Category Archives: episode review

Star Trek: Picard S1E6 “The Impossible Box” Review @SirPatStew @StarTrekPicard

April 5, 20204-5, episode review, TV#StarTrek, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Brent Spiner, Captain Jean Luc Picard, conspiracy, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, Data, Episode 3, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones Season 8, GoT, GOT8, Jean Luc Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, Picard, plot, Prime Video, Romulan, Romulus, Star Trek, Star Trek: Picard, The Impossible Boxbryanajparry

… reminded us why the sci-fi/horror baddies … the Borg are one of the greatest in all pop culture.

“The Impossible Box” (S1E6) zipped along at a terrific pace. Picard and Soji are face-slammed directly into moments from their past that they had deeply repressed. Soji’s world begins to unravel as she is confronted with the disturbing reality of her situation, although we end the episode with her still not having had time to fully understand or internalise the situation. There’s some great Borg-based body horror, disturbing scenes where Picard struggles with the memories of his time being assimilated by the Borg. The flashbacks seem to smash through his, and the viewer’s, skull. This episode reminded us why the sci-fi/horror baddies that are the Borg are one of the greatest in all pop culture. And we finally get to see the show’s two storylines merge together.

All of this horrifying action hurtles along while in the background the equally horrifying situation from the last episode, where one of our crew isn’t quite what they appear, gut-churningly, slowly, steadily, threatens to explode at any minute.

All of this darkness is counterbalanced with a bit of sassy Raffi comedy. Thankfully, the comedy has been dialled back to warp factor one and appropriately served to break up what was an action-packed and terrifyingly dark story.

The genius of this episode was not discovering what happens, as we have known what the characters haven’t since episode one, but watching how it unfolds. A truly thrilling episode, and definitely the best so far from a dramatic point of view, although from a general entertainment standpoint I slightly preferred last week’s episode. My only criticism is that Star Trek: Picard really needs to knock its tendencies for exposition and introducing and/or resolving storylines in one scene/episode on the head.

4/5

Star Trek: Picard S1E5 “Stardust City Rag” Review @SirPatStew @StarTrekPicard

March 29, 20204-5, episode review, TV#StarTrek, Absolute Candor, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Brent Spiner, Captain Jean Luc Picard, conspiracy, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, Data, Episode 3, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones Season 8, GoT, GOT8, Jean Luc Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, Picard, plot, Prime Video, Romulan, Romulus, Star Trek, Star Trek: Picardbryanajparry

Jean Luc Picard [puts] on the most unbelievable French accent since Ewan McGregor in Beauty and the Beast …

This week, on Star Trek: Picard.

In “Stardust City Rag” (S1E5), our fellowship sets up a meeting on a dodgy planet to take part in an exchange: one life for another. This place, Freecloud, could have been lifted straight from Star Wars‘ cantina scene, where all sorts of criminals and smugglers and crimelords and aliens mingle in an anarchic power-vacuum region of the galaxy. Fascinating, but I’m not sure it totally sits within the Star Trek universe.

We find out why Raffi, who I’m now very fond of, wanted to leave Picard’s crew and go her own way when the team reached Freecloud. Just like Picard in the previous episode, she has a very weighty personal matter to resolve, a matter that has been hanging over her for years. Unfortunately, whilst Michelle Hurd’s (Raffi) acting more-or-less convinced, that of her counterpart in this scene distinctly did not (Gabe, Mason Gooding). Very disappointing. A big moment with a character I’ve come to care about, and yet I did not care much. Once again, Picard rushes and resolves an issue within the space of a scene or two. The writers do realise that this model, let’s call it the “Game of Thrones Season 8 Model”, is not a fan favourite, right?

This episode was full of zany comedy, including Rios dressed as a kind of intergalactic pimp, Jean Luc Picard putting on the most unbelievable French accent since Ewan McGregor in Beauty and the Beast, and Picard’s manservant-cum-bodyguard-cum-protégé establishing himself as the series’ light relief rather than broody angst merchant (as he appeared in the last episode) — and he seems to be acquiring an increasingly strong Antipodean accent as time goes on (think: the reverse of Deanna Troy in Star Trek: TNG). The writers and actors really pushed the boundaries of tone and good sense here, and they just stayed onside. The result? Back of the net! I loved it. I just hope they don’t camp it up too much; Picard has established itself as tonally distinct from some of the other, campier entries in the Star Trek canon, and it would be a shame to backslide from that or, worse, become tonally confused.

There’s a huge moment towards the end where one of our fellowship unexpectedly acts horrifically. Big drama to follow from this in future episodes, undoubtedly. I’m also starting to notice a pattern more generally: those who have served Star Fleet either get burnt out, go mad, or become numb in order to maintain their commission. The campy, intergalactic comedy romp belied this much darker core.

