Star Trek: Picard Review: Nepenthe (Season 1 Episode 7)

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 Episode 7, “Nepenthe,” is an immediate favorite, becoming one of the best Star Trek episodes to date with its depth of heart and warmth, mixed with forward story movement and devastating loss all at once. The reunion of Picard with the Troi-Riker family has been highly anticipated all season, and it does not disappoint in the slightest. 

“Nepenthe,” written by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon and directed by Doug Aarniokoski, is an episode about finding a light in the darkness and seeking hope even in the midst of tragedy. 

 

Off-world, we witness the beginning of a revolution on The Artifact, and the truth about what happened between Agnes and Oh finally comes to light. 

This episode has minimal Narek content and for that I am grateful. Unfortunately, however, Narissa finally comes out to play — and boy is she as vicious as she’s been promising to be. Star Trek: Picard isn’t afraid to go down dark alleys and show us just how scary this world really is. While I don’t love everything that happens on The Artifact, I can see the story that the show is trying to tell. 

Hugh and Elnor have a wealth of potential that is immediately cut short. I’d like to believe that Hugh is actually alive because it’s really not a good look to kill a queer character played by a queer actor on a show with such little LGBTQ+ representation so far. But if he is really gone, I have hope that Star Trek: Picard will use that death to tell a truly impactful story. 

Before he’s murdered by Narissa, Hugh imparts to Elnor his mission to liberate the xB’s and the Artifact from the Romulans. He wants to essentially lead an xB revolution. That’s more than Elnor can handle on his own, but it’s absolutely a mantle we could see Seven take up moving forward. 

Perhaps the most notorious xB, and another queer coded character, Seven could pick up Hugh’s cause and carry it onward. That’s gay and lesbian solidarity. We never saw these characters meet, but they were connected by the collective, and who knows what happened during the 20 years we’ve spent away from them?

In all seriousness, what Hugh had been doing with the xB’s is hugely important, and if he’s really gone he will be sorely missed. 

Hugh: How’s this for a lost cause? I was that much of a hopeful fool again for a minute, thanks for that. 

We see Elnor call her for help at the end of this episode, and I personally can’t wait to see Seven eat Narissa alive. 

On “Nepenthe,” Star Trek: Picard finally shows us exactly what Commodore Oh did to Agnes that has caused her to make an about-face on her entire belief system. As I suspected, Oh performed a non-consensual mind-meld on Jurati, forcing her to witness horrific destruction of worlds, death, and violence, all said to be because of Dahj, Soji, and any other synthetic life. This is enough for Oh to manipulate her into becoming a double agent. 

This violent burden weighs heavily on Jurati; the closer they get to finding Soji, the more her identity crisis tears her apart from the inside out. 

Her pain escalates throughout the episode as she realizes more and more that she’s surrounded by good people whom she never had any intention of hurting. Chabon shared on Instagram that Jurati is trying to deactivate her tracker while being aware that her method could result in her death. It’s interesting (and gratifying) to see Agnes make the choice to sacrifice herself to save the team. 

Earlier this season, we watched Agnes murder her ex-lover Bruce Maddox because of what Oh showed her. What happens now will show us if she’s still brainwashed by what she’s seen, or if her life’s work and her clear compassion for all life will win out over the Zhat Vash’s manipulation of her. 

Raffi: My fault?! How is this my fault???

Rios: ‘Chris, baby, he’s an old man how far’s he gonna get?’ Now Picard’s en route to a planet that’s days away at maximum warp, don’t ask me how, and i’m tractor locked to a borg cube full of Romulans! 

Alison Pill’s acting through this entire arc has been incredible, and she continues to shine on “Nepenthe.” You can feel Jurati practically coming apart at the seams throughout the entire episode before she finally breaks down and makes that difficult choice. 

Meanwhile, on Nepenthe, we see Picard and Soji find much-needed refuge in the warm, welcoming arms of the Troi-Riker family. While this may appear to be a break in the action of Star Trek: Picard, this change of pace still moves the story forward, while enriching our view of this universe with beloved characters and deeply emotional narratives. 

When the Queen’s cell technology spits Picard and Soji out in the middle of the woods, Soji is very reasonably out of sorts. She’s disoriented, taking in a lot of very difficult information at once, and she’s now on a planet in the middle of who knows where surrounded by people she just met. 

We’re greeted first by a wild girl of the woods. Kestra Troi-Riker is the perfect person to lead us into this story and show us where our favorite pair of Star Trek soulmates have been since we last saw them.

Kestra: I would never shoot you because I’m a pacifist. But I could. 

Kestra is curious, kind, funny, brave, fierce, gentle, and completely enamored with Soji. She is a beautiful combination of her parents and an absolute scene-stealer throughout this entire episode. Lulu Wilson does an incredible job from start to finish. If you don’t come out of this episode loving Kestra, then god Jed I don’t even want to know you. 

Soji is in desperate need of a friend right now, and I believe that by the end of this episode, Kestra has become her very first real friend. She has that childlike wonder that allows her to be completely honest with Soji.

Kestra finds her fascinating in a way that is deeply endearing. You can tell that Will and Deanna have told innumerable stories over the years about their dear friend Data, with a clear affection for the android. These people are as completely opposite as anyone could get from the Romulans Soji has just escaped from. 

The shot to Kestra when Picard tells Soji that her sister was real and he couldn’t save her is so devastatingly good. So much happens in the beautiful wordless moments of this episode. If you don’t immediately realize that Kestra can understand that loss, you see it in her face upon rewatching after learning that she too has lost a sibling.

