#vadic my love

[cannibalspicnic]

Captain Vadic smoking in her chair

[quasi-normalcy]

For all that people complained about how bleak Star Trek: Picard was when it came out, I would say that its depiction of the Federation was just a culmination of all of the flaws that it was depicted as having on Deep Space Nine (and, to a lesser extent, Voyager and even TNG): Earth-centrism, disregard for the rights of artificial persons, and a willingness to regard entire non-Federation species as disposable if their survival is deemed a threat to the Federation (or even if saving them contradicts an abstract philosophical point). It’s a society that has clearly lost its way, and its annoying (at least to me) that the writers couldn’t have instead imagined the Federation getting its shit together, but the thing is: everything that’s wrong with it emerges organically from the Federation we’ve seen, and, most critically, it is problematised. Our heroes stand in opposition to this corruption. Picard, Rios, and Raffi all left or were cashiered out of service over various aspects of Starfleet’s authoritarian turn; Elnor is a survivor of the Federation’s neglect; Seven and Soji are both members of oppressed minorities and Jurati had her academic career derailed, all because of fear and reactionary opposition to cybernetics. And yes, it’s bleak, but it’s also fundamentally hopeful: they are standing up for what’s right, even in the face of bigotry and oppression, and what could possibly be more Star Trek than that? You can argue about whether it was successful or particularly well-executed, but its heart was very much in the right place.

And that’s why, for all that I’m enjoying Season 3--for all that I love seeing the TNG crew together again and paying-off character arcs that I’ve been watching play out over the course of my entire lifetime--it gnaws at me. Because the thing is: the Federation hasn’t gotten any better. The genocidal criminal conspiracy from Deep Space Nine is now considered “a critical division of Starfleet Intelligence.” This “critical” bunch of war criminals keeps a sentient AI comatose to guard its warehouse, and nobody even comments on how fucked-up that is. The captain of the Titan constantly denigrates his ex-Borg first officer and orders her to deadname herself, but it’s okay because he’s *traumatised* and kind of funny in his assholishness. You get to have a heartbreaking moment with Picard saying “I didn’t know...” when he hears the extent of Section 31′s war crimes, but then he and Beverly, in the face of 35 years of consistent characterisation, immediately compound the war crime by resolving to execute Vadic. No, the Federation hasn’t gotten any better; the heroes have just gotten worse.

I love the TNG crew. I love seeing Picard and Ro finally have it out with one another; I love having a lifetime spent shipping Jean-Luc and Beverly pay off; I love that we finally get to see just how deeply Data’s death affected Geordi, and that we finally get to see Data’s relationship with Lore and his “becoming more human” arc pay off in a way that’s so seamless that it honestly feels kind of obvious in retrospect. But at a deep, philosophical level, I would rather see an angsty story about heroes opposing corruption than a happy story about heroes going along with it.

[isagrimorie]

I'm rewatching Picard s3 and one of the things that's clear to me is that episodes 1-5 had more time to cook in the writer's room but episodes 6-9 were more undercooked.

(Frankly, to me, episodes 4 and 5 were the best. And Cindy Appel is now my favorite writer because that Ro Laren - Picard scene was chef’s kiss!)

Episode 6, The Bounty, while I love very much was actually supposed to be a different episode. They were underway trying to make it (a more Seven-centric episode of the season) but realized they didn't have the runway to produce it. So they had to pivot to a different episode, and with that, so many things had to change from episodes 6 to 9.

Episode 10 was already underway.

So the Daystrom Station was the fiddlier section of episode 5, and it did feel more like it. Episodes 7-8 they had to work in Vadic's backstory and transition the show from the Dragon to the real Big Bad.

Episode 9 was the in-between episode, that tbh could have folded in with episode 8. Episodes 8-9 were the episodes they were spinning their wheels more. It's probably between episodes 8 and 9, they got word they couldn't get Kate Mulgrew for episode 10.

--

One of the fiddly things about the last half of Picard s3 is trying to move the characters where they needed to go, and one of those moving parts is how Vadic got inside Titan. And it’s the plot that doesn't really work, IMO.

The script needed another pass but I think they just didn’t have the time.

Picard gets his idea for the plan when Jack proposed he give himself up.

(And that’s the thing about Jack is that he works a lot better when the focus isn't on him and when he's a supporting character.)

All Jack’s bravado is just a mask and just like a different legendary Starfleet Captain, Jack's all too ready to trade his own life for other people.

Anyway, I’d like to think they cut out the scene with Seven and Shaw because Seven would, in not so many words call Picard's plan dumb. One of the times when Seven and Shaw would be in agreement.

I know it's just for narrative efficiency that they skipped over all of the Titan Command team's objections. (Also, probably, they can't afford to build another set, so much of showrunning is also budgeting.)

But what I wouldn't give to have seen Seven's truly furious and annoyed looks.

Picard’s plan is a truly bad plan.

(Some people lay the loss of life on Seven’s feet because she wouldn’t let Shaw die. Hell, season 4!Seven wouldn’t hesitate to pragmatically sacrifice Shaw— but then again who knew if that would be enough to kill a Section 31!Changeling?

But no, if fans are to play the blame game— this was Picard’s plan. So…)

And to give Picard some credit, it could have worked but they were also battling Lore. Unfortunately, the idiot ball was passed to Geordi and he left LoreData plugged into the ship’s computer.

Seven knew from experience when she was a former bad guy, and someone on occasion almost hijacked Voyager. And having experienced Voyager hijacked too, that the best way to prevent Titan from getting taken over is to not let any enemy combatants in if they could help it.

But, alas, to quote David Greenwalt: Show’s called Star Trek Picard, Not Star Trek Seven of Nine.

Also, aside from Seven’s brief misaimed defensive anger about being a Fenris Ranger in season 1… Picard’s never had to deal with a pissed off Seven of Nine yet.

He got it easy tbh!

Janeway weathered many a storm dealing with a furious, stubborn newly severed Borg.

I don’t know how Picard would have dealt with that Seven.

/edited.

[the-heartstring-chronicles]

Wow. This episode was gorgeous

Seven standing up to Shaw! Yes ma’am!

