Reman Scorpion Attack Flier: Unreleased Eaglemoss

One of the smallest craft to feature in Star Trek and the only ship from Nemesis never to be released in the original line, the Reman Scorpion Attack Flier was the penultimate bonus edition to be produced by Eaglemoss.

The small, two man craft was stored aboard Shinzon's Scimitar and used by Picard and Data to escape the Reman battleship. The Eaglemoss model, sold through Master Replicas is a beautiful, streamlined piece and well worth the wait.

With the main hull itself in metal and only the side venting and top weapon pod added on in plastic, its got a bit of weight to it. At only 10cm long and a maximum of 5cm wide, it's also packed a lot in.

The paintwork on this one is particularly striking with an almost pearlescent effect right across the surface giving off grey or black tints depending how the light catches it. In some spots, especially at the front grilles, the paint job isn't right into the corners but overall the effect works and is highlighted with the blues of the engines at the rear wings and two emblems resembling the Scimitar on both rear winglets.

The panel design is very simple and there's noticeable difference in the height of the lines to the main sections. Detail too is perhaps at an appropriate minimum with only a few cut outs to break up the surface on top.

On the underside it's a little different with an extensive segmented finish and what one would assume are exhaust ports facing to the rear. It also retains that singular pearlescent paint scheme. That certainly pair with the Scimitar and that sense of superior stealth/cloaking technology. 

At the rear is a four-segment engine which wouldn't look out of place on Michael Keaton's Batmobile, encased as it is in a conical shroud. It's also hugged by two plastic add on shoulder pieces which seem to be intakes. Sitting right on top there's a silver weapons pod which has an interesting sweeping design that arcs forward towards the front of the Scorpion. 

It's an incredibly slim design and the mould of this is pretty impressive since it appears that 90% of it is a single block. Perhaps the only downer is the lack of interior detail that's covered up with the smoked cockpit canopy. In the right light it's completely blacked out and absolutely adds to the menace but catch it in another way and you can see it's just a flat slab. Is it an issue? Not really given the scale and price - and the fact that none of the translucent shuttle canopies provided a view to a detailed interior.

Minus points also for the placement of the clear clip stand that wraps right over part of the Scimitar emblem. Annoying and unavoidable.

Tragically although the box waxes about the included magazine, Master Replicas have been unable to include them either because of warehousing issues or maybe because they were never actually printed. Either way, this is still a really nice model that offers some form of completion to the models of the movies pre-2009. Small and perfectly modelled, the Scorpion Attack Flier cuts an impressive swansong for Eaglemoss.

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Mid-Titan: More of Eaglemoss' Unreleased Treasure Trove

Designed for a book cover in the mid-2000s, the USS Titan has since gone on to become almost as iconic a starship as the lead vessels in each Star Trek series.

Eaglemoss did produce a smaller bonus model in line with their regular collection back in 2017 which reflected the original Sean Tourangeau design (2005) for the Pocket Books competition which led to the book cover for Sword of Damocles. 

While Star Trek Online would enthusiastically include the Titan and therefore the Luna Class in its digital universe, the ship would only gain its first onscreen, canon, appearance in Lower Decks' season one finale, No Small Parts.

Featuring a radical new paint scheme and some other alterations for the animated series, the Titan made a big impression, receiving an XL model as part of the Eaglemoss collection. 

But there was more because along with the USS Cerritos and USS Vancouver (and apparently the Yosemite shuttle!), the Titan was to be featured in the Star Trek Universe series of mid-sized starships. This has now been dropped to the world thanks to Master Replicas finding a load of them in one of Eaglemoss' multiple warehouses and it's a blinder.

Doing away with the two tone flat grey colour scheme of the original model, the Lower Decks USS Titan explodes with colour. It retains the darker grey base coat but has the phaser bank arc in a striking blue with the recessed sections of the hull in a light purple/lilac that draws out the detail on the hull.

