'Star Trek: Picard' Episode 5 Review: Stardust City Rag puts the show's lack of identity into sharp focus
Spoiler alert for 'Stardust City Rag' - Episode 5 of Season 1 of 'Star Trek: Picard'
It's ironic that this is the episode that sees the characters don disguises, as 'Stardust City Rag' highlights just how much of an identity problem that 'Star Trek: Picard' has. The show has a lot of elements that should make it work - great action, gorgeous cinematography and special effects, a stellar cast, even a beautiful score - but it feels like the show is still uncertain as to what kind of story it means to be telling, and the show as a whole is weaker for it.
It's a sillier episode, as well, capturing some of the fun that 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' sometimes had, but it comes out of nowhere. A by-the-numbers heist episode (complete with showgirls, a decadent club, and a double-cross) sees characters adopt undercover identities, which feels like it would have been a lot more fun if the show had spent a little less time on flashbacks and a little more time fleshing out the show's main cast. It's hard to enjoy characters acting contrary to their personalities when we've barely had a chance to understand those personalities in the first place.
Everyone in the cast is trying their best to make this a fun, engaging heist episode, but the heist itself is caught in a dull limbo between humor and drama, not quite managing aside from the chuckles you get from seeing Cristobal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) in a flamboyant costume and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) doing a caricature of a wealthy French criminal. Now that the show is done with the bulk of its exposition and setup, it appears that it doesn't quite know what to do in regards to the actual story.
Saving graces are the powerful presences of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and the subplot involving Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). Seven of Nine's is a bold breath of fresh air for the show, bringing up the energy of every scene she's in. She's an action hero badass in a show that sometimes feels like it's going for that. Where the show may have its identity problems, Jeri Ryan knows exactly what kind of performance she's here to give, and she performs it excellently.
Raffi Musiker's character gets some character development in one of the episode's better scenes. She tries to reunite with an embittered son, who feels she abandoned him and his father in her obsession with the Mars attack. It's one of the few times the show has gone for show-don't-tell, and it's the kind of scene the show would greatly benefit from more of.
'Stardust City Rag' is a bumpy episode on what promises to be the rough road of a season. 'Star Trek: Picard' is venturing into new territory, with highlights of great moments scattered throughout, but moments like that come more as a surprise than as the show's MO. There's entertainment value to be had, but you have to really be looking out in order to find it.
The next episode of 'Star Trek: Picard' airs February 27, on CBS All Access.