IR TV Review: STAR TREK - PICARD - EPISODE 7 (“Monsters”) [Paramount+-S2]

The trajectory of "Star Trek: Picard" in its 2nd season seems to keep shifting which is both interesting story-wise but definitely a little bit schizophrenic in terms of its design. Episode 7: "Monsters" is a self reflexive premonition in a way considering what happened at the latter half of the last episode. It is risky cutting away from certain forms of narrative structure to try something different. It is a unique approach but it doesn't contain a heart wrenching perspective except once and interestingly it is not when either Picard or Jurati are on screen. However, it it does relate. The music theme of “Picard” was always taken from one episode of The Next Generation when Picard was trapped in a way in a probe through his own mind. Eventually that idea will ideally wrap “Picard” up at the end of the next season. Q is still not to be found but the realization requires exactly what Q might be up to but what corner of canon it might use is unusual since they have been pulling from TOS and films but not as much from TNG.

What would be extremely interesting is if they integrated TAS (The Animated Series) because oddly enough it could correlate. Even certain thoughts from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. That is what is great about “Picard” is that it knows really deep cuts because S2 is telling a deep cut story. The face-off per se in the story is a good one and has reflections in another science fiction tale (albeit more recent -- especially in the foe -- or perhaps not per se). The story does kick back into gear but the threat in a way keeps shifting which is sort of cool. There is however a throughline of misdirects pushing through the entire episode, even with what seems to be more a supporting character per se playing to a paradox. "Picard" is original in that way in that it is using things we know but mixing it up enough that the end result is still fleeting. B

By Tim Wassberg