Today's Tuesday TV Touchbase checks in on the world of Star Trek as one series reaches a season finale and another debuts a new season.
I still can't believe just how much better Star Trek Discovery has gotten since its woebegone launch in 2017. Getting dropped kicked 930 years into the future in season 3 did the show a world of good.
The story arc for season 4 dealt with a space anomaly of enormous size and power that destroys whole planets in it's wake including the home world of Cleveland "Book" Booker. Eventually it is determined that the anomaly (dubbed "DMA") is not a natural one but something created by what the Federation calls "Species 10-C" who exists outside the known galaxy and is probably way more powerful than anybody in the Federation. Species 10-C may be deliberately malevolent or benevolently ignorant or just don't give a damn about their anomaly.
Which brings us to the main conflict for the Discovery crew. Book and super smart scientist with no social skills Tarka are hell bent on blowing up the DMA while Capt. Michael Burnham and other Federation persons think it might be better to learn how to talk to Species 10-C first.
Long story made short, Book and Tarka's efforts to answer the threat of the DMA with force only makes things worse. Now the damn DMA is heading for Earth!
Meanwhile Burnham and the crew do finally figure out how to talk to the Species 10-C and they answer.
Through dialogue and understanding, Species 10-C realize their anomaly (which they were using to harvest energy) is dangerous to sentient life and agree to stop using it.
There has been some criticism that Star Trek Discovery is not true Star Trek. But certainly the story line for season 4 undermines that criticism. Force and vengeance yield bad results. Learning, knowledge, exploring, talking, understanding and peace yield better results. And this is the epitome of Star Trek's best ideals.
Discovery has evolved past the Michael Burnham centric first season with a fully developed supporting cast like Detmer, Stamets, Culber, Adira and Saru.
Oh and Saru has a girlfriend, the Vulcan president of Ni'Var.
And Burnham is a more well rounded individual, emotionally expressive when she needs to be but also adept at putting on her captain hat when she needs to be in charge.
The season ends with a Federation made stronger for their united efforts to save worlds from the devastation of the DMA and to peacefully negotiate with Specie 10-C.
And Earth (with it's president played by real life political leader Stacey Abrams) rejoins the Federation. Season 4 of Star Trek Discovery ends on a note of hope as any good Star Trek should.
Hope is in short supply over on Star Trek Picard.
Season 2 picks up 18 months after the events of Season 1. Picard is back in the good graces of Starfleet as an admiral, Raffi is back in Starfleet along with Chris Rios who is the captain of the Stargazer. Seven is using Rios' old ship La Sirena in her work with the Fenris Rangers.
There's a lot of convolutions to bring the gang from season 1 back together considering that gang was only together for one specific mission.
Then shit happens!
The Borg appear!
Crap!
The Stargazer blows up real good!
Double crap!!
Jean Luc wakes up at Chateau Picard in France.
What the hell?!?
And Q shows up!?!
Triple crap!!!!
How do they handle immortal Q being played by a much older John DeLancie? Pretty well, actually. Q appears to look as he did back in the Next Generation days, sees how much older Picard looks, says "Let me catch up!" and BAM! Goodbye CGI, hello to current John DeLancie.
In episode 2, we get to hear Picard say something we've been wanting to hear him says for over 30 years: "Q, I've had enough of your bullshit!"
Picard (and we'll find out later, the rest of his gang) survived the destruction of the Stargazer but he's not back home, not in the truest sense of the world.
Time has been changed and Earth sits at the center of a fascist Confederation built on the idea that "A safe galaxy is a human galaxy".
And General Picard made it happen.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...........??????
So we spend a 2nd episode getting the gang together as they make a desparate bid to go back in time to the year 2024 where Q tells Picard things first went all to shit.
Even it means getting help from the Borg Queen.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...........??????
The year 2024 is significant in Star Trek lore as it's the year of the Bell Riots occurred as told in the Deep Space Nine two-part "Past Tense".
There's some concern that the Picard producers will not remember this bit of Star Trek history but I find that a bit surprising since they do remember Deep Space Nine. Some of the skulls in "General Picard's" trophy room belonged to Gul Dukat and General Martok.
Season 2 of Picard is less introspective and more adventure oriented with each the first three episodes ending on a cliff hanger.
Structurally, season 2 of Picard is a bit of a mess but there's no denying there is a intriguing mystery to be resolved here and I'm invested enough in Jean Luc Picard as his misfit crew to see how this plays out.
That's it for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase. I think by next week I will have caught up on Marvelous Mrs. Maisel a full 2 to 3 weeks after everyone else.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here.
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