IN REVIEW: STAR TREK: PICARD: SEASON ONE – Broken Pieces

Synopsis: When devastating truths behind the Mars attack are revealed, Picard realizes just how far many will go to preserve secrets stretching back generations, all while the La Sirena crew grapples with secrets and revelations of their own.

The Story

This episode opens up 14 years in the past, just prior to the Synth attack on Mars, which we learn was engineered by the Zhat Vash and Commador Oh with help from Narissa. We see Oh and Narissa in ceremonial dress with a bunch of other believers in the Zhat Vash cause, which is based on something that happened over two hundred thousand years ago.

Back in the present. Picard has just beamed back to the La Sirena with Soji. Upon seeing Soji for the first time Captain Rios is shocked and looks like he has literally seen a ghost. Meanwhile, Raffi is on edge having figured out that Jurati killed Madox, and is worried that Picard’s mission is not on the side of the angels. Thankfully Picard is able to calm things down enough to allow Jurati to tell her story and clear the air. As Jurati reveals what happened to her it also, in turn, allows Soji to start remembering things, which includes the reason why the Romulans and the Zhat Vash are fearful of her. At which point Soji takes command of the ship and heads for her homeworld and manages thanks to Picard to get the crew of the La Sirena on her side.

On the Borg Cube. Narissa is going all out to find Elnor and to destroy the remaining Borg Drones and the Ex Borgs. Unfortunately for her Seven of Nine has boarded the Cube and is assisting Elnor in trying to save the Ex Borgs and take on the Romulans. Which involves her having to interface directly with the Borg Cube and become Borg Queen for awhile.

The Acting

Isa Briones and Patrick Stewart are absolutely solid this week as the father and daughter dynamic begins to evolve. There’s a wonderful scene of Picard and Soji having breakfast in which Soji tries to ascertain what Picard’s feelings were for Data. It’s a lovely little scene in which Picard shows a more human side to himself as opposed to the persona of Starfleet Admiral that he lets everyone else see. It also slightly humanizes Soji.

I also felt that Michelle Hurd and Santiago Cabrera took things to a whole new level this week as they got to peel back a few more layers to their characters. Especially when it comes to the mysterious past of Captain Rios, which is finally revealed. The scenes where Raffi is interviewing all the Holographic incarnations of Rios was a lot of fun, but also bordering on the ridiculous at times. But it builds up to a nicely done scene where Raffi gets the real Rios to open up about his time in Starfleet and the reasons that he left.

Overall

Aside from the odd F-Bomb here and there and Rio telling Raffi to “Piss Off” this was a pretty solid episode, which had an appropriate title in that Rios, Raffi, and Jurati are all broken people who seem to be taking on Picard’s mission to help Soji as their path to redemption.

With just two episodes left. It will be interesting to see how things wrap up. Especially given Picard’s most recent dealings with Starfleet and the meeting that he is most likely to miss at Deep Space 12.