Picard 2x06 - 'Two of One' ~~ { Spoilers Within }

ilovesmybrick · 07-04-2022 9:10am #1

Picard 2x06 - 'Two of One' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

Warning: This thread will contain spoilers for the episode. Spoiler tags will not be used, so if you don't want to be spoiled read no further.

ilovesmybrick · 07-04-2022 9:19am

I'll skip to the end to a bit that has the potential to annoy me. It looks like a setup for one of those "wandering around someones subconcious" episodes. Never like those and I really hope that's something they'll waste one of the last four episodes on.

I think the reveal that Soji (or whatever her name is here) was bred as a genetic experiment could have been revealed a bit earlier, and it's frankly unbelievable that this would be the first time she googles her father.

I like parts of the episode, but I don't think it gelled at all for me. I like Rios and his fascination with the matches. Jurati submitting herself to the Borg queen, which has always the Queen has sought, submission rather than assimilation, was interesting, though go away with the singing, and an inspirational Picard speech. It was a bit of a leap to think that a man could get hit by a car, outside a large fancy ball, and they could sneak him away to an illegal doctor rather than be surrounded by ambulances. The setup for that needed a bit more thought.

Overall it was grand, not great, not bad. Probably an episode that works better if you're bingeing through the series. Though that entirely depends on the next episode. While I think the red letter media guys are a bit harsh, the episode really did support their point that there are too many moving parts for the protagonists. The Borg Queen, Q, Soong, future Borg Queen. If they do spend the next episode in Picards head that only leaves three episodes to fix the Jurati/Queen situation, get Renee Picard into space, fix the Soji/Soong situation, work out the Q problem and what's wrong with him, fix the timeline, and deal with future Borg Queen. The series has been quite strong to date, I just hope they stick the landing.

sioda · 07-04-2022 12:13pm

Not the best episode tbh still very watchable though.

Loved the resuscitation scene he's had transplants all of them 🤣 and the poor defibrillator.

Alison Pill wow never knew she could sing loved the comment about the dress. It plays right back to BSG 6's attire when she is in Baltars head.

How did Laris know about a mind meld?

corkie · 07-04-2022 12:40pm

@sioda

How did Laris know about a mind meld?

Tallinn as 'The Watcher' not 'Laris', think she was referring to the method she used to control people in earlier episode and not 'Mind Meld'. Even when referring to it as such. 'Jury rigged mind meld'

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Two_of_One_%28episode%29

Spear · 07-04-2022 3:21pm

Again a decent enough episode. All the individual plot threads keep steadily advancing.

The song was a cheesy story beat though. But at least it's made more palatable by the nasty sting in the tail when the queen shows her hand.

There's another plot point that seems to be hinted at yet, which is what really happened to Picard's mother. It looks like that's being queued up as the big reveal for next week.

ilovesmybrick · 07-04-2022 4:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118894487#Comment_118894487

Yeah, the Picards mother thing I'm really curious about. I paused during the flashback and it looks like she was dragged away by some form of vampire or zombie? My guess is that the zombie, or whatever it was, was actually some medical professional taking his mother for psychiatric care. He did mention in this episode that she also suffered from some form of depression.

Spear · 07-04-2022 4:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118894769#Comment_118894769

I presume his imagination/childhood memory is turning into something more supernatural. But this is probably masking something else traumatic, maybe suicide or murder by the father?

c.p.w.g.w · 07-04-2022 4:53pm

Are ye guys watching this on prime...no new episode showing for me on prime

Stark · 07-04-2022 5:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118894892#Comment_118894892

Usually appears on Prime about midday Friday. Seems to be a lot of Americans/people with American cousins posting here :pac:

ilovesmybrick · 07-04-2022 5:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118894921#Comment_118894921

The American cousin is fantastic, the VHS was in the post by 7:30!

Slydice · 07-04-2022 6:21pm

Well... Los Angeles is getting assimilated.. which is only fair given the lack of assimilation so far.

Last episode I started getting inklings that this isn't really about Picards ancestor. Soong certainly seems to be taking a lot of space in the season already given his role at the moment and his statue in the future. Not sure exactly where they are going with it. Androids/AI yeah maybe but also maybe on Eugenics either. I dunno.

Holodeck at the back of my mind the whole time too.

On a side note, all the ladies at the ball were distractingly gorgeous!

eadrom · 07-04-2022 6:43pm

I liked that. Slow enough in terms of plot progression but I thought the character moments were pretty good.

