Star Trek: Picard Finale Review - 3 Ups And 5 Downs From Et In Arcadia Ego (Part 2)

DOWNS

5. Ah Yes, A Contrivance Stick

Almost every solution to every catastrophic problem in Star Trek is solved with a contrivance. But the hallmark of the show, the thing it is literally famous for, is wrapping that contrivance in something complex and scientific. The point is that there is always a rational solution to the most irrational problems, it's just a case of being smart enough to find it. Observe...

Lots of technical talk, none of which makes sense to normal people, but in the heat of the moment absolutely fits the idea that these Incredibly Smart People can think their way out of the most perilous situations. Not just picking up a magic stick twice in the same episode and being told to just "imagine" fixing the problem.

The great challenge (and indeed achievement) of writing Star Trek is that the moments where you simply wave away a situation have to appear like you're actually science-ing the s**t out of it instead. Having a literal hand-waving tool is a failure of writing, and of the essence of the show.