Star Trek: Picard came to an end this week, wrapping a nostalgic season up in a tidy bow of spectacle and sentiment. And although, as Star Trek has told us before, all good things must come to an end, even now questions still linger about the future of these characters. Here’s the ones at the forefront of our mind after Picard season three.
Where’s Laris?
Oh, poor Laris. Orla Brady’s Romulan aide and former secret police badass was a stalwart of seasons one and two of Picard, and even in her brief appearance in the beginning of this season, it felt like the romantic push-and-pull between her and Jean-Luc was going to lead to something. The last time we saw her she was being sent away to the planet Chaltok IV to act as diplomatic security — a mission she was meant to go on with Picard, until he was drawn away. What’s happened to her now that Beverly Crusher has re-entered Jean-Luc’s life?
What’s the Deal With Borg-Jurati?
The final episode puts an end to the Borg Collective as we know it, with the death of the Borg Queen, her forces already devastated by the neurolythic pathogen used by Admiral Janeway in Voyager’s finale. But… there are other Borg out there. It’s hard to say if there are any Borg still remaining in the Delta Quadrant, as what the Queen reveals here seems to imply she is the last of her kind, but the Borg Queen of the alternate timeline that assimilated and fused with Dr. Jurati in Picard’s bonkers second season to form an alliance between this new, more amicable collective and the Federation are nowhere to be seen this season.
Early on in the season, Captain Shaw notes that this minor collective is still guarding the transwarp conduit that emerged in the season two finale. So they’re busy, but not “oh so the actual Borg of this timeline are here and trying to destroy Earth” busy.
Why Did Starfleet Want “Fleet Formation” in the First Place?
Simple answer: Starfleet command really loves bad ideas.
This is far from the first time we’ve seen the hubris of Starfleet’s upper echelons make a really dumb decision, but there’s something equally hilarious about the fact there has been, thanks to Prodigy and Lower Decks, a history of Starfleet seeing just how badly automated ship systems can go for them, and them deciding to just do it again but bigger. Never change, Starfleet command.
Are There Still Rogue Changelings Out There?
With the destruction of the Shrike and the end of Vadic’s cell, Picard pretty much dropped the changeling infiltration of Starfleet subplot dead in its tracks for its final two episodes. But one minor moment in the finale does at least confirm that elements of the Great Link are still trying to subvert the outcome of the Dominion War — the new transporter detection technology Beverly developed to wipe the Borg’s organic virus planted into the fleetwide system now also does an improved job of detecting changeling saboteurs, evolving as they themselves evolved in the years since Deep Space 9.
What Happened to the Enterprise-F?
Picard ends with the Titan re-christened as the new Enterprise-G, meaning the F, briefly seen on-screen before disaster struck in the penultimate episode — and the Enterprise of Star Trek Online, where its design originated — has either itself been re-christened, or it got hit way harder in the Borg attack than we’d assumed.
We saw Admiral Shelby killed in action when the Borg assimilation spread through the fleet, but nothing about the Enterprise-F going down. A year’s passed since the Titan was re-christened though, so hopefully the Odyssey-class vessel is still out there in service, even if not as the de facto flagship of Starfleet. Hell, maybe they gave it the Titan name?
Why Hasn’t Wesley Ever Visited His Mum?
The once-again agent of the Traveller made a brief cameo in season two’s finale to whisk away Kore Soong as a new recruit, but is nowhere to be seen in season three, even if he is referenced a few times. He’s spoken about in such a way that Beverly now sees Wes’ return to the Traveller sometime after returning to Starfleet by the time of Star Trek: Nemesis as the loss of her son altogether. But if Wesley could just pop up and take Kore off… couldn’t have at least said hi to Beverly and his half-brother at some point?
Where’s Admiral Janeway?
OK, I am going to allow myself one tiny bit of Voyager fanboying amid this sea of TNG fanboying: Kathryn Janeway wasn’t there to see Seven be promoted to captain? To take command of the Enterprise!? Janeway got a nod earlier in the season at least, but still. Kate Mulgrew’s back in the Trek family thanks to Prodigy! It would’ve been nice to see her and Seven together again, and for both she and Tuvok to see how far their friend had come.
What Happened to Soji and the Other Synths?
The last time we saw Soji — the synthetic descendant of Data and ambassador for her people to the Federation after they decided to un-ban synthetic beings from being researched and developed — she was off on a whirlwind diplomatic tour to promote her kind to the wider galaxy. And… that’s it. That’s presumably what she’s still doing by the time of season three, but not a mention goes by, either in the context of Data’s return or just, like, in general.
What Were the Klingons and Romulans Up to When Earth Was Attacked?
Starfleet’s assimilation happens quick enough that it’s probably no surprise that neither the Klingon Empire nor what is left of the Romulan Star Empire — after all, it’s still in a rough state after the events of season one of Picard and the destruction of Romulus in the 2009 Star Trek movie — have time to show up to help.
But at the same time, were there no changelings trying to infiltrate them? Yes, it was Starfleet intelligence and Section 31 who experimented on Vadic and her allies specifically, but the Klingons and eventually the Romulans were enemies of the Dominion too.
Where Did Jack’s Photo of His Parents Come From?
Considering Jack didn’t exactly have a relationship with Picard while growing up, and Beverly cut him out of her life, it’s kind of weird that Jack gets to christen his quarters on the Enterprise-G with a picture of Picard and Crusher attending some kind of fancy soiree. It’s clearly from, in-universe, a point in time during their service on the Enterprise-D, but in ours? It’s a 1988 KCET photo of Gates McFadden and Patrick Stewart.
How Is Q Alive?
Q supposedly died giving Picard and his friends the temporal energy to travel back to the 25th century when they got stuck in 2024. But he’s back and seemingly fine, just in time to start harassing Jack. How?
Well, the easy answer was that he was never really dying, and just trying to help Picard work through things. The other easy answer: Q’s always been a liar. Why stop now?
What Does He Want With Jack Crusher?
Obviously, Jack’s connection to Jean-Luc makes him a target of interest to someone like Q. But there’s also this idea of a new generation of Starfleet officers now leading the Federation’s efforts. Can Q really satisfy his curiosity with humanity if at this point Jean-Luc is just by and large out of the picture?
Are They Really Going to Do Star Trek: Legacy?
Well, it’s hard to say. Paramount is currently in the process of consolidating a lot of Star Trek efforts — Picard is over, Discovery will be next year, Michelle Yeoh’s Section 31 project has been turned into a movie rather than the originally greenlit series. With new seasons of Prodigy, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds all ordered, and the Starfleet Academy series greenlit, is there space to expand further with Legacy?
It’s likely going to be more on that end than any of Picard’s cast and creative team — who’ve been spending much of the third season’s airing openly discussing how they want to do more with these characters. The hook is there with the Enterprise-G, and that post-credit Q stinger.
And Would Patrick Stewart Return in It?
Even if Picard ends with a not-final, but pretty-final farewell to the TNG crew and Jean-Luc, Patrick Stewart is open if there is some kind of continuity to play an occasional part.
“The circumstances, as it was with Picard, would be the important factor in all of that,” Stewart told Variety in the wake of the finale. “But certainly, there is a wonderful future for Ed [Speleers] there, I’m sure of it. And if I can occasionally crop up to offer a little bit of comedy myself, then I shall be happy to do that.”
So… it’s in Paramount’s court at this point.