

My Imodna shipping heart was LOVING the interaction between Jack and Sidney (Imogen from Critical Role also has the ability to read minds and think thoughts into the other person's mind). I love how I'm getting two completely different takes on my favorite mindreaders!

[@atomicsodavie]

I don’t understand 2 things… 1. Why didn’t their new all knowing and super intelligent friend Borg Queen Jurati warn them or help them this time? 2. Isn’t Soji and her Android friends experts on Soong’s work? Why didn’t they ask them for help with Data and everything else…? It’s like every character and the storylines from the first and second seasons are disappeared or never existed… interesting choice for continuity and also logic.

I sure hope they keep not-existing

[@atomicsodavie]

@ :))) yeah, I know exactly what you mean

[@bobobo2224]

I think the thing with tuvac points to Janeway not being a changeling. Otherwise the changelings would allow communication with her in order to stay on top of things.

[@HaroldElbowmanIV]

The review is delightful, but I had to pause and comment that the lighting you've got going on is doing a great job of rainbowing up your commbadge, and I fucking love it. Just feels good to see.

[@lawrenceanderson748]

I'm in need of therapy from the out right mystery of waiting for each week what's next !

[@IsiahBradley]

THANKS for this!!!! Enjoyed the deep-cut TNG/DS9 clips and the nuanced historical discussion! Yes, I hope more is going on than just having *another* Picard duplicate! This series is *so determined* to redeem "Nemesis!" This is a "Filoni/Favreau Star Wars"-level effort, if you get what I'm saying! And yep, I too thought there would be Geek rioting in the streets if the baddies took out Shaw!

[@TheRealWalkingDude]

Yeah, I bet it’s Borg tech or maybe something to do with Q they want Picard’s body for. Hell, he’s also been in the nexus AND time traveled. There are a million things the changelings could want his body for that are more interesting than making yet another copy. And I trust that Terry and his writing team are good enough writers not to let the good guys figure out the plot with three whole episodes to go. No, I think Picard and crusher are certainly wrong here, just as much as I was certain they were wrong about Jack just being ill.

[@langleymneely]

It’s funny that you mention missing the NX-01 refit because I legitimately thought of you and your love for Enterprise when I saw it last week! Lol

[@langleymneely]

I don’t know how other fans feels about it but seeing Vadics heartbreaking story along with every time new Trek uses Section 31 in plots it galvanizes my opinion that a series about Section 31 is a terrible idea. At worst it’s a show about terrible people undermining the Federation or compromised morally grey heroes trying to take them down. Everyone conflates 31 with Starfleet Intelligence they are very different things IMO. Intelligence is a necessary military component, 31 is a cancer on the Federation charter. I know I sound pedantic and dumb but it’s something that really irks me as a concept? Lol

[@nel1962]

I am loving this season but agree with you regarding a section 31 show. It’s a wrong-headed concept. The only person who seems passionate about the idea is Kurtzman himself. I certainly don’t want them to spend resources on that show when they could make a show around the Titan crew.

[@CRanapia]

Nah, I get where you're coming from just as, no matter how much I disagreed, I got and respected why a lot of things about DS9 took some (or a lot) of getting used to. But honestly, I just want to see Michelle Yeoh back in Trek and they better stop dragging their feet because I think that shiny new Oscar is going to be drawing a lot of offers her way. (Not that Yeoh has ever been sitting around waiting for her agent to call.)

[@DoctorWhoNo1A]

the villainous talking head mentions to Vadic "you and your kind" while he causes Vadic discomfort to force her compliance and focus to get Jack. This implies to me 2 possible things: 1- the talking head is a superior kind of changeling that can cause or give the order to eliminate Vadic's kind of changelings OR 2- the talking head is part of an even more dangerous, totally different species that can control Vadic and 'her changeling kind'

[@johnmaster3748]

Jessie appears to have completely missed the import of that conversation. Weird Talking Head Thing during that conversation unmistakably Others Vadic ("you and your kind"), and that comment ought to have incited speculation. In an episode already redolent with various notions of cultural righteousness, the phrasing of that remark injects another layer of potential intolerance. It was weird Jessie still found "being part of the Great Link" a leading theory after hearing that dialog. Personally, your second theory fits what I speculated during the episode. Pending more info from future reveals, I shall land there for now.

