Star Trek: Picard - S3 E8 - "Surrender"
April 6, 2023
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Episode 8 Recap: Surrender Isn’t an Option
With Vadic lording over the ship, the crew has to get creative to win back the Titan.
The eigth episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 opens with Vadic (Amanda Plummer) lording over the U.S.S. Titan, in the wake of Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) failed plan to capture her in “Dominion.” While the crew has been through a considerable amount of bad situations ever since Picard and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) came aboard, on the surface this one looks like it may be insurmountable. Especially as Vadic toys with them like a cat with her prey, taking away their eyes, ears, and the very road ahead of them, in an attempt to root out Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). However, Vadic and the deadly Changelings aren’t their only threat either, though Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) is quick to unplug Data-Lore (Brent Spiner) to mitigate any future tampering the android may attempt.
In the sick bay, Beverly (Gates McFadden) and Picard attempt to access the security system, but Vadic has already effectively locked everyone out of the Titan. Recognizing that he is at a unique vantage point, Jack uses his newfound ability to enter the mind of an engineering officer out in the corridors. While Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) may not be able to see his glowing red eyes, Jack does overhear her thinking “what is he doing?” Jack puppets the officer down the corridor, looking upon the bloodshed left behind by the Changelings, but the episode is cut short by the officer getting killed—which seems like quite the shock to Jack’s system too. Beverly and Picard look on in concern, blissfully unaware of just how different their son is. Over the intercom, Vadic reveals that she intends to execute someone on the bridge unless Jack gives himself up in a timely fashion.
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Everyone is safe, Data is back, and Vadic is dead. Unfortunately, so is T'Veen, which sucks.
I know I said I don't like harsh cussing in Trek, but I'll admit Vadic's last words cracked me up: "Oh, f***ing solids."
We still don't know what Jack's weird powers are. I'm thinking there's still a small chance it's a Pah-wraith.
A solid episode (pun intended).
Data is back, and with emotions. And contractions.
I hope Vadic actually is dead. I can't shake the feeling that she'll somehow manage to put all those shards of herself back together.
The reunion between Worf and Deanna, with Riker a bit jealous and more than a bit annoyed, was pretty amusing.
I was reminded of that episode of DS9 when Odo met another Changeling that was sent out as an infant like himself, the one that was flying through space in the form of some kind of creature. Being in space wasn't a problem for that one, but they sure made it look like Vadic couldn't handle it, maybe because of her 'evolved' and more solid physiology.
I guess they could have her forming back up at some point, but her fragments were in close proximity to the Shrike, and would've had to survive the explosion when the Titan destroyed it. I guess anything's possible in the writers' room, though.
I had the same thought. She is fluid, and it can freeze and unfreeze and rejoin.
She is one super villain for sure.
Just FYI – The second season of Strange New Worlds is set to premiere on Thursday, June 15.
Also, in case anyone didn't see it when it was posted – New Star Trek Show Announced – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. I'm not thrilled about it probably being set in Discovery's 32nd century, but I guess I'll give it a try. Strange New Worlds was a Discovery spinoff, too.
There's also hubbub going around the internet about fans wanting a Picard spinoff set on the Titan, with Shaw and all the new crew members we've met this season. I could probably get into that. I'm not finding Shaw repulsive anymore, like I did in the first couple of episodes. And hey, the sets are already built.
Looking forward to "Strange New Worlds". That show is a lot of fun and I really like the cast.
I'm looking forward to it, too. I love the cast, and the show has a lot of potential, but to be honest I was a little disappointed in the storytelling last year. I hope this season is more compelling.
So I watched next week's teaser, and I think what Deanna sees behind the red door, in some way has to do with the death of her son. They have been talking it up too much to be just a small part of the story.
Yeah, here's the teaser for everyone else. I can't figure that red door out at all, but the voice kind of reminds me of Sisko's wormhole alien 'mother' when she was talking to him in his head at the end of DS9.
That would make sense since we are dealing with the Dominion.
This was quite the episode! I had started watching last week, but got interrupted when my son called to facetime with the granddaughter. We finally got back to it last night, but had to start it over from the beginning. I as Vadic was sucked into space and freezing that she would hit something and shatter. Then after she shattered I was thinking does that even make a difference with a shapeshifter?
Everyone's together and next episode we go behind the red door...