#young elnore <3

[reformedmoth]

THE MOST PERFECT BABYGIRL |The Wheel of Time 2x3

#Wheel of time #asia-sky fenty #young elnore <3 #wot show #wot show spoilers #wot prime show #made by moth #nynaeve x lan #lan x nynaeve #and their babygirl #wot s02e03 #elnore

[ovenproofowl]

a lot of people have said it, but I’m throwing in my two cents just to get it off my chest.

Picard season 3 was . Bad . For a LOT of reasons . It felt like - as many before me have expressed - a self-insert fanfic with the dullest self-insert in history.

Jack Crusher wasn’t much of a character but he could have had some promise if they hadn’t spent an aggravating amount of time having him decree how different he always felt, you guys. Did you get that part? He’d always felt different. That sort of dialogue might have flown if we were dealing with Picard’s adolescent son, but instead we’re dealing with a 24 year old played by a 35 year old who looks every bit his age. (It was a hard 24 years, we must assume.)

The reason that Jack Crusher didn’t work for me personally, though, wasn’t because of how cliché his character was. I would have let that pass much easier if it wasn’t for the big ol’ elephant in the room. And that is simply that :

JACK CRUSHER WAS NEVER NECESSARY

Jack may have served a purpose to the storyline that was presented if only because he was the sole reason there was a Big Bad to be defeated in the first place. Everyone wanted to kidnap him, he brought the old gang back together just to protect him and then later save him from said Big Bad which was also actually .. him. Everything Was About Jack. But I’m not talking about the main plot. I Really Don’t Want to Talk About the Main Plot. Ever. What I want to talk about is what Jack represented that made him so unnecessary:

He was intended to represent Jean-Luc Picard’s only reason to start living.

Personally, that really, really offended me. Picard didn’t need to have a biological kid to have a purpose. In fact, it’s been established time and time again that he wasn’t ever really dad material. More of a... weirdly intense uncle. For a while, he wasn’t a fan of kids at all. Eventually, though, Picard is seen to warm to the idea of letting children within his general vicinity. This starts in TNG and continues on in season 1 of Picard. The Only Categorically Good Season of this whole. show.

In season 1, we see flashbacks of Jean-Luc’s relationship with a young Elnor, how he would read him stories and have sword fights with him. He was an absent father to an adopted child he hadn’t even realised he’d adopted and yet Elnor still fought for his hopeless cause. In much the same way, Picard meets Dahj and then later, Soji. He feels a kinship with these androids because of their connection to Data. He wants to protect Soji becase he couldn’t protect Dahj and Soji even canonically questions whether she should allow Picard to act as her father figure before she begins to remember where she came from. Both of these dynamics were infinitely more interesting and a lot deeper rooted. Soji and Elnor were both young twenty-somethings without parental guidance but found that guidance through Picard. Soji had her connection to Jurati, too, and Elnor had his with Seven and Raffi and that’s what made the whole group so intriguing to follow. They all had interesting connections to each other that had so many avenues to explore.

Unfortunately, the show decided to more or less write Soji and Elnor out of the story come season 2. Elnor was killed off for the majority of the season and only brought back by Q intervention in the last episode. Soji wasn’t even a part of the story at all. And do you know what’s sad about that? What’s really sad? Season 2 was trying to sell us the exact same message as season 3. That Picard needed a reason to live. But, like, not that reason. Not the reasons he’d already been given in the form of his found family with his Romulan and android adopted children, or even the rest of the La Sirena crew. No no no, we can’t have that, better get rid of them. This time, Laris is the focal point. Picard had been avoiding a romantic relationship with her because of a never before mentioned dark history surrounding his mother’s suicide. Because, sure, at this point, why not? While we’re at it, let’s also kill off Rios in the most slap-in-the-face out of character way possible and fling Jurati at the Borg for good measure just so she won’t be around for season 3. Her character development into the Borg Queen was pretty intriguing, but we’ll totally ignore that they even exist post her departure, just for funsies. Oh, and Soji and Elnor? Best not mention them at all come that third and final season. Otherwise, people might get the crazy notion that Picard already had a reason not to hunker down and die at the vinyard at the tender age of 104.

Season 3 picks up where season 2 leaves off in that Picard is now in that aforementioned romantic relationship with Laris. Except, no he isn’t because he immediately gets an emergency call from his ex and literally never sees or talks to Laris ever again. There wasn’t even a throw-away line or implied reference to her, but by now I’m sure you know the reason for that.

That’s right, folks. Because if we were allowed to remember Laris and what she meant to Picard, then we might just remember that other thing. Say it with me now!!

JACK CRUSHER WAS NEVER NECESSARY!!

In summary, there were so many brilliant options to give Picard for signficant found family dynamics, but the show just wasn’t interested in any of them. Season 3 wanted a Picard who had given it all up, who was ready to die because he’d never had a family to pass on his legacy. They wanted him at his lowest so that we’d all rejoice to see him return to the TNG crew. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive TNG fan and I could rave about the fan service and nostalgia porn for hours on end. If season 3 had stood alone as a singular unconnected event, it might even have been passable as a warm hug from old and beloved characters with some fun new spins to their stories along the way, juust so long as you didn’t squint too hard at the actual attempt at plot writing going on in the background.

But the fact of the matter is, Picard season 3 came far too late into the game. Season 1 held the building blocks to something new and interesting. By the end of season 2, it was becoming clear we were never going to see those blocks stand. By season 3, those blocks were just scattered headstones in a graveyard.

They teased us with the potential new show of Captain Seven and her Number One Raffi Musiker and that might have just been okay. . .

. . .If the La Sirena Crew had been allowed to be a part of that future.

In closing: Picard season 3? Too little, too late, mate. 👎🏻

#star trek picard #picard spoilers #anti picard #jean luc picard #jack crusher #anti jack crusher #soji asha #elnor #raffi musiker #seven of nine #i didn't mention everything i didn't like here or in fact everything I DID like #because if we ignore the plot and just focus on seeing the crew back then yes I did in fact enjoy quite a bit of it #and also vadic was the best goddamn villain and they should have done more with her oh my god #but i had to get this off my chest #and also yes i acknowledge that elnor was very much seven and raffi's adopted kid as much as picard's #but this has to focus on picard because.. well.. that's the name of the show right? #could've fooled me. i thought it was the jack crusher show #ok ok i'm done bitterness out #it's said and i'm moving on

[markantonys]

imdb is starting to fill out the episode casts for eps 1-3! take with a grain of salt since idk if they're 100% accurate about who appears in what episode, but these are the ones i find most interesting so far:

elayne, min, selene, logain, and suroth are in 2&3, but not 1

loial, leane, liandrin, sheriam, ishamael, ingtar, uno, masema, and elyas are in 1-3

alanna, ihvon, maksim, verin, adeleas, and tomas are in 1&2, but not 3

padan fain is in 1

"tuatha'an mother" is credited for ep1, so i'm guessing that means the darkfriend social speculation was correct on that point

lindsay duncan is in 3 (no character name yet, but it was previously leaked she's playing moiraine's sister)

tam al'thor & natti cauthon are in 3 (!!!!! what do we think? cold open? someone's dreams? part of nynaeve's testing visions?)

nynaeve's parents & "young nynaeve" are in 3, as well as "elnore jr" whose actress i'm pretty sure is the little girl in that trailer shot with perrin. what if nynaeve's What Might Be future isn't just domestic lanaeve, but rather domestic lanaeve PLUS all her friends safe and happy and together with her 🥺

also of note, it says the cast is listed in credit order, and after the main 7 from s1 we have ceara coveney, and then after her it goes back to cast with A last names and starts going in alphabetical order, so i think that confirms that ceara is a regular on par with the main 7 for this season!

