encounter at farpoint – Trekking with Dennis

Ten Captain Picard Stories (To Celebrate the Life of Sir Patrick Stewart)

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the Star Trek franchise.

A couple of weeks ago, at time of writing, we learned that Sir Patrick Stewart – Star Trek’s Captain Picard – had passed away. That news hit me like a punch to the face, because The Next Generation had been my “first contact” with the Star Trek franchise some thirty-five years ago, and without Captain Picard… well, perhaps I would’ve never become a Trekkie. Sir Patrick Stewart brought so much to the role, and gave even some silly and wild sci-fi premises and storylines genuine gravitas with a masterful performance.

So today, to celebrate Sir Patrick Stewart’s life and his legacy as TNG’s captain, I thought we could take a look at ten Captain Picard stories together.

As always, I like to give a couple of caveats and explanations before we get started, so bear with me.

Photo of Sir Patrick Stewart at the Star Trek Picard S3 premiere — Sir Patrick Stewart at the *Star Trek: Picard* Season 3 premiere.

Firstly, all of this is the *subjective, not objective* opinion of just one Trekkie. If you disagree with my take on these episodes, films, or Captain Picard’s place in Star Trek… that’s okay. There’s enough room and enough maturity in the Trekkie community for differences of opinion and polite disagreement.

Secondly, I’m deliberately only picking episodes and films that I personally enjoy – and while I may make one or two negative (or negative-adjacent) points as we go along, the point of this piece is to be celebratory and positive, not critical and negative. Those of you who read my reviews of Star Trek: Picard (particularly the show’s second season and parts of its third) will know that I can be downright brutal, sometimes… but this isn’t the moment for that. I’m deliberately excluding stories I didn’t like or didn’t vibe with because… well, this isn’t the right time for that kind of criticism.

Behind-the-scenes photo from Star Trek TNG showing Patrick Stewart — Sir Patrick Stewart directed several *TNG* episodes in addition to starring in the show.

Thirdly, I’ve chosen a mix of fan-favourite episodes and films and some others that you might not have expected to see on a list like this one. I’m sure a lot of people went back to their TNG box sets or Paramount+ to re-watch some of their favourite Captain Picard stories when the news broke; I know I did. And I’ve seen that other folks on social media have put together similar lists to this one. Some of Captain Picard’s storylines are so iconic that almost any list like this should include them – but there are some hidden gems and underrated or underappreciated moments with the character that I want to call attention to, as well.

Finally, all films and episodes are listed below in the order in which they were originally broadcast; I’m not “ranking” these episodes, nor am I reviewing them in any way.

With all of that out of the way, let’s spend a little more time with Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Captain Picard Story #1:
Encounter at Farpoint
The Next Generation Season 1

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Encounter at Farpoint showing Picard's introduction — The very first shot of Jean-Luc Picard in the series.

Where else to start but at the beginning? Encounter at Farpoint is not entirely a Picard story, of course, but this is the episode which establishes the character and gives us a foundation for subsequent adventures to build upon. Captain Picard arrives almost fully-formed, though he softens a little as Seasons 1 and 2 progress, particularly towards Wesley. What fans in 1987 would’ve noticed more than anything else, though, is how *different* Picard’s style of command was from Captain Kirk’s. I think that’s something that those of us who came to TNG first, or who first encountered the show as kids, can sometimes overlook.

Encounter at Farpoint establishes Picard’s relationships with Dr Crusher and Wesley, as well as Troi, Riker… and Q. The latter would arguably become one of his most important – Picard made first contact (well, first *official* contact) with a totally new form of life; the very core of Starfleet’s mission. And he solved the mystery Q laid before him about Farpoint Station – saving another new form of life in the process.

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Encounter at Farpoint showing Picard on the battle-bridge — On the battle bridge.

In terms of individual scenes and moments, I’d highlight Picard’s first encounter with Wesley Crusher, letting him explore the bridge and even sit in his chair. Picard, especially in the first couple of seasons, had absolutely no time for children, and Encounter at Farpoint went out of its way to make clear that Picard was making an exception for Wesley; the son of a deceased friend.

