dominion – Trekking with Dennis

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 theories – week 5

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Picard Seasons 1-3. Spoilers are also present for the following Star Trek productions: The Wrath of Khan, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Discovery.

We’re a bit late with this week’s theory update – but the latest episode of Picard isn’t out for another couple of hours at least… so I think we got away with it! Barely!

I enjoyed Imposters, and felt that it was a great episode – one of the best that the season has had to offer so far. It was fantastic to welcome back Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren – albeit for the final time! And as the conspiracy angle really ramps up, it feels as though the story could potentially go in some very different directions. And that’s great news for our theory list!

There are several big changes to the theory list this week – including one “zombie” theory that is coming back from the dead! We’ve also got a couple of confirmations and one debunking to get through.

And as always, that’s where we’ll start.

Confirmed theory #1:
There are changeling infiltrators aboard other vessels.

This one felt obvious as the conspiracy seemed to be growing, but it was still possible that there were only one or two changelings out in the wild! The Deep Space Nine duology Homefront and Paradise Lost saw a changeling infiltrator explain to Captain Sisko that there were only four well-placed changelings… and we saw in other stories that the changelings were less about numbers and far more interested in replacing well-positioned individuals.

This time, however, we learned that there are rogue changelings throughout Starfleet to such an extent that Ro Laren described the entire organisation as being “compromised.” There were at least four changelings aboard the Intrepid – perhaps more – and I think that speaks to there being dozens, hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of changelings spread throughout Starfleet across many ships. Even the admiralty could be compromised.

Confirmed theory #2:
An unannounced character returned!

I felt it was a solid possibility that we’d get a surprise character inclusion, especially as the crew of the Enterprise-D made a return, and so it proved in Imposters. Ro Laren, who hadn’t been seen since The Next Generation Season 7 episode Preemptive Strike, made a triumphant return to Star Trek – and to Starfleet, too!

Ro’s return isn’t the end of this theory, though, and you can expect to see it remaining on the list. There are dozens of other characters from The Next Generation era that I’d love to welcome back to Star Trek – and in a story with such a strong Deep Space Nine component, characters from that series seem like an especially good fit.

Confirmed theory #3:
Ro Laren was the “prodigal crewman.”

This was a late addendum to the theory list, as Paramount chooses not to make all of its marketing material available to viewers and fans outside of the United States. Fuck you, Paramount. You useless, “America First” dicks.

Suffice to say that Ro Laren was on my list – along with a dozen others! But she seemed to fit the bill as a “prodigal” crewman with a strong connection to Picard, so I’m claiming this one as a win!

Debunked theory:
All of the other “prodigal crewmen.”

Although I put Ro Laren on my list, she wasn’t the only character I thought seemed plausible to fill that role. I suggested characters like Sela, Thomas Riker, and Lore… and even the possibility that Picard would end up creating a brand-new character to fill this role, as has happened on more than one occasion in the series so far.

There were several characters who felt genuinely plausible – not least those played by actors who we know (or are heavily rumoured) to be involved this season. There were cases to be made for a handful of characters… and cases that I tried hard to make for a few others to round out the list!

So those theories were confirmed and debunked this week.

Now let’s jump into the main theory list, beginning with theories that are brand-new or that saw significant movement as a result of the events of Imposters.

Theory #1:
Vadic is not a changeling.

The inverse of this theory was originally on my list, and I called it debunked last week. But I seem to be in a minority of one in interpreting Vadic as not being a changeling, with other outlets seeming to see her changeling appendage and conversation with Floaty McFloatface as confirmation of her own changeling status.

I would like to put forward several points to support this theory!

First of all, Vadic’s eccentric demeanour is unlike anything we’ve seen from changelings so far in Star Trek.
Secondly, Vadic’s facial scars would be something that wouldn’t happen to a changeling. If they did happen, they’re something we’d expect a changeling would be able to conceal.
Thirdly, Vadic hasn’t been seen speaking the clicking language of her crew or the Intrepid changelings.
Fourth, if Vadic was a changeling, why would she need to physically cut Floaty McFloatface off her body to have a conversation? They could simply communicate via linking.
Fifth, Vadic seems genuinely frightened of Floaty McFloatface.

Theory #2:
Jack Crusher’s hallucinations are connected to the Borg.

At this point, it seems like Jack’s hallucinatory experiences must be connected to the changelings and their conspiracy. But I would like to suggest an alternative explanation: they’re from the Borg, and the feminine voice Jack has been hearing is the Borg Queen’s voice.

There have been multiple references this season to Picard’s assimilation at the hands of the Borg, and so far there isn’t an apparent connection between these references and the changelings’ conspiracy. But why keep bringing it up if it won’t be important? I feel all but certain that there is some kind of greater Borg connection to be revealed – and Jack’s hallucinations could be the key.

Theory #2-A:
Jack Crusher has Borg nanoprobes in his body.

If I’m right, and Jack’s hallucinations are connected to the Borg, one possible explanation could see Jack having Borg nanites in his system. There are plenty of technobabble ways this could have happened – perhaps they were present from the moment of his conception; dormant nanoprobes from Picard’s body. Or maybe Jack and Beverly used Borg technology aboard their ship, or during one of their medical missions.

We wouldn’t usually associate the colour red with the Borg – and that could count against this theory. Then again, if Jack’s eyes glowed green and his visions were of green tentacles and a green door, perhaps the Borg connection would be too unsubtle!

Theory #3:
The Borg are involved.

We’ve just looked at one possible way in which the Borg could be brought into the story – via Jack Crusher. But there are plenty of other ways to connect the story to the Borg. Firstly, we have the mysterious weapon or technology stolen from Daystrom Station. This could easily be Borg tech, as we know that Starfleet has been heavily involved in researching the Borg, even deploying Borg-derived technology aboard some of their newest starships. Secondly, there could be a changeling-Borg alliance of some kind, as both factions have a vested interest in stopping the Federation.

Again, this comes back to the heavy-handed insertion of Borg stories, particularly about Picard and his assimilation. Why should a story about rogue changelings keep coming back to Locutus and the Battle of Wolf-359 if there isn’t going to be some kind of bigger connection to be made?

Theory #4:
Jack Crusher has changeling DNA… somehow.

Jack’s story this week delved a little deeper into his hallucinatory experiences, but what was perhaps even more interesting is that we saw two physical changes in him, too. Firstly, Jack’s eyes glowed red for a split second, and secondly, Jack seemed to have a moment of incredible physical strength and fighting prowess.

Jack clearly has no idea what’s going on or why any of this is happening to him. And the question of how Jack might’ve come to have a combination of human and changeling DNA is an open one! Perhaps something happened to him while on one of his medical missions. Regardless, if I’m right then maybe the strand of DNA shown off in the closing credits will be Jack’s.

Theory #5:
Professor Moriarty is the “sophisticated AI” at Daystrom Station.

Based on the glimpses that we caught of Moriarty in pre-season trailers and images of Daystrom Station seen in Imposters, it seems likely that we’ll encounter Moriarty in the upcoming episode. Access to Daystrom Station is said to be controlled by a “sophisticated AI,” and that description could also apply to Moriarty himself!

Put two and two together and I think we can make the case that Moriarty is the AI, and that somehow he came to be employed as the guardian of Daystrom Station. Whether he’s in that capacity voluntarily… well, I think that’s still to be revealed!

Theory #6:
Daystrom Station is operated by Section 31… and ex-Terran Empress Georgiou will be found there.

This one is definitely “out there,” at least in terms of its second part! But I think it would make for a fascinating story if it were to unfold. During Discovery’s third season, Georgiou entered the Guardian of Forever’s portal, being sent to an unknown destination and time period. What if she emerged in the late 24th Century and resumed her work with Section 31? Or perhaps Section 31 didn’t know what to do with Georgiou and placed her in some kind of stasis… aboard Daystrom Station.

Despite the two shows running alongside one another for two full seasons apiece, there hasn’t been a single solid connection between Discovery and Picard… and time’s running out to make one. The shock return of Georgiou could not only be a wonderful crossover, but could prove that there’s still a pathway to dragging the Section 31 series out of development hell.

Theory #7:
At least one more unannounced character will make an appearance!

It was fantastic to see Ro Laren make a return to Star Trek in Imposters. But will she be the only unannounced character to appear? I’m not so sure!

There were surprises in both of Picard’s first two seasons, so I’m not convinced that we won’t see at least one more character making a return. There have been rumours, theories, and guesses from Trekkies for months as to who may or may not be included… and all I can really say is that Ro’s surprise return has increased the likelihood of this happening.

With the changelings involved in a big way, characters from Deep Space Nine would be perfect to include – but practically anyone from The Next Generation era could show up.

Theory #8:
At least one main character will be killed.

The death of Ro Laren has shaken Picard and the crew… but it’s also shaken up this theory! The fundamental question is this: is Ro’s death a harbinger of things to come? Or is it simply a narrative device used to show how high the stakes are? I think there’s a solid case to make that Picard and the crew are in danger.

Television storytelling has changed a lot since The Next Generation premiered, and even main characters can no longer consider themselves to be safe if they wind up in dangerous situations! It would be a challenge to kill off a legacy character in a way that would be satisfying and would feel right – but it would be incredibly bold, and if such a story beat stuck the landing it could pay off a character arc that’s been running for well over three decades.

I made a list of who I thought could be in danger before the season began, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

So those theories are new or saw significant movement this week.

Next, as always, I’ll recap all of the other theories that are currently in play. Despite not seeing much attention in Imposters, all of these theories remain on the table as we head into the second half of the season.

Theory #9:
Vadic is a veteran of the Battle of Wolf-359.

One thing that has confused me about the story so far is that there have been multiple Borg references, and specifically references to the events of The Best of Both Worlds. These references have come in a story about changelings and Dr Crusher’s son – a story that doesn’t have a readily apparent Borg angle.

One way in which this circle could be squared, and these references made to feel meaningful, is if Vadic was herself a veteran of the Battle of Wolf-359. This would give her an immediate connection not only to Picard, Riker, and the crew of the Enterprise-D, but also to Captain Shaw. We could learn, perhaps, that Vadic had been a low-level Starfleet officer or crewman, and that she’d left Starfleet after being traumatised by the events of the battle. She could even turn out to be one of the other survivors of the USS Constance – meaning she’d once served alongside Shaw.

Theory #10:
The rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.

It didn’t escape my notice that the events of Season 2 were referenced – albeit incredibly briefly – by Captain Shaw in No Win Scenario. That being said, this theory still feels like somewhat of a long-shot just based on how Picard seems to have moved on from what happened last year.

In short, what I’m suggesting is that the mysterious anomaly that was a big part of the story of Season 2 will turn out to be a weapon of some kind deployed by the rogue changelings, either as part of or as a precursor to their plan to attack Starfleet and the Federation. This would explain Dr Jurati’s comment that the anomaly seemed to be artificial in nature – and it would tie up a massive loose end from last season.

Theory #11:
The rogue changelings are planning attacks on the Klingon Empire and the Romulans.

A joint Federation-Klingon task force during the Dominion War.
*Image Credit: JTVFX on YouTube*

It wasn’t only the Federation that opposed the Founders during the Dominion War. The Klingons, Romulans, and later a Cardassian resistance movement all played significant roles in preventing the Dominion from conquering the Alpha Quadrant – so it stands to reason that the rogue changelings would be looking to get revenge on these powers, too.

Despite having had two full seasons of Picard already – one of which had a major Romulan theme – we still don’t know much about the state of the galaxy in political terms. Are the Federation, Romulans, and Klingons on friendly terms in this era, or has the Dominion War alliance of necessity fallen apart? After the Zhat Vash plot was exposed, what happened to Federation-Romulan relations? All of these things would be interesting to explore, and the rogue changelings’ plot could lead to such a storyline. For now, though, suffice to say I suspect that the Federation may not be the only target that the rogue changelings have in mind!

Theory #12:
The rogue changelings may also be targeting the Bajorans and Cardassians.

Legate Damar led a Cardassian resistance movement against the Dominion.

These two factions played smaller roles during the Dominion War in some respects, with the Cardassians serving as Dominion allies (and members of the Dominion), and Bajor signing an official non-aggression pact with the Dominion. However, both the Bajorans and Cardassians later opposed the Dominion, and the Prophets – who are strongly aligned with Bajor – arguably turned the tide of the entire war.

If the rogue changelings are on the move, I would suspect that the Federation, Romulans, and Klingons would be their main targets as it was these powers who played the biggest and most obvious roles in the conflict. But Bajor and Cardassia may not be safe.

Again, we don’t know enough about the geopolitics of this era! Bajor may have joined the Federation, and even Cardassia could be under Federation protection. If so, that changes the dynamic.

Theory #13:
The rogue changelings are planning to cripple Starfleet.

The Enterprise-F and other Federation starships as seen in a pre-season trailer.

The precise number of ships that Starfleet has has always been a tad vague, adaptable to different stories. But I think we can safely assume that there are several hundred ships in Starfleet at any one time. Many of these, though, will be science vessels, ships of exploration, or even transport ships. The number of tactical vessels and combat-ready front-line ships is going to be a lot smaller.

With that in mind, a coordinated strike against these ships could cripple the Federation’s ability to defend itself. We already know that the rogue changeling aboard the Titan had a bomb that they used to severely damage the ship – if other rogue changeling operatives are similarly equipped, they could potentially take out Starfleet’s best and most powerful vessels in one fell swoop.

Theory #14:
Vadic backstory ideas.

If I’m correct and Vadic isn’t a changeling, then I have some other possible origins in play for the season’s only named villain. I wrote a list months ago, after Vadic first made her debut in pre-season marketing material, and suggested several ways that Vadic could be connected to Star Trek’s past. We looked at one such idea above – that Vadic may be a veteran of Wolf-359 and an ex-Starfleet officer or crewman, but there are a handful of others.

A former member of Picard’s crew, perhaps someone who was injured or left for dead while serving under his command,
An ex-Borg, either someone who was assimilated while serving on Picard’s crew or perhaps someone from the Artifact in Season 1,
An augment, potentially tied to Season 2’s Adam Soong or even Khan himself,
A Romulan or ally of the Romulans, with a potential tie to Sela.

Theory #15:
Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.

I’m close to retiring this theory, to tell the truth, but until we’ve spent a bit more time with Vadic and the masked crew of the Shrike, there’s still a slim chance that it could pan out.

When we first saw Moriarty and Lore in pre-season trailers, I wondered whether they might be members of Vadic’s crew. If so, I theorised that they may just be the tip of the iceberg, and that Vadic may have allies from across The Next Generation era – particularly people who hated Picard and could conceivably want to seek revenge against him. I suggested characters like Sela, Toral, Commodore Oh, and even Thomas Riker as possible candidates.

You can see the full list by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #16:
Vadic’s crew are Jem’Hadar.

A Jem’Hadar warrior as seen in *Deep Space Nine*.

Another theory that may not pan out! If Vadic is a Founder, she may have brought Jem’Hadar with her, or perhaps the rogue changelings were breeding their own Jem’Hadar. The clicking language spoken by both Vadic’s crew and the changelings aboard the Intrepid could count against this theory – or be a point in its favour!

It stands to reason that, if a group of rogue changelings are making moves against the Federation, that at least some Jem’Hadar could be involved as well. I’d actually quite like to see what an updated Jem’Hadar design could look like in 2023!

Theory #17:
Captain Shaw will be killed.

Now that Shaw has had his explosive moment with Picard, revealing his involvement at the Battle of Wolf-359, the end could be near for the “dipshit from Chicago.” We’ve already seen how the Titan having multiple captains on board complicates the story, and if there is to be any kind of “Seven of Nine show” as a spin-off, it makes sense that Shaw might need to be removed from the captain’s chair in order to make that happen.

There’s still a lot of potential in Shaw, and he certainly could have more to contribute to the story. However, there are other potential reasons why killing him off could be on the agenda! If the writers want the impact of killing a major character, but don’t want the controversy of killing off a legacy character, then Captain Shaw could be on the chopping block. His death could raise the stakes significantly as the story has passed its halfway point.

Theory #18:
Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.

Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D in a promo photo for Season 5 of *The Next Generation*.

I think we can safely say that Picard, Riker, the Crushers, Captain Shaw, and Seven of Nine aren’t changelings. But that still leaves several major characters who could potentially have been replaced!

With changelings on the move, basically anyone could have been replaced, and it won’t always be easy to tell. It seems possible that someone like Geordi, Troi, or perhaps even Raffi could be replaced by changeling infiltrators before they link up with Picard and the crew of the Titan, and it may not be possible to know who to trust.

With one changeling infiltrator storyline having already played out, though, it will have to be handled carefully so as not to feel repetitive! Still, I can’t help but wonder if a changeling imposter may be a big revelation in a future episode.

Theory #19:
Not all of Raffi’s messages were from Worf.

Could someone have hacked Raffi’s comms?

As the changeling infiltration story deepens, I think it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that someone involved in the conspiracy – Vadic, perhaps – was sending messages to Raffi claiming to be her handler. These messages may have been false leads, irrelevant information, or other attempts to throw her off the trail. If so, it worked – Raffi wasn’t able to stop the attack on the Federation facility in time.

Narratively speaking, there was a good reason to keep Worf hidden until the end of Disengage: it made his last-second appearance all the more dramatic. But could there be another reason why Raffi’s messages came through in text form, read aloud by a disembodied digital voice? I wonder.

Theory #20:
The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.

