star trek picard season 3 episode 10 quotes

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What picard’s “there is a tide...” finale speech in 10 forward means.

Admiral Picard delivers a Shakespeare speech at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, and it has significance for both Patrick Stewart and Jean-Luc.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 10 - "The Last Generation" Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) delivers a stirring speech in the final scene of Star Trek: Picard season 3, and his monologue has significance to both Jean-Luc and the actor Patrick Stewart. After saving his son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) from the clutches of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) and saving the Earth once more, Picard celebrates with his trusted friends at Ten Forward. Enjoying one last drink before a game of poker, Picard toasts his friends by delivering Brutus' speech to Cassius from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar , Act 4, Scene 3.

Patrick Stewart has a long history of performing Shakespeare's works, winning two prestigious Olivier Awards for his roles in Antony and Cleopatra and Hamlet, respectively. This love of Shakespeare is shared by Jean-Luc Picard, who once told Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) that embracing the works of Shakespeare was the best way to learn about the human condition. Here are the words that Picard recites in Ten Forward, and what they mean for the ending of Star Trek: Picard season 3.

“There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.”

What Picard Quoting Brutus In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Means

Picard's Julius Caesar quotation in the Star Trek: Picard season 3 finale is a fitting one, as the speech is Brutus' ruminations on both fate and free will. These have been key themes of Picard 's final two episodes, as Jack Crusher rejected his Borg fate to restore free will to Starfleet and the Federation. The " tide in the affairs of men " refers to the ebb and flow of life, and to take the tide at the flood is to make the decision to act. On the one hand, Picard's usage of the speech honors the many heroic decisions he and the crew of the Enterprise-D have made over the decades during their " ventures ".

There is one passage in Brutus' speech that affirms the Enterprise-D crew as Picard's chosen family. While in the Borg hive mind, Jean-Luc told Jack that he left the Château Picard wine business, and his father, to join Starfleet and seek a family that accepted him for who he was. If the young Jean-Luc had never taken that particular tide at the flood, the voyage of his life would have been omitted, bound in shallows and miseries. By taking the tide, he found the family he had always wanted, and as Captain William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) observed, they were all "grateful to have ridden the tide " with him.

What Brutus’s Speech In Julius Caesar Means

The speech as written in Julius Caesar doesn't lead to a happy ending like Picard playing poker with his Enterprise family. It comes toward the end of the play when Brutus and Cassius have been forced to flee Rome for the role they played in deposing the Roman Emperor, Caesar. Brutus delivers the speech to inspire Cassius that the time is right to raise their army in battle against the forces of Mark Antony and Caesar's great-nephew, Octavius.

It's an impossible battle for the two men and their army to win, not unlike the Enterprise-D's assault on the Borg Cube in the Star Trek: Picard season finale. Thankfully, the fight against the Borg had a happier end for all involved than Brutus and Cassius' fight against Antony and Octavius, as the two conspirators died in battle. Interestingly, at an early point in his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Patrick Stewart played Cassius in a 1972 production of Julius Caesar, so the speech in Ten Forward is a beautiful way to bring the story of Patrick Stewart the actor, and Jean-Luc Picard the character, full circle.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+.

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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Series Finale Recap: Saying Farewell

In the end, the final season of “Picard” was a worthy send-off for the “Next Generation” crew.

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By Sopan Deb

Season 3, Episode 10: ‘The Last Generation’

“What began over 35 years ago ends tonight,” Jean-Luc Picard says, standing on his favorite bridge and glaring at his most distasteful enemy. It recalled his “The line must be drawn here!” from “First Contact.”

This was ostensibly a reference to the Federation’s longstanding battle with the Borg, but it also applies to “The Next Generation” franchise. (The show began airing in 1987 and 35 years ago would be 1988.) And if this is the last time we see these characters, that’s OK. Not because this season of “Picard” wasn’t a strong one. Quite the opposite, in fact: It was quite good and recaptured everything that made “Next Generation” what it was.

The characters all used special skills to work together and save humankind. Some of the dialogue was campy. There were plot holes. And there were classic “Star Trek” tropes, like Jean-Luc nonsensically going to the Borg cube, when he was likely the least physically capable of the old crew in fighting off the Borg.

But overall, this season was a worthy send-off for the crew. It wasn’t perfect, but neither were the show or any of the movies. But it was worth doing. The story justified its existence, advancing each of the main characters and filling in some gaps.

And it confirmed one last time that “The Next Generation” was greater than the sum of its parts. That might have been why the first two seasons of “Picard” didn’t work as well. Jean-Luc wasn’t the best character he could be without his old friends. The chemistry wasn’t as fluid, and the story wasn’t as deep.

In the finale, we learn a bit about what the Borg have been up to, though I remain baffled that no one brings up Jurati or the whole Good Borg thing from last season . (Maybe it was for the best.) There was no collective left — only the Borg Queen remained, she claimed, though we know from last season’s events that this isn’t exactly true.

It was Jack who found the Borg Queen, at least in her telling. She speaks in a way that is contrary to what we’ve known about the Borg: She says she was lonely and that the Borg were left to starve. (This kind of undercuts the Borg’s whole message of being the perfect beings.) But now, the Borg want to evolve rather than assimilate, and Jack is the perfect partner to do that. (In order to survive, the Borg Queen, I think, resorted to Borg cannibalism. Yikes! Hope those drones won Employee of the Month or something.)

The Borg and the changelings came to an agreement in which the changelings would be the Borg’s vehicle to carry out some villainous plan to help them procreate. Aside from an ill-fated revenge that they didn’t really need the Borg for, I don’t know what the changelings really got out of this alliance.

Elsewhere, classic Star Trekking happens. Worf and Riker fight off some baddies on the cube. Beverly uses her now finely honed combat skills to fire weapons. (It’s somewhat amusing that Geordi refurbished the Enterprise D for display at the fleet museum and also included a loaded torpedo system. Thank goodness he went above and beyond!) Data shows off his lightning fast piloting skills, assisted by his newly acquired gut instinct.

Beverly is faced with an impossible decision: Blow up her son and save the galaxy, or, uh, don’t. I loved that Geordi is the one who asks her permission, because he now understands a parent’s love for a child. And when it comes time to fire on the beacon, Geordi really, really doesn’t want to do it.

Jean-Luc finds another solution. He assimilates himself so he can get in contact with Jack in the Borg collective. Jean-Luc isn’t human, of course. He is an android — apparently, he can just plug himself in to the network like a flash drive. Jean-Luc tells Jack that he is the missing part of Jean-Luc’s life. (Patrick Stewart plays this perfectly.)

Jean-Luc is finally able to admit to himself how lonely he was outside of Starfleet, and that Starfleet merely covered up that loneliness rather than filling it entirely. Jean-Luc gives his son something he’s craved his whole life: approval and unconditional love. And Jean-Luc also won’t let his son go. He offers to stay in the hole with him so they can climb out together, and Jean-Luc gets to be the father he never knew he wanted to be.

Eventually, Jean-Luc pushes Jack to unassimilate himself and turn against the Queen. And that’s that: The universe is saved again. Our thanks to the crew of the Enterprise for the umpteenth time.

The episode ends in the only appropriate way for the “Next Generation” crew: They sit around and toast one another. Jean-Luc quotes Shakespeare, and then they whoop and play cards just like at the end of “All Good Things…,” the series finale of the original “Next Generation.”

The end wasn’t perfect, but it was proper. And that’s about all you can ask from a season like this. I don’t need any more — I want the Enterprise D crew to Costanza it and leave on a high note. They’ve earned it.

Odds and ends

Somewhat amusingly, Jean-Luc does not express any concern for or otherwise mention Laris throughout this season , another example of the team behind “Picard” trying to erase the first two seasons of the show from existence. But Laris, for her part, actually appeared in the season premiere and, one could argue, help put the events of the reunion in motion.

I keep thinking about that scene early this season with Riker and Jean-Luc at the bar, when Riker has to defend the honor of the Enterprise D. We didn't know it then, but that foreshadowed the whole season.

I would have liked to hear more about what Worf has been up to since the events of “Nemesis.” At the end of “Deep Space Nine,” Worf was named an ambassador to Qo’noS. In “Nemesis,” Worf somehow just becomes a member of the Enterprise crew again with little explanation. In this season, it is implied that Worf helped destroy the Enterprise E — more detail would have been nice.

The “Worf as comic relief” thing, as when he fell asleep on the bridge immediately after he helps to save civilization, also wore thin. But there is a fun callback in the last scene of the episode: Beverly saying Worf should have another glass of prune juice. A warrior’s drink!

Pavel Chekov’s son, Anton, being president of the Federation was a nice touch. Anton is likely a reference to Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the rebooted feature films beginning in 2009. He died in 2016 as a result of a car accident .

When Seven and Raffi figure out a way to transport assimilated crew members off the bridge using phaser rifles, it’s quite the deus ex machina. That technology would’ve been helpful all season!

That was a funny moment when the cook is ordered to pilot the Titan. He didn’t even finish flight training, why is Seven making him take the wheel? Have Raffi do it! (Within minutes, the cook executes complicated evasive maneuvers, so that must have been some training.)

At first, I found New Data to be jarring but after a couple episodes, this version grew on me. When he says he hates the Borg, you can see the Lore side of him burst through. It’s a fresh take on Data and Brent Spiner pulls it off.

That was a nice bit of wordless acting from Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis when Riker heads down to the cube for yet another mission with Jean-Luc. The swashbuckling Riker gives the slightest of smiles, as if to say, “You know who you married. You know why I have to do this.” And Troi reluctantly agrees. Later, when Troi tells Riker he will only have a minute or so to save Jean-Luc once the Enterprise fires on the Cube, he responds again with cool confidence in a near death situation.

There will certainly be some disappointment among fans that Kate Mulgrew did not reprise her role as Admiral Janeway this season. The events in “Voyager” presumably are the reason the Borg cube was in such terrible shape when Jean-Luc beams aboard. Given the multiple references to Janeway and what was happening on Earth, it would have been nice to have gotten a glimpse of her. (And man, how gnarly does the Borg Queen look now?)

Ah, there’s Tuvok, offering Seven her own ship. As Vulcan as ever.

In the grand scheme of things, this is still only the second most successful attack by the Borg on Earth. Sure, they get to Earth, bring down the planetary defense systems and attack cities directly, all while using Starfleet ships. But in “First Contact,” they actually went back in time and assimilated all of Earth before the pesky Enterprise crew initiated a do-over. And honestly, if Jean-Luc and his merry band hasn’t been able to rescue Earth from Evil Jack, they could have just done what they did last season or in “First Contact”: Go back in time. It’s easy!

Troi gets to drive the Enterprise D again. It went better than it did last time, when she crashed it.

Beverly is an admiral now? What a promotion, considering the decades she spent out of Starfleet running a rogue operation. I wonder if Riker, Geordi or any of the others were like, “Hey, what about us?”

Ed Speleers did an admirable job as Jack Crusher. It’s not easy to go toe-to-toe with Patrick Stewart, but Speleers fits in seamlessly as Beverly and Jean-Luc’s son. (While we’re here, what’s up with Jack’s brother, Wesley?)

I hope all of you stuck around for the post-credits scene. Q is still alive! Of course he is. We don’t acknowledge last season around these parts.

Sopan Deb is a basketball writer and a contributor to the Culture section. Before joining The Times, he covered Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign for CBS News. More about Sopan Deb

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Star Trek: Picard Series-Finale Recap: Captain’s Log, Final Entry

Star trek: picard.

Star Trek: Picard  began as a series partly dedicated to giving Jean-Luc Picard, the aged but unbowed former captain of the  Enterprise , a late-in-life shot at returning to the stars and partly as a torch-passing exercise that surrounded Picard with new characters (a kind of next generation, you could say). Across three seasons, that mission didn’t so much drift as grow in scale. This third and final season has extended the autumnal adventures to almost all of the original cast of  Star Trek: The Next Generation  (while keeping Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd around from the preceding  Picard  seasons) and making the torch-passing theme even more explicit by bringing in Picard’s previously unknown son, Jack Crusher, and a pair of Geordi LaForge daughters to boot.

That’s a lot to ask of any series, much less one that has to give the beloved  TNG  characters the proper send-off (maybe?) they were denied by the less-than-beloved  Star Trek: Nemesis.  And, by and large, the season has shouldered that burden well. The  TNG  characters have all had their moments in the spotlight as the show reassembled the team, Ryan’s Seven of Nine and Hurd’s Raffi have had plenty to do (as did Todd Stashwick’s Captain Shaw, RIP), and Jack has proven to be a charismatic addition when he could have felt like an interloper shoehorned in to bring down the cast’s median age.

But does this final episode stick the landing? Pretty much, yeah. “The Last Generation” both brings the season-long story — which began as a confrontation with the Dominion before that dread foe essentially handed over villain duties to the Borg — to an exciting conclusion and gives the original cast a nostalgic valedictory moment while also leaving the door open for future adventures.

As it opens, however, any possibility of a happy ending seems unlikely. Federation President Chekov (not that one but his son) issues a dire warning that the Federation’s younger generation has been assimilated, and there’s little to be done about it, but in the words of his father, “There are always possibilities.” Picard and the crew are not an easily dissuaded bunch, and recognizing, as Data puts it, they “are the cavalry,” they come up with a plan.

Sure, it’s a desperate plan, but a plan nonetheless: Head to Jupiter, board the Borg vessel, and shut down the beacon that allows the Borg to do what they do. (And hopefully rescue Jack in the process.) For Picard, it’s personal. The Borg have his son (whom he’s come to like quite a bit despite a messy start), and he’s been plagued by their threat for over 35 years. For everyone else, it’s, well, also pretty personal. If this is truly a last stand, it’s a last stand against an enemy with whom they have a long, nasty history. The newly emotional Data sums it up as they approach: “I hate them.”

No one knows that better than Seven, of course, who leads a party to reclaim the  Titan.  She and Raffi will play a crucial role in the confrontation that follows, but it’s the newly reunited  TNG  crew that drives the action. And, in classic  Trek  faction, that means breaking into smaller groups. Picard, Will, and Worf head into the cube. (“And I will make it a threesome,” Worf says, by way of announcing his intentions.) Their farewell is one of the episode’s first heart-tugging moments. Could this be the last time these characters see each other? The look on Deanna’s face as Will walks away says it all.

On the cube, they find a lot of rotting Borg drones but little action. Then it’s time to split up after another wrenching farewell scene in which Picard can’t bring himself to tell Will how much he means to him. “You know that I know. Always,” Will says, letting him off the hook while making the scene that much more intense, with Worf’s own final words about Klingon’s not knowing the words “defeat” and “farewell” providing poignant punctuation.

When Picard reaches Jack, it’s worse than he feared. His son appears fully Borgified and the Borg Queen (voiced by Alice Krige and looking more like a nightmarish H.R. Giger creation than ever) looms over him. She’s mostly interested in mocking “Locutus,” calling his arrival a homecoming. The Borg Queen also announces that assimilation is old news. The new Borg goal is evolution. And it looks like that plan is working out for them. Thanks, unwittingly, to Jack, Starfleet is now filled with unwitting hybrids walking around with Borg DNA just waiting to be told what to do.

But despite the odds stacked against them, our heroes prevail via a series of pretty good fight scenes that mix aerial combat, a hand-to-hand battle with Borg drones, some fancy flying from Data, and a battle for Jack’s soul. The latter involves Picard plugging himself into the Borg network and selling Jack on the pleasures of life outside the Borg cube, despite the possibility of loneliness and fear. Picard’s pitch includes freely expressing his emotions (never an easy thing for the captain), including his feelings for his son. “You are the part of me that I never knew was missing,” he says. Later, they hug. (This episode just does not let up on big emotional moments. Will’s farewell to Deanna, if anything, hits even harder: “I’ll be waiting. Me and our boy.”)

Star Trek  is a franchise dedicated to following intriguing science fiction concepts wherever they lead, but it’s also one in which occasionally love saves the day, and the Borg Queen’s dying shout of “No!!!” shortly before her cube explodes signals that this is one of those  Star Trek  installments. (Even Seven’s in a hugging mood when the Borg control lifts from the  Titan  crew.) It’s a happy ending for all, and the tableau of everyone posing on the  Enterprise  bridge (an image that includes Will and Deanna embracing and Worf asleep) could be a fitting end to the series.

But there’s more to be done. That includes giving the  TNG  crew some more time together and setting up future adventures. Will’s log reveals that Beverly has developed a method to eliminate Borg DNA and scan for Dominion holdouts. Tuvok, the real Tuvok, is still alive, it’s revealed. Seven learns that Captain Shaw actually liked and respected her, even recommending she be promoted to the rank of captain. Data is still sorting through his new emotions with a lot of help from Deanna, who’s a little distracted planning a vacation during the latest of their marathon sessions. But, essentially, all is well.

One year later, the long good-bye continues as Will, Picard, and Geordi put the  Enterprise  D to bed. A bit later, Picard and Beverly escort their son to his first Starfleet assignment aboard … the  Enterprise ? Rechristened in honor of Starfleet’s fabled flagship, the  Enterprise  is now under Seven’s command, with Raffi and Jack by her side. That looks like a setup for a whole new series featuring this crew. (I would watch.)

We’re not done: Over drinks and a stirring recitation of one of Brutus’s speeches in  Julius Caesar  from Picard (“There is a tide in the affairs of men”), the  TNG  crew spends the evening in each other’s company, reflecting on their time together before, in a nod to “All Good Things …,” the original  TNG  finale, a game of poker breaks out with Picard enthusiastically participating. It’s an indulgent moment that calls on decades of accumulated affection for these characters, and boy does it work. It feels like a fitting farewell, albeit one that suggests all good things, or at least all good shows, don’t always come to an end. They just kind of lay around waiting for someone to pick them up again.

Captain’s Log

• Hello! No, I am not your regular  Picard  recapper (though I did cover the first season). I’m just filling in for the excellent Swapna Krishna, who was unexpectedly unable to cover this episode.

