"Penance"

Running Time: 56 minutes 33 seconds
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As Q reveals to Jean-Luc the reason for their latest encounter, Picard learns that he is the most ruthless, bloodthirsty military leader mankind has every known, leading Earth in a charge to rid the galaxy of all non-humans. With the help of his friends, crew, and the Borg Queen, he must make it through Eradication Day to time travel back to 2024 Los Angeles in search of someone called the Watcher, to discover and repair whatever change to history led to this totalitarian future.

In this episode of The Artificial Tango, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing discuss the “Penance,” the second episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2. We explore Q's setup for the trial that lies ahead, how a part of Picard is dying and, as a result, the same may be true of Q. We also discuss how two sets of characters contrast one another, the Borg connection, who the Watcher may be, and pay homage to Queen Liana of Borg.

Stay tuned after the closing music for a bonus chat about General Sisko, whether this may refer to Benjamin or Jake, and how DS9 may further tie into the story.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)
DS9 Namedropping (00:02:08)
Q’s Setup: Part of Picard Is Dying (00:06:39)
Two Sets of Characters (00:15:39)
Cobb’s Totem and Starship Troopers (00:23:22)
Borg Queen Connection (00:28:59)
Who Is the Watcher? (00:32:27)
Problematic Pacing? (00:35:59)
Queen Liana of Borg (00:41:41)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:45:09)
Closing (00:47:11)