‘Star Trek: Picard’ Recap – ‘The End is the Beginning’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

​Over the course of the past couple of weeks, Star Trek: Picard has focused heavily on the power of the past and how it weighs upon and haunts a person and there’s truly good reason for spending so much screen time upon these particular notions. For Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, has made some dubious choices, the kind that have stayed with him and chewed upon the back of his mind; despite his best efforts to escape them. But at some point, there comes a reckoning for men like Jean-Luc, wherein one can no longer hide from their past and one must face every mistake and misstep in order to find the peace one so desperately seeks and that’s really what the first two episodes have revolved around, Picard’s reckoning.
 
Yet while it is fascinating to watch a great man, one that has accomplished incredible wonders, reflect upon his regrets and every mistake and misstep he’s made over the past two decades, there has to be some kind of action taken in order to resolve the past and that’s put Picard at quite the crossroads. For in essence; he must either stand tall and try to right the wrongs in his mind or walk away and spend the rest of his days making fine wine, free from the trappings of morality that were the focal point of his younger days. And while ‘Maps and Legends’ saw him try to stand tall with mixed results, ‘The End is the Beginning’ dove full bore into his final decision on the on matter and thankfully… Admiral Jean-Luc Picard made the call to confront everything that’s been haunting him, starting with an attempt to make amends with a person that he hurt deeply in regard to his resignation; Commander Raffi Musiker.
 
Because shortly after he tendered his resignation, Raffi lost her security clearances in Starfleet, and clearly her career stalled as well. And it quickly becomes apparent during her conversation with Picard that she is someone who deeply loved her time in Starfleet and being robbed of a career and a future within Starfleet’s framework broke her. In fact, when we meet her here, she’s in a tough place mentally and tending to her wounds with various home-grown substances. But while this offered up some powerful moments, what matters more here is that Jean-Luc made every effort to set things right with his former first officer. For he offered an apology, and an opportunity to get back into the game by helping him figure out the mystery of Bruce Maddox. But the pain of yesterday was still too much for Raffi to bear and she rebuffed Picard’s attempts to make things right, but not before offering him something he was desperately in need of; a pilot and a ship.
 
Which brought Picard aboard a vessel named the La Sirena, wherein we met Captain Rios, another former Starfleet commander who had experienced some incredible trauma while in the service thanks to Starfleet’s shadier side. Yet while it was fascinating to meet another officer who happened to have a bone to pick with Starfleet, what this visit did for Jean-Luc is paramount. Because being on the bridge of a starship brought out a spark in Picard that we haven’t seen yet on this series, and it just so happened to be the spark that we once saw emanate from him when he stood upon the bridge of the Enterprise. For space is where Picard belongs and the instant he sat down next to Rios, the Captain we know and love was on display once again and well, it’s clear now that making plans to do the right thing and pushing others to confront and step away from their past is doing something quite special. But more on that in a moment.

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​For this is a series that is all about developing and resolving all of the plot points that it brings to the table. Which means we needed to spend a little time aboard that ghost ship of a Borg Cube and catch up with Soji. But rather than stick to familiar territory, with Narek and his sister lurking about the shadows and watching her closely, the story chose to go a different route in regard to Soji. For she wanted to learn everything and anything about some of the ancient Romulan legends one particular Romulan named Ramdah, who was now liberated from the Collective, knew about and well, that quest for knowledge ended in unsettling fashion. For Soji was able to recall some incredibly specific facts about Ramdah, and what Soji had to say awoke an incredible fear. To the point where Ramdah pondered aloud as to which twin Soji was from said legends, the one that dies, or the one known that was known as ‘The Destroyer’ and that’s a fascinating nickname to have for someone as special as Soji and this dark belief surrounding her extends across the galaxy.
 
Because back on Earth, Jean-Luc found himself in quite the precarious position. For behind the scenes, the sinister Commodore Oh was beginning to dig into what exactly Picard was up to after his meeting with the CNC, and that led her to Dr. Jurati, who was happy to inform Oh of their conversations and Picard’s plans. Which prompted Oh to call in her Tal Shiar/Zhat Vash cronies to deal with the Admiral and in a stunning turn of events, they came calling at Chateau Picard and that was a poor choice on their part. Because they didn’t count on Picard’s tenacity or the overall skills of his friends and in prompt fashion, the trio were able to put down every last agent, with an assist from the good Doctor when she arrived to discuss her meeting with the Commodore and… the tie in here, stems from what the only survivor of this fight had to say. For he spoke to how Soji was indeed something sinister and he also called her the Destroyer, leaving one to wonder why she is so feared by the remnant of the Empire.
 
However, rather than end this episode in dark and ominous fashion, the writers room opted to do something quite magnificent. For shortly after the attack, Picard received word that now would likely be a good time to head out into the stars before things get hairy and that’s when Picard’s efforts to heal himself and the world he left behind, paid off in spades. For Raffi was aboard waiting for him, and it was clear she took some of Jean-Luc’s words to heart and she had wonderful news about Maddox’s location, and Agnes also wants in on this mission and this is all happening simply because Picard is engendering trust once again. He’s getting others to believe in a greater cause and in hope, and maybe, if they join him on this just and true quest, they can do some good in a galaxy that is currently lost as it glides through the void. And that made the ending of this episode hopeful and joyous and it is just wonderful to see Admiral Picard inspiring people once again.
 
But while it is wonderful to be amongst the stars with Picard and a crew of intrepid heroes, there are some dark clouds gathering on the horizon in regard to this story. After all, Raffi made a point to inform Jean-Luc that she had concrete evidence that certain members of Starfleet and the Empire were conspiring behind the scenes back in the day, which may explain why the rescue was called off. And of course, Soji’s nickname brings up grave concerns, and it will be quite interesting to see where these plot threads take us in the weeks to come. But in the here and the now, it is best we simply celebrate another magnificent episode. One that brought Hugh, the Borg formerly known as Third of Five back into the fold, and one that allowed for Picard to find the best parts of himself again and truly the wait for next week’s chapter in this magnificent tale is going to be a difficult one. Because the Admiral is back on the bridge of a starship, and the possibilities of where his mission will take us, are endless. Until next time.

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