Picard 3x01- 'The Next Generation' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

There's a lot of referenced to DNA in the closing credits but I'd like to think Picard would recognise his one-time best friend. Could be Jack's son via DNA sampling.

Probably right, though I'm sure there's at least two episodes of TNG where Picard was tricked with a potential son,

There was one alright I do not think there was two.

Ferengi Bok altered the DNA of Jason Vigo to make it seem he was the son of Picard.

The other episode been discussed is: -

Spoiler for the alien ship at the end of episode: -

I really don't think that's a spoiler.

Enjoyed it overall , much better start to this season. I too find the "blaster" style of phasers something that inordinately annoys me. It feels like something from Star Wars or the Mass Effect videogames. The "beam" style design of the old phasers always seemed to me to be part of Trek's aesthetic - it helped set it apart from other sci-fi. The modern era "pew pew" phasers come across to me as feeling very generic.

Watched this again and enjoyed it again, maybe more, the second time. Still reserving judgement though; I was pretty pleased with the first episode of the last two seasons too.

This time I skipped past Rafi's scenes. Poor writing, poorly delivered, and I've just got no time for the strung-out on space-drugs bit to be honest. Or covert Starfleet intelligence / Section 31 stuff. Or terrorist attacks. At least those scenes are self-contained for the time being.

Good stuff apart from that though. The chemistry between Riker and Picard was solid and much more familiar than the "calling in on an old friend" / pizza-chef bit from previous seasons.

Oh, but turn on the damn lights! Please. For gods sake. Who could work in those conditions?!

It can't be as bad a season 2. Nothing can be as bad as having loads of actors playing different parts, a dead Q, seal team Borg, Borg are only bad because the queen is lonely, pointless Guinan cameo, mammy issues Picard nonsense.

It's such a low mark for the franchise it will be hard to ever beat.

Well we still have to be introduced to shoehorned in Lore, Professor Moriarty and Evil Perry from "Kevin and Perry". And the trailer didn't even mention the Borgati alliance forged at the end of Season 2 and the great existential threat to the universe that prompted the alliance. The critics only reviewed the first 6 episodes and even some of the most positive reviews mentioned there was signs that there was too much being crammed in to be properly resolved by the end of episode 6 which is more or less how the first two seasons went wrong.

If it is Lore how'd he get the Juliana Tainer upgrade?

I've seen a few videos from YouTubers who had many of the same complaints about the first 2 seasons that have been aired here. I think they have seen 6 episodes and while by no means perfect they have given unilateral praise for the return to trek form with good writing so I'm very hopeful.

I don't think he needs it. Data mentioned in that episode that he also had an ageing program but it was one of those things that was forgotten about after.