#waiting patiently for gawyn to be added.......please............ #wot #wot on prime #wot show spoilers #the wheel of time

[startreklasirena]

What is Star Trek: La Sirena?

Most fans and more-than-casual viewers of Star Trek: Picard would probably agree that the three seasons of the show form something of an anthology. It was never officially called that, and some of the characters appear in (almost) every episode. Even some events and backstories do get referenced across season boundaries. But at the end of the day, each season is very self-contained, and many themes, storylines, and characters are limited in scope to one or two of them at the most.

Even the characterization of recurring characters can differ between seasons, from more superficial details (Agnes Jurati going by "Agnes" in S1 and "Jurati" in S2) to some deeper shifts (Elnor seeming more concerned with honour than candour in his brief season 2 cameos).

As such, some of us fans were thinking it would be helpful to have a shorthand with which to differentiate between seasons. Say you're interested in reading Saffi stories that centre the characters, themes, and characterization from season 1. It might be difficult to filter for that, since the "Star Trek: Picard" fandom tag on AO3 will contain fic that is set throughout all three seasons, and it won't always be clear where in the anthology it fits.

Or you might be writing stories about season 1 Agnes that you know won't sit right with people who expect season 2 Jurati when they filter for "Agnes Jurati", and you want to make it clear which version of the character you're writing about without using convoluted tags.

Enter Star Trek: La Sirena (suggested abbreviation: LAS). In essence, this is a shorthand to describe the first part of the Star Trek: Picard anthology. ST: LAS stories, art, gifs, meta, memes, etc centre around the characters, events, relationships, and themes from PIC season 1. They can be prequels, set during season 1, or take the end of season 1 as a jumping-off point to spin new stories from there (think: the sort of art/meta/fic/... you would have made before season 2 came out or if the show had been cancelled after season 1).

A Few Examples (or: is it Star Trek: La Sirena?)

A fic about the crew of La Sirena going on wild adventures after the end of season 1? That is basically what this tag was invented for! A gifset of Elnor and Soji's outfits throughout season 1? Absolutely! The story of how Seven came to join the Fenris Rangers, exploring her relationship to the work and what it means for her characterization post-Voyager? Yes please! Meta about how Hugh would have survived the crash of the Borg Cube and what the protected status of Coppelius and the defeat of Oh's armada mean for his work with the xBs? We'd be lucky to have it! A fic about how Raffi and Rios met that involves six OC's and a bunch of semi-sentient holograms? Sure! A Victorian AU, where Jean-Luc Picard, Duke of La Barre, has to navigate the uncertainties of (near) fatherhood when he suddenly finds himself with a young ward, Dahj Asha, after the mysterious disappearance of her parents overseas? Hell yes! (Also: Zhaban is his butler and Laris his housekeeper. Just saying.)

On the other hand: A discussion of how season 2's evil!La Sirena compares to her prime-universe counterpart? Doesn't really fit. A fic about Agnes and Shaw meeting at the academy and becoming fast friends? Also not really, since Shaw is very firmly a season 3 addition. Meta about Seven's changing hairstyles from VOY to season 1 to seasons 2 & 3? That is more general PIC territory, rather than LAS specifically. A gifset comparing the Troi-Rikers from TNG with their appearance in Season 3? Probably not. Not even if it also includes season 1.

All of these things are wonderful and we're lucky to have them in the Picard fandom! But they don't necessarily fit the brief of "Star Trek: Picard, if it had been cancelled after season 1."

Of course, none of this is an exact science! Say you wrote a post-canon story back in 2020, before we got any details about season 2. And say, by sheer coincidence, it includes Agnes breaking up with Rios and going off on a diplomatic mission with Soji, while Rios and/or Raffi join Starfleet. Does that fall under the LAS umbrella or not? At that point (and many, many similar ones), I'd say it's up to your own best judgement.

Where do I find/post Star Trek: La Sirena Stuff?

A bunch of people have started tagging their tumblr posts with "star trek la sirena" (or "star trek: la sirena". I'm afraid the variability is a cornerstone of the Trek-tumblr tagging experience 😅). It's not much yet, and a lot of things are reblogs, so they won't show up in the regular tag search. But hopefully, we can get this tag into more wide-spread use to make it easier for season 1 enthusiasts to find stuff they're interested in. (If you tag this blog in the replies to a post you think fits the brief, I will reblog it!)

Some writers have also added "Star Trek: La Sirena" to the fandom tags of their relevant fics on AO3. It's usually in addition to "Star Trek: Picard", since it falls into both categories, so it's more an additional filtering option/sub-fandom.

I'm not entirely certain this tagging is going to be permitted by the AO3 tag wranglers. I have written to AO3 support about this and am currently still waiting to hear back. I think there are precedents for similar sub-fandom distinctions, but I'm not sure what the logistical considerations might be behind canonizing a new fandom tag. If AO3 comes back asking people to re-tag their fic or deciding they won't be able to canonize the "Star Trek: La Sirena" fandom tag, we'll decide on a different tagging convention. I'll post here if and when I get a reply to my email.

Speaking of:

A Quick Note on the Role of this Blog

I'm not the fandom police. At the end of the day, this is an entirely made-up category, and how you interpret its boundaries is up to you. My goal here is not to exclude anyone or tell people they're doing fandom wrong, it's to make it easier for fans of one specific part of a very heterogeneous show to find art and stories and discussions they're interested in.

I want to really emphasise this: I'm not the high priestess of this fandom tag. I'm not the authority on what does and doesn't count. If you have a story or post that you think might be well-suited to be tagged as "Star Trek: La Sirena", but you're unsure, I'm happy to chat about it and give you my take, and/or to reblog it here and hopefully open the floor to others' opinions. If you think something I posted or reblogged doesn't really fit, please let me know, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts!

Mostly, I just want this blog to get the ball rolling for people in this corner of the Picard fandom to find each other and have an easier time sharing their work and their passion with each other.

So, that's what I'm doing here. If you have any ideas for events we might get up to as a community (I still dream of one day having a fanfic book club :D), posts you'd like me to reblog, meta you'd like to share, or anything else that might bring your fellow fans joy, I'm always eager to hear about it!

Thank you for coming along on this ride on our little speed freighter! I hope we'll all find community and a lot of fun with Star Trek: La Sirena!

#star trek la sirena #star trek picard #star trek: picard #pinned post #masterpost #for now anyway #i'll have to think about tagging conventions and blog organization #but i just wanted to put this out there even if i haven't thought through all the rest of it #just to get the ball rolling and maybe queue a few LAS posts #let's do this! #long post

[incorrectly-quoted-queers]

After Picard Season 3

Elnor: Welcome, brother

Jack Crusher: Where the fuck am I?