Could we learn what Dr Borgati is up to?

I was pleasantly surprised to see Laris was included in the season premiere, and while she won’t have a big role in the story of the season, it was great that the story didn’t just dump her as it raced ahead. Due to her importance to the story of Season 2, Laris was perhaps the character who I felt it was most important to include in some way, and I’m glad we got to see her.

But there are still several characters from Seasons 1 and 2 who haven’t been mentioned. Elnor and Soji could easily be name-dropped; a line or two of dialogue could clear up where they are, what they’re doing, and why they can’t join Picard on his current mission. The Borg Queen-Dr Jurati hybrid is a bit more complicated; her self-appointed role as “guardian” of the mysterious anomaly makes it a bit harder to just wave away her disappearance.

I hope we’ll get something that will acknowledge these characters’ absences. All were important in the first two seasons of the show, and simply abandoning them without any kind of goodbye was disappointing at the end of Season 2. If Season 3 could do something to rectify that, I’d appreciate it!

Theory #21:
Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.

The crew of La Sirena at the end of Season 1.

Although we’ve had it confirmed that most of the actors from Seasons 1 and 2 won’t be reprising their roles this time around, when I first saw the masked crew of the Shrike I couldn’t help but wonder… could some of these people be Picard’s friends? Could that explain why Dr Crusher warned Picard to “trust no one” and simultaneously explain their absences?

It would be a stunning revelation indeed if, when the masks are inevitably removed, Picard and the crew find themselves confronting the likes of Soji and Elnor. Maybe this one is a no-hoper because of what we’ve been told by the actors involved… but you never know!

Theory #22:
Picard and his crew will reactivate Lore and Professor Moriarty.

Although it seemed at first as though Lore and Professor Moriarty might be on Captain Vadic’s team, the final trailer for Season 3 was cut together in such a way as to suggest that it might be Picard and his crew that are responsible for re-awakening them. I have an idea as to why that might be the case (and we’ll take a look at that in a moment), but for now let’s just say that it seems possible that the story will go down this road.

Last time we saw both Lore and Professor Moriarty, neither posed a threat. Lore had been fully shut down, and Moriarty had been trapped in a holographic storage module, believing himself to be free to explore the galaxy. How either of them could come back is an open question – but they are coming back in some form!

Theory #23:
Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.

This theory seems to have moved significantly now that we know the changelings are involved! In brief, I’d suggested that Picard and the crew might be unable to trust organics, and that could explain why they may turn to artificial life forms like Lore and Professor Moriarty to aid them. With the inclusion of the Founders in the story, that possibility feels as if it could’ve just moved one step closer.

If it’s hard or even impossible to detect a changeling infiltrator, then synthetic life-forms may be the only ones that Picard can be certain are who they say they are. That could explain why Picard and the crew might re-activate these one-time enemies. It does raise a pertinent question, though: if Picard needs help from artificial life-forms, why not ask Soji and the Coppelius synths for help?

It does seem like one heck of a coincidence that Lore and Professor Moriarty – both of whom are synthetic – are involved in this story!

Theory #24:
Vadic will be killed by her own portal-weapon.

This idea is a pretty simple one: as often happens to villains in stories like these, Captain Vadic will end up being killed by her own powerful weapon. We saw the portal-weapon used against the Titan in Seventeen Seconds, and I can absolutely see a pathway to Picard and the crew capturing it or gaining control of it, and turning it against Vadic.

There can be something poetic about an evil villain being destroyed by their own weapon, so I can’t help but feel that Vadic may meet her end by being spliced through one of her own portals!

Theory #25:
Odo will make an appearance – somehow.

I don’t know how I feel about this one. It was sweet to see Worf make reference to Odo in Seventeen Seconds – though the connection could have been clearer, especially for more casual viewers – but I’m not convinced that we need to see Odo for ourselves. The reason for that is simple: the only way we could see Odo is either by re-casting the character or recreating him through some kind of CGI process.

Star Trek has successfully re-cast many characters over the years, so I don’t really take exception to that. But the death of actor René Auberjonois is still recent and fresh in our minds, so bringing Odo back without him just feels… uncomfortable. Although Odo is well-suited to a story in which the changelings are back, I think I’d rather he didn’t appear in person on this occasion. But I wanted to acknowledge that it’s at least a plausible development for the story.

Theory #26:
Lore and/or Professor Moriarty were stolen from Daystrom Station.

The Titan at Daystrom Station as seen in an episode trailer.

I don’t think it’s been confirmed that the Daystrom Institute and Daystrom Station are one and the same, but it’s certainly implied that they’re two parts of the same organisation. The Daystrom Institute, where Dr Jurati worked prior to the events of Season 1, is involved in the development of computer technology within the Federation, and was where Dr Bruce Maddox wanted to disassemble and study Data. We saw in Season 1 that B-4 (an early Data prototype) had been disassembled and was being stored at the Daystrom Institute… and when I heard that “something” had been stolen from there, my thoughts immediately turned to Lore.

Both Lore and Professor Moriarty had been deactivated when we last saw them, and the question of how either will fit into the story of this season is still an open one. I also can’t be sure what Vadic and/or the rogue changelings would want with Lore and/or Moriarty – but given how we saw that synths could be reprogrammed in Season 1, perhaps that could be part of it? Either way, these malevolent artificial life-forms could be dangerous if they allied themselves to the rogue changelings.

Theory #27:
A spin-off series will be announced.

Alex Kurtzman is currently in charge of Star Trek over at Paramount.
*Image Credit: StarTrek.com*

Sad news came out from Paramount shortly after the episode Seventeen Seconds aired: Star Trek: Discovery has been cancelled and will end after its upcoming fifth season. This moment would have been a good time to announce a new Star Trek project; something to replace Discovery in the line-up. But it didn’t happen.

With Picard also ending, and no confirmation as yet of new seasons beyond what has already been announced for any of the other shows, Star Trek’s future beyond 2024 feels as if it’s hanging in the balance.

I’d already said that this was as much a hope as a theory; I’d love Paramount to announce a new Star Trek series of any kind, but a 25th Century project that would potentially tie in with Picard would be at the top of my list. There are options: a series focusing on Seven of Nine, a revived Section 31 show, or the Starfleet Academy series that has been the subject of many rumours. But so far, nothing has been announced. With all eyes on the Star Trek franchise right now, making such an announcement before Picard comes to an end would be good timing… so watch this space, I guess!

So that’s it!

Dr Crusher performed an autopsy on a dead changeling this week…

As we enter the second half of the season, we sure do have a long and unwieldy list of theories! But that’s okay: there’s plenty of time left to see them all debunked as the story goes in a wildly unpredictable direction! I was thrilled to see Ro Laren come back this week… and sad to see her meet her end. But her death has really communicated the scale of the danger Picard and the crew are facing – and that could mean that not all of them will make it to the end of the season alive and unharmed.

As a final note: I always like to end these theory lists by saying that I do this just for fun. I enjoy writing, I enjoy Star Trek, and spending more time in this world is an escape and an enjoyable distraction for me. But for some folks, fan theories can become frustrating or unenjoyable, especially if they get very attached to a plausible-sounding theory that ultimately doesn’t pan out. I have no “insider information” and I’m not trying to claim that anything suggested above can, will, or must be part of Picard Season 3. I fully expect many of these theories to be debunked and for the season to go in wildly unpredictable directions!

Star Trek: Picard Seasons 1-3 are available to stream now on Paramount+ in the United States and other countries and territories where the service is available, and on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and around the world. The Star Trek franchise – including Picard and all other properties discussed above – is the copyright of Paramount Global. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 theories – week 4

Mon 13.03.23Mon 13.03.23Dennis

No Win Scenario has certainly shaken up the theory list! Although I’d argue it wasn’t quite as enjoyable an episode as Seventeen Seconds had been last week, there were still plenty of fun and exciting moments. The first chapter of Season 3 has now drawn to a close, but in terms of mysteries, the story is just getting started!

If you missed it, I hope you’ll go back and check out my review of No Win Scenario, as I go into detail about different elements of the episode. Some worked exceptionally well, one sequence in particular was incredibly emotional and cathartic, and some others… well, let’s just say there were a few moments that weren’t as enjoyable as the rest! You can find my review by clicking or tapping here.

There are some big changes this week for the theory list! We have four debunkings, one semi-confirmation, and two confirmations, as well as a couple of brand-new theories that are joining the party!

As always, we begin with confirmations and debunkings.

Confirmed theory #1:
Vadic has an additional reason for chasing Jack and the Titan.

I felt certain that “money” couldn’t possibly be Vadic’s sole motive for chasing Jack Crusher, and while we still don’t know the details, we at least got confirmation this week that there’s more going on here. Vadic is doing the bidding of a changeling for some reason, and the changeling has a particular interest in Jack.

I’m glad that there’s more to Vadic than something as bland and uninspired as looking for a big paycheck. There’s potential now to explore her character a lot more, really flesh out what’s going on and what her connection to the rogue changelings could be, and provide a satisfying end to the mysteries that have been set up so far.

Confirmed theory #2:
Captain Shaw lost someone to the Borg.

Debris in the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf-359.

Or rather, several someones. Captain Shaw saw the crew of the USS Constance – many of whom will have been friends and colleagues – killed during the Battle of Wolf-359 almost forty years prior to the events of Picard Season 3. This explains his characterisation in the show thus far, and particularly the prejudice he’s shown toward Seven of Nine and Picard.

His anger toward ex-Borg is certainly misdirected, especially insofar as Seven is concerned, and I don’t think we can simply give Shaw a pass because of what he went through. The trauma clearly played a huge role in shaping who he is, though, and while it doesn’t justify his treatment of Picard and Seven, at least now we know he isn’t just being a jerk for no reason at all.

As I said in my review, though: I’m not exactly blown away by this revelation, and it feels very familiar to anyone who’s seen Deep Space Nine.

Semi-confirmed theory:
Jack has a connection to Vadic.

I’m calling this one “semi-confirmed,” because while I didn’t get the details exactly right, there is still a connection of some kind between Jack and Vadic, as noted above. Vadic’s changeling boss is directing her to pursue and capture Jack – for reasons that are still unclear – so there’s more to this chase than simply trying to cash in on a bounty.

At the moment, Vadic is mostly off to one side in her own little narrative box, and has only been able to interact with the crew of the Titan via viewscreen a couple of episodes ago. I hope that there will be time in the episodes ahead to have more interaction between Vadic and Jack in particular.

Debunked theory #1:
The changelings are hiding in the nebula.

When the Titan’s science officer flagged up “organic” elements present in the nebula, I wondered if that could indicate that at least some of the changelings are nearby. We saw in Deep Space Nine that the changelings’ homeworld was hidden inside a nebula, so it seemed like a reasonable assumption that the rogue changelings might also use a nebula to keep their base out of sight.

However, it didn’t pan out – and I think it would have felt like quite the contrivance if the Titan had stumbled on the changelings’ hideout seemingly by accident!

Debunked theory #2:
The changelings are the nebula.

For the same reason given above, it didn’t seem impossible to think that the changelings could have actually formed the nebula themselves. We saw in Deep Space Nine that changelings are able to exist in a gaseous state, and appearing as a random, unwelcoming phenomenon on the outskirts of a minor star system could have been a great hiding place!

The story that we got, however, was truly excellent, and one that managed to recapture that occasionally elusive sense of “Star Trek.” Seeing the spacefaring life-forms being born was an incredibly sweet moment, and far better than if the nebula had turned out to be a group of linked changelings!

Debunked theory #3:
Riker is a changeling.

Captain Riker at the end of *No Win Scenario*.

I wondered about this last week, based mostly on random pieces of evidence that had been scattered across the trailers and the first couple of episodes. In short, I wondered if Riker may have been replaced by a changeling while beaming back to the Titan from the Eleos. We caught a glimpse of Riker seemingly imprisoned in an earlier trailer, and since we know there’s a bigger conspiracy in the offing, it seemed possible that the changelings might seek to replace a starship captain.

However, Riker’s story in No Win Scenario clearly disproves this idea! Riker was dejected for much of the episode, and spent a long time trying to find the right words to leave behind in the event that the Titan didn’t make it.

Debunked theory #4:
Vadic is a changeling.

Vadic has a changeling appendage – but I think it’s pretty clear now that she isn’t a changeling herself. This shakes things up in more ways than one, as the relationship between Vadic and the rogue changelings’ conspiracy isn’t cut and dry; there may be conflicting ideas and motivations here.

Still, when we knew that the changelings were involved – and that Vadic was in contact with a changeling spy embedded aboard the Titan – it seemed like a reasonable assumption that she could’ve been a changeling herself!

So those theories have been debunked or confirmed.

Now it’s time for the main event: the theory list! We’ll start with new theories and theories that saw movement as a result of events in No Win Scenario.

Theory #1:
Vadic is a veteran of the Battle of Wolf-359.

The Borg cube that was involved in the battle.

Theory #2:
Jack Crusher has changeling DNA… somehow.

Why do the changelings want Jack so badly? Why does Jack have strange visions of blood-red vines and an opening door? And why do we prominently see what appears to be a strand of DNA in the closing credits? If I’m right, then Jack will – somehow – have a combination of human and changeling DNA. How this happened… well, he and Dr Crusher have spent years on the front lines delivering medical supplies and taking risks. Perhaps something that happened to them on their travels brought Jack into contact with a changeling.

I don’t think that Jack knows what’s going on, and if such a connection were revealed, it would probably be as much of a surprise to him as it will be to us as the audience!

Having established Jack as the son of Dr Crusher and Picard, it would be difficult to say that he is a changeling; an imposter. But maybe that’s the direction the story will go. I suspect it may be subtler than that, though, and just like Vadic has a changeling hand, Jack may have some kind of changeling DNA without actually being a changeling himself.

Theory #3:
The rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.

Theory #4:
The rogue changelings are planning attacks on the Klingon Empire and the Romulans.

Theory #5:
The rogue changelings may also be targeting the Bajorans and Cardassians.

Again, we don’t know enough about the geopolitics of this era! Bajor may have joined the Federation, and even Cardassia could be under Federation protection. If so, that changes the dynamic.

Theory #6:
There are changeling infiltrators aboard dozens of Starfleet vessels.

No offence to Captain Shaw and Commander Seven… but the Titan isn’t exactly the most important ship in the fleet. Prior to Picard and Riker commandeering it for their off-the-books rescue mission, it was a minor exploratory vessel that doesn’t seem to have played a significant role in any major event, nor is it at the heart of the Federation’s defensive strategy.

Despite the ship’s relative unimportance, however, the rogue changelings still planted a spy aboard the Titan. If a ship like the Titan has an embedded changeling, it stands to reason that other ships do, too – perhaps a great many others. Their missions may be to sabotage the ships, either subtly, as we saw with the Titan, or more explosively…

Theory #7:
The rogue changelings are planning to cripple Starfleet.

A clip from a pre-season trailer showed a Federation starship suffering damage to one of its nacelles.

Theory #8:
Vadic backstory ideas.

We’ve ruled out the idea that Vadic is a changeling, but I still have some other possible origins in play for the season’s only named villain. I wrote a list months ago, after Vadic first made her debut in pre-season marketing material, and suggested several ways that Vadic could be connected to Star Trek’s past. We looked at one such idea above – that Vadic may be a veteran of Wolf-359 and an ex-Starfleet officer or crewman, but there are a handful of others.

A former member of Picard’s crew, perhaps someone who was injured or left for dead while serving under his command,
An ex-Borg, either someone who was assimilated while serving on Picard’s crew or perhaps someone from the Artifact in Season 1,
An augment, potentially tied to Season 2’s Adam Soong or even Khan himself,
A Romulan or ally of the Romulans, with a potential tie to Sela,
A member of Insurrection’s Son’a.

Theory #9:
Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.

I’m close to retiring this theory, to tell the truth, but until we’ve spent a bit more time with Vadic and the masked crew of the Shrike, there’s still a slim chance that it could pan out.

You can see the full list by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #10:
Vadic’s crew are Jem’Hadar.

Another theory that may not pan out! Now that we know Vadic is almost certainly not a changeling, the likelihood of this one seems to have dropped dramatically. In short, I speculated last time that if Vadic is a Founder, she may have brought Jem’Hadar with her, or perhaps even that the rogue changelings were breeding their own Jem’Hadar.

Given that there is a connection, though, and that Vadic has a changeling (or part of a changeling) aboard her vessel, we could still potentially see some Jem’Hadar warriors amongst her crew.

Theory #11:
The Borg are involved.

The first Borg drone ever seen in Star Trek.

With a surprisingly large portion of No Win Scenario taken up with telling stories about the Borg, perhaps the chances of a bigger Borg connection have just increased! After all, why should the narrative keep returning to the Borg if there isn’t something else going on to make such inclusions relevant?

Last week, I suggested two possibilities for Borg involvement. Firstly, the rogue changelings may have stolen Borg technology from Daystrom Station – tech that could even be from the Artifact. This technology may be part of how they plan to attack Starfleet. Secondly, it doesn’t seem entirely impossible for the rogue changelings to have allied themselves with the Borg – after all, both factions would have reasons for wanting to see the Federation and Starfleet weakened or defeated, and the Borg have shown a willingness to make alliances before.

Theory #12:
Captain Shaw will be killed.

Theory #13:
Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.

Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D in a promo photo for Season 2 of *The Next Generation*.