Comparing the two, the basic primary hull panelling is near identical although the lifeboat hatches are more defined. The paint scheme is the big winner in really bringing this model to life. Reflecting on the original, it might have been accurate but it was incredibly bland. The siing up has meant that lines have been crisped up and the markings especially behind the bridge just sit more prominently.

The number and alignment of windows has also been changed with those at the outer edge of the saucer moved closer to the lip and a second set now added inside the phaser ring where there was only one previously.

Note too that the registry is a more realistic size and less crammed into a tiny space between the phaser bank and the recessed hull detail. Even the NCC code has an added red border which was conspicuous by its absence on the original. Even the navigation lights have been added to the front, port and starboard positions on the saucer making this a superior replica at every step.

Ok, so this is the animated version so it is brighter and perhaps not the way it would be portrayed in a live action series but Eaglemoss have produced one of the most exciting and vibrant ships in their collection with the Titan. 

The pod sitting atop the saucer seems to be a little longer on this edition and has equally received a repainting with the recesses in blue rather than the inset squares. This did bear the navigation lights but only as painted on features while the mid-size version has them as raised elements. It has also gained an upgraded paint job with the panelling itself remaining unchanged in layout.

Moving back along the Titan, the lilac/grey split colouring continues and draws the rear lifeboats and shuttlebay doors out. Eaglemoss have added landing strip detail here as well which was absent previously.  The pylons now bear more lilac than grey and this is where the most updates seem to have occurred. The ridging on the pylons is now painted up and navigation lights added to the tops of the engines.

Eaglemoss retained the painted in warp engine grilles but the front of the nacelles have had a massive revamp as evident on screen. The tips are now slimmer and have lost the split casing in favour of much rounder sections connecting to the translucent bussard collectors.

With the pennants, the wording is more in line with the scale and "Starship" has been added before USS Titan with the red striping extending to the halfway mark. The registry to the rear is now in a more suitable font (as per main hull) with the red edging in place.  In every sense it's a big upgrade that sings of better precision and maybe half a decade of learnings from the series as a whole. 

If you think you can't love it any more, take a look underneath. The underside of the saucer is alive with colour and more rows of windows painted onto the raised panelling. The features once more mirror the original down to the number of lifeboat hatches and the lower sensor platform at the centre. The colours just work here even though there's probably no difference in the way that the panel levels are defined against the original. 

On the smaller version the paint wasn't too heavy so the detail wasn't lost as it had been on the issue six Voyager and it's just built on here. Importantly and something that is new is the separate piece used for the deflector dish. Not just a painted (poorly) circle now, the deflector is an individual section slotted into the front of the hull and the colour seems much more suitable. It's even in a translucent blue just to drive home the point.

The build overall is very solid with the main hull in metal linked to the plastic secondary hull, pod and engines. There don't seem to be any evident gaps or dodgy seams either which is very reassuring but also a gut punch since this was to have been one of the later models released. It showed a lot of love for Lower Decks and one of Star Trek's most interesting designs.

As with the engines, the pennants along the sides of the small secondary hull have been reworked and refined to a better scale. Yes, the original was constrictive when it came to the script but lessons have been learned and scale increased to produce one of my favourite models from the whole collection.

Yes, even I'm shocked I've gone that far but it truly is just exciting to look at from every angle and adds that "ping" that a shelf of grey starships might just need sometimes. If you can find one, get it, you won't regret it.

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XL USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E

Re-released in a shiny, magnetically shutting display box, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E is still a very sought after XL edition.

Now comfortably packed in a black box with black foam and the standard mini-magazine, the Enterprise-E XL is probably one of those Eaglemoss models that has the most to prove alongside the XL Excelsior Class editions.

Why? Because the original regular issues were frankly poor. The box size restricted the ship, the detail was horrendous and everything just seemed to go against them. In the larger scale there's a lot of room to make the necessary updates and kick those smaller ships out of the way.

In the case of the Enterprise-B this was exactly what happened and I was blown away by the quality of the XL, easily becoming one of my favourite display items. In the case of the Sovereign Class Enterprise-E I have mixed feelings.

