Hugh (casually walking into the Happy Ending Captain Picard Day Party wearing a nice suit in a colour other than black): Hello everyone.
Elnor: I thought you were dead! You bled out before my eyes, it was really upsetting because you seemed so nice and I couldn’t rationalise your death as the predictable outcome of a bad choice!
Hugh: Sorry you had to see that. I didn’t realise I was going to be okay either. Unknown to me, there were a few remaining Borg nanites in my system that stopped the bleeding and resuscitated me at the brink of death. I’m all better and can continue to help other ex-Bs with their rehabilitation, after a nice holiday to visit my friend Geordi who I’ve kept in close touch with so I didn’t need to ask Captain Picard how he’s doing.
Elnor: Well now I just feel silly. I still wish I’d protected you better.
Hugh: You did everything you could and I appreciated your help. You have earned… this. (Presents Elnor with a basket of perfect little kittens)
Elnor: (incoherent happy Australian Romulan noises)
That came off really weird, like it hadn’t occurred to the writers it looked like a privileged human barging into a place the dispossessed Romulans had tried to set up as a cultural safe space. Like why on earth would you, Picard? It felt like out of character behaviour written to force a confrontation to make up Elnor’s mind, and if Picard did that on purpose to manipulate him that would be even more out of character and shady, whereas if he didn’t realise going into the café was going to lead to an Unpleasantness , why would he of all people not realise that? He’s Jean-Luc Picard, he’s famous for his diplomacy, he knew full well that the Romulans (with good reason!) were disappointed and angry with him, it was quite simply a daft thing to do.
They could have had the ex-senator accost Picard unprovoked with the same effect of galvanising Elnor into action and without making Picard look like a dummy or a jerk. Or they could have made Picard’s going into the café more sympathetic simply by showing that he’s an old man who’s had a stressful few days, he was tired and not feeling well and he just wanted to sit down to rest - not that he thought he had a right to take down their sign and insist on being served, as if he were standing up to people with more power than him.
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