Picard 1x06 - "The Impossible Box" [ SPOILERS WITHIN ]

AMKC · 27-02-2020 11:54am #1

New episode thread time again. Have not seen it yet either but am hoping its a good one.

Watched Best of Both Worlds parts 1 and 2 yesterday so it will be interesting to see how much of the inside of the Borg Cube we get to see here.

Spear · 27-02-2020 1:36pm

There's a discrepency in the story that I don't get.

Bruce Maddox already had his lab destroyed by the Tal Shiar. Yet the same Tal Shiar keep trying to find the origin of the synthetics, referring to as their nest or homeworld. Does this mean that Maddox had two sites, or that someone else had a hand in their creation? Or did I just miss something?

IvySlayer · 27-02-2020 6:32pm

Weird I watched the Voyager episode they were referencing too only yesterday!

velo.2010 · 27-02-2020 8:43pm

The first episode since the premier that didn't dawdle. It was easy to watch and flowed better than previous instalments. Just goes to show that they could have wrapped up the story so far in three episodes.

Were they trying to hint at Soji being linked to the hive mind towards the end? Interesting that Hugh mentions the trajector for the Borg Queen to flee in an
emergency and moments later Soji is whisked away to safety! What could this mean... nudge, nudge, wink, wink! Seriously though, is she implanted with Borg nanoprobes or is there some carryover from Data's interaction with the Borg (First Contact) and Maddox's subsequent fractal replication? She appears to be programmed differently to Dahj in any case.

There were a couple of misses for me though nothing that detracted from an otherwise good hour of TV. Could have done without the Skype chat between Raffi and her ex Starfleet buddy. For a moment, I was half expecting a 'you go, girlfriend'! It seemed at odds with the rest of the episode notwithstanding the fact the writers have made the language of the show more present day in tone. Odd too was Soji just standing calmly in the background while Hugh and Picard talk in the Queen room, after nearly being killed a few moments earlier. She should have been ranting and raving about what just happened, yet... nada, not a thing.

Plenty of reference to past Trek and surprised to see so much intercutting with previous Borg appearances. Nice to see and adds validity to the show and storyline.

So, anyone any idea of what and/or where that planet with two red moon and electrical storms could be?

7/10

Slydice · 27-02-2020 8:51pm

What a line to close out on! Please my friends, choose to live! :eek:
I'd say there's a strong chance we'll see Elnor again!

After that, I thought the top moment was early on in the episode where Picard and the Image of Locutus were superimposed using the screen. Patrick Steward just knocked that scene out of the park! I really felt for Picard!

The next episode preview including

that look-away-and-you'll-miss-it show of a planet with huge chuck of it blowing up!

:eek:
Also..

Riker and Troi (I assume) in the next episode!!

Anyway..

So.. the Sikarians are gone!.. well assimilated! and the Borg got Spatial Trajectors. Well .. that's an instant invasion / assimilation portal technology if ever I heard of one! :eek: They must have most of the Delta Quadrant by now!

Seems Dahj and Soji are only 3 years old if Sojis stuff being 37 months old is anything to go by.

I'm guessing they were built by someone other than Maddox given his state in the last episode. The faceless father figure and the moons. Not sure who/where they are.

Raffi sure is in a bad state but after what happened, it makes sense. Guessing her backstory episodes are gonna be tough.

Still unsure what motivate Aggie to kill Maddox like that. Guessing something about Soji and the Faceless father.

All the Borg stuff! Just like.. no-big-deal.. lookit all this Borg stuff! :eek: The reclamation project looks like a good thing.. I wonder .. I dunno.. just the Romulans seem very sinister about it and then combined with the fact that there's Borg parts trading on the black market going on elsewhere

Where did Picard say they were going? Le Penthe .. something like Rura Penthe in Star Trek VI? Probably somewhere new unrelated I'm guessing... although .. imaging dragging Klingons into the story now! :eek:

Slydice · 27-02-2020 8:54pm

Oh! Almost forgot!

Soji's lunchbox in her room with The Adventures of Flotter!

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Flotter

Spear · 27-02-2020 9:04pm

Slydice wrote: »

Where did Picard say they were going? Le Penthe .. something like Rura Penthe in Star Trek VI? Probably somewhere new unrelated I'm guessing... although .. imaging dragging Klingons into the story now! :eek:

He said Nepenthe

Slydice · 27-02-2020 9:08pm

Cool cool, seems to be new..
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Nepenthe

Nepenthe was a location in the galaxy. It was located within a range of 40,000 light years from the Artifact.