Larger in every sense, this is still a mix of three different films, taking elements from First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis to bring her to life. 

Lets start at the top. The first thing to get a handle on is that the surface is no longer as cluttered as its smaller predecessor. That had so much packed onto the small model that everything was falling over itself and the ship was lost underneath. Here there's more space for the ship to breathe and for the details to stand out for themselves. Lifeboat hatches (wisely decalled on) and markings are a lot more identifiable and the windows aren't crammed in with the aztec paint scheme.

That spacing means you can appreciate the scale and detail of the model itself much more easily. Yes, you know I'm going to touch on the point that window alignment is all over the place versus the recessed markers for them and annoyingly the RCS thrusters are a few millimetres out of sync with the hull. Those are fairly big disappointments but because of the issues with the small version your mind is willing you to really, really like it and ignore the flaws.

That aztec paint scheme on the ship is nowhere near as subtle as the magazine cover or the onscreen version might make you think with the contrast pattern dramatically blocked out across the hull. In contrast, the gold and gey patterning behind the bridge and over the main shuttlebay absolutely benefits from the scale increase as you can see the lining more clearly and again it's not clustered together.  There is a dip in the structure around this point which looks like a badly disguised join but at least the shuttle bay is recessed under the dock shuttlebay control box.

So too the plating detail along the top of the secondary hull. This does seem very cluttered but nowhere near as bad as before. The scale again allows this to appear more as a speckled finish than a blob. 

What I can't get my head around is how the more brown finish there and also on the underside of the E hull can be accurate. Everything else you see - including the magazine in the box - portrays this as a more grey colouring in keeping with the saucer patterning. However, on the model it's in a mottled beige/grey that just looks odd and this runs right the length of the ship. Bizarrely the top speckling/aztecing is the same colour but when it's condensed into such a small area there's no doubt it's giving off brown tones.

At the front of the secondary hull we do have the deflector dish, here rendered gold rather than a yellow that was seen on screen. I'm also questioning the colouring of the Captain's Yacht in its under-saucer dock because it's definitely in contrast to the regular edition version.

Onto the warp engines. These are more a replica of the versions that appeared on the E in Insurrection and Nemesis when they were slightly extended hence part of the reason this is something of a "cobbled together" final product.  The design of these pieces is excellent while the finish is a bit more questionnable.

For one, the striping on the pylons is slightly sloppy with the edges of the grey and black lines frayed in places. The bussard collectors are strongly featured and Eaglemoss have utilised their translucent plastics to open up the warp grilles along the top of each nacelle. To the rear there is some nice greyed inset detailing and of course the ship registries at the tips.

Tragically though, collectors will get to see just how those blue elements atop the warp engines are connected since they are pegged from the top in four distinct points. Rarely do we get to actually and obviously see build issues on these craft yet this is one that does stick out in a very glaring position.

In the magazine we focus heavily on First Contact with both the work that went into creating a design for the upgraded Borg and the introduction of the Borg Queen taking centre stage. It's a good read and completes the package by keeping close to the focus of the product which always gets thumbs up from me.

Overall construction on the Enterprise-E is pretty decent and there's a lot of weight to the front. The saucer and the upper "spine" section of the engineering hull are metal here with the remainder in plastic. I was actually surprised just how heavy this one is. Genuinely I want to love this model and also the E itself but the more I look at it, the more I'm not convinced by the design. In turn this might be affected by the paint job that makes it more brown than grey. That warp grille issue also bugs me to be honest and I'm not sure I can see past it.

The details on the A actually worry me less than they do here and while Eaglemoss definitely have stepped their game up from the regular mini version, it still feels a long way off an accurate edition of the Sovereign Class from any angle or movie.

Fans will want this one in their collection because of its screentime and significance but beware disappointment.