• This episode pretty clearly sets up a Seven/Raffi/Jack–focused series and that’s a pretty exciting prospect. Ryan is, of course, already a  Trek  legend and her reprise of Seven has broadened the character and confirmed she has a range we never saw on  Voyager . Hurd was always a  Picard  highlight and Ed Speleers has fit right in when Jack could easily have been the series’ Poochie.

• If there is a series, please, please find room for the “Ma’am, I’m just a cook!” guy. He’s great.

• Over the end credits, there’s one last surprise: Q is back and ready to put Jack to the test. Nothing really ends or dies with this franchise, does it? (Okay, except for Ro Laren, Capt. Shaw, etc., etc.) After a first season partly dedicated to putting Data down, he’s back and the Data who wanted to die got hand-waved away. Now Q’s mortality, a big part of the second season, is out the window. It’s inconsistent, but is any going to complain, particularly after a season this strong?

• That said, the sudden transition to a mostly different supporting cast hasn’t been without some awkwardness. Whither Laris?

• Is this the last time we’ll see the  TNG  characters all in one place together again? Another reunion seems unlikely, but then  this  reunion seemed pretty unlikely. If it is the end, it’s a warm, affectionate send-off. If not, let’s hope the next reunion strikes as deft a balance between nostalgia and adventure.

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'Picard’ Season 3 Showrunner Terry Matalas Breaks Down Episode 10, Fatherhood, and That 45-Minute Poker Game

He also spoke about bringing back Walter Koenig for President Chekov and that insane post-credit scene.

After three awe-inspiring seasons, Star Trek: Picard came to an end this week with a series finale that will go down as one of the most satisfying and soul-stirring endings to ever grace television screens . Its success is largely owed to Season 3's showrunner Terry Matalas , who brought together an exceptional team of writers and creatives to bring into reality a vision that became a fitting send-off for the beloved cast of The Next Generation .

Ahead of the finale, Collider had the opportunity to once again sit down one last time with Matalas to discuss how they pulled off that surprising Q ( John de Lancie ) post-credit scene, the 45-minute poker scene in 10 Forward, that pivotal moment between Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and Jack ( Ed Speleers ), how they arrived at Deanna ( Marina Sirtis ) and Riker's ( Jonathan Frakes ) telepathy saving the day, the Star Trek: Voyager reunion between Seven ( Jeri Ryan ) and Tuvok ( Tim Russ ), bringing back Walter Koenig to voice President Chekov, and so much more.

COLLIDER: Season 2 really felt like the last time we were going to see Q, so I was thrilled that the legacy continues on. Can you talk about bringing him back and how he's essentially Jack's problem now?

TERRY MATALAS: Where better to end than at the beginning, right? It was an honor. It felt right to go back to “Encounter at Farpoint,” that while humanity's trial was over for his father, it now begins again for his son. And it was almost as if, like that moment at the end of “All Good Things…” when Q goes to whisper about, “There's a thing you should know, Jean-Luc,” and then he's like, “Ah, you'll see.” Maybe that was about Jack.

It was an idea I had, actually, right when I started developing it, and I told John [de Lancie] about it on his last day, and he was like, “Absolutely, I'll come back. It would be amazing.”

Oh, I love that. I also really loved that the crew was essentially saved by Deanna and Riker's telepathy, which I talked about loving that aspect. Can you talk about the writers' room and arriving at that decision for that being the rescue plan?

MATALAS: We knew we needed a way for them to find each other. I’m trying to remember if it was [Christopher Monfette], or who came up with that idea, which is so beautiful. And it's also a way to sort of put to bed that Deanna-flying-the-ship bit, as well, in this wonderful rescue. The impetus for it was, I always had this image, and I drew it on a whiteboard – and I didn't think I'd ever be able to pull it off – which was, Picard and Jack and the Enterprise D flying over them. That was a moving moment I wanted to do as a director, and I built it into the script. I was like, “No, I want the shot, I want the shot,” and everybody's like, “Okay, we'll be able to do it.” I was like, “I'm not gonna be able to pull this off,” and visual effects is like, “Oh, I think we could do it.” And then I was like, “There's no way.”

And so, it was like, how can we get to that moment? And it was also an emotional moment, too, because it comes off of the line, Jack saying, “I'm not alone,” and it truly was his family coming to rescue him at that moment. It was a culmination of all those ideas of the family truly together, and that love conquers all, truly, and it's the love of that, and the end of that arc for the Rikers is what manages for the Enterprise to find them.

That leads in so perfectly to my next question, which is, we've talked about how fatherhood is Picard's final frontier, and coming face-to-face with his willingness to sacrifice himself for Jack. It's this beautiful moment, but I'm curious for you as a director, can you discuss framing that scene and pulling all of that emotional poignance out of it?

MATALAS: Well, it all comes down to that scene. If that scene doesn't work the season doesn't really work. It's about a child looking for connection but doesn't realize the connection he really needs is his father. And it really isn't until that moment that that willingness to sacrifice himself for his son in that hug, that sort of snaps the kid out of this strange Borg euphoria.

It was all there, but really, it comes down to Sir Patrick Stewart and Ed Speleers in that moment, for both these phenomenal actors who just get there on their own. You don't have to do very much as a director because they're just that good.

Ed gives a real tour de force performance in the scene.

MATALAS: He really does.

I swear, every time he cries, he gets me crying. But I am curious to know what went into the design of the Borg costume because it's so badass.

MATALAS: That is genius costume designer, Michael Crow. You know, who comes from Marvel, who worked on [ Avengers: Endgame ], to Hawkeye . He has all those chops, and I gotta tell you, his Võx costume, I wasn't even prepared for how amazing it was. He had been crushing it all season with those Starfleet jackets, with the Changelings, and he had thrown some concept art for Vox that was stunning, but we had no money to put together something as stunning as that. The next thing you know, Ed is walking out with this fully realized feature film-quality, full-on Borg costume that is as good as anything any feature film with a spectacular budget can pull off. And that's Michael Crow. And that wardrobe department deserves every Emmy there is to have for it. It's incredible.

Absolutely, I completely agree. I love that throughout the season, there are these seeds leading to the fact that Seven is going to become a captain. I love the delivery of that moment with the Shaw, the report that he gave before any of this stuff even happened.

MATALAS: Yeah, before. Good catch, thank you.

Yes, it's so important. Can you talk about that scene and bringing back Tuvok? This is really a Voyager reunion in a much bigger way than seeing him as a Changeling.

MATALAS: That scene, actually, is one of the few scenes that chokes me up. I love his “resignation denied” moment. I also like that what it says about Shaw is, even with his aggressions that he had towards her, he always knew how amazing she was, and had intended to– Well, first of all, he handpicked his first officer and was intending to give her this incredible promotion to captain even before this whole adventure. And I think that that helped solidify, in her mind, her place here, in ways. For as much as she disrespected Shaw, she respected Shaw as what he was as a captain, strategically, and for his crew, not necessarily for how he treated her. He is a complicated man. It was something that we always knew we wanted to do, and Todd [Stashwick's] performance is so, so wonderful, and her reaction is so genuine and perfect in that moment.

One of the other things that I quite like about it is, Stephen Barton does this thing where he takes the Titan theme and the Voyager theme and plays them both on top of each other, and it works. It's almost like the two themes were written to complement each other, it's incredible. So listen for that.

Definitely. Speaking of bringing back characters and listening, what went into creating President Chekov and getting Walter [Koenig] to come back to voice the role?

MATALAS: I really wanted to honor one of the original series’ actors in this if this was gonna be my last bite of the apple at Star Trek entirely. I really wanted one of the original series’ actors to appear. Initially, I wanted to get him on camera, and I ran out of time and money to do that. There's a lot of things– we could talk about that too. But we were able, luckily, to do this great voiceover warning not-to-approach-Earth moment with him, and he was so wonderful.

I love in this episode that Worf initiates a hug, which is like such a novel concept, and it's a great moment. Is he going soft as he's getting older, or is this a testament to the bond that he has formed with Raffi?

MATALAS: I think it's specifically reserved for Raffi. You know, he's been rejecting hugs all season. He rejects it from Beverly, he rejects it from Riker and Troi. I think this is his lone wolf and cub, I think there's something special about Raffi for him that it’s unique, this bond that he cares about. Yeah, that moment gets me choked up as well. I quite like that moment. They have a really unique chemistry.

And despite all of the emotional stakes of this episode, there are also a lot of really funny moments. I was curious if you had any favorite moments because there's Worf always with the one-liners.

MATALAS: I quite like when he comes to rescue them, Frakes and Marina, and he's like, “I've counted the days…” Mostly because those three have such incredible comedic timing. Frakes giving him the look and saying, “Inappropriate,” and Marina giving side-eyes to both of them is just– if you know these actors in person, you know how much of it is genuine in them. It's fantastic. That scene works better than it has any right to work.

Oh, definitely. I really love in this episode, the nepotism joke, and that whole Picard-Crusher family scene at the end. But I was curious, specifically, how fast was Jack's expedited time in Starfleet? Do you have a number in mind?

MATALAS: I don’t. You know, it's one of those things that you have to ask yourself, does it make a whole lot of sense or does it make emotional sense? Probably makes more emotional sense for the story than it does narrative sense, and fans can debate about it for the rest of–

Hey, it leaves plenty of room for a novelization or a comic book down the line.

MATALAS: Absolutely.

I actually had a really in-depth question for you from my friend Mike Chen who actually writes the Deep Space Nine comics for IDW.

MATALAS: Oh yeah, Mike!

I love Mike. He was talking about how in a lot of ways, the season feels like the last hurrah to the ‘90s era Trek , kind of as a whole. And with the Borg playing a big role in both The Next Generation and Voyager , and then the Changelings in Deep Space Nine , was that part of your thought when you were bringing these two major villains together and culminating it in this major revenge act?

MATALAS: In a way. They're the best of both of those, so why wouldn't you use them in a final big, giant, epic conclusion? They are the coolest of the two, so definitely in that regard.

And then looking back at Season 3, and the series as a whole, what are you proudest of bringing to this franchise and the story that has been told here?

MATALAS: I think I'm really proud of bringing them all back together by the end, and introducing this sort of next generation of them all. I'm really proud of Seven and Raffi as Captain and First Officer of the USS Enterprise, with Jack Crusher and Sidney LaForge, and Alondra LaForge on board. I'm proud of the cinematic quality that we were able to pull off with this story, with the music and the visual effects. I'm proud that there's a feeling at the end of hope, in reunion and family, with these characters, that it's not morose, nd left with a sense of mourning that anybody died. So I think that's probably how I feel.

I definitely appreciate that aspect of this. This left me feeling so happy, I've already rewatched it three times. I also really love that final scene we get before the post-credit scene with the crew playing poker together, which is just this beautiful bookend to like The Next Generation ended. So for my last question, I was curious to know what was it like filming that day on set? Did it feel a certain kind of way?

MATALAS: I wanted the audience to feel like they were really in that poker game, and really get a sense to feel like what it's like to hang out with this cast, to feel the genuine laughter of this friendship that they've had for decades. So I let the camera roll for 45 minutes, and that camera just moved around that table. I think we'll probably put a lot of it on the Blu-ray.

So that's all real. Those laughs, those smiles, all those are just– they're genuine. None of that's acting, aside from the last line. That was always part of the plan, we built that into the schedule to be able to pull that off. So that's quite wonderful, but I knew I had to end with that shot. That was the right way to end with them.

All three seasons of Star Trek: Picard are streaming now on Paramount+.

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Recap / Star Trek: Picard S3E10 "The Last Generation"

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"This is President Anton Chekov of the United Federation of Planets broadcasting on all emergency channels. Do not approach Earth. A signal of unknown origin has turned our young against us. They have been assimilated by the Borg. Our fleet has been compromised and as we speak, our planetary defenses are falling. Sol Station is defending Earth as best it can. But we're almost out of time. We have not been able to find a way to stop this Borg signal and unassimilate our young. But I know if my father were here, he'd remind us all that hope is never lost. There are always possibilities. Until then, I implore you: save yourselves. Farewell."

As the above distress signal fills subspace, the Enterprise -D finds a Borg cube lurking in the Great Red Spot of Jupiter. Aboard is Jack Crusher, now designated as Vox, confirmed to be broadcasting the Borg signal that controls Starfleet. The cube disarms its weapons and lowers its shields, inviting the Federation contingent aboard; most of its power readings are going to powering the signal. Picard, Riker and Worf resolve to beam aboard the cube and track down Jack's lifesigns and cut the signal off at the source. Picard leaves Commodore Geordi La Forge in command. As they leave the bridge, he says, " It Has Been an Honor ," suggesting he expects a One-Way Trip .

Seven, Raffi and the older staff of the Titan -A secure the bridge by beaming the younger crewmembers into the locked transporter room. They're a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits — the Closest Thing We Got to a pilot is the ship's cook, who had to leave training to take over his mother's deli — but they are all that is left of Starfleet. They detect the NCC-1701-D near Jupiter and realize Picard is making a play. To buy him time, Seven orders the Invisibility Cloak engaged: the Fleet Formation system requires line-of-sight to work, and simply becoming invisible breaks the Titan free. She then begins Hit-and-Run Tactics , distracting the assimilated fleet. Unfortunately, Sidney, Alandra and the other Bridge Bunnies break free of the transporter room and destroy the cloaking device, exposing the Titan to return fire, just as Spacedock finally succumbs to assault and Earth's planetary shields fall.

Aboard the cube, It's Quiet… Too Quiet ; most of the drones are either dead or powered down in service of the signal. Crusher locates Jack, forcing the away team to split up; Picard admits he can no longer be The Captain , as now he is beholden to a higher calling: being a father instead. Riker and Worf look for an active terminal while Picard heads after Jack. The boy has been fully assimilated — he even has the same headpiece that Locutus of Borg did, laser pointer included — and he is accompanied by the Borg Queen. She goes on her Motive Rant : after Admiral Janeway made her presence known in the timeline ( VOY : " Endgame "), she was pushed deep into the recesses of space, deprived of succor. This ship and its drones are (with the exception of Queen Jurati's Collective from last season) the Last of Its Kind . That said, it's enough: with the help of her Changeling allies, she has learned to procreate, and is bent on the annihilation of the Federation.

The Cube breaks dormancy and opens fire, but Dr. Beverly Crusher — by now a full-fledged Combat Medic — is at the weapons stations, wielding the Enterprise 's weapons with a force and flair even Worf never managed. Meanwhile, Riker and Worf radio on the location of the transmitter, but there's a problem: it's buried deep inside the center of the cube. Data rises to the challenge, taking the Enterprise — a Mighty Glacier forty years old — into the Cube's superstructure in an Airstrike Impossible worthy of a Space Fighter . Finally, it's time for the Sadistic Choice : the transmitter is the heart of the Borg cube, and destroying it will destroy the cube... with Picard and Jack still on it, hidden by the interference. Beverly, tearful, signs off, but Worf and Riker refuse to return, insisting on heading in to rescue Picard. They arrive just as Picard, realizing he has no other option, voluntarily assimilates himself to go in after Jack.

The two meet in a Battle in the Centre of the Mind . Jack, the loner who has always felt different, has embraced his Family of Choice , the family the Borg claim to be. Picard admits that he is the same, that he joined Starfleet to find a Family Of Choice; but now he and Jack have each other, and perhaps that can suffice. Jack still refuses, so Picard walks the walk: he offers to stay with his son, come what may. This is all it takes, and Jack breaks free of the Borg's programming, separating himself from the Collective and tearing out the tube with which Picard had injected himself. He will die as himself , at least. Riker, seeing this, wishes a farewell to his Imzadi ... and Troi , apprehending this through her mental link with him, grabs the wheel and brings the ship over so they can beam Picard and the others back.

The Borg ship explodes, with the Enterprise -D rocketing out of the fireball . Aboard the Titan , the assimilated crew, about to retake the bridge, are suddenly restored to themselves, with Sidney breaking down in a Heroic BSoD in Seven's arms. Aboard the Enterprise bridge, there are plenty of happy reunions: the Picard-Crusher family, the Troi-Riker family, old friends Geordi, Data and Worf relaxing in the command chairs, and Geordi seeing his daughters freed, happy, and safe together with Seven and Raffi via viewscreen. After 35 years, the Borg threat is neutralized for good and all.

As Starfleet returns to normal, Admiral Beverly Crusher, newly installed Head of Starfleet Medical, implements transporter technology that allows the removal of the Borg DNA... and the catching of any remaining Changeling imposters. Raffi is finally invited to meet her granddaughter; she and the crew of the Enterprise are celebrities now, and her family is proud of her. Worf wishes her great future happiness. Many of the abducted Changeling victims are returned, including Captain Tuvok, who tells Seven that the Enterprise crew have been granted full pardons. Seven has realized that she is not a fit for Starfleet, and offers her resignation, but in answer, Tuvok gives her her latest crew evaluation — Captain Shaw, speaking in a recording from before his death, admits that her Military Maverick instincts are valuable, and recommends she be promoted to captain. (Her resignation is not accepted.) And Troi gets back to work helping Data grapple with his newfound humanity; apparently he keeps running over their session time limits.

After a Time Skip to 2402, the Enterprise -D is ensconced in its rightful place in the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime. Spacedock has been rebuilt, and Admirals Picard and Crusher see off a loved one — Ensign Jack Crusher, who has been fast-tracked through the Academy — to his latest posting: the Titan ... well, what was the Titan . Yes, in recognition of Jean-Luc Picard, his crew, and the efforts to defeat the Borg once and for all, the ship has officially been re-christened: NCC-1701- G . The Enterprise rides again.

Captain Seven of Nine and first officer Raffaela Musiker take her out for her shakedown cruise, with Jack on the bridge as a Special Counselor to the Captain . Seven is asked to choose her Catchphrase — " Engage ," " Let's fly ," " Hit it ," etc — and therefore to write the first line of her legacy. The scene cuts away before she says it .

In Ten Forward L.A., Picard's crew is gathered and has closed down the bar — again ; Guinan has apparently been giving them the side-eye to get them to leave for half an hour. It doesn't work, as Picard breaks out the poker deck . The series ends the way it did the first time: with Picard dealing out a hand to his True Companions .

