Star Trek: Picard review, Episode 303: Galaxy’s #1 Dad(s)

We’ve known since the premiere that Picard is Jack’s father (British accents are clearly genetic). But is Jean-Luc ready to be a dad to a lovable, bouncing, 30-year-old baby space pirate? Is anyone ever really prepared to take on such a responsibility?

We quickly learn the backstory about Dr. Crusher’s secretive pregnancy, and why she never shared the news with Picard. Beverly explains why she never told him: he never wanted children; his career has always come first; there is always galaxy-threatening danger just behind him. Jean-Luc insists things might have been different if he had known about Jack, but I think it’s safe to say he’s lying to himself. It’s understandable that he’s angry at finding out this way, but to suggest that ADMIRAL Jean-Luc Picard might have settled down on Nepenthe to make brick oven pizzas is just plain absurd.

Outside of this conversation, Riker watches like the proud papa as Jack paces the halls. This is perhaps the only time when Will Riker out-ranks Jean-Luc Picard (until Shaw suddenly names Riker acting captain and Picard takes on the role of number 1).

“I hope one day, you get to have this feeling too.”

In a flashback, we Riker sharing the news of his first son’s birth with Picard. Riker tells the story of an eternal 17-second turbo-lift journey to reach Deanna in the Titan’s sickbay, when it seems like their son might not survive. Later in the episode, we will see Picard making the same journey to the same sickbay when Jack is injured in the ongoing fight with the Vadic and the Shrike.

As the Shrike chases the Titan deeper into the nebula, Riker further takes on the role of the stern, conservative, protective father while Picard continues to lash out, projecting his anger at Beverly onto Vadic. Picard advocates for a frontal assault while Riker wants to escape the nebula with their lives intact. Picard’s “make it up as we go along” impulses seem to win the day, since every escape attempt is redirected by the Shrike’s portal gun. The escape plans continue to fail due to a saboteur on board the Titan.

“Worf, son of Mogh, House of Martok, son of Sergey, House of Rozhenko…”

Back in the B plot, Worf reveals himself to Raffi as her handler. He introduces himself in the Klingon fashion, again underscoring the importance of fathers and sons.

Worf treats Raffi like a wayward teenage daughter. He points out how hot-blooded she’s been (almost Klingon) in her pursuit of the Daystrom conspiracy, and how he “used to be like that.” He also criticizes her clothing while trying to play the cool dad, watching from the shadows. There is something particularly patronizing about his instance on calling her “Raffaela.”

When they capture the “man” responsible for the Episode 1 attack on San Francisco, we learn a little bit about a larger conspiracy: he’s a Changeling from the Great Link. A remnant of the Dominion Wars, there is a terrorist faction of the Link which seems intent on keeping the Federation busy and distracted. The Titan’s saboteur is also a Changeling, so our plots may be coming back together soon.

Honorable, if irritating, mention in the #1 Dad contest goes to Ensign LaForge who’s entire dialogue in the series so far has been invocations of her dad: Geordi LaForge!

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