Paramount+ Star Trek: Picard Season Two (1 Viewer)

[jayembee]

Yup, that sucks. I first took notice of her in a season or two of 24. I also liked her as one of the bad guys in Timeless.

 

[Jason_V]

Annie was one of the things I actually liked about Season 2. Such menace, such coolness...such a shame she died so very young.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

I wrote in my HTF review that upon reflection, it felt like 8 episodes of story stretched out to fill ten hours of airtime. I think shorter would have been better here, with more focus on Picard’s story and less filler with cast members they had under contract but who no longer served the story.

I think another factor that led to the unevenness this season but won’t be a factor next season is that Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas were co-showrunners, with Goldsman a holdover from the first season and Matalas new. Matalas will be the only showrunner on the third season. I think some of the stuff that feels draggy is the combination of those two producers, each trying to pull the show in a different direction and instead keeping it stuck in place. I’ve never thought much of Akiva “Batman & Robin” Goldsman as a writer. I have no way to know for sure but my guess is that it was Matalas pushing for Q and the new elements, with Goldsman trying hard to hold on to the season one characters he might have felt responsible.

But to me this feels like a better show if only Picard is zapped into the past, rather than finding new ways to use season one’s outstanding cast after their purpose had been served. Once the decision was made that season two wasn’t going to be the crew of La Serena working outside of Starfleet, that cast should have been jettisoned. I think it’s a classic example of an age old problem with television: finding new purposes for actors with resolved storylines rather than releasing the actor from the contract.

I find the Q/Guinan/Picard elements to be incredibly compelling and the final two episodes (which should probably have been a single entry) have a lot to like. But I also think the first season was stronger and that the third likely will be too. I don’t think the rest of the TNG cast comes back if they’re not happy with the writing.

That was my position as well. Once the S1 cast whose motives and interests aligned with Picard concluded their mutual S1 adventure it was time for them to go their separate ways and not be relevant to S2.

 

[Sam Favate]

I finished re-watching season 2 in preparation for season 3. I enjoyed it, but it was definitely a step down from season 1.

Season 1, I felt, had new discoveries every episode and I didn't know where it was going to go each week. I liked that, and the ending was satisfying.

Season 2, by contrast, sets up a storyline where you know exactly how it will turn out (they save the future, of course) and each episode ticks off points on a checklist on things that need to be accomplished for that to happen. Also, spending the entire season in the past was a disappointment, since I wanted to see this series explore the post-Nemesis/Voyager world. Oh, and that episode that took place in the fascistic reality was too much -- we've seen this far too many times in Star Trek, and enough is quite enough.

That said, there was quite a lot to like in season 2. The performances are all excellent, and I enjoyed spending time with each of these actors in these roles. Orly Brady, in particular, was very engaging, and Patrick Stewart proves again why he's the anchor for these shows.

By all reports, they've really captured something special with season 3. I hope so. Despite season 2 being good entertainment, it was ultimately a disappointment from what it could have been (and what season 1 was).

 

[Tino]

Annie Wersching dead at age 45:

Annie Wersching Dies: Actress In ‘24’, ‘Bosch’ And ‘Timeless’ Was 45

Annie Wersching Dies: Actress In ‘24’, ‘Bosch’ And ‘Timeless’ Was 45

deadline.com

She also played Tess in the original The Last of Us video game (the character portrayed by Anna Torv in the HBO television-series).

R.I.P. Way too fucking young.

I had no idea she played the Borg Queen in this season (that I HATED).

But I adored her performance in TLOU. Rest in peace Tess.