• Accidental Innuendo : In-Universe When Worf decides to join Picard and Riker on the Borg cube, he declares "And I will make it a threesome." It's promptly lampshaded: Riker: Do you even hear yourself?
• Actor Allusion : Not only does he end the series quoting Shakespeare, he engages in a Battle in the Center of the Mind , an obvious reference to Patrick Stewart's other famous role.
• Actually Pretty Funny : Data and Geordi are both visibly amused when post-mission Worf collapses in Troi's chair and promptly starts snoring .
• All Your Base Are Belong to Us : Continuing on from last episode, Seven, Raffi, and any surviving unassimilated Titan crewmembers are trapped aboard the still-hijacked Titan and trying to retake the ship. They successfully seize the bridge and then use the Titan to buy time for Earth.
• Alpha Strike : For the first time ever Beverly is placed in charge of the tactical station, when Geordi orders a return fire the Enterprise lights up the surface of the Cube . The entire bridge crew turns to look at her in surprise, which she responds with " A lot has happened in 20 years. "
• Ambiguous Situation : While Vadic's surviving conspirators are taken in custody by Starfleet, it's left unclear if they'll be held in Federation custody indefinitely, or if they'll be extradited back to the Gamma Quadrant to face judgement in the Great Link.
• With the latest Starship Enterprise in service to Starfleet warping away from Earth to Boldly Go among the stars once more.
• In The Stinger , Q shows up to tell Jack that he has his own Humanity on Trial quest to deal with.
• Arc Welding : A variation. While the Federation-Borg conflict began on TNG, VOY had developed its own distinct Borg arc that branched off from the main narrative. After being implied last episode, VOY's Borg arc now formally circles back to and merges with the primary TNG Borg arc (as the events of "Endgame" and the damage Team Janeway did to the Collective on their way out of the Delta Quadrant are the catalyst for this final apocalyptic campaign.)
• Arson, Murder, and Lifesaving : Captain Tuvok confronts Seven of Nine for helping the old Enterprise crew hijack the Titan . Before he can finish, Seven announces that she is resigning from Starfleet. Tuvok then shows her a holo-recording of Captain Shaw (shortly before his death), giving his evaluation of Seven, commending her for her courage, loyalty and willingness to go against the rules if it's the right thing , and recommending her for promotion. Tuvok then tells Seven, "Resignation denied. Captain."
• The Red Alert conditions aboard the Enterprise -D have now adopted the darker lighting mode that wasn't introduced to the 24th century until after TNG had ended. Could be justified, as Geordi had to rebuild the bridge module with post-2371 components, which likely had the later OS updates.
• Building off last episode's ending, the 1701-D's warp drive effect has been updated from the original TNG-era "stretch" effect to the current Secret Hideout-era revamp.
• Awesome, yet Impractical : Worf's sword is so ridiculously heavy that Riker can barely lift it. As a mighty Klingon, Worf is apparently strong enough to wield it effectively, but that isn't how swords and bladed weapons work well in real life . They always have to be relatively light because extremely heavy weapons aren't just hard to swing, they also obey Newton's Third Law: swinging them will cause an equal opposite reaction on the wielder's body, pulling them wildly off balance and leave them extremely vulnerable to counter-attack.
• Awesomeness by Analysis : When the Titan registers the presence of a Galaxy -class starship in the Sol System, both Raffi and Seven are initially confused as to what the hell this is. Once Seven realizes it's the Enterprise -D, she quickly puts the pieces together: this is what Geordi's plan last episode was, the Enterprise -D can't be hacked by Fleet Formation, and they're making a play to shut down the Collective system at the source. This analysis also allows Seven and Raffi to figure out their own game plan: Disrupt the attack on Spacedock and buy as much time for Picard's team as they can.
• The real Tuvok returns to give Seven a promotion to captain; the Changelings having kept him alive as they hinted previously.
• Q returns to have a chat with Jack, despite dying last season. He dismisses this as linear thinking, suggesting this is an earlier version of the character nonetheless aware of his eventual end.
• Despite Captain Shaw having been slain last episode, Todd Stashwick returns for a cameo as part of a pre-recorded message Shaw made earlier in the season.
• Bait-and-Switch : A scene in the denouement begins with a voiceover of Deanna giving counseling advice in a way that implies that she is speaking to Jack. The scene then shows that she is having a counseling session with Data .
• Bait-and-Switch Comment : In the final scene, Data's given the honor of the TNG crew's final toast. He stands, gathers his thoughts, strikes a dignified pose...and then starts reciting that naughty limerick from "The Naked Now". Everybody immediately starts shouting at Data, leading the android to mock-pout he's never going to get to finish that limerick.
• Battle in the Center of the Mind : Picard connects himself to the Collective to attempt to reach Jack, which appears as a swirling mass of green energy all around them.
• Be Careful What You Wish For : Downplayed, as he does not actually regret the outcome, but Data does note that being human is just as difficult as the desire to be human and also "infinitely more complex" than he had considered.
• Beyond Redemption : The Borg Collective ultimately are this in the end; in spite of repeated questions about the morality of wiping them out over the course of the franchise, the Borg doom themselves to extinction through their inability to change their outlook that they could coexist note  Jurati's Collective proves that there is a capacity for the Borg to change and peacefully exist with other life in their constant pursuit of perfection that they would rather become an Omnicidal Maniac when facing the possibility of failure of reaching that goal. Thus no tears are shed by any party, in spite of their horrific condition inflicted upon them by Janeway's virus , when they are finally put down for good.
• Big Badass Battle Sequence : The Borg-assimilated fleet attacks Earth Spacedock, while the Titan (with her cloaking device ) uses Hit-and-Run Tactics to interfere with them; meanwhile , the Enterprise goes one-on-one against the Borg cube. The result: more Macross Missile Massacre , Beam Spam , and Stuff Blowing Up than just about every other installment in the franchise.
• Big "NO!" : The Borg Queen lets this out for the last time, once her plans are ruined and she is denied her opportunity at Taking You with Me .
• Bittersweet Ending : The Borg/Changeling conspiracy damaged Starfleet badly, with countless ships and personnel lost in their rampage, and possibly millions of young Starfleet personnel deeply traumatized by assimilation. However, Picard and his team triumphed over the Borg one last time, purging the universe of their threat once and for all. As well, a new generation of officers and an Enterprise (-G) set out to boldly go where no one has gone before.
• Body Horror : Alternate Janeway's last act was not kind to the Borg Queen, who is an emaciated torso with a melted face, scavenging her last remaining drones to sustain herself. Funnily enough, how malformed she is makes her now more of an Homage to her concept's original inspiration as a Xenomorph Xerox .
• The Queen would have won if she had just blown the Enterprise -D and her crew — people the Queen knew all too well had triumphed against the Borg during their last two attempts to assimilate Earth — out of the stars at the beginning of the episode. Instead, she lowers shields and invites Picard aboard. Her need to monologue to Picard and gloat to his face dooms her and the Collective.
• The Queen would've attacked Earth sooner had she immediately destroyed the Titan as they did the Excelsior when Seven and the others had re-taken the bridge. As with her need to gloat to Picard, she likely wanted those closest to him to suffer (and especially Seven given her relationship with the scourge of the Collective, i.e. Janeway).
• The season premiere was titled "The Next Generation", while the finale is titled "The Last Generation".
• The entire 24th century era of the franchise began with Jean-Luc Picard, his command crew, and the Enterprise -D — and now it ends with them.
• Q returns in The Stinger to bookend his first appearance in the very first episode of TNG and the 24th century, as well as his appearance in the very first Borg episode .
• The Enterprise -D was the first Starfleet ship to make official first contact with the Borg in " Q Who ," and the one to defeat the first Borg Cube that attacked the Sol System. It ends up being there to eradicate the last of the Borg.
• Riker and Worf were part of the very first Starfleet Away Team to set foot on a Borg Cube in "Q Who". They're now part of the very last Away Team to ever undertake such a mission.
• The Enterprise -D was also the first Starfleet ship to contact the Borg with a "hello" and the last one to literally tell them "go to hell" with the metaphorical middle finger.
• Chronologically, the Borg story began at Earth nearly 350 years earlier when the 24th Century Sphere traveled back in time and failed to stop Zefram Cochrane's historic flight. A century later , the drones that had survived the Sphere's destruction were discovered, awoken, and set off the chain of events that created a Stable Time Loop and brought the Collective to the Alpha Quadrant — and with all that ensued at System J-25, Wolf 359, etc. Now, the Borg's story chronologically ends at Earth 350 years later.
• The Next Generation ended with Picard sitting down for a game of Poker with his friends, and Picard ends the same way (not counting The Stinger ). Similarly, this show's pilot episode opened with Picard playing poker with Data (albeit as part of a dream sequence) and likewise ends with him once again playing a hand with the android, only this time surrounded by his whole command crew.
• In the Picard season one backstory, Raffi was selected by the then-newly promoted Admiral to serve as his adjutant for the Romulan Evacuation. To put it another way, Raffi was the Number Two to a former Captain of the Enterprise . Raffi now exits the series having reclaimed that role and serving as the Number Two of the current Captain of the Enterprise (i.e. Seven).
• Geordi's promise to Picard as they leave the bridge for the last time — that he will take care of the D because she's always taken good care of them — bookends Leonard McCoy 's similar parting advice to Data back during his Spinoff Sendoff in the TNG Pilot.
• The launch of the rechristened Enterprise -G is similar to her departure (as the Titan -A) from the season premiere. They even reuse much of the BGM.
• Thirty-six years later, and Data still wants to finish that rather peculiar limerick being delivered by someone in the shuttlecraft bay .
• Last episode, Geordi warns that one of the panels on the Enterprise -D’s port nacelle was loose, that he had a hard time trying to get it down. During the flyby of the Enterprise -D and Titan -A at the end, you can see that there’s a missing panel on that mentioned nacelle.
• Likewise, at the beginning of the Season, Picard told Seven that she was going to be a Captain before she knew it. He was more prescient than either of them knew.
• Similarly, back in "All Good Things", Picard humbly stated that he used to be quite a card player in his youth. Picard proves that was no idle boast by actually besting Riker (who was the most frequent poker victor on TNG) in the final game.
• Subtle one, but when Data takes the helm, he seems to finally understand the human predilection for piloting vehicles at unsafe velocities .
• Brief Accent Imitation : President Anton Chekov imitates his father's thicker Russian accent when telling everyone "There are always possibilities."
• The staging and angle of the Enterprise -D when it comes out of warp in that shot also matches the very first shot we ever saw of her in the opening scene of "Encounter at Farpoint" .
• Likewise, the Enterprise -D once again arrives home in the Sol system to rescue the Federation capital just as the Borg reach its doorstep. For Team Picard, this is also now the third time they've done this particular Big Damn Heroes routine (following Wolf 359 and the 2373 incursion ) while saving Earth from the Borg.
• And speaking of ST:FC , this is the second time that the Borg Queen tells Picard, "Watch your future's end."
• The two Borg drones Riker and Worf fight move more tactically, use energy weapons and have some hand-to-hand combat ability. This is unusual as Borg drones typically rely on a Zerg Rush with an Adaptive Ability with shields and don't bother defending themselves, but it is reminiscent of the splinter Borg group encountered in the "Descent" two-parter.
• The Enterprise -D hauls ass away from the exploding Borg cube exactly like in "The Best of Both Worlds" .
• The scene with the Enterprise -D next to the Titan -A in Earth orbit flying off into the sunrise mirrors a similar shot at the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with the Enterprise -A and Excelsior flying into the sunset in Khitomer orbit.
• Likewise, both the film and the episode feature quotes from the play Julius Caesar in their last few scenes. Interestingly, Picard quotes Brutus’ nautical metaphor praising the importance of free will , adventure , and teamwork among equals . In contrast, Chang quotes Caesar’s astrological simile praising the (false sense of) permanence of fate , stability , and power over a hierarchy .
• The dust band and star cluster we see at the beginning of President Chekov's broadcast are an exact match to those in the TNG opening credits, starting with Season 3.
• The Cameo : President Anton Chekov is voiced by Walter Koenig .
• Can't Hold His Liquor : By the time of the final party at Ten Forward, Beverley's plastered. Justified, as she had been downing Klingon Bloodwine all night.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You : Just as the Dominion did during their Cold War with the UFP, Vadic and her rogue faction of Founders kept many of their captured Starfleet targets alive. They needed to be able to interrogate their captives for useful information (or personal details to help sell the imposters).
• Captain's Log : Delivered by Riker after the battle, summing up Starfleet's recovery efforts. "Captain's log, Stardate...shall we say 'one'. The first of a new day for friends both old and young. Starfleet has implemented a fleet-wide transporter solution to purge our young officers of the Borg infection. A world-saving effort developed by our new head of Starfleet Medical Branch — Admiral Crusher, who also managed to spearhead technology that privately scans for other irregularities. * Security officers apprehend a rogue Changeling exposed by the transporter buffer. In constant need for information, our changeling adversaries kept yet did not kill many of their targets. From the lowest of ranks to the very highest."
• Catchphrase : Jack and Raffi ask Seven what she's going to say to have the newly christened Enterprise -G go to warp for their first mission, as every ship captain seems to have their own personalised way of saying "Engage". Just as she's about to say it, cut to the Enterprise going to warp, leaving Seven's catchphrase a mystery .
• The Cavalry : Riker demands to know where the cavalry is as the Enterprise enters the Sol system and receives updates on the battle. Data's sensors confirm all distress calls from Federation and civilian ships have gone silent, meaning the 1701-D essentially is the cavalry.
• Character Death : The Borg Queen bites it again and for good this time.
• Chekhov's Gun : The Titan 's cloaking device proves to be the key to breaking the Fleet Formation override, which requires line-of-sight to function.
• Closest Thing We Got : Seven's temporary pilot is the ship's cook, who only partially finished pilot training before leaving to take care of the family restaurant.
• Collapsing Lair : The design of the Borg transmitter means that, when it's destroyed, the entire cube goes up with it.
• Combat Medic : Beverly, much like how she was on the first episode of this season, is a capable combatant, this time handling the tactical systems of the Enterprise -D against the Borg cube.
• Anton Chekov broadcasts a planetary distress signal in the same way that President Hiram Roth in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home did, using nearly the same dialogue ("Do not approach Earth").
• The fact that the new Earth Spacedock is able to (for now) Hold the Line against what is essentially the entire assimilated Federation fleet is a vast improvement upon the last time we saw one in battle , when three Texas -class automated starships were able to nearly wreck a Spacedock-like space station and a Sovereign -class starship with relative ease . Given that Starfleet lost several personnel, including a flag officer (albeit a corrupt one ), in that incident, and an auxiliary ship had to lure the rampaging ships away to give Starfleet time to respond and ended up being pummelled as a result, it's likely they took that veritable disaster as a wake-up call and responded to it by upgrading the type to improve defensive capabilities and developing a contingency plan for rogue ships.
• When Picard willingly reconnects to the Collective to save Jack, flashbacks to First Contact and to himself assimilated as Locutus appear during the "boot up" sequence.
• Worf tells Raffi that he has never shed any tears. Back in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Spock tells Scotty that Klingons have no tear ducts.
• Cool-Down Hug : Sidney is suddenly freed from the Collective and hit by the trauma of being assimilated and forced to try to kill the people she cares about. She is initially dazed, then horrified by the sight of her phaser (set to kill) pointing at Seven, and starts to freak out while desperately stammering her apologies. Seven walks up to Sidney without any hesitation, hugs her as she breaks down sobbing, and calms her down by assuring her 'it's over'.
• Curb Stomp Cushion : Spacedock is getting pounded on by hundreds of ships and by all accounts it can't hold out forever, but not only does it manage to hold with Earth's planetary shields protecting it, it also is able to lay the hurt on attacking fleet. In one scene it disables at least 5 ships with all its return fire.
• Earth Spacedock also gets this as well as she’s not only able to hold her own against what is essentially a 300 strong armada carrying the mother of all ammunitions depots but is seen actually doling out equal amounts of punishment. This isn’t Kirk’s Earth Spacedock folks!
• Darkest Hour : Continuing on from "Vox", all interlinked Starfleet vessels are now under Borg control and all young officers or enlisted crewmen have been rapidly assimilated thanks to the Borg's transporter-introduced genetic malware. Earth's defenses have been destroyed, Spacedock's Last Stand is only delaying the inevitable, and the Borg-controlled flotilla is on the cusp of burning the cradle of humanity and the heart of the Federation to a smoking cinder. The last, best hope for Starfleet and the Federation lies in Jean-Luc Picard, his command crew, and the resurrected Enterprise -D — but even still, it's seven people and one decades-old ship against the totality of the Collective.
• David Versus Goliath : Picard and the crew of the Enterprise -D have their work cut out for them as they have to take on a Borg Cube in a single ship thirty years past its prime (let alone without even a skeleton crew), once again dwarfed by the sheer size (and firepower) of the Collective's trademark vessel. In the same vein, Seven and her motley crew have to neutralize the Titan's assimilated officers and distract the entire Borgified armada to buy Sol Station more time. And although Sol Station is a massive fortress itself, it stands practically alone against almost the whole of Starfleet .
• Death by a Thousand Cuts : Earth Spacedock has defenses so strong that no single starship could ever hope to disable it. Unfortunately, the Borg have hijacked hundreds of starships, all of which are unloading on Spacedock with everything they have. Spacedock is shown disabling several of them, but the sheer volume of fire eventually overcomes their defenses.
• Death by Irony : Despite all the spectacle of the final confrontation, the Borg are ultimately defeated not through force of arms, but through loyalty, solidarity, self-sacrifice, and compassion as well as individualism. In other words, the Borg are laid low by the very ideals that are the bedrock of the Federation, Starfleet and the entire franchise — ideals which are also the antithesis of everything the Collective believes in and represents. Symbolically, it's a very classical Trek resolution.
• Decapitated Army : Subverted. When Jack is pulled from the Collective, the drones simply default to the last order given because the signal controlling them is still active, just no longer forwarding commands. The cube blowing up a minute later, thus severing the link completely, is what truly frees them from the Collective.
• Didn't Think This Through : Retroactive instance for Team Janeway following the confirmation that this is all payback for "Endgame". The Voyager crew was intent on using the Transwarp Hub to get home and dealing a crippling blow to the Borg in the process. Their mistake, however, was that they didn't stop to consider what would happen after they deployed the Neurolytic Pathogen. What if there were survivors...and how might they react to being poisoned and left to die by the Federation and Starfleet? Now, over 20 years later, Earth is paying the price for Janeway's failed foresight.
• Didn't See That Coming : The Borg Queen thought the Beacon was safe from enemy fire deep inside the Cube. She never anticipated that Picard's team would be daring and crazy enough to actually fly the Enterprise -D into the Cube itself.
• Drives Like Crazy : Data flies the Enterprise-D like he stole her into the Super-Cube's interior spaces. Justified, as Data's superhuman reflexes and perception make him the only member of Team Picard capable of such piloting. Deanna : Why am I sensing enjoyment? Data: (shit-eating grin)
• Dual Wielding : A Freeze-Frame Bonus shows Raffi battling with two hand phasers when her and Seven's teams invade the bridge to re-take it.
• Picard started the series alone in bitter, self-imposed exile from Starfleet and the rest of the world. Picard now exits it and the franchise having gained a family, reunited his closest friends for the first time in two decades (along with resurrecting Data and, in a way, the Enterprise -D too), and having triumphed once and for all over his oldest, most personal enemy.
• Raffi likewises started the series just as broken as Picard. The collapse of the Romulan Evacuation and her relationship with the Admiral also took down Raffi's career, her familial relationships, and her sobriety. But Picard's investigation into Soji Asha and Zhat Vash conspiracy slowly began pulling her out of the wreckage of her professional and personal lives. Raffi exits the series still struggling with her personal conflicts, but in much better shape now thanks to her relationships with Picard, Elnor, Seven, and now Worf. Having helped saved the Federation from utter annihilation, the recognition has allowed Raffi to not only begun reconciling with her son Gabe, but to also be offered one of the plum postings in all of Starfleet: The Federation Flagship's XO.
• Similarly to Raffi, Seven started the series just as broken by the death of her surrogate son Icheb and Starfleet's Fantastic Racism that prevented the ex-Borg from joining her friends from Voyager (and in spite of Janeway's fierce lobbying). Hooking up with Team Picard and her tumultuous romance with Raffi allowed Seven to slowly begin healing and living again. Seven exits the series having helped end the Borg for good and becoming Captain of the Federation Flagship (and while no longer romantically involved with Raffi, remaining close friends).
• Geordi and Sidney start the season estranged. Then just as Geordi begins to better understand and bond with Sidney, he loses her (and Alandra) to Borg assimilation. He's so desperate to save his girls that he's initially ready to rush out to their rescue without thinking things through. Thankfully, Data gets Geordi to see that they need a plan to save his girls. And it works. Seeing Sidney and Alandra, freed, safe, and happy, alongside Seven and Raffi, brings out a well-earned smile from Geordi.
• The Federation itself has gone through nearly half a century of conflict and societal upheaval not seen since the days of Captain Kirk with the threat of the Borg constantly in the back of everyone’s mind. The rising of the Sun over Earth dispels the long living nightmare of the last 40 years and the rise of a new century in which the Federation can recover and grow anew with a new Enterprise leading the way.
• This also applies to the USS Syracuse , from which Geordi gained the Enterprise's new secondary hull. While the actual ship undoubtedly had a distinguished career, and likely saw action in the Dominion War, it will live on as part of the Enterprise legacy. In fact the entire Galaxy class itself will live on as part of her legacy as well.
• A determined Picard states that "What began over thirty-five years ago ends tonight!" While he means the Federation-Borg conflict in-story, on a meta level of course he's also describing TNG itself, which premiered just over thirty-five years before the final season of Picard .