Wesley Crusher: The discarded-by-Picard-as-a-parental-figure club. We meet every Thursday

Jack Crusher: Discarded? But I'm not—

Data: Do not worry young Jack. It is the way of things. Like one might describe a life cycle

Meribor: We all keep each other company while he goes off on his next adventure

Elnor: You never know how long your journey with him will last, but it always ends

Wesley Crusher: Seems yours ended pretty quickly though

Dahj: Could've had worse. I got about a day

Jack Crusher: Just how many of you are there?!?

Soji: Oh buddy. You don't even know

#Star Trek #Star Trek Picard #Yes I'm going to be bitter about this season #No you cant stop me #st #picard #jack crusher #wesley crusher #elnor #Data #Soji #Dahj #Meribor #Inner Light #justice for elnor

[raffaelamusiker]

Favourite Picard Character Bracket Poll

So I’ve been meaning to make a Picard bracket for months now and it’s finally here! We’re looking for your favourite character from the series and we’ve gone across all three seasons.

(See under cut for past rounds)  

Round Five (FINAL):

1. Raffi Musiker v Seven

Round Four (Semi-Finals):

1. Raffi Musiker v Sidney La Forge

2. Seven v Laris

Round Three (Quarter-Finals):

1. Raffi Musiker v Elnor

2. Young Guinan v Sidney La Forge

3. Seven v Cristobal Rios

4. Laris v Liam Shaw

Round Two:

1. Raffi Musiker v Agnes Jurati

2. Elnor v Narissa

3. Young Guinan v T’Veen

4. Tallinn v Sidney La Forge

5. Seven v Hugh

6. Jean-Luc Picard v Cristobal Rios

7. Soji v Laris

8. Liam Shaw v Alandra La Forge

Round One:

1. Raffi Musiker v Kestra

2. Agnes Jurati v Enoch (ENH)

3. Elnor v Emil (EMH)

4. Narissa v Dr Ohk

5. Kore v Young Guinan 

6. T’Veen v Renee Picard

7. Altan Soong v Tallinn 

8. Sidney La Forge v Emmett (ETH)

9. Seven v Teresa

10. Hugh v Matthew Mura

11. Jean-Luc Picard v Kova Esmar 

12. Narek v Cristobal Rios 

13. Soji v Borgati 

14. Laris v Mr Hospitality (EHH)

15. Liam Shaw v Ian (EEH)

16. Alandra La Forge v Bjayzl 

[deliverance-guy]

Imagine being such a lazy and incompetent writer, that you not only forget to give one character closure but at least two.

Rant incoming:

You can do so much with Narek's character and I would have loved seeing him getting a redemption ark, exploring the cult of the Zhat Vash and interacting with other people than his sister. Dang, let him realise that he has been brainwashed since his childhood, allow him to overcome his prejudice and trauma with the help of Laris or even Elnor and make him a powerful ally through the plot, which could have been so strong and interesting to watch. But no. They literally forgot about him and Chabon’s clarification, or better his planned fate doesn't make sense. Why should he be brought into federation custody?

A) What he did was horrible, yet inside of romulan space and under romulan laws dedicated towards a then illegal life form who has most likely signed a contract agreeing to said laws and possible consequences of conflict with the police/ the Tal Shiar. As a result, they shouldn’t be able to arrest him for anything since he was also way too young to be involved into the destruction of Mars.

B) Moreover, he recognised his mistakes and showed a will to work on himself. Prison will only make him loose that short window of change of mind and harden his believes, since he spends the whole time with himself and we all know how thoughts can spiral into hate and frustration rather than understanding and reflection. His whole world collapsed around him and instead of taking the shot to work with him, they leave him alone with his thoughts and the urge to find someone to blame for his misery?

Even though I am heartbroken to what they did to the La Sirena crew, I felt like they had some sort of resolution inside the seasons and their arcs, not perfect or satisfying but still (we don’t talk about how the writers ripped everything apart in season 3, that is another essay worth of rant). I deeply mourn for what could have been and are beyond mad they threw out Soji and Elnor so fast. It just felt cheap. I can understand why they did it with Elnor, to give Raffi a motive to work through her guilt for manipulating him (which kind of got brushed off and came out of nowhere so idk why you couldn’t leave him in there and work through it alive and together).

For Soji, why give us Core when you don’t plan on doing something more with here than give the actor and Spinner something to do. How great would have been it, if Soji met her look alike and got to understand the origin of her “bloodline” and the reason behind her creation, something she desperately longed for. Let her find acceptance for herself and the confidence in her skin she deserves. Let her be more than some diplomate and a tool to portray the conflict between Agnes and Rios. The money I would give to see both of them coming up the agreement to work together and Soji’s decision to change her job from an anthropologist or doctor (I am not sure what her profession fell under) to an ambassador. SHOW US, please. To be honest, I can’t see Paramount doing a show with the watchers and Core, so why waste that time with a plot you could have given to a character already established in the season before, a whole audience was thrilled for?

And Laris... Cutting her off for nostalgia porn and claiming it was out of budget? How cheap is this please?! She deserved way better and not being tossed in the trash so carelessly by so called fans! If you don’t want her in the main storyline, fine. Just give her an ending. A sentence or brief interaction. She and Picard were literally a couple, so why deny her the interaction with Beverly and her stepson?

You can say what you want about star trek Picard but I think we all can agree on one statement: Picard has been such a massive mess in terms of carrying the plotline, characters and ideas throughout the seasons to a point were it almost felt like they have been completely different series from the beginning. Every season had such an unique idea and character developments, which got tossed aside and completely ignored in later episodes.

I know enough people have talked about this already but I needed to get it out of my system.

#star trek picard #romulans #narek #laris #if you can't cry laugh #can you tell I am mad? #rant #soji asha #this got out of hand

[deepspacedukat]

Coitarche

I wish to issue a very sincere apology. I know that I had Elnor (ST:PIC) listed for this prompt, but I have been trying for several days, and I just can't seem to capture his voice. (Usually my fics are late because I'm rly bad at time management, but today, it's because he is Incredibly Difficult™ for me to write.) I know there are often small typos in my works despite my attempts to edit them out, but typos are one thing. Low-quality, shitty work is another beast entirely. I always go back and re-edit my works for typos/quick fixes, but I cannot in good conscience allow myself to put out work that makes me cringe as much as my attempts at writing Elnor have. I want to do right by you all, and as it stands currently, I refuse to curse your eyes with my horrendous failed attempts.

That being said: today's fic will feature my Romulan OC, Major Denak (mentioned in "Praetor's Pride" chapter 3). This fic is a side commentary to "Praetor's Pride," but you don't need to have read that first to understand this little drabble. I will, once I have had more time to find Elnor's voice in my writing, release a sort of "make-up fic" about him. I don't like not being able to deliver on something when I've given my word that I will. It probably won't come out until after the SoC challenge is over, but Elnor fans, I will learn your man's voice if I have to listen to clips of him for hours on end!

For anyone who is curious, "coitarche" is defined here. Anyway, enjoy!

Day 29: Loss Of Virginity

SoC prompt list here. SoC Masterlist here. Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Denak (OC) x Unnamed Romulan OFC, mention of Hiren (ST:Nemesis) x Reader (from "Praetor's Pride")

[A/N: This is smut, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: Mild angst, lost love, arranged marriages, sexual memories, sexual dreams, loss of virginity, mention of masturbation, woman on top, biting.

