Star Trek: Picard Review: The End Is Only The Beginning (Season 1 Episode 3)

Star Trek: Picard continues to deliver out of this world content as the latest episode brings us our assembled crew and a look at the danger lurking beyond the horizon. On Star Trek: Picard, Season 1 Episode 3, “The End Is Only The Beginning,” Picard goes about finding a pilot and a crew, while the story on the Borg Cube delves deeper into the mythology of the show.

Directed by Hanelle Culpepper and written by Michael Chabon and James Duff, “The End Is Only The Beginning” appears to do the final exposition work for the season, working together with the first two episodes to serve as a movie-length pilot for Star Trek: Picard.

On “Maps and Legends,” we met Picard’s former first officer, Raffi. She’s rough around the edges and she’s got a bone to pick with Picard for the state he left their relationship in for the last 14 years. Their first scene on this episode is set up to give us some backstory and it gets the job done even if the writing for the flashback is a bit clunky.

We can surmise that Raffi worked with Picard shortly after Riker left the Enterprise and that the two of them were close through the destruction of Romulus and Mars until Picard resigned from Starfleet. The gruff and rugged atmosphere fits Raffi better than the confines of the Starfleet uniform, and her scenes with Picard through the rest of the episode do much more to show us how well these two know each other and play off of each other. 

I love that Raffi takes approximately zero bullshit from Picard; she’s our most reluctant hero so far on Star Trek: Picard and she and Rios bring an “exhausted rebel with a heart of gold” energy to the show that resonates with today’s audience.

Raffi shares my theory that the Romulans had something to do with the destruction of Mars and boy does it feel good to be validated, even if it’s by the show’s clear resident conspiracy theorist. Raffi says she has proof that someone at Starfleet let the attack go through, and I would like to see it! I think it’s Commadore Oh, let me know your theories in the comments below. 

Upon the Borg Cube, we get to see Soji team up with our good friend Hugh. He’s impressed by her work with the nameless, and she’s learned a lot from him. Why do I get the feeling that these two and Naáshala are the only three people on this cube with an actual moral compass? 

It seems as though the Romulans are in charge of a portion of the cube, while Hugh is in charge of another portion. How exactly does this symbiotic relationship work? It appears to be a tenuous alliance at best. What do the Romulans provide for the Reclamation Project that Hugh needs?

Soji: Usually I find if I ask people for help, they’re happy to give it. 

Soji has the desire to create a “shared mythical framework” for ex-Borg (or xB’s) to process their trauma, and I am getting major Unimatrix Zero vibes from this whole storyline. For those who haven’t seen Star Trek: Voyager, Unimatrix Zero is a place created by Borgs with independent thought, where they would come together to exist apart from the collective during their regeneration process. It’s a way for those who have been assimilated to reclaim their own identities. 

We know that Seven of Nine is coming to Star Trek: Picard and everything about this Borg Cube story is making me more excited to see how she fits into the overall narrative. 

Soji has been asking to speak to a specific Romulan xB for some time, and today she gets her chance. It’s satisfying to see Soji use her knowledge of other cultures to be able to communicate with Ramdha. Soji and Hugh watch her play Romulan Space Tarot for a while and it helps Soji to understand exactly how to speak to her. I love this vehicle of exposition because it gives the audience so much to read into. 

Hugh: Ramdha has good days and bad days.

Soji: We all do.

I am curious to learn if there’s something specific about Romulan physiology that clashes with the Borg. Soji somehow knew the story of Ramdha’s assimilation, saying that something went wrong after she and the other Romulans were assimilated that lead to this cube being cut off from the collective. If Romulans are so hateful towards/fearful of synthetic life is it possible that their society as a whole created some kind of virus for their citizens to carry in case any of them were ever assimilated?

Both Ramdha and the hostage at Chateau Picard call Soji “the Destroyer,” and many people are theorizing that Soji is a Borg Queen (which could loop into Data’s hand of five queens from “Remembrance”). That would explain how Ramdha knows her from “tomorrow,” and how Soji plays such a big role in Romulan mythology. The question is, if Soji is a Borg Queen, when does she become one? Is it something from her past that has been erased? Or will that be something we see happen to her as Star Trek: Picard moves forward?