• In the final scene in Ten Forward, Riker says this looks like the end of the road. He's talking about last call (and Guinan trying to get them out of the now-closed bar). But of course, it's also talking about the closing minutes of the series finale and the last appearance of the TNG characters.
• Evil Evolves : The Borg Queen managed to survive the events of Voyager ' s Grand Finale through desperate, cannibalistic measures, sustained by a super massive Cube (possibly rebuilt from the Unimatrix Zero One complex) but is in no condition to make a direct assault against any modest spacefaring civilization, let alone the Federation and Starfleet. So they changed their tactics, utilizing Changelings to infiltrate Starfleet and secretly mess with the genetic code of near all of its officers to make them susceptible to mass assimilation once the trigger occurs . This change is cited by the Borg Queen herself no less as the catalyst for where they're going next. Queen : The future of the Borg does not lie in ... assimilation, but evolution.
• Evil Laugh : The Borg Queen gets a good one when she shows herself.
• Eye Awaken : The camera pans a couple of times on the face of one of the lifeless Borg drones that Worf and Riker find in the Cube. On the last one, the drone's eye snap open.
• Face Death with Dignity : Riker and Worf when the Borg cube looks ready to go up with them in it. Riker : Well, my old friend, is this good enough? Worf : This is indeed a fine day to die with honor.
• Fate Worse than Death : The Borg Queen's plan was to rebuild her Collective through the assimilated Starfleet officers by procreation , meaning that not only did she intend to have the Federation's youngest members wipe out their elders, but would then force them to reproduce in order to propagate her "species". In other words, she was not only going to commit murder but rape (both Mind Rape and sexually ) on a mass scale while her victims could do nothing to stop it.
• Final Battle : The events of Frontier Day in orbit of Earth and Jupiter ultimately serve as the final confrontation between the Federation and the Borg.
• Forbidden Zone : The opening starts with President Anton Chekov warning away anyone listening to his message from Earth as the Borg have taken over.
• The Borg's Assimilation Plot will fail, the Federation and Starfleet will be restored, and Earth will not be destroyed. On a meta level, similarly to DS9 and the outcome of the Dominion War, the franchise needs the UFP intact for future projects. In terms of internal continuity, we already know they're still intact and active into the late 32nd century (the setting of Star Trek: Discovery from the third season onwards). The dramatic tension going into the finale instead lies in how the day is saved and whether or not any of the TNG characters (the Enterprise -D included) will die to achieve that victory, as while they're long dead come the third season of Discovery , the circumstances of their final fates are unrevealed.
• Similarly, whether or not the Borg will be destroyed or survive to assimilate another day is also part of the dramatic tension, as there's been no mention of the Collective at all in the future timeframe of Discovery — except for one passing reference made by the Federation president wherein she compared Species 10-C's hive mind to the Borg Collective — leaving their fate in the centuries separating eras unknown, until now.
• Upon beaming over to the Cube, Picard discovers they're in even worse trouble than they thought. Not only is the Borg Queen still alive, but she's gone completely insane and devolved into an Omnicidal Maniac . So, if they can't stop the Collective here and now, it won't just be the Federation that falls. The reborn Borg Collective will spread throughout the stars and annihilate rather than assimilate every single lifeform in the galaxy.
• Played for Black Comedy in the Stringer. Having experienced and survived his father's archenemy (the Borg), Jack now finds himself facing his father's other perpetual pain in his posterior (i.e. Q).
• Code: One ( Total or imminent disaster, possible invasion, or the Federation is soon to be in open war, requiring Starfleet personnel to assume tactical alert )
• General Order 12 ( On the approach of any vessels where communications have not been established, raise shields )
• Starfleet Order 104 ( In the absence of a starship's captain, a flag officer had the authority to assume command )
• Regulation 19 Section C ( An officer can assume command if an eminent threat is detected, lives of Federation citizens are in question and no officer of equal or higher rank is there to mitigate the threat ).
• When the Enterprise -D flies by Jupiter, we're treated to a high-definition closeup of the saucer section. Sharp-eyed viewers can spot brief glimpses of the interiors of Ten Forward, the ready room, and the observation lounge when the camera pans over them.
• While it's already visible in the previous episode, the 1701-D's slow approach to Jupiter orbit offers a better chance and better lighting to see the differences between the original saucer section (and what work Geordi's been able to do on it) and the Syracuse's former stardrive section. The Syracuse is obviously a cleaner, well-preserved TNG-era Galaxy -class secondary hull. The D's primary hull, of course, is older, more worn and dirty, and still bears the signs of its fiery plunge through Veridian III's atmosphere thirty years earlier and of plowing into the surface and skidding to a stop. The starboard nacelle pylon also bears the Syracuse's registry number, NCC-17744, rather than the Enterprise's , NCC-1701-D, as Geordi said in the previous episode that he was still in the process of rebuilding the engineering hull of the Syracuse .
• Frontline General : Knowing the Collective as he does, Picard correctly concludes the Borg are on site somewhere in the Sol system directing the assimilated flotilla. His hunch is right, as Data detects a Borg vessel inside of Jupiter.
• Fully Absorbed Finale : For The Next Generation , as the final season was conceived and developed by Terry Matalas to be the farewell and sendoff that Nemesis failed to provide the franchise's second most famous crew.
• "Get Out of Jail Free" Card : After saving the entire Federation from a Borg takeover and near-annihilation, Starfleet can't exactly court-martial or dishonorably discharge Picard and the old 1701-D/E command crew (or Raffi, Seven, and the Titan officers and crew) for offenses and criminal acts committed throughout the season, can they? Tuvok even lampshades it during his scene with Seven.
• The Ghost : As the crew close down the bar they imply Guinan is just off camera, but is neither seen or heard.
• Grand Finale : For both Picard and the overarching TNG saga that began in 1987. Barring any potential post-series spinoffs, it is also the chronological finale of the entire 24th century era of the franchise, as Prodigy and Lower Decks , while still in production at the time of this episode's premiere, are both set before PIC in 2380 and 2384 respectively.
• Here We Go Again! : Having concluded Picard's Trial, Q's ready to begin the "judicial process" anew with the next generation (in the form of Picard's son).
• He's Back! : A minor, if humorous example. Just as the beloved "Picard Maneuver" returned in last week's penultimate shot, the likewise beloved and iconic "Riker Lean" also returns. Riker — or at least Jonathan Frakes — must love being back on this particular bridge with its consoles and finally being able to do it again.
• Hidden in Plain Sight : The Borg cube relaying the infection signal and harboring the Borg Queen is revealed to be hiding deep within Jupiter itself, practically sitting on Starfleet's doorstep the entire time as they waited for their moment to activate the assimilation process. Now that it's actually transmitting, it's had to poke out of the gaseous surface and can be detected.
• History Repeats : The Stinger ends much as TNG began: with (a) Picard finding themselves dealing with Q.
• Honor Before Reason : After completing their mission objective, Riker and Worf go back for Picard — and despite knowing it's a one-way trip and they're likely going to die once the Enterprise destroys the beacon. Riker's loyalty and love for Picard won't allow him to leave his former Captain behind. This honor and loyalty, of course, ironically is what ends up saving them all (as Deanna senses Riker's location in the dead zone through their empathic bond).
• Hope Spot : Played for black comedy in The Stinger when Q pops in. Jack is understandably confused, recounting how his father had said Q was dead. An annoyed Q grouses he had hoped the next generation wouldn't be so linear with its thinking (something he'd previously accused Jean-Luc of being). Alas, Jack's already dashed Q's hopes within mere moments of their first meeting.
• Even more impactful is that in the last 20 or so years the Borg have gone from being a nigh-untouchable threat that even the omnipotent Q didn’t DARE mess with to being the harmless bogeymen of children’s bedtime stories and by the 32nd century are nothing more than another footnote in Federation and Galactic history barely mentioned or acknowledged by anyone.
• Hypocritical Humor : Subtle instance that also doubles as a Brick Joke for Nemesis . Back during the Kolarus III away mission — specifically during Picard's... "piloting" of the Argo — Data remarked he was forever puzzled by the human predilection for piloting vehicles at unsafe velocities. Over 20 years later, Data's doing the exact same thing with the Enterprise -D — and loving every moment of it.
• Identical Grandson : We don't actually see President Anton Chekov, only hear him through the emergency message that begins the episode - but considering the voice is that of Walter Koenig, best known as Ensign Pavel Chekov from the Original Series, who is Anton's father, it's hardly a stretch of imagination that son Anton looks a lot like dear old dad.
• Impossibly Graceful Giant : The Galaxy class Enterprise -D was part of a bygone era where ship design focused on majesty and general purpose functionality , while not lacking in weaponry they were not known for tight maneuvers, Starfleet ships became more streamlined and maneuverable after the Borg encounter and Dominion War. But thanks to Data's advanced piloting coupled with being rebuilt with Dominion War era technological components and the star drive section of the Syracuse (along with improvements in modern visual effects) the D is shown strafing the Borg cube with weapons fire, eventually diving inside at full speed with little room to spare like she’s dancing the can-can!
• Informed Flaw : It's made clear in both this episode and the previous one that the Enterprise -D is at a disadvantage, being decades out of date and not even at full strength. And yet, the command crew do so well the old ship comes off as a Lightning Bruiser , only taking some light damage. Justified in that the Borg Cube is even worse off: it's at 36% capacity, and most of that is devoted to controlling Starfleet (to say nothing of countering the immense gravitational pull of Jupiter). There are barely any functional drones left besides the Queen, so their ability to adapt is practically non-existent. Additionally, Data is the one piloting the Enterprise -D and Dr. Crusher has worked on her aim considerably in the last 20 years.
• Indy Ploy : Following on from last episode, Team Picard has grabbed the Enterprise -D — the one active Starfleet ship left not linked into the Fleet Formation protocols and thus can't be hacked — from the Fleet Museum and, with people dying every second, must improv their plan once they reach the cube.
• Picard declares that it's been an honor serving with his friends as he, Riker, and Worf prepare to leave for the cube, knowing this is a mission some or all of them may not come back from.
• Riker and Worf say their goodbyes to each other this way as it seems that the Enterprise -D won't be able to rescue them.
• It's Quiet… Too Quiet : Lampshaded by Riker upon beaming onto the Borg cube, as he notes that he has never been in such a situation that ended with a "pleasant surprise".
• Keystone Army : The Borg cube transmitting the signal is also the only thing holding the attack and assimilation of Starfleet together, meaning that for Picard and his crew to succeed in saving the Federation and the galaxy, they must sever the connection by any means necessary.
• Killed Off for Real : The original Borg Collective is, effectively, extinct by the end of the episode through a combination of Janeway's virus deteriorating them down to the one single cube that was broadcasting the signal assimilating the fleet from their original trillions-strong number and its subsequent destruction at the hands of the Enterprise -D undoing said assimilation, sealing their fate completely.
• Last Stand : For Starfleet, as the Enterprise -D, the Titan -A, and Spacedock are all that's standing between the Borg and the destruction of the heart of the Federation.
• A reprise of Dennis McCarthy 's "To Live Forever" from Generations plays at the Fleet Museum in the epilogue, as the now-fully refurbished Enterprise -D takes its place alongside its legendary sister ships. It musically brings the ship full circle where we'd left it back in 1994, but also symbolizing how it really will live forever now and not be forgotten and alone on some backwater alien world.
• Jerry Goldsmith's First Contact theme (which had been part of the End Credits music throughout the final Season) returns one more time to underscore Picard's final Patrick Stewart Speech .
• Locked Out of the Loop : Since the TNG characters fled Titan last episode, Seven and Raffi have no idea what Geordi's plan was (as there was no time for him to share it before the shuttlebay deck came under attack). So, when the Titan first registers the Enterprise -D's presence in the Sol System, both Raffi and Seven are initially confused as to what the hell this is (at least until Seven puts the pieces together and deduces Team Picard's plan).
• Logo Joke : The usual opening logo card is modified for this episode, swapping the Shrike for a Borg cube, replacing the Titan -A with the Enterprise -D, and ending with a green filter and red flash akin to the laser sight of a Borg drone. And of course, replacing the usual logo card tune with the Borg's four-chord leitmotif .
• Loophole Abuse : Q's return from the dead in the Stinger — or at least how it can be Q despite his death last Season. Q is 100% definitely dead , at least at the end of his own personal timeline. But, being a non-linear being means there's an infinite spectrum of hims out there that aren't dead yet to keep coming back and harassing Picard and his progeny for a long long time to come.
• Meaningful Echo : When Jack is rescued from the Borg Cube, Admiral Picard welcomes him to the Enterprise -D. A year later, Jack is ferried to his first assignment as a Starfleet ensign and revealing to Admiral Picard that the Titan -A has been rechristened: Jack: Welcome to the Enterprise , Admiral.
• Meaningful Rename : The Titan -A, following a harrowing battle against the entire assimilated fleet, is rechristened the Enterprise -G. She’s more than earned it.
• Starfleet continues in this tradition. For Picard to put Geordi in charge actually makes sense: Commodore La Forge outranks Captain Riker and Captain Worf. That said, when he (La Forge) tries to pull Riker and Worf off the Cube, Riker says, "Belay that order" — which he cannot legally say to someone who outranks him. Since the two are True Companions , not to mention on the lam from Starfleet, no one comments. (Besides, they're all taking orders from Jean-Luc Picard, who, as a retired admiral, can give orders to nobody whatsoever . Technically, Geordi is the ranking officer.)
• It strains credibility that Jack would be fast-tracked into an officer's commission after just one year, even with two admirals as his parents. However intelligent he may be, his behavior on the bridge of the Enterprise -G makes it clear that he's not very disciplined.
• Specifically, when Sidney's connection to the Collective is severed, she initially looks dazed. It's when she looks down and sees her phaser pointed at Seven that her eyes widen in shock/horror at what she was about to do: kill the people she loved, while being helpless to stop it.
• President Chekov's warning to avoid Earth at all costs sounds a lot like President Roth's warning during the Whale Probe crisis in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .
• Troi and Riker are able to psychically communicate, which was a bit of Early-Installment Weirdness from the TNG pilot and never seen again until now.
• Near-Villain Victory : The Assimilated Starfleet managed to destroy Earth Spacedock and the planetary shield drops. They start targeting every major city and population center just before the Enterprise -D crew destroy the Borg Cube.
• The Needs of the Many : Our heroes on the Enterprise realize that destroying the transmitter will save Starfleet but also destroy the Cube, killing their friends still aboard. As much as it pains them, they blow up the transmitter, but stick around just long enough to rescue Picard and his team.
• Nepotism : Beverly and Picard congratulate Jack on a prestigious posting so early into his Starfleet career, calling it a great honor. Jack jokes that it could also be nepotism, given his heritage, though both deny their names got him anywhere.
• Never Be Hurt Again : Part of the Borg Queen's overrarching goal is to annihilate non-Borg and ensure the Collective can never be hurt again after what Janeway did to them. Ironically, this was also the same motive behind the Changelings forming the Dominion (furthering the parallels betweem the two powers).
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero : Picard's final confrontation with the Queen confirms (curiously without actually naming her) that this final campaign against the Federation is Janeway's fault. The neurolytic pathogen that the Alternate Future Admiral Janeway "bequeathed" to the Borg back in "Endgame" ravaged the Collective, leaving the Queen reduced to a wreck, alone, and hellbent on revenge against Starfleet and the Federation.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain : The Borg Queen invites Picard into the cube to gloat. This ultimately is the last fatal mistake she ever makes as it allows not only Picard, but Worf, Riker and the Enterprise -D into the cube and puts the final nail in the coffin of the original Borg Collective.
• No Endor Holocaust : The Borg remotely assimilate roughly half of Starfleet and turn it against the other half. At the very least, most if not all of the 25+ crew of the assimilated vessels were killed, along with however many assimilated crew were killed during the battle. This is on top of the casualties that would have been incurred when Earth Spacedock fell. Despite this, the Dénouement treats the event as a momentary close call rather than a horrendous loss of life, and the cast are all smiles as they wrap up the remaining plot threads. No mention whatsoever is made of the massive casualties that must have ensued or the trauma those temporarily-assimilated survivors must now be dealing with.
• No Ontological Inertia : Zig-zagged with the assimilated Starfleet youths. Jack leaving the collective simply prevents them to receive new orders, so they default to the last order received (which was to kill every non-assimilated). However, when the cube explodes, their assimilation reverts instantly.
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore : Having menaced the 24th century and the entire Star Trek franchise for over thirty years, the existential threat posed by the Borg Collective has finally ended. The original Collective is gone , leaving only Jurati's friendly offshoot out there somewhere.
• Not Quite Dead : Most of the drones on the cube are at best dead and at worst actively being cannibalized by nanoprobes for raw materials. This causes Riker and Worf to let down their guard when they access a Borg terminal, as the drones in that section are relatively intact and deployed in response to the intrusion.
• Not So Above It All : Worf reveals to Riker that there's a phaser hidden in the hilt of his sword. When Riker naturally complains about his choice of tactics, Worf responds: Worf: Swords are fun.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business : The Borg have notoriously always been so fixated, dark as it might be , on assimilating other cultures and adding them to their own to improve their chances of reaching perfection and, in a twisted way, gift that opportunity (regardless of whether their victims want to or not) to any species they find intriguing enough to add to their Collective... so the moment the Borg Queen herself gloats how the Borg no longer need to assimilate anymore is a massive sign that the Borg Collective — or what remains of it — have gone off the deep end and have fully slipped into their roles as the horribly evil monsters the galaxy saw them as when the Queen emphasizes their desire is now to annihilate all other life now that they can reproduce through the usage of the assimilated techno-organic youth of Starfleet and thus need to add nothing to them.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome : The assimilated Starfleet's attack on Earth and Spacedock has been continuing off-screen while Team Picard grabbed the Enterprise -D from the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime. All orbital weapons platforms have been destroyed, but Spacedock itself has held its own and repelled the attack so far, although with the sheer amount of firepower arrayed against the facility, it's only delaying the inevitable. Spacedock wouldn't have been unaffected by the Borg signal activation last episode and they're almost certainly trying to stop the same "instant drone" uprising that hit the entire Frontier Day fleet. Yet, Spacedock has managed to either stop the assimilated Starfleet personnel, or at least forced them into an impasse — and this is also all while fighting back against the similarly assimilated Starfleet armada.
• Omnicidal Maniac : Thanks to Janeway's neurolytic pathogen she unleashed on the Borg Collective, the sole surviving manifestation of the Borg Queen was driven mad by the isolation of being all alone and deprived from their original trillions-strong chorus, now seeing the original method of the Borg as a failure because it allowed them to be hurt so bad to begin with and concluding that the response for the Borg to achieve the perfection they desire is through violent evolution via self-propagation by any means necessary. As such, after one last mass assimilation of Starfleet's youth who would all be able to give rise to newer generations of Borg without needing to devour other worlds to grow their number, the Queen would just start to wipe out all other life to avoid their Collective ever being hurt again.
• One-Winged Angel : The final Borg Queen presents herself towering over her human opponents, what's left of her biological body partially rotten and wearing the electronics that fuse her to her ship like a menacing robe, with the tubes surrounding her even alluding to spider legs . This also, however, makes her more of a Clipped-Wing Angel due to her radical transformation being a consequence of the neurolytic pathogen introduced by Janeway, so instead being a sign of her immense power over the protagonists, it instead shows how desperate the Queen is not to die by any means necessary even if costs her own physical ability and the power of the Collective in the process.
• Outrun the Fireball : The Enterprise -D fleeing the Queen's exploding cube. This is, incidentally, the second time the "D" has to do this with the Borg, following on from the original 2366-67 incursion —and the third time by an Enterprise commanded by Picard, as even the "E" had to run hell at the end of the Battle of Sector 001 in First Contact .
• Orbital Bombardment : The assimilated fleet comes very close to laying waste to Earth.
• Patrick Stewart Speech : Given the honor of the TNG crew's final toast, Picard's very last speech of the franchise is, fittingly, one more recitiation of Shakespeare (specifically Brutus' speech to Cassius from Julius Caesar , Act 4. Scene 3. Amusingly, Picard's also using the toast as part of a long-winded means of proposing one more game of Poker with his crew. Picard: There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
• Pet the Dog : Worf covertly leaks Raffi's classified Starfleet Intelligence file, showing all the commendations for valor she earned.
• More over as love is an enigma to even non Mind Hive civilizations this is the one thing that the Borg, for all their efforts, are unable to assimilate as it’s something that all logic dictates shouldn’t even EXIST and yet somehow does in defiance of said logic!
• Precision F-Strike : Riker when he tries to wield Worf's Kur'leth...and nearly drops it because he didn't realize much the Klingon weapon really weighed. Riker: Oh shit! I had no idea it was that heavy!
• Promotion, Not Punishment : Seven of Nine prepares to resign from Starfleet in the aftermath of her disobeying of direct orders before Tuvok reveals that she — based upon a prior report from Captain Shaw — is to be promoted to captain instead. Tuvok: Resignation denied...Captain.
• Rage Quit : Played for laughs when Worf gets frustrated during their final poker game and folds with only two cards. Worf: I fold! Okay?! Geordi: Seriously? Troi: With two cards?
