Star Trek: Picard - Season One - CBS All Access - starring Patrick Stewart (3 Viewers)

[Brian Kidd]

A friend asked me a very good question.

If synths are now illegal, why are there still EMHs?

I think it's because EMH's are simply computer programs with a sophisticated user interface. They can only function in a limited area outfitted with the proper light-emitting equipment and can also be caused to "cease to exist" with a command. Synths are hyper-strong and intelligent physical entities that can be dangerous if something goes haywire with their programming. Heck, even Data, the most sophisticated of all synths ever created (up to now) became erratic and dangerous a few times during the TNG era. It's a miracle they didn't get rid of him after the first time he went nuts and took over the ship.

 

[Francois Caron]

I think it's because EMH's are simply computer programs with a sophisticated user interface. They can only function in a limited area outfitted with the proper light-emitting equipment and can also be caused to "cease to exist" with a command.

Where does that leave the Doctor from Voyager? He uses a mobile emitter and has control over his own programming.

 

[dpippel]

Which subscription plan are you using? I'm on the $9.99 commercial free plan. Saw a few post on Reddit theorizing that it may be locked behind the commercial free plan.

Also saw this on reddit:

I have never had my CBS app linked to the TV app because I hate the TV app. So, may be worth a try. Here is how to unlink an app from the TV app: https://www.imore.com/how-use-tv-app-apple-tv#remove

I just tried unlinking All Access from the TV app, removing all app data and then restarting ATV4K. No bueno. Still no DV on Picard.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Where does that leave the Doctor from Voyager? He uses a mobile emitter and has control over his own programming.

Probably in a grey area that’ll let him get by, since the mobile emitter doesn’t actually give him true physical form, and since it’s future technology (26th century?) that wasn’t able to be duplicated in the 24th, it effectively makes him one of a kind rather than a potential army. Then again, who knows if he’s even still functioning after all these years. He broke down a ton on Voyager.

 

[Nelson Au]

I also thought that last nights episode would either include introductions to Riker and Troi or Seven of Nine since the trailers show them in what look like Earth like settings. Seven appeared like she was in Picard’s house.

About last night’s episode, The End is the Beginning, Picard is finally in space after assembling his motley crew.

Interesting to finally see Hugh. Though I will have to see the episode again, I wasn’t sure what was going on in the Borg cube. What was going on with the former Borgified Romulans? I still wonder if Commodore Oh is a real Vulcan on the side of the Federation or a Romulan. I was really tired last night after a hard work day.

I finally figured out that it’s Peyton List who plays Rizzo, she looks so familiar. Regarding Narek, I think this current production company has fantastic make-up design and skills. But the Romulan make up on Narek bothers me. His eye brows don’t look right. Maybe it’s the actor’s face.

And the Starfleet uniforms that Picard and Raffi are wearing from 14 years earlier just don’t look right to me. I’m not a fan of the design.

PS, I had a laugh when the title card shows Raffi’s place is in Vasquez Rocks.

 

[Nelson Au]

One more thing, last week we discussed how the people of Picard’s time have improved health as Picard is still so active at 90-ish. Yet we now see that Raffi still partakes in some risky habits, smoking? Maybe it’s not carcinogenic?

 

[Malcolm R]

I figured Picard's visit to
Riker and Troi would happen in this episode, for instance, before he blasted off to the stars.

Perhaps they're living on Betazed?

It's a shame Majel Barrett has passed. I'd love to see present day Picard cross paths again with Lwaxanna Troi.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

A friend asked me a very good question.

If synths are now illegal, why are there still EMHs?

Because one is autonomous and one isn't?

Because one has rebelled and one hasn't?

 

[Gary Seven]

One more thing, last week we discussed how the people of Picard’s time have improved health as Picard is still so active at 90-ish. Yet we now see that Raffi still partakes in some risky habits, smoking? Maybe it’s not carcinogenic?

Synthgarettes to go with the synthahol.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Perhaps they're living on Betazed?

That ocurred to me also, that they just aren't living on Earth. The scene with them looked pre-mission, so who knows.

So think about it. If you lived now, and had the money, would you live retire in North America or would you rather be in the tropics, or maybe in South/Central America?

So if you are retired Starfleet, you probably have free transportation opportunities (see current military veterans after either 10 or 20 years) and can decide to live off-planet. Open spaces, cheap/land. Pick the right climate and live in a paradise.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

One more thing, last week we discussed how the people of Picard’s time have improved health as Picard is still so active at 90-ish. Yet we now see that Raffi still partakes in some risky habits, smoking? Maybe it’s not carcinogenic?

This had me fooled also, it wasn't until after the episode, the Ready Room segment that I realized what we were seeing.

You forgot it too.

This wasn't some damned stupid idea to make her look cool vaping.

Raffi is the crew person with addictions.

