Part 2 “Disengage,” that’s what she said last night when she had a sore head. Directed once again by Aarniokoski, this comes weeks after he directed the S.W.A.T. episode “Lion’s Share” about kids wanting to kill some developers for basically stealing their family’s land. It is also Doug’s last episode of Picard ahead of his final directorial job on Discovery with “Under the Twin Moons.” The second episode of this third season is written by season 2 writer Christopher Monfette, and new blood Sean Tretta, known for 12 Monkeys and Mayans M.C., as well as the upcoming Zorro by Robert Rodriguez.

So two weeks ago Jack Crusher, not that one, was tootling about in a ship offering help in a pandemic, while also trying to off-load illegal wears in certain systems. A right Del Boy. After offering weapons to some shady Fenris Rangers, he and Bev have been tracked, traced, and almost killed a few times for offering to help with pandemics. Chased by everything falling through space, which leads us to what is going on now with a beautifully creepy ship and Christopher Plummer’s daughter, Amanda.

Not 10 minutes into the episode and the creepy ship, which we later find out is called the Shrike, rips the shuttle JL and Bill used to get on the meager little thing Jack and Bev were on to bits. One 80s/Top Gun/American “patriotism” cheer moment later, the four are teleported onto the Titan and Jack is placed under Shaw’s custody in the ship’s brig because Honey Bunny claims Picard’s son is such a bad person. Oh, and the old man accepts that the only other person in all of Star Trek with that accent is his son. Other bald men are his cousins, of course.

I know I’ve been, as the kids say, “Glazing” Picard season 3 for a while now, but can you blame me? I know the pattern for Picard is usually: Episodes 1 and 2 are good to great, 3 and 4 dip off a bit, and by 5-8 you want them to hurry up and tell you the thing you worked out in episode 1 is going to happen so we can get to a more important and interesting story. Sorry, am I hanging on to that “You are a warrior” bit of the last episode a little too much? A thing that was set up and paid off in all of 50 minutes.

Where other seasons of Picard, the details like that could have been done within a water cooler chat while swapping out the isolinear chips. Season 3 of Picard is putting danger, intrigue, teases that go places, oh, and some Jean-Luc Picard-ing into a show called Picard. Better still, I want to be around these characters and I want to see more of them beyond this little adventure. Raffi working as a spy hanging around the Ferengi-led underworld? Yes, please.

At the end of the last episode, we saw Sokovia being dropped on a Starfleet recruitment building on some far-off planet that quite frankly I’ve forgotten the name of. Though this time Marvel’s budget Decepticon/Shatner’s lawyer isn’t involved. Instead according to the news that Raffi is watching/listening to, the whole thing is the masterplan of some Romulan minion of the criminal underworld. Something, something, a false flag operation to hide who was really behind it and Raffi is off to see the (proper) Ferengi, the wonderful Ferengi of M’Talas Prime.

At least she will be in due time, we also get a bit about her son who disavowed her back during “Stardust City Rag” and her ex-husband giving her an ultimatum: Either you chase your son and repair that relationship, or I’ll give you Sneed to chase a lead in your work case. Where I just couldn’t give two flying Ferenginars about her and her personal whatever was going on last season, I care more here. Probably because the last time we meaningfully got anything on Elnor was back in “The Star Gazer.”

Raffi is off doing her Section 31 business, so Shaw is cutting off a tractor beam with the hull of his ship and saving an admiral he’d sooner leave dead. Though thankfully we got a reminder that he wouldn’t be dying, well not really. That’s already happened and felt about as emotional as a fart in a lift (elevator for the Americans). The point I want to make, more than anything is that this actually feels like Star Trek.

Not because it is stealing bits from the films, Wrath of Vadic wouldn’t have the same ring to it. Nonetheless, you have her speech introducing herself, telling the crew that she knows all about them, and generally acting like a villain in a Shakespeare play, but less boring. Remember when Star Trek was about bits from poems, short stories, and general philosophy? Discovery’s early seasons don’t, and they are terrible Star Trek.

I guess what I am getting into is that this review is boring because I like it. I didn’t just like it, I loved it. When you have Patrick sitting there in the brig interrogating Jack, trying to figure him out, you can see the old man fall away to reveal the great and empathetic Jean-Luc Picard. That’s where we’re at. Last season and the one before it I was being rather mean, more so to the writing than the 80+ year old actor, but I was mean nonetheless. Here I swear he dropped 20-30 years in an instant.

As I said last time out, the writing and performances have come together to make a better show. With better writing the performances were of course going to be improved, which in turn makes the writing look better, which makes the performances look even greater, and so on. Generally speaking, it feels like a better put-together show.

For example, that whole Evil Spock business felt like it took an age because it was bled out over 7-8 episodes. It tried to act like there was suspense in him being around our mystery box, himself being a Deal or No Deal box filled with the banker’s poo. Listen, I’ll stop crapping on that series from a great height when it stops smelling like the River Thames in 1858. The point I am getting to, like it is a scene where Raffi has taken drugs that were spiked, Worf is back. Looking sexier than ever.

With a line like “You are a warrior” it was only going to be him or the spud-faced lot from Doctor Who, the Sontarans. Nevertheless, it was something set up and paid off without dragging it on for so long that I’m bored of it. There is motion, there is a feeling we’re going places (ironic given what’s about to happen), and most importantly, pacing, we’re finally getting some pacing. It isn’t about the emotion of Jack being or not being Picard’s son, it is how it is done to fit the character.

The whole episode is “there is a ruddy big threat out there monologuing like space Shakespeare, so she’s very threatening.” We’re not sitting down to say Picard feels sad and 2024 is a hellscape, we’re saying there are problems in the future but we can do better. Which brings me to Captain Jellico. I mean, Liam Shaw. Played by the perpetually angry Todd Stashwick, he’s set up to be the by the book, “you two are too dangerous,” and I hate Borg and former Borg-types.

His whole thing is great because you look at him and you just get his character down to a T. His uniform is a bit too big, he’s purged all the Jazz off the Titan after Bill left, and he’s especially hard on Annika, forcing her to use that name instead of her known Seven of Nine designation. He’s horrible, but he’s doing it because he’s a Boimler with trauma, which you can tell almost instantly. He’s very strict in how he wants to do things, but he can be spoken around to doing the right thing. Even if the right thing is to cut the nose off the Shrike with an uppercut.

Ultimately, “Disengage” is about as much action as the last two seasons should have had. Star Trek and Jean-Luc Picard are about action in words, not by flashy punch-ups cut together like a Marvel action scene. You could have set those bridge scenes or the one in the brig, transplanting them to a boardroom as the two sides sniped at each other with their words. Better still, words that felt like they came from the characters in their voice instead of everyone sounding similar and bland.

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Star Trek: Picard "Disengage"

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• "We are essentially cornered. In space, which has no corners."
• That upper-cut and throwing the ship.
• Pacing.
• Son of Mogh.

Cons

• Sidney seems a bit eager. Too eager.
• Can we change the bulb and get some lighting that isn't blue or red on the bridge?