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits : The new command crew of the Enterprise -G, as they themselves lampshade with Seven even Tempting Fate . Raffi: I still can't believe Starfleet saw fit to give a thief, a pirate, and a spy their own ship. Jack: Bunch of ne'er-do-wells and rule-breakers, really. Seven: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
• Seven is promoted to captain, and given command of the Titan -A, newly rechristened into the Enterprise -G.
• The Titan -A goes from being just another ship in Starfleet to being the flagship!
• While it's not particularly commented on, as not much was said about her rank either way, Beverly Crusher goes from a resigned Starfleet officer with the (former) rank of Commander to Head of Starfleet Medical with the rank of Admiral.
• The Borg Queen's vessel wasn't hiding in a nebula as "Vox" implied, but in Jupiter's atmosphere, or at least made a beeline there from wherever she picked up Jack and assimilated him.
• Voyager did more damage to the Borg on their way out of the Delta Quadrant than even they realized. The entire Collective was left crippled by the Alternate Future Janeway's neurolytic pathogen and has imploded in the 20+ years since "Endgame". The Queen and her Cube are the last remnant of the once-mighty power.
• Code 1 means the Federation is at war with, or being invaded by, a hostile power, and all Starfleet personnel must immediately assume tactical alert.
• General Order 12 means if you approach a vessel, and cannot establish contact, you must immediately go to Red Alert.
• Starfleet Order 104 means a ranking officer can assume command of a vessel from a flag officer if they have evidence that they are compromised.
• Regulation 19, Section C permits the highest-available officer to assume command of a vessel if the lives of Federation citizens are at risk.
• Shaw's Out-of-Character Alert example to Seven during the Changeling manhunt back in "No Win Scenario" likewise plays differently now with the new context. On the first watch, it came across as Shaw being the equal parts Jerkass , if Mentor in Sour Armor , of the early episodes. Now, it's revealed to have actually been a Sarcastic Confession (and one made possible only because of how angry Shaw was at Seven's betrayal of his trust).
• The Borg Queen's facial features complete with tubes in her right eyesocket can actually be seen as part of the gooey floating head image that Vadic takes orders from in the previous episodes. Also, even though her transmission to Vadic is in a male voice, the mannerisms of Alice Krige shine through plain as day.
• Rousing Speech : Delivered by Seven during the battle. Seven: I'm not asking you to give your lives for nothing. I'm asking you to fight for what's below. Your families, your children. The Borg have taken our crew, taken our captain. But in this moment, here and now, we are all that is left of Starfleet . It's up to us.
• Continuing on from last episode, the Enterprise -D being Team Picard's starship for the last battle with the Borg. This was the ship that made official first contact between the Federation and the Collective — an encounter that set off a chain of events that led to Wolf 359 and Picard's assimilation and ripple effects that reverberated across the franchise into DS9 , VOY, and even back in time to ENT. So, it's fitting that the ship that was there at at the very beginning of the Federation-Borg conflict — and which stood against the Collective twice more before Veridian III — is back for the final confrontation between the "best of both worlds".
• it turns into Laser-Guided Karma as without any means to keep it in orbit once the beacon’s destroyed Jupiter’s gravity begins to take hold of the cube even before it explodes and dooms whatever survives to be crushed by its gravity and disintegrated into oblivion by its winds. Jupiter was also seen as the Supreme God of Justice and a defender of humanity against chaos thus where else would a race that has destroyed countless civilizations and murdered/wiped out countless races and move on like a Karma Houdini style plague of locusts be given a fitting punishment than to be defeated for good in the home system of the single space faring civilization that has not only defied them thrice but has ultimately won the battle and erased their existence from the galaxy forever.
• The dawn symbolism also takes on greatest context in the overarching TNG-era narrative. When TNG opened, the UFP was at peace with the Klingons and the Romulans had retreated into isolation after the Tomed Incident. It was a golden age of peace, exploration, and utopia for over half a century — until First Contact with the Borg. Wolf 359 shattered that golden age and seemed to open the floodgates to non-stop crises and existential threats over the next 35 years: the Maquis, the Klingon invasion of Cardassia and the sundering of the Khitomer Accords, the Dominion War, the Son'a, Shinzon, the Synth Attack on Mars, and on and on. For the nearly four decades since Wolf 359, the UFP has taken hit after hit and lost more and more of its way amidst the darkness and uncertainty. But now, the final defeat of the Borg Collective and the renegade Founders is an exorcism of the last, vengeful ghosts of the past. The long night is over and the Federation has finally found its way out of the darkness.
• And with the Titan being rechristened a year later, it's also a Passing the Torch moment from one Enterprise to another.
• The Enterprise -D's final shutdown sequence in the Fleet Museum for obvious reasons. The 24th century era began with the voyages of the Enterprise -D, Jean-Luc Picard, and his crew. From their voyages (both in-universe and on a Meta level) came DS9 and VOY (and even ENT in terms of production order). So, having been preceded by Voyager and the Defiant (and, again in production order, the NX-01), the D now joins its "younger siblings" in the figurative, honorable afterlife. Geordi shutting the ship down is literally turning off the lights of not just the D, but the entire 24th century era — and it's ending exactly where it first began 35 years earlier.
• This final game also symbolizes his Character Development not just across this series, but also since the TNG series finale. While Picard had slowly bonded with his senior officers over TNG's run, he still ultimately maintained a professional working relationship with them as The Captain (with Beverly being the sole exception). When he sat down to play poker with the command crew in "All Good Things", it was really his first steps towards interacting with them on the same level and truly seeing them as his friends , rather than as his subordinate officers. Now, thirty years later, they end as they did before with another round of poker — but this time, Jean-Luc's the one initiating the game. He's visibly relaxed and at ease, grinning, and delighted to be surrounded by the people he has come to love and cherish more than anyone else in the galaxy.
• A bit of a Black Comedy variation. Once again, the Borg are at Earth's doorstep — and for the third time now, it's up to a starship Enterprise (let alone one commanded by Picard again ) to be The Cavalry and bail out everyone's asses.
• Worf still can't win a hand of poker if his life and honor depdended upon it.
• Running Gagged : In preparing for a Suicide Mission to rescue Picard and Jack while missing their chance to beam aboard the Enterprise , Worf comments that for a moment he was worried they would actually survive the battle, and later paraphrases the oft quoted "Today is a good day to die" as they prepare to Face Death with Dignity .
• Picard grimly observes that they have to sever the Borg cube's signal controlling their Keystone Army no matter the cost. The subtext (and Beverly's reaction) is clear: saving Jack may not be an option and they may end up forced to kill him to save Earth and the Federation.
• While it's not explicitly pointed out, the Spacedock crew also got hit with this during their fight against the assimilated Starfleet armada. By firing on Starfleet vessels, they're killing their friends, peers, and innocent people who've all been turned into unwitting pawns by the Borg. But if they don't fire back, then Earth's last line of defense will fall and there will be nothing to stop the cradle of hummanity from being reduced to a smoking cinder.
• Sanity Slippage : As a result of her body being ravaged by Janeway’s pathogen and the decimation of the Collective, the Borg Queen has become noticeably more unhinged than usual, her voice losing much of its trademark calm in favor of near seething rage and resentment towards Picard and the Federation.
• "Save the World" Climax : Following on from the ending of "Vox", Picard, his allies, and the refurbished Enterprise -D are now the last hope to save the assimilated Starfleet and Federation from the Borg.
• Saved by Canon : Again, the Federation and Starfleet will survive and be restored and Earth will not be destroyed, thanks to both still existing into the late 32nd century .
• Sequel Episode : The last two episodes serves as a continuation of both "The Best of Both Worlds" and Star Trek: First Contact , culminating in a Final Battle against the Borg. It's also explictly confirmed here this is just as much a sequel to "Endgame", following up on the Collective's fate after Voyager essentially fire-bombed them on their way out of the Delta Quadrant (and their revenge 20+ years in the making).
• Sequel Hook : Similar to how Discovery 's second season ended, the series ends this way, leaving it open to the adventures of the Enterprise -G. In particular, Q shows up to tell Jack that his trial has just begun.
• Single Tear : Seven sheds one as she watches Shaw's performance review, and realizes he did respect her.
• Skyward Scream : The Borg Queen does this as her cube explodes, while Picard, Riker, Worf and Jack are beamed away and rescued as everything collapses.
• The Enterprise -D flies into the cube to destroy it, just like how the Millennium Falcon and Wedge in his X-wing destroyed the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi . Data even says "Here goes nothing" right before entering, as Lando did. It also ends the same way, with the Enterprise rocketing out of the fireball of the exploding monstrosity just like the Falcon .
• Pavel Chekov's son is named Anton—a reference both to the late actor Anton Yelchin , who played Chekov in the Kelvin film series, and to the great playwright Anton Chekhov .
• Although that smug gloating turns to silent astonishment when the D begins tearing her cube up from the inside!
• Special Edition Title : The opening bumper replaces the Titan -A with the Enterprise -D, uses darker and more subdued music, and throws in a Borg cube.
• The Stinger : After the poker game, Q shows up in Jack's quarters on the Enterprise -G, informing him that while his father's trials are over, his are just beginning .
• Stunned Silence : Played for laughs with the collective reactions of Geordi, Deanna, and even Data when Beverly uses the D's weapons systems (and with precision and force that even Worf never did) to wreck the Queen's cube like a baseball bat whacking a piñata . Dr. Beverly Crusher: A lot's happened in the last twenty years.
• Justified. All Starfleet vessels are now under Borg control thanks to the Fleet Formation synchronization protocols and assimilated crew members, or would be the moment they entered range. The hijacked Starfleet armada moved so hard and so fast that any other nearby non-Starfleet Federation or civilian vessels have already been destroyed (or fled for their lives ) in the interim while Team Picard was grabbing the Enterprise -D from the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime (however far away that is from Earth). Superman, for all intents, literally can't even fly into Gotham.
• It's also worth noting that it's unclear if there are any DS9 and VOY characters (or secondary TNG characters like Barclay) present in the vicinity of Earth. Odds are reasonable that there are some of them on site (or at least Starfleet members) due to Frontier Day. But assuming they survived the initial attack, they almost certainly have got problems of their own, with the siege of Spacedock and the impending planetary bombardment of Earth.
• Surprisingly Happy Ending : While there have been some deaths and misery over the course of the season, the original Borg Collective is finally eradicated forever and Earth, Starfleet, and the Federation are simultaneously saved by efforts of Picard, his crew, and Seven of Nine who all are commended for their efforts, pardoned for their prior actions, and are to help usher in a new hopeful era in spite of all that has happened. And to cap it off too, Picard is able to finally able to reach out to his son Jack and becomes involved with his life as his father, while Jack becomes a Starfleet officer aboard the Titan -A, now rechristened to the Enterprise -G under the command of Captain Seven-of-Nine on her first new voyage.
• There was also a possibility that the reason they had no “Plan B” was that even if things went as expected or went south there would be no place for Vadic and her changelings to retreat to as the rest of the Founders wouldn’t want them back and in fact would most likely have them hunted down for “betraying them” for siding with and aiding an even worst threat than the “solids” as the Founders were no doubt fully aware of the Borg and the danger they represented.
• More over the fact that virus also caused the Borg Collective to lose their technological and tactical advantages over their neighbors as well as the civilizations that somehow managed to survive within their own borders undetected so there’s little reason to doubt that survivors of their “assimilations” (as well as civilizations on the Borg’s “post-human assimilation” list) took full advantage of this unexpected surprise “gift” to dish out some long overdue payback! As when the Borg Queen says that she had been forced to withdraw to the sparsest places of the galaxy in a single Cube unable to even assimilate anything of worth due to the virus, it means that the Collective was literally driven out beyond even the backwaters of civilized space itself! It goes to show just how loathed and HATED the Borg truly were that the entire GALAXY was more than eager to throw a whole library’s worth of books at them when they were finally brought low! Not that the Borg didn’t have it coming to them.
• Data is shown to be taking therapy after all is said and done, going over the scheduled time by an hour and apparently having daily sessions with Troi. Considering all that has happened to him, not the least of which includes melding his personality with Lore and being revived in a body that is almost human, it's not terribly surprising.
• The refurbishment of the Enterprise -D being completed within a year during the Time Skip . While Geordi had essentially spent the past 20 years working on it in his garage on the weekends, the restoration was ultimately a side project; it was clearly a lesser priority for the Fleet Museum's resources and agenda. After helping save the Federation — a victory only made possible because of Geordi's side-project and a non-networked ship — however, it's not hard to imagine that whatever resources and manpower Geordi wants, Geordi gets. Command would also almost certainly recognize the PR value (especially in the wake of the Frontier Day nightmare) of restoring and displaying the ship that literally singlehandedly stopped the Borg Collective once and for all and saved the UFP from assimilation and annihilation.
• Despite being fast-tracked through the Academy and earning a prestigious posting on the ship of his choosing, Jack only receives a posting as "special counselor" to Captain Seven of Nine. For all his practical spacefaring experience and clout for being a Picard and a Crusher, he's still young and unused to working in a command environment. Talent and nepotism can only fast-track someone so far in an institution with a strict military hierarchy like Starfleet.
• As Jack learns the hard way in The Stinger , if your father was the favorite mortal plaything of a mischievous godlike Trickster Mentor for over 30 years, then odds are good said higher-dimensional entity's also going to take an interest in any progeny of Mon Capitaine . And since said entity transcends space and time, the fact that he died several years ago is completely meaningless; he will still make time to "drop in" at a point before his passing.
• Sword Cane : When Worf is injured by two drones, Riker is not strong enough to lift his kur'leth. As it turns out, the kur'leth has a hand phaser built into the grip. Riker quickly questions the logic of using a bladed weapon over an energy weapon. Worf shrugs it off with "Swords are fun."
• Take a Third Option : Initially, it seems the Enterprise crew must choose between blowing up the beacon and killing their friends still aboard the cube, and dooming the rest of the galaxy to assimilation and genocide. Thanks to Deanna's emotional link with Riker helping her find the away team, they end up blowing up the beacon and rescuing their friends (and Jack to boot!) in the minute left between destroying the beacon and the cube blowing up.
• Taking You with Me : Even after her plans are in ruins, the Borg Queen tries to taunt Jean-Luc and Jack with this. She does not take their subsequent rescue well.
• Take Me Instead : Picard demands that the Borg Queen take him instead of Jack — but she doesn't want him anymore. Picard: Let him go. Take me. I'm the one you want. Your equal. Borg Queen: No. I don't want you, Locutus. The future of the Borg does not lie in... assimilation but evolution.
• Teleport Gun : Seven and the crew use modified phasers that instantly beam away whoever they shoot to the transporter room, which has been locked down to keep the Borg crew occupied. Unfortunately, the crew eventually break out. Seven: Good job routing transporter fields through phasers. You may have just invented the portable beam-me-up... if we survive.
• This Cannot Be! : From the expression on the Borg Queen's face, the last thing she ever expected to see was a Galaxy -class starship suddenly show up literally right on top of her.
• This Is Gonna Suck : Played for laughs in the final scene with Worf's agonized groaning after Picard produces the deck of Poker cards. His head's bowed in resignation, knowing he's gonna get his ass kicked at the poker table (and does).
• Time Skip : Following the final battle with the Borg, the finale jumps ahead one year for its epilogue.
• Together in Death : In what he expects to be his last moments, Riker calmly muses aloud that he'll be waiting for Deanna with their son. It's then subverted when this emotion is strong enough for Troi to sense his location in the cube and bring the Enterprise -D in for a rescue.
• Trademark Favorite Food : Worf's love of Prune Juice finally returns, as Beverley's dialogue during the final scene indicates he's had at least one glass of the stuff so far that evening.
• Turn in Your Badge : Averted; when Tuvok confronts Seven of Nine about her actions in stealing the Titan-A, Seven announces her intention to resign from Starfleet. Tuvok then shows her Captain Shaw's logs, in which he commended Seven for her courage and loyalty, despite her maverick tendencies. Tuvok then informs Seven, "Resignation denied, Captain."
• Unresolved Sexual Tension : Seven tells Sidney La Forge to ignore any orders that Jack gives on the new Enterprise . She says she always does (whilst smiling) and Jack smirks to himself.
• While Tuvok was still alive, it's left unrevealed when he was captured and replaced by the Founders (leaving it either presumably several months before the Season, or during the first half of Season Three once they realized Seven and the Titan were involved).
• Seven of Nine is asked to come up with a Catchphrase for ordering the ship to warp, like "Engage" or "Make it so". Just as she is about to say it, the scene cuts to an exterior shot of the ship as it takes off.
• Nor what happens during the Time Skip . Besides Tuvok, there would've been a lot of work identifying and arresting all the infiltrators, locating and rescuing their victims, rebuilding spacedock and so forth. Was the Enterprise -D in service during that time with a full crew?
• Unspoken Plan Guarantee : When the Enterprise crew learns where the core is, Geordi is sure that not even Sidney could get them in there. However, despite it being statistically- and probability-wise impossible, Data is just so certain he can pilot the Enterprise -D in and begs the others to let him do this. He doesn't explain how , but seeing as he's going balls-to-the-wall insane with the controls, it's more than certain his reflexes are just fast enough to pull off the stunt. It certainly caught the Borg by surprise.
• The assimilated fleet is able to wear down Earth Spacedock by virtue of having so many ships that Spacedock simply can't shoot them down fast enough.
• Conversely, Spacedock holding out as long as it does buys just enough time for Picard's crew to take out the Queen and save everyone.
• Villainous Breakdown : Twofold with the Queen: her motivation for annihilating Starfleet is built around a massive case of Sanity Slippage thanks to what Janeway's virus did to the Borg (along with the expected retribution dished out by the survivors of previous Borg attacks), leaving her the Last of Her Kind and is fundamentally broken into misathropy against all other life ; then, once denied her attempt of Revenge as her Borg Cube is falling apart all around her and seeing the end of the Collective before her very eyes, the Borg Queen completely loses what bit of civility she had left and screams even if he survives, Jack will always be alone without them as they escape. Jack simply tells her, while looking at Picard, he isn't alone .
• Visual Pun : Subtle one during the final scene in Ten Forward. At the poker table, Riker is seated to Picard's right. In other words, even now ol' Number One is still figuratively and literally Picard's right-hand man.
• Wham Episode : The original Borg Collective are effectively extinct for good by the end of the episode , eradicating the most dangerous Archenemy of the Federation seemingly forever with the destruction of their last Borg cube hiding within Jupiter.
• Wham Line : "Well, look at you. A chip off the old block." Q is Back from the Dead — or at least this is Q from a point prior to his death last season. He is omnipotent, after all, and doesn't obey linear time.
• Where's Laris at the end of the season? At the beginning of the season, they're clearly a couple, but Picard never mentions her at all during the season and never tries to call her or leave a message for her.
• While the remaining rogue Changelings are taken into custody, their final fate (if Starfleet imprisoned them indefinitely like the Female Founder, or if they were extradited back to the Gamma Quadrant to face the judgment of the Great Link) is left unrevealed.
• What a Piece of Junk : When the Titan 's sensors register the Enterprise at Jupiter, Seven deduces it's Team Picard engaging the Borg. Raffi's skeptical, pointing out the "D" (or what's left of her) is ancient (both in comparison to a Borg Cube and the rest of the hijacked Starfleet). Seven counters that's ironically it's greatest stregnth — that it can't be hacked by the Borg (and Raffi, now seeing her point, agrees).
• What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway? : Zig-zagged. For much of the original show, and indeed for much of this episode, Deanna is basically a paperweight on the bridge. But then Heart Is an Awesome Power when her telepathic link with Riker allows her to locate and rescue Picard, Worf, Riker, and Jack from inside the dead zone in the cube.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Played for laughs when an incredulous Riker demands to know why Worf even had a phaser inside his Kur'leth's handle if he wasn't going to use it. Again, cue Worf's cheeky response that swords are fun.
• Worf Had the Flu : The Borg super-cube looks immensely terrifying, and the Enterprise -D is a 40 year old ship that would ordinarily be ridiculously outmatched even if she were in peak condition (which she isn't), but the Borg are in even worse shape. The cube is only 36% functional, most of the Borg drones — the Queen included — are necrotic and barely surviving, and is devoting most of its resources to the assimilation signal that is controlling Starfleet on the other side of the Sol System as well as resisting Jupiter’s own gravitational pull. While it still has way more guns than the Enterprise , it simply can't muster the power necessary to make those guns as effective as they would be in a proper engagement.
• Year Zero : In a Captain's Log, Riker resets the stardate to 1 to reflect the unambiguous destruction of the Borg Collective and the start of a new era (one free of the Borg threat). It’s doubtful anyone in Starfleet or the Federation is going to object.
• You Can't Go Home Again : A villanious variation. The Borg Queen's ranting ("No roads by which to return home!") is an indirect mention of Voyager 's destruction of the Borg Transwarp Hub over 20 years earlier. This confirms the cascade effect from the destruction of its interspatial manifolds did indeed bring down the entire Transwarp Network, further crippling the Collective and a boon to its enemies.
• You Shall Not Pass! : This is Spacedock's situation in the interim since "Vox". With Earth's orbital defenses destroyed, it's the only thing standing between the cradle of humanity and the assimilated Starfleet armada. It does eventually fall, but its valiant defense in holding off the entirety of Starfleet's continued barrage on it bought the crew of the Enterprise -D enough time to destroy the Cube broadcasting the signal.
• You're Insane! : Picard says this to the Borg Queen verbatim when he confronts her.
• Star Trek: Picard S3E09 "Vox"
• Recap/Star Trek: Picard