[@misha5670]

8472

[@MrTbk1701]

This season so far as been amazing. I’m curious of what is yet to come. Plummer! She rocks! She chews up the scene in such a good way. The Data and Jordi parts…. OMG. I was tearing up. I can’t wait to see what happens next but I don’t what it to end. 🖖

[@woodcutart]

At first, I didn't mind the weekly format, but now I couldn't wait till the next episode. I love this season!

[@ronaldwilliams2456]

That Borg theory makes a lot of sense to me! Explains a lot!

[@jellyfishneo]

I personally don't ship Daforge just because aromantic Data is so important to me ("In Theory" was the first step in my path to realizing I was aro!) but seeing their friendship given this much weight and attention is amazing! I was disappointed when we got a whole season of Picard about Data without Geordi in it, so they're definitely making up for lost time here

[@oehlda2000]

The Tuvok smirk was blood curdling!

[@GilbertMartinelli]

I still think the floating head blob thing is Armus. Compare their voices, and his disdain for other life, including Changelings.

[@pookhahare]

A thing I never thought of but is interesting. The other is section used piece of Armus to inject the changeling. Which brings up is Armus in her mind. Or as others speculated this could be a section 31 plot to gain control of starfleet using the Changlings who are programmed. I mean why is Vadic killing fellow changeling just for disagreeing. Almost sounds like programming. The way floaty head refers to her and her people with threats. The fear she displays interacting with it.

[@noamstep]

I think the reason Worf and Rafi weren't with the rest of the team is so that in the next episode they will be independent and can come to the Titan's aid from the outside

[@TheBonelord]

It's so nice to see someone as excited as I am about the NX-01 refit

[@AlexisofTocqueville]

I just want to know where my DS9 cameos are at? Obrien, Bashir, Dax, Kira could all be doing stuff. Nog could could at least get a mention. And Sisko and Kassidy's child should be a young adult by now

[@DoctorWhoNo1A]

maybe we'll see that Jake is now associated with a metropolitan news outlet fighting for truth, justice and the Federation way

[@rayzalinski4792]

This has been such a good season, I hate to see it end!

[@senecasenior9574]

Red eyes, mind tricks... He's obviously a Sith

[@nobleskywalker4639]

Honestly Ed Speelers is crushing it as Jack because I was afraid that he is a sleeper agent gonna betray and happily it's not that more like he doesn't know what he is. As it pertains to Vadic I enjoyed the moral dilemas of both sides with Section 31 being the black ops of starfleet and now Vadic essentially blaming the entire organization for the actions of a few evil few

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

I do think he's a sleeper and he's the real weapon the Changelings want to use. I think in the finale Picard will ostensibly be faced with the choice of sacrificing his son but he'll end up sacrificing himself. I hope not because we already saw that but I think it's going to happen

[@LGranthamsHeir]

13:25 - 13:30 You mean the Changeling who resembles Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush)?

[@Sp33ddialz]

Find yourself a partner that loves you like Jessie loves the NX-01 :P

[@OpinionsNoOneCaresAbout]

This entire season, I've been singing 🎵Something's up with Jack, something's up with Jack🎵

[@ohnme9557]

Kate Mulgrew's cameo will be Janeway walking across the room in the background drinking a cup of coffee.

[@brak666]

My only problem with this episode is that I'm just really starting to get frustrated with the whole mystery surrounding Jack. It's getting dragged on for too long. Vadic was even able to talk to him this episode and she just did the whole vague, "I could tell you, but I'd rather show you (later of course, definitely not now in this episode)" villain thing.

[@Netherfly]

I have five NX-01s. The refit is so gorgeous... hell, when I started getting into 3D modeling? One of the first ships I built was an NX-refit. Such a gorgeous ship.

[@X2Magneto]

Janeway is coming. Apparently she's overseeing Frontier Day, which is ground zero for whatever the baddies are planning.

[@b1gjoekrash]

I think Vadic's handler is species 8472

[@DoctorWhoNo1A]

[German accent] Hmmmmmm...very interesting... [natural accent] I was hoping it would be the return of the Conspiracy species from TNG....I've been waiting for years for them to answer the homing beacon

[@ManateeGag]

Jessie nerding out over Enterprise makes me smile.

