Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyStar Trek: Picard
Paramount Plus
Season 2 Episode 10
Farewell
In the season two finale, with just hours until the Europa Launch, Picard and the crew find themselves in a race against time to save the future.
With time running out and very few options, Picard and his team find themselves stuck on Earth with the only way to save the future being the launch of the Europa mission. What haunts them is the prophecy that Jurati/Borg Queen leaves them before leaving the planet. A prophecy that Picard and Tallinn seem to understand more than the others. We finally get some Picard/Tallinn conversation and it brings into focus his biggest issue in this season.
At the same time, the rest of the crew goes after Soong who has prepared for them with drones designed to stop the launch. While Tallinn gets in contact with Renee, Soong decides to go after her himself. Tallinn has some face to face time with Renee and begins a plan that fulfills the prophecy as Rios attempts to stop a drone attack on the mission. There is a very poignant moment between Picard and Tallinn that was actually really well done.
The aftermath of the launch does not equal the end of the episode as the dangling plot threads continue with Kore affecting her father’s work in a way that brings about an interesting Easter Egg for trek fans. In the aftermath of her actions, she and the audience are treated to another huge Easter egg that, as a fan of the Next Generation, I was absolutely giddy about. Did it feel a little heavy handed and convenient, yes. Did I care? Not in the slightest. It was fun and that was enough.
In the aftermath, Seven and Raffi have a moment as they attempt to discover what to do with their lives now that they are stuck in the past. Picard makes a decision about his own future as Q finally returns. I don’t know what I expected from this scene considering the tone of the season, but the Picard/Q dynamic has always been an interesting one and the conversation between the two of them was as interesting. It wasn’t as informative as I would have liked, but it was good.
The finale definitely leads to some cliche moments, especially what happens with Rios. It was predictable and blissfully not too long. The show then takes the characters back to the Borg attack and, predictably, it takes a different turn with the return of Jurati and the conclusion of her role in the events. A role that leads to some interesting questions that will possibly be teased in the third season.
The second season of Picard has been uneven at times and intriguing at others. The final episode of the season actually feels more complete than a lot of the other episodes that preceded it. Was it perfect? Not really. Did it stick the landing? Not completely, but it was an entertaining and interesting episode that reminded me of many of the things I love about Star Trek. One of those things being the importance of family and the value in second chances.
Star Trek: Picard S02XE10