So we’ve ruled out the likes of Riker and Vadic being changelings, and I think we can safely say that Picard, the Crushers, Captain Shaw, and Seven of Nine aren’t changelings either. But that still leaves several major characters who could potentially have been replaced! The title of the upcoming episode is Imposters, which could also be a hint!

Theory #14:
Not all of Raffi’s messages were from Worf.

So those theories are new or moved significantly in No Win Scenario.

Now, in order to keep the theories all in one place, I’ll recap everything else that’s currently in play. These theories weren’t touched in this week’s episode.

Theory #15:
The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.

Could we learn why Soji isn’t going to join Picard this time around?

Theory #16:
There will be at least one unannounced character returning!

There have been theories and guesses from Trekkies for basically a whole year about which other characters from The Next Generation era could appear in Season 3. I don’t claim to know who might be included – but it feels like a pretty solid guess to say that someone from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and/or Voyager will put in an appearance.

This could be a simple cameo, or an appearance similar to those seen in episodes like Encounter at Farpoint and Caretaker. Or there could be a real hidden surprise, with a character basically joining Picard’s mission. We didn’t really know the extent of Seven of Nine’s involvement in Season 1 until it happened, nor the extent of Brent Spiner’s roles in Seasons 1 and 2… so there’s at least the possibility of some kind of big surprise!

Theory #17:
Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.

Theory #18:
At least one main character will be killed.

It feels like a solid possibility that at least one main character won’t make it to the end of the season. Television storytelling has changed a lot since The Next Generation premiered, and even main characters can no longer consider themselves to be safe if they wind up in dangerous situations!

It would be a challenge to kill off a legacy character in a way that would be satisfying and would feel right – but it would be incredibly bold, and if such a story beat stuck the landing, it could succeed at either setting up the story or paying off a season-long character arc.

I made a list of who I thought could be in danger before the season began, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #19:
Picard and his crew will reactivate Lore and Professor Moriarty.

Theory #20:
Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.

It does seem like one heck of a coincidence that Lore and Professor Moriarty – both of whom are synthetic – are involved in this story!

Theory #21:
Vadic will be killed by her own portal-weapon.

There can be something poetic about an evil villain being destroyed by their own weapon, so I can’t help but feel that Vadic may meet her end by being spliced through one of her own portals!

Theory #22:
Odo will make an appearance – somehow.

Theory #23:
Lore and/or Professor Moriarty were stolen from Daystrom Station.

Theory #24:
A spin-off series will be announced.

Alex Kurtzman is currently in charge of Star Trek over at Paramount.

So that’s it!

Those are all of the theories that we have in play as we approach the midpoint of the season. There’s still a lot of time for the story to go in completely different directions, though, and even to introduce new characters and factions if it’s done right. We’ve started to see the beginnings of some mysteries being unravelled – but others, such as what may be causing Jack’s mysterious hallucinations, are just getting started!

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 theories – week 3

Tue 07.03.23Dennis

I had a great time with Seventeen Seconds this week – in fact, I’d say it’s almost certainly the best episode of Picard since the Season 2 premiere last year. It was also an episode that shook up our theory list in a pretty big way, with a major revelation that seems to have uncovered the real “big bad” of the narrative.

But we’re only three episodes into a ten-episode season… so it’s all still to play for! I’m sure we haven’t seen all of the twists and turns yet, and that there’s much more to be revealed.

I hope you’ll read my review of Seventeen Seconds if you haven’t already, as I go into a lot more detail about what was a fantastic episode. I found a few nitpicks, as I always do, and I offered my thoughts on some potentially controversial story points, too! You can find my review by clicking or tapping here.

This week we have two confirmations, two theory retirements, and one debunking. There are also a few theories that are barely hanging in there! As always, we’ll look at the theories that are departing the list first.

Debunked theory:
Jack Crusher was conceived during the events of Star Trek: Insurrection.

Picard on the Ba’ku planet in *Insurrection*.

Based on Jack’s apparent age, Dr Crusher’s absence, and the metaphasic radiation at the centre of Insurrection’s story, I suggested that Jack may have been conceived during or shortly after the events of that film. However, we learned in Seventeen Seconds that Jack was actually conceived sometime after Nemesis, shortly before Picard and his remaining crew left the Enterprise-E. As stated in earlier episodes, this is about twenty years before the events of Picard Season 3, meaning Jack Crusher is supposedly in his early twenties.

Actor Ed Speleers, who plays Jack, is in his mid-thirties… and without wishing to be unkind, I don’t think he readily passes for a twenty-year-old. In addition, I’d suggest that Jack’s backstory of criminality and confidence trickery also better suits a character at least slightly older. But this is Jack’s true origin, so I guess we’ll just have to accept it!

Retired theory #1:
The super-synths from Season 1 are involved.

A device designed by the super-synths to open a portal to their realm.

I feel bad about having to let this one go, but it now seems all but certain that Star Trek won’t be revisiting the super-synths from Season 1: the so-called “alliance of synthetic life” that left behind a beacon and potentially threatened all life in the galaxy.

I proposed a theory shortly after the end of Season 2 that could have tied together all three seasons of the show. In short, I posited that the super-synths created the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2 as some kind of weapon, and that they’d return as the “big bad” in Season 3. Vadic could have been one of their pawns or devotees, someone obsessed with ensuring their arrival in the galaxy.

But all of that is for the birds now, as the story is clearly going in a different direction by bringing back the Founders.

Retired theory #2:
Captain Vadic and her crew are hosts for the parasite-aliens first encountered in the episode Conspiracy.

The only sign that an individual was playing host to a parasite-alien was this spike at the back of the neck.

This idea was pretty wild, and I was surprised to see that I wasn’t the only one who’d been talking about it! As above, now that we’ve seen the Founders, it seems clear that Picard Season 3 is going in a very different direction – and considering the origins of this particular theory, I suspect that may be for the best!

The parasite-aliens from the episode Conspiracy sprang to mind when we heard Dr Crusher talking about how Picard should “trust no one” in pre-season trailers, and the idea that they might have returned was, in some ways at least, a potentially interesting one. But with Conspiracy being a more-or-less forgotten part of The Next Generation’s first season, one whose story was never revisited and had no influence over the rest of the show, I daresay it would have been a hard sell to bring this particular storyline back. Maybe it’s something better saved for a show like Lower Decks!

Confirmed theory #1:
Vadic has an ally within Starfleet.

Though it’s still possible that Vadic has additional spies or allies within Starfleet – either aboard the Titan or elsewhere – we got confirmation this week that she has at least one ally embedded aboard the Titan.

I stand by what I said in my review, though: it would have been more impactful had we met this character before it was revealed that they were a changeling infiltrator!

Confirmed theory #2:
Vadic is not the real “big bad” of the Season.

We don’t currently know the specifics of Vadic’s relationship with the changelings. Is she a Founder herself, for instance, or does she merely work for them as a “sub-contractor?” There’s clearly more to be revealed about Vadic, but Seventeen Seconds confirmed what I had suspected: that she isn’t the only villain Picard and the crew will have to deal with.

We learned in Seventeen Seconds of the existence of a rogue faction of Founders; a schism in the Great Link has occurred, with followers of Odo’s peaceful path on one side, and a seemingly more aggressive, violent group of changelings on the other. What their specific goals may be, beyond chaos and revenge, is yet to be revealed – but we now know that Vadic isn’t working alone, and that she is either part of or working for this faction. I’m terming them the “rogue changelings” for now – but that may change if they’re given a proper on-screen name.

So those theories have been retired, debunked, or confirmed!

Now we’ll jump into the main theory list, beginning with theories that are either new or saw significant movement this week.

Theory #1:
Lore and/or Professor Moriarty were stolen from Daystrom Station.

Theory #2:
Vadic is a changeling.

The events of Seventeen Seconds did not confirm this – but it seems like a very likely outcome right now! While Vadic and her crew could be bounty hunters, as they claimed to be, merely working with the rogue changelings, there’s also a distinct possibility that she is herself a changeling.

When Jack Crusher told us in earlier episodes that the people chasing him looked like Klingons one moment, then Starfleet personnel the next, it seemed at least possible that they were shape-shifters – and now we know that one of Vadic’s spies aboard the Titan is a changeling it would make a lot of sense that she and at least some of the members of her crew are too. Not confirmed, but I feel like we’re potentially edging toward some kind of confirmation on this one!

Theory #3:
A few other Vadic origin ideas.

So we’ve ruled out Vadic and her crew playing host to the parasite-aliens from Conspiracy, but as above, her identity has not yet been confirmed. If she isn’t a Founder, there are still a few possible explanations that would tie her into Star Trek’s past. I put together a longer list before the season aired, and here are the possibilities that I consider to still be in play:

A former member of Picard’s crew, perhaps someone who was injured or left for dead while serving under his command,
An ex-Borg, either someone who was assimilated while serving on Picard’s crew or perhaps someone from the Artifact in Season 1,
An augment, potentially tied to Season 2’s Adam Soong or even Khan himself,
A Romulan or ally of the Romulans, with a potential tie to Sela,
A member of Insurrection’s Son’a.

Theory #4:
Riker is a changeling.

To be more specific, I’m not saying that Riker has been a changeling the entire time, but that he has been since partway through episode 2, when he beamed aboard the Titan from the Eleos. Let’s break down the evidence in favour of this theory!

Firstly, we have the clip from the extended Season 3 trailer, in which Riker appears to be trapped or imprisoned somewhere. As seen in Deep Space Nine, the Founders would imprison people they replaced – such as Martok and Dr Bashir. Secondly, we know that the crew of the Shrike already have a changeling ally aboard the Titan. Third, the changeling Raffi and Worf confronted said that his people (or rather, his faction of rogue changelings) had plans to attack multiple planets in the Federation and beyond – implying a big conspiracy involving multiple people being replaced. And finally, we could make the case that Riker’s conflict with Picard was out-of-character for him – or at the very least, a convenient way to get the Admiral off the bridge so he could consolidate his power as the ship’s commander.

Theory #5:
Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.

Picard and the crew on a promotional poster for Season 3.

Now that we know the changelings are involved, suspicion should fall on basically everyone! Aside from Picard himself, Jack Crusher, Beverly Crusher, and the wounded Captain Shaw, I think we should be suspicious of practically everybody! I already singled out Riker, and explained in brief several reasons why I think he’s a potential changeling candidate, but there are others, both on the crew of the Titan and beyond.

This would connect with the idea of not knowing who to trust, something Dr Crusher warned Picard about right at the start of the season. We already know that there’s at least one changeling aboard the Titan – but could there be more? Or could the changelings have abducted and replaced the likes of Troi or Geordi?

In Deep Space Nine episodes like Paradise Lost, we saw that the Federation was working on methods to identify changelings or even force them to reveal themselves. It would be interesting to see these make a return.

Theory #6:
Odo will make an appearance – somehow.

Theory #7:
A spin-off series will be announced.

My thoughts on this have shifted somewhat this week, and not because of anything that happened on-screen! Sad news came out from Paramount shortly after this week’s episode of Picard aired: Star Trek: Discovery has been cancelled and will end after its upcoming fifth season. This moment would have been a good time to announce a new Star Trek project; something to replace Discovery in the line-up. But it didn’t happen.

I already said that this was as much a hope as a theory; I’d love Paramount to announce a new Star Trek series of any kind, but a 25th Century project that would potentially tie in with Picard would be at the top of my list. There are options: a series focusing on Seven of Nine, a revived Section 31 show, or the Starfleet Academy series that has been the subject of many rumours. But so far, nothing has been announced. With all eyes on the Star Trek franchise, making such an announcement before Picard comes to an end would be good timing… so watch this space, I guess!

Theory #8:
Vadic will be killed by her own portal-weapon.

This idea is a pretty simple one: as often happens to villains in stories like these, Captain Vadic will end up being killed by her own powerful weapon. We saw the portal-weapon used against the Titan this week, and I can absolutely see a pathway to Picard and the crew capturing it or gaining control of it, and turning it against Vadic.

There can be something poetic about an evil villain being destroyed by their own weapon, so I can’t help but feel that Vadic may meet her end by being spliced through one of her own portals!

Theory #9:
Captain Shaw will be killed.

Captain Shaw was badly injured this week.

I almost retired this theory this week, because Captain Shaw survived his injuries. With him off the bridge and out of the way in sickbay, that seems to have resolved the possible “clutter” problem that I talked about; I feared that it might be too complicated, narratively speaking, for the Titan to have an Admiral, a Commodore, and three captains all working together on the bridge.

But Captain Shaw is clearly seriously injured, and while he may have a contribution to make to the story – as we saw this week through his interaction with Jack – there’s still the possibility that he won’t survive to the end of the season. If some kind of “Captain Seven” spin-off series is even a remote possibility, killing off Captain Shaw is one way in which Seven could ascend to the captain’s chair.

Theory #10:
Captain Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.

Vadic with two masked members of her crew.

Another theory that feels as if it’s barely hanging in there! In short, I came up with this idea before the season aired, when we first learned of the involvement of Lore and Professor Moriarty. Having assumed they’d be on Vadic’s side – something I’m no longer sure of, by the way – I wondered if Vadic may have put together an entire team comprised of Picard’s enemies.

The revelation that the changelings are involved – and are the season’s main villainous faction – has massively reduced the likelihood of this theory, but until we can say with certainty who Vadic is, what her objectives are, and how she connects to the rogue changelings… the possibility exists, in my view at least, that some of her crew and allies will be characters we’ve met before; villains who are seeking revenge on Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D.

To see a list of who I thought could potentially be involved, click or tap here.

Theory #11:
The Founders are living in the nebula.

In Deep Space Nine, the Founders’ homeworld was inside a nebula. Obviously the Ryton system isn’t where the Founders lived, nor is it even in the Gamma Quadrant (as far as we know), but I can’t help but wonder whether this nebula could be concealing either a new homeworld for the Founders or a base of operations for this faction of rogue changelings.

Although it feels like a bit of a long-shot, this could explain why Vadic broke off her pursuit of the Titan after it was damaged. Driving the ship deep into the nebula, toward the changelings’ base, could have been her objective.

Theory #12:
The Founders are the nebula.

Why did Seventeen Seconds prominently feature the Titan’s science officer telling Captain Riker that there are “organic” elements to the nebula that she couldn’t identify? Obviously this is going to be part of the story somehow, but with changelings on the loose… is it too far-fetched to think that they could actually be a nebula?

In the Deep Space Nine episode Chimera, the changeling Laas was able to exist as a cloud of fog on DS9’s promenade, so existing in a gaseous form isn’t beyond the power of changelings. Why they’d seek to do so is, of course, an open question – but it feels like a possibility nevertheless.

Theory #13:
Captain Vadic’s crew are Jem’Hadar.

A Jem’Hadar warrior in *Deep Space Nine*.

If Captain Vadic is a changeling, then it stands to reason that her crew could be Jem’Hadar – the genetically-engineered Dominion warriors seen in Deep Space Nine. We don’t know how Jem’Hadar would react to a schism in the Great Link, but it seems plausible that either some Jem’Hadar would have followed the rogue changelings, or that the rogue changelings might have set up a new facility to create their own Jem’Hadar warriors.

With the crew of the Shrike being masked, I can’t help but feel that there’s a reason for that. Either we’re dealing with familiar characters or perhaps a race like the Jem’Hadar. Keeping their faces covered keeps the mystery going, anyway!

Theory #14:
Vadic has an unrevealed reason for chasing the Crushers and the Titan.

If Vadic is a changeling, that could explain why she’s so interested in the Crushers, the Titan, and the Federation. But as above, we don’t have absolute confirmation on that as of yet, so I don’t think we can say with certainty that Vadic has an additional reason for hunting Jack Crusher beyond what she told us in the episode Disengage. I said at the time that I didn’t feel that “money” was a good enough motive for a character who seems to be so over-the-top… so I certainly hope that there will be more to Vadic than that!

The introduction of the changelings into the story – and the fact that Vadic has at least one changeling ally – has certainly shaken up this theory, and I think we can see light at the end of the tunnel! But as we didn’t get to spend a ton of time with Vadic this week, we still don’t know for sure what her motivation is.

Theory #15:
Picard and his crew will reactivate Lore and Professor Moriarty.

Theory #16:
Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.

It does seem like one heck of a coincidence that Lore and Professor Moriarty – both of whom are synthetic – are involved in this story!

Theory #17:
The Borg are involved.

I came close to retiring this theory for the same kinds of reasons I gave for removing the super-synths from the theory list, but for now I think I’m going to hang onto the idea that there may be some kind of Borg involvement. We’re only three episodes in, after all, and the details of the rogue changelings’ plan is still totally unclear.

A couple of ways the Borg could be involved have already come to mind. Firstly, the rogue changelings may have stolen Borg technology from Daystrom Station. Secondly, the rogue changelings’ plan could involve an alliance with the Borg – both groups have reason to want to attack the Federation, after all.

Even if we don’t get a major appearance by the Borg this season, their influence may still be felt.

So those theories are new or saw movement this week.

As always, in order to keep the theory list intact and all in one place I’m going to recap the remaining theories that we have in play. These theories didn’t move one way or the other in Seventeen Seconds.

Theory #18:
Not all of Raffi’s messages were from Worf.

There was a good narrative reason to keep Worf hidden until the end of Disengage: it made his last-minute appearance to save Raffi all the more dramatic. But could there be another reason why his messages came through in the form of text with a disembodied digital voice?