[@moonverine]

Geordi making me cry in this. Plot-wise, I've been feeling that, since they revealed what the "Red Lady" was a few episodes back, we are getting some time shenanigans as part of the climax. Like, the Garrett thing is either foreshadowing time travel/parallel dimension stuff in general, or specifically calling up Garrett somehow. My money is on them somehow having Tasha Yar make one last cameo in a way that reveals she risked her life to save all the others. That would tie into the Wrath of Khan idea that "the needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few, or the one."

[@MichaelP833]

the fact that Sidney's eyes glowed as well, suggests to me that there could potentially be nanoprobes in her too. along with the extra focus on touching hands. i wonder if he unknowingly transferred something across to her in that moment. it doesnt explain the psychic connection though of course, as that occurred before that moment. but possibly the whole thing of being two way or something like that.

[@Stress-Free-K]

Glowing eyes, as we may recall with Airiam, are clear signs that someone has been compromised, in Trek. I also thought the touch was when the nanoprobes were transferred. Even Sidney seemed to have found the touch to have been a bit extra. I think humans also have psychic connections, especially when sending off pheromones or other intense emotions. Which is why both of them thinking about touching was pretty normal given the vibes they were both sending off.

[@lflint3278]

He probably showed her his “suite” by now and left some nano probes. Lol

[@Stress-Free-K]

@@lflint3278 `how sweet ... on the bedside table in a gift box for when she wakes up?

[@youngt8543]

I'm thinking that the whole thing with jack just STARTS with The Borg theory .. I'm thinking maybe sumthin along the lines of the main character from Prodigy.. somehow Beverly was selected and injected once her pregnancy was confirmed

[@dorastefaniesellner306]

Where did you get your rainbow communicator and where can I buy one of these?

[@hotdog1214]

Chekov's Janeway is the best ever! 😂😂😂😂 If we don't get some Janeway by the end I'm gonna be sulking in the Jefferies tube. And is it just me or did Tuvok's ears seem more sticky out? I loved the interplay in that scene and the twist where it appears that we are all in on the fact that it really is Tuvok only for Seven to whammy us with facts that he's an imposter! Chef's kiss.

[@busterandloulou]

I was a bit sad that Brent Spiner left Night Court but happy to see him as Data. I also liked him in an episode of the paper chase which was a show about law students. My favorite Character that he played was in an episode of the twilight zone called Dead Run. John de Lancie was also in dead run. Rene Auberjonois was an actor that I grew up watching on our local PBS station. He was in a lot of the plays that they would show during the week. Leonard Nimoy played the husband of Golda in one of the plays on that was shown on my little PBS station. Loving season 3 of Picard. Would like to see Jeffrey Combs show up.

[@TheRealWalkingDude]

Jesus I didn’t remember spiner was in the paper chase. I did remember he was in night court and I keep wondering if he is going to show up on the reboot

[@BigNoseDog]

This the second episode in a row where a character who isn’t who we thought. It was a waste to bring back Daniel Davis to not really play Moriarty. I hope they don’t do the same with Tim Russ. He needs to appear again but actually as Tuvok.

[@kbj686]

When we first saw the red eyes a few episodes back I thought it was going to be Pah Wraiths. They can read minds/induce visions, but I don't know if there is anyway to connect the wormhole/celestial temple to Jean Luc.

[@chuck80y]

I genuinely assumed the theft of Picard’s body was similar to that RTS game, Star Trek: Armada, and how Picard meets Locutus.

[@ASMRMuzz]

Fabulous episode and you are a true trekkie, you definitely know your trek!

[@xenalove1989]

Yes! I was just thinking that....did they name drop Janeway's name for a third time? Lol We better get a freaking cameo lol

[@DoctorWhoNo1A]

If we do, I just hope it is not a Janeway look-a-like changeling!

[@andrewnagel6322]

I don't know how close this is to what will happen. It came to me as I was trying to get to sleep. During Frontier Day, when they are in among the ships they will use a wired in Data to identify or capture the changelings now that the ships talk to each other.

[@brianchristyb]

At the end when you say 'Live long and prosper', I wonder how many fans return the gesture and say 'peace and long life'. I know I do.

[@LB-gz3ke]

I loved your Chekov's gun comment about the Janeway name dropping. It is especially brilliant considering the name Chekov is legendary in the Star Trek Universe.