A lot happened. Great moments. Wonderful developments of some characters through their actions rather than through talking, as has sometimes characterised this show so far. The lightest and, paradoxically, also the darkest episode, this was an excellent outing and without a doubt the most entertaining so far.

4/5

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Star Trek: Picard S1E4 “Absolute Candor” Review @SirPatStew @StarTrekPicard

March 24, 20204-5, episode review, TV#StarTrek, Absolute Candor, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Brent Spiner, Captain Jean Luc Picard, conspiracy, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, Data, Jean Luc Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, Picard, plot, Prime Video, Romulan, Romulus, Star Trek, Star Trek: Picardbryanajparry

… compelling racial tension on a de facto apartheid world which Picard refused to accept …

In Star Trek: Picard, “Absolute Candor” (S1E4), Jean-Luc Picard must face an unresolved personal issue from his past. It seems that Picard has apparently spent most of his life crashing around the cosmos, leaving his mark, and running away, leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces, like some kind of intergalactic lothario. Our other storyline, set on the Borg cube, is also becoming compelling, marked by increasingly nuanced character interactions between Soji and Narek. This was very much an episode delving into the past and how it shapes the future.

An exciting episode, better than the previous ones. I really felt absorbed in the world, like I’d known our merry band of explorers for ages — yet they only came together at the very end of the last episode. Our fellowship even has two new members, with the addition of a face from Star Trek‘s past, and the other from Picard’s past. I like how our crew feels like it has grown almost organically, giving us a chance to spend a little time with all of them first, instead of just dumping them all on us in the pilot. There was also some compelling racial tension on a de facto apartheid world which Picard refused to accept.

“Absolute Candor” wasn’t flawless, though. The meant-to-be emotional scenes with Picard facing his past seemed a little contrived and poorly acted, which is a shame as the characters involved all seem very interesting in themselves. Furthermore, this seems to be becoming a pattern in Star Trek: Picard; deep backstories, with years of emotional weight and angst behind them, are introduced, developed, played out, and resolved within the course of one episode, thereby robbing them of their full emotional impact. Why not settle these things over the course of several episodes?

Was this episode perfect? No. But there was a good balance of all parts — talk, action, characters being developed through their deeds.

This episode just nudges four out of five, by a nose.

4/5

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Star Trek: Picard S1E3 “The End Is The Beginning” Review @SirPatStew @StarTrekPicard

March 7, 20203-5, episode review, TV#StarTrek, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Brent Spiner, Captain Jean Luc Picard, conspiracy, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, Data, Jean Luc Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, Picard, plot, Prime Video, Romulan, Romulus, Star Trek, Star Trek: Picardbryanajparry

… Cristóbal Rios, a cynical old space dog who’s swallowed a fermented case of sour grapes …

Star Trek: Picard Episode 3, “The End Is The Beginning”, ups the stakes with a Romulan prophecy, plenty of juicy action sequences, and the forming of a kind of Fellowship of the Ring led by our Frodo-cum-Gandalf lead, Jean Luc.

In general, we warm to our motley collection of newly assembled ring-bearers. However, there were some slightly forced moments, such as Raffi (Picard’s former first officer) constantly calling Picard “JL”; we got the point that they’re close the first fifteen times she cracks out this cutesy name. It seems we’re often supposed to care about the characters for no good reasons other than such quirks and hints at history; sometimes it works, sometimes not.

The introduction of Cristóbal Rios, a cynical old space dog who’s swallowed a fermented case of sour grapes, is a great moment. I’ve been waiting for a big character to emerge in this show, and it might be him. Plus, his ship has an EMH (Emergency Medical Hologram) and an ENH (Emergency Navigation Hologram) who are both, despite being identical in appearance to our Cris, completely different and hint at being great characters in themselves, recalling one of the few high points of Star Trek: Voyager: Robert Picardo’s great portrayal of the EMH.

A disturbing scene with an ex-Borg Romulan provides much suspense and tension going into the next episode. We really get the sense that things are now set up nicely and are about to kick off in episode 4.

“The End Is The Beginning” was solid, just like episodes one and two, and it was incrementally better than episode two, which itself was incrementally better than episode one. But despite much intrigue, Star Trek: Picard has yet to really explode. But the future looks bright; the fuse appears lit, the explosion imminent. I would like to give it three-and-a-half stars, but half-stars are for fence-sitting, “not sure” fudgists.

3/5

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Star Trek: Picard S1E2 “Maps and Legends” Review #100WordReview @SirPatStew @StarTrekPicard

February 16, 2020100 word review, 3-5, episode review, TV#StarTrek, Amazon, Amazon Prime, Brent Spiner, Captain Jean Luc Picard, conspiracy, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown, Data, Jean Luc Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, Picard, plot, Prime Video, Romulan, Romulus, Star Trek, Star Trek: Picardbryanajparry

Jean-Luc Picard [must] tackle it head-on — with or without the support of the Federation.