(Picrew used to make ^this^ can be found here.)

~*~

"Why are you alone after all this time, Major Denak?" The calm, curious voice of Praetor Hiren called out from the balcony railing, and the man in question lifted an eyebrow.

"Sir?" Denak was far from the only guard on duty tonight, but when the Praetor took his nightly walk around the grounds, he preferred that he only have one guard with him. The palace was safe enough, he claimed, and he didn't enjoy feeling as though he was a child who required a large escort even in his own home.

"I have seen many of my guards with their partners, or I've at minimum heard them discussing their various conquests, but you..." Hiren trailed off, pausing as he turned to face the youngest member of his Rei’karansu. "Have you no romantic prospects?"

Denak knew precisely why Hiren was so curious. The pretty Federation Ambassador whom the Praetor had been chatting with tonight had put him in a good mood - a better one than he'd been in since his official appointment.

"None at present, my lord Praetor." The older man seemed disappointed, so, not wishing to sour his mood, Denak allowed a memory to tug at him. "However, there was someone several years ago."

The guard noted a small smile upon the other man's lips, and he continued.

"She was the first woman I ever truly loved. I dare not reveal her identity, though. She is a nobleman's wife, now, and I doubt she would appreciate her name being associated with that of a mere guard," he murmured taking a few steps closer to the Praetor's position and gazing out across the palace gardens. "She was sweet...just as inexperienced and nervous as I was."

Denak could recall every moment he'd spent with her in perfect detail. She'd been carved into his heart as deeply as only a first love ever could. They'd both been so overcome by their passions that despite the awkwardness that was invariably present in a first sexual encounter, both Denak and his lover had overcome their nerves and enjoyed themselves immensely.

"Ah, young love. There is nothing else quite like it in this universe," Hiren muttered as he leaned against the railing. "Were you together long?"

The Major let out a quiet, wistful sigh.

"Five years. Longer than I deserved, but...not nearly long enough," he stated, trying not to sound too much like he was pouting. "Her family arranged her betrothal, and she was forced to break off our relationship. From what I understand, her husband treats her well, but...I can't help but wonder what might have happened if...well..."

He couldn't put into words the thoughts he'd mulled over so often in the dark solitude of his empty bed over the years.

What if she'd chosen to ignore her family's wishes? What if she'd chosen him instead? What if Denak had been her husband instead of that stuffy dignitary?

He knew it was no use dwelling on hypothetical situations, but he still had moments where he couldn't control that nagging little voice in his head.

As the years passed, his feelings for her had dimmed, as was expected, but there were still lonely nights in which his dreams featured the ghost of her lips on his neck and awoke with the sensation of her fingers gripping his shoulders as she rode him. He'd take his length in hand and allow the memories to burn through him until he spilled over his stomach.

Denak still remembered the adoration in her eyes when he brought her to orgasm for the first time. She'd been his first in every respect, just as he had been hers. Elements, she was the reason he knew he enjoyed having his ears bitten!

"I have been with others since her, but none to whom I've formed a serious connection," the Major said, and Hiren nodded his head.

"I know what you mean. I've had a few encounters since my wife passed, but all of them were casual. We all need release, but...being open with someone...being truly committed after a love like that...it's difficult," the Praetor commiserated before turning to look at his guard. "I suppose we're both waiting for the one who will pick up the pieces, aren't we?"

"Yes, my lord Praetor," Denak replied dutifully, but given the sparkle in the older man's eyes, he suspected that one of them had already found what he was looking for.

~*~*~

Taglist:

@akamitrani @android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers @bigblissandlove1 @darkmattervibes @emilie786 @horta-in-charge @live-logs-and-proper @slutty-slutty-vulcans @starrynightgardens @toebeans-mcgee

#deepspacedukat fic #Major Denak x Romulan!Reader #Major Denak x Reader

[the-qalankhais-sweetheart]

CatBoyElim here! I’m really honestly curious about your opinions of Mátalas! I dont think I’ve really seen anything bad from him in the last Picard season, and the actors just absolutely go ga-ga talking about him (Gates had him on her podcast too), but of course I am so open to hear what everyone else sees! Anything can happen and change too, like with everyone spilling things about Berman after their shows were over.

So my biggest issues with Matalas stem from two major things:

1) his claims that they just didn't have the money to keep and pay "any other new characters" aside from Raffi in order to bring in the TNG actors for Season 3, yet somehow magically had the money to make new young crew members and Shaw and Jack and bring in those actors, and many of them (though admittedly not all) were generally of the white persuasion whereas aside from Allison Pill, the rest of the Motley Crew actors were either Latin or AAPI (not counting Michelle Hurd, who is Black but was included). It looks kind of fishy. Perhaps he just dreamed too big; perhaps he honestly overshot and had to cut back. But it seems hella fishy.

2) how he takes criticism from fans online, specifically femmes and/or LGBTQIA folks. He tends to respond with a snarky remark, if that, and then blocks them. No real dialogue, and tends to post memes saying "build up what you love instead of tearing down what you hate", while still rubbing elbows with more TrekBro/RLM types who shit on most NuTrek and criticize the newer characters and storylines as being "woke" . It's eyebrow-raising how easy it is to get blocked by him, according to many accounts I have followed and even friends of mine. Not to accuse, and perhaps he is indeed a fine dude who's just getting used to being in the spotlight, but it's kind of reminiscent of Joss Whedon and how he interacted with fans - and as a Browncoat who is well aware of what that looked like and what Whedon turned out to be....it is cause for concern.

I also just really don't like his storylines, his new characters, how he handled the concept of Picard having a child (to his credit, he did initially think of it being Vash and it was Sir Patrick Stewart who suggested it would be more likely for it to have been Beverly Crusher as the mother, but the storyline still seems so awkwardly shoehorned in and doesn't make a ton of sense to me), and his choice to yeet the characters of Rios, Elnor, Soji, and Agnes in favor of, well, having a TNG reunion + making a bigot like Shaw and, well, making Jack.

I have a bunch of reasons I don't like Jack, but that's another post.

I hope this helps! Thanks for the ask! 😁

#star trek #terry matalas #asks

[lovecanbesostrange]

I want Star Trek: Legacy and I want it asap. Among the things I’d like to see:

Seven and Raffi talk about what happened between S2&3 of PIC, so we can understand how their relationship didn’t hold up (Seven joining Starfleet and Raffi doing spy-stuff made it hart; so I can see a super rational explanation that is not about falling out of love)

Now here we are with a Captain and her first officer and the workplace romance that shouldn’t be, A+

by the end of S2 Jack can complain how he is still an Ensign and Seven tells him one of the best Starfleet officers she ever met was an Ensign for seven years...

Seven has more lights installed, at least on the bridge, so I get to fucking see what is happening

the young crew talking through their trauma, we get a lot of special moments between Seven and Sidney (Seven realises she is now a mentor)

Elnor joins the crew!

we entangle the mess that is Raffi’s personal life

Jack keeps telling crazy stories of what he did with his Mom (some of the things can never leave the room or else she might get stripped of her Admiral rank again)

episodic adventures! A little bit of an arc building in the background is fine, but self-contained episodes while the characters develop, that can actually work (a weak, even bad, stand-alone episode is easily forgotten, bad writing in a dense plot ruins the whole season); mention of the Dominion to pick up the threads is encouraged though

we get to meet a new species and build them up; here is a possible extended arc

meeting DS9 & VOY people along the way in sensible doses; seeing how Naomi Wildman is doing is a MUST!