I'm a bit conflicted with the Borgs Queen being the main source of fun in these episodes but I'm warming to it. Was enjoyable enough.

I think I just liked this one for having less going on, too. Most of the characters are actually interesting enough to spend some time with.

fritzelly · 07-04-2022 7:59pm

I'm struggling to see what the point of that very short episode was - was pretty bored the whole way thru it.

CastorTroy · 07-04-2022 11:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118893461#Comment_118893461

"Laris" also spoke Romulan at one point according to the subtitles I had on. So I guess if she knows that then she knows what a mind meld is.

AMKC · 07-04-2022 11:45pm

Not a great episode and it looks like next week's episode will not be so great either. It was doing good up to this. Hopefully the last three episodes will be better.

breezy1985 · 08-04-2022 12:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118895234#Comment_118895234

On a side note, all the ladies at the ball were distractingly gorgeous!

I couldnt stop noticing this. Was glad Jurati pointed it out a bit.

breezy1985 · 08-04-2022 12:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118896446#Comment_118896446

I really liked this one but am very worried about "entering the mind" episodes. Always tedious in TV and computer games.

pah · 08-04-2022 9:38am

Fans - we don't want crazy stupid action stuff this is Picard, the diplomat, the speaker, we want to know how his mind works.

Writers - mmm'kay

Evade · 08-04-2022 12:11pm

Bit of an eh episode again this week. Picard's advice to Renée was very Picard like though which was nice and Harvey-Queen is interesting but you have to wonder why not just assimilate Jurati and get it over with. Rios commenting that he had a real cigar hints that the ones he has in the future might be some kind of synthabacco. I still feel that a lot of the events in episodes 3-6 have been padded out to make it to ten episodes.

I'm predicting that the doctor and Kore will be brought to the future with the rest of the crew in the finale.

mewso · 08-04-2022 2:24pm

Really poor stuff if you ask me. Lots of what appeared to be audio inserted after the fact with Tallinn saying certain lines while her back was to the camera - "then we won't have to worry about the cameras" just in case we forgot last episodes setup, "at least we got Rene to quarantine" - during a conversation about where Jurati was and so on.

Lots of silly moments:-

The classic scan of ID works just in the nick of time done terribly.

Jurati has a band ready to go. Hmmm.

"It'll be quicker to get back going outside" - we may have been in the lobby of the building but we need to go outside so you can get hit by a car.

The doctor saying "Everybody out" was so badly delivered I almost laughed.

Security just wanted to block off Picard? I mean if they were trying to kick him out it shouldn't taken more than a couple of seconds.

This show is on a serious slide.

Spear · 08-04-2022 2:58pm

I would quibble a little on the security thing. As the security holding Jurati commented, they could be wealthy and sue-happy, and hence they're reluctant to lay hands on an attendee.

The ID thing was a tired trope, but the details on the ID were all easter eggs, such as Santiago Cabreros real birth date, and references to past Trek actors.

Rawr · 08-04-2022 6:31pm

It was alright, but about on par with the last one. I would like them to get to the damned point with Picard’s mother in the next one (getting a little sick of the flashback tease).

One thing that stuck in my mind this time was how effectively menacing Brent Spiner can be when he’s going for that. He’d make for a great primary villain if they had gone that way. If I were to re-do this season, I’d have been tempted to keep them in the Earth Confederation, and have Spiner play some kind of despotic Emperor of the Humans. You could even have him as a corrupted evil Data, who attained his humanity (aging and all) and went further to claim the universe for his beloved species. Evil, but also kind of good and justified in his own head. You could then have Picard having to come to terms with fighting someone he once knew as an honorable defender of people etc…

That’s what went through my mind watching this one.

Stark · 08-04-2022 7:58pm

Spiner played a villain of sort in Season 4 of Enterprise (yet another Soong ancestor) and was brilliant at it. Menacing and frightening while at the same time displaying regret and empathy over his actions.

TheValeyard · 08-04-2022 9:28pm

I enjoyed it.

Was fast spaced and enjoyed Picard pep talk.

Borg Queen was cool and was getting resident evil vibes at the end with the red dress (Red Queen in the Hive under Raccoon city)

Matches were funny. Characters felt alive.

Raffi is still annoying and just plain unlikeable.

Into the mind of Picard, may we see some Ent-D, Stargazer?

Needs more Q

TheValeyard · 08-04-2022 9:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118900041#Comment_118900041

Yeah and the way they finished the story arc was good. Soong believing humans could not be saved, but maybe articifical life could be the way forward.