A Romulan plot appears to be afoot within the Federation which, if confirmed, would constitute an act of war. Duty and principle compel Jean-Luc Picard to tackle it head-on — with or without the support of the Federation. Episode two, “Maps and Legends”, is compelling and involves much more show and far less tell than episode one, although it does kick off with a long Dan Brown-style expository scene. Such moments are missed opportunities to build suspense. None-the-less, “Maps and “Legends” was riveting.

3/5

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Star Trek: Picard S1E1 “Remembrance” Review #150WordReview @SirPatStew @StarTrekPicard

February 2, 2020150 word review, 3-5, episode review#StarTrek, Amazon, Amazon Prime, android, Brent Spiner, Captain Jean Luc Picard, Data, Jean Luc Picard, Lieutenant Commander Data, Picard, positronic brain, Prime Video, Romulan, Romulus, Star Trek, Star Trek: Picardbryanajparry

… a lot of Patrick Stewart sitting around staring into space and smiling like an avuncular but semi-senile philosopher.

It’s been twenty years since Jean-Luc Picard retired from active duty. Haunted by dreams of his friend Data, who gave his life to safe Picard’s 20 years before, and the destruction of the planet Romulus, Jean-Luc has retired to the sanctuary of his idyllic vineyard to ponder the past. But his attempts at a peaceful existence are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious guest.

There are a couple of very nice action sequences, and a lot of Patrick Stewart sitting around staring into space and smiling like an avuncular but semi-senile philosopher. And an old foe is hinted at. But nothing much happens. Episode One, “Remembrance”, felt like the first 15 minutes stretched to fill 46.

Is this your typical Trek? No. Does “Remembrance” hint at great things to come? Yes. Did it seem slightly pointless. Also, yes. A solid and entertaining, albeit uninspiring, opener.

3/5

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TV Review: Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 3 #GoTS7 #SpoilerSweats

August 3, 20174-5, episode review, TV#GoTS7, #SpoilerSweats, Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Art Parkinson, Arya, Bran, Brienne of Tarth, Bronn, Carice van Houten, Catelyn Tully, Cersei Lannister, Charles Dance, Conleth Hill, D. B. Weiss, Daenerys Targaryen, David Benioff, Davos Seaworth, Dean-Charles Chapman, Eddard "Ned" Stark, Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, GoT, Gwendoline Christie, Harry Lloyd, HBO, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jack Gleeson, Jaime Lannister, Jerome Flynn, Joffrey, John Bradley, Jon Snow, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Lord Varys, Maisie Williams, Mark Addy, Melisandre, Michael McElhatton, Michelle Fairley, Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, Ramsay Snow, Rickon, Robert Baratheon, Roose Bolton, Rory McCann, Samwell Tarly, Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, Sansa, Sean Bean, Shae, Sibel Kekilli, Sophie Turner, Theon Greyjoy, Tommen, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Viserys, white walkers, wildling, winter is coming, winter is herebryanajparry

Bran, of three-eyed raven fame, has turned up spouting yet more gibberish

Note: gotta say, I’m starting to struggle at keeping these reviews SPOILER FREE without being absurdly vague…

Episode 3 was the best of Season 7 so far. Not quite good enough to be a five star smash, but more exciting than eps 1 and 2. It’s entitled “The Queen’s Justice”, but which Queen? This was definitely an episode where powerful women had their say, shall we say. Indeed, the trend is continued whereby we are left in no doubt that the most powerful characters in Westeros are all women; perhaps a ploy from the writers to distract from the ample amount of bewbs present in the early series.

Cersei showed, once again, what a sadistic and calculating woman she can be. Daenerys is definitely starting to display more of that distinctly regal side. Somebody dies — but not before delivering a satisfying piece of revenge. There’s some top quality military outwitting going on. And, unfortunately, the most boring storyline of all made a showing: Bran, of three-eyed raven fame, has turned up spouting yet more gibberish; this plot thread better have a satisfying resolution.

I’m loving how the series is now zipping along. Now that most of the characters are dead, and the rest have all mostly hooked up, everything is happening in a handful of locations. It’s really starting to gear up for the great finale.

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TV Review: Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 2 #GoTS7 #SpoilerSweats

July 26, 20174-5, episode review, TV#GoTS7, #SpoilerSweats, Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Art Parkinson, Arya, Bran, Brienne of Tarth, Bronn, Carice van Houten, Catelyn Tully, Cersei Lannister, Charles Dance, Conleth Hill, D. B. Weiss, Daenerys Targaryen, David Benioff, Davos Seaworth, Dean-Charles Chapman, Eddard "Ned" Stark, Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, GoT, Gwendoline Christie, Harry Lloyd, HBO, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jack Gleeson, Jaime Lannister, Jerome Flynn, Joffrey, John Bradley, Jon Snow, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Lord Varys, Maisie Williams, Mark Addy, Melisandre, Michael McElhatton, Michelle Fairley, Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, Ramsay Snow, Rickon, Robert Baratheon, Roose Bolton, Rory McCann, Samwell Tarly, Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, Sansa, Sean Bean, Shae, Sibel Kekilli, Sophie Turner, Theon Greyjoy, Tommen, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Viserys, white walkers, wildling, winter is coming, winter is herebryanajparry

Happily, the show gets back to basics: by bringing us some hawt seks.