Risa vacation (we finally get to talk how people on the planet have to power to throw out unruly tourists and there are in fact rules at play; positive sex work story to clean it all up, but also fun times and hanging a lantern on Seven’s catsuit-for-sex-appeal-days)

holodeck hijinks (I vote for a pirates-at-sea adventure)

meeting Sidney’s mom (and that better not be Leah Brahms, people need to stop that nonsense)

Seven violates the Prime Directive (and morally she will be right about it)

also conflict with the Rangers to put Seven through the ringer (not related to the above point)

Lt Esmar on Comms seems fun, would like to see more of them and same goes for Lt Mura on Tactical, keep the Bajoran. But since T’Veen was killed... *sigh*... I want a designated science officer with a bigger role. I need somebody to flash the blue science uniform on that bridge. (Chief Engineer and Chief Medical are also open, although guess Doc Ohk *harrrrr* could still be around, but with Beverly on board she didn’t leave a big impression unlike the bridge crew we got... I liked T’Veen :/....)

somebody should get a pet

I just want the Enterprise getting stuck in weird space anomalies, racing against time to help some colonies against natural disasters, diplomatic missions as allegories for some current events, we could revisit some planets from TNG and see how it’s going now (but more serious than LD would), alien mysteries in weird ruins. Make it fun and hopeful.

Oh, and then, the big drama. Bring back the “Conspiracy” worms!! XD

#Star Trek #ramblings #obviously we need a follow-up with the Jurati Borg Queen and also see how Soji is doing #(I know they ran out of money otherwise we would have gotten a scene between Soji and Data so they can make it happen then) #actually smooth out some of those high stakes things that happen in PIC and make it all feel nice and cohesive #mostly I just need to see Seven spin around in her Captain's chair :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3 :3

[annikasevenshots]

I wanna see next season Deanna Troi meeting Seven of nine, one look at her and 'uff girl I need to sit down, sweet darling what on earth happened to you, tell me everything honey' same with Raffi she would need to lay down after lol, poor sweet half Betazoid I can't wait for the meeting lol. I'm just glad both Seven and Raffi are in a better place than they were in season 1, but I still feel like Deanna will have a field day with them😂. At the end she will adopt them lol.

It was more of a joke but I really would like to see it a bit. I always liked Deanna, I've never been a huge fan of tng I prefered voyager probably because it was more during my childhood, but one my favorite character was Troi and I enjoyed seeing her in Picard season 1, so at least I'm happy to see her in season 3 even if I really don't like the idea of getting the whole tng cast to the detriment of st picard crew. I would have kept AT LEAST Elnor and Soji, to mix old and young crew better. Go figures what they'll do, we'll see

Oh I would melt if Troi and Seven met. They were my favourites as a baby. Such a shame at Elnor and Soji won't be around to meet the TNG crew :(

#deanna troi #seven of nine #thank you for the ask!

[resistanceisfeudal]

Episode 7: Monsters

Maybe the real monsters were the childhood trauma we made along the way

Ooh this set up. Okay I'm down let's go

Right. This is a tangent. But OK so it's a well known fact that non-american accents tend to be a bit off in American media, even when portrayed by actors of the same background as the character. E.g. an English actor's English accent will sound super weird and fake because his lines are clearly written by an American and his speech is weirdly precise and clear to avoid any confusion. This whole phenomenon is amplified when child actors are involved. Like, no shade to this kid but he doesn't sound real at all

Aaahhh raffi and seven feels again. I love how Raffi is judging Agnes and Cris for being messy and oh my goodddd. Once again they feel so real to me.

Ooh that little pointy ear piece thing. I like that. Well done, costume department.

I wouldn't want to hang out in JL's subconscious either tbh

Okay actually some shade to this kid

I like the maniacally laughing fog tho. That's good vibes

OK so suspension of disbelief and all but the medical device thing does seem pretty silly. I know it's a staple of Trek in general to have these magical devices that seem to work on intuition but like.... yeah that scene felt awkward.

I feel obliged to acknowledge that "rios stays behind" is looking very likely at this point. Idk about this because I do like Teresa but I'm also not a fan of the new characters being abandoned in favor of bringing back even more TNG characters in season 3, which it seems like they may well be doing

"No, I'm from Chile... but I work in outer space." - that was gold tho

Oh fuck okay

Fuck this is so dark and not what I expected what?!?!? Fuckkkk. The dialogue is a bit rough around the edges but OK I feel this. Fucking a. Poor mama picard

Wow, Rios too? this really is the daddy issues episode of the season. Wish elnor could be here for it. Could really pile it on.

Oh hey young Guinan. My love, my darling, moya droga

Honestly I'd love it if they tried to summon john de lancie Q and ended up with teenage Q from Voyager. They didn't have the balls to do that

I was expecting that fbi guy to be another Q when he turned up though. Oh well. I guess q continuum stuff can survive on my own headcanons lol

By this point in s1 the show had completely lost me. S2 on the other hand is still holding my interest. I hope it all comes together well

Have a good Good Friday or passover or anything else you have going on in your life right now!

#star trek: picard #spoilers #tonic's unwanted star trek opinions #episode reaction

[protectspock]

Okay so I've firmly established my new trek (discovery, Picard, lower decks, snw) wishlist basics

more filler episodes

more insane costumes

more levity

less overarching plot more overarching character development

(Lower Decks actually has most of these and Discovery is showing some signs of improvement. Picard needs a LOT of the above, and SNW remains to be seen.)

But I'd like to add to the list:

CROSSOVER EPISODES

Granted, we didn't get a lot of these between TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT, but it was very nice when we did! Obviously, there's the issue with all of them taking place in different time periods, but if I had creative control, this would be my proposal:

Ideas for Discovery

A historical holodeck episode. Either they're trapped within one or they have to search for the answer to a problem by observing historical events (like "Flashback" in ENT or "These are the voyages.") This would work best for a Discovery/Picard crossover or a Discovery/SNW crossover. Discovery/LD would be harder in this scenario for obvious reasons.

a hologram or other lifeform with the preserved likeness/personality of a character from Picard makes an appearance, similar to the Voyager episode with the EMH. This would work best for a Rios hologram, but it could also work for Soji, if she was somehow preserved for ~750 years.

Ideas for Lowerdecks

Lower Decks has INCREDIBLE crossover potential because of its format. We've already had some trek characters appear without having to worry about their age since all we need is their voice, and the more of this we get, the better. Lower Decks takes place only 19 years before Picard, 10 years before Rios is discharged, and 7 years before the Romulan Supernova. So what I'm saying is, any Picard character (with the exception of Elnor and Soji) could show up in Lower Decks. Actually, Rios would be about the same age as the Lower Decks crew. Give me Ensign Rios. Raffi would be about 35, so also no reason she shouldn't show up.

