# Star Trek: Picard discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 14, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529 "2019-06-14T22:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/321 "2020-02-07T19:39:10Z")
And these Romulans are former Tal Shiar, who apparently have made a very solemn vow to care for and protect Picard. I assume Romulans are trained to hide weapons in their houses from infancy. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/322 "2020-02-08T03:21:18Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Are we sure they are siblings? Calling someone ‘sister’ and ‘brother’ has many connotations - could be ‘brother romulan’ vs ‘brother family’. Pretty sure. Jane on Jane Street called him “baby brother.” It always helps to remember that since this is Star Trek, the most likely connotation is always exposition. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/323 "2020-02-08T12:50:17Z")
So why are they leaving the kickass trained, loyal to a fault Romulan ex-spies in care of the vineyard? Seems like they could’ve lent a hand here or there. Plus, I really like the characters, they’ve got a good rapport with each other and with Picard. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/324 "2020-02-08T13:19:14Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > So why are they leaving the kickass trained, loyal to a fault Romulan ex-spies in care of the vineyard? Seems like they could’ve lent a hand here or there. Plus, I really like the characters, they’ve got a good rapport with each other and with Picard. I’m sure they’ll show up again. They had far too much character development to just be thrown away. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/325 "2020-02-08T15:33:29Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > So why are they leaving the kickass trained, loyal to a fault Romulan ex-spies in care of the vineyard? Seems like they could’ve lent a hand here or there. Plus, I really like the characters, they’ve got a good rapport with each other and with Picard. I got the impression there is no “they” anymore to give them orders one way or another. Those two seemed to be helping Picard out of gratitude for his help to their people which turned into friendship. ---
**Author:** ![Sandwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@Sandwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandwood)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/326 "2020-02-08T17:22:09Z")
I thought it made sense that Picard deliberately wouldn’t recruit them into what may well mean directly fighting other Romulans, for various reasons. There is one small thing that I noticed in a scene with the housekeeper couple: This is the first series where we have both smooth-forehead-Romulans and brow-ridge-Romulans. When they were interrogating the captured Romulan, the woman Laris sort of tapped the Romulan guy’s forehead and said something along the lines of “he’s a stubborn Northener like you”, while looking at Zhaban. I saw this as referring to the brow ridges, because Zhaban has them too. There never was any in-universe explanation for the different foreheads, so I think maybe we just got one and it’s just that Romulans from different geographical regions have different looks. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/327 "2020-02-10T13:29:53Z")
> [@simster](#): > > just how many phasers does one need to keep stashed around the desk of a retired admiral grape farmer? A retired admiral grape farmer with a lot of enemies. Didn’t Number One (the dog, not Riker) turn up with a severed hand at the beginning of the first episode? ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/328 "2020-02-10T14:24:17Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > A retired admiral grape farmer with a lot of enemies. Didn’t Number One (the dog, not Riker) turn up with a severed hand at the beginning of the first episode? Is that what that was? I thought it was a bird. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/329 "2020-02-10T14:29:29Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Is that what that was? I thought it was a bird. Was it? Wow, did I mis-see that. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/330 "2020-02-10T14:42:44Z")
> [@Sandwood](#): > > I thought it made sense that Picard deliberately wouldn’t recruit them into what may well mean directly fighting other Romulans, for various reasons. > > There is one small thing that I noticed in a scene with the housekeeper couple: This is the first series where we have both smooth-forehead-Romulans and brow-ridge-Romulans. When they were interrogating the captured Romulan, the woman Laris sort of tapped the Romulan guy’s forehead and said something along the lines of “he’s a stubborn Northener like you”, while looking at Zhaban. I saw this as referring to the brow ridges, because Zhaban has them too. There never was any in-universe explanation for the different foreheads, so I think maybe we just got one and it’s just that Romulans from different geographical regions have different looks. There was a very old fandom joke that attributed the different look of Klingons to some of them being “Northern Klingons” so maybe that line was kind of a callback to that. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/331 "2020-02-10T18:20:53Z")
Every ep adds a new mystery box…Star Trek: Jenga. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/332 "2020-02-10T18:50:05Z")
Well I’m going to say it if no one else isn’t…Stewart didn’t exactly showcase his abilities in that ep. 14 year ago Picard acted exactly like modern day. Has Stewart forgotten how he used to play the guy? I thought for sure he’d either come out of the meeting full of bluster like in the old days…or so stunned that he would crawl up his ass and leave Raffi sitting there ignored to pick up the pieces. Instead we get HER walking off. A beat that we repeat again in present day. Poor directing choices. We need contrast and we need to more clearly how things got where they are. “Why didn’t Picard visit her?” Easy peasy. He was ashamed. He got her fired. And as more time goes on it becomes harder to face…and now he’s only here because he needs something. But not a whit of that is alluded to. Come on people. and, I get being old and defeated in ep one…but i was really hoping to see more spring in his step as things progress. That was my only real criticism of the ep. All the supporting characters are more interesting and better developed in three eps then the ones in two seasons of DISCO ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/333 "2020-02-11T18:32:45Z")
