‘Star Trek: Picard’ Recap – ‘Nepenthe’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

​For the most part, stories that revolve around loss and trauma and everything in between, tend to feature a fairly standard formula. The kind where we see our main character suffer and struggle with a painful moment in their life, before they finally decide to tackle it in fierce fashion before moving on and enjoying life in a wiser and a more complete fashion. Which is an oft inspirational way to go about telling this kind of tale, since it informs the audience that action is necessary when it comes to such matters and tackling it in a brave and bold manner will pay off in spades. But the fact of the matter is, this is an incomplete way to tell this story, since the road back from trauma is a long and complicated one.
 
Enter Star Trek: Picard. For this particular story has tackled all of the complicated matters that accompany the road to recovery. Such as how people shy away from the problem at hand, instead opting to fill the void with hollow pursuits or other endeavors that only temporarily heal, as is the case with just about everything that Admiral Picard has done following his exit from Starfleet. But while that alone should be enough to explore the road back in more a realistic and fascinating manner, the series has taken his journey one step further. For it has also shown us the external impact that isolation from grief causes since we’ve seen Picard have to face the disdain and disappointment from others in regards to his decision, and it just so happens that night’s episode of the series took the time to examine one more aspect of grief related isolation. Specifically, how it sometimes prompts us to steer clear of the people we care about the most; the kind that can help us navigate the rough waters swirling in our mind and our hearts.
 
But before we dive into how ‘Nepenthe’ ties into this particular theme, let’s talk about the wonder of the long-awaited reunion between Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and his longtime friends and shipmates Captain William Riker and Commander Deanna Troi. Because seeing them together again was… a beautifully heartfelt moment, one that undoubtedly brought tears to the eyes of people outside of this reviewer. But all emotional moments aside, this part of the story also deserves some serious credit for filling us in, as to what the Riker family has been up to since we last saw them in Star Trek: Nemesis. As it turns out, sometime after their arrival on the U.S.S. Titan, Will and Deanna had a son named Thaddeus, and sadly dear Thad came down an illness that could have been cured had it not been for the Synthetic ban. And his ailments and the arrival of their second child, Kestra, prompted the family to settle on the planet that shares the namesake of this episode, in order to spend time together before Thad passed into the great beyond.
 
Which makes it seem as though the Rikers would be healing as well when we meet them in this story and that support of one another would be the focal point instead. But at this point in their lives, they’ve made some peace with Thad’s passing and rallied around the Admiral. In fact, this was perhaps the most beautiful segment of the night since Will and Deanna were quick to welcome Picard and Soji in their home and protect them from trouble, and what was striking about their interactions is the sheer respect that they still held in their hearts for Jean-Luc. It was almost as if, he was still their captain and this was still the Enterprise and seeing that offered a familiar feel to this tale, one that made it seem as though The Next Generation never quite ended, and it was equally as delightful to see Riker and Troi put the pieces together in regard to Soji’s true identity and the trouble she and Picard were in, because that led to the central theme of the story.

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For both Deanna and Will came to realize that Picard has lost some of his touch in his years of isolation and this was a grand opportunity to allow for the students to become the teacher at last, and they took the time to remind Jean-Luc what made him such a great captain and what makes him such a great man. Because sadly, Soji didn’t trust Picard in the slightest, and with good reason when one considers the horrors she’s been through recently. But thankfully, their care and their advice reached the Admiral and the old Jean-Luc, the one that believes in understanding and unity and cooperation finally emerged and his kind words and ability to engender trust finally reached Soji on a fundamental level and she’s now ready to work with Picard and find her home world and thankfully they’re now closer than ever before. Because a slightly off-kilter captain and Kestra, worked together to try and pinpoint the planet that Soji saw in her dream and well, they figured out the location and will be headed that way post haste.
 
Yet while all of this was hopeful and beautiful to watch in its own right, there was still strife and dark moments to be found in this tale and many of them played out aboard the Artifact. For Narissa was supremely displeased with the fact that Picard and Soji escaped capture and that meant retribution was in order, and unfortunately for the xB’s and Hugh, that measure of revenge was directly solely their way. Which meant that Narissa pulled a page from the Empire’s playbook and used pain and suffering to try and get information out of Hugh and that left this former Borg in a tough place emotionally as he watched friends die. And that prompted Hugh to enact a measure of payback on his own, one that would make the cube a scientific failure for the Romulans and sadly, his decision to stand up with Elnor at his side, ended in heartbreak. Because Narissa was able to wound Hugh mortally in battle, ending his long and winding journey and it’s a shame that Hugh won’t be able to see a galaxy where former Borg are thriving.
 
But while that was heartbreaking for certain, the sorrow didn’t end with Hugh. Because aboard the La Sirena, Agnes was having quite the crisis. Because despite seeing the end of the world via a Vulcan Mind Meld before leaving Earth and ingesting a tracking device to help Narek keep an eye on the crew, she no longer felt comfortable with this mission to end Soji’s life. For it went against everything she believed in, and betraying those beliefs cost her dearly already since her darling Bruce was dead at her hands. And that prompted Dr. Jurati to make some bold decisions once Rios and Raffi figured out that they were being hunted by something Romulan, and to slightly atone for her sins she put herself in harm’s way with a nasty neurotoxin, one that could have killed her but only put her into a coma. Which in turn, disabled the signal that Narek was using to track them, giving the crew a much-needed chance to finally finish their mission.
 
If anything, it’s best to declare this episode to be bittersweet at best. For while it was nice to see a wonderful reunion between Jean-Luc and some of his closest confidants/friends, it’s tough to see Hugh exit this franchise, since it’s safe to say that everyone was hoping to see him find peace in his life. But at least we know that his legacy will be one that is noble in nature, since he did everything, he could to save the xB’s and help them achieve a new life free from the pain of the Collective. But truly, the good in this episode does outweigh the ugly. Because seeing Picard bounce back after receiving fine advice from his friends is just a delight and truly it speaks to the fact that sometimes, it is our closest friends, the ones that are extended family, that bring us back from the brink. And now that Jean-Luc Picard has seemingly found his way as a leader once again, it should be interesting to see how he handles his toughest test in years. For now, he must confront the saboteur in his midst and battle the evil that is the Zhat Vash, all in the hopes of setting things right in the galaxy once again. Until next time.

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