Season 1, Episode 9: ‘Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1’
In much of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the character Data is essentially a fish out of water. He is the lone android in a crowd of humanoids in almost all the rooms he is in. It falls on him to understand everyone else. In this week’s episode of “Star Trek: Picard,” we get a look at a world in which it is the humans who are the outsiders and the androids who are the dominant majority.
All it takes is for the La Sirena to travel to the fourth planet of the Ghulion system to find what they’ve long been looking for: Soji’s home planet. Note how much of Picard is about the separate identities of similar-looking people. Rios has several hologram versions of himself to run his ship. Soji and Dahj are twin androids, which is to say nothing of the similar looking ones on their home planet, like Sutra. In the early episodes of “Picard,” we see Data. In “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1,” we see a Data look-alike, a human named Dr. Altan Inigo Soong.
The crew heads to the Coppelius station, where they meet several androids. Arcana, one of the first androids the team encounters at Coppelius, refers to Picard as captain rather than admiral. That is, until Altan shows up and calls him admiral. It’s a subtle touch, emphasizing the contrast between the Picard Data knew back then and who Picard is now.
It is always a pleasure to see Brent Spiner onscreen in “Trek,” Data or not. Spiner has played several Soongs in the history of “Trek,” including the semi-nefarious Dr. Arik Soong, who had an arc in “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Data’s father, Noonian Soong, was Data’s designer and, Altan presents himself as Noonian’s human son.
Altan and Sutra seem to be in charge on Ghulion IV. Where the Zhat Vash see synthetic life as something to be stopped at all costs, Sutra sees an opportunity. After a mind-meld with Jurati in which she sees the Admonition, Sutra sees a premonition of sorts for android domination, as does Altan. (This same premonition is seen as a warning by Romulans.) There are other synthetics out there, the two note, and it’s time to bring them altogether. Screw organic life, Sutra says, much to Picard’s chagrin.
Soji even turns on Picard, allowing him to be placed under house arrest. This wouldn’t be the first time an android had less-than-noble intentions in Trek, of course. Data’s brother Lore was a thorn in Picard’s side multiple times in the course of “The Next Generation.” It appears that Sutra takes more after him than Data.
Much of this series has been set up to end in a battle between the Romulans and Picard. Now, we have a new layer to deal with: Picard isn’t trying only to save the synthetics from the Romulans, he also has to save them from themselves. But it feels a little late in the game to introduce a new villain when the first ones have barely been fleshed out. I realize there is another season of “Picard” coming, but I would have liked to learn a bit more about Narek and Rizzo.
Picard’s relentless optimism, which somehow seems to be increasing with each episode, is one example of the show’s creators staying true to his core. On one hand, it seems that the androids should definitely follow Picard and let him lead them to a safe place. After all, he is true to his convictions and righteous. On the other, Sutra and Altan make a good point: Why would Starfleet ever listen to Picard if they haven’t in the past? Particularly after the Mars incident? If anything, the smart thing to do is to throw your lot in with synthetics who are smarter, stronger and quicker than anything coming their way.
One way or another, fun episode, and I have no idea where this season ends.
Odds and Ends:
Jurati rightly asks if she’s still under arrest near the beginning of the episode. Rios says there’s been a change of plans. I imagine Jurati, in a very “Arrested Development” way, saying, “Well that was a freebie.” (Of course, she ends up siding with possibly homicidal androids by the end of the episode, so maybe Picard will regret not locking her up.)
One of the best lines of the whole series is when Picard says, “Well, hope and the odds make poor bedfellows.” Of course, Picard delivers it with gusto.
The scene when Picard says goodbye to Elnor on the crashed Borg cube is a touching one, and it has the emotional weight of mentor’s saying farewell to a mentee. Except that for much of this season, Elnor’s arc, if you can call it that, has been separate from Picard’s, so it felt a bit contrived. The terminal nature of Picard’s illness is brought up multiple times in this episode, including with Elnor. Every interaction he has is given with an air of finality. We know he is not dying this season, though.
Spot 2! A clone of Data’s old cat was a nice callback.
My assumption is that the Borg cube ends up being a crucial defense against the fleet of Romulan warbirds in the season finale. Otherwise, it seems like a waste of the most terrifying vessel in the history of “Star Trek.” It didn’t exactly do much in this episode.
Source: Television - nytimes.com