Raffi wasn’t able to prevent the attack on the Federation facility, having spent a long time chasing leads in the underworld. But could someone – perhaps one of the rogue changelings – have been feeding her false information to throw her off? This could tie into the idea of not being able to trust anyone in Starfleet that Dr Crusher warned us about – perhaps this conspiracy runs very deep indeed!

Theory #19:
Jack Crusher is connected to Vadic… somehow.

I originally proposed this theory a couple of weeks ago, speculating that if Picard isn’t Jack’s father, someone on Vadic’s crew might be – or he might be a relative of hers. That didn’t pan out, but there still exists the possibility of a connection between the two. It would explain Vadic’s single-mindedness in chasing him down over a period of weeks or months.

This could be as simple as Jack having stolen from Vadic… but I wonder if such a connection may go deeper. Jack has clearly done bad, criminal things over the course of his life… could his criminal behaviour have brought him alongside, or into conflict with, someone like Vadic? Perhaps he’s responsible for killing someone she cared about – or not saving someone in time.

Theory #20:
Captain Shaw lost someone to the Borg.

Vadic alluded to Captain Shaw’s psychological profile in Disengage, and seemed to suggest that he may have been unwell at some point in his career. This could tie into Shaw’s anti-Borg attitude, which he has mistakenly directed at Seven of Nine and Picard.

In short, Captain Shaw seems old enough to have been serving in Starfleet during at least one of the Borg incursions of the 24th Century, and he may have lost someone – a spouse or close relative, perhaps – during one of those battles. That could explain both Vadic’s comment and his barely-disguised antipathy toward Picard and Seven.

Theory #21:
At least one main character will be killed.

I made a list of who I thought could be in danger before the season began, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #22:
Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.

Theory #23:
There will be at least one unannounced character returning!

Theory #24:
The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.

The new Borg Queen/Dr Jurati hybrid at the end of Season 2.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Laris was included in The Next Generation, and while she won’t have a big role in the story of the season, it was great that the story didn’t just dump her as it raced ahead. Due to her importance to the story of Season 2, Laris was perhaps the character who I felt it was most important to include in some way, and I’m glad we got to see her.

So that’s it!

The USS Titan falls into the nebula’s gravity well…

That’s the state of the theory list as we head into the fourth episode of the season, which will air later this week. It’s still all to play for, and we’ve netted several theory wins already! There are still plenty of unrevealed story beats to come, I’m certain of that, and some of my theories are only barely hanging on. But we’ll have to wait and see what the next episode has in store for us!

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 theories – week 2

Wed 01.03.23Wed 01.03.23Dennis

Disengage was a solid episode – or rather, I hope that’s what I’ll think of it when the season is over! I have a specific concern about Captain Vadic that we’ll talk about in a moment, but other than that my biggest criticism of the episode was its faded, washed-out, unnecessarily dark visual presentation. Perhaps it looked okay on a fancy OLED television set, but for the rest of us? Let’s just say that I hope Paramount can tweak the visuals going forward.

In terms of our ongoing Season 3 theory list, Disengage certainly shook things up! The episode has given me several ideas for brand-new theories, outright confirmed two theories from last time, and has led me to retire one theory, too. That’s in addition to adding new elements into the mix that may have increased the likelihood of some theories panning out… and massively decreased the chances for several others!

Picard and Riker in this week’s episode.

Be sure to check out my review of Disengage if you haven’t already, as I go into more detail about some of the story points, as well as talk about some elements of the episode that I felt worked well – and a few things that I felt needed a bit more time in the spotlight. Literally as well as metaphorically, in this case!

This week, we have two confirmed theories and one theory that I’m choosing to retire. While not outright “debunked” by the events of Disengage, it feels as if the story is almost certainly moving in a different direction, so I’m striking it from the list. We’ll take a look at those first before we jump into the main theory list.

Retired theory:
The crew of the Titan will mutiny against Captain Shaw.

I came up with this idea last week based on a couple of presuppositions. The first was that the command structure of the Titan would feel too complicated, narratively speaking, if Admiral Picard, Commodore La Forge, Captain Riker, Captain Worf and Captain Shaw all had to coexist on the bridge. And secondly, Shaw’s own abrasive, unpleasant personality.

When faced with a potential choice between following Picard and Shaw, I wondered whether the Titan’s crew might’ve chosen the former, mutinying against their captain. But Shaw’s actions in Disengage seem to have softened him, at least a little, and at the end of the episode he – albeit somewhat begrudgingly – ended up doing the right thing. There will still be clashes with Picard and the crew ahead, no doubt, but I no longer see a mutiny like this befalling the captain of the Titan.

Confirmed theory #1:
Picard is the father of Jack Crusher.

Dr Crusher wordlessly confirmed this revelation to Picard.

Although it took him the whole episode to come to terms with this revelation, Disengage confirmed what a lot of us had already sussed out: that Picard is Jack’s father. The details of how that came to happen are still up in the air – and we’ll look at one possibility in a moment – but for now, we can chalk up our second theory win of the season!

This is definitely an interesting storyline, one that has the potential to really shake things up as the season rolls on. The ramifications for Picard, Dr Crusher, Jack and the rest of the crew will be significant!

Confirmed theory #2:
Worf is Raffi’s “handler.”

This one seemed pretty obvious, especially when Raffi’s nameless handler started using words like “warrior,” but there was always the possibility that the story could have thrown another character into the mix. I suspect there may be a reason why Worf was kept hidden last week, and why his messages to Raffi were conveyed by text and a digital voice… but we’ll look at that in a moment.

I’d have liked to have spent a little more time with Worf in Disengage – his appearance in the episode was brief. But there will be time in the episodes ahead to rectify that!

So those theories were confirmed!

Two episodes down and we’ve already claimed three theory victories! Surely that can’t last… especially given how outlandish (and contradictory) some of the others on the list are!

Up next, we’ll take a look at the main theory list, beginning with brand-new theories and theories which moved significantly as a result of the events that unfolded in Disengage.

Theory #1:
Vadic is not the real “big bad” of the season.

One thing that put me off Vadic in Disengage was the apparent disconnect between her over-the-top presentation and her seemingly banal motivation: money. One thing that isn’t clear at this stage, though, is who may have placed such a large bounty on Jack Crusher’s head – and if this theory is correct, it will be that individual who will turn out to be the true villainous mastermind of Season 3.

Think about it: Vadic is a bounty hunter, and she claims that her interest in Jack Crusher is purely financial. So someone else is bankrolling her – and potentially providing her and her crew with the weapons and supplies that they have, or at least paying for those supplies. Can it be a coincidence that Jack Crusher – the son of Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher – is this person’s most-wanted target?

Theory #2:
Vadic has a hidden reason for chasing Dr Crusher.

This idea could be connected to the theory above, and it certainly comes from the same starting point. Not only did Vadic seem incredibly over-the-top for someone solely motivated by money, but in pre-season trailers we heard her talking about “vengeance.” Is she seeking revenge on Picard, Jack, and Dr Crusher personally – or the wider Federation?

In either case, this speaks to an additional, hidden motivation that hasn’t been revealed thus far. If Vadic is also the terrorist responsible for the attack on the Federation facility that Raffi and Worf were investigating, that also raises the question of why she’d do such a thing. Even if her interest in Jack is financial, the attack on the Federation base clearly wasn’t motivated by money.

In short, I think we’ve only scratched the surface with Vadic!

Theory #3:
Not all of Raffi’s messages were from Worf.

Raffi wasn’t able to prevent the attack on the Federation facility, having spent a long time chasing leads in the underworld. But could someone have been feeding her false information to throw her off? This could tie into the idea of not being able to trust anyone in Starfleet that Dr Crusher warned us about – perhaps this conspiracy runs very deep indeed!

Theory #4:
Jack was conceived during the events of Star Trek: Insurrection.

At some point in the last… thirty-ish(?) years, Dr Crusher and Captain Picard hooked up. They did the nasty. They bumped uglies. She gave him his tea, earl grey… hot. That’s a disturbing mental picture for someone who’s asexual, but it raises a pertinent question: when did this smooshing together of genitals take place?

If we’re assuming that Picard Season 3 takes place in the early 25th Century, perhaps a year or so after the events of the Season 2 finale, that potentially places Jack’s conception in the early or mid 2370s – during Picard’s captaincy of the Enterprise-E. One event in that time period sticks out when it comes to thinking about one-night stands and sexual encounters: the Enterprise-E’s mission to the Ba’ku planet – a planet with strange age-defying radiation that caused the crew to regress somewhat and behave like teenagers. Could the metaphasic radiation of the Ba’ku planet have played a role in Jack’s conception? If so, how did Dr Crusher keep that a secret while continuing to serve on the ship? There are questions… but you have to admit, the timing seems right!

Theory #5:
Someone in Starfleet is working with Vadic.

Connected to the theory above about Vadic having a paymaster, I wonder if Dr Crusher’s belief in a conspiracy within Starfleet could turn out to be correct. If so, perhaps a shady “badmiral” is actually Vadic’s boss, the person directing her to target Jack and presumably Picard, too.

If so, it would be a much more impactful storyline, at least in some respects, if this were a character we’d met before! Even if that isn’t the case, though, there’s still the possibility that Vadic is getting her information about the likes of Captain Shaw and Picard from a contact or ally within Starfleet itself.

Theory #6:
Jack Crusher is connected to Vadic… somehow.

I originally proposed this theory last week, speculating that if Picard isn’t Jack’s father, someone on Vadic’s crew might be – or he might be a relative of hers. That didn’t pan out, but there still exists the possibility of a connection between the two. It would explain Vadic’s single-mindedness in chasing him down over a period of weeks or months.

Theory #7:
Captain Vadic once served under Picard’s command.

I’m keeping this one on the list for now, as Vadic’s true motive seems to be obscured. But it now comes with the major caveat that neither Picard, Riker, nor anyone else seemed to recognise her either by appearance or by name. That’s definitely a mark against this theory… but as Picard had more than 1,000 people just aboard the Enterprise-D, it’s not impossible to think he would forget a few faces over the years!

In short, Picard has no shortage of “victims” from his tenures in command of the Stargazer, the Enterprise-D, Enterprise-E, and the Romulan rescue fleet. Perhaps Captain Vadic was one such officer, and she may hold Picard responsible for being assimilated by the Borg, or otherwise injured in the line of duty.

Theory #8:
Vadic is a Founder.

One of the Founders in *Deep Space Nine*.

I don’t think Disengage moved the needle on this one particularly, except to say that Vadic doesn’t really have the calmness we’ve come to expect from the Founders of the Dominion, seeming to be a lot more chaotic. However, her being a Founder would potentially explain how she and some of her crew were able to resemble different alien races in their pursuit of the Crushers.

We’ve been promised some kind of connection to Deep Space Nine this season, so I can’t help but wonder if the villain of the piece could be a changeling. If the Dominion and their shape-shifting Founders are on the march once more, that could explain why Picard wouldn’t know who to trust – as we saw in Deep Space Nine, changelings were able to infiltrate Starfleet, the Klingon Empire, and the Tal Shiar, replacing a handful of well-placed leaders as part of a plan to destabilise the major factions of the Alpha Quadrant.

Theory #9:
Captain Vadic and her crew are hosts for the parasite-aliens first encountered in the episode Conspiracy.

This one is quite “out there,” and I freely admit that! It would be a very bold (i.e. odd) decision for Star Trek to return to the plot of Conspiracy, as it’s hardly one of the best-remembered episodes of The Next Generation. But something about the idea of being unsure of who to trust within Starfleet, having to turn to old friends for help, and the possibility of a conspiracy that could be targeting the Federation all flagged up the plot of Conspiracy for me… so it would be unwise to entirely rule it out!

The end of the episode seemed to suggest that the parasite-aliens had been able to send a message into deep space, hinting at a possible return one day. Could that day finally have arrived?

Theory #10:
A few other Vadic origin theories.

I put together a list back in November about who Vadic may be and what kind of connection she could have to Picard. The three possibilities above seem like the most plausible to me, but I’ll briefly summarise the others here:

An ex-Borg, either someone who was assimilated while serving under Picard’s command, or perhaps someone from the Artifact in Season 1,
An augment, potentially tied to Season 2’s Adam Soong or even Khan himself,
A Romulan or ally of the Romulans, with a potential tie to Sela,
A member of Insurrection’s Son’a,
A devotee of the super-synths from Season 1.

Theory #11:
Captain Shaw lost someone to the Borg.

So those theories are new or moved significantly this week.

As always, for the sake of keeping everything in one place, I’ll now run through the rest of the theory list. The fact that certain characters, factions, etc. didn’t appear in Disengage could mean that some or all of these are now a lot less likely… but I’m content to keep them on the list at least for now!

Theory #12:
Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.

The crew of *The Next Generation* Season 2.

Two lines that we first heard in pre-season trailers leapt out at me: Dr Crusher warning Picard to “trust no one,” and her son asking Picard whether anyone he knew “is still the person [he] knew.” These lines could hint at someone having infiltrated the crew, potentially replacing or brainwashing them.

Additionally, it’s possible that someone on the crew is who they appear to be – but is secretly working for Captain Vadic and/or some other villain. We saw this with Dr Jurati in Season 1, so it wouldn’t be a wholly original story beat. But it would fit in with the idea of Picard not knowing who to trust.

Theory #13:
Picard and his crew will reactivate Lore and Professor Moriarty.

Theory #14:
Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.

Connected to the theory above is the idea that, for some reason, Picard and the crew will not be able to trust or rely on almost any organic. Not knowing who to trust – perhaps because something is going on that only affects organic minds – could explain why they chose to reactivate both Lore and Professor Moriarty: they might be immune to whatever’s happening.

I don’t think it can be a coincidence that Lore and Professor Moriarty are involved. Both are sentient artificial life-forms, so surely that connection has to be relevant!

If this theory is even close to being true, though, it would raise an interesting question: why didn’t Picard also turn to Soji for help?

Theory #15:
Captain Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.

Captain Vadic with a couple of her allies.

When we first met Captain Vadic and learned that both Lore and Professor Moriarty would be returning, I speculated that the villain of Season 3 might have put together a crew comprised of past Star Trek villains and adversaries. There’s no shortage of baddies who might want to seek revenge on Picard, the crew of the Enterprise-D, and the Federation as a whole.

The crew of Vadic’s ship – the Shrike – have their faces concealed by bird-like masks… and I can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason why these characters can’t be seen or even heard. It seems at least possible that some of Vadic’s crewmates and allies could be characters that we’ve met in past iterations of the Star Trek franchise.

I suggested the likes of DaiMon Bok, Sela, and even Nicholas Locarno as possible candidates – and you can find a longer list by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #16:
At least one main character will be killed.

A Starfleet coffin, adorned with the flag of the Federation.

I have a list of who I consider to be in danger, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #17:
The Borg are involved.

The Borg have already been seen in *Star Trek: Picard*…

Several moments in the season premiere referenced or called back to the Borg – and while we know that Captain Vadic is set to star as an antagonist, there’s still the possibility of Borg involvement in some shape or form. First of all, Dr Crusher was reviewing one of Picard’s logs from his first engagement with the Borg in The Best of Both Worlds. Secondly, Riker referenced Picard’s assimilation experience, and used what he remembered from rescuing him from the Borg in that same episode to decode part of Dr Crusher’s message – something Picard wouldn’t have been able to do on his own as he wasn’t privy to that information at the time. Finally, Captain Shaw seems to have a major chip on his shoulder about the Borg, talking down to both Seven and Picard about their status as ex-Borg.

These could be nothing more than references – little callbacks to Star Trek’s past that are there to tie the events of this story into the franchise’s past. And that’s totally okay if that turns out to be the case! But it’s at least possible, in my view, that some greater Borg connection is going to be revealed. Remember, Season 2 introduced us to a new Borg faction… and the mysterious anomaly that they were intent on stopping is still unexplained.

Theory #18:
The super-synths are involved.

This theory would tie together the events of Seasons 1 and 2 with Season 3. In short, I’ve suggested that Captain Vadic may be a devotee of the super-synths – the “alliance of synthetic life” outside of the Milky Way galaxy who left the beacon on Aia and kicked off the plot of Season 1. To add to this theory, I posited that the mysterious anomaly in Season 2 was also a super-synth creation, perhaps one designed to attack the Federation or to open up a gateway.

If Captain Vadic had encountered the beacon on Aia (or another similar beacon elsewhere), it could have driven her mad, as we saw it do to Zhat Vash initiates in Season 1. If Vadic became obsessed with the super-synths, instead of becoming obsessed with stopping them, she might blame Picard for preventing their arrival. Furthermore, she might be trying to open a new portal for them, and that could be what Picard and the crew need to stop.

I have two articles that go into a lot more detail on this theory. You can find part 1 by clicking or tapping here, and part 2 by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #19:
Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.

Although we’ve had it confirmed that most of the actors from Seasons 1 and 2 won’t be reprising their roles this time around, when I saw the masked crew of the Shrike I couldn’t help but wonder… could some of these people be Picard’s friends? Could that explain why Dr Crusher warned Picard to “trust no one” and simultaneously explain their absences?

Theory #20:
There will be at least one unannounced character returning!

Theory #21:
Captain Shaw will be killed.

I half-expected Captain Shaw to meet his demise in the season premiere – but it didn’t happen! With Seven of Nine having disobeyed orders, and the Titan now outside of Federation space with an imposing enemy vessel close by, that could still happen – and soon! But it’s also worth noting that Captain Shaw appears to be a more nuanced and potentially complex character than I’d initially expected. His anti-Borg prejudice is just one aspect of his characterisation, and this by-the-book, rather acerbic captain may have a bigger role to play than I thought at first.