Spoiler

There is a ton of backstory that Ready Room ep 3 covers where Wil is interviewing Hurd. She fills in the blanks. Raffi pre-Picard (14 years ago and longer) is a person who struggled with addictions. Picard gave her a mission, a focus and straightened her out. Then when he played the resignation card and it backfired, she relapsed. He also never checked on her. That is why she is so pissed at him in ep 3.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Where does that leave the Doctor from Voyager? He uses a mobile emitter and has control over his own programming.

In an area you forget about until we see otherwise. It was an emergency kludge given their circumstances.

In general, in Trek, lots of amazing hacks/inventions are rarely re-used in the future. We see it all the time where some "solution-of-the-week pulled out of our backsides" is forgotten about in the ST universe.

 

[Nelson Au]

I did see the Ready Room segment. I was sleepy too.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

I did see the Ready Room segment. I was sleepy too.

Last night was total catch-up. I was out of town Thurs-Tuesday night, but still getting spoilerized a bit reading here. Then a buddy came over Wednesday night for craft/home brew and vinyl spinning. Last night I watched e2, e3, RR e1-3.

What I really enjoyed was the segment in rr3 with the fan questions - given the actors it showed, we now know who will be on future segments.

Afterwards, we watched Short Treks with Mudd, Tribbles (hilarious with the Archer actor/comedian), TAS Time Trap and STD S3 teaser.

 

[Josh Dial]

For those wanting more background on Raffi, Laris, and Zhaban, check out the three-issue Picard comic series "Countdown". The third and final issue was just released so the entire story is available. The comics flesh out Picard's relationship with Raffi (and why she calls him "JL") and deal with the Federation's evacuation attempts. The first two issues are quite good (the third issue is a tad rushed).

Three episodes into Picard and I'm still enjoying it immensely. In particular, I'm really liking all of the new characters. Laris and Zhaban feel very "lived in", which is a testament to the actors. With the exception of John de Lancie's Q, I'm not sure I have ever enjoyed supporting characters this much in so few episodes.

The show continues to evoke an overall feeling of sadness. I'm sure a great many viewers are looking for the classic Star Trek optimism, but I'm really appreciating seeing the imperfect Picard (who basically abandoned Raffi when she clearly needed him) finally realize just how imperfect Starfleet and the Federation are (and, indeed, how they have always been so). I'm also enjoying seeing how the Federation isn't as truly utopian as we were led to believe. That's always been bubbling beneath the surface (even if Roddenberry said it wasn't), but it appears to be finally coming to ground.

In a mere three episodes, this version of Earth (and Starfleet/the Federation) feels the most plausible--the most real.

Here's a bonkers theory:

• We're told the Rumulans are extremely (completely) anti-artificial intelligence (and in true Star Trek fashion apparently it's always been this way). So much so that their computers are for computations only (does this explain their propulsion tech?).
  
• The Rumulans have a ancient secret secret police-the Zhat Vash--who protect a secret so profound that it can "break a person's mind."
• At some point in the past, the Artifact Borg ship assimilated twenty something Romulans. These are the only Romulans known to be assimilated. For some reason, following the assimilation (and potentially because of it), corrupt code was introduced to the Borg and the ship and drones were severed from the Collective.
• Ramdha is one of the Romulan's who was assimilated, but has now been "recovered." She is the foremost authority on shared myths. She notes there is no Romulan word for "mythology" but rather the concept is more like "news."
• So, the Romulans hate artificial intelligence so much that they don't use at all and, thousands of years ago, set up a secret police force to protect some ancient secret. Romulans consider their shared mythology and history to be more like archetypes to be considered like the day's news. Is it possible that the Romulans are actually extremely complex artificial lifeforms? Like they are the Vulcans' "Cylons"?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Nice, Mirror Me. I share your bonkers theory. That’s my reach theory, if you will, that either the Romulans or Vulcans aren’t entirely biological. We’ve always been told the Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcans, but what if it was the other way around?

My less bonkers theory would be that the Romulans created the Borg. But I like the idea that it’s the Romulans or the Vulcans that have a synth history.

 

[TJPC]

Anyone notice how they seem to blithely transport from place to place on Earth? In ST TNG didn’t they say it was too risky to do that, especially on a ship. It was reserved for planet to ship and back only, with only the occasional other use that was a big deal.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Anyone notice how they seem to blithely transport from place to place on Earth? In ST TNG didn’t they say it was too risky to do that, especially on a ship. It was reserved for planet to ship and back only, with only the occasional other use that was a big deal.

We also had Ben Sisko talk about transporting home for dinner every day his first week at the Academy.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I don’t recall TNG ever saying that. Pretty sure they did some within ship transports on the show.

 

[Sam Favate]

Anyone notice how they seem to blithely transport from place to place on Earth? In ST TNG didn’t they say it was too risky to do that, especially on a ship. It was reserved for planet to ship and back only, with only the occasional other use that was a big deal.

I don’t ever remember that. I always had the impression they used transporters for planetwide travel. Makes sense, satellites could easily handle it.