Check out all our Online Starships posts HERE

You can find out more on the Star Trek Online Official Starships Collection by visiting the Hero Collector website HERE

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Predator: Nemesis' Scimitar; The Official Starships Collection Special 18

With one of the largest arsenals in the history of Star Trek, the Romulan/Reman Scimitar made a big impression even if the movie it featured in didn't.

Dwarfing the USS Enterprise-E, the vast Scimitar was the flagship for Picard's clone, Shinzon, as he took control of the Romulan Senate and looked to expand further afield.

Eaglemoss had a huge run on this model at its initial release meaning that I’ve had to wait a little over 9 months for its arrival and quite a bit has happened since then!

But there are a few concerns with this one. Those wings certainly give it some width but they are dangerously flimsy and bend at the slightest touch. As a major part of the design it's hard to get past holding them at some point. Both sides of the wings are heavily detailed with the unique panelling detail of the whole ship and that rolls back into the main hull. 

Everything about this ship screams aggression with the fang like weapon protrusion from the shoulders as well as the forked nose section. The central upper piece of the hull is the only part in metal which also means that the whole thing is surprisingly light. 

On screen the Scimitar looked a lot darker with the light blue highlights from its power sources glowing a lot stronger visually. The model itself is toned back down to the original design (as best is possible). Here those blue spots don't show up as well against the lighter grey and almost fade into the background. Initially it looks like they are only on the central section but check in a different light and you'll see that the whole model has this effect. It's the two extremely light colour tones that make it almost indistinguishable from the main hull.

Atop the main section there's a lot of that hull patterning and on the ventral side it's completely different. The line of symmetry runs front to back and there's something new to see from every angle. Even from the side you can catch the recessed centre line which is the best spot to see some of the very fine highlight blue detail perhaps thanks to the darker shadows.

The most impressive pieces though on the Scimitar are those touches around the nose and also to the rear beneath those overhanging engine pods.  To the front Eaglemoss have ensured all the weapon points are easy to see face on while at the back there's a lot of parts slotted together to complete the various extremities.

The winglets affixed to the top and those rear pods are good and sturdy additions onto the frame leaving only the wings - a huge bit - as the structural concern. Just don't be heavy handed. Scimitar has a lot of parts, possibly the most of any of the Specials and certainly over and above any of the regular issues. There are inserts for the main section, winglets top and bottom plus the pods to the rear and the build quality to bring all that together is very, very good. The seams and fittings are completely invisible and even checking the engine pods you have to look underneath to see how they are assembled. In this respect it's a masterclass on concealment to provide a polished and "flawfree" finish.

The stand fitting isn't too good with the Scimitar's weight pulling it to the front and also - oddly - slightly to one side meaning that the rear doesn't sit against the clear plastic grips. The plug into the black base might need a shade of filing down to get the sit right as there's a fair bit of movement.

The 20 page magazine is a treasure trove of sketches in the Design article that have probably rarely if ever been seen. The Scimitar hasn't received a lot of page time when it comes to exploring its background and this issue does a lot to address that. Scimitar, as you can find out here, was bristling with weapons at every point, backed up with an almost impenetrable cloaking device, Reman fighters, superior warp drive to the Enterprise and more.

Including a lot of screenshots from Nemesis, the issue details all the key features of the ship including a forward view of the ship with the wings open and closed. Those views are also included from its solo screen appearance and gives a bit more clarification to the deployment of the thalaron weapon that made it even more deadly.

This is a very, very special Special backed by the point that it sold out fast and took some time to restock (might also be due to a pandemic) but is one that fans need to have in the collection. It suits the larger size of these editions perfectly and the difficulty in bringing it to life only increases the desire to get hold of it. 

Getting the right information to build it has taken some time but it's meant the Scimitar has been made right and at the right time in the collection. Up to this point the only one available was the smaller Attack Wing miniature so don't wait to pick one up!

Read all our other reviews of The Official Starships Collection from issue ONE here.

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A Few Words from Jean-Luc: The Wisdom of Picard

Set for a 10th December release, Adams Media’s definitely-suitable-as-stocking-filler might be the words of inspiration you’re looking for in these uncertain, locked down times.