Regardless, if for no other reason than pure practicality, I think he has to be gotten rid of… right? How can the Titan operate with a disloyal first officer, an ex-Admiral, and at least one other captain on board? From a story perspective it just seems cluttered, and while I hope we learn more about Captain Shaw and his past, I still don’t see him making it all the way to the end of the season.

Theory #22:
The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.

Theory #23:
A spin-off will be announced.

Alex Kurtzman is in charge of the Star Trek franchise for Paramount.

This one is just as much a hope as it is a theory, but it would be fantastic if a spin-off from Picard were to be announced before the season ends. At present, no new Star Trek projects are in production, and with Season 3 being Picard’s last, it seems like there could be an opening!

A Star Trek show set in this early 25th Century time period could pick up story threads from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, or even Lower Decks and Prodigy, so there’s a lot of potential. A direct spin-off could follow Captain Shaw on the Titan, or Seven of Nine and Raffi, or could even bring back Elnor at Starfleet Academy. With the introduction of new characters in the La Forge family, one or both of them could also take a leading role in a new Star Trek production.

As I’ve said on more than one occasion, this era is where I’d love Star Trek to stay. It feels like there’s so much untapped potential in this time period, with many Trekkies wanting to return to characters, settings, and storylines from Star Trek’s “golden age.” I put together ten of my own 25th Century series concepts, and you can find that list by clicking or tapping here.

So that’s it!

The Shrike can use its tractor beam as a weapon…

Despite a retirement and two confirmations, the theory list continues to grow. I suspect we’ll start to see some debunkings soon, as the story really gets going. So far, it feels as if we’ve only just moved off the starting line – so there are eight episodes to go to really whittle down the theory list! Picard continues to lend itself to this kind of theory-crafting, and it’s fun to try to predict what may or may not be coming.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 theories – week 1

Sun 19.02.23Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Picard Seasons 1-3. Spoilers are also present for the following Star Trek productions: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.

With the first episode of Picard Season 3 under our belts, it’s time to update my theory list! If you read my review of The Next Generation (the episode, not the series!) then you’ll know I thought that the season got off to a solid start. Perhaps The Next Generation didn’t quite reach the same level as Season 1’s Remembrance or Season 2’s The Star Gazer, but it was enjoyable.

To my surprise, I must admit, none of the theories that were in place going into the season were outright destroyed by The Next Generation, meaning everything technically remains in play – though some theories are, as I said last time, pretty unlikely to pan out! There were a couple of new theories that I’ve concocted that will be added to the list – and one theory got confirmed right out of the gate. So that’s at least one check mark in the “win” column this season! Will it be the only one, though?

Although I generally enjoyed what The Next Generation brought to the table as the starting point for this new story, I do have a few concerns – especially having gone back to watch it a couple of times. First is the pacing. A couple of big story beats seemed to race past awfully quickly: Raffi’s Federation base being destroyed and Picard and Riker learning the identity of Dr Crusher’s shipmate. But at the same time, the episode didn’t feel like it made a ton of progress in terms of the main narrative arc of the season – I called it a contradiction in my review. Whether these points will be important or not as the season wears on… who can say? But after two seasons where pacing issues contributed to some major disappointments, I’m more keenly aware of this particular issue this time around!

But you can check out my review if you want more details on what I thought of the episode itself. You can find it by clicking or tapping here.

As always, we begin the theory list with confirmations and debunkings. No theories were debunked this week, and we have one confirmation, so before we get into the main list let’s take a look at that!

Confirmed theory:
Dr Crusher’s shipmate is her son.

This character piqued my interest in pre-season trailers, and I wasn’t alone in speculating that he might be Dr Crusher’s son. Although she was unconscious in a medical pod and unable to completely confirm the connection, I think it’s safe to take him at his word. Crusher Jr. wasn’t named in the episode itself, but Paramount has since announced that his name is Jack – a reference to Beverly’s husband Jack Crusher, a friend of Picard who was killed while Picard was in command of the USS Stargazer.

This revelation has raised just as many questions as it answered, and with Crusher Jr. being on screen for only a couple of minutes right at the end of the episode, we didn’t get many answers. I have a theory about who his father may be – and we’ll look at that in a moment. For now, I’m claiming my first successful theory prediction of Season 3!

So that theory was confirmed.

Up next we’ll take a look at the main theory list, beginning with brand-new theories as well as any existing theories that saw significant movement this week. Finally we’ll wrap up by going over the theories that remain unchanged.

Theory #1:
Picard is the father of Crusher Jr.

Picard with another “son” in the episode *Bloodlines*.

In a series called “Star Trek: Picard,” a connection like this seems like it would be blindingly obvious! Not only that, but Picard’s past romantic relationship with Dr Crusher was referenced in this very episode, with Laris – Picard’s new partner – commenting on it. In addition, Crusher Jr. sports a similar accent to Picard, something that can be used in works of fiction to imply a familial tie between characters.

There also aren’t any other obvious candidates – at least, not among the main cast that we know of at this stage. Crusher Jr’s father clearly isn’t Worf or Geordi, nor could it be Data. That only leaves Riker – and as far as we know, he and Dr Crusher never bumped uglies. Although… Riker did indicate that his marriage has hit a rough spot. Could that be because Deanna figured out he and Crusher once had an affair? I think that’d be pretty silly!

Picard remains the obvious candidate for now, although there is another possibility.

Theory #2:
Crusher Jr. is related or otherwise connected to Vadic.

We have no idea at this stage why the Shrike – which we assume is commanded by Captain Vadic at this point in the story, though that isn’t confirmed – is so intent on chasing Dr Crusher and Crusher Jr. specifically. If they wanted Picard, his retirement on Earth didn’t exactly appear to be something top-secret, so why go for Dr Crusher unless she is the subject of Vadic’s ire?

If so, perhaps the reason for Vadic being so obsessed with catching Dr Crusher is that she’s related to Crusher Jr. He could be a nephew or other close relative, or he could be the son of one of her crewmates. He could even be her child – though that seems like an outside possibility at best. In short, if Crusher Jr’s father is someone on Vadic’s crew, that could explain why she’s chasing them: she wants to reclaim her family member.

Obviously this theory and the one above can’t both be true. If you asked me to place a bet, I’d definitely say that Picard being the father is the most likely outcome based on what we know so far – but this possibility exists right now, and I wanted to acknowledge it.

Theory #3:
Worf is Raffi’s “handler.”

Raffi’s storyline didn’t get quite enough time centre-stage for my liking, but what we saw was intriguing. Raffi is working undercover, trying to track a stolen weapon in the seedy underworld of the Star Trek galaxy that we see so rarely. As part of her assignment, she has a handler – a higher-ranking intelligence officer with whom we saw her communicate.

There are several reasons to think that this character may be Worf. Firstly, we saw a couple of clips of the two of them on what seemed to be the underworld planet in pre-season trailers. Secondly, pre-season character bios released by Paramount stated that Raffi’s location was “unknown” and that Worf’s was “classified.” Finally, the handler Raffi spoke with used the word “warrior” to describe her – a term we’ve often associated with Worf and heard him use.

If Worf is Raffi’s handler, all I can say is that I hope there’s a reason for keeping his role a secret!

Theory #4:
The Borg are involved.

Several moments in this week’s episode referenced or called back to the Borg – and while we know that Captain Vadic is set to star as the season’s primary antagonist, there’s still the possibility of Borg involvement in some shape or form. First of all, Dr Crusher was reviewing one of Picard’s logs from his first engagement with the Borg in The Best of Both Worlds. Secondly, Riker referenced Picard’s assimilation experience, and used what he remembered from rescuing him from the Borg in that same episode to decode part of Dr Crusher’s message – something Picard wouldn’t have been able to do on his own as he wasn’t privy to that information at the time. Finally, Captain Shaw seems to have a major chip on his shoulder about the Borg, talking down to both Seven and Picard about their status as ex-Borg.

Theory #5:
Captain Shaw lost someone to the Borg.

Why is Captain Shaw so anti-Borg? Sure, we know that the Borg are a threat to Starfleet and the Federation… but it feels like there’s more to it than that. His treatment of Seven and the way he aggressively challenged her and Picard about being former Borg made it seem personal to him, and I can’t shake the feeling that he’s come up against the Borg in the past.

Captain Shaw seems old enough to have been in Starfleet certainly by the time of First Contact, and the Battle of Sector 001 took a toll on Starfleet. Did Captain Shaw lose a friend, a shipmate, a relative, or even an entire crew that day? Or did he find himself facing off against the Collective on some other occasion? Perhaps he was responsible for relocating the survivors of the Artifact after the events of Picard Season 1.

Theory #6:
The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.

Theory #7:
Captain Shaw will be killed.

Theory #8:
The Titan’s crew will mutiny.

An unpleasant man like Captain Shaw can’t be nice to serve under, and with another captain and an admiral on board who have already butted heads in a big way, perhaps the crew of the Titan will mutiny against Shaw. Shaw could be locked in the brig with Picard, Riker, and Seven taking over on the bridge. This would leave open the possibility of Shaw continuing to play a role and interact with the rest of the characters… but without getting in the way.

We didn’t spend much time with the Titan’s crew, but Seven and Ensign La Forge would surely side with Picard and Riker if it came to that. Perhaps the other bridge officers might feel the same way, especially if Captain Shaw treats the rest of them as badly as he treats Seven of Nine!

So those theories are new or saw movement this week.

Finally, so as to keep everything in one place, we’ll recap all of the other theories that are currently in play. This week’s outing didn’t move the needle on any of these theories in a significant way – though we could argue that the total absence of any mention of certain characters, factions, etc. is indicative of the fact that they won’t appear this season. But I’m content to keep them all in play for now!

Theory #9:
A spin-off will be announced.

Theory #10:
There will be at least one unannounced character returning!

Theory #11:
Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.

Theory #12:
The super-synths are involved.

I have two articles that go into a lot more detail on this theory. You can find part 1 by clicking or tapping here, and part 2 by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #13:
Captain Vadic once served on Picard’s crew.

Could Vadic have served under Picard’s command?

Captain Vadic’s desire for vengeance seems very personal, and I wonder if that’s because she once served under Picard’s command. In short, Picard has no shortage of “victims” from his tenures in command of the Stargazer, the Enterprise-D, Enterprise-E, and the Romulan rescue fleet. While we know he always did everything he could to help his crew and see them make it safely home, a lot of people died, were injured, or went missing while serving.

Perhaps Captain Vadic was one such officer. She may blame Picard for being assimilated by the Borg, imprisoned by the Romulans, or being maimed by the Breen – and that’s why she wants to get revenge on him and his crew. This would explain why she appeared to be familiar with Picard, knowing not only his name but seemingly his personality, too.

For a few other ideas about who Captain Vadic might be, click or tap here.

Theory #14:
At least one main character will be killed.

I don’t necessarily expect this to happen right at the start of the first episode, but I feel it’s a solid possibility that at least one main character won’t make it to the end of the season. Television storytelling has changed a lot since The Next Generation premiered, and even main characters can no longer consider themselves to be safe if they wind up in dangerous situations!

I have a list of who I consider to be in danger, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #15:
Captain Vadic and her crew are hosts for the parasite-aliens first encountered in the episode Conspiracy.

The end of the episode seemed to suggest that the parasite-aliens had been able to send a message into deep space, hinting at a possible return one day. Could that day finally have arrived?

Theory #16:
Captain Vadic is a Founder.

Perhaps Vadic’s drive for revenge stems from the Dominion’s defeat, and while Picard wasn’t heavily involved in that, she might be targeting Starfleet and the Federation more broadly.

Theory #17:
Captain Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.

In both of the trailers that featured Captain Vadic, the crew of her ship – the Shrike – were concealed. In the most recent trailer, the Shrike’s crew were seen wearing bird-like masks… and I can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason why these characters had their faces covered. It seems at least possible that some of Vadic’s crewmates and allies could be characters that we’ve met in past iterations of the Star Trek franchise.

I suggested the likes of DaiMon Bok, Sela, and even Nicholas Locarno as possible candidates – and you can find a longer list by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #18:
Picard and his crew will reactivate Lore and Professor Moriarty.

Although it seemed at first as though Lore and Professor Moriarty might be on Captain Vadic’s team, the most recent trailer for Season 3 was cut together in such a way as to suggest that it might be Picard and his crew that are responsible for re-awakening them. I have an idea as to why that might be the case (and we’ll take a look at that in a moment), but for now let’s just say that it seems possible that the story will go down this road.

Last time we saw both Lore and Professor Moriarty, they were no longer a threat. Lore had been fully shut down, and Moriarty had been trapped in a holographic storage module, believing himself to be free to explore the galaxy. How either of them could come back is an open question – but they are coming back in some form!

Theory #19:
Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.

I don’t think it can be a coincidence that Lore and Professor Moriarty are involved. Both are sentient artificial life-forms, so surely that connection has to be relevant!

If this theory is even close to being true, though, it would raise an interesting question: why didn’t Picard also turn to Soji for help?

Theory #20:
Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.

The crew of *The Next Generation* in Season 5.

Two lines from the trailers leapt out at me: Dr Crusher warning Picard to “trust no one,” and her son asking Picard whether anyone he knew “is still the person [he] knew.” These lines could hint at someone having infiltrated the crew, potentially replacing or brainwashing them.

So that’s it!

Admiral Picard “inspecting” the crew of the Titan…

Those are all of the theories currently in play as we await the second episode of the season. So far, I’ve found quite a few things in Season 3 to speculate about – but as the story progresses, I expect we’ll begin to strike some of them off the list! Even when Picard hasn’t been at its best it’s still been a series that lends itself to this kind of theory-crafting and speculation, so hopefully there will be new theories to come in the weeks ahead.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 theories – week 0

Thu 16.02.23Thu 16.02.23Dennis

By the time you read this, the first episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 may already be available in the United States. But lest you think I’m trying to cheat and make up theories after having already seen the first episode, it won’t be available to stream until tomorrow here in the UK! And for some reason, Paramount didn’t send me the first batch of episodes to review ahead of time. I wonder why?

Although Season 2 had some pretty serious faults, I still found plenty to speculate about as it rolled along! So I hope that this will be the first part of a weekly series in which we can dig a little deeper into some of Picard’s storylines. In both Season 1 and Season 2 I actually netted a few goals; successfully predicting where characters and stories ended up going.

But I had many, many misses to go along with those few hits! In Season 1 I theorised that Soji and Dahj might not actually be synthetic, in Season 2 I speculated that the Borg Queen might be an assimilated Captain Janeway, and those are just two of the times that I was completely and utterly wrong. So I guess what I’m saying is that you need to take everything on this list with a very healthy pinch of salt!

Based on pre-season marketing material, trailers, and announcements, I’ve already concocted a handful of theories about Picard Season 3 – several of which I’ve written up in detail in other posts here on the website. It’s these theories that we’ll look at today!

This is your last chance to nope out if you want to avoid any chance of spoilers.

Theory #1:
Captain Liam Shaw is going to die.

The last time we talked about the captain of the USS Titan, the character didn’t have a name. But his name has since been disclosed: he’s Captain Liam Shaw. As I said when I took a look at the final pre-season trailer, though… Captain Shaw is giving me major redshirt vibes!

As a purely practical point, it’s hard to see how the USS Titan could operate with an admiral, a commodore, and at least two other captains on board… so something tells me Captain Shaw isn’t long for this world. Will he survive the season premiere? Will he make it a couple of episodes into the season? I’m not sure!

I would say that I like Todd Stashwick as an actor; he’s someone I remember from a series called 12 Monkeys a few years ago. He seems to have the right temperament to take on the role of a Starfleet captain, and in a way it’d be a shame to lose someone like that. But my gut tells me that Captain Shaw won’t be sticking around for very long!

Theory #2:
Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.

The crew of *The Next Generation* in Season 2.

In a minute we’ll take a look at a couple of different ideas for how an imposter might infiltrate Starfleet, but for now suffice to say that I can’t help but wonder if one of Picard’s old crewmates might not be who they appear to be!

Two lines from the trailers leapt out at me: Dr Crusher warning Picard to “trust no one,” and her assistant asking Picard whether anyone he knew “is still the person [he] knew.” These lines could hint at someone having infiltrated the crew, potentially replacing or brainwashing them.

Theory #3:
Captain Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.

I suggested the likes of DaiMon Bok, Sela, and even Nicholas Locarno as possible candidates – and you can find a longer list by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #4:
Picard and his crew will reactivate Lore and Professor Moriarty.

Theory #5:
Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.

I don’t think it can be a coincidence that Lore and Professor Moriarty are involved. Both are sentient artificial life-forms, so surely that connection has to be relevant!

If this theory is even close to being true, though, it would raise an interesting question: why didn’t Picard also turn to Soji for help?

Theory #6:
Captain Vadic and her crew are hosts for the parasite-aliens first encountered in the episode Conspiracy.

The end of the episode seemed to suggest that the parasite-aliens had been able to send a message into deep space, hinting at a possible return one day. Could that day finally have arrived?

Theory #7:
Captain Vadic is a Founder.

Perhaps Vadic’s drive for revenge stems from the Dominion’s defeat, and while Picard wasn’t heavily involved in that, she might be targeting Starfleet and the Federation more broadly.