Raffi hooks Picard up with Chris Rios, an ex-Starfleet captain for hire who is willing to go on this wild goose chase with him. Rios is as weathered as Raffi is, having been beaten down by life and the monolith that Starfleet has become. He’s got an unfounded amount of charm, and I instantly adore him. Each of his holographic crew members is just a different version of himself, and it’s a little upsetting how well Santiago Cabrera plays off of himself. No one should be that talented, even in space. 

Picard: What happened to you?

Rios: I didn’t die.

At Chateau Picard, Laris once again steals my heart as she both shares a tender moment with Jean-Luc and also highlights her skills as a former Tal Shiar badass. When they are attacked by secret Zhat Vash agents, Laris, Zhaban, and even Picard himself, all go into fight-mode pulling guns, knives, and sick moves, from every crevice of this house. If I wasn’t already in love with Laris, I would be now. 

After they incapacitate the invaders, Laris goes above and beyond, making sure that everyone she loves is safe and choosing to interrogate their hostage rather than assassinate him immediately, as Zhaban would’ve done. 

Laris: We aren’t like them anymore. 

Every week I grow more concerned that Zhaban is secretly a bad guy, and “The End Is Only The Beginning” does nothing do dissuade that fear. Zhaban is determined to kill their hostage, possibly for the sake of concealing his true allegiances. Laris also points out that he’s a “stubborn northerner” like Zhaban. I hope I’m reading too much into these connections, but I’ve got my eye on you, sir. 

After Jurati is visited by Commadore Oh, she arrives at Chateau Picard along with the Zhat Vash attack with timing that is either serendipitous or too perfect to be trusted. I want to trust Jurati and believe that she’s on this journey for the right reasons, but I am also concerned that something transpired between her and Oh that we don’t know about.

Jurati makes such a good sales pitch for herself that if I were Picard I too would take her with me on this dangerous mission. 

It’s still up in the air whether we can trust her or not, however. Star Trek: Picard is simultaneously laying down the pieces for us to love her, and the pieces for us to question if she’s somehow a double agent (even unbeknownst to herself). 

Jurati: Maybe it was on stun.

Laris: Romulan disrupters don’t have a stun setting.

Jurati: Okay!

Starfleet Communique:

• If Picard cut himself off from Raffi for the past 14 years, has he also cut himself off from his former Enterprise crewmates? Yes, this is me making it about Riker/Troi, get used to that! How much has Picard isolated himself from everyone he loves outside of Laris, Zhaban and Number One? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE HE’S SEEN HIS FRIENDS? I need to know!
• Can someone smarter than I break down the meaning of all of the Tarot cards we see Ramdha play during Soji’s visit? I am dying to know what it all means in the grand scheme of things. 
• Have I mentioned that I love Laris and I would die for her without hesitation?
• I already ship Jurati with Rios. No, I will not be taking questions at this time! Do not judge me!
• Picard looking at Laris every time Jurati asks a question about his secret mission gives me my rights. Thank you. 
• What the heck is Freecloud? Someone explain this to me. I’m operating under the assumption that it’s a Black Mirror style virtual reality, but I’m open to being proven wrong. 
• In the trailers for Star Trek: Picard we see someone mind-meld with Jurati. Do you think it’s Commadore Oh, or someone we’ve yet to meet?
• Who was Rios’ last captain? I need to know every bit of this man’s backstory. 
• Can we airlock Narek and Rizzo? They’re gross. 
• Soji, for a dollar, dump Narek. A man who listens to you say you had a horrible day and follows it up with “I think I’m falling in love with you” like he didn’t hear a word you said IS NOT WORTH YOUR TIME.
• I got that 14 years conspiracy theory wrong in my previous review, so please come at me with all your thoughts on who’s behind the destruction of Mars and how the Borg Cube got cut off from the collective. I want to hear it all! 

 

What did you think of this episode of Star Trek: Picard? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Star Trek: Picard airs Thursdays on CBS All Access.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 Soul-Healing TV Shows You Can Stream Right Now