21: God’s Cloaking Device

Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1.

The perceived danger of synthetic life has been an important theme in Star Trek: Picard since the pilot episode. In “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1,” we finally arrive at Soji’s homeworld, Coppelius, and see a group of synthetic life forms that now must grapple with a threat to its existence. Meanwhile, the crew of La Sirena get caught in the middle as a Romulan fleet approaches.

In this episode of The Line, hosts Brandon-Shea Mutala, Justin Oser, and Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi discuss the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard, “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1.” We explore the introduction of Noonian Soong’s son Altan Inigo Soong, the synth society he created together with Bruce Maddox, and the android Sutra, who reinterprets the warning called the Admonition. We also discuss the connection between the episode title and two 17th-century paintings, and share our predictions for the season finale.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Initial Thoughts (00:03:08)
Meaning of the Title (00:06:22)
Favorite Moments (00:12:38)
Opening Scene (00:17:42)
A Synth Society (00:29:08)
Altan Inigo Soong (00:42:58)
Sutra and the Admonition (00:50:12)
Questions and Concerns (01:20:55)
Canon and Book Connections (01:28:47)
Chrissie’s History Corner (01:34:11)
Final Thoughts (01:43:33)
Closing (01:49:52)

Hosts
Justin Oser, Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi, and Brandon-Shea Mutala

Production
Justin Oser (Editor and Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Producer) Chrissie De Clerck-Szilagyi (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Tony Robinson (Show Art)