Replace the skin frame with data's grafted skin scene in FC where the queen blows on it...

Yes, Rutherford's old implant that was scavenged at the end of the last season, which explains why Badgy is with them because he was in the implant. No Borg I'm afraid and I think they're meant to be keeping Borg to a minimum or specific circumstances as they're decimated and in hibernation between Endgame and Picard.

Assimilated Klingons? You mean the Drookmani where one of them has Rutherford's old salvaged implant (from the tease at the end of last season)? I'm assuming after finding and using the implant, Badgey convinces them to jailbreak other AI from daystrom.

I agree. They should have led with this. Or maybe only did this.

Though I do feel like this and last week's were missing a punchline at the end.

This one wasn't a dumpster fire like the last few, but I still feel it was a set up without a punchline. Something felt missing at the end for the payoff.

Not retconed per se, they just can't make their mind up on what the series is and keep radically changing direction and dumping prior development and characters. Changes are often for the better and don't directly contradict but there's certainly a lack of any common thought in the story they're trying to tell.

It's a shame he didn't ask Sunak if he was onboard first. Or maybe he means a France-Poundbury partnership?

It very much feels like someone on the outside looking in and making jokes with their passing knowledge. In contrast to Lower Decks very much being injokes from people who love the series, it's philosophy and all its tiny details. They should have just given it to writers on Lower Decks. This makes me cringe so much.

I did consider Ishtar... Alas, social pressures tamped by evil too much.

Ah, a fair point. I did not see the date. Thank you.

Well at that point it's meant to be they can't be reasoned with, war / fight to the death inevitable. Then at the end it's revealed they were just defending their territory.

If we have a situation where understanding is reached, communication and mutual empathy then exactly what is Kirk fighting about and learning in Arena?

It already doesn't totally work now the Gorn and their space are personally known about by most of the crew present in Arena, by Starfleet etc. but I can wave that off as being worth it for the story. But this would mean that the message of Arena is also damaged, not just continuity. Not sure how I feel about that but I'll see how they handle it first.

I was concerned that any Trek-like resolution that the series's tone demands would utterly undermine Arena. But I think we're past that already so I'll just accept it out the window and enjoy the ride. But I do wish they'd done this as a new species instead.