R/T!! And the dialogue was so them!

P/C as parents at the same time! And Jean Luc saying “I’m here” to Jack! My emotions

What they did with Data, the Spot moment was tear jerking .

The Data and Geordi moment, an even more emotional one than last week!

Badass Raffi!

Them all at the table!

Bev and Deanna!

Jack trusting Auntie Deanna right off the bat. And her saying the evil isn’t in him, it’s around him.

I still think the real Beverly is behind that door

I loved this episode so much I can’t even type paragraphs this week.

My only sadness is that Vadic was so terrifying and then they made her kind of silly at the end? Like no, stick to her being scary. She really made me uneasy the way no villain in Trek ever has and then they do that? Nah, nope, but it was the only wrong note this episode.

I do have to say , if the door isn’t Beverly, I don’t think we’re getting romantic P/C as an ending with only two episodes left and I am heartbroken. R/T got happiness, why not my OTP?

[overseer-picard]

OH THAT WAS SPICY

Thoughts on Picard S03 EO6 "The Bounty"

Highlights:

Something is fishy with Jack's Irumodic syndrome diagnosis.

Geordi looked and sounded fantastic.

The ships THE SHIPS (starships, but also relationships).

The babies of our babies being clever and heroic together. Chef's kiss.

Geordi being a protective, good dad.

Shaw fawning over Geordi and then "Yeah, it's been a weird week." Actually laughed out loud there.

Look, I am not a crier. But man, when they interspliced the flashback (which looked AMAZING) of the first time we met Data, with the music, I felt a tear and I smiled without realizing I was smiling. And the way they've brought Data back is fresh, and interesting, and pretty damn cool. He better stick around, if anything, to piss off Mr. Brent- I don't want to play Data and I've killed him twice now how many times must we do this- Spiner. I love how they made Picard the audience here "I've had to watch him die twice now." Yeah dude, we were there. And it sucked a butt.

Riker and Worf banter.

Seven and Jack with the Voyager moment. Beautiful. When Seven and Raffi get back together, there's going to be something about "being seen".

Jack starting to respect and connect with Picard.

Geordi helping with the cloaking device.

STARFLEET KEEPS CORPSES??? Creepy. I love it. Picard's actual body being the weapon is a GREAT twist because it truly was unexpected but was also foreshadowed the moment Vadic greeted Picard in episode 2 with "in the synthetic flesh." It also explains why Vadic isn't actually chasing Picard, just Jack. She needs actual DNA for some reason. I still hate that Picard is a synth because it was just so stupidly introduced in season one, but I'm grateful they're actually making it build the story in meaningful ways now and it's making me soften my irritaiton.

Okay, these writers have proven consistently now that they can skillfully hide plot details that payoff in meaningful ways later.

Alton Soong said "Evolution is not an act of preservation. It's addition." And then we have NuData who is the conglomeration (a form of addition) of all the Soong things, a Soong smoothie, if you will. Plus Beverly pointing out that the changelings are in a state of evolution and are seeking out Jack.

Aaaand, while typing this, I just figured out why Jack's irumodic syndrome isn't sitting right with me. They purposefully rephrased things to be in line with these themes of evolution rather than a devastating diagnosis. Beverly thinking he was gifted as a kid, seeing things not there, multiple references to the brain being overactive, pushing outside its confines. Whatever genes Wesley (he's going to show up this season, I feel it in my bones) got that made him a traveler, Jack has those AND has Picard's "defect" that isn't a defect, but rather, the next step in human evolution.

AND, on top of this, we have the Borg threads. Beverly listening to Picard's logs from Best of Both Worlds in episode one (which, suggests she might know things she hasn't shared yet). The virus she uses as a code word. Shaw saying Locutus was the only Borg with a name. And now, Picard's Borg laden body being stolen. Tack on the mention of new ships being connected in A COLLECTIVE, we've got ourselves a fascinating pickle developing

Whatever the Changelings (and invited guests) are up to, it's going to involve the Borg and specifically, Locutus. And Jack.

When I saw the first trailer for this season, I sighed the sigh of a hopeless cynic, not interested in watching a cliche revenge plot.

I am so glad I was deeply wrong.

[mylittleredgirl]

okay i am finally back on the road to catching up with star trek picard after so many weeks behind!! i have just watched episode two and no spoilers beyond that please but i need to dump my stream of consciousness thoughts somewhere AND:

the crusher ship is a mariposan ship? mariposans like the clone people??? 🧬👀 got my EYES on that dna strand from the closing credits

saavik shuttle we hardly knew ye 😭

sneed is a PERFECT ferengi name

it's just michelle hurd and her great hair and an empty starship set against the world :(

i literally just had to look up the name of rios's ship I'M SO SORRY BABY I FORGOT ABOUT YOU confessing my star trek sins on main 😭😭

earlier this week somebody at work made a star trek reference and i DIDN'T GET IT i need to have my trek blog license suspended until i sort my shit out

vadic!!!! holy shit!!! i am OBSESSED with her

i had to stop and rewind to catch this but did that guy just say the starfleet rules of engagement for outside of federation space are CLEAR?

"safety and preservation of the ship and crew above all else"???

is this... a new regulation??? asking for a friend [the u.s.s. voyager crew, getting self-destruct countdowns three times a season].

"have you done the math?" respectfully captain riker sir i HAVE done the math and this young man looks too old for the timeline we have been given

so again with the 🧬👀

oh or a hard life of petty space crime i guess might age you a few years ok

captain shaw’s messy hair is making me uncomfortable. i know we are establishing that you are not properly hinged but where is your space hair gel sir!!!!

sneed lives up to his excellent ferengi name for real

WORF!!!!!!!!!!!! working for starfleet intelligence!!?? who cares i don't need details WORF AND MEK'LETH SOUND EFFECT MY BELOVED 😭

captain shaw's "for the love of FUCK okay i guess we're getting into this" response to the family drama silently unfolding on his bridge is genuinely hilarious

i mean they are going to speak to each other out loud eventually though right

vadic giggling in her evil flying throne room lair i am SCREAMING!!!!!!! i am ALIVEEEEE!!! this is the PINNACLE of what i want from trek villainy!!!!!

i am so PUMPED!!

other things i'm thinking about that i didn't write down in real time:

trill sighting in the infirmary!

love meeting raffi's exhausted ex and it HURT that she could not choose her kid over the latest space 9/11 conspiracy that starfleet explicitly told her not to investigate :(

i suppose ending up being right in season one is not going to help with her inability to let something like this go

as tumblr user writergeekrhw explained, miles o'brien must suffer because colm meaney was great at playing suffering and i think now raffi must suffer because michelle hurd is so great at playing a strung out conspiracy theorist that no one will listen to :/

and finally:

i hope seven of nine loses and regains her rank 17 more times before the season is out

[annikasevenshots]

Star Trek Picard: Season 3 Episode 6 Reaction (spoilers!)

OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD

THE SHRIKE???????????

Vadic!!!

"UNITY AGAIN" IDK YALL SOUNDS PRETTY BORG TO ME

72 HOURS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON TO HAPPEN?????

awwww jack's parents parenting 🥺

TERMINAL DIAGNOSIS?????????? EXCUSE ME?????????????? GOODBYE

IRUMONIC SYNDROME? GOODBYE I WANT TO LAUNCH MYSELF IN THE SUN

"please don't spend time burdening yourself when you can unburden him"

"I don't suppose you have any of my size" JACK STOP BEING SO FUNNYYYYY

HANSWTHEYRE HERE

THEYRE HERE THEYRE HERE

REUNION DAY REUNION DAY REUNION DAY REUNION DAY REUNION DAY

THERE SHE IS!!!!!!!!!! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG SEVEN IS ACTUALLY SMILEY I WANT TO DIE

awww bev hugging worf 🥺

lmao everyone hating on picard's wine 😭😭😭

"hey, you" I SCREECHED OUT LOUD OH MY GOD

HEY YOU

OH MY GOD I THINK I JUST UNLOCKED A NEW CORE MEMORY

EVERYONE IM ACTUALLY CRYING SO HARD

THEY TALKED TO EACH OTHER

"One that adapts" IM THINKING IM THINKING

SEVEN SMILING BEING LIKE IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN

OHHHHH NY GOD SHSHSHABHASUHA

EZCHSE ME DHSIJshsjskshhshdhd

"it's good to be seen" FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

"i have gone into battle with lovers countless times" WORF OH MY GOD

THEY ARE KILLING ME

sorry passed out for a bit. Sec31?????????

"James T Kirk"????

ATTACK TRIBBLE HAHAHHA THEYRE SO FUNNY SOMETIMES

RAVEN

THAT IS A RAVEN

RAVEN

WE BEEN KNEW HOLY FUCK

"Like from my nightmares" ALSO FROM SEVENS NIGHTMARES

Moriarty's theme!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is the worst use of "I think therefore I am", signed, a philosophy

SEVEN BEING HERE BEFORE!!!!!!!

We will see the Voyager?????????

Sidney La Forge being "uhhhh dont answer the call from my dad"

MORE HUGS <3 <3 <3

HEY SIS 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

i love this sister duo already

Oh Sidney 🥺

"Turn fatherhood into an intergalactic incident" LAUGHING

Why is Alandra his PA lowkey

THE SHIPS TALK TO EACH OTHER? SOUNDS VERY B-WORD TO ME

RAFFI USING SEVEN'S PHASER YAYYYYYYYYYYY

OMG POP GOES THE WEASEL

someone called it on tumblr!!!!!!!!!

Oh Raffi is so pretty

LORE.

alandra!!!! alandra trying to help!!!!!!!!!

Oh so alandra is the fave

SEVEN KNOWS.

Seven being "off :/" when Jack tries out the captain chair 😂😂😂

She hasn't been here for so long only for a pasty white man to take her place 😂

Defiant

OH THEYRE EDGING US

OMG THE MUSIC SHUT THE FUCK UP

OH SEVEN. SEVEN. SEVEN IS GOING TO BRING US TO

TURNING THIS ONE UP

THE VOYAGER. HELLO

THE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE VOYAGER THEME

I WAS REBORN THERE HER CREW WERE MY FAMILY

THE VOYAGER THEME GOING INTO THE FAMILY THEME ARE YOU KIDDING ME IM ACTUALLY GOING TO LAUNCH MYSELF IN THE SUN

SEVEN BEING SMILEY AND LAUGHEY KILLING MYSELF

oh the music this episode.

the family theme again!!! when laforge talks about sidney!!!!!!

"Not the way I fear for hers" oh Sidney 🥺🥺🥺

SEVEN DID A SPINNY I SEE YOUUUUUUUUUU

SIDNEY IS MAKING ME CRY

why is shaw just like sleeping lmaooooooo why is he never ever around

Awwww the next next generation making friends 🥺

hahahahaha shaw being a fanboy!!!!!!

OMFG "Jack" "Sidney" 💀

THEY ARE SETTING THEM UP SO HARDDDDDDD

"Stay away from my daughter" PLEASEEEE

"Tell your mom we won't be home for dinner" awwww

RIKER NO!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Worf's theme

OH MY GOD DAFORGE LIVES

bring my boi homeeeeeeee oh will riker 🥺

"Why do you think i crashed so many speeders as a kid? So i can spend time with you fixing them" crying so hard

sidney i love you so so much you can do no wrong

data seeing geordi first out of everyone!!!!!!! daforge crumbs!!!!!!!!

CHANGELINGS STOLE PICARDS BODY???????? THEY ARE SO UNSERIOUS RN

SHRIKE. RIKER.

VADIC GOING HI HAHAHAHAHA

Deanna??????????????

In conclusion,

[tinderbox210]

After watching the Picard finale yesterday for the 2nd time, and tearing up just as much as watching the first time, I think my brain is finally functioning enough again to pen down some of my thoughts.

Season 3 – what a ride!!!

