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Before the second season premiere of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+, fans were treated to a side adventure featuring two of the characters in Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). The audio drama comes courtesy of Simon & Schuster with the two leads along with Fred Tatasciore (Star Trek: Lower Decks), John Kassir, Jack Cutmore-Scott, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Lisa Flanagan, Gibson Frazier, Lameece Issaq, Natalie Naudus, Xe Sands, and Emily Woo Zeller. The story picks up directly following the events of the end of Picard season one with Raffi and Seven enjoying some R&R into a possible relationship teased in the season finale.
We get a little more deep-dive into the characters as Raffi found some renewed purpose in life following her experience with the Synth conspiracy resolved and Starfleet lifting its ban on them. Seven is still driven by her loyalties with the under-resourced and undermanned Fenris Rangers. When the two hear a call for help, Seven’s stubbornness kicks ready to go gung ho if need be. As a show of support, Raffi reluctantly decides to take up her cause. Anyone expecting something particularly deep that goes through the motions of a relationship will probably be disappointed. We do get to know the two characters better and the exposition actually helps rounds them out in a fuller way we would in a more traditional Star Trek series.
Written by Picard executive producer Kristen Beyer and Mike Johnson, the drama is consistent with the tone of the TV series as is the action and pacing. We get a much better picture of Raffi as more than just a burned-out engineer because Hurd fills out the role really well as a lead and on-brand with the determination of duty and soul becoming a Federation officer. As fans know Ryan from her time on Voyager, Seven has obviously been more than just a blunt instrument of vengeful destruction and twisted justice Picard season one demonstrated. We get additional welcome insight from her time within the Borg collective before she was hardened to think showing vulnerability is a weakness.
Hurd and Ryan complement each other well throughout the drama because there isn’t some galactic threat they have to tackle. It’s localized, finding them helping out others in need in a traditional Trek fashion. No Man’s Land felt like the breather we all needed from the non-stop action and tension. The other actors fulfill their roles adequately as expected especially Tatasciore and Kassir. It also bookends leading up to what happens with Raffi and Seven in the season two premiere, but it’s not mandatory listening. It’s a definite recommendation for those looking for a more traditional Star Trek-type adventure.
Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land
Review by Tom Chang
8/10
Star Trek: Picard: No Man’s Land is consistent with the tone of the TV series as is the action and pacing. Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan complement each other well throughout the drama because there isn’t some galactic threat they have to tackle. It’s localized, finding them helping out others in need in a traditional Trek fashion. The drama provided the breather we all needed from the season-long galactic threat and tension. The other actors fulfill their roles adequately as expected especially Fred Tatasciore and John Kassir. It also bookends leading up to what happens with Raffi and Seven in the season two premiere, but it’s not mandatory listening. It’s a definite recommendation for those looking for a more traditional Star Trek-type adventure.
Writers
Kristen Beyer & Mike Johnson
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