[@jessiegenderafterdark5287]

HAha I was hoping someone else would find that funny

[@FistOfFiori]

Yeah, that smirk was my favourite bit in the Seven/"Tuvok" scene. Obviously Seven had already just revealed that it's defo a Changeling because of her trick, but I looked at that thinking "yeah... that is not a Vulcan smile/smirk" haha. Well played and creepy by Tim Russ as you said!

[@vickyrose42]

I'm convinced the "face" is a Conspiracy worm alien. They're using very similar tactics: infiltrating Starfleet at the highest level, odd fleet maneuvers. I thought the goons were Jem Hadar joined with them halfway through the episode.

[@diana_rayne]

Borg sperm...YES! That explains a lot!

[@MrARock001]

I think one of the most challenging and unsettling things about P3 is that it's validating a lot of the discourse around the problems with Starfleet or Picard himself and his decisions and (I think in a healthy way) undermining the very child-like assumption that we grew up with that "Picard is always right because he's the hero" or that "Starfleet is automatically justified because they're the good guys." On the one hand, this is nice to see; critical theory applied to fictional systems of power in the media we watch. On the other hand, it's painful to see what had been originally conceived of as a post-scarcity techno-utopian future we should all be striving for reduced to a cyberpunk world where humans keep making the worst choices, as individuals and as a society. TNG portrayed a world we should *want* to live in. Most later series portrayed a frightening future best avoided.

[@nel1962]

I thinks it’s always been a trope of Star Trek that utopia is not self sustaining. There are always threats from without as well as within to keep it from devolving into opportunism, hate and fear. Many episodes dealt with this, the Drumhead being one. It takes vigilance and courage to recognize it and maintain the values of such a society.

[@MrARock001]

@@nel1962 that's true, but I feel like the lesson of Drumhead (and TNG in general) is that they need to remain uncompromising in their evolved values to protect themselves from backsliding into fear and paranoia, *despite* threats like Romulan or Klingon spies. In Drumhead, the real threat was revealed to be the paranoid admiral, not either of the suspects. DS9 meanwhile has Sisko doing some pretty morally compromising things in the interest of winning the Dominion war, on top of the suggestion that Section 31 might be necessary for the security of the Federation. It's subtle, but I feel like it was a big departure for them to suggest that the evolved morality of humans in the 24th century was only possible in peace time.

[@msudlp]

I think one of the keys to identifying the Changelings is the transporter. Seems like the Changelings avoid the transporter for some reason. Maybe the transporter technology can identify them as Changelings as they are being reconstructed. Jack is Pah Wrath possessed. The red eyes is the giveaway. The big bad is he bug aliens from another galaxy that infiltrated Star Fleet in Season 1 of TNG.

[@bc175]

I know the project changelings are referred to as prisoners of war, but seeing the small size of them I wonder if they were actually some of the 'Hundred changelings' sent out by the founders of which Odo was one of. Section 31 could have hunted for them after they learned of them knowing they would have limited to no knowledge of the dominon and their origins making their plan to make them assassins make more sense, as they may have hoped to brainwash them into obedience.

[@kpl-CA]

I was literally curled in a ball, screaming "NOT SHAW NOT SHAW NOT SHAW... oh, phew, he moved!" 😉😁😬

[@latexzebra5693]

Been watching your reviews for a while now but not sure I've ever commented. I really like that you have a very reasoned take on things despite being a huge fan of the entire universe. Really enjoyed this episode and your theory with Jack is something I've been thinking as well. So many great scenes but Seven and Tuvok was a proper chess game. Worth the price of admission alone.

[@robertwalker8453]

This episode was by far one of the best episodes of Star Trek ever. The acting was superb and the storyline was well done. Levar Burton and Brent Spinner were amazing.

[@AndreDeLimburger]

I've got other ideas about Jack. Got to think he might be part changeling after all. The way Vadic talks, suggests she wants to take him to the "great link" (or smaller link as they split off?). The telepathic abilities, well, when Odo was a solid, there was this episode where he linked with the others in the shuttle, right? With the added abilities of these changelings, they might have such abilities. Keep in mind the goal of the project, might Jack be the "final" version?

[@ManateeGag]

Now that I've heard you theory about Jack's abilities, it makes me think that Vadic's "boss" is a member of the Undine (Species 8472).