LogFAQs > #972737939

Episode 19: Lessons

Another attempt at a relationship.

So, Picard can't sleep and also can't tell time. Desperately looking for things to do. Must be truly bored. Has a brief flash of mental emptiness when he learns the library is down. Doesn't lose his patience as much as I would've expected. Has fun lightly trolling Daren. Doesn't take to her drink, but keeps himself polite. It's clearly the fact that she's not intimidated by him that starts everything. Acting like it's his first ever relationship. Proper internalising her interests and blabbing about them to anyone who will listen. Not the best look to be honest. Nice seeing them bond over a shared love of music. Can see the memories briefly come back each time he thinks of Ressik. Not sure how I feel about him being insecure over his playing. Riding a high from their duet when he asks Riker to fence. Being self conscious about the relationship sounds about right and at least he quickly deals with it. I appreciate that he's aware of the need to be ethical as he pursues this relationship. When he tried to get her to avoid doing her job, it started to go a bit downhill for me. The emotional shutdown was well done, even if I disagree with its existence.

Riker just stares blankly when Picard tries to waffle about science. Has to briefly use his boss voice against Daren. Little bewildered by the fencing invitation. A small mercy that they dont take the lazy choice and have him and Picard fall out.

La Forge gets confused by music.

Worf does his job.

Poor Crusher just wants to eat her breakfast in peace. Has a strained, mildly disinterested patience for the bald teenager in front of her. Darkens a bit when she figures out Daren's interest in Picard.

Troi catches wind of Picard's emotions during the concept and throws out a smile from the background. Absolutely beaming when he asks her permission.

Data's still running the night shift. Seems to get that Picard and Daren would probably want to be alone.

Daren has a trace of nervousness when she realises its Picard, but quickly picks herself up. Little mortified that he doesn't like her first choice of drink. Kind of cute how she repeats his earlier comment. Probably should've accepted Riker saying no from the start. The scene in sickbay confirmed that she's basically a bit of a (far more sedate than usual) manic pixie dream girl, but she's a well done version, so, it doesn't bother me too much. Not quite as interesting as i would like, regardless. I do think she needs to stop hassling Riker, though.

No music for Picard's attempts to stave off boredom to highlight the awkwardness. Always like interesting lightings. The concert was nice. The focus on music in general makes this quite a beautiful episode. I particularly enjoyed the Moonlight Sonata and of course The Inner Light duet. Having that play whilst we zoom out of the Jefferies tube is a brilliant shot. The firestorm was kind of cool. The way the music swelled and the camera moved under the table had me terrified that Picard would break the flute. I was under no illusions that Daren would be sticking around, but I still find this sort of relationship tease for the main characters quite cowardly.

It's not really the sort of story I find myself easily invested in. Knowing that the relationship will inevitably fail wouldn't necessarily be a problem (no more than knowing that the main characters are all but guaranteed to survive every episode, anyway), but they have Picard and, to a lesser extent, Riker act more than a bit daft and almost out of character, the love interest, while better than most examples, is too transparently just there for Picard's benefit and the themes they explore are the standard nonsense of being unable to risk each other's lives. I didn't mind the first half that much, but as soon as Picard began losing his sanity over the firestorm plan, it became very paint by numbers. I do like that flag up the ethical concerns of dating in the workplace and come down on the side of it actually being okay, so long as it doesn't compromise your work and that music plays a massive role in the whole affair, but, otherwise there's not much interesting here.

It has some truly beautiful moments and handles its plot with a fair bit more maturity than most shows, but it's still the same dreadful story every episodic series eventually does.

Wonder if I'll be seeing Bradley Walsh. The Chase is next.