Lower decks also has a good set-up for a time travel episode. Why shouldn't they travel back to SNW, or forward to Picard or Discovery? If it's Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford we're talking about, they probably did it on accident while doing something they shouldn't have, and may therefore be reluctant to tell anyone with real authority about it when they get back. (Mariner: Spock had a SISTER? Did anyone else know about this? Geez, how many secret siblings can one dude have?). Also, then we get to see those crews animated and also in a light-hearted one-off which would RULE.

Ideas for Picard

I could see the Picard crew incidentally traveling forward to Discoveries period or back to SNW, although there may be some narrative hurdles. Imagine Elnor getting to see Ni'Var, experience the reunified Vulcan/Romulan state, and find out that the Qowat-Milat is still going strong! <3 Or imagine a Trials and Tribbleations style ep where Picard gets to bump elbows with Pike and interact with Spock when he was young!

Picard could also pull off a "historical holodeck" episode with SNW or S1-2 Discovery characters.

Ideas for SNW

Granted, we don't know the exact tone of SNW yet, and because all the other shows are happening in the future and unlike LD we can't bring on younger versions of the characters without scary CGI, the only way they could host a crossover episode would be through traveling forward in time. Now, this would take some classic star trek hand-waving to pull off, but they've done it before and they'll do it again. I would personally enjoy young Spock on La Sirena or getting to see Michael again :')

Final thoughts about Lower Decks

One nice thing about the main Lower Decks crew is that the voice actors all convincingly resemble the characters they play. So while it wouldn't be practical to have a live-action episode in which the deck of the Cerritos and every character would need to be live, having one of them, or just the four of them show up in SNW, Picard, or Discovery as time travelers or as holograms could actually be pretty easy to pull off.

#ld #pic #dis #snw #txt

[mappinglasirena]

Picard Season 2, Trailer 2 (Pt 1)

This is the first full trailer we got, released on Star Trek Day in September 2021, and at just over 2 minutes, it is also the longest. We finall got a better idea of some of the things expecting us this season, including Los Angeles in 2024, Raffi and Seven bickering and being badass, The Conservatory Of Fate And Mystery, and the Borg Queen in action. Lots of fascinating stuff!

Fair warning: I’ve split this trailer in half, but this post is still extremely long! And has a ton of images, so mobile users beware 😅

Notes:

Dialogue in italics is voice over, dialogue that isn’t italicized is seen spoken on screen.

Where bits of dialogues have very clearly been cut together from different lines, I’ve indicated this by adding “[cut]”

The time codes refer to the versions of the trailers I have, your milage may vary.

My naming practices are not 100% consistent, though I did my best. I’m generally talking about the different settings of the show as

“Present” (2399-2400, when we meet our motley crew again after the events of Coppelius, at the beginning of episode 1);

“Totalitarian Nightmare” (The alternate version of the present Q throws the crew into. I’m usually referring to this as the dystopian or totalitarian present/clothes/Sanctuary Districts/whatever);

“Past” (2024, the past from the perspective of our heroes.)

I use “Sirena” and “alt!Sirena” somewhat interchangeably. Practically all of the shots of the ship in these trailers show the alternative version of the ship from the dystopian timeline, and where it’s orginial 2399 Sirena, I make that clear.

I focus so much on the clothing of the characters because that’s really helpful in grouping together shots, figuring out timelines, and trying to piece together which bits of the previews belong together. Bear with me.

Trailer 2 (First Full Trailer), Star Trek Day, September 2021

Scene 1 (Château Picard, present)

Shot 1 (00:00-00:03)

Picard, in back turtleneck, opens the large door to the conservatory.

Laris: “I first saw you as…”

Shot 2 (00:03-00:05)

Picard looks into the conservatory.

Laris: “… a man who chose the stars.”

Shot 3 (00:06-00:08)

Picard kneels down in the centre of the run-down conservatory.

Laris: “But after all this time…”

Shot 4 (00:08-00:09)

Picard picks up a shard of glass from the floor.

Laris: “… I’ve come to wonder.”

Shot 5 (00:09-00:10)

He lifts the shard to hold it against the light.

Laris: “Have you been seeking?”

Shot 6 (00:10-00:12)

Close-up of the shard, which shows a delicate rose motif in red and green.

Laris: “Or running?”

  Scene 2 (Château, Totalitarian Nightmare)

Shot 7 (00:12-00:13)

Picard wakes up in the alternate present conservatory.

Shot 8 (00:13-00:14)

Reversed shot of a young boy (Picard?) in vest and cap, opening the doors to the conservatory, walking into its centre, and turning in circles staring up at the sky (windows?). The shot flickers and flips upside down and back again, as it accellarates.

Shot 9 (00:15-00:17)

Exterior of the château.

Q: “Do you recall what I said, Jean-Luc…”

Shot 10 (00:17-00:22)

Shot panning from close-up of Picard’s face to Q standing in the château in his black judge’s coat.

Q: “…when last we parted ways?”

Shot 11 (00:22-00:24)

Fade in from black on Q standing in front of Picard. He starts talking in voiceover, then it’s diegetic.

Q: “The trial never ends.”

Picard: “Q.”

 Shot 12 (00:25-00:28)

Probably different location in, or on the terrace of the château. Picard shakes his head in annoyance, telling Q off.

Picard: “I am way too old for your…”

Shot 13 (00:28-00:28)

Q angrily stares at Picard.

Picard: “… bullshit.”

Q drowns out the end of the word with a snap of his fingers.

 Scene 3 (Collection of scenes, TN)

Shot 14 (00:29-00:31)

Drone’s-eye view of neon-lit Hong Kong at night. There’s an explosion near the top of a skyscraper and sirens blare in the distance.

Shot 15 (00:32-00:33)

Elnor and two women are running away from something. Elnor is in his street clothes and their surroundings look like the futuristic sanctuary districts. The woman running behind Elnor might be Oh?

Rios: “Guys?”

Shot 16 (00:33-00:34)

Rios in his present-jacket is leaning on something (or kneeling) at the back of La Sirena’s upper deck. The engine lights have been partially disassembled, but they are blue, and the Borg Queen is not attached to them (anymore?).

Rios: “We have big problems.”

Shot 17 (00:34-00:36)

Picard, dressed in black, is looking over his shoulder with question and concern. Judging from the lights, he’s on Sirena.

Rios: “Something moved us.”

Shot 18 (00:36)

Rios standing on the bridge of alt!Sirena after just having appeared in the Totalitarian Nightmare, looking startled and worried.

Shot 19 (00:37)

Seven and Picard in their totalitarian outfits, sitting at Sirena’s tactical and nav stations respectively, are thrown forwards against the consoles.

Shot 20 (00:37-38)

Shot of Rios shortly after his arrival, falling forwards against Sirena’s central console.

Scene 4 (Rally and Slum, Totalitarian Nightmare)

 Shot 21 (00:39-00:41)

Fade-in on the assembly hall. There are red-and-white banners, a red lighting scheme, a pit from which the Borg Queen will be raised, and crowds of people cheering in the stands.

Picard: “Q went back in time…”

Shot 22 (00:41)

Picard and Seven, in full authoritarian chique, are standing on the stage, looking uncomfortable.

Picard: “… and turned…”

Shot 23 (00:42)

Focus on Picard, standing stoically in front of one of the red banners.

Picard: “… our world…”

Shot 24 (00:43)

Shot over the heads of the cheering crowd, pumping their fists in the air. They seem to be wearing warm clothes, many rough-spun hoods and fingerless gloves.