I did have my ups and downs with the show. While I overly enjoyed s1, I was frustrated and disappointed with s2, mainly due to the way most of the new characters got sidelined (Soji, Elnor) or written off (Rios, Jurati). I always expected for Picard and the new characters to part ways eventually, to let the hatchlings have their own adventures, but I didn’t expect it to happen like this. Apparently it was a budget decision (also the reason why there weren’t more cameos) because they couldn’t afford keeping the new characters while bringing back the old TNG crew, which imo is a real shame. Especially the Raffi/Worf interaction this season showed that more new and old characters interacting could have been fantastic, and no lying, I would have loved so much to see the Stargazer under Rios’ command aiding the Titan last minute against the assimilated fleet – seeing those two legendary ships fight side by side... it could have been even more spectacular than what we got!

This all lead to me being very torn with reservations prior to s3. TNG was the first Star Trek show I’ve watched as a kid, it introduced me to the franchise and shaped me growing up. The show and the characters will always have a special place in my heart and I was very worried they would mess things up like other shows had (*cough*GilmoreGirls*cough*). But thankfully for me, that wasn’t the case – while I’m still sad for what we lost and could have been, I’m also very happy and grateful for what we got.

I loved season 3 and I think the finale was incredible on many levels and a more than worthy send-off for my beloved TNG gang.

There were so many moments I choked up with emotions while watching, so many impressions that stayed with me even after the ending. I think both DISCO and SNW delivered amazing season finales, but neither got the same reaction out of me like this one – from the mind-blowing cinematic action sequences to the intense emotional beats, it had a very natural flow and felt like the fitting accumulation not just of this season but of a lot what came all those years before.

Was it a perfect season/finale without any flaws? Of course not, because nothing is ever perfect and peoples’ opinions/reactions will always be subjective, but I hate the developed culture in fandoms that everything is black and white – that it’s either holier than thou and you’re not allowed to find a single flaw in it, or it’s the shittiest shit to ever exist with people trash talking every chance they get. I understand where some people are coming from being disappointed with this season and I share some of the criticism, but neither the show nor the finale deserve the hate it gets from some parts of the fandom imo (neither did the previous seasons, especially s1).

Vadic was an amazing villain (Amanda Plummer killed it in every scene) and bringing back the Borg made absolute sense to me. The Borg have been such a huge part of TNG, its legacy and Picard’s personal journey, but they’ve also been a strong focus point in Picard since the beginning. S1 had the ex-Bs, s2 had the alternative collective, so it didn’t feel contrived at all but rather inevitable for the prime Borg to be the final boss villain. And seeing that monstrous Borg queen in her nest (with the chilling voice of Alice Krige!), which reminded me lot of the xenomorph queen scene in Aliens, was truly something else! I think the whole plan to team up with the rogue changelings to infiltrate Starfleet so that they can assimilate the fleet via transporters was quite clever, unique and terrifying as transporters were never weaponized like this before.

I loved the emotional beats between the characters and that everyone got their moments to shine in the finale. Of course, I loved that we saw the Enterprise-D back in action and all its glory, taking one final flight to save the day (and what a mind-blowing flight it was!) before it got the well deserved resting place among the other legendary vessels at the fleet museum. I feared the ship would get destroyed along with a few familiar characters dying in the end, but thankfully that didn’t happen as I don’t think I could have handled it (Shaw’s death was heartbreaking enough). I’m actually glad the show decided against the common “kill half the characters in the finale to show it’s the end” trope to give everyone the happy ending they deserved.

Additional, some things I absolutely went feral and emotional about:

- Seven taking command of the Titan with Raffi right beside her and her speech to the bridge crew

- the Titan going berserker on the assimilated fleet as the last bit of Starfleet left (I wondered why no one else came to help despite the warning of staying away, because that felt a little weird considering Earth’s importance to the Federation, but since Prodigy already did that version, I can understand why they chose a different way here)

- the nods to Anton Yelchin and Majel Roddenberry

- seeing the TNG gang operate their old stations, with addition of Beverly taking over tactical and her raining fire and fury on the Borg cube!

- the flight of the Enterprise through the cube reminiscing Star Wars

- Riker and Troi’s epic love help save everyone and Deanna flying the Enterprise again (I loved that scene with the ship showing up above Picard and co. so much!)

- the chilling inside of the Borg cube and the Borg queen giving such strong Alien vibes

- Picard letting himself get assimilated again to save his son and their emotional scenes in the collective were just so powerful (Ed Speleers delievered so much!)

- the real human love of his family breaking Jack out of the queen’s hold

- the final shot of the Enterprise-D’s bridge reminiscing the ending in Generations (sleep tight, my love, you deserve it!)

- Seven getting promoted to Captain by Tuvok (I know, we all hoped for a Janeway cameo, but I’m happy Tuvok survived) and Raffi becoming her No. 1 (I was sad they broke up, but now the future seems full of possibilities with them finally staying on the same ship)

- Raffi and Worf’s goodbye (I really enjoyed their interactions) and Raffi finally getting the second chance with her family she worked so hard for

- the Titan getting renamed Enterprise-G (though I can’t recall what happened to the Enterprise-F – was it destroyed or renamed or do we have 2 Enterprises now?)

- Jack stepping into his parents’ footsteps (with Beverly being Admiral!) and joining Seven and Raffi on the Enterprise-G (now we need for Elnor to get transferred, because I really want him and Jack to become brothers!)

- the setup for the potential spin-off (give me Star Trek Legacy now!!!)

- the wholesomeness of final scene with the TNG crew at 10 Forward bar just reconnecting and playing poker

- the soundtrack!!!!

[yagirlsanauthor]

Vadic Having Feelings For You Would Include... (Star Trek: Picard)

A/N: OMG!!! I'm obsessed with Amanda Plummer as Vadic from the newest season of Picard. Once again, there is a severe lack of any content for my lovely lady, so I decided to write a little something short for anyone else out there who may fancy her as well. Here it is, I hope you like it!

P.S. I’m sorry if these hc seem hella rushed 😭 since I’ve been having major writers block, I just wanted to at least post something 

Word Count: 900-ish

Pairing: Vadic x GN!Reader

Warnings: Some NSFW below the cut!!! Kissing??? ig. A little steamy but bro...it's Vadic, she's fucking crazy so duh. She's her own warning. Vadic is obviously gonna be a little ooc in this but whatever. !!SPOILERS FOR PICARD SEASON 3!!