Chronicling the greatest words and phrases from the captain of the Federation’s flagship, The Wisdom of Picard covers every season of The Next Generation, the four movies that followed and the recent first season of Picard. 

Edited by Chip Carter, the book is separated out into five sections with each taking a different angle on the learned Jean-Luc, capturing those classic moments. There's The Final Frontier (Philosophy and Humanity), Where No One Has Gone Before (History and Science), New Life and New Civilisations (Literature and the Arts), Strange New Worlds (Exploration and Adventure) and To Boldly Go (Politics, Leadership and Diplomacy) so at just a flick through you can find a relevant phrase. 

Within each part we have those key words from the captain such as his chilling appearance as Locutus in The Best of Both Worlds, his revealing discourse with Seven in Stardust City Rag, passionately defending Data in The Measure of a Man and making the sky the limit in All Good Things... - but it’s got a lot more in there too and that’s where the headings come in to play.

Splitting The Wisdom of Picard into bite size pieces makes it a lot easier to find what kind of phraseology you’re looking for. Each is also paired with an image from the relevant episode and this includes everything up to Ergo in Arcadia, Part II which aired earlier this year (2020).

It’s a nice little volume to dip on and out of with his epic words divided into a series of categories so when you need one to assist in your diplomatic duties with the Gorn Hegemony you won’t be at all lost. 

The research here is very good with a nice, concise introduction to each section followed by the appropriate quotes. In one sitting it is a very quick read but I foresee this being something more to dip in and out of to seek some inspiration in one area or another.

Definitely something as a quality stocking filler for the discerning Star Trek fan or perhaps even your average fan of the recent Picard series alone. Given the mess of a year we've had alongside all the political shenanigans going on coupled with a pandemic and there's got to be a few words from Patrick Stewart's alter ego that will happily sum up the best and worst of times in a positive fashion. 

Ideal as a Christmas stocking filler, this little gem is already available for Kindle and will be out in hardback (my preference) from December 10th.

The Wisdom of Picard ISBN 978-1-5072-1473-2 is priced at £9.99 from Simon and Schuster

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All images CBS All Access

Lower Decks: The Trailer

The Lower Decks trailer has, expectedly, split the ol' fandom a few more ways.

Whether it's too much comedy, bad animation, cheap gags or...well...whatever, someone somewhere has a complaint goddamit and we should all pay attention/boycott Star Trek/reminisce about the Golden Age.  

Or maaaaaybe we could give it a chance and see what a full episode is like? Logical? 

I openly admit that comedy in Star Trek is an element I have struggled to understand. It could be the American sense of humour washes over me or that it's just not that funny. I, Mudd, anything with Lwaxana Troi...not a glimmer. In fact the only ones that I can say did raise a smile were the Tribbles duo from The Original Series and Deep Space Nine and the inventive The Magnificent Ferengi.

Lower Decks is going to attempt two very alien concepts to the franchise. Firstly that key animated show that has not been seen since the '70's and then splicing that together with a more adult edge humour. The animation already reminds me of Final Space but I hope it's not just retreading that kind of territory.

Featuring the four main cadets - Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Tendi (Noel Wells) and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), the trailer also sees a few more angles of the Cerritos confirming further there's definitely no physical way to step between the hulls except through the engines and also, if you're quick to catch it, that there's an Argo stored somewhere aboard as well - could indicate that we're going to see a lot of Easter Eggs in the background to try and catch each week!

The comedy aspect of the show certainly shows through with Biomler interrupted as he recites a fake captain's log in the cupboard and Mariner gets all excited about the new blast shield on the shuttle. Then there's the tasks these guys seem to have to do - the mundane of the mundane including emptying holodeck waste - one of those things that you probably don't consider when you're watching The Next Generation. If Lower Decks hits this right and looks at the bizarre plot holes, bloopers or oddness of some parts that we have taken for granted within the franchise while simultaneously managing not to destroy its credibility (it's a tall order...) then this is destined to be a roaring success. 