That narrows it down.. I guess .. a bit

27-02-2020 11:52pm

I wonder if we'll see Donatra (is that the Romulan "Queen"?)

The Sikarian tech was just one step down from Iconian. Far too overpowered. Between that and Trans Warp hubs Borg are unstoppable simply because they can appear from anywhere, anytime.

That was a great episode though. Loved Hugh and Picard's meeting.

Goodshape · 28-02-2020 12:38am

Really enjoyed that!

I like this show.

Slydice · 28-02-2020 12:53am

Deleted User wrote: »

The Sikarian tech was just one step down from Iconian. Far too overpowered. Between that and Trans Warp hubs Borg are unstoppable simply because they can appear from anywhere, anytime.

Now that has me thinking something must be keeping them busy.
That could be a good thing.. that could be a bad thing

Evade · 28-02-2020 1:26am

That actual felt like a whole episode. I still think the first 6 could have been cut down to three or four unless the go nowhere plot threads from the first two are going to be picked back up.

There was some very odd stuff in this episode. Picards reaction to Borg stuff is just weird. It would be understandable if this was the first time he was confronting them again but Descent and First Contact already happened.

Exbies being able to recognise each other... just no, it's silly. I've joked about Star Trek writers lack of basic maths skills before but there are trillions of drones how could anyone possible know who's who and why would the Borg intentionally do that.

Random thoughts as I watched the episode

The three Romulan names is dumb
Why is the cyberneticist giving Bruce's cause of death and not the EMH? Maybe the actor wasn't available.
They Borg are severely neutered since Endgame, Picard should know this. And he should know cut off Borg do change
That's a mirrored image, Picard's left side got the laser face why grab his right side?
For something as eager to challenge stereotypes as Star Trek usually is they really do play into them. South Americans all love soccer
I miss all the future fashion Rios' cut offs look very today
Romulan banjo music time
Data dreamt too. You'd think they'd (writers and Romulans) know this stuff
Tarot last week, dreams mean stuff this week, reading Earl Grey leaves next week?
Locutus might be an exception but no way ex drones can recognise trillions of other ex drones on sight. Seven couldn't recognise the triumvirate
Rafi's dialogue is painful
The Borg PTSD flashes kind of go against First Contact. It'd make sense if this was the first time he confronted a cube/borg since then but not now
No 20 year old has physical photos now, less likely in the 24th century.
Scanning the necklace would have been enough
The cube needs more green
Dial down the visible disgust Picard
What's the age of consent in Romulan space? Narek might be in a little trouble
Why are the Romulans Vulcan all of a sudden?
Voyager's EMH did it in like a week, to several people, with much better results.
Those backward Romulans amirite
All those feet shots. Is this Quentin Tarrintino's Star Trek?
If she's disassembled like Data how is she biological?
Looks like the Badlands
The last time a Romulan left a room like that the Senate turned to ash
Retcon for First Contact flashbacks?
At least their blood is still green
Space Elf staying behind makes no sense. Everyone go and set the console to explode. I've seen enough Star Trek to know how unstable they are
Why do the episodes just stop instead of ending?

28-02-2020 4:58am

Story if this was asked (didn’t want to read spoilers) but what’s the gore situation this week? Anything really bad again?

Cookie_Monster · 28-02-2020 10:14am

So when is that cube from exactly, I thought it was well old, no? But this episode implies it dates post Voyager

FutureGuy · 28-02-2020 10:15am

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Story if this was asked (didn’t want to read spoilers) but what’s the gore situation this week? Anything really bad again?

No. Nothing like that. Much better episode too.

28-02-2020 10:54am

Slydice wrote: »

Now that has me thinking something must be keeping them busy.
That could be a good thing.. that could be a bad thing

How busy though that they could not send 20 drones to planets for assimilation
40,000 light years, that's a fvck load of available planets, each needing just a few drones to form a beachhead and assimilate out from there.

Now; I am not saying it's bad that we see this now. Voyager introduced the Tech, and that race were meant to be antagonists over several episodes/series, but again we have a Voyager based mess

pah · 28-02-2020 12:01pm

Uugghh. I'm really not enjoying this.