~ Lets just get one thing straight, she would most likely NOT be gentle or graceful with her affection, especially not your first kiss. She's sporadic and a bit insane, so it's safe to say her affection would mirror that.

~ When you're both alone, or walk past each other in the halls, she will shove you up against the walls and attack you with kisses any chance she gets. And when I say shove, I don't just mean push, I mean, she would grab you and full force thrust you against the surface of whatever is closest.

~ Very much into forehead kisses tho for some reason?? She doesn't do it often, and certainly not in front of her crew, but let's say, if you're alone, sitting down or having a special moment, she'll always cup your face in her hands and press a surprisingly gentle kiss right on your temple. Though, she never really sticks around for your reaction, always whisking away to attend to some other captain duty.

~ Typically, when around her crew, she would either ask you to stand next to her, to keep you close, or at times, she'll ask you to sit on her lap.

~ She is not very fond of anyone, especially solids, so for you, being a solid, there have been many nights of reassurance and apologizing and fear that she may resent you deep down. And though she doesn't seem like she'd be comfortable talking about her past, with you, she's an open book.

~ She's fucking scary when she needs to be, and is overly protective of you always.

~ There had only been one instance of someone hitting on you, and it was when you first came up to the bridge. You had been on the bridge for a while, listening to her give commands when one of the crew members began to flirt with you. She did not like that. Of course, you had no intentions of returning the flirtation, but even if you had, you wouldn't have been able to get the words out quick enough before she pulled out a phaser and turned the crewman to dust.

~ It wasn't sunshine and daisies when you two had first met. In fact, you had started out as a prisoner of sorts for her. It wasn't until she learned of your severe distaste for Starfleet and its unethical methods that she had given you a bit more grace for being a human.

~ After learning more about each other, and creating a blooming bond between yourselves, she had asked you to join her crew, or at least shadow some of her top officers to learn the ropes.

~ And after that, you two started something special. A relationship of sorts. You began to learn each other, and care for each other in ways you hadn't thought either of you were capable of before.

*NSFW Content Below!! Tread lightly ;)*

~ Vadic is a total dom in bed.

~ She can't handle allowing anyone but herself be in charge in many situations, including the bedroom.

~ There will be times where she'll let you lead and take charge at first, but it always ends with her on top and in charge.

~ Kinks??? All of 'em. She would deffo be into tying you up or at least strapping your hands together. She would also probably be into spanking you a little, especially if she thinks that you have been naughty and need to be reminded where you belong. PRAISE!!! She would not only love when you praise her and affirm her, but I think she would get off on telling you how good you were being for her, or how good you felt?? Hair pulling is a yes, she loves pulling your hair, and you best believe that if you yank on hers, she'll go feral. She'd also most definitely be into choking you and playing with your breathing. Bit sadistic, but sometimes, she likes to choke you just enough to see you almost slip out of consciousness, then release her grip and watch you gasp for air. It just does something to her hehe. Safe to say, she's a kinky mf and is into some sadistic BDSM type stuff.

~ Having said all this, I feel as though I could see her having a soft side in the bedroom?? Maybe if you were having a bad day, or if you needed that extra love and attention, she would bust out her nurturing and caring skills and soft!dom the fuck out of you. Don't get me wrong, it would still be intense, but not in a rough and fast way. More in a passionate and intimate way.

~ Aftercare would be tricky with this one. Before you, she had never known soft, or gentle, or kind. So aftercare, at first, would definitely take some getting used to. After a few times though, I think she would get the hang of it and actually be pretty good. But real talk, I think she'd become a big baby after sex and would ask you to do all the cleaning up and taking care. It's a trade off between the two of you. But she would greatly reward you after with a long and tired cuddle sesh.

~ She doesn't mind being the little spoon, but I think she would much prefer to hold you, maybe have you lay your head on her chest while she wraps her arms around you tight. Similarly, when she is big spoon, she wraps her arms tight around your waist, and will yank you toward her, to the point where you can't escape.

~ And as you two lay there, tired and content, right on the precipice of sleep, you'll always hear a small, raspy, 'I love you' in your ear, right before you fall asleep.

[cannibalspicnic]

STAR TREK: PICARD s03e07 "Dominion"

Amanda Plummer as VADIC

[quasi-normalcy]

So the thing about Star Trek: Picard is...

Say what you will about the first season, but it’s meaningful. In fact, Rios says explicitly what it’s about in the fourth episode: “the existential pain of living with the consciousness of death and how it defines us as human beings.” Pretty much all of the character arcs are about different reactions to this, and the supposed “grimdarkness” of the setting reinforces this point; the Federation has become reactionary and xenophobic because it was a utopia that experienced mass death right on its doorstep for the first time in living memory. The conflict with the Synths is ultimately rooted in the fact that we die; they don’t. The fact that the finale was called “Et in Arcadia ego” really just telegraphs this; “Even in Arcadia [utopia], I [Death] am.”

And the second season, for all its many flaws, carries this theme forward, proposing that love, togetherness, and companionship are the only meaningful candles in the dark. Q is dying; he awaits meaning, and he doesn’t find it. And so he opts instead to do one last favour for Jean-Luc so at least he can spare his favourite mortal from his own fate of dying alone. Jurati is able to connect with the Borg Queen because she recognises that her own motivation is something similar: the Queen can feel herself dying across infinite realities and she doesn’t want to be alone. Seven and Raffi find each other; Rios gives up his entire life for a shot at love. It’s an infernal mess, a budget-saving exercise in want of a plot, but I’m going to be honest: I kind of adore it. I think it’s beautiful for all its flaws.

Throughout the first two seasons, we have serious contemplations of transhumanism and identity in the face of death. Picard escapes death using technology, even as his friend, a living machine, embraces his end as a necessary part of being human. Soji loses her identity even as she gains knowledge of herself as an immortal android. Jurati too embraces transhumanism and, to some extent, loses her identity by so doing, but–in an interesting twist for Star Trek–this is not stigmatized; this is framed as what’s best for her. All of this is philosophically rich, high-octane fuel for thought, as speculative fiction should be.

