In its best moments, the finale of Picard is a 10. At its worst, it's unbelievably bad. I believe that the second half of the season should have been expanded a few more episodes. Bad pacing contributes to the viewer having to suspend disbelief with major plot holes; it also places poor emphasis on what could have been far more emotional or believable scenes. In Picard, sometimes things just happen and we are expected to go with it when it isn't necessarily in the service of the plot. Narek, for example, is a narrative train-wreck, and many facets of the android plot either don't make sense or were robbed of emotional resonance. However, dialogue and writing in key fan-service moments make this show worth watching. When these scenes take place, it's almost as though all the problems with the show seem to go away. For season 2, if they can construct a narrative that knows its boundaries and shows focus while maintaining a more consistent level of quality, this show may yet be redeemed.
Review of Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2
