Why Star Trek Picard Season 2 Finale Didn't Suck (Or Did It?)

For a show named after the character, the finale really did need to deliver a home run when it came to Jean-Luc Picard. The first season of the show ended on a bit of a damp squib - he died, but then didn't really. He's an android, but don't worry he'll age and die like a human. Ultimately, it was all a bit pointless really.

So, the second season. While there has been much criticism of the way in which Yvette Picard's mental health was depicted on-screen, Patrick Stewart managed to imbue Jean-Luc with both the familiar control from his Next Generation days, while also depicting that aged wisdom that this version of the character has accrued.

When it comes to Star Trek: Picard's second season finale, it will have to come down to a question of personal taste. There are fair and valid criticisms of how some of the stories were handled. Some plots were thin to the point of breaking, while others should have received more in the way of limelight. The season certainly started strong, with a dip in the middle.

For this writer, the finale managed to pull it back. The final scenes between Q and Picard alone would be enough to save this from the lower end of reviews, and adding Juratti's Queen, Whoopi Goldberg, and the return of Elnor, Farewell is far from a perfect episode by any means. It is, however, as strong a finish as the season earned. As Jean-Luc's smile across the bar to Guinan shows - it's been a journey, and we're happy to be home again.