The third season, meanwhile–for all that I have loved (some of) the nostalgia hits injected directly into my veins–bugs me because of how absolutely lightweight it feels. Death is gone. Not just as a theme, but gone from the narrative. Sure we kill off Ro, and T’Veen, and Vadic, and Shelby, and Shaw, but it feels like nothing. Death holds no dominion; Data is back; so’s the Enterprise-D; so’s Q (or maybe he’s come in from an earlier point in his timeline; it’s not clear). Kirk apparently is alive again, resurrected offscreen sometime after Generations and kept in a covert warehouse awaiting new adventures. Apparently Terry Matalas has already formulated plans for bringing Todd Stashwick back if when he gets his “Legacy” spinoff. I’m half-surprised that they didn’t reveal that Romulus magically popped back into existence in a background Okudagram somewhere. The Federation is as “grimdark” as it has ever been depicted, but unlike the first season (or Deep Space Nine, or even the first season of Discovery), this is never seriously interrogated or problematised. We go through the motions, cargo-cult-like, of moral debate in episode 7, but it’s not connected to anything. We hear that Vadic was the product of Section 31 war crimes; Picard looks shaken up by this, but then he and Beverly immediately decide to commit some war crimes of their own by executing her. This is never mentioned again. The whole exercise feels perfunctory, as I have said above: like ten-year-olds playing with action figures. It doesn’t feel like Picard, and frankly, for all of the surface detail it gets right, it feels even less like TNG.

So no; I’m not pleased that the first two seasons were ignored.

[isagrimorie]

Ezri Dax and Kathyrn Janeway meeting, maybe at Starfleet HQ or a conference on leadership and trauma? I think they'd get along in an interesting way. Also what made you love season 3 of Picard?

For the Trek Talks

They meet because Starfleet orders Captain Janeway to report to Ezri Dax for mandatory therapy -- the usual fandom choice is Deanna Troi but Starfleet recognizes that Ezri could be someone they can utilize.

Apart from the enforced leave, Starfleet made it a condition for her promotion that Janeway take mandatory therapy. Janeway does not like this-- if Janeway was already a hard customer for the EMH, Janeway is even a tougher one when it comes to mandatory therapy.

Also, Janeway's initial grumpy kneejerk reaction about Ezri is to get offended that she was assigned a child for therapy.

Ezri recognizes all these of course, and she's not at all intimidated by all the ways Janeway is trying to hack her way out of therapy. Compared to Garak, Janeway is not nearly as slippery as she thinks she is. Also, she has several lifetimes under her belt, but most importantly, Ezri Dax is a damned good therapist.

Eventually, Ezri chips away Janeway's reluctance and they begin to make some headway. Unfortunately, some crisis happens and Janeway is pulled away before she's ready to but Ezri Dax is nothing if not persistent. If the mountain can't go to therapy, therapy will go to the mountain. Or something.

After, they do become great friends but boy, were there some tough things they had to work through to get there.

----

Also, what made you love season 3 of Picard?

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but that flavor of Trek is my exact flavor of Trek. I love the space show, the starship, the Starfleet of it all. I love the full-on minute of ship porn with the swelling music.

I love seeing Seven of Nine finally in uniform. I love a good Bridge crew, I love the pace. The dialogue, I love the complicated messiness of relationships and I got two really great conversational minefields first between Crusher and Picard and next between Ro and Picard. The weight of history between those relationships.

The weight of history between the characters.

The sheer beauty and menace of the Shrike, the SUBMARINE STYLE starship fight-- I'm a sucker for a great submarine-style starship fight.

Amanda Plummer as VADIC. The way she says: "Jean-Luc Picard."

Seven of Nine, in the background manning Ops station, hints that the maintenance and engineering is so well oiled because Seven might not have been in Starfleet in nearly two decades but she slipped back into the same person who would do efficiency reports on EVERYONE.

Voyager slowly but surely returns to Seven after two seasons of Seven not saying anything about Voyager, we finally see the ship, Seven talks about the ship and her crew.

TUVOK AND SEVEN.

It has my whole heart.

The way the Dominion war is set into the bones and DNA of the Federation and Starfleet that it clearly left a mark. The DS9 callbacks, the way the virus idea from Dark Frontier pays off in Federation Day, assimilating people unknowingly. (Because Admiral Janeway fucked up the Borg/Queen so bad they can't even assimilate in the way they usually did).

The promise of tomorrow.

(And from a 12 Monkeys fan -- the very, very blatant 12 Monkeys easter eggs.)

Is it a perfect season? Of course not, no Trek has a Perfect season, it could have benefitted from a few more passes, especially the last half of the season. They could have IMO done a lot more with Seven, especially with the Borg stuff-- it's the same complaint I've had of Picard since season 1.

But I get it -- the show is called Star Trek Picard and not Star Trek Seven of Nine/Legacy. But it should be. Also, 10 episodes aren't enough, and I get how the COVID precautions ate at the budget, that season 2 ate up both production and budgets.

But that's just the nature of the beast of loving a Trek show.

[authortobenamedlater]

Thought I posted this then found it sitting in my drafts. It’s late, but here it is.

MAN this Picard episode was TENSE.

Why can Jack and Sidney talk telepathically to each other? I get Jack maybe having some telepathy from Irumodic Syndrome but how did Sidney get telepathy too?

Anyway I ship these two for all the awkward hilarious in-law hijinks.

Brent Spiner still has it. Wow does he still have it. Going back and forth from Data to Lore like that and making it look so NATURAL? Who does God think He is putting that much talent in one body.

(Answer: God.)

If Data dies for a third time though I might just go feral.

I’m pretty sure Vadic wants Jack’s DNA to reanimate Picard, but why?

Where is my new favorite good cop/bad cop duo Raffi and Worf? I love them.

I want Shaw to be the hero by the end of the season and I also want him to live because I want to keep telling him I’m sorry for thinking he was a bad guy.

Real Tuvok BETTER BE OK YOU HEAR ME.

I am so enjoying this season, it’s what I wanted from the show all along.

