And we’ve got just three days to find out how they were decapitated. - Tony Robinson, I think.

Well, it requires that we believe the current state of border security is insufficient.

If you’re going to be pedantic, it is a flute, specifically an end-blown flute with a fipple, similar to a recorder or a tin whistle. If you’re going to “well, actually,” at least be correct. Flutes are any aerophone where the sound is produced by vibrating air across the opening (as opposed to a reed or your lips).

Or shit, why couldn’t there just be a goddamn detente that grew out of meaningful negotiations. That’s not as dramatic, but the strength of Picard as a character isn’t the planet exploding. It’s the speeches.

That video probably got posted to PornHub.

Audience scores never matter. Critic aggregates also don’t matter, but for a different reason. The whole “thumbs up, thumbs down” thing ruined critical analysis.

Ah, yes, the sainted Audience Scores, which are certainly a demonstration of good judgement:

Oh, I forgot that too, but now I remember. But that was only one of the major deviations. It’s strongly implied that the events which lead to 001's (planned/expected) death also didn’t happen. That’s a BIG deviation.

Me too! There appear to be some rather major deviations to cope with in the future.

But it absolutely did have an overarching storyline. And I don’t just mean bookending with Tim Shaw. There was one consistent element that tied together every story in the season, and paid off in Tim Shaw’s return (not a grand payoff, admittedly): small actions matter. Most episodes turned upon small choices which…

Me, opening the article: Boy, there’s no way that they’re going to include a flamingly gay sentient street in the TV show.

Wow, I haven’t been keeping up with the Flash, but if Nora West-Allen is dropping “schway”, I can’t help but think that’s a tip to Batman Beyond. I approve.

The smaller stakes really does it for me. I was a bit disappointed that this season ended with world threatening stakes, though it was nice that they were basically an afterthought, I guess? Like, the show was as enthusiastic about it as I was- as you say, vegetables before dessert.

I’d watch a Picard series about a retired captain pottering around as an amateur archaeologist. Each episode, he goes to a different spot in the Federation (or outside of it), just to explore, but there’s always some underlying problem in the place he goes, which he always solves with a stirring speech on ethics.

I’m starting to get the sense that the new showrunners feel that “running down corridors” is an obligation they must fulfill, and ironically, each “running down corridors” sequence in this series has been the dullest drag of every episode. The episodes where they don’t have it at all tend to be the strongest.

The worst cut episode, to my mind, was the one with the Pting. Actors eyelines didn’t match, and the red-alert wipe in the background couldn’t match continuity between shots. But most episodes have at least one sequence which seems too fast or missing shots. Usually action sequences.

Again, as is par for the course this season, the pacing felt off, and the bits that felt off came out in the edit less than the writing. Timelines didn’t fit well- burials and visiting the burials and getting back moments later, it makes scenic sense, but the edit and directing failed it.

I feel like the sci-fi discussion of labor issues, automation, and the broader role of technology got short shrift, in large part because of a failure of world-building, or at least a failure to explore the world they built.

If I’m tool cool for both, what do I get? Oh no, it’s an ironic love for a Nic Cage movie, isn’t it. Can’t win for losing, I suppose.

I found no glaring flaws in the directing and editing this time, which is a nice shift. Story was super-strong, while focused more on emotional beats than traditional plot-beats. I’m fine with that, especially as all the important threads got resolved, at least as best they could.