But the look, the very aesthetic of Lower Decks looks very close to canon in a bizarre way with a familiar looking bridge set up including three central chairs as well as a Conn and Ops position. Wonder if they'll change the carpet colour each season? Check out some of the background details such as the labelling on the pipes or the look of the ship corridor that echoes the design of the Enterprise-D including wall-mounted LCARS. The detailing on Mariner's PADD for example is equally brilliant and legible - carbon filter maintenance anyone? It is super light on plot details suggesting that each of the ten stories will be independent although there's that moment where we have two of the senior staff are congratulating each other on a "successful second contact" reiterating the Cerritos' less than premier status within Starfleet.

One of the things that fans seem to have latched on to pretty quickly is Rutherford's takedown of a group of cartoon Borg which seem to be viewed through his optical prosthetic. The redesign for Lower Decks has simplified the armour and the detailing there on for the Collective and has managed to keep them instantly identifiable with their glowing eyewear and zombified facial expressions. It may well be that, as we see in the trailer, the background attention to detail is the draw and the big win - even the bridge stations at the rear are labelled Engineering, Environment and Mission Ops.  I have to say that this burst of shots, including some gorgeous teases of a Klingon planet as well as several alien encounters that look to be significantly less than 100% successful given some of the expressions we see here!

The trailer really does lack any cohesive context, instead hinting at humour and the visual aspect of the show rather than attempting to show any definitive storytelling. In comparison to both the Picard and Discovery trailers this is a very distinct shift where both series’ teasers chose to focus on elements of the arcs that were to dominate their seasons. 

This could indicate that Lower Decks is going to be a much easier watch in every respect although i personally feel it would be a detriment to the franchise whole if the characters aren’t fleshed out and fully realised. McMahon’s style is certainly all over this product and lines up with Rick and Morty although you can hope its a bit more family friendly than that series. Will it manage to balance the humour element against the background of a franchise which has avoided such a direct attachment to that genre for decades? It is a risky move but choosing to go into animation rather than live action may pay off and open up the franchise to a new audience in the way that the Kelvin Timeline did in 2009. 

That too was divisive but here we have the franchise’s first real step into the unknown which has already been greenlit for a second series with the first not even on air; that's a lot of confidence in a product that the public have not yet seen.

So whether you think Star Trek has jumped the shark, taken a road it shouldn't travel or are genuinely looking forward to this utterly unique chapter in Star Trek history it's coming...

Excited? Concerned? Done with the franchise? Where do you stand with Lower Decks after seeing the trailer?

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Lower Decks: Ship Shot

The characters have been revealed; now we have both a launch date confirmed and our first look at the feature starship. 

Set to debut on August 6th via CBS All Access, Lower Decks will be the first animated Star Trek series since 1975 - we’re not counting the two Short Trek's in there! 

Google Images

Along with that announcement, we know there will be a total of ten episodes with one released weekly and that a second series is already well into production. Along with this, there's also the rumour that we might get to see a few regular characters drop in from time to time - but nothing so far on this has been set in stone. But that's not what’s really causing the rumblings in the forums this week because Lower Decks also gave us the first pass on the California Class USS Cerritos (pictured right on this latest teaser poster)

Used for ‘second contact’, these guys are rarely going where no-one has gone before, more often than not being the follow up team behind the Picard's of the galaxy once communications have been established.  Now what you might not know about the name is that Cerritos is a suburban city in Los Angeles County and is also known as Dairy Valley (hope I got that right). I'm getting the sense that the producers have gone for a very "average" place to reflect the more average and "normal" routine that we can expect from the latest starship to hit the small screen.

Set in 2380 just after Nemesis, the USS Cerritos definitely captures the era with that distinctive oval saucer section and the eye-shaped navigational deflector both reminiscent of the Galaxy Class and the kitbash that came from it, the Nebula Class. 