Just watched the 1st 3 eps while on vacation w/ someone w/ CBS all-access. Couple of questions/observations. First, I always considered myself a BIG ST fan - from discovery of TOS in late 70s. Introduced our kids to TNG as babies. Watched every ep of DS9, Voyager, Enterprise when they came out, etc. Think I’ve seen all of the movies - including the reboots. But I never “STUDIED” it. My kids, now, can quote you chapter and verse minutiae. I say this solely to observe that this series relies VERY heavily on specific “historical” developments, w/o (IMO) adequately setting them up. For example, before this series, I couldn’t have told you that Data died and why, or that Romulus had been destroyed. And I conflate aspects of the various series and the reboot. Just saying, I enjoyed these 3 eps - and will likely watch the rest of the show eventually, but the set-up was kinda geared to the fanboy audience. Was there something odd about the filming? The focus of the shots just impressed me as different from most other TV/movies. The characters were in hyper clear focus, which almost made the backgrounds look less real. And I couldn’t tell if the effects reflected actual money spent or tried to make it LOOK like money was spent. Does this make sense? The pacing is quite slow. I need to look up how long this is intended to run. If it is a single 8-10 ep arc, then this is WAY TOO SLOW. If it is open ended, perhaps not. But given the age of some of the actors, I’m not sure how many seasons can be presumed. What was the deal w/ the cube. Who is overseeing this project? Starfleet? The Romulans? Someone else? Was this explained? Is there a way to distinguish Romulans from Vulcans from appearance? Finally, I’m sure it has been explained before and I could look it up, but why does a Frenchman have an English accent? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/334 "2020-02-11T18:54:35Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Just watched the 1st 3 eps while on vacation w/ someone w/ CBS all-access. Couple of questions/observations. > > First, I always considered myself a BIG ST fan - from discovery of TOS in late 70s. Introduced our kids to TNG as babies. Watched every ep of DS9, Voyager, Enterprise when they came out, etc. Think I’ve seen all of the movies - including the reboots. But I never “STUDIED” it. My kids, now, can quote you chapter and verse minutiae. I say this solely to observe that this series relies VERY heavily on specific “historical” developments, w/o (IMO) adequately setting them up. For example, before this series, I couldn’t have told you that Data died and why, or that Romulus had been destroyed. And I conflate aspects of the various series and the reboot. Just saying, I enjoyed these 3 eps - and will likely watch the rest of the show eventually, but the set-up was kinda geared to the fanboy audience. > > Was there something odd about the filming? The focus of the shots just impressed me as different from most other TV/movies. The characters were in hyper clear focus, which almost made the backgrounds look less real. And I couldn’t tell if the effects reflected actual money spent or tried to make it LOOK like money was spent. Does this make sense? > > The pacing is quite slow. I need to look up how long this is intended to run. If it is a single 8-10 ep arc, then this is WAY TOO SLOW. If it is open ended, perhaps not. But given the age of some of the actors, I’m not sure how many seasons can be presumed. > > What was the deal w/ the cube. Who is overseeing this project? Starfleet? The Romulans? Someone else? Was this explained? > > Is there a way to distinguish Romulans from Vulcans from appearance? > > Finally, I’m sure it has been explained before and I could look it up, but why does a Frenchman have an English accent? 😃 The Romulans have The Cube. They have invited specialists to help them. no. Romulans Vulcans look too similar to tell from appearance. Patrick Stewart is English. Also, regional accents change over time. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/335 "2020-02-11T19:05:23Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > For example, before this series, I couldn’t have told you that Data died and why, or that Romulus had been destroyed. And I conflate aspects of the various series and the reboot. Just saying, I enjoyed these 3 eps - and will likely watch the rest of the show eventually, but the set-up was kinda geared to the fanboy audience. Data died at the end of _Star Trek: Nemesis_, and the destruction of Romulus is what triggers the alternate timeline of the JJ Abrams movies (you can ignore them.) > [@](#): > > Was there something odd about the filming? The focus of the shots just impressed me as different from most other TV/movies. The characters were in hyper clear focus, which almost made the backgrounds look less real. And I couldn’t tell if the effects reflected actual money spent or tried to make it LOOK like money was spent. Does this make sense? Classic TV Trek up through _Enterprise_ relied a lot on a very “flat” look; wide lenses with very broad depth-of-field and wash lighting that doesn’t have to be adjusted much between takes. With Disco and Picard they have the luxury of running the production more like mini-movies rather than a weekly TV series, so they can spend time on more interesting lighting and use longer lenses with a much tighter focus range. You want to really blow your mind, look at how different the Enterprise D