Picard: “… into a…”

Shot 25 (00:43)

Two people in full black tactical armour hurry down the Future Sanctuary District street past market stalls. They have their rifles raised and the left eye holes of their black helmets are glowing red.

Picard: “… totalitarian…”

Shot 26 (00:44)

Two people in black tactical armour stand on top of a platform or wall, behind chest-high railing. They’re training their rifles on something nearer the ground and one of them fires a shot. The left eyes of their tactical helmets are red, the right ones white.

Shot 27 (00:44-00:45)

Elnor in his street clothes runs through some market stalls and clears an obstacle with a skilled jump as the display behind him explodes from a phaser blast.

Picard: “… nightmare.”

Shot 28 (00:45)

Seven is standing in front of an opened metal wardrobe in someone’s quarters on La Sirena. She’s wearing her burgundy jacket and staring at a mirror that’s currently hidden from view. It’s difficult to guess whose clothes are hanging in the closet. The lights are flickering unsteadily.

Shot 29 (00:45-00:47)

View over Seven’s shoulder at the hexagonal mirror. Seven looks critically at herself and touches her de-borged left eyebrow. Then she drops her hand.

Seven: “Do you understand what this means?”

 Scene 5 (In front of concert hall, TN)

Shot 30 (00:47-00:48)

Seven, in totalitarian blazer, is addressing the others.

Seven: “Time has been broken.”

Shot 31 (00:48-00:49)

Elnor, in his street clothes, is looking from Picard to Raffi, looking concerned.

Shot 32 (00:49-00:52)

Elnor, Raffi, and Picard are walking away from the concert hall. The slightly curved wall they walk along is festooned with red-black-white banners. Raffi is wearing her dystopian coat, Picard his totalitarian jacket. Raffi is holding onto Elnor’s arm as they walk. Picard is talking with determination (dialogue fading in from voiceover in previous shot).

Picard: “I will get us home. Together.”

Scene 6 (Château, Totalitarian Nightmare)

Shot 33 (00:53-  00:54)

Picard, in his dystopian biker jacket, is standing in the château, staring at something off screen in concern.

Shot 34 (00:54-00:56)

Reverse shot, looking over Picard’s shoulder at a portrait of a younger Picard. Instead of the expected red and white TOS-movie-era uniform, the man in the portrait is wearing a black uniform with a grey collar, and the delta pinned to his chest is symmetrical.

Picard approaches the painting and touches it with awe or dread.

Picard: “The only way to heal our future…”

Scene 7 (Borg Queen lab, TN)

Shot 35 (00:56-00:58)

Looking over Picard’s shoulder at Seven, Raffi, Elnor, and Agnes standing in the Borg Queen lab.

Picard: “… is to go back and…”

Shot 36 (00:58)

Picard, in his totalitarian coat, is standing in the Borg Queen lab, looking at Agnes and the others off screen.

Picard: “… repair the past.”

Shot 37 (01:00-01:02)

A door with a small window in it lifts upward with a pneumatic whoosh and release of mist. We’re looking out at the cluttered Borg Queen lab. Seven is standing closest to the door, Picard, Raffi, and Elnor stand behind her. Agnes cannot be seen.

Seven is breathing deeply and all of them look deeply concerned.

Picard: “There are…”

Shot 38 (01:02-01:03)

Picard is walking forward purposefully. Seven, over his right shoulder, is looking calm, Raffi, over his left shoulder, looks concerned, and Elnor looks like he’s reaching out for Raffi’s arm or hand.

Picard: “… ways of…”

Shot 39 (01:03-01:04)

Focus on Seven, who’s taking a few steps backward, looking scared.

Picard: “… traveling in time.”

Shot 40 (01:04-01:06)

The rig holding the Borg Queen slides forward into view. When it stops, the forcefield around her flashes once.

Shot 41 (01:06-01:08)

Picard is staring ahead with intensity. Raffi, Elnor, and Agnes stand behind him.

Agnes: “Great.”

Elnor looks over at her.

Shot 42 (01:08-01:09)

Focus on Agnes. She glances towards the others, then looks back at Picard.

Agnes: “Now what?”

 Scene 8 (Time Travel on La Sirena)

Shot 43 (01:09-01:10)

Close-up of Picard’s(?) hand plugging a cable sparking green energy into the Borg Queen’s back.

Shot 44 (01:10-01:11)

Close-up on the queen, staring ahead with a sinister smile. Sirena’s engine light is glowing blue behind her shoulder. She jerks her head to the side.

Shot 45 (01:11-01:14)

Chaotic, overlaying images of the crew on the bridge of Sirena. The engine light in the background (with the Borg Queen strapped to it, though too out of focus to be visible) is glowing green. Sparks are flying and lights flashing as we see the faces overlayed with extreme close-ups of Picard, Rios, Raffi, and Seven, looking ahead in a mix of concern and astonishment.

Masterpost Trailer 0 Trailer 1 Trailer 2 pt 2 Trailer 3 pt 1, pt 2 Trailer 4 Trailer 5

#star trek picard #extrailervaganza #analysis and speculation #not mapping #picard season 2 #picard season 2 spoilers #season 2 trailer #season 2 trailer 2 #long post

[jonny-r217]

I’ve been listening to the scores for Star Trek Discovery s1-3 and Picard during my commutes the last couple days and it got me thinking about “modern” Star Trek.

Disclaimer- I’ve been watching Trek since before I could speak and will continue to watch ALL iterations until my dying day. While I generally enjoy Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks, I don’t love them in their totality, which I think stems mostly from pacing. (Also I’ve done at least one complete viewing of each series, some rewatches, but going mostly from memory for my thoughts here.)

Three thoughts-

1- Lower Decks: I don’t actually like the show.

I love Mariner. Boimler, Tendi, & Rutherford are adorable, but I just don’t like the pacing. It’s hyperactive and over saturated with jokes and Easter eggs to the point where I can’t enjoy an episode without multiple pauses or rewinds - on the first viewing. It’s a little frustrating since the show is so obviously made with care and love for Trekkies by Trekkies. I just wish there was a breath or two more to really let us take it all in. Also who knew that high octane screwball comedy Star Trek would work so well?

2- Picard was a near masterpiece.

There are some places to trim the fat, namely with the Romulans/Zhat Vash, the admonition, and the AI Federation; but it is such a fantastic study in grief and letting go/moving on with the broken pieces we have. (See also the rest of the cast and their arcs.)

Personally I didn’t care for the Romulan infiltration of StarFleet. They could have left it simply as the Tal Shi’ar were responsible for the Mars attack as retribution for a failed Nova rescue, but it was the Federation alone that caused the synth ban. It adds gravitas to the dichotomy of being a good man with no light behind you that Picard faces, while also being a nice look at how the UFP isn’t always living up to the ideals it strives for. Commodore Oh and Narik and his sister could have been erased and the show would have been relatively unchanged and stronger for it. Leave the artifact as a section 31/federation black site, keep Laris & Jabahn, Elnor & the Qoat Mialt unchanged.

Also unless Discovery or Picard intent to revisit the cuter AI tentacle monster it’s best to just say “that was weird” and move on and ignore it.

Finally, Discovery. It too suffers pacing issues, but also some diversity as well.