The California Class however seems to have taken that step further and added a spin on the Oberth Class with there seeming to be no logical way to move from the primary hull to the secondary hull without either a) the use of a transporter or b)a turbolift that would need to be heavily protected from the effects of travelling through a warp engine. Looks like there could be some fun times ahead for the feature group of lower deck ensigns we’re set to meet. 

Google images

Looking at the saucer though there are a few differences to the Galaxy Class - those cut-outs at the edge for one and the quartet of dips just forward of the yellow stripe. Gone too is the captain's yacht, replaced with a darker grey wedge shape that extends to the rim of the saucer. We can also see through the reflection dancing on the surface that there are rings of lifeboats so life preservation has been a consideration in its design!

At this point there's no ship name or registry emblazoned on the hull which is unusual but that number might be something they're holding back a reveal on.

The pylons are of a unique style too, resembling motorway bridge supports , attaching to the warp nacelles just behind the bussard collectors. Rather than being oblongs though, these two engine units seem to be octagonal in shape with the top four sides more elongated. Both the bussard collectors and the warp field grilles are of a totally new design with a lot more luminescence than we've experience in similar ships of the time. 

Now while we have been making a serious note of the choice to have the two hulls separated and seemingly impossible to step between, we may be overthinking this with more automation and the possibility that the secondary "hull" is really just jammed full of sensory equipment meaning the crew have no real need to ever go in there except for repairs. Again, this is just conjecture from myself and not actual scripted fact.

We haven't had a look to the back and top of the Cerritos so there's still a bit of mystery to the design. For one, where's the shuttlebay? Is the bridge the same style  as the Enterprise-D??  

It's a radical departure from the usual collection of bits we saw in The Next Generation especially with those girder-esque pylons but it's got us all talking because it is different, striking and isn't afraid to be different even though there are so many recognisable elements included. 

Whether I'll come to love it I can't say at the present time since there's only this one view to consider and it, as noted, leaves a lot unresolved. However, if the series is as unique as this, it will be an entertaining ten weeks!

In just over a month we'll be able to talk even more about the latest Star Trek series.

But what do you think to the new step in starship design? What's great? What would you want to see altered?

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Picard: Nepenthe

Picard certainly hit us with the emotional punch this week. 

Off the back of his and Soji’s escape from the Artifact, Jean-Luc is reunited with former crewmates Riker and Troi at their home on the planet of Nepenthe. Certainly times have changed for the Rikers since their marriage in Nemesis. 

Their time aboard starships is over (although Will is still listed on the reserves list) due to a change of family situation however they are without hesitation when it comes to offering help to their former captain. The episode is a return to the more relaxed pace of the season after the series of frantic events that closed out The Impossible Box with Nepenthe feeling, at its core, as the biggest piece of fan service the show has produced thus far and by god is it sublimely executed. 

The reunion of the three iconic The Next Generation characters is masterfully carried off and just as you would wish it to be. The emotions feel so real you can taste them. The Rikers provide both familiarity and a level headed opinion of Picard’s predicament in what might be construed as a ‘breather’ before the closing three episodes of this first year.  The revelation that the Rikers’ oldest child, Thad(dius) Troi-Riker died die to a disease that could have been cured with positronic technology which had been outlawed is heartbreaking while also providing that little edge of tension and conflict not visually but more from within these characters. Note; the name of their son comes from one of Riker’s ancestors who was mentioned in Voyager’s Death Wish. 

Marina Sirtis thoroughly deserved to be listed on the opening credits as Special Guest Star offering up some fine Deanna moments and even slipping slightly into that classic counsellor role for which she was known on the Enterprise. Along with Frakes, her appearance here goes above and beyond anything she's done since All Good Things... and finally casts aside, for me, the rather poor material she had to work with on Nemesis (nothing awful about the Voyager eps but this is far better and more natural!).

