While last week’s premiere episode “Remembrance” served as a reintroduction to Jean-Luc Picard and set up the major mysteries of the season, “Maps and Legends” puts events in motion. The episode gives us a much bigger picture of the current status of Starfleet and the Federation, while making reference back to some of Picard’s former crewmates.

Synopsis — Contains Spoilers!

Mars, First Contact Day, 2385

A work crew laments having to work on a statutory holiday. With a skeleton crew on duty, the shipyard’s android crew are called into action. F8 (Alex Diehl), an android worker, interacts with the humanoid workers; some of whom are uncomfortable working with “plastic people.”

While watching the human crew having lunch together, F8’s eyes flicker and he suddenly hacks the planetary defensive system and begins an attack on the surface and orbiting installations. When they attempt to stop him, the android savagely kills the work crew and then shoots himself in the head.

14 years later

Picard, Laris (Orla Brady) and Zhaban (Jamie McShane)continue to investigate Dahj’s death. Laris and Picard beam into Dahj’s apartment and search for clues. The apartment has been completely cleaned and all evidence of an attack removed.

Laris believes this to be the work of a Romulan agency called the “Zhat Vash” which has operated covertly within the galaxy for centuries. The Zhat Vash (which means “the dead” in Romulan) is fed by great “hate, fear and pure loathing” for synthetic lifeforms and Laris believes that the agency is the reason that the Romulan Empire has never created androids, AIs, or holograms.

Using insight gained while a member of the Tal Shiar (the Romulan secret police), they learn that Dahj’s twin sister Soji Asha (Isa Briones) is not on Earth.

Soji and Narek (Harry Treadaway), having spent the night together, are starting their shift on the Borg cube. It is revealed that the cube was severed from the collective fifteen years earlier and is now under Romulan control. There is no explanation given for how the cube was so heavily damaged, or why the Borg have not come to retrieve it. The cube has become a profitable venture for the Romulans who sell off Borg technology to interested buyers.

While some parts of the ship have been secured, there are still dangerous areas, called “grey zones,” where workers are warned to exercise caution. Workers wear gradient badges as a precaution. They are warned by one of the site managers that “if your gradient badge starts to blink green … run.”

Soji has joined the project as a therapist, helping former Borg drones (called the Nameless by Romulan scientists) reclaim their individuality. Due to the sheer size of the ship, there are still numerous inactive drones within the bowels of the cube.

Back in France, Picard receives a visit from an old Starfleet colleague, Dr. Maurice Benayoun (David Paymer); the two had served together aboard the USS Stargazer many years earlier. Having undergone an exam for an interstellar service certification needed to be granted passage aboard a Starfleet vessel, Benayoun arrives to deliver the results.

While Picard passed nearly every test with flying colors, a structural abnormality has been discovered in his parietal lobe caused “by one of a number of related syndromes.” Unsurprised, Jean-Luc states that he had been warned of the possibility [by Dr. Crusher] a number of years before (“All Good Things” — Star Trek: The Next Generation).

Dr. Benayoun notes that while the abnormality may present different symptoms, the prognosis is grim. In all cases, the condition is ultimately fatal. Despite this, Picard is adamant about returning to space for one final mission and implores Benayoun to grant him medical clearance. The doctor agrees to help his old friend one last time. “I don’t know what kind of trouble you are planning to get into,” he says, “but maybe if you’re lucky, it will kill you first.”

Given a green light, Picard returns to Starfleet Command. He requests temporary reinstatement to locate Bruce Maddox and any other organic androids he created. Presenting his case to the Commander in Chief, Admiral Kristen Clancy (Ann Magnuson), he is given a less than receptive audience. The Admiral, seething from the interview Picard gave to the Federation News Network, is having none of it, interrupting him saying, “sheer fucking hubris!”

She tells him that following the attack on Mars, Federation worlds threatened to pull out of the alliance if resources were diverted back to the Romulan rescue mission. The decision was taken that the Federation’s needs were of paramount importance. While Picard tries to mount a defense of his position, the Admiral has had enough, and says that he is “suffering from the pitiable delusions of a once-great man, desperate to matter.”

