Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Assimilation

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When TV Fanatic spoke with showrunner Akiva Goldsman, he commented that Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3 is when the action really lands and the season starts to take off.

By all appearances, he was not over-selling the event.

We watch Jurati and the Borg queen having a weirdly intimate dance of consciousnesses on the crashed ship, while Seven and Raffi explore 2024 and Rios gets himself arrested.

A Dilemma - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

Escaping the Confederation forces led by the First Husband is about as exciting a fight scene as we've seen in the series, considering Elnor and his sword are out of commission.

It's not lost on me that Raffi gets to disintegrate Seven's husband. Seems extremely fitting.

Grief makes monsters of everyone, and Raffi is no exception.

Considering Seven featured in a very similar scenario on Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 5 where she not only witnessed Icheb's brutalized body, she had to put him out of his suffering herself, Raffi seems unaware of how Elnor's death affects others.

Concerned Seven - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

In typical Raffi fashion, she immediately fixates on a solution. Find the Watcher, fix time, save Elnor.

No one's going to tell her otherwise. Even Jurati can't say whether or not it'll work.

My only thought as the three head out on their away mission is that they're all pretty over-dressed for the heat of Los Angeles.

Their arrival in 2024 is about as delightful a fish-out-of-water scenario as we could have anticipated.

Three to Beam Out - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

Well, maybe not for Rios.

Does anyone else suspect that Jurati purposely transported him into midair, where she was able to pop the others onto solid ground?

It bothers me to no small extent that Jurati's character is meant to be seen as both brilliant and incredibly petty. (Also fully capable of murder in case you'd forgotten how Bruce Maddox met his end.)

Borg queen: What you have just done here is more difficult and vastly more dangerous than you realize.
Jurati: And what is that?
Borg queen: You've impressed me.

So when the Borg queen gets all intense and intrigued with her pickpocketing the coordinates of The Watcher while their consciousnesses were doing the tango, my Spidey-senses are tingling.

There are a LOT of theories out there about the masked Borg queen from Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 1. I know where I'm laying my money—just saying.

Jurati's Plea - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

It comes down to names.

The Borg queen on the premiere addresses him as "Picard." The Borg queen here addresses him as "Locutus."

For those who insist on arguing the premiere queen is somehow his mother (really, seriously?), I'd point out that she would have addressed him as "Jean-Luc."

Picard: Agnes, can you hear me?
Jurati: Picard. So many warm feelings. Admiration, respect. Sometimes I want to disobey you just for spite, but that's cause I wish you were my dad.
Picard: I see we're diving into the deep end.

I've made completely wrong predictions before, but I'm pretty sure I've got it right here.

Convincing the Admiral - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

They've begun to foreshadow a complication with the mission in that Seven is becoming more and more comfortable with life as a never-assimilated human.

I mean, I'm sure she doesn't want to be the president of a fascist, xenophobic Confederation in 2401, but perhaps she'll try to stay in 2024?

Seven: Strangers don't usually like me.
Raffi: You and 2024 should get a room.

Meanwhile, Raffi's fixation on solving the time fissure doesn't blind her to the injustices of 2024.

You know, I've never been able to understand how a society could exist with so many contradictions and not collapse sooner than it did.

Raffi

The online fandom has been quick to note that 2024 is the same year Sisko, Bashir, and Dax took part in the Bell Riots in San Francisco on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 3 Episodes 11 and 12.

Whether or not there will be a cross-over, the Sanctuary Districts (where homeless people were detained) are marked out in Los Angeles. Raffi and Seven pass a sign as they head for the tower.

Working out the Details - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

In the Wake-Up World of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 2, a "General Sisko" was also mentioned. Is it just fan service, or will this season delve into other Star Trek: Deep Space Nine references?

Rios's adventure is the most immersive in 2024 life as he experiences the deprivation the poor and undocumented live with when he is brought to Dr. Teresa's free clinic.

Dr. Teresa is a great character to bring onboard early. She's intelligent, brave, and funny, to boot. She'll make a good ally, although I'd be wary of having her show up on Jurati's radar.

The Season 2 trailer showed Seven breaking Rios out of a prison transport bus. I'll assume that happens soon, probably after they track down his com badge and maybe after they meet Teresa's son, who's also a lot of fun.

Captain Rios - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

It's a tall order whenever our heroes are called upon to fix time.

As Jurati points out, their presence there is already a disruption to time. The hope is they can find The Watcher and solve the primary fissure without causing more.

So, to be clear, wake a queen that could kill us all, beam from a ship with no power, and find a Watcher who may or may not exist.

Rios

With the Borg queen in play, and Jurati incredibly drawn to her presence, things onboard La Sirena could get just as messy as things in Los Angeles.

By the way, does anyone have a good idea where Picard targets their crash? He says he's taking them "home," and the only theory I have is that it's the desert where Raffi lives in her trailer in the future.

Captain and Admiral - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3

My other question relates to Q's brief appearance at Picard's side just before they travel back in time.

As at the Chateau Picard in the Wake-Up World, no one else sees Q.

I only remember him being invisible to others on Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6 Episode 15, "Tapestry," when he torments Picard in his alternate past.

Curioser and curioser. Is it possible that Q is only a figment of Picard's mind on this adventure? A manifestation of blame and regret?

Q on the Offensive - Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 2

It's far-fetched, I know, but I'd like to understand why others don't see him. Why do you think that is?

While we're postulating the possibilities, however slight, who is The Watcher?

How will they return to the future? And while we're on that topic, how cool is it that Lea Thompson (yeah, Back the Future Lea Thompson) directs this episode?

Let's see your best theories in our comments, Fanatics! Make it so!

Assimilation Review

Editor Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 (51 Votes)

Diana Keng was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. Follow her on X.

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Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 3 Quotes

Move backward to go forward. Shatter to mend. The past is now.

Borg queen

This is the only kind of life you understand. Shall we see what else has been lost in the wake of your fear?

Q