Their daughter on the other hand is named in memory of Deanna’s older sister, Kestra, famously played by Kirsten Dunst in The Next Generation’s final season episode, Dark Page. While Will and Deanna allow for a more personal approach to Picard’s mission and two people he can rely on, Kestra acts in the same manner with Soji has she begins to come to terms with the fact that she is an android and not a human as she was led to believe and truly believed. Kestra is a free spirit if ever there was and surely her return to Picard has to be guaranteed. She's a wonderful addition to the crew/family and fits right in with the direction the family has taken.

The relationship between Thad and Kestra is mentioned a lot; the theme of family is therefore right at the front of this week's story in multiple forms from the bond of the three former Starfleet officers through to the bond that Kestra and Soji have. The little nuances that Isa Briones adds into her role emphasise that link to Data and clearly wash away any suggestion that they may be linked to Lore. However, we do know that the Romulans are intent on finding the homeworld of these Soong-esque synthetics and who knows what else will be discovered there before the season is out.

Nepenthe  is the episode fans have wanted and have finally been delivered after 20 years. Riker is probably at his best since The Pegasus, clearly relaxed and at home in his shielded house complete with its outdoor pizza oven. Frakes carries off the older, wiser but still active and fun Will with aplomb and y'know, he's on the reserve list so there's always a chance to get him back on a starship...

Over on the Artifact there's a lot less joy as Hugh and Elrond are attempting to make their escape from the Romulans. Hugh's fellow XB's are executed under orders from Narissa  while Narek takes out a rather funky new Romulan scout class ship to hunt down Soji by following the La Sirena.

Our opening flashback actually reveals a little bit about what's going on in the present, taking us back three weeks to when Commodore Oh met with Jurati before she joined the crew. Certainly the mindmeld indicates that Oh is a Vulcan but potentially she might be one from the future who has seen the carnage unleashed by the synthetics and has come back to work with the Romulans to "save" the galaxy. Might this explain Oh's sympathies to the Federation's former enemy? It does however answer how Narek is able to keep up with the La Sirena even with some nifty piloting from Rios.

The thought that Jurati was playing a different game has been subtle for the last two weeks but in Nepenthe there's the dawning realisation that assisting Oh is definitely not one of her best life choices. While she has been less than forthright and displayed a very nervous disposition since day one, Agnes' ultimate choice helps her crewmates over the Romulans.

Alison Pill has been incredibly understated in Picard and the twist we now find her character in make her even more fascinating - in fact as does everyone in the show. There are many more layers here than Discovery  and not necessarily just the story but in the development of the people.

Over the last two weeks for example, Elrond has frankly had sod all to do but in Nepenthe he's elevated from sidekick to be able to do what he was brought into the crew for. With a swift fighting style he's able to dispatch Romulans at pace and is thrown into a well crafted one on one hand to hand duel with Narissa. 

Hugh's appearance here acts more to assist Elrond's escape but it's not all happy endings for everyone and there's certainly a jarring event that comes unexpectedly out of nowhere to make the episode feel ever much more grounded. Hugh's last revelation that Elrond will need to get a part-Borg to help him activate the transporter Picard used to escape only goes to ensure that a certain Fenris Ranger will be back on screen next week.

The split between the Artifact and Nepenthe was always going to be 25% to 75%. This is too big an opportunity not to enjoy the return of two The Next Generation characters and it's done in precisely the right way. They're people beyond the uniforms of Starfleet and their life choices - particularly based around giving the chronically ill Thad a "home planet" are totally believable. There's real depth to their story and the way in which it ties to the overall narrative is equally as solid a part of the series. 

Nepenthe is simply superb. The mix of classic and new absolutely plays on the heart strings and is emotionally satisfying at every single turn. The Troi-Rikers' return is played perfectly, gives us a break from the oncoming storm and proves firmly that Picard is doing the right thing by the fan base. t is new and different but Star Trek can exist and evolve without having to be set purely within the ranks of Starfleet. It has and always will be about people, characters and relationships and here, for 45 minutes, they absolutely nailed it.

Catch up on all our Picard season one episode reviews here.

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Thanks to Chris Groves for assistance with screencaps