‘Star Trek: Picard’ Recap: ‘Monsters’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Star Trek: Picard’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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One thing that fans of the Star Trek Universe can agree upon, is that every single franchise in this grand and sweeping saga of a better tomorrow, has done a phenomenal job of exploring the human condition. A feat each series is able to accomplish by way of clever storytelling that uses fascinating worlds and scenarios or alternate timelines, to hold a mirror up to who we are and give the audience plenty to chew upon. Which of course, has brought forth some powerful episodes throughout the past fifty plus years, the kind that fans continue to recommend to newcomers of the franchise… because of how well they examine our modern world.
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But what is genuinely fascinating about this franchise, is that despite its ability to dig deep into the human condition and give us great pause in doing so… there are still topics and aspects about us and our world that the STU seemingly avoids as often as possible. For instance, examination and explorations on mental health and issues surrounding the human mind are topics that this franchise doesn’t always bring to the forefront of storytelling, nor does it tend to remotely examine some of the more terrifying aspects of domestic life in our modern world. A feat the STU is able to accomplish by making use of the utopian future it resides within… since that signals a future where such issues have been abolished, much like war and hunger and the other parts of our world we wish would go away.

However, as those deeper and relevant topics become commonplace in storytelling these days, even the STU is starting to understand the importance of exploring these matters in some capacity and for proof, then look no further than this week’s episode of Star Trek: Picard. For ‘Monsters’ is a story that took us into the mind of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. Wherein we were able to not only learn about the abusive and traumatic past that the admiral experienced as a child, but how he used the resulting pain from that to try and be a better man in this life by stepping up and saving lives and being a beacon for others to believe in. An act that obviously has come at some cost emotionally, since Picard the icon vs. Picard the man are two vastly different people.

But what matters more, is that by going into his mind… we were able to see firsthand how he grew up in a toxic environment. Where his father was viewed as a monster and his mother was a victim of various forms of abuse from him, and any kind of exploration on that and how children view such matters and fear them, is brave and bold to begin with. Since it acknowledges an uncomfortable reality that few of us ever talk about or hear discussed in any mainstream capacity and the show does deserve credit for speaking to the impact this has upon children and by taking all of that one step further, by explaining the genesis of the abuse in the Picard household. 

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For it turned out that there was more to this situation than Picard originally realized, since it was also revealed that his mother suffered from severe mental illness and refused to receive help. Meaning that both of his parents brought forth some of kind of abuse upon Jean-Luc. For his father’s disturbing reaction to mother’s bouts of mania and depressive phases, did indeed make him a monster that did little to encourage her healing and Jean-Luc's mother’s machinations forced him to suffer as well. A reality that offered up quite the lesson. In that, we cannot simply, will away mental health issues, and we cannot handle them in violent or forceful manner. It requires care and honesty and communication and help from professionals and an openness to healing.
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However, the most important lesson of all when it came to this trip through the darkest recesses of Picard’s mind… is that we cannot avoid our past, nor should we use it to purely strengthen us as well. For neither choice allows for us to resolve that which haunts us. Which means the only way forward is to face it head on and acknowledge it and resolve it and focus on what those moments taught us and well, that really was quite the unexpected journey for us to go upon in this tale. One that genuinely did showcase parts of our world that we are only now starting to talk about in healthy manner (such as mental health) and other aspects that we simply don’t to face at the moment (domestic violence) but need to, so it no longer persists in the shadows. 

Yet while that was bold and important to experience, since it was a big step for Picard and the STU, there was progress regarding the plot to be found here as well, that we do need to discuss. For this journey into the darkness of the past, taught Picard that perhaps he also needed to better understand Q and his obsession with him and not be flippant about such a being, as he is with his own past, since facing it here taught him a great deal about the man he’s become. Which led him back to Guinan and trouble, since their attempts to summon Q failed and also because a return to Ten Forward, brought forth the attention of the FBI, who have questions about Picard’s identity and purpose in Los Angeles.

Plus, things are heating up with the Borg Queen/Jurati storyline. Since Raffi and Seven went on a search for her in L.A. and came to discover that the queen is getting stronger by the moment and might take over Jurati’s mind completely and that could of course, lead to a disaster. But while we wait to see what will become of Agnes and the recently arrested admiral, we can in fact offer up a round of applause for one bold and brave tale. One that shone a light on some powerful topics and hopefully, this is the bare beginnings of a new era for the STU. Wherein it finds creative ways to address more intimate and troubling matters so it can continue to be a pioneer franchise regarding the human condition, and all of the beauty and troubles that come with it. Until next time.  

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