Theory #8:
Dr Crusher’s “assistant” is actually her son.

This character, played by actor Ed Speleers, is shrouded in mystery at the moment! We don’t even know his name, yet we’ve been told he works closely with Dr Crusher. Could there be a reason for keeping this character’s name hidden? Perhaps his last name is “Crusher”… or even “Picard!”

It might seem like a bit of a trope to go down this route, but it could work if handled well. It would give the character a solid connection to the rest of the crew, and that could be a point in its favour.

Theory #9:
At least one main character will be killed.

I have a list of who I consider to be in danger, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #10:
Captain Vadic once served on Picard’s crew.

For a few other ideas about who Captain Vadic might be, click or tap here.

Theory #11:
The super-synths are involved.

I have two articles that go into a lot more detail on this theory. You can find part 1 by clicking or tapping here, and part 2 by clicking or tapping here.

Theory #12:
Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.

Theory #13:
The absences of main characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.

The main cast of *Picard* Season 1 c. 2019.

If the likes of Soji and Elnor aren’t involved in any way – which seems all but certain to be the case – then it’s my firm hope that, somehow, their absences will be acknowledged. This one is perhaps more of a hope than a full-on theory… but I really don’t want Season 3 to just pretend that these characters don’t exist.

We’ve spent twenty episodes with these characters, or versions of them at least, and several of them played massive roles in the main storylines of Seasons 1 and 2. For Season 3 to just drop Laris, for instance, after she was absolutely central to kicking off the story last time, would be an unforgivable mistake – especially when we consider that Seasons 2 and 3 entered production back-to-back, with the same team working on both.

This doesn’t have to mean that Season 3 will be a direct continuation of Season 2, nor even that these characters will be discussed for very long or in a big way. But somehow, key absences need to be addressed for the sake of continuity – and I hope that will happen. The best time to do this would be in the premiere, but even if it comes later in the story I think it must be at least mentioned.

Theory #14:
There will be at least one unannounced character returning!

Denise Crosby as Sela in *The Next Generation*.

Theory #15:
A spin-off will be announced.

Will Alex Kurtzman announce a new Star Trek project sometime soon?

This one is also much more of a hope than a theory, but it would be fantastic if a spin-off from Picard were to be announced before the season ends. At present, no new Star Trek projects are in production, and with Season 3 being Picard’s last, it seems like there could be an opening!

So that’s it!

The crew of the Enterprise-D are about to return!

Those are the main theories that I currently have in play as we get ready for Season 3. I fully expect the season premiere to shake up the theory list, so check back in the days ahead to see which theories get struck off and whether any new ones will join the party!

After I’ve watched The Next Generation on Friday, I’ll get to work on my episode review, so be sure to tune in for that in the next few days as well. I wish I wasn’t feeling quite so jaded and burned out… but after two mismanaged and disappointing seasons, Picard has a lot of work to do to impress me. Even if the premiere is fantastic, I think I’m still going to have those concerns and worries about mistakes being repeated. I want to have a good time with this show – and to craft a few theories as the season rolls along. I’ll try my best to judge Season 3 on its own merits and not get bogged down worrying and wondering!

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 will premiere on Paramount+ in the United States on the 16th of February 2023, and on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom and around the world on the 17th of February 2023. Seasons 1 and 2 are already available to stream or buy on DVD/Blu-ray. The Star Trek franchise – including Picard and all other properties discussed above – is the copyright of Paramount Global. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 – wacky ideas

Fri 30.07.21Sun 13.11.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-3 and for other iterations of the franchise.

When we think about which Star Trek show is the best fit for some wacky, out-of-left-field storylines, Lower Decks almost certainly springs to mind! But rather than silly or outlandish stories, what I’m thinking of today are five storylines that could take us by surprise in Discovery’s fourth season, in large part due to the huge time jump.

Star Trek: Picard showed us a little of the state of the galaxy in the years after Nemesis and Voyager, but that’s really as far along as the timeline has gone, and even then there’s a lot we don’t know. The galaxy as we knew it could have changed massively in the 800 years since; just think about how completely different our own world is today compared to even just a century or two ago. Factions and races we might not expect to see working together could come together, and likewise the passage of time could have seen friends drift apart.

Ni’Var had left the Federation by the 32nd Century.

Discovery’s third season already showed us a very different galaxy in the aftermath of the Burn. The idea that Vulcan and even Earth would have quit the Federation seemed unfathomable, yet that was the galaxy that Burnham and the crew found themselves in. So perhaps the entries on this list aren’t quite so wacky after all! Will they come to pass, though? Only time will tell…

My usual caveat applies: I have no “insider information.” This list is just for fun, to speculate about some strange possible future scenarios that could, under some circumstances, possibly come to pass in the Star Trek galaxy. I’m not even trying to say that any of these would necessarily be good stories! I just think these concepts are interesting, and would – if nothing else – shake up the Star Trek galaxy and Discovery’s 32nd Century in completely different and unexpected ways. With all that out of the way, let’s jump into the list.

Number 1: The Dominion has joined the Federation.

Weyoun was one of the Dominion’s leaders during the Dominion War.

Discovery’s third season focused a lot on which planets and factions had left the Federation, but aside from the Barzan we didn’t really learn of any existing Star Trek factions that had joined the Federation in the centuries since Nemesis and Picard. Prior to the Burn, there were at least 350 Federation members, so that means an awful lot of planets and factions had joined. Could the Dominion, once the foremost power of the Gamma Quadrant, be among them?

I don’t mean a Federation-Dominion peace treaty or alliance. I mean the Dominion became a full-blown Federation member like any other. It’s possible that faster warp speeds cut travel time between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants, making such a proposal feasible without relying wholly on the Bajoran wormhole. But would the Dominion ever want to make such a move?

In What You Leave Behind, the finale of Deep Space Nine, Odo travelled to the Founders’ homeworld. He did so not only to cure them of a disease that threatened their lives, but also to share his knowledge of life among “solids,” hoping to convince them to abandon their desire for conquest and subjugation. If Odo had succeeded in that objective, it’s possible to envision a future in which the Federation and Dominion opened a dialogue, one which eventually led to friendship, alliance, and the Dominion’s accession as a member.

With actor René Auberjonois having sadly passed away in 2019, I can hardly think of a more fitting legacy for the character of Odo than for Star Trek to say he successfully brought the Federation and Dominion together. There are a lot of questions that such a story would bring up, like whether only the Founders joined, whether the Vorta and Jem’Hadar did too, and what became of the planets and races the Dominion had conquered. But if the Dominion are to return in a future Star Trek production, this could be a really interesting twist on their expected status as adversaries, as well as Star Trek once again using its sci-fi setting to comment on real-world issues, in this case the prospect of peace even between bitter enemies.

Number 2: The Kelvan Empire is attacking the Milky Way galaxy.

Rojan, the leader of a Kelvan expedition to the Milky Way.

By Any Other Name, from the second season of The Original Series, introduced the Kelvan Empire. The Kelvans were native to the Andromeda galaxy, but feared that rising levels of radiation would wipe them out. They sent out generation ships to seek out other galaxies to conquer; Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise encountered several members of their expedition to the Milky Way.

The Kelvans were initially set on conquering the Milky Way by force, but were eventually convinced by Captain Kirk to seek a peaceful solution to their problem, dispatching an unmanned starship back to Andromeda with a proposal from the Federation to help the Kelvans find a new homeworld in the Milky Way. The story ends shortly after, without a proper conclusion.

The Kelvan Empire is native to the Andromeda galaxy.
*Picture Credit: NASA*

Given that the Kelvans initially seemed to view humans and the Federation in the way we might view ants, and that Kirk was only able to change the Kelvan leader’s mind by essentially tempting him to remain in humanoid form and enjoy the new feelings and sensations that brought him, it’s at least possible that the Federation’s offer to the Kelvans in Andromeda would be dismissed out of hand. Even if the Kelvan Empire accepted, if they arrived at the Milky Way in the aftermath of the Burn, they may have seen an opportunity to conquer.

Perhaps the “gravitational anomaly” glimpsed in the Discovery Season 4 trailer is a Kelvan weapon! Their technology was very powerful, far outclassing the 23rd Century Federation’s, so it isn’t impossible to think they could have such a weapon. Discovery has looked at obscure parts of canon on several occasions in the past, including bringing back factions and races from The Original Series era. So perhaps this one isn’t quite as wacky as it may seem!

Number 3: The Federation and Klingons are at war again.

A Klingon commander seen in *Lower Decks*.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation featured a Klingon main character as a Starfleet officer it really was a big change in the way the two factions interacted. Over the course of the first few seasons of the show we’d learn more about how the Federation and Klingons were at peace, and finally in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country we got to see how that peace was won. Considering that the Klingons had been the main adversary faced by Kirk and co. in The Original Series, this was a significant change for the Star Trek galaxy.

When discussing the Dominion, I noted that the passage of time can make friends out of longstanding enemies. But unfortunately the same is true in reverse; factions that had once been close allies can drift apart and even revert to being adversaries. It’s possible that this happened slowly over time, but there’s one event more than any other that could lead the Klingons – and many other factions, come to that – to hate the Federation: the Burn.

*Discovery* Season 1 featured a Federation-Klingon conflict.

Su’Kal, a Kelpien, caused the Burn, as we learned in Season 3 of Discovery. At that time, the Kelpiens were Federation members, and the ship Su’Kal was on when it crashed in the Verubin Nebula was undertaking a mission for the Federation. From the point of view of the Klingons, then, the Federation are responsible for the Burn, and presumably for thousands if not millions of Klingon deaths.

It’s hard to see how the Federation could keep the Burn’s origin a secret, and once it’s out there, it’s up to the denizens of the galaxy to apportion blame and decide how to respond. I hope that Season 4 doesn’t just ignore this aspect of the story, because I think there’s a lot of potential here to really shake things up. Whether the Klingons had ever been Federation members is kind of a moot point, because surely once the Burn’s true origin is known they would be out for revenge!

Number 4: A classic character is still alive… somehow!

The cast of *The Next Generation* Season 4.

This time I’m not talking about a backup copy of Voyager’s Doctor or any of the other few characters who could potentially have survived this long. Instead I’m thinking of a character who has absolutely no right to still be alive in the 32nd Century, yet somehow is! Whether it’s Will Riker, Kira Nerys, Harry Kim, or someone else doesn’t matter – I just like the idea that a random character has somehow been kept alive this long.

Discovery’s far future setting should mean that no one from the 23rd or 24th Centuries is still alive. But Star Trek has done funny things with stasis fields and sleeper ships in the past, even allowing Montgomery Scott to emerge from a transporter beam into the 24th Century and meet Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D.

Scotty aboard the Enterprise-D in *Relics*.

Technobabble basically means Star Trek can get away with bringing back practically any character, and as stasis, suspended animation, and other similar technologies are all known to exist, it would be quite achievable! In the past I did consider a handful of characters whose survival this long seemed more likely, but practically any character could come back via this method.

Dead characters could even return thanks to cloning, holographic technology, or even straight-up medical miracles that are tantamount to necromancy! So don’t count out any character from a past iteration of Star Trek, because who knows who we might encounter in the 32nd Century.

Number 5: The Borg have disappeared.

A battle between Borg and Romulans as seen in the *Lower Decks* title sequence.

In this storyline the Borg weren’t defeated militarily by the Federation. One day, they simply went silent – as if they had completely disappeared from existence. Perhaps the Federation sent probes or starships to visit what had once been Borg space, only to find no trace of the cybernetic beings who were once considered the galaxy’s biggest threat.

I like this kind of storyline for one simple reason: it’s incredibly unnerving. What could have caused the Borg to vanish? Did they do it themselves, or were they attacked? If they were attacked that raises perhaps an even bigger and more important question: who could possibly have the power to defeat the entire Borg Collective in one fell swoop?

A Borg Cube over Earth in *The Best of Both Worlds*.

It’s not unfair to say that a lot of Trekkies are sitting on our hands waiting to see how and when the Borg will return to Star Trek. This would be a complete twist on their expected return, triggering a mystery to solve in the process. One of the Star Trek shows I’d love to see most of all would be an all-out Borg war, but such a show could only have one possible ending: the Borg’s ultimate defeat. This storyline, in which the Borg have simply vanished, could be a lot more open-ended.

The danger in this kind of story is getting a suitably satisfying ending. The question of how and why the Borg disappeared would have to be paid off in a big way, somehow – and I’m not really sure how such a story could and should end. There are many different possibilities, but getting it to work and not feel unsatisfying or like a deus ex machina would be the key challenge.

So that’s it. Five wacky stories that Discovery Season 4 almost certainly won’t touch!

What kind of stories will Season 4 tell?

It’s been a lot of fun thinking up some very different Star Trek stories for the 32nd Century. I can see why the writers and producers wanted to take the ship and crew so far into the future – doing so has really opened up the kind of stories they’re able to tell within the Star Trek galaxy in a way that isn’t possible in other productions, even Picard.

Discovery’s fourth season is still on the schedule for 2021, and it’s possible we could see it as early as October – or as late as the end of December! Whenever it arrives, be sure to check back as I’ll be reviewing each episode as they’re broadcast as well as indulging in some theory-crafting. I hope these wacky ideas were a bit of fun!

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-3 are available to stream now on Paramount+ in the United States and on Netflix internationally. The Star Trek franchise, including Discovery and all other properties mentioned above, is the copyright of ViacomCBS. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4: Factions of the far future

Mon 12.04.21Sun 13.11.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-3 and the teaser for Season 4. There are further spoilers for the following: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Picard.

Now that we’ve seen the first teaser for Star Trek: Discovery’s upcoming fourth season, and learned that a release later this year is on the cards, I thought it could be a bit of fun to consider some of the factions from past iterations of Star Trek that may – or may not – still be around in the 32nd Century! We know that at least part of the story of Season 4 will look at some kind of gravitational anomaly, and if you want to check out a few of my theories on that you can do so by clicking or tapping here. Even if the gravitational anomaly is the overarching season-long story, Discovery is likely to still find at least some opportunities to step away and spend a bit more time exploring the 32nd Century.

Season 3 was our first introduction to this time period in all of Star Trek, and as such we as the audience were learning about the state of the galaxy as Burnham, Saru, and the rest of the crew had their adventures. We met a couple of major factions outside of the rump Federation, but many familiar factions and races from past iterations of Star Trek were entirely absent – including some that might prove interesting from a story perspective. So in this article I’m going to take a look at a few of my favourites and speculate about where they might be in the 32nd Century.

The USS Discovery in the Season 4 teaser.

With Burnham and the crew having originated in the 23rd Century, they’ve missed most of what happened in past iterations of Star Trek! Major events like the V’Ger cloud’s arrival at Earth, two Borg incursions, and the Dominion War will all be unfamiliar to them, and there’s storytelling potential in re-introducing a faction from Star Trek’s past to a character or group of characters who are entirely unaware of their existence. Such a story could be interesting and fun, as well as providing new Trekkies – those who haven’t seen much of “classic” Trek – with an easy introduction to an older faction.

My usual caveat applies: I have no “insider information.” I’m not suggesting that any of these factions will definitely show up, or even be mentioned, in Discovery Season 4. This is simply a chance to have a bit of fun and speculate about the future of some of the factions we’re familiar with from past iterations of Star Trek by imagining where they could be by the 32nd Century.

With that out of the way, let’s jump into the list!

Number 1: The Bajorans

Kai Winn, the Bajoran spiritual leader in the 2370s.

We’re going in alphabetical order, so the Bajorans are up first! Even though they weren’t a Federation member, a number of Bajorans were known to have served in Starfleet in the mid-late 24th Century, including Ro Laren, Sito Jaxa, and Lieutenant Shaxs. The Bajorans were in the process of applying to join the Federation when the Dominion War broke out; it has long been assumed by many fans that they would ultimately be successful, perhaps even becoming a fully-fledged member by the time of Picard Season 1.

Bajorans were familiar to the Federation in the 31st Century at least, because Dr Issa programmed a Bajoran physical appearance into the holoprogramme she made for her son, Su’Kal, aboard their crashed ship in the Verubin Nebula. It seems very likely that the Bajorans were a Federation member in the years before the Burn – whether they remained in touch with the rump Federation afterwards is unknown, but if they did they may very well be welcomed back into the fold following the discovery of a huge dilithium cache.

It’s also worth pointing out that Bajor is at a very strategic location – the Bajoran wormhole connects the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. Whether that will matter quite so much with the advent of new, faster methods of travel is unclear, but Bajor could very well still be an important location.

Number 2: The Borg Collective

A Borg Cube seen in *The Best of Both Worlds*.

Since their official first contact with the Federation – which came in either the 2350s or 2360s depending on how we consider such things – the Borg have attempted to invade Earth twice. Though a time-travelling Admiral Janeway did some damage to the Collective in the late 2370s, I never felt convinced that the events of Endgame would have led to the complete destruction of the Borg.

With the Federation – or at least humanity – firmly in their sights, would the Borg have simply given up? It stands to reason that they made subsequent attempts to attack the Federation, taking advantage of their superior technology and greater numbers. However, the existence of the Federation in the 32nd Century means that any such attempts were met with failure! Perhaps the Collective is no longer around, having been decisively defeated.