[worflesbian]

didnt post last night bc i was knackered but Thoughts on the new picard

where’s worf :(

give deanna more depth in her scenes now im not fucking joking

what is Happening to the changeling lore??

okay overall much like last week i was taken aback to find myself enjoying it as much as i did, it was far from a bad episode. loved a lot of the main plot with the ship sinking. loved the scene with shaw in the bar talking about locutus even tho they kind of stole sisko’s backstory there but yk there were a Lot of people at that battle it does make sense that more than one survivor is gonna hate picard. i think it explains his thing about seven’s name better than just “he’s a controlling git” and i liked that she got to call him out on it after she killed the changeling.

which brings me to my main point: What are they doing with the changeling lore?? vadic having to use a knife to cut off her hand and turn it into goo when previously changelings can separate themselves easily at will is Interesting, maybe implies somethings happened Physically in the great link as well as politically? repercussions of the virus from the end of ds9? but then the fucking floating head thing was Batshit where did THAT come from my god

i feel like this episode was a weird one in terms of season pacing bc by revealing this big plot twist with Implications and then following that with an episode primarily about space stuff and family dynamics with killing the saboteur almost an afterthought, it kinda weakened the impact imo

[stellarred]

An Ending to Star Trek Picard

Picard's eyes slowly opened and all he could see was stars overhead.

"Jean-Luc. "

Picard shifted his head and he saw Q's face looking down at him. He was smiling; his snow-white hair glinting slightly. Q was just floating in space and cradling Picard in his arms as a parent holds a baby.

"Q--I-" he stammered.

"It's ok, Jean-Luc. It's over. It's all over, my love."

Picard coughed, and frantically looked around them. They were completely alone, just floating through space.

"Q! The Titan! Will and Deanna!" Picard gasped. "Where is Vadic? We were about to get destroyed! The time portal was destroyed!"

"You don't remember, do you?" Q asked. He then looked into Picard's eyes deeply.

"Think, Jean-Luc. "

Picard swallowed and searched the entity's handsome face.

"I remember... that it came down to the last few seconds before Vadic's ship destroyed the time portal, the one that led to the time period when the Federation would be created."

"And then what?"

"I remember...smoke, alarms, and shaking. I--I was in a shuttlecraft."

Q's eyes brightened. "Then, you saw someone. "

Picard caught his breath. He smiled tenderly at Q. Q held him closer.

"I saw...a white light, and a figure in a white robe standing before me."

Picard smiled. "You. It was you."

Q slowly ran his fingers along the side of Picard's head.

"I said that I didn't want the adventure to end, Q. Then, I heard an explosion. I died."

Q shook his head. "No. You didn't die, Jean-Luc. You began again. "

"I don't understand, Q."

" You had to make a choice, Jean-Luc. Either remain on the ship with Riker, Geordi, Troi, and your friends to attack the enemy. Or, take that leap of faith and board the shuttlecraft."

Picard nodded. "Yes. It was me that Vadic was after. By taking the shuttlecraft and getting in between her ship and the time portal, she ran out of time before she was able to destroy the time period. The Titan destroyed her ship. She was so close to ending everything."

"But, she didn't. You sacrificed yourself so that your crew would live. You saved the timeline from being destroyed. The Federation will continue because of you, mon capitaine. " Q smiled lovingly at him. " I knew you could do it."

Picard felt a lump in his throat. "And you...Q came back and saved me."

"Even my so-called death couldn't keep your beloved Q down, right?" Q smiled with a familiar boyish grin.

Tears began to roll from the corners of Picard's eyes. Q lowered his face to Picard's, and he sweetly kissed him. Picard reached up and gently ran his fingertips along Q's jawline.

"Where are we, Q?"Picard murmured.

Q looked up and sighed.

"I honestly don't know."

"What? Q, I can't believe-"!

"I believe we are in another universe. A newborn universe. Untouched. Completely alien. Even to me." Q looked around the stars and distant nebulae of red and white.

"We are starting over. You and I."

"Q, this is incomprehensible. It's unbelievable. You mean, you and I are lost?!"

"Lost in space, mon amour? No. We are somewhere...out there. But beyond anyone's sight. Even the Continuum's. "

Picard suddenly felt a bit sad. "You mean, there is no Q Continuum?"

Q seemed perfectly at peace with this realization. "No. There is still a Continuum, and there is still a Federation. We are the first known creatures in this new universe. I am the first Q in this Universe."

"Once again, you're alone," Picard said sadly.

Q looked down again at Picard and cradled him tightly in his omnipotent arms.

"Not anymore."

They smiled at each other for what seemed like the longest time as they floated in space.

"But, what about your powers, Q?"

" What about them?"

Picard's eyes brightened. "You have them back?"

Q smiled broadly and laughed. " It's alright. In fact, I feel amazing, Jean-Luc!"

"I'm glad for that, Q. But, Q, we cannot just float about in space forever, yes?"

" I agree, mon capitaine. We need something to rest more comfortably on. If we are going to explore this new Universe together, we need to do it in style. Where should we go first? I know!"

Q raised his hand, and with a sharp SNAP! of his fingers, Q flashed them to a new place. The sky was filled with stars overhead. It was cool, and the air was soft and fresh. Full of life.

Picard was still in Q's arms, but they were now on a hard wooden surface. Picard could hear the sound of water. Curious.

"We're here! I think I did a good job considering my powers have been out of play for a long while!" Q exclaimed. He crawled to his feet and breathed the air in deeply..

Picard slowly sat up. He could see that Q was now dressed in a loose, white tunic and white pants. Picard looked down and saw that his clothes were the same as Q's.

Picard crawled to his feet and looked around.

"Q--". Picard began.

Q turned and looked at his beloved. "I figured that if this Universe is one that promises us new exploration, then we had to start our adventure somewhere. And we would need a vessel to carry us. Why not this one? We should call it, The Shangri-La!"

Picard walked over and stood next to Q. He felt Q's arm curl around his waist.

"I love your choice of a ship, Q."

"Well, thank you, Jean-Luc. I could get to like this. Sailing is quite pleasurable. "

"Will we ever find our way back?" Picard asked staring at the vast horizon before them.

"Perhaps. Just rest in the assurance that everything is right again in the universe we just left behind. This is our time, Jean-Luc. Just you and me."