The football, the painful pre-sex scene, Christ. I don't care about her, I don't care about Raffis son. The scene with Raffi getting Picards credentials from Starfleet was awful. The fact that they closed that scene out with the Star Trek theme winding up just made me want to go and watch some TNG. That honour has not been earned by this bunch of idiots.

Thargor · 28-02-2020 5:07pm

Jesus that Raffi is just an abysmal character.

degrassinoel · 28-02-2020 5:11pm

anyone spot Mister Mott's Hair Emporium at the start?

Slydice · 28-02-2020 8:09pm

I just re-listened to the line again.. 'after assimilating Sikarians'

hmmm... that's not necessarily all the Sikarians .. that leaves the door open for them to still be around.

28-02-2020 9:41pm

I honestly can't decide if I enjoyed that episode or not.

Parts of it felt like it dragged.

There was a lot in it, but a lot of needless stuff as well.

A synth doing meditation. How does that work?

How could Soji not be even a little bit suspicious of Nerak? All the questions, then the revelation about the calls to her mother?

Between Allison Pill and the captain, Soji and Nerak and the sexual chemistry between Nerak and his Sister. There is far too much sex in this show.

Goodshape · 28-02-2020 9:59pm

Deleted User wrote: »

How could Soji not be even a little bit suspicious of Nerak? All the questions, then the revelation about the calls to her mother?.

I got the impression she was perfectly suspicious — but also young, adventurous, and curious. Not just a damsel being taken for a ride (so to speak), even if Narek did get the better of her in the end. I quite like the character.

Only character I really don't like at the moment is Narek's sister. Can't figure out why she's there at all and the OTT sexual tension between the two is unnecessary.

Otherwise the "adult themes" are fine.

Star Trek really feels like a *place* in these last few episodes. It's great to see.

28-02-2020 10:03pm

Goodshape wrote: »

I got the impression she was perfectly suspicious — but also young, adventurous, and curious. Not just a damsel being taken for a ride (so to speak), even if Narek did get the better of her in the end. I quite like the character.

Only character I really don't like at the moment is Narek's sister. Can't figure out why she's there at all and the OTT sexual tension between the two is unnecessary.

Otherwise the "adult themes" are fine.

Star Trek really feels like a *place* in these last few episodes. It's great to see.

Completely agree with the emboldened part above.

liamtech · 28-02-2020 10:13pm

If the Borg have assimilated the Sikarian's, a race from Voyagers Season 1, this implied that Borg Space has expanded quite dramatically - Past the Nekrit Expanse

Potential other victims include

The Voth - exceptionally advanced with Transwarp and computer equipment capable of over-riding Federation technology with ease
The Vidian's - thanks to the Phage, these guys have seriously advanced medical tech which is second to none from what we have seen (perhaps second to the Borg)
Any species in Voyagers 1st - 3rd season

Its difficult to establish this exactly but bare with me - we know from VOY 4x02 the Gift, that Borg Space is an area about 10,000 Light Years in diameter (hence Kes threw Voyager clear of it) - We can assume given that Voyager's average speed, and the ETA on returning to the Alpha quadrant that Voyager covers about 1000 light years a year, and per season - give or take -

Therefore it is entirely possible that Borg Space is now 16,000 + diameter - making - Also given the Sikarians position near the outer Delta quadrant (the outskirts at the edge of the milky way), it is possible that the collective has assimilated at a faster rate towards the center of the galaxy

So the Question is:

How long before the Reach the Alpha and Beta Quadrants
When they do they will encounter the remnants of the Romulan empire, the Klingons, Cardassia, and the Federation
This will enevitably be the biggest conflict in Trek, of Galactic proportion
Will WE SEE IT!

McDermotX · 28-02-2020 11:43pm

Abysmal

Sparko · 28-02-2020 11:59pm

liamtech wrote: »

If the Borg have assimilated the Sikarian's, a race from Voyagers Season 1, this implied that Borg Space has expanded quite dramatically - Past the Nekrit Expanse

Possibly, or maybe that race used their technology to jump close to Borg space, and were assimilated there, as opposed to their homeworld. They probably don't want us to think too much about it but that's never gonna happen!

AllForIt · 29-02-2020 4:37am

Thargor wrote: »

Jesus that Raffi is just an abysmal character.