The Burn would have presented an ideal opportunity for a faction like the Borg to attack the shattered Federation – yet they don’t appear to have done so. Could that mean that they have already been defeated, or could they be waiting just beyond Federation sensor range for Burnham and Discovery? Maybe the Spore Drive is something they want to acquire – and they could even be responsible for the gravitational anomaly seen in the Season 4 teaser!

Number 3: The Breen

The Breen were initially thought up as an unseen faction, able to be referenced without ever making an on-screen appearance. That changed toward the end of Deep Space Nine, when they joined the Cardassian-Dominion alliance and came close to turning the tide against the Federation in the Dominion War.

Following the war’s end, we know nothing of the Breen. The peace treaty that they signed after their final defeat over Cardassia may have seen a loss of territory for them, or it may simply have seen them retreat to their own borders. Regardless, the Breen were a major power in the Alpha Quadrant in the mid-late 24th Century, with technology capable of matching and even outpacing the Federation. Their defeat in the Dominion War was a setback, but with their homeworld untouched by the conflict it stands to reason they were able to recover quickly.

Would they have pursued peace with the Federation in the decades and centuries after? Would their technology have continued to keep up? Did the expanding Federation come into conflict with the Breen again? Any and all of these things are possible, but as we didn’t see or hear of the Breen in Season 3, perhaps we will never know.

Number 4: The Cardassian Union

Gul Evek and his aide – two of the first Cardassians ever seen in Star Trek.

Discovery’s first Season 3 trailer tricked us last year! By showing off a Cardassian among a group of what we now know to be Emerald Chain guards, a lot of Trekkies wondered what sort of role the Cardassians might play. The answer, of course, was “none at all!” However, there was a second Cardassian seen in Season 3 – a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in the episode Scavengers. This is arguably the most interesting post-Deep Space Nine Cardassian appearance to date, as the individual in question was a senior Starfleet officer, perhaps even a captain.

As noted above with the Bajorans, non-Federation members were eligible to join Starfleet under certain circumstances, and the post-Burn Federation was hardly in a position to turn away qualified candidates! But the existence of a Cardassian in what seems to be such a senior capacity suggests that they may have been a Federation member in the years before the Burn.

In a way, despite what happened during Dominion War, this makes a lot of sense. The Federation were in a position to offer help to the Cardassians as they rebuilt following the Dominion occupation of their world, and perhaps that help turned into an alliance over time, culminating in their joining the Federation.

Number 5: The Coppelius synths

A group of Coppelius synths seen in *Star Trek: Picard* Season 1.

The (relatively) short lifespan of humans and other organics means that, barring time travel shenanigans or being put in stasis, no one we met in the 23rd or 24th Centuries could reasonably have survived to the 32nd Century. However, synths don’t have such limitations, and as such it’s possible that some or all of the Coppelius synths from Picard Season 1 are still alive in this era.

What happened to them after the events of Picard Season 1 is not clear, and it may be something that Discovery’s sister show plans to revisit. If that’s the case we may not see anything of the synths in Season 4. However, if Picard Season 2 is going in a different direction – as its teaser indicated it might – there could be scope to pick up the synths’ story in Discovery.

The Coppelius synths were under Federation protection by the end of Picard Season 1. But with the Romulans hell-bent on exterminating them, they still appeared to be in danger. It would be very depressing to learn that a subsequent Romulan attack wiped them out, especially after Picard and Soji worked so hard to help them. So I hope that the synths are still around – even if they had to relocate to a new homeworld. They could have joined the Federation by this time, too.

Number 6: The Denobulans

The Denobulans have thus far only appeared in Star Trek: Enterprise, where main character Dr Phlox was a member of the species. Though friendly toward humanity by the mid-22nd Century, the Denobulans were not strictly “allies,” nor were they a founding member of the Federation – which consisted of Andorians, humans, Tellarites, and Vulcans in its original incarnation.

However, the Denobulan homeworld must have been in relatively close proximity to Earth and Vulcan, and with the Federation coalescing and growing it seems at least plausible that they joined up at some point, especially given their friendly history. If Federation HQ relocates back to Earth in Season 4, perhaps we’ll see more of the Denobulans, who might still be in the vicinity.

Number 7: The Dominion

The Dominion were the dominant power in at least part of the Gamma Quadrant, and according to their own history, had been so for over two millennia as of the mid-24th Century. After a years-long cold war between the Dominion and Federation following first contact, armed conflict broke out in the 2370s. The Dominion War was arguably the most significant event of the latter part of the 24th Century from the Federation’s point of view, proving far more devastating than incursions by the Borg or earlier wars with the Klingons and Romulans.

Following their failed attempt to invade the Alpha Quadrant, the Dominion agreed to return to their own space beyond the Bajoran wormhole. Odo, a Founder who had lived among Bajorans and humans for decades, reunited with his people, hoping to communicate to them that the Federation would not try to wipe them out nor conquer them. If Odo was successful, this could have set the Dominion on the path to peace.

We simply don’t know what became of the Dominion. The Guardian of Forever was seen in Discovery Season 3, and had relocated to a planet near the Gamma Quadrant. Admiral Vance didn’t mention the Dominion when Burnham and Saru planned to travel there, so perhaps we can infer from that that the two powers are at peace. However, the Burn may have disrupted that peace, especially if it resulted in serious damage to the Dominion – might they hold the Federation responsible for that disaster?

Number 8: The Ferengi Alliance

Rom became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance in 2375.

The Ferengi initially appeared to be antagonistic toward the Federation following (official) first contact in the mid-24th Century, but they soon revealed their true nature: hardcore capitalists for whom war was simply not worth participating in as it was usually unprofitable. Ferengi society was strictly segregated, with men participating in business while women were expected to remain at home and raise their families.

There were seeds of change in the 2370s, with women’s rights issues coming to the fore in Ferengi society. There were also moves away from unregulated capitalism, with some Ferengi even forming unions and advocating for more rights and welfare. Though such changes surely led to pushback from conservative Ferengi, the appointment of Rom as Grand Nagus may have cemented at least some of these reforms.

Though hardly allies of the Federation, at least one Ferengi – Nog – would serve in Starfleet in this era, bringing a different perspective to the organisation and perhaps bringing the factions closer together. The existence of a USS Nog in the 32nd Century – while intended to be a tribute to actor Aron Eisenberg – could also be seen as an indication of continued warm relations in this time period.

Number 9: The Gorn

The Gorn were neighbours of the Federation by the 23rd Century, and may have been involved in border disputes and skirmishes. There was no indication that they ever joined or even considered joining the Federation, and appeared to maintain a closed-border policy well into the 24th Century.

In the Lower Decks episode Veritas, Ensign Rutherford’s arrival at a Gorn wedding led to him coming under immediate attack by the Gorn who were present, and while this was (of course) part of an extended joke, it certainly suggests that the Gorn were not in any way friendly toward the Federation by the 2380s.

In That Hope Is You, the Discovery Season 3 premiere, Book told Michael Burnham that the Gorn had “destroyed subspace” somewhere in the vicinity of Hima. Perhaps that indicates that they were not allied to the Emerald Chain, nor the Federation – retaining their status as an independent power.

Number 10: Holograms

Index, a hologram seen in *Star Trek: Picard*.

We saw a number of holograms in Discovery’s third season, confirming that the technology is still in use in the 32nd Century. At least one of these holograms appeared to be intelligent, perhaps even sentient, but that was never confirmed.

In the late 24th Century, the Doctor – the USS Voyager’s Chief Medical Officer – was involved in a court case regarding his ownership over a work of fiction he had created. The court case was resolved in his favour in the episode Author, Author, and Captain Janeway suggested that he might have “struck the first blow for the rights of holograms.” There were other sentient holograms in the 24th Century as well, including a holographic version of Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis Professor Moriarty. What became of them is unclear!

As with the Coppelius synths, there’s no reason why holograms from the 24th Century couldn’t have survived this long, and one of my most popular theories here on the website has been that Voyager’s Doctor – or rather, a backup copy of him – will make an appearance in Discovery.

Number 11: The Iconians

An Iconian Gateway – one of the few surviving relics of their civilisation by the 24th Century.

Iconian civilisation flourished more than 200,000 years ago, and by the 24th Century they were believed to be extinct. However, their powerful technology utilised “gateways” to travel vast distances, and it was implied by the extent of the archaeological evidence that they maintained outposts or colonies on many other planets.

The destruction of their homeworld by an alliance of their enemies may have rendered the majority of Iconians extinct, but such a widespread civilisation could have avoided total annihilation, perhaps. The reason the Iconians are on this list is because of their popularity in non-canon works, particularly the video game Star Trek Online. Some elements from non-canon Star Trek publications have ended up crossing over to the main series, so perhaps the intervening centuries saw some kind of re-emergence of the Iconians.

Number 12: The various Kazon sects

Maje Culluh, a Kazon leader in the 2370s.

Discovery Season 3 didn’t establish whether the Federation were able to travel to the Delta Quadrant, nor if they had ever revisited the region since the USS Voyager’s transit in the late 24th Century. Given that warp drive was still the main way of travel, and that maximum warp speeds (as understood in a 24th Century context) meant that the Delta Quadrant would take decades to reach, perhaps they never did.

So we may not find out what became of the Kazon! Similar in some ways to a less technological, less organised Klingons, the Kazon were major antagonists across the first couple of seasons of Voyager. We know that the Borg considered them “unworthy” of assimilation – the only species we know of that the Borg couldn’t be bothered with!

It seems unlikely that the Kazon will have had much impact on the Federation given their distance. However, if they ever succeeded in unifying their disparate sects, perhaps they could have become a regional power in the Delta Quadrant. The USS Discovery’s Spore Drive could take the ship anywhere – even 70,000 light-years away. So maybe if they’re able to travel there, we’ll find out!

Number 13: The Kelvan Empire

The Kelvans are an interesting – and potentially alarming – faction. Extragalactic aliens from the Andromeda galaxy, their technology was far superior to the 23rd Century Federation, and arguably to anything the Federation subsequently developed! They only appeared once, in The Original Series Season 2 episode By Any Other Name, but that shouldn’t stop them making a comeback.

The Kelvan Empire’s home galaxy was facing an extinction event due to rising radiation levels, and they sent out scouting parties to look for new homes. One of these parties encountered the USS Enterprise upon arriving in the Milky Way. Though initially interested in conquest, Kirk was able to convince the Kelvans to consider an alternative proposal, allowing the Federation to help them find new worlds to settle.

If the Federation’s proposal was accepted, perhaps there are millions of Kelvans living somewhere in the Milky Way in this era. Or if it was rejected… perhaps the Kelvan Empire is about to descend upon the Federation en masse!

Number 14: The Klingon Empire

The Klingons, despite having made so many appearances in Star Trek already, are perhaps the most interesting faction to see return in Discovery. Burnham and the crew are veterans of the Federation-Klingon war, and while I wouldn’t say any of them “hate” Klingons, they certainly would be distrustful of them. How would they react to learning that the Klingons had been allies with the Federation – or even Federation members – for centuries?

I think there’s a lot of potential for conflict, drama, and for Star Trek to do what it’s always done best: use its sci-fi setting to examine real-world issues, in this case, the way we can be guilty of judging groups of people. Characters like Culber, who was “murdered” by Voq, or Stamets, who had to deal with the fallout from that loss, could be front-and-centre in such a story, and it would be absolutely fascinating to see it unfold.

Rather than Discovery making the Klingons antagonists again, like in Season 1, it would be great to learn that the alliance of the 24th Century continued, and that if the Klingons remain an independent power – which they may well be – they’re at least on friendly terms with the Federation.

Number 15: The Maquis

Although Maquis forces were said to have been almost entirely wiped out by the Cardassian-Dominion alliance during the early stages of the Dominion War, at least some Maquis were known to have survived the initial attack. In addition, the USS Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant with a contingent of 40-ish Maquis, including Chakotay and B’Elanna Torres.

It’s at least possible that the Maquis, who were breakaway colonists attempting to secede from the Federation, recreated their society in the aftermath of the Dominion War. While their soldiers may have been killed, we saw no confirmation of the fate of other Maquis colonists. If they survived the war, even in captivity, perhaps they attempted to continue their quest for independence afterwards.

If so, the Maquis colonies may have been independent of the Federation for centuries by the 32nd Century. What kind of society they might’ve developed in that time is not known.

Number 16: The Q Continuum

The Q Continuum are returning in Season 2 of Picard – or at least, their most well-known member is. Perhaps that means we won’t see or hear anything about them in Discovery, nor learn what became of them in the far future. But it’s possible!

The Q are as close to immortal as any faction we’ve seen in Star Trek, so they should certainly still be in existence by this time. Their incredible powers are, as a famous quotation puts it, “indistinguishable from magic,” and Q suggested that the Continuum has existed for at least as long as the universe itself.

The Q seemed to view humanity and the Federation with curiosity rather than animosity, with Q even trying to help Captain Picard to solve puzzles that required different ways of thinking. If this kind of intervention continued, and humans continued to develop their reasoning skills, perhaps they might be on friendly terms with the Q by this time. However, if the Q are able to create matter, they would have been very useful friends to have as the Federation began to run out of dilithium! Perhaps the Q have instead stepped back from actively intervening in Federation affairs, content to watch from the outside.

Number 17: The Romulan Star Empire

Romulans, Vulcans, and Romulo-Vulcans in Season 3.

The existence of Romulans on Ni’Var – the planet formerly known as Vulcan – suggests that the Romulan Empire has disbanded following reunification. It was certainly implied heavily in the episode Unification III that reunification involved all Romulans and Vulcans. But it’s possible that a breakaway faction exists in some form; a “New Romulan Empire” claiming the mantle of the disbanded one.

We’ve already seen what was perhaps the biggest possible reveal for Burnham and the crew – learning that the Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcans. However, with Ni’Var seemingly on the verge of rejoining the Federation, perhaps there is scope to see more from them. The Romulans remained a distinct group on Ni’Var, with full integration with the Vulcans having not occurred, and there are clearly internal tensions between the three main groups. This could be a story thread that Season 4 picks up.

Number 18: The super-synths

The super-synths almost arrived in the Milky Way… but their portal was closed at the last second.

We know practically nothing about this faction, despite them playing a major role in the conclusion to the story of Picard Season 1. They don’t even have a proper name! Claiming to be “an alliance of synthetic life” existing beyond the Milky Way, this faction offered to come to the aid of any synthetics who needed them. It was not clear if this offer was genuine or part of an elaborate trap.

I suggested in the run-up to Season 3 that the super-synths could have been involved with the Burn, but that turned out not to be the case. However, if they became aware of the Federation following the events of Picard Season 1, they could still be planning to travel to the Milky Way – perhaps with conquest on their minds.

The super-synths could thus be responsible for Season 4’s gravitational anomaly – perhaps it’s a weapon; an artillery barrage to soften up the Federation before the troops arrive! It would be fantastic for the creative team in charge of Star Trek to find a major way to tie Picard and Discovery together. Whether this is the right way to do it is certainly up for debate, but in principle I like it.

Number 19: The Talaxians

Although the Talaxians are native to the Delta Quadrant, there was at least one Talaxian colony in or near the Beta Quadrant, significantly closer to Federation space. This seems to increase the likelihood that the Federation would have been able to remain in contact with them at least in the late 24th Century.

The Talaxian homeworld had been conquered sometime in the mid-24th Century by the Haakonian Order. Perhaps the Federation, if they remained on friendly terms with the Talaxians, would have wanted to aid them in liberating their homeworld. If the Federation developed the ability to travel to and from the Delta Quadrant at some point in the future, perhaps the Talaxians even joined the Federation!

Number 20: The Talosians

The Talosians were a very dangerous people whose telepathic powers were able to trick humans, Vulcans, and other known races into seeing things that weren’t there. As a result of their attempt to kidnap Captain Pike and other Enterprise officers, Talos IV was declared off-limits to Starfleet personnel and the Federation.

The events of The Menagerie, in which the Talosians welcomed Captain Pike back to their world, as well as their general helpfulness toward Spock and Michael Burnham in Discovery Season 2, however, may suggest that General Order 7 – the section of Starfleet’s rules banning travel to Talos IV – may have been reassessed, although no in-universe evidence for that exists.

The surviving Talosians lived underground after their planet was devastated by war, and lost their ability to control their technology, focusing instead on refining their mental powers. In the 23rd Century, Talosian leaders believed their race was doomed to extinction – but maybe the Federation found a way to aid them? If not, perhaps Talos IV is uninhabited by this time period.

Number 21: The Tholians

The Tholians have only made a couple of appearances in Star Trek – once in The Original Series and once in Enterprise. However, they’ve been mentioned on a number of occasions, and despite being antagonistic in the 23rd Century, some kind of diplomatic relations clearly existed a hundred years later.

As one of the few non-humanoid sentient species, it would be really interesting to see the Tholians make a return. An area of space that they claimed as their own seemed to have some kind of gateway to the Mirror Universe – if Discovery were to revisit that setting, perhaps the Tholians could be included.

As to where they might be or what they might be doing by the 32nd Century, that isn’t clear. In the aftermath of the Burn, they could have expanded to conquer border worlds, or they might’ve been a peaceful neighbour or even ally of the Federation in this era.

Number 22: The Vidiians

A trio of Vidiians form a boarding party in the 24th Century.

Another Delta Quadrant faction whose reappearance will depend on the Federation’s ability to travel, the Vidiians were an antagonist during the USS Voyager’s journey – but only because a disease known as the Phage was afflicting their society.

