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Et In Arcadia Ego Overall two part review
The finale two parter. Overall, it is more similar to The Next Generation in tone than the previous episodes were. Quite nostalgic. Most of the plot threads that had run through the season converge to a conclusion as events come to a head on Coppelius. But was it satisfying? Yes. There are at least six different threads to tie up. The crew on La Sirena, Narek, Elnor, Seven and the other XBs on the Artefact, Oh and the Zhat Vash fleet, Riker and the Synths on the planet below. Quite a lot to deal with.
Of course, when it comes to La Sirena, the tale mainly focuses on Picard, although Jurati and Rios also get some time in the spotlight. Picard confronting his mortality as neurological condition took it's toll was done rather well (even if him ending up in a Synth body seems anticlimatic). Narek's story seemed to be a sideline, with the him seeming to be forgotten by the end of the second episode. Even so,he did play a role. His strategeum of projecting a fake image of his ship in the fight against La Sirena.
And his relating of the Gamadan history/prophecy to Rios, Raffi and Elnor was also an important part of the story. Most of the XBs may have been sidelined, but Seven also played an important role. (Not sure what to make of that moment at the end between her and Raffi at the end of the episode.) The Romulan fleet seemed to stall as it came to the point of firing at the Synth settlement. It wasn't just the Orchids, or Riker's fleet getting in the way. She deliberately stalled. (Maybe having second thoughts?)
(Or Maybe not.) Riker leading the fleet was good, but the ships being mostly the same class (or two very similiar classes) strikes me as laziness. At least the ships look good, and a natural development from 25 years earlier. But it is the Synths (and Soong) who play the most important part in the story. Sutra may be synthetic, but it seems that she was as much a victim of the Admonition as Jurati was. Brainwashed into doing something she wouldn't have otherwise done. Her killing of Saga can be compared with the murder of Maddox in that way.
(Although what would become of her after Soong deactivated her would be an interesting question. It most likely isn't the same as what happened to Lore). There are also the extra-Galactic Synths. What is their motivation, and is there any link to those who created V'Ger from Voyager 6? More on this in the complete season review. (Not sure why they would retreat when the beacon is turned off.) Overall it's an interesting ending to a rather good season. 8.9/10.