adric | Dec update / MCU

At the end of the year I'm clinging to progress on health: weight, flexibility, and better habits. Daily (almost) stretching is focused on treating or reducing injuries, rather than the stretching and movement I'd like to be working on.

After reading Sir Patrick Stewart's autobiography this fall, I actually wanted to watch his new Star Trek show. So, due to that and holiday timing I have watched about three seasons of ST:Picard and a year-ish of Dr Who (three specials is what we get) ... just this weekend. Which dosage is probably inadvisable ...

While I have some light-hearted review-type thoughts about the programmes, plots, contemporary political material and *cough* ret-cons ... I noticed and was touched by some themes across both shows. So, whether it is notable that the themes were so strong in these programmes or it is notable that they were visible to and resonated with me, here-now ... Oh, and yes, spoilers aplenty.

Picard, in conversation with many characters across season one and two argues convincingly that the purpose of life and existence is to help others. There's even a plot line in Picard Season Two where another character advances this argument with the Borg Queen
Many anecdotes and emotional moments hang on the family that the Enterprise built together living together and surviving their adventures.
Tennant's Doctor purportedly comes back to his face and the Earth to settle down and (finally) have a family.
Although some of these characters have biological offspring, the families claimed are diverse in age, relationships, and (since it's scii-fi) species and types of life.
They say that they love each other, sometimes reluctantly and awkwardly, sometimes simply, but with those simple words.

Picard seasons 1 & 2 are quite different from season three. In fact, from the account in SirPatStew's book it's quite exactly what he did not want to do with the show ... though I have a few episodes to go and am trying not cement a preference just yet. Picard S1 and S2 are the deep exploration of Picard's character, flaws, and background that I understood him to have signed on to do. His acting career developed his world-class skills as a character actor and show him repeatedly finding depth and motivation, frailty, and nuance in even characters in plays with no speaking parts (!). So, I enjoyed and value the story and themes of ST:Picard 1&2:

In "doing the work" on himself, Picard learns many things, but one of the most interesting and unique to were
- (his memories of) terrible events in his childhood formed his character
- the child misunderstood, tragically and blamed themselves for what happened
by this scifi-accelerated "knowing thyself" Picard might be able to stop pushing others away and be vulnerable enough to accept love
- or he could have until the plot of Season 3 literally drags him away to save someone he hasn't spoken to in 20 years

I'm waiting to see what if any resolution the mysteries of the plot of Picard Season 3 have. I am a little bit interested to see them and have enjoyed the fan service and seeing the strangely old faces of familiar characters.
</lj-cut>

Anywho, how are y'all?