If I had to pick a favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation character, it would have to be Q. Even after the debacle of last season of Picard, he has a special place in my TV-loving heart. But if I had to pick a second character? Hands down Ro Laren. I remember watching her appearance on Next Generation as a kid and being amazed at how she wasn’t afraid to stand up to power, how she was willing to question anything and everything, and especially how she betrayed Picard to join the Maquis in one of the saddest and most emotionally compelling episodes of Trek I had seen at my young age. So, when she materialized on the Titan this week, I let out a gasp of shock and a squeal of joy. Not only was I surprised they were able to convinced Michelle Forbes to return (out of all the Next Generation alums, she had one of the best post-Trek careers, starring in some great television – including a memorable turn on Battlestar Galactica), but I was shocked at how meaningful this appearance turned out to be – just another sign at how much Terry Matalas and his staff are getting right this time around.
Star Trek is always at its best when it’s telling deeply human stories in a sci-fi package, and this episode was the height of that. That confrontation in the holodeck was thirty years in the making, but my god, putting such great, accomplished actors in a scene and letting them cut loose and express their frustration, anger, and pain was just ::chef’s kiss::. Forbes and Patrick Stewart still have undeniable chemistry and letting them take that scene to the heights it needed to reach in a slow build, wow. My heart broke for both Ro and Picard as they struggled with how to put aside their hurt and distrust and find a way forward. And the capper, that Ro’s security team were Changelings and had sabotaged her, leaving her to say that final goodbye? Oof. I’m not usually one for one-off guest returns only to have that character killed in the waning moments of the episode, but I found this instance worked. If only because the writing had given us the chance to sit alongside Ro one more time, to see things through her eyes, and to understand who she had become in the time we had missed with her. Sure, it was a bit of a cop-out to kill her off so that her investigation could be handed nice and cleanly to Picard, but I think Ro got a hell of a send-off that she wasn’t able to get back on Next Generation.*
*One of the pieces of Trek lore is that the character of Ro was originally meant to be spun-off and added to Deep Space Nine when it launched, but Forbes turned the opportunity down so that she wouldn’t be tied long-term to a television series (a situation that played out in her subsequent television career, which saw her popping in and out of a lot of shows, making a big impact and then exiting stage left). While Major Kira might just be my favorite all-time Trek character for a myriad of reasons and I’m thrilled she ended up in Ro’s place, there’s a part of me that still wonders what might have been.
It was great to finally get Worf in the same “room” with Picard and Riker, however, and if Ro had to die for that to finally happen, I guess that’s yet another positive. Because FINALLY. I’d argue we got about one episode too many of the Worf and Raffi Fight Club, but that just might be my continued disappointment with the character of Raffi talking. But, more importantly, linking this story arc to the main action on Titan (color me thrilled that we continue to get to spend time with the delightful Captain Shaw in all of this – Todd Stashwick continues to be the best addition to Trek in years). I’m assuming Worf and Raffi will end up encountering the remaining Next Generation crew as we continue with the season in their investigation, eventually allowing us a full-on reunion of sorts before the end. And, to follow-up on my Janeway question from last week – she was name dropped again this week, which makes three times. So, I will be waiting for her appearance a la Beetlejuice. Because you don’t keep dropping such an important name and then not deliver. Especially not after you just brought back Ro.
However, I think we need to have a chat about Jack. Because something is very, very wrong with him. So, the question becomes is this something that is wrong with him on a cellular level (remember, the end credits are full of Easter Eggs, and one image is of gene sequencing in DNA) or did the Changeling do something to provide him with those gnarly visions? Because if it’s the former, well, that’s a hell of a lot to throw at a character the series has all but assured us is the genuine article (and really, this late in the season, I don’t think we have the time to fully play out this plot revelation – please, writers, I hope you opted for simplicity this time around). If it’s the latter, well, that’s much more intriguing, as it indicates true malevolent intent by the changelings beyond simply “We want to take over the Federation once and for all.” If they can augment the minds of humanoids, well, that’s terrifying. But what makes Jack so special? We need that answer soon, because all of the drawing out is starting to feel a bit artificial and forced. And when the series is hitting hard on so many areas, having such a major element in neutral hurts the overall feel of the narrative arc.
But I have to say, I’m having so much fun watching this season of Picard. It’s everything I had hoped the series could become when it was first announced – the return of beloved characters, a chance to heal old wounds and forge new bonds, and the addition of some truly exceptional new characters. I’m so happy the show has course corrected in the best possible way, and I’m thrilled we’re getting this kind of send-off for one of television’s great sci-fi series.
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