PRIORITY ONE MESSAGES for TNC TNG s7e24 "Preemptive Strike"

DS9?

I mean given the way fans of Picard the character react to DS9 it's understandable that Picard himself might feel negative

Alex Jahans (Dyah-hans)

As unlikely as it seems, this episode might have given me an insight into Picard’s character that explains s2 of his series. Yes, when Picard came to the D he was a closed off guy who couldn’t love people. But, we’ve watched him grow over 7 series into a more well rounded individual who can love…and then it all goes wrong. One girlfriend turns out to be a thief who betrays him. One girlfriend he loses because he has to give orders that would leave to her death. Both his surrogate children (Wes and Ro) betray him. And even the federation he loves is making moral compromises with this cardassian treaty and he gets stuck having to carry them out. Hell, the thing with the Romulans was probably just the last straw. No wonder he’s a bitter old man. I’m sure that’s what Kurtzman had in mind while he was writing all this stuff. I withdraw all previous nu trek criticisms.

Lieutenant Rogers triumphant return mini-arc

So as I established last week this episode did it not happen, it is not in continuity and Ro is off living a happy life with Troi and Riker. That said I did just listen to this podcast covering the totally not canon never happened story and I actually have a serious gripe. They wasted this turn of a character. DS9 is a great show that I love but there are moments when the storyline is hampered because main cast members are contractually obligated to come back. So I want you to imagine a hypothetical. None of this is spoilers to be clear. This episode happens but what if instead Ro betrays the Maquis, proves her worth and earns herself a spot on a vessel patrolling the DMZ. It's a great way to wrap up her arc in TNG and give her a happy ending while bringing back the temptation. Then imagine that for like a series or two when DS9 is in trouble Ro's ship comes to save them. You could have Kira and Ro being friends and all the crew bonding. Then after all this time with her on TNG and time with Ro being the badass hero saving DS9 the betrayal from this episode happens. She is brutal about it because she knows the only way the Maquis stand a chance is if Sisko and DS9 are stopped. Have her give Sisko a serious injury, have her take out the runabouts and the DS9 internal defences and become a recurring villain whose treachery we feel as the audience but whose perspective we see and understand. Unfortunately as noted elsewhere TNG bends over backwards to justify the existence of the Maquis while DS9 does so much to set them up and then Voyager wastes all that potential. Also on a far more serious note when I think of pie I think of pork pies and chicken and mushroom pies, by far my definition of pie is savoury. A sweet pie is a tart.

Alex Jahans (Dyah-hans)