Picard is struggling to relate to Soji and meet her on a level that will actually allow her to trust him; we know Picard means well, but Soji has no reason to believe anything he says. A visit to the ship’s counselor is exactly what they both need. 

Will and Deanna Troi-Riker both greet Picard with open arms and so much love that even if you haven’t watched Star Trek: The Next Generation, you can feel the bond that they share with him. 

Both Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes reprise their roles with an astonishing amount of grace and nuance on “Nepenthe.” Sirtis is unquestionably the heart of this episode, carrying the emotional story to deliver it’s full impact, while Frakes brings a levity mixed with a subtle gravitas that speaks to their love of these characters and what they’ve been through.

Deanna: I’m not as brave as I used to be, Jean Luc.

Picard: Then you’re getting wiser. 

This episode is a showcase for how far Picard has come emotionally from the pilot of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as how much he still has to learn from his dear friends when it comes to understanding the needs of those around him. Picard is ready and willing to be there for Deanna as a person she can openly mourn her son with, but she’d rather focus on the joy than the heartache. Where Picard fails with Soji, he learns from Deanna how to speak to her in a way that will actually reach her. 

Hands down, one of the best scenes of this episode is the one shared between Soji and Deanna in the garden. Deanna tells Soji about the son that she lost, the son she would’ve been able to save with someone like Soji. And Soji opens up to Deanna about what happened to her on the borg cube. 

Soji may not trust Deanna, but she pours her heart out to her in a really stunning way. Isa Briones has been doing amazing work for the entirety of Star Trek: Picard, but she truly shines in this scene as she shows us the inner turmoil Soji is dealing with right now. 

Deanna: Her capacity to trust was a flaw in her programing. She’s been manipulated, tortured, her very consiousness has been violated. 

Having had her own consciousness violated more than once on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Nemesis, Deanna probably understands Soji better than anyone. This makes her the exact right person to hear her story and impart to Picard the ways in which he needs to adapt in order to help Soji to trust that he actually is there to help her. 

Deanna Troi has always seen Picard better than most, so she knows exactly how to toe the line with Picard. She can read him for his flaws and speak to his strengths with ease and show him exactly what he needs to do to show Soji how genuine he is. 

As they share what I’m sure is a delicious bunnicorn pizza, Picard takes Deanna’s advice to heart and shows Soji how much he cares about protecting her in a way that is real, rather than the manipulation she faced from Narek. Soji opens up to all of them and tells them about the information that Narek pulled from her. 

Kestra: Soji, you have a homeworld. 

Soji: I have a homeworld, my Ardani.

This is another moment where the wordless emotion passed throughout the Troi-Riker family speaks volumes, simply from the way they each react to this discovery and the use of Thad’s languages. Kestra’s eyes fill with tears and pride, while Will looks to Deanna with a mix of pain, sympathy, and love. Deanna can’t bear to look at any of them as the loss of their son, and the idea that they might have been able to save him if the world had been just a little less xenophobic washes over her once more. 

This sort of reset works for Picard and Soji and sets them on even footing as they move forward. Picard is renewed by this visit with his old friends, and Soji has learned that not everyone is like Narek — there are real people she can trust and care about without the fear of being betrayed. 

The Troi-Riker family shows that life continues on even after a great tragedy. Picard and Soji are both renewed by their time here and I think that the lessons they’ve learned from this episode alone will allow them to have a really interesting and unique relationship through the rest of the series. 

“Nepenthe,” leaves us with Picard and Soji understanding each other and advancing now with the same purpose, and the Troi-Rikers remain a refuge of strength, love, and support. This is a beautiful episode that is perhaps infinitely rewatchable. Hope has been restored and it is a vital part of Star Trek: Picard as we continue to boldly go into this universe. 

Starfleet Communique:

• Rios questioning Raffi’s loyalty kind of hurt. I’d like to believe that was a test for Jurati and these two friends don’t cause undue hurt to each other. 
• Auntie Raffi (and her replicator full of cake) is my hero. I love her, and I love that she spends this entire episode in her pajamas. We stan a queen. 
• I love the EMH. 
• It’s a devastating parallel to realize that Thad Troi-Riker died of a neurological virus, and Deanna can sense that something in Picard’s brain is threatening to take him too. Hasn’t the TNG family lost enough?
• I cannot stress how much I love that Picard introduces Deanna as Commander Deanna Troi enough. It’s perfect. This is the content Sirtis deserved all along and the respect that Deanna Troi has earned. 
• WILL RIKER STILL LOVES TO COOK FOR HIS WIFE AND LISTEN TO JAZZ MUSIC.
• Make no mistake, I would die for every member of the Troi-Riker family. 
• I love that even though the Troi-Riker house looks very nostalgic, it’s lined to the max with protective shielding, computer voice commands, etc. 
• The way that both Sirtis and Frakes break their voices when Deanna and Will speak about their son is true perfection. Are you crying? I’m crying. 
• Will calling Deanna Imzadi as easily as anyone else would call their significant other “baby” or “honey” gave me my rights. 
• Who is Captain Crandall and why is Kestra friends with him?
• Listen, Kestra is a baby gay if I’ve ever seen one. And I was one, so I have. 
• The goodbye hug between Riker, Troi, and Picard is literally everything to me. I gain ten years of life every time I watch it. I’m going to live forever. 
• I hope Soji and Kestra find a way to stay in contact. THEY’RE FRIENDS and I am SOFT. 
• The TNG theme playing over the final moments as Will and Deanna walk back into their home? I’ve never experienced anything more beautiful. 

 

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

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Star Trek: Picard airs Thursdays on CBS All Access.

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