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Den of Geek

Star Trek: Picard Episode 10 Easter Eggs and References

From a mystery vocal cameo, to Star Trek’s deep, deep past, here’s everything you might have missed in the big finale.

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Warning: This Star Trek: Picard review contains MAJOR spoilers for the season finale.

Long live Jean-Luc Picard!

In the final episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 1, “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2,” the newest Trek series not only changes the nature of a few very beloved characters, it also manages to reference the entire history of Star Trek along the way.

But there’s more! In addition to shout-outs to a very famous spaceship maneuver, the finer points of intergalactic treaty, and an eyebrow-raising reference to prehistoric Star Trek times, this episode also contained a hidden vocal cameo! Read on to find out everything you didn’t know about the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Picard …

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Vulcan prehistory 

When Narek tells a scary campfire story about the end of the world, he mentions that this myth might “date back to long before our ancestors first arrived on Vulcan.” Cue record-stopping sound. WHAT. Did Narek just say that Romulans and Vulcans did not originate on Vulcan? Hold-up. Since when?

Well, as any good Trek fan knows, the Romulans left the planet Vulcan after the time of Surak. Basically, the Romulans didn’t want to be logical and unemotional, and started their own, non-Vulcan Empire. But, if that were true, then shouldn’t Narek have said that the myth “dates back to when Romulans still lived on Vulcan?” Actually, no. In the TOS episode, “Return to Tomorrow,” the alien Sargon (glowing round ball) claims that he and his kind actually seeded the galaxy like a gillion years prior. Kirk dismisses this because it runs counter to evolution, but Spock says that this idea explains certain things about Vulcan prehistory, implying that Vulcans (and by extension, Romulans) might not have originated on the plaent Vulcan.

Later, in TNG episode, “The Chase,” it’s pretty well established that some ancient humanoid race seeded several planets in the Star Trek galaxy. Finally, in the TNG episode, “Who Watches the Watchers,” it’s made very clear that other proto-Vulcans exist on totally unrelated planets, which makes the idea of Vulcans arriving from other planets, totally plausible.

In other words, Narek’s got his history (mostly) correct.

Seven’s assimilation

When Narissa fights Seven of Nine in the crashed Borg Cube, she mocks her, saying, “Poor Queen Annika, all she got for her sixth birthday was assimilated.” This references the Star Trek: Voyager episode“The Raven,” in which Seven learns the details of her assimilation.

Picard maneuver

While trying to hold off the Romulan fleet, Dr. Jurati mentions “the Picard maneuver,” and points out “that’s an actual thing—you made it look like the Enterprise was in two places at once.” Rightly, Picard corrects her, saying, “It was the Stargazer , and it was a long time ago.” This references the TNG episode, “The Battle,” and yes, when Picard did “the Picard maneuver” — briefly jumping into warp to make it look like the ship was in two places at once — it was in the year 2355. That’s about nine years before The Next Generation began, and 44 years before the events of Star Trek: Picard .

This is the second spoken reference to the Stargazer in Star Trek: Picard . In “Maps and Legends,” Picard’s doctor mentions having served with him on the Stargazer . Plus, we saw the model of the Stargazer in Picard’s storage unit personal archive in the very first episode, “Remembrance.” 

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“Make It So”

Jurati might not know her history of the USS Stargazer but she does know Jean-Luc Picard is known for saying “make it so.” This is the only time this phrase has been uttered in the new series.

Android off-switch 

Altan Soong uses a remote off-switch to deactivate Sutra. This means that Sutra, and probably many of the other androids on the planet Coppelius, were built with an off-switch too. We first learned that Data (and Lore) had off-switches in the TNG episode, “Datalore.”

Treaty of Algeron

Riker tells Commodore Oh that her claim to the planet don’t work, because of “the Treaty of Algeron.” This references a treaty the Federation signed in 2311 that (among other things) forbade Starfleet from developing cloaking devices. Riker should know about this treaty. In “The Pegasus,” Riker’s former commander, Captain Pressman, turns out to be a guy who tried to violate this exact treaty.

Funnily enough, the last time Jonathan Frakes played Riker, prior to Picard , was in the Enterprise finale, “These Are the Voyages…” However, the TNG “flashback” that frames the episode was set during the events of ”The Pegasus.” Weird, right?

Oh says “sterilize” 

Oh talking about “sterilizing the planet,” is kind of evocative of the robot Nomad from the TOS episode “The Changeling.” Like a slightly-confused Dalek, Nomad liked to say “Sterilize! Sterilize!” However, Nomad’s mission was to pretty much the same as the Uber-Synths Sutra and Soji were trying to summon with the beacon: to destroy all organic life. Nomad also was a regular space probe that merged with a superior A.I. intelligence. Sound familiar? Yep! Nomad probably hooked-up with these Uber-Synths way back in The Original Series !

B-4’s memories 

When Picard talks to Data in the “massively complex quantum simulation” that houses Data’s “mind,” our favorite android says he doesn’t remember his death. This works. In Star Trek: Nemesis , we find out that Data downloaded his memories into his slightly silly brother, B-4, before getting killed on Shinzon’s flagship. Interestingly, this is a slightly parallel of what happened with Airiam in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 . Before she was taken over by Control, Airiam off-loaded her memories to the Discovery computer, too.

Data’s uniform

Data asks Picard: “Are you wearing the clothes you had on when you died?” Minus the vest, Picard is wearing the clothes he had on when he died. Data is too. That’s Data’s TNG – movie era uniform, which he first wore in First Contact and last wore in Nemesis . Funnily enough, this may be one of the only episodes of Star Trek , ever, in which Starfleet uniforms from three separate eras are depicted in the same episode. You’ve got:

• Data’s 2379 grey-shouldered Nemesis uniform
• Riker’s new spiffy 2399 Picard -era uniform
• Flashback/dream Picard rocking the TNG , roughly 2367 uniform

If you expand this uniform inventory to the rest of Star Trek: Picard as a whole, then you’ve got a unique first season of a Star Trek series which depicts five unique Starfleet uniform styles from different eras.

• Nemesis/First Contact uniforms (2370s), Data flashbacks
• “New” 2385 uniforms (multiple flashbacks, notably, “The End is the Beginning”)
• Classic TNG uniforms (dream sequences)
• “Newer” 2399 unfiroms. (“Maps and Legends,” et al.)
• Admiral Clancy’s fancy Admiral uniform (“Maps and Legends,” et al.)

That’s a lot of different kinds of Starfleet uniforms, considering this is also a show in which most of the main characters are never in uniform. 

The Soongs are an “acquired taste” 

Data mentions that his family, the Soongs, are “I believe the phrase is, ‘an acquired taste.” This references the fact that his brother Lore was a homicidal maniac (“Decent,” “Datalore”), his father an egotist who once hijacked the Enterprise (“Brothers”), and his distant ancestor — Arik Soong — a eugenicist who tried to start a world war. (“Cold Station 12,” et al.)  Earlier in the episode, Jurati calls Altan Soong an “asshole.” More accurate?

Data’s desire to die 

Data tells Picard: “I want to live, however briefly, knowing that my life is finite.” This references the episode “Time’s Arrow Part 1.” In that episode, when evidence that Data will die in the future surfaces, Data is secretly very happy. He tells Geordi that knowing he will die, means he’s not immortal, which makes him closer to becoming more human.

Star Trek: Picard Episode 9 Easter Eggs and References

“i am real”.

When Picard wakes up in his new android body, he asks, “Am I real?” This, of course, echoes Soji’s question to Jurati in Episode 8, “Broken Pieces,” when she asked: “Am I a person?” Both questions echo the nature of the basic question of the TNG episode, “The Measure of Man,” in which Picard fought for Data’s rights as a real person.