Note: this aims to be a spoiler-free episode review…

Episode 2, “Stormborn”, was exciting stuff! A lot happened. Daenerys showed yet more of the steeliness she flashed in episodes 7.1 and 6.10. She even presumptuously demands that someone else “bend the knee”. Theon, known to his close friends as “Reek”, gets an opportunity to showcase his newfound confidence and courage. Happily, the show gets back to basics: by bringing us some hawt seks. Well, naked bods, boobies and all, and a bit of heavy petting. And we witness everyone’s favourite (read: nobody’s favourite) Samwise Gamgee rip-off, err, Sam, perform a rather disturbing Cronenbergesque operation. There’s also a shocking bit of carnage to finish the episode. In short, everything Game of Thrones fans love and crave.

Also notable was just how slow pre-broadband Westerosi communications technology was. We see different people get news about various developments at vastly different times. It’s something we don’t think about, but was a key factor back then… in the Middle Ages(??)

On the downside, the funny-cum-disgusting camerawork shtick from Episode 7.1, which saw canteen food and sloppy chamber pots quickly intercut, was repeated in a different context in this episode. I hope this isn’t the start of meta, distracting, drawing-attention-to-itself direction. You can have too much of a good thing.

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TV Review: Game of Thrones Season 7 Episode 1 #GoTS7 #SpoilerSweats

July 18, 20174-5, episode review, TV#GoTS7, #SpoilerSweats, Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Art Parkinson, Arya, Bran, Brienne of Tarth, Bronn, Carice van Houten, Catelyn Tully, Cersei Lannister, Charles Dance, Conleth Hill, D. B. Weiss, Daenerys Targaryen, David Benioff, Davos Seaworth, Dean-Charles Chapman, Eddard "Ned" Stark, Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin, GoT, Gwendoline Christie, Harry Lloyd, HBO, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jack Gleeson, Jaime Lannister, Jerome Flynn, Joffrey, John Bradley, Jon Snow, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Lord Varys, Maisie Williams, Mark Addy, Melisandre, Michael McElhatton, Michelle Fairley, Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, Ramsay Snow, Rickon, Robert Baratheon, Roose Bolton, Rory McCann, Samwell Tarly, Sandor "the Hound" Clegane, Sansa, Sean Bean, Shae, Sibel Kekilli, Sophie Turner, Theon Greyjoy, Tommen, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Viserys, white walkers, wildling, winter is coming, winter is herebryanajparry

revenge is a dish best served cold.

Hmm, how to do a Game of Thrones episode review with no spoilers? Well, here we go.

Season 7 of the visual crack that is Game of Thrones kicked off yesterday. Unlike the last six seasons which had ten episodes apiece, this time we’ll get seven. But we’re promised they will be more epic than ever. I’m not disappointed, but actually really respect this decision: none of the old, ‘Well, we have to fill ten episodes, so let’s just stretch it all out a bit’. David Benioff and D. B. Weiss are clearly all about quality over quantity.

As for last night’s episode, it was no “Red Wedding”, but it was no “Lord Snow” either: it was solid, entertaining, and oh so tense. And it began with a truly arresting scene which was horrifying, brilliant, and delightful all at once. Let’s just say that revenge is a dish best served cold.

As for the rest of the episode, nothing much happened. But at the same time, a lot happened. Pieces got moved around the board, and the episode felt very much like the calm before the storm. Shit is about to go down, big time, and we were left in no doubt that this was the last moments before it all kicks off.

More than that, many possible future developments were hinted at: new alliances, old alliances fracturing. Very exciting.

On a weird side-note, one man band Ed Sheeran made a jarring cameo as a, erm, musician. And who was that beside him but Thomas “This Is England” Turngoose. I don’t know which was more distracting! Sheeran’s performance itself was actually alright and non-intrusive. But because the Twitterverse melted down beforehand, my attention was drawn to him: I couldn’t help but get tunnel vision and keep repeating in my own head “OMG! That’s ED SHEERAN!!!”. If no one had gone on about it beforehand, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it was him at all. Strangely, though, Sheeran got upset by the reactions to his cameo and has quit Twitter. I find it weird that a ridiculously talented, rich, adored singer would, at this stage, have such thin skin. But no worries: if you’re reading this, Ed, for I know you surely are, then chin up — you were no David “King Arthur” Beckham.