Pacing, I know I know it’s supposed to be the action adventure, but give us a little time to see what happens when the dust settles each season. Let us sit with the crew. I know it’s Michael’s story, but it’s been three years and we barely know her crew mates/subordinates. If filler episodes are a thing of the past, give us a short trek or two.

Diversity, the crew is both the most diverse in history and simultaneously the least. Yes we started 10 years pre-TOS and there’s intentional parallels to TOS’ crew dynamics, but with Saru not really being around and Linus a glorified guest star, it’s a completely human crew in a galaxy where humans are not the only sentiments. Trek and it’s species are supposed to be mirrors. Without the aliens, it feels lacking. Particularly because of what I feel is a missed opportunity with Grey and Adira. Their story presently doesn’t connect to me, and I think it’s partly because it’s yet another human, even if a Trill & Symbiont are involved. How much richer would Adira’s story have been being a joined, yet blocked, Trill? What about how it plays into their place in Trill society which we know frowns on maintaining a relationship with the loves of previous hosts when in this case they are one and the same? Or what of Adira being a young alien trapped on a Post-Burn Earth? You could still have had all the trans education and working to have Grey be seen again and Hugh and Paul adopting them both, while making it a little bit more richer narratively. Maybe it was because of backstage ideas not wanting to hide trans/NB actors behind alien prosthetics and make up, but it feels a missed opportunity.

#personal #star trek #star trek picard #star trek discovery #star trek lower decks

[areusittingcomfortably]

Watching him, really carefully

@enigma-the-mysterious asked for

Deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down Cris actually does care about his holos. You just need to watch him *really* carefully.

Deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down Cris actually does care about his holos. You just need to watch him really carefully, thinks Elnor.

He’s a little bit in awe of Rios. The man’s command of his ship, his knowledge of space, his confidence and adaptability in the face of the unknown, his ability to lie so easily, yet not for his own gain. It is at odds with his own commitment to Absolute Candour, but he envies it. 

In the same way he once looked up to Picard and wanted to impress him, he now admires Captain Rios, and longs to be so at ease with his travelling companions, to feel like he belongs onboard La Sirena instead of being the outsider.

The Captain’s unexpected flashes of anger and impatience amuse him, his sudden fury evaporating almost as quickly as it comes. It is a defence mechanism, Elnor thinks. Behind the walls he tries to keep up, he is a caring, forgiving man. Elnor has no doubt at all that Rios would throw himself in front of a phaser to protect Raffi, and very likely Agnes and Picard as well, without hesitation. Of all the contradictions in the Captain’s behaviour, nothing amuses him more than his relationship with his emergency holograms. The utter contempt in which he appears to hold them.

Appearances can be deceptive though, and Elnor has trained his whole life to see the truth of things, so he watches him really carefully, and with great amusement.

Observation 1 – Emmet

“Why are you still here?” Rios snaps at Emmet, who is dozing with his feet up on the console. Emmet mumbles something unintelligible in Spanish, probably a curse judging by the way he side-eyes the Captain. Rios pushes Emmet’s legs off roughly. “I don’t need your help anymore.”

“Yes, you do.” Emmet responds, lazily. “La pequeña doctora, la cagaste, is mistake to trust her.”

Rios looks at him sharply, eyes narrowed. Watching from the shadows, Elnor thinks he’s about to have one of his sudden fits of anger and throw something at the holo, but instead the Captain asks, “¿por qué?”

“No lo sé. Simplemente lo siento.” Emmet shrugs, holding Rios’s gaze for a long moment

“¡Piérdase!” Rios finally sighs in annoyance, waving his hands for Emmet to disappear.

Elnor has noticed that when Rios is angry with Emmet, he speaks to him in English, but when he needs him, or is willing to listen, he speaks in their mother tongue. There is an ease between them that is absent with the other holos, as though Rios is most comfortable with this surly, devil-may-care side of himself.

Observation 2 – Emil

“WHAT?” roars Rios angrily, before the EMH can finish asking what the nature of his…

“Sir, I just wanted to know if you needed any help with that?”

“No, I don’t need your help administering a simple antihistamine shot. Elnor is allergic to this damned synthetic cat!” Elnor smiles apologetically, embarassed.

“But, that’s not an antihistamine. That’s an anti-malarial.” Emil retorts, briskly, removing it from the Captain’s hand. “You must have entered the wrong code. What is the nature of your psychia…” he stops abruptly at the look on Rios’s face, hurrying to the replicator for the correct medicine, “This should do it.”

Rios mumbles something that might (if you paid very close attention and used a bit of imagination) have been a thank you (or might just have been him clearing his throat) and Emil nearly falls over in shock. Rios administers the injection, “Sorry, kid.”

When Rios glances up, Emil is still rooted to the spot, “Going, going.” he says, hastily, disappearing in a bit of a daze.

Elnor wonders if Rios knows his EMH has a name or whether he simply doesn’t want to use it. He suspects that the Captain might have been a lot like Emil as a young officer. Thoroughly brisk and competent and inspiring of confidence.

Observation 3 – Mr Hospitality

Elnor doesn’t like to think that Mr Hospitality might be part of Captain Rios’s psyche. Rios can’t stand to be within sight of him, and neither can Elnor. His presence in a room is a constant unease. Always so very eager to please, but not for the sake of giving pleasure. It is a strange and unsettling thing.

Elnor feels like he is dishonest and doesn’t like him any more than Rios does, but it’s curious to think that he represents some small part of the Captain – and clearly the part he is least comfortable with. 

Perhaps, that little sliver of himself that was forced to cover up something he was deeply ashamed of and is desperate that it not be discovered, ever-so-carefully papering over the cracks, diverting attention to elsewhere. And yet, although he obviously dislikes him, and with little need to provide hospitality aboard La Sirena, the Captain has not permanently deactivated him.

Observation 4 – Ian

Elnor still hasn’t seen Captain Rios interacting with Ian, the Emergency Engineering Hologram, but he has also never heard Rios complaining about the maintenance of his ship. What Elnor has witnessed, is Rios lovingly running his hand over something that looks shiny and well-maintained with a look of genuine satisfaction.

Sadly, Ian has never actually seen this himself, because he always makes a point of vanishing before Rios shows up. Like a well-oiled machine they get along by never causing friction. Of all Rios’s holograms, he seems to finds it easiest to avoid confrontation and is arguably the most content.

Observation 5 – Enoch

Unlike Enoch, who seems to take a perverse joy from crocheting his Captain. Wait, that isn’t quite right, Elnor thinks. Needling? Yes, that’s it. He will master these strange expressions! He loves watching their interactions. The ENH is the only one he’s seen Rios having an actual conversation with. Not that Rios is nice to him in any way, but he doesn’t always deactivate him immediately.

Enoch is light to the Captain’s shadows, the Yang to his Yin. Where Rios lounges around half-dressed and dishevelled, Enoch sits up straight, neat and tidy and fully buttoned up. Where Rios finds complications, Enoch finds cause for optimism. When Rios says no, Enoch says yes. Rios often says no, Elnor notices, but nearly always means yes. 

And, although the Captain snarks and fights with him more than any of the other holograms, Elnor can’t help thinking that it’s because deep, deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down, Cris knows how much he needs him, them. You just need to watch him really carefully.

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