Shocked by this slap to the face, Picard warns the Admiral that “you [likely referring to Starfleet as a whole] are in peril.” Clancy’s patience has run out; she tells him to do what he does best, “hide at home.”

Picard meets with Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) again to get more information about Maddox’s disappearance. He decides that if Starfleet won’t help him, he will have to hire a ship and crew of his own.

Laris is livid when she learns of his decision. Zhaban believes that they should go with him, but she disagrees, stating that the Chateau is the only place left in the galaxy where they can keep Picard safe. Jean-Luc tells Zhaban that he and Laris must remain on earthd; he must go on his own. Zhaban urges Picard to contact Riker, Worf or La Forge to get their help, but Picard refuses. Still haunted by Data’s death under his command, he is unwilling to put any of his former crew at risk: “They will put themselves at risk out of loyalty to me, and, I do not want to have to go through that again!”

Picard believes it is in the best interest of the mission that he find someone who dislikes him and has no invested emotional interest in Data. He decides to seek the help of someone named Raffi, whom he reaches out to on his old Starfleet comm-badge.

Back at Starfleet Command, Admiral Clancy contacts Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita), the Chief of Starfleet Security, to recount the information Picard gave her. Oh assures the Admiral that she will investigate the claims.

Oh summons Lieutenant Rizzo ( Peyton List), who we learn is a Romulan operative posing as a human officer in Starfleet. Oh, who appears to be Vulcan but may or may not actually be Romulan, is upset that Picard has caught wind of their plans.

Rizzo has enlisted her brother, Narek, whose mission on the Borg cube is to learn where “the nest” of Maddox synths are located by getting “the machine” — Soji Asha — to reveal her true origins.

Picard arrives at Raffi’s (Michelle Hurd) home. She points a phaser at him, saying she wants nothing to do with him, but changes her mind when she sees he has brought a bottle of wine.

Analysis

If the first episode of Picard was meant to reintroduce us to Jean-Luc, this episode sets the stage for the rest of the season. “Maps and Legends” is exposition-heavy, but rather than giving answers, it only heightens the mystery regarding what is going on.

Laris and Zhaban are given more screen time in this episode, reinforcing their loyalty to Picard. Just two episodes in, Laris has quickly become one of the show’s best characters. Given that Laris and Zhaban seem slated to be left behind, it’s unclear how much more we’ll see of them after this episode.

The direct references to some Next Generation characters were thrilling, as was learning why Picard is unwilling to turn to them. When the new series was first announced, many fans wondered why Picard would not seek out his old shipmates when he needed help. Now, we know that his guilt over Data’s death is so great that he will not allow any of his former Enterprise crew to risk their lives for him.

There is one small continuity error in this episode. At the end of “All Good Things,” it was stated that the abnormality in Picard’s parietal lobe had disappeared. Indeed, the conversation Picard references, in which Dr. Crusher told him of his condition, never actually happened once the timeline was restored at the episode’s conclusion. It was implied that the defect was merely part of Q’s anti-future.

Picard’s illness falls into the overused trope of ‘the legend’s final mission’ seen in many action and science fiction works. While producers have set Picard’s advanced years front and center making it a vital theme, the ‘ticking clock’ feels like overkill.

The scene between Picard and Admiral Clancy is one of the best in the entire episode. It’s a slap in the face not just to Picard, but to viewers’ expectations. The character of Picard is one of the most beloved in the entire franchise and to see him cut down is brutal to watch. It shows us how much Starfleet has changed, indeed, how much the world has changed since Star Trek: Nemesis.

Commodore Oh’s story is intriguing. She comes across as very Vulcan, so, why would she be openly working with Romulan spies? Is Starfleet under the influence of the Zhat Vash? Laris did state that the Zhat Vash have agents within the Federation.

While slightly less exciting than last week’s debut, “Maps and Legends” gives us important backstory and sets up the rest of season. The episode merits a strong 4.5/5.