looks between the last episode of TNG and the _Generations_ movie. It’s the exact same set, just shot on a movie schedule (plus more money.) > [@](#): > > The pacing is quite slow. I need to look up how long this is intended to run. If it is a single 8-10 ep arc, then this is WAY TOO SLOW. If it is open ended, perhaps not. But given the age of some of the actors, I’m not sure how many seasons can be presumed. They’re definitely taking their time. It seems a bit ridiculous to be three episodes in and we haven’t even gone to space yet. But they’re setting up a story for a continual arc rather than a one-episode/movie adventure. The series has been confirmed for at least two seasons, so hopefully it gets more exciting soon. > [@](#): > > What was the deal w/ the cube. Who is overseeing this project? Starfleet? The Romulans? Someone else? Was this explained? We don’t know exactly. It appears to be under the control of at least some group of Romulans, but we don’t know if they’re official or a rogue operation, or what. Romulan society has become somewhat splintered due to the destruction of the homeworld and overthrow of the imperial government. > [@](#): > > Is there a way to distinguish Romulans from Vulcans from appearance? Not easily. > [@](#): > > Finally, I’m sure it has been explained before and I could look it up, but why does a Frenchman have an English accent? 😃 [Here’s one theory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwODwwgE6rA). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/336 "2020-02-11T19:38:11Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Finally, I’m sure it has been explained before and I could look it up, but why does a Frenchman have an English accent? 😃 Real-world answer: Producer Bob Justman and his wife were attending a class at UCLA where Stewart was a guest speaker. Justman heard Stewart recite one line and said, “That’s it! There’s our captain!” Despite resistance from Gene Roddenberry, Justman got Rick Berman on board with him and brought Roddenberry around on Stewart. Even though Picard was conceived of as French, the producers felt a French accent was secondary to getting the right actor. > **[Patrick Stewart On His “Lunatic” Casting As Picard \[UPDATED w/ Bob Justman’s...](https://trekmovie.com/2010/08/13/patrick-stewart-on-his-lunatic-casting-as-picard/)** > > While his time on Star Trek sparked decades of Kirk v Picard debates, at the time of Patrick Stewart’s casting, many wondered why a middle-aged Shakespearean actor was going to be the new captain for a new generation. And in a new interview, Sir... In canon answer, in the TNG episode _Code of Honor_, it was explained that by the 24th century, French had become an archaic language. Picard could have grown up speaking English and learning French as a second language. English may have become the _de facto_ language of Earth by the 24th century, or Picard could have attended school in England and picked up his accent. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/337 "2020-02-11T19:52:05Z")
Thanks, all. It often strikes me as somewhat odd, when there is a work I consider myself to be quite a fan of - like ST, or the Hobbit/TLOTR, or even a movie or other TV show - but something comes along that seems to assume every viewer has been rewatching multiple times, researching on-line, etc. A tad off-putting to someone like me who is STRONGLY predisposed to watch this show. As slowly as these 3 eps have moved, I woulda thought there woulda been SOME explanation of how the Romulans have control of this cube, what their interactions are w/ ST/other species, etc. And in this series, where Romulans are such a major part, I find it a tad confusing when someone shows up w/ pointy ears and eyebrows, and I don’t know whether to consider them Vulcan or Romulan - not to mention, apparently, any number of good or bad Romulans. My oldest dtr is a HUGE fan of this show, and we see her for lunch on Thursdays. So I expect to be able to ask her any questions I have when I see her. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/338 "2020-02-11T20:22:47Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Finally, I’m sure it has been explained before and I could look it up, but why does a Frenchman have an English accent? 😃 I have always held that there was a 2nd Hundred Years War and this time the correct side won. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/339 "2020-02-11T20:42:03Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Finally, I’m sure it has been explained before and I could look it up, but why does a Frenchman have an English accent? 😃 Because if zee capitain spoke with zee franch axzent he would zound like Pepe le Pew. And it would not do to have audiences laugh at the captain. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529/340 "2020-02-11T23:02:04Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Thanks, all. > > It often strikes me as somewhat odd, when there is a work I consider myself to be quite a fan of - like ST, or the Hobbit/TLOTR, or even a movie or other TV show - but something comes along that seems to assume every viewer has been rewatching multiple times, researching on-line, etc. A tad off-putting to someone like me who is STRONGLY predisposed to watch this show. > > As slowly as these 3 eps have moved, I woulda thought there woulda been SOME explanation of how the Romulans have control of this cube, what their interactions are w/ ST/other species, etc. And in this series, where Romulans are such a major part, I find it a tad confusing when someone shows up w/ pointy ears and eyebrows, and I don’t know whether to consider them Vulcan or Romulan - not to mention, apparently, any number of good or bad Romulans. > > My oldest dtr is a HUGE fan of this show, and we see her for lunch on Thursdays. So I expect to be able to ask her any questions I have when I see her. 😃 Wait til you hear my theory on how Commodore Oh is a Mirror Universe Vulcan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-picard-discussion-thread/835529.md?page=18)