Oh, I got the non-linear bit, of course on a Watsonian level it works within the universe i.e. Q could have shown up in whichever time era he wanted before his death, but on a Doylist level it was awful, imo as always. Not only did it make the death into a wink, nudge, we can bring him back if we want to thing, it was also written in a way that presented Jack as interchangeable with Picard in a Peter, Wendy, Wendy's daughter and granddaughter at the end of Peter Pan way, and it seemed to position Jack as the next Star Trek lead. All of which I loathed to the core of my being.

I'm not trying to talk you out of having enjoyed the show! I mean, I liked (still do) the Star Wars Prequels at a time when most of (vocal) fandom loathed them and trashed them at every opportunity, and I know how it feels if one comes fresh having having enjoyed something only to find other people being down on it. But this season disappointed me so much I had to vent at least once, and if not in my journal, then where?