Star Trek: Picard season 3 streams new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+ in the US and on Paramount+ and Prime Video in the UK on Fridays.
Synopsis
Now on the run, Picard and the skeleton crew of the U.S.S. Titan must break into Starfleet’s most top-secret facility to expose a plot that could destroy the Federation. Picard must turn to the only soul in the galaxy who can help – an old friend.
Review
The end is in sight Star Trek fans. After this there are only four episodes to go in the final season of Star Trek: Picard. But before we reach the endgame, the series has a few more pieces of the puzzle to put together.
In one of it’s most brisk episodes to-date, writer Christopher Monfette has a lot of of ground to cover. Multiple plot line are now converging and the remaining legacy characters are coming in to play. With so many elements “The Bounty” could easily fall off the rails. But if you’ve learned anything by now, the final season is far too strong to be phased by a busy ensemble.
The convergence of the different plot threads is one of the most impressive aspects of Star Trek: Picard’s final season. Much has been written about season three feeling like a ten-part Trek movie. At this stage, looking back over the past six weeks it’s clear just how true that statement is.
“The Bounty” brilliantly lightens the mood using the essence of The Next Generation. Much of that comes from the arrival of Worf (Michael Dorn) and Geordi (LeVar Burton), both of which impact differently on the episode. In classic Trek style, Monfette groups the characters together for key moments of exposition before splitting up in to smaller groups to push forward the overall narrative.
Long-time fans will be elated to see Worf paired up with Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and new partner Raffi (Michelle Hurd) for a heist subplot. The group brings a wonderful levity to the adventure on Daystrom Station. Its ties to TNG and the return of both Moriarty (Daniel David’s) and Lore (Brent Spiner) only amp up the nostalgia further, reaching epic levels.
Sweet moments of old friends reuniting on board the Titan underpin the season exploration of family. Monfette and director Dan Liu explore the topic from a number of angles, each one very distinct in nature and beautiful to watch.
For Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart), Beverly (Gates McFadden) and Jack (Ed Speleers) there’s a sense of legacy and inheritance. Again, it wonderfully connects to plot points from TNG and early Star Trek: Picard but still doesn’t answer all of the lingering questions around Jack’s role in Vadic’s (Amanda Plummer) plan. Scenes between Stewart and McFadden continue to be a huge draw for the season. Decades of love between both characters and actors speaks volumes on the screen.
Elsewhere, the return of Geordi also brings the on screen debut of Burton’s real-life daughter, Mica, as Alandra La Forge. The built-in conflict between the legendary engineer and his other daughter, Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) is another huge emotional draw. It also typifies the growth in the legacy characters.
Finally, Seven (Jeri Ryan) connects with Jack in a wonderfully reflective moment which is full of Easter eggs. The moment is a greatest hits of Star Trek ships which also builds in one of the most poignant moments for the character since her return to the screen.
Verdict
Another excellent episode. From start to finish “The Bounty” is Star Trek: Picard firing on all cylinders. Taking major steps towards the bigger picture is tantalising as we head in to the final four episodes.
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