It's not just she's an unlikable character, as I alluded to in a previous thread, she is the epitome of an underclass. Which is quite strange because wasn't all that stuff supposed to be wiped out in the federation future.

What's worse is that the producers have decided to 'represent' every tom dick and harry in the series for the sake of 'equality'.

If I were some black alcoholic recovering smoker living in some tornado bait trailer camp in mid-west USA, I'd love to turn on the TV and watch some Star Trek for the escapism. Not to see on Star Trek someone 'represent' me. That's not escapism. It's vile that the producers would do this, wrecking the escapism we have enjoyed for decades.

=============================

I agree with Evade, the Borg cube is desperately green. It reminds me of The Matrix. The Borg cube interior has always been green but maybe on hi-def TV's it's coming across too strong, and a shade brighter it originally was.

Another random is - Rios - please keep your clothes on. There is something about him that I find repulsive. Maybe it's the beard or it's the way the camera moves around him as if he's so gorgeous. I find him gross, but maybe that's just me.

Stark · 29-02-2020 9:44am

The 40,000 light years away thing raises so many questions. Obviously they get back quickly enough as he meets with Riker/Troi in the next couple of episodes. Maybe it's a cop out and Hugh pulls them back the way they came. I think it would be pretty cool if Riker/Troi were settled on Nepenthe, having traveled there by quantum slipstream or whatever.

Rawr · 29-02-2020 9:45am

liamtech wrote: »

If the Borg have assimilated the Sikarian's, a race from Voyagers Season 1, this implied that Borg Space has expanded quite dramatically - Past the Nekrit Expanse

Potential other victims include
The Voth - exceptionally advanced with Transwarp and computer equipment capable of over-riding Federation technology with ease

The Vidian's - thanks to the Phage, these guys have seriously advanced medical tech which is second to none from what we have seen (perhaps second to the Borg)

Any species in Voyagers 1st - 3rd season

Its difficult to establish this exactly but bare with me - we know from VOY 4x02 the Gift, that Borg Space is an area about 10,000 Light Years in diameter (hence Kes threw Voyager clear of it) - We can assume given that Voyager's average speed, and the ETA on returning to the Alpha quadrant that Voyager covers about 1000 light years a year, and per season - give or take -

Therefore it is entirely possible that Borg Space is now 16,000 + diameter - making - Also given the Sikarians position near the outer Delta quadrant (the outskirts at the edge of the milky way), it is possible that the collective has assimilated at a faster rate towards the center of the galaxy

So the Question is:
How long before the Reach the Alpha and Beta Quadrants

When they do they will encounter the remnants of the Romulan empire, the Klingons, Cardassia, and the Federation

This will enevitably be the biggest conflict in Trek, of Galactic proportion

Will WE SEE IT!

I have always sort of assumed that Borg Space has been encroaching on the explored parts of the Beta Quadrant for a while now and has possibly been even touching on the outer parts of Federation Space out there ever since the times of First Contact.

The only reason I'm thinking this is due to Picard's rant in First Contact.
"They invade out space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back!"
I get that maybe the writers threw this in to create a bit of dramatic edge to Picard's hatred for the Borg, but I kind of read this to mean that Starfleet was in regular contact with The Borg and that Federation gains in the Beta Quadrant have been slowly eaten away by Borg expansion. On screen, we only only ever get to see the Borg's attempts to take out Sector 001.

As for stuff in the episode itself. I wonder if the Borg Queen had a similar escape method built into the Best of Both Worlds cube (since she was there). I had always assumed that they just "Backup Queens" that she upload herself into if she lost a body. I didn't think she'd need to physically escape.

is_that_so · 29-02-2020 9:52am

Deleted User wrote: »

Completely agree with the emboldened part above.

I'd actually put the siblings together and airlock the pair into space. Cardboard villains is not the word for them and as someone suggested in a much earlier thread no credibility to the love angle at all. It's like he's reciting lines.

TheValeyard · 29-02-2020 10:51am

I liked it. Very fast moving compared to previous episodes. I liked the nods to Locutus and how the plot is moving nicely along.

Still not liking Raffi.

Picard 1x06 - "The Impossible Box" [** SPOILERS WITHIN **]

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Picard 1x06 - "The Impossible Box" [ SPOILERS WITHIN ]