Data’s robe

It’s hard to say Data’s weird robe is an Easter egg exactly , but it does seem very similar to one of his velvet robes from his Sherlock Holmes hologram adventures, like in “Ship in a Bottle.” Can we all pretend Data has been dressing up as Sherlock Holmes in the “massively complex quantum simulation?” Can we get that holographic Moriarty back in the mix?

“Blue Skies” 

As Data “dies,” the song “Blue Skies” plays. The classic song, written by Irving Berlin, has several, several popular versions. In the very first episode of Picard , the version we heard was the Bing Crosby version. But, in this scene, it’s a brand-new version recorded by…. none other than Isa Briones! 

That’s right! CBS has confirmed that Soji herself sings the final version of “Blue Skies” in this episode. Of course, this references not only “Remembrance,” but, also, Star Trek: Nemesis , in which Data sings “Blue Skies” at Riker and Troi’s wedding, and later, Picard sings the song with Data’s brother, B-4.

Picard quotes The Tempest 

As Picard deactivates Data’s simulated memory, he quotes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest . “We are such stuff, as dreams are made of; and our little life, is rounded with a sleep.”

These lines come from the character of Prospero. In the TNG episode, “Emergence,” Data actually played Prospero in a holodeck simulation of The Tempest on the Enterprise . That episode dealt with the Enterprise computer becoming self-aware. Really!

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If you thought that weird game sitting between Seven and Raffi was familiar, you’re right! That’s a Kal-toh set, a game sometimes called “Vulcan chess.” It originates on Star Trek: Voyager , notably in the episodes “Alter-Ego,” “The Omega Directive,” and “Endgame.” Seven is really good at this game. Not as good as she is at Kadis-kot, but still. (Where’s my petition to get Naomi Wildman in Season 2 of Picard ?)

Ban on synthetics

Soji mentions that the ban on synthetics has been lifted, meaning she is “free to travel.” Picad quips, “me too!” This seems to imply Jean-Luc won’t hide the fact he’s an android from everyone in Starfleet. Or will he?

Classic Trek theme and ENGAGE 

As the crew of the La Sirena assembles on the deck of the ship, we hear a very familiar rendition of the classic Star Trek theme, even more retro than the version we heard on The Next Generation . This ends with Rios asking Picard, “Ready Admiral?” To which Picard responds, “Engage!”

This “engage” is not the nostalgic winking-at-the-camera version from Episode 3, “The End is the Beginning.” It’s very clear, that this “engage” is the real deal, and is meant to remind us of the slightly more serious, in-command Picard of the good old days. The last word of Picard Season 1 is “engage.” This is true of the very first episode of The Next Generation ever, “Encounter at Farpoint,” when Picard says: “Let’s see what’s out there… Engage!”

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

Of Course The Picard Series Finale Features Some Shakespeare

This post contains spoilers for the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard."

Throughout the final season of "Star Trek: Picard," Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is a man of surprisingly few words. Sure, the beloved retired captain chimes in with theories during the show's many exposition-heavy scenes, and has a few heart-to-hearts with his son Jack (Ed Speleers) and old pal Riker (Jonathan Frakes), but he's decidedly light on leaderly monologues. Picard is even fairly reticent when he's saying what may be one final goodbye to his crewmates, simply saying, "It means so much to me –" to Riker before parting ways.

I'll admit that moment in the finale had me yelling at the screen, hoping Picard would get the chance to say something, anything , that felt like a signature "Star Trek" sign-off before bowing out. I should've known the show was saving the best for last, and by best, I of course mean a signature Shakespearean interlude.

Shakespeare and Star Trek go way back

Jean-Luc Picard has been a fan of the Bard for pretty much as long as he's existed, thanks in large part to Stewart's own history with Shakespeare and the franchise's pre-existing literary streak. As The L.A. Times tells it , when Stewart was cast in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987, the outlet referred to him as an "unknown British Shakespearean actor." It was a superlative that stuck, as co-star Brent Spiner apparently had a sign made for Stewart's trailer door emblazoned with that exact phrase.

Soon, though, Stewart became extremely well-known, and his history on stage in Shakespearean productions became intertwined with the character he played in the much-loved series. Picard's first Shakespeare reference comes up in the very first episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," when he quotes "Henry VI, Part 2" in his first showdown with Q (John de Lancie). The works of Shakespeare appear again and again throughout the series, with both Picard and Data (Spiner) turning to the Bard's works as the key to understanding the whole of the human condition.

"Star Trek" has been obsessed with Shakespeare's works since long before Picard ever stepped foot aboard the Enterprise-D. Five different episodes of Gene Roddenberry's original series pull their titles from Shakespeare lines , including the fan-favorite time-travel episode "All Our Yesterdays," which references "Macbeth." Over the decades, the franchise's Shakespeare references have ranged from the silly (in one episode of "The Next Generation," the crew convinces a 19th-century Earth landlady they're traveling actors working on a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream") to the insightful (in another, Picard uses Data's performance as Prospero to comment on art, hope, and despair). As "Picard" comes to an end, it lands its dismount with an especially heartfelt recitation.

'We must take the current when it serves'

"There is a tide in the affairs of men/Which, taken at the flood/Leads on, to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries/On such a full sea are we now afloat/And we must take the current when it serves/Or lose our ventures." – Brutus, "Julius Caesar"

In the final episode of "Star Trek: Picard," when the dust has settled and the Borg have been held at bay, Data passes over the honors of one last toast to his captain. In typical retiree-with-exactly-one-hobby fashion, Picard goes back to the works he knows best. With no ado but plenty of heart, he recites the above passage from "Julius Caesar" while his stalwart crew looks on, savoring the moment. When he's done, Picard gives a shrug while the crew drinks to his words.

"Star Trek: Picard" doesn't unpack its final Shakespearean reference, but the loving looks on the faces of Stewart and the castmates who have called this show home for over 30 years say it all. In the quote, Brutus is speaking about identifying the opportune moment to make his next move in the power struggle over rulership of Rome. More broadly, though, and in the context of "Star Trek: Picard," the sentiment is one of seizing a moment before it passes like a tide — going with the flow and taking everything life gives you while it still has more to give. In short: Cherish these moments, as they might make up the best days of our lives. Hey, maybe that Shakespeare guy was onto something.

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The final episode of Star Trek: Picard is upon us. The series finale “The Last Generation” lands on Paramount+ this Thursday, April 20th and we have some brand new photos and a sneak peek for you. The episode is written and directed by series showrunner Terry Matalas .

Check out photos from the episode and the sneak peek below.

Episode Description:

In a desperate last stand, Jean-Luc Picard & generations of crews both old & new fight together to save the galaxy from the greatest threat they’ve ever faced as the saga of The Next Generation comes to a thrilling, epic conclusion.

The third and final season of Star Trek: Picard reunites the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation and stars Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, Michael Dorn as Worf, Jonathan Frakes as William Riker, Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi, Brent Spiner as Data/Lore, Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, Michelle Hurd as Raffi, along with Amanda Plummer as Vadic, Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw, and Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher.

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news related to Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Discovery, S tar Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy , and more.

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Star trek: picard season 3 episode 6: "the bounty" quotes.

I want the names and locations of every known associate of Jean-Luc Picard. Starfleet colleagues, past and present. Every friend to whom he might turn. Every loved one in which he might seek comfort. We will scorch the earth under which he stands and the night will brighten with the ashes of the Federation! And from them, we will rise. Vadic Permalink: I want the names and locations of every known associate of Jean-Luc Picard. Starfleet... Added: March 22, 2023

He had nightmares when he was a boy. Vivid dreams. Talked with imaginary things. I thought he was gifted, not plagued with an overclocked brain. Beverly Permalink: He had nightmares when he was a boy. Vivid dreams. Talked with imaginary things. I thought he... Added: March 22, 2023

Jack: We’re celebrating. Picard: Celebrating? Jack: Mm. Turns out I’m not crazy. No, I’m just broken. Now the way I see it, I can either wallow in self-pity, or I can be like those Japanese tea cups which get put back together with melted gold. Or in my case, bourbon. Permalink: Mm. Turns out I’m not crazy. No, I’m just broken. Now the way I see it, I can either wallow... Added: March 22, 2023

Jack: How did you survive it? Picard: I didn’t. Jack: Right, the positronics. A new, fully synth prototype body. I don’t suppose you got another one in my size, have you? Permalink: Right, the positronics. A new, fully synth prototype body. I don’t suppose you got another... Added: March 22, 2023

Picard: I lived with Irumodic Syndrome for decades. Fate has a way of surprising us. And you’re young, Jack. Jack: If only you were as good at passing on genetics as you are wisdom. Permalink: If only you were as good at passing on genetics as you are wisdom. Added: March 22, 2023

For so long, my mother thought to protect me from you. To shield me from being collateral damage in the life of Jean-Luc Picard. Irony is maybe I was doomed before I was even born. Jack Permalink: For so long, my mother thought to protect me from you. To shield me from being collateral... Added: March 22, 2023

Worf: Admiral, permission to come aboard. Picard: Granted, Mr. Worf. It’s been far too long. Worf: Eleven years, five months, four days. Minus your infrequent messages and the annual bottle of sour mead. Picard: Sour mead? Riker: Chateau Picard. Worf: It is quite tart, sir. Permalink: It is quite tart, sir. Added: March 22, 2023

Raffi: Jean-Luc, you’re never gonna believe this, but this Klingon? He’s been meditating. Worf: The most advantageous battle stance is being one within oneself. Riker: Woah. Seriously? Worf: I just said it. Permalink: I just said it. Added: March 22, 2023

There are scars and shame on both sides. Worf Permalink: There are scars and shame on both sides. Added: March 22, 2023

Picard: So we burgle the very institution hunting us. Riker: Excellent use of the word, burgle, Admiral. [Shaw nods.] Permalink: Excellent use of the word, burgle, Admiral. Added: March 22, 2023

Worf: I have gone into battle with lovers countless times. It can be therapeutic… Seven: I’m not going. Worf: That is a relief. I was practicing deceit. Breakups on my homeworld seldom end without bloodshed. Permalink: That is a relief. I was practicing deceit. Breakups on my homeworld seldom end without... Added: March 22, 2023

How exhausted they must be. As am I, dear. As are we. As are our brothers and sisters who suffer each day having to wear the faces of the Federation. But there will be rest. There will be a day of lifeless bodies burning in space. Oh, there will be silence again. Unity again. Peace again. But first, we will have vengeance. Vadic Permalink: How exhausted they must be. As am I, dear. As are we. As are our brothers and sisters who... Added: March 22, 2023

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Published Apr 10, 2024

A Brief History of the Progenitors in Star Trek

They designed life itself!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery 's "Red Directive ."

StarTrek.com

Captain Burnham's top-secret mission in the final season of Star Trek: Discovery has finally been revealed. But this time, the Discovery crew isn’t stopping a future-destroying A.I., or a lethal, extra-galactic force. Instead, they’re investigating the basic mysteries of why most species in the Star Trek universe look vaguely human.

As revealed in " Red Directive ," the search for technology used by ancient "Progenitors" sets-up a massive treasure hunt for the season. But, who are the Progenitors? What did Jean-Luc Picard know about the secrets of inter-species alien DNA? And how does all of this fit in with Gene Roddenberry’s earliest ideas for Star Trek ?

Here’s a brief history of the Progenitors, from the early 1960s, to the 24th Century, all the way to 2024, and the 31st Century.

The Real World-Origins of the Progenitors

"The Cage"

When the U.S.S. Enterprise first set out to seek out "new life and new civilizations," a huge swath of those alien lifeforms turned out to look a lot like human beings. And the primary reason for that, at least behind-the-scenes, was two-fold.

First, human actors are more affordable, and second, Gene Roddenberry wanted the classic Star Trek to avoid the sci-fi trope of "Bug-Eyed Monsters." And so, in one of the original 1964 pitch documents for Star Trek , Roddenberry floated the idea of "The Parallel Worlds" concept . The idea was that the format of Star Trek — from a writing and production standpoint — would generally deal with "...plant and animal life, plus people, quite similar to Earth. Social evolution will also have interesting points of similarity with ours."

Unlike a huge swath of science fiction on TV at the time, the promise of strange, new worlds, that were, in fact, populated by people , is something that set Star Trek apart, and was the cornerstone of what gave the series its humanist angle. But, the side effect of course, was an in-universe question — why were so many aliens humanoid?

The Old Ones, Sargon, and The Preservers

"The Paradise Syndrome"

The first two seasons of The Original Series are sprinkled with hints that, in the distant past, the galaxy was visited by super-powered aliens with technology far more advanced than anything in the Federation.

In " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ," we meet Ruk, an android built by "The Old Ones," an alien race capable of creating humanoid androids that were basically immortal. In " Return to Tomorrow ," the disembodied soul of Sargon, refers to humanity as "my children." While Dr. Muhuall says this idea flies in the face of evolutionary theory, Spock mentions the idea that aliens seeded life would "explain certain elements of Vulcan pre-history."

Then in Season 3, in " The Paradise Syndrome ," Bones and Spock tackle the question head-on. When they realize an ancient race of "Preservers" helped various humanoid species throughout the galaxy, the idea of an ancient alien race guiding and "seeding" a ton of humanoid species became less of a myth and more of a working theory. "I’ve always wondered why there were so many humanoids scattered through the galaxy," Bones says. To which Spock replies, "So have I. Apparently, the Preservers account for a number of them."

And then, the questions about an ancient humanoid species went answered. At least, until The Next Generation . 

"The Chase"

Directed by Jonathan Frakes and written by Ronald D. Moore and Joe Menosky, " The Chase " was a sixth-season episode of The Next Generation , which, according to The Next Generation Companion , was considered in the writers' room the most "Roddenberryesque" episode of TNG at that time. The story itself took cues from Carl Sagan's novel Contact , and posited that yes, ancient aliens not only seeded most of the humanoid species, but also hid a message in the DNA of all those species.

Captain Picard's interest in archeology comes in handy during the quest to locate all the DNA strands and reveal the message, which was also represented metaphorically by the ancient artifact known as the Kurlan naiskos .

At the end of the episode, representatives from the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Federation, all witness the truth — an ancient Progenitor (played by Salome Jens) makes it clear that all the humanoid species in the galaxy don’t exist out of pure hubris, but instead, out of a kind of desire for legacy. "You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence…. Remember us."

Ronald D. Moore pointed out that there's no reason to believe that the Progenitors from "The Chase" and the Preservers from TOS aren't one in the same. Though not explicitly stated in the script, he said, "But this could be them, and be internally consistent."

Discovery Brings It All Home

"Red Directive"

While The Next Generation established a canonical fact that TOS only danced around, that only answered the question of why . With Discovery Season 5, a stranger, and more complex question is getting broached — how ?

"The Chase" told us why there are so many humanoid species in the galaxy, but we had no idea how the Progenitors specifically pushed life to evolve on various planets toward the exact form of life we’re all so familiar with. As the crew of Discovery — and other forces — are in pursuit of this ancient tech, Star Trek is boldly speculating on one of the biggest questions of all time.

If there was a supreme intelligence behind the creation of life, what was their method? While these kinds of questions are somewhat mind-boggling in real life, what Discovery is doing now is what Star Trek has done all along: Ask provocative questions that are beyond what we know now, so that maybe, in the future, we’ll be better prepared.

We don’t know that the Progenitors exist in real science, but the "panspermia hypothesis," is a very real scientific concept. A friendly alien may not have consciously sparked life on Earth eons ago, but, in reality, it is possible that some building blocks for life itself may have come from the stars.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Snags Early Season 4 Renewal — Plus, When Will Season 3 Arrive?

Keisha hatchett, staff editor.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will fly among the stars for a while longer.

Paramount+ has renewed the sci-fi series for Season 4, TVLine has learned. The show is currently in production on Season 3, which eyes a 2025 debut.

In a joint statement, executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers and Alex Kurtzman expressed their gratitude for the early renewal.

The streamer also revealed that the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks ‘ previously announced Season 5 will now be its last .

Set in the years before Kirk takes the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise , Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount), Number One Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) and Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck) as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

Rounding out the crew are Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia).

In Season 2, Paul Wesley recurred as beloved future Enterprise captain James T. Kirk, and Martin Quinn debuted as iconic engineer Montgomery Scott, aka Scotty, in the finale. (Read our interview with the showrunners about Quinn’s special appearance.)

Variety was first to report the news.

How are you feeling about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ‘ renewal? What do you hope to see in the upcoming Season 3? Sound off below!

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24 comments.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is like Star Trek is meant to be: no season-long arcs that drag along like a rubber band but adventures of the week. I love it!

I guess one-off appeal to people with short attention spans.

i have an extremely short attention span but i love season long arcs. i also love episodic. we’re not all like gabby over there.

Or you know, fans are allowed to have different Star Trek shows that are different from one another.

Why the long wait for season 3? They did the same thing with Evil. Can’t stand Paramount.

The VFX work is very time consuming.

Next Generation managed to have 26 episodes on a consistent yearly schedule. It is ridiculous that shows air 10 episodes every 2 years.

Agreed. It’s absurd.

Shows for streaming and most countries outside the US take 9 months or so to film 10 episodes (or less) regardless of the type of show. Even US network shows can’t turn an episode around in under 8 or 9 days now, and the ones that come close to that wind up looking like expensive soap operas.

There was a strike….

The Writers and Actors strike might have something to do with it.

It takes awhile to create new worlds. The reason these shows look so good. The wait will be worth it

Glad it got renewed! Wish they would have also renewed Discovery. I enjoy the show.

Lots of Star Trek announcements recently, but people should be aware that Paramount is close to being sold (or the controlling shares being sold), so announcements now may not mean anything in a month. Whoever buys the studio would he well advised to take a minute to reassess the Star Trek situation. SNW has its fans, but the success of Picard season 3 shows that a very big audience would like to see a return to the classic Trek universe. They should probably take a minute to figure out what to do, rather than having three or four different Trek franchises floating around.