"There is just one problem, Q."

Q turned. "Yes?"

Looking straight ahead, Picard asked, "Who's going to be the captain?"

He then turned to Q, and they both laughed and embraced each other tightly.

[galactic-pirates]

Ok Picard episode 8.

I procrastinated on watching it. Actual avoidance. So it’s at that stage /sigh.

Spoiler warning as always.

First let’s focus on the positives.

I am not someone that loves to hate. I am frustrated because I love and I do love Trek. So were there any good moments?

Yes Deanna and Riker’s banter was mostly pretty cool. Worf needs to learn a sense of timing as enemies were maybe still around and I wasn’t very taken with Riker’s seeming jealousy? But otherwise everything between Deanna and Riker felt very natural. Even their talk about grief. It would be easy to say Deanna shouldn’t have messed with his head but she was in the throes of grief too. His pain and her own and the love all mixed up together. People make irrational choices in an emotional maelstrom like that. Considering what they went through, I think they were just coping best they could. So yeah their relationship was a high point.

Raffi taking on Vadic’s soldiers with swords made me go “Elnor!!!” because did our favourite sword wielding badass teach her? Watching Raffi fight was cool. Worf banter afterwards was good too.

Seven finally snapping and correcting Captain Asshat was long overdue.

BUT as we’re now getting into the “not so great territory” the fact that he didn’t seem to learn or care about the correction is maddening. Habit might have meant he continued to say Hansen, but what comes out first doesn’t have to be last. He could have acknowledged Seven’s words and ruefully corrected himself and he did not.

Captain Asshat having a go at Seven in the middle of the situation was also a WTF moment. If he disagreed with the call and wants to chew her out, do it afterwards when they are in the ‘report writing phase’. If they can talk under their breath say something useful to think of a way out, or encouraging for morale. Busting her chops was just going to make everyone feel worse. Piss poor leadership to what stroke his own ego?

Also changelings are resilient. If Seven had blown the lift that was no guarantee it would have killed Vadic. They are goo. Besides as I recall it Shaw practically dove in the turbo lift offering himself as hostage. If he wanted it blown that badly I suggest not being in it. Anyway laying the guilt trip on Seven was just inappropriate timing. Was Seven wrong? I don’t know - road not taken - and Seven is going to torture herself endlessly over this anyway. Him sanctimoniously going “that’s not StarFleet” may well be the push to resign her commission at the end of the season.

Seven’s “I’m facing the consequences” snark back to Shaw. She would have sacrificed herself. I think she would have done it anyway but him putting the boot in on the guilt trip only made her need to make it right. Begging Vadic to kill her. Moving to fight to try and force that. All because I think Seven followed Janeway’s teachings who I think said “we don’t trade lives” I swear I remember that. It’s ok to sacrifice your own but not others. Besides it was a split second. A “do I kill Captain Asshat and have a legit reason? Shit I hate him, they’ll think I did it on purpose. Oh fuck I have lost my window as the turbo lift takes less than 17 seconds” I mean we had that conversation a few episodes ago. About how long it took to get to SickBay. It’s not a long time.

Speaking of the whole guilt thing. I am sick to death of only the bridge crew/officer lives mattering. This is how Star Trek got the whole “redshirt” cliche in the first place. It was pretty damn dark showing the crew running scared through the halls, getting locked in with the pursuing killers, and massacred. But then it was like those lives, and those losses, didn’t make an impact. It was all about the “executing the bridge every 10 minutes” and all I kept thinking was “what about all the other poor sods who have been killed already?” I mean they really tried to hammer it home. One guy had a knife in their neck pinning them to the wall. It was pretty gruesome. But then no emotional payoff. That is what is needed. The visuals aren’t enough. All flash and no substance.

I’m really not vibing with the whole ‘chosen one’ thing they have going on with Jack Crusher. Not going to lie my first fanfics were rife with OC’s. They sort of drove the plot. This reeks of the same thing. Admittedly I was 11 at the time. I think I had learned between by the time I was 14 or so. How old is Matalas? Anyway Jack Crusher is the fanfic OC. The special one, and all the characters we know and love are dancing around him and I really don’t give a damn. What reason have they given for us to care? That he was semi-cool for 5 minutes as a Han Solo rip-off? The narrative is on one hand trying to push that nostalgia/the old characters are all that matter, and on the other make Jack Crusher the second coming since Merlin. Erm no.

I suppose it could be argued that Soji filled the same function in season 1 but I would argue it was different because of how the narrative placed it. Soji filled a role and the characters moved to save her, to take her home etc. but the focus of the narrative was on the federation itself, on ideology. It was on Picard getting his purpose back, on making a new life for himself. There was the found family aspect of the forging of the new crew. Yeah you could say Soji ‘drove the plot’ but the narrative focus wasn’t on Soji. Not how it is with Jack Crusher.

Season 3 has been so disparate and piecemeal. There doesn’t feel like there has been any character journeys for those characters we know and love. It’s like soundbite to nostalgia scene, shiny special effect mixed with a plot that fails to make sense.

I did like that Deanna got to use her abilities. About time she actually got to do something. But I don’t think opening the door that evil lurks behind is a good idea. I mean won’t that let it out? Are they ever going to explain how this door thing/telepathy exists in a human like Jack? Because he is special for plot is not a reason I accept.

And then Data /sigh. That was a cool sequence I admit with the memories and Brent Spiner acted the hell out of it. But I don’t know. So much focus on Data. Although as I said to someone, it’s not actually lack of screentime that’s the issue, it’s what they are doing with it. Showing Jack Crusher cry for the 20th time is a waste of film. The plot itself is also very… this feels like a feature film that has been stretched to 10 hours. It doesn’t have the feeling of the character moments that makes a TV Show. The focus is on the ‘big stuff’ but that’s not what I watch TV for. If I want the big set pieces I would watch a movie.

Oh and one last thing (though I have probably forgotten things) I am not immune to visuals. Seeing them all around the briefing room table again sure was something. For me it wasn’t worth screwing over pretty much every character (and especially ones not in that room) but it was very nostalgic.