Bad, Bad Borg

Last night's finale of Picard was an effective action spectacle, touched here and there with effective sentiment, an unabashed exhibition of fan-service, and an all-in ploy for a conservative audience. I did enjoy it. Though, after the Mandalorian finale also focused on the importance of family and working together, I think it's high time we get some more stories about how it can be rewarding to work alone.

Behind the spectacle and the nostalgia, the real theme at work here is bad-collective-thinking versus good-collective-thinking. Last week's abruptly established plot point was about all the ships being linked together in a somehow, vaguely sinister way turned out to be the work of the Borg. When Riker wondered how the Federation could court such a dangerous technology, I could only say, "What technology?" Surely the computers could always talk to each other?

Picard and Crusher's son Jack turns out to be an integral part of the Borg plan somehow but in the big climactic moment, Picard establishes that his family connexion with Jack is stronger than the Borg's infiltration of his DNA, a point that might have been stronger if Picard had known Jack for longer than just this season. It also, unfortunately, reminded me of a disappointing episode of Doctor Who ("Closing Time") in which human family love somehow outperforms Cyberman zombification. Since the Borg were originally copied from the Cybermen, I suppose this is at least fitting.

In terms of the show's courting of a conservative audience, I was reminded of reading what Quentin Tarantino wrote about Dirty Harry in his new book, a film that also boldly courted conservatives at a time when movies were relentlessly dominated by progressive messaging. Top Gun Maverick seems to have taught Paramount there's a big audience for this and it was a little distracting how calculated it seemed at times. Even little moments like when Data said he was going to trust his "gut" reminded me of how George W. Bush was once widely derided by the left for saying the same thing.

But I did appreciate the nostalgia, the action scenes were well put together, and the show actually had a breakout star in Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw. His last moment in the final episode with Seven of Nine was more emotionally effective than even the best deployed nostalgia bait.

I had to admit I found it kind of funny, though, that in the midst of all this messaging about family, the show seemed to have totally forgotten Picard's Romulan lover back at his vineyard.

Star Trek: Picard is available on Paramount+.