I hate it that they are making such a long pause and that it has just ten episode, it is ridiculous for a Star Trek show to be that short.

Geez Season 3 not until 2025? I could be dead by then!

Yes! Keep it coming!

Will miss Lower Decks, have enjoyed it much more than SNW and being animated gives it such fun zany stories that would not be physically possible for live action.

But I’m certain you at least watched the crossover episode last season, so it can’t be all bad.

Love Strange New Worlds. It stays close to the original canon. Discovery had potential but fell flat with it’s messaging.

seriously wtf? lower decks ending? budget for that show can’t be that high. most likely strange new worlds will end with 5th season as well given the track record of these shows lately.

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All 3 Times Star Trek: Discovery Has Mentioned Jean-Luc Picard

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 - "Red Directive"

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard's legacy lives on in Star Trek: Discovery, as he's been mentioned 3 times in the 32nd century.
• Captain Michael Burnham may have a different command style, but her missions still echo Captain Picard's influence in the future.
• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 deepens connections to Picard & Star Trek: The Next Generation, highlighting the impact of Picard's achievements.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) has been referenced three times in Star Trek: Discovery , proving that his legacy extends all the way into the 32nd century. Introduced as the Captain of the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Jean-Luc Picard has become one of Star Trek's most beloved and enduring characters . Picard commanded the Enterprise for seven seasons of TNG and four movies, and returned years later in three seasons of Star Trek: Picard . With his diplomatic skills and collaborative command style, Picard remains one of Starfleet's most celebrated and accomplished officers.

As seen in Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3, 4, and 5, Captain Picard's accomplishments continue to be referenced in the 32nd century. Star Trek: Discovery's Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) may have a different command style from Picard, but her action-oriented approach works well for the fragile United Federation of Planets of the 32nd century. Even over 900 years in the future, Burnham's missions sometimes call back to those of Captain Picard. Although Burnham and the Discovery crew are from a time before Jean-Luc Picard was even born, his name has come up three separate times during their adventures in the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

“unification iii” - star trek: discovery season 3, episode 7, references picard's meeting with ambassador spock in tng's "unification".

The first mention of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Discovery comes in an episode that serves as a sequel to an iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter . In TNG's "Unification," Starfleet sends Captain Picard to look for Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who was last seen on Romulus. Picard eventually finds Spock and learns that the Vulcan Ambassador has been working on a "personal mission of peace" to bring the Romulans and Vulcans back together. Spock has come to realize that his goal cannot be achieved through traditional diplomatic means, but he is pleased to find that many young Romulans are beginning to embrace Vulcan philosophies.

Among the 'personal files of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard,' Michael finds footage of Spock as he speaks about his goal.

In Star Trek: Discovery's "Unification III," Burnham seeks information about a project known as SB-19, which involved the Vulcans and Romulans working together to find a faster form of space travel. As Burnham prepares to make her request, she learns that her foster brother Spock was responsible for starting the process of Vulcan/Romulan reunification . Among the "personal files of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard," Michael finds footage of Spock as he speaks about his goal. Spock knew that his ultimate goal of reunification would not be achieved until long after his death, but even in the 32nd century, he is remembered as the one who made reunification possible.

The Qowat Milat, Romulan warrior nuns introduced in Star Trek: Picard season 1, were also revealed to have lasted into the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery season 3.

“Anomaly” - Star Trek: Discovery Season 4, Episode 2

References picard's synthetic golem body from star trek: picard season 1.

As the crew of the USS Discovery investigate the Dark Matter Anomaly, also called the DMA, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) and Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) work together to find a way to save Adira's partner, Gray (Ian Alexander). Despite Gray's supposed death, Adira was still able to see and speak with him, so Dr. Culber began researching ways to reunite Gray's consciousness with a new body. Culber came across the experiments of Dr. Altan Soong (Brent Spiner) , who had developed a method of transferring a consciousness into a synthetic golem body. Although the Soong Method had a very low success rate, Culber notes that it worked for Admiral Jean-Luc Picard.

Jean-Luc Picard's name drops in Star Trek: Discovery show a synergy with Star Trek: Picard.

In Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 10, "Et in Arcadia Ego: Part 2." Jean-Luc finally succumbed to his terminal brain disease. Before Picard's consciousness fully dissipated, however, Dr. Altan Soong transferred it to the synthetic golem body he had constructed. Picard's new synthetic body was identical to his human one and would allow him to live the life he would have had if not for the abnormality in his brain. Gray receives his own golem body in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 3, "Choose to Live." With help from Trill Guardian Xi (Andreas Apergis), Gray's consciousness was successfully transferred to the synthetic body, allowing him to continue with his life.

In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Admiral Picard's brain abnormality was revealed to be the result of dormant Borg DNA that had been left from his time as Loctus of Borg.

10 Star Trek: Discovery Positives You Only Notice On Rewatch

“red directive” - star trek: discovery season 5, episode 1, references picard's meeting with the progenitors in tng's "the chase".

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere , Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery get pulled into a galactic treasure hunt with connections to Captain Picard. The Federation's Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) sends Discovery on a top-priority mission classified as a "Red Directive," to find and retrieve an artifact from an 800-year-old Romulan science vessel. Discovery arrives too late to retrieve the artifact, a Romulan puzzle box, which had already been stolen by couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis). After Michael tries and fails to retrieve the puzzle box, she confronts Kovich for more information about the mission.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 already has more connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation and Captain Jean-Luc Picard than any previous season.

Kovich reveals that the Romulan puzzle box contains information regarding the Progenitors, the ancient humanoid race that is believed to have created all humanoid life. In his briefing, Kovich says that Captain Picard "found a message left by a race of ancient beings," referencing the events of TNG season 6, episode 20, "The Chase." A Romulan scientist, Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman), had been present on that day and had continued to research the Progenitors, eventually storing his diary within a Romulan puzzle box. After two episodes, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 already has more connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation and Captain Jean-Luc Picard than any previous season.

Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Discovery are streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Release Date September 24, 2017

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Writers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore

Directors David Carson

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

How Star Trek's Most Underrated Villains Wreaked Havoc From Deep Space 9 to Picard

Star Trek enemies like the Borg and Klingons have been a thorn on the Federation's side, but only one underrated villain has caused the most damage.

• The Dominion is a powerful alien empire in Star Trek that challenged the Federation like never before.
• While the Klingons, Romulans, and Borg evolved over time, the Dominion remained a second-tier villain.
• Star Trek: Picard's third season saw the Dominion return strong, with a complex plot and characters.

Star Trek has always featured compelling villainous aliens, many of whom have arcs and collective journeys as rich as any individual character. The Klingons, for instance, have gone from the Federation's greatest foes to fierce allies and antiheroes. The Romulan Empire similarly underwent rapid disintegration in the late 24th century and re-unified with their genetic cousins, the Vulcans, in later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery . Even the Borg changed over the course of the franchise, as individuals like Seven of Nine escaped the Collective and threats like Species 8472 proved more than they could handle. That dedication to their organic development has helped make them truly memorable foes, not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture as a whole.

One villainous species tends to get a little lost in the shuffle, however. The Dominion -- a powerful alien empire controlled by shape-shifting Changelings -- proved to be one of the deadliest foes the Federation ever faced. They launched a war against the Alpha Quadrant during the final seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, forcing Starfleet to join forces with traditional enemies like the Romulans in the face of the common threat. Despite that, the Dominion itself is often relegated to second-tier villain status. Star Trek: Picard's triumphant third season successfully returned them to the spotlight, and reminded fans how terrifying they could be as antagonists.

The Dominion Were Designed as an Existential Threat

The complete history of the klingons in star trek's next generation era.

Deep Space Nine cemented a big transition for the franchise, moving away from Gene Roddenberry's beliefs in an absolute utopia. A Federation devoid of conflict was no place to tell compelling stories, which The Original Series solved by presenting solely external threats in its planet-of-the-week format. Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully broke out of that mold, though its early seasons were plagued by problems caused by the infamous "Roddenberry Box" forbidding intrapersonal conflicts among the crew. The incursion of the Borg in Season 3, Episode 26, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" definitively broke the Box, with Will Riker taking command of the Enterprise amid constant head-butting from his de facto Number One, Elizabeth Shelby.

As The Next Generation continued to explore the story potential of protagonists with differing opinions, Deep Space Nine fully committed to the dark side of the 24th century. Set aboard a rickety former mining station near the planet Bajor, it looked for drama within the limits of the Federation's power, and how characters like Captain Benjamin Sisko have to sometimes make compromises for the greater good. The Dominion proved to be the perfect fulcrum for that as a technologically advanced fascist theocracy, ruled by the Changelings who condition their subjects to worship them as gods. Besides their technological advantages, the Dominion's military forces are truly terrifying.

The ground troops are genetically engineered constructs known as the Jem'Hadar; they are bred to be soldiers and physically dependent upon a chemical called ketracel white to ensure their absolute loyalty. Their commanders, administrators and tactical advisors are a species known as Vorta, who are preternaturally cunning and built to influence foes with honeyed words before unleashing the Dominion's full forces on them. Worst of all were the Changelings themselves, who could perfectly imitate anyone they wished and who would abduct key personnel and replace them with duplicates to sow distrust and discord. On top of all that, they had a vast empire of slave labor at their command, and with the Bajoran wormhole providing a conduit to the Alpha Quadrant, they potentially had the ability to overrun the Federation in a manner of days.

The Dominion Pushed the Moral Limits of The Federation

The complete history of vulcans in the federation era of star trek.

The Dominion were designed the way they were in order to push the Starfleet characters -- specifically Sisko -- into making compromised choices for the sake of survival . That included below-the-belt tactics such as mining the entrance to the wormhole to prevent any ships from getting through, and Section 31's use of biological warfare to infect the Changeling collective with a fatal virus. The most telling moment came with Season 6, Episode 19, " In the Pale Moonlight ," in which Sisko has a hand in forgery, duplicity and murder in order to bring the Romulans into the war.

It is perhaps Star Trek's darkest moment, and a canny exploration of the franchise's famous adage, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Sisko's efforts bore fruit, and the united Alpha Quadrant was finally able to push the Dominion and its allies to the point of capitulation at the end of Season 7. But the cost was terrible, with millions dead and vast regions of the Alpha Quadrant devastated by war . The Dominion retreated back to the other side of the wormhole, and Odo -- a wayward Changeling who helped convince his people to halt the fighting -- returned to the collective to help end their distrust of "the solids."

As antagonists, they worked incredibly well, thanks in part to a slow build-up that left their origins and motives in the dark until they were well into their infiltration of the Alpha Quadrant. They provided the ideal crucible to test the Federation's principles under fire. While Roddenberry's bright future survived, it emerged with scars that never quite healed. Not even the Borg could top the Dominion as foes, and fans have even gamed out a hypothetical conflict between the Dominion and the Borg, with more or less even odds on which species will prevail.

Despite that, their footprint in the franchise is much smaller than other major antagonists. They returned to the Gamma Quadrant after the war, and essentially vanished with the series finale of Deep Space Nine. With its sister series Star Trek: Voyager focusing on the Borg , and the follow-up Star Trek: Enterprise taking place centuries before the opening of the wormhole, there was no convenient way to resurrect them. The franchise simply moved on, and the Dominion was left collecting dust on the shelves.

Picard Gives The Dominion the Comeback They Deserve

How deep space nine elevated the ferengi from jokes to serious characters.

The latter-day Star Trek renaissance provided an opportunity to do something special with the Dominion. Picard Season 3 depicted a dying, vengeance-obsessed Borg queen pairing up with a radical faction of Changelings to take another run at destroying the Earth. They replace key Starfleet members and sabotage the transporters aboard most of its starships by infecting those who use it with a subtle hormone that allows the Borg Queen to take control of them remotely. The complex plot sees Picard and the reunited crew of the Enterprise-D work to uncover the truth before the sinister coalition springs its trap.

Beyond the cleverness of the plot and its borderline horror-movie premise, Amanda Plummer's Changeling Vadic cements herself as an instant fan favorite. She and her cohorts were captured and experimented on during the Dominion War, rendering them traumatized and filled with hate. Plummer always excels in eccentric roles, which feels like a being who hasn't quite mastered the art of humanoid emotional expression. She's manic, mercurial, and extremely bad at hiding the depths of her hatred.

While Vadic meets her just fate before seeing her plans come to fruition, her presence lingers in the series' final few episodes, to the point of outclassing the Borg Queen herself. She also gives a face to the Changelings, who were usually by definition disguised as someone else. Their representative (known only as "female Changeling") was presumptuous and cold, which forms a stark contrast with Vadic's onscreen villain. It demonstrates the effects of their defeat on the Dominion's self-styled god-rulers.

Picard helps the Dominion demonstrate a viable arc over time, in the same manner as the Klingons, the Romulans and the Borg. Fans can see how the loss has affected them as individuals, as well as the political fallout from it all. Vadic belongs to a splinter group rather than the bulk of the collective. It gives them the depth and sense of continuity they need to rightfully join the ranks of elite Star Trek villains . With Picard opening the door to further appearances, and with other antagonists suffering from decades of overuse, an extended return could help define the future of the franchise.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard are both streaming in their entirety on Paramount+.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

'Star Trek: Discovery' opens its 5th and final season in unremarkable fashion (Red Directive recap)

Hello smartmatter, my old friend, I've come to watch you once again. Because no item is impossible, it makes the story unbelievable... ♬

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 1

Well, here we are. Again. It's the fifth and final time around for "Star Trek: Discovery" and the single biggest question every sci-fan will be asking themselves is, will this season actually be any good. The tragic thing is, no one can really remember what happened in season 4 and that speaks directly to the fact that "Discovery" is not exactly a high-scoring show when it comes to rewatchability.

It's been two years and two weeks, give or take a day, since we last saw the crew of the USS Discovery risk everything to save all life in the universe, again. During that time, we've seen a lot of sci-fi, both awesome and awful, including two seasons of " Picard " and " Strange New Worlds ," the third and final season of " The Orville ," season 1 of " Andor ," "The Book of Boba Fett," "Ahsoka" and the less said about "Obi-Wan Kenobi," the better. If you're wondering where to see all that Trek, check out our Star Trek streaming guide for Paramount Plus and more.

Not to mention, the vastly underrated second season of "Invasion" and "Halo" seasons 1 and 2, plus, the first mind-blowing season of "Silo" the second and sadly last season of " Avenue 5 " and two seasons of " For All Mankind ." The point is that the standard has, for the most part, been refreshingly high. And frankly before we even get into season 5 of "Discovery," it's worth remembering that what executive producers and showrunners Alex Kurtzman  and Michelle Paradise have given us up until now, has not exactly been a consistently high quality of sci-fi writing. In fact, it's been rather disappointing.

Related: 5 things Star Trek: Discovery season 5 needs to fix

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Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Discovery and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

Are we in-store for another cookie-cutter season of what's-in-the-box plot threads that deliver misdirected build ups with unsatisfying pay offs...you know like we have for the past two seasons plus all three seasons of "Picard"..? Even "Andor," despite its peak and trough-style of repetitive set-piece storytelling, was impressive and that was down to how well those set pieces had been fleshed out along with well written character development and dialogue. Less can very easily be so much more. 

Moreover, now we're in the 32nd century and we've seen that transporter technology can be used to replace stairs and even change outfits, so to be perfectly honest, there really isn't a single story idea that cannot be solved by a simple combination of transporter and replicator technology. Not to mention smartmatter. Ah, hello smartmatter, my old friend. Because this is what happens when you throw three seasons of a "Star Trek" series 1,164 years into the future.

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Regardless, it would seem that within the story, between four and six months have passed since the events of last season , where you may remember, the United Federation of Planets was desperately trying to save all life as we know from being accidentally exterminated by species 10-C, all while Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) was still hell bent on using the illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator to destroy the dark matter anomaly. Book (David Ajala) gets killed when his ship explodes then bought back to life before he faces repercussions for siding with Tarka. General Ndoye (Phumzile Sitole) seems to get away scot-free despite sabotaging the Discovery's warp drive and everyone lives happily ever after. 

 —   Watch the bittersweet trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery's final season (video)

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—  Star Trek's Seven of Nine returns in new novel 'Picard: Firewall' (exclusive)

Coming in at nearly 60 minutes long, the premiere episode is titled "Red Directive" and drops at the same time as the second episode, entitled "Under The Twin Moons." Michelle Paradise wrote the former, which could explain why it's so dull, and Olatunde Osunsanmi directed. The latter was written by Alan B. McElroy and directed by Douglas Aarniokoski, so fingers the second installment might be a bit better. Aarniokoski directed the season 3 premiere episode of "Picard" and while the rest of that was a disappointing, drawn out, nostalgia-fueled, 10-episode long epilogue to another series that ended three decades ago, the premiere installment was actually okay. 

The gang seems mostly all here, including Lt. Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Adira (Blu del Barrio) and there are some characters who don't seem to have made it back, some of whom will be very much missed, like Grudge, while others won't be. No sign of Zora yet either. It's also entirely likely that the amazing talents of Callum Keith Rennie, who plays a Starfleet Captain named Rayner, will be spectacularly underused, much like Todd Stashwick was in season 3 of "Picard."

Credit to the production team though, as they're are really making the most of their Volume-esque video wall soundstage. There are a couple of interesting choices in terms of editing, much like there were in the second season premiere where Alex Kurtzman showed us what he'd learned in the Vince Gilligan School of Cinematography. It's doubtful we'll ever see them again, just like we didn't before. 

To conclude then, the opening episode of the final season "Star Trek: Discovery" is a far, far cry from strong openings that this show has demonstrated it's capable of in the past. And that's a sentence we've had to write far too many times. The TNG throwback right at the end is...well, disappointing, mostly because of the extent that nostalgic fan service has been dialed up since the first episode of Nu-Trek aired in September 2017. However, it could still provide an interesting story thread — we will just have to wait and see.

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" and every episode of every "Star Trek" show — with the exception of "Star Trek: Prodigy" — currently streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US while "Prodigy" has found a new home o n Netflix.  

Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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