In the episode Think Tank, a group of “problem-solving” aliens claimed to have cured the Phage, and if this was true – that was left rather ambiguous due to the way the story progressed – perhaps the Vidiians would have been more peaceful and willing to establish a dialogue with the Federation, especially if they were visiting the Delta Quadrant regularly. Or, due to their relative proximity to the Borg, the Vidiians may have been assimilated!

That may seem like a harsh fate, but in the Picard Season 1 episode The Impossible Box the Borg were revealed to have assimilated at least some members of the Sikarian species, making use of their spatial trajector technology. The Sikarians were present in the same region of space as the Vidiians, so perhaps the expansion of the Borg in the late 24th Century was a problem for them.

Number 23: The Xindi

I recently took a look at the possibility of the Xindi returning – along with fellow Enterprise antagonists the Suliban. Neither faction has been seen since Enterprise went off the air, and their absence suggests that, at least in the 23rd and 24th Centuries, they may have pursued a policy of isolationism.

The Xindi had joined the Federation, however, by the 26th Century, with at least one Xindi serving aboard the Enterprise-J. Whether they remained members in the years after the Burn is not known, and with 90% of Federation members either leaving or being out of contact it seems likely that they would have had to fend for themselves for a while.

So that’s it. A few factions from Star Trek’s past that may be around – in some form – in the 32nd Century!

This was a long list, so credit to you for making it to the end. Truthfully I can think of at least half a dozen more factions that could have made it, but it was already getting far too long! We don’t know at this stage where Discovery Season 4 is going to go, and thus which factions may or may not be included.

What I would say, though, is that Season 3 had some pleasant surprises, bringing back elements from Star Trek’s past that I genuinely would not have expected. With that in mind, I think there’s potential for any of the factions above to play a role – minor or major – in the upcoming season.

If Discovery Season 4 remains on course, we’ll see it before the end of the year. With Lower Decks Season 2 scheduled to arrive in mid-August and run for ten weeks, we might even see Discovery before Halloween, just like we did in 2020. Time will tell, but I hope you’ll stay tuned for more Discovery news and, when the season is ready, reviews of every episode… and perhaps a bit of theory-crafting!

Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ in the United States (and other territories where the service is available) before the end of 2021. The series will arrive on Netflix in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The Star Trek franchise – including Discovery and all other properties mentioned above – is the copyright of ViacomCBS. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Factions of Star Trek: Picard part four – everyone else

Wed 22.01.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There will be spoilers ahead for the Star Trek franchise – including Short Treks, Star Trek: Discovery, and the trailers for Star Trek: Picard.

If you’re in the United States, you’ll be able to watch Star Trek: Picard tomorrow, you lucky thing! The rest of us have to wait an extra 24 hours… hopefully I can manage! This is the final part of my series of articles leading up to the release of the new show, and after this I expect my next piece – on the 24th or 25th – will be a review/breakdown of the first episode, which we now know is titled Remembrance.

Before we jump in and look at a few other factions from Star Trek, let’s briefly recap the articles here on the site in case you’ve missed any.

Firstly, I wrote a piece back in December explaining why I’m so excited for Star Trek: Picard. This was more of a personal look at my feelings regarding the upcoming series. The next piece I wrote was a review of Children of Mars – the Short Treks episode which was a prequel or prologue to the new show. Next, I wrote two articles which each highlighted ten episodes and/or films from Star Trek’s extensive back catalogue which may or may not be useful preparation for Star Trek: Picard. The first article contained episodes I think will surely have some relevance, and the second article looked at some episodes which are less likely to matter – but still might! After that, Picard had its red carpet premieres in Hollywood and London, so I wrote a short piece about that.

Finally, I began this series, looking at some of the factions we will encounter in Star Trek: Picard and giving some background information. First I looked at the Romulans, then the Borg, and finally the Federation.

This time – as a bonus and the final part of the series – we’re going to look at an assortment of other factions which seem less likely to be relevant to Picard. However, they may be mentioned in passing, may have been deliberately kept out of marketing material, or are just factions we know less about.

The Bajorans

Captain Picard has some history with the Bajorans, who were first introduced in The Next Generation. He took Ensign – later Lieutenant – Ro under his wing for a time, and was hurt by her ultimate defection to the Maquis. Of course most of what we know about Bajor and its people comes from Deep Space Nine, which was set in the Bajoran system.

Very briefly, the Bajorans were a much older race than humanity, and flourished more than 10,000 years prior to the events of Star Trek. In their star system is the only known stable wormhole – connecting Bajor to the Gamma Quadrant. The Prophets – a noncorporeal species with no concept of linear time – live in the wormhole and contacted the Bajorans throughout their history.

Ensign Ro and Captain Picard (with Worf and Data) visit a Bajoran refugee camp around the time the Cardassian occupation of Bajor was coming to an end.

In the late 23rd or early 24th Century, Bajor was violently conquered by their neighbours, the Cardassians. The Cardassian occupation stripped the Bajorans of significant quantities of resources, and many Bajorans were enslaved. A resistance movement sprang up, and for a variety of reasons the Cardassians withdrew from the Bajoran system in the mid-late 24th Century.

The new Bajoran government asked the Federation for help putting their planet and people back together, and a former Cardassian space station was occupied by the Federation and christened Deep Space Nine. The crew of DS9 discovered the wormhole shortly thereafter.

Bajor experienced a renaissance as a result of being the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant, and for a time many ships were passing through their system. However, their old enemies the Cardassians soon allied with the Dominion – an aggressive faction from the Gamma Quadrant – and when war broke out, Bajor – while officially neutral – was again occupied by the Cardassian-Dominion alliance until the Federation were able to drive them out.

Bajor came *very* close to joining the Federation! A ceremony to officially bring them into the fold was ultimately disrupted, and Bajor had not attempted to re-apply as of the end of *Deep Space Nine.*

Prior to the Dominion War, Bajor was a candidate for Federation membership. At one time they were on the cusp of being accepted, and an official ceremony was even planned to mark Bajor’s admission into the Federation. However, as of the finale of Deep Space Nine, Bajor had not yet officially become a Federation member – though it’s heavily suggested that it was still their goal.

In Star Trek: Picard, look out for signs that Bajor is a full Federation member, and that they have begun to heal after such a prolonged period of conflict. Also listen out for any mention of Deep Space Nine, as the station is located in the Bajoran system.

The Cardassians

The Cardassians, as mentioned above, occupied Bajor for a long period from the late 23rd Century through to the mid-late 24th Century. They were, as of the mid-24th Century, a regional power comparable in strength to other factions in the Alpha Quadrant – including the Klingons, Romulans, and even the Federation.

In wars and border conflicts with all of the aforementioned factions, the Cardassians held their own and even forced the Federation to concede settled planets as part of a peace treaty. These concessions, along with continued Cardassian aggression toward Federation border worlds, would ultimately lead to the Maquis attempting to secede from the Federation.

Despite the end of hostilities, some in the Federation retained a dislike of Cardassians even years later. Here, aboard the Enterprise-D, Miles O’Brien is forced to deal with Cardassians for the first time since he fought against them.

The Cardassian Union was, in some respects, similar to the Romulan Star Empire in that it was heavily militarised, and with a very powerful intelligence agency that also operated as a secret police. The Obsidian Order, as it was known, was responsible for keeping order in the Cardassian territory, and dominated the Cardassian state.

In the 2370s, the Cardassian Union entered a period of decline, withdrawing from Bajor and fighting a losing war against the Klingons. As a result, Gul Dukat was able to seize power and allied Cardassia with the Dominion – formally becoming a member of the Dominion under their rule. This would ultimately lead to the outbreak of the Dominion War, as a reinvigorated Cardassia sought to reconquer all of its old territory – including Bajor.

The dramatic moment when the Cardassians switched sides mid-battle, joining the Federation alliance and turning on the Dominion and Breen.

At the end of the war, fed up with an increasingly authoritarian Dominion occupation and too many concessions made to the Breen, a mass revolt began among Cardassian troops and later even Cardassian civilians. The Dominion responded by attempting mass genocide of the Cardassians, devastating Cardassia Prime in the process. Fortunately, the end of the war saved the Cardassians from complete extermination – though they were left in a thoroughly ruined state.

Again, be on the lookout for mentions of Deep Space Nine – as this station was close to Cardassian space. We may hear about the reconstruction of Cardassia after the war, and what state the Cardassian Union is in. It’s also possible that – due to the extent of the devastation inflicted – Cardassia has become a Federation protectorate.

The Delta Quadrant factions

The crew of the USS Voyager encountered dozens of species during their journey through the Delta Quadrant. From Ocampans and Talaxians to Kazon, Vidiians, Brunali, and Hirogen, each had their own territory and technology. Some Delta Quadrant races came into contact and conflict with the Borg, and if the Borg have resumed their expansion efforts in that region some of these species may be in jeopardy.

Jabin, a Kazon, and Neelix, a Talaxian. Both races were native to the Delta Quadrant.

With Star Trek: Picard seemingly taking place firmly in the Alpha and/or Beta Quadrants, I’d be surprised to see any Delta Quadrant factions making an appearance. However, it’s possible that an individual from one of these races may be encountered, especially given that part of the plot, as hinted at in the trailers anyway, may involve dealing with ex-Borg. If the Borg had assimilated a Talaxian, for example, and that individual had been de-assimilated in the Alpha Quadrant, it’s possible we could see them. It’s also possible that new technology allows for travel between the Alpha and Delta Quadrants, but again I think this is unlikely.

The Dominion

The Dominion, as mentioned above, originated in the Gamma Quadrant and allied with the Cardassians and Breen to attempt to conquer large parts of the Alpha Quadrant. At least three distinct races make up the Dominion. Their leaders are shape-shifting beings called The Founders. They designed and bred two servant races: The Jem’Hadar, who served as the bulk of their forces during the Dominion War, and the Vorta, who serve more as diplomats and an officer corps.

Aboard an occupied Deep Space Nine, Jake Sisko tries to talk with the Vorta named Weyoun while two Jem’Hadar soldiers look on.

I don’t expect the Dominion to feature in a significant way in Star Trek: Picard. They had, as of the end of Deep Space Nine, been forced to withdraw behind the Bajoran wormhole, and while they may be mentioned in passing, I would be surprised if they have a significant impact here.

The Ferengi

Early appearances in The Next Generation attempted to set up the Ferengi as a major antagonist to replace the Klingons, who had been pacified, and the Romulans, who had isolated themselves. This never really worked from a storytelling perspective, however, and the Ferengi quickly shifted into the money-obsessed species we saw in Deep Space Nine.

The Ferengi, starting after The Next Generation’s first season, were a neutral power, more concerned with their own finances than galactic affairs. War could be profitable for them, but they also saw that a prolonged, devastating conflict (like the Dominion War) could be financially ruinous, and were cautious about becoming involved. They preferred to stay on the sidelines and trade.

Having been incredibly aggressive with their approach to capitalism for a long time, by the end of Deep Space Nine the Ferengi government was beginning to implement some reforms – this process may have continued under Rom, who was appointed the Ferengi Grand Nagus in 2375.

Rom would go on to become Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance after his predecessor, Zek, set in motion a series of major reforms.

As an independent, neutral power, the Ferengi may prove useful to Picard and his crew if they need to operate outside of the jurisdiction of the Federation and other factions. However, aside from maybe the odd passing reference, I would be surprised to see much from them at least in Season 1.

The Klingons

A cold war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation had been building since the mid-22nd Century. The Klingons, upset by Federation exploration and expansion, ultimately ended up at war with the Federation in the mid-23rd Century – and the war proved devastating for a time.

However, after the crew of the USS Discovery were able to stop a plot by Starfleet which would have devastated the Klingon homeworld, the Klingon Great Houses came together and the Empire, under new leadership, sued for peace.

Federation and Klingon fleets face off at the Battle of the Binary Stars, which started the Federation-Klingon war.

Relations would remain frosty for much of the rest of the 23rd Century, but the destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis led to a peace agreement with the Federation called the Khitomer Accords – a peace treaty which would remain in place (with one brief lapse) for the duration of the 24th Century.

The Khitomer Accords would ultimately evolve from a peace treaty into an alliance, and Captain Picard himself spent time on the Klingon homeworld and was trusted by Klingon Chancellor K’mpec to be a neutral party as the Klingons chose a new leader. Gowron, despite breaking the peace treaty for a time, ultimately became a firm ally of the Federation during the Dominion War, and for a time, the Federation and Klingons stood alone against the forces of the Dominion.

Worf was the first Klingon to serve in Starfleet, serving on both the Enterprise-D and on Deep Space Nine. Also in the 24th Century, the Federation and Klingons participated in an exchange programme where officers could spend time serving on each other’s starships.

Captain Picard, immediately after officially installing Gowron as the new Klingon Chancellor.

With the Klingons having featured so prominently in Star Trek: Discovery, I’m sure there will be at least some reference to them in Picard. Keep an eye out for Worf – it’s possible he may make a cameo appearance or at least be mentioned, and the last time we saw him he was scheduled to become the Federation’s Ambassador to the Klingon homeworld. However, it’s possible that relations have deteriorated – we’ve seen in some episodes set in the future (like Endgame and All Good Things…) that the Klingons were once again enemies of the Federation.

The “Rogue Synths”

This faction was mentioned in the Short Treks episode Children of Mars. They were identified as being behind the attack on the Utopia Planitia shipyards on Mars, which set back Admiral Picard’s fleet as he attempted to aid the Romulans.

Who they are and where they came from is unclear, as this isn’t a faction we’ve met before.

The “stingray ships” operated by the “rogue synths” during their attack on Mars in the 2380s.

Based on the designs of the ships they used, I made stab-in-the-dark guesses that they could be affiliated in some way with the Klingons or the Romulans, as I could see that design of ship being a natural evolution from the 23rd and 24th Century ships used by those factions. However, it’s likely that I’m way off base with that.

The word “synth” seems like it’s short for “synthetic”, and the term has been used in other science fiction works to describe robots, droids, and artificial or machine intelligences. In the trailers for Picard, we’ve seen glimpses of a number of Data-esque characters who appeared to be in stasis or shut down, so the rogue synths could be a race of androids or AIs – perhaps even androids created by the Federation themselves.

Could these android-esque humanoids, seen in the trailers for *Star Trek: Picard*, be the “rogue synths”?

The attack on Mars seemed to be significant at the time – though it doesn’t appear to have set back the Federation in a major way. Who the rogue synths are, and whether they are still even an active faction during the new series, is something yet to be revealed.

The Suliban and Xindi

Two of the biggest antagonists in Star Trek: Enterprise, both the Suliban and Xindi were aided by time travellers to grow in power and strength. Following the NX-01 Enterprise’s intervention in the “temporal cold war”, the Suliban eventually became a somewhat-ally of Earth, even giving Captain Archer the information that showed it was the Xindi who were responsible for attacking Earth. What became of the Suliban Cabal after the 2150s is unclear, and as a new faction featured only in Enterprise, we haven’t seen them since.

The Xindi were a collection of five races: humanoids, arboreals, aquatics, reptilians, and insectoids, who all originated from one planet and achieved sentience together. Having been manipluated by extra-dimensional time-travelling beings known as the Sphere Builders, the Xindi attacked Earth with a weapon-probe that killed over 7 million people in the 2150s. The NX-01 Enterprise was dispatched to stop them before they could deploy an even larger weapon capable of destroying entire planets. Captain Archer and his crew were able to stop them, and in the process swayed some Xindi – primarily the humanoids and arboreals – to become friendly to Earth and her allies.

Degra, a Xindi-humanoid, and Jannar, a Xindi-arboreal.

By the 26th Century, the Xindi had joined the Federation, though whether this took place before or after the events of Star Trek: Picard is unclear. If we see any Xindi officers serving in Starfleet, that would be a good indication that they’re at least close to becoming Federation members, though it’s possible we may not see any indication of the Xindi or the Suliban, especially given that Enterprise wasn’t as successful as the TNG-era series.

So that’s it.

I think we’ve recapped pretty much all of the major factions encountered in Star Trek up to this point, or at least all of the ones who have a chance of being connected to the plot of Star Trek: Picard.

I’m hopeful that Picard will surprise me, and that we’ll not only see some glimpses of returning factions, but also some brand new ones, as well as new alliances or groupings that change things up.

Star Trek: Picard has to walk a fine line between looking back at Star Trek’s successes and building something new for the future. I’ve said before that, as excited as I am to see returning characters like Riker and Seven of Nine, I want the series to give new characters like Chris Rio and Dahj a chance to shine too. Spending too much time looking back would stray too far into fan-service, and as Star Wars has been learning to its cost, that doesn’t always work. When it comes to factions and species, the same is true.

As fans, we absolutely want to see the Klingons and the Cardassians and the Xindi – but only if doing so moves the story forward. Picard has its own story to tell, and while I hope we’ll find out a great deal about the shape of the galaxy and its factions as that story unfolds, there should to be new things in there too. We’ve already seen one new potential faction – the “rogue synths”. What role they have to play isn’t clear, but some of you will find out tomorrow!

Star Trek: Picard is upon us, and as I said I’ll be taking a short break until I’ve seen the premiere, then I’ll be back with a review. Live Long and Prosper!

The Star Trek franchise – including Star Trek: Picard – is the copyright of ViacomCBS. Star Trek: Picard premieres on the 23rd of January in the United States on CBS All Access and in the United Kingdom and other countries/territories on the 24th of January on Amazon Prime Video. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.