The second scene I’d pick out is Picard’s first face-to-face with Riker. Picard is professional and polite, and clearly has confidence in Riker’s abilities – but their bond of friendship isn’t there yet. Ordering Riker to manually dock the star-drive and saucer sections felt like Picard setting a test for his new “number one,” and I think it did a lot to give their relationship a starting point to build out from.

Captain Picard Story #2:
Time Squared
The Next Generation Season 2

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Time Squared showing Picard in a shuttlepod with Pulaski, Worf, and Riker — A mysterious discovery…

Time Squared is an engaging mystery that seems to cast doubt on Captain Picard’s behaviour in a crisis. A time-shifted duplicate of the captain appears in a shuttlecraft, having apparently survived the destruction of the Enterprise-D. This is a horrifying discovery; not only do the crew learn that, somehow, the Enterprise-D might be mere hours away from destruction, but also that in the midst of that crisis, Captain Picard seems to have abandoned the ship.

There are some fun and creative visuals thanks to having two versions of Picard on screen together, and even though the episode was produced in the ’80s for TNG’s second season, these moments look really good. It must’ve been a difficult acting challenge, having to not only get into character – two versions of the character – but also to get absolutely perfect positioning and alignment during those scenes so that the process of splicing the frames together would work.

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Time Squared showing two Picards — Two Picards.

I also admire the way Time Squared takes a different and nuanced approach to time travel. Time travel stories are seldom my favourites in Star Trek; not only can visits to the modern day become quite dated, but there’s always the risk of paradoxes and other issues arising. But because Time Squared explains its time loop and the nature of the duplicate’s fixed, repeated actions… *and* because the second version of Picard is only from a few hours into the future, the end product works surprisingly well.

There will always be something profoundly odd about seeing Picard shooting… himself! And that’s another really creative idea that made for a tense narrative climax *and* a completely unique visual, too. All in all, this is a fun, creative episode which gives Picard a seemingly intractable problem to solve, with himself at the core.

Captain Picard Story #3:
Booby Trap
The Next Generation Season 3

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Booby Trap showing Picard in the transporter room — In the transporter room.

Booby Trap is a fun episode for Captain Picard insofar as we get to see a relatively rare glimpse of something that *he* finds fun and enjoyable. Seeing a piece of history through his eyes – a legendary starship he once built a model of when he was a child – is genuinely cute; like learning your grandfather used to paint or your uncle whittled spoons. The pure-hearted joy that Picard expresses upon discovering the derelict Promellian battle cruiser is unusual for him… and a lot of fun to watch.

Picard’s love of history and archaeology would go on to be a bigger part of his character as The Next Generation went along, and we kind of come to see Picard as quite a high-minded person, whose leisure activities are still these rigorous intellectual pursuits. Booby Trap wasn’t the first Picard storyline to introduce his love of history, but it’s one of the best early examples of how it was woven into the main body of an episode.

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Booby Trap showing Picard and Data at the helm and conn — Picard takes the helm.

However! Booby Trap makes the cut for one scene in particular. You remember the one, right? At the last moment, when the Enterprise-D is about to be drained of its last reserves of power, the crew have hatched a plan to escape the titular booby trap. But instead of Picard sitting in the captain’s chair and giving the orders, he calmly relieves Wesley and takes the helm himself.

I can vividly remember my jaw dropping when I first watched this moment unfold! Captain Picard is *driving his own spaceship*! Aside from the fact that this is a really fun moment, I think it says a lot about how well Picard knows his ship inside and out – and how he has hidden skills that don’t always come to the fore in every story. In this moment, with the crew’s safety on the line, Picard stepped up and took on that responsibility himself, and I’ve always loved the tense, exciting, and rather beautiful sequence that followed.

Captain Picard Story #4:
Disaster
The Next Generation Season 5

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Disaster showing Picard and the children by the turbolift — Picard with the kids.

Disaster isn’t Picard’s story alone; the episode is really an ensemble piece where all of the main characters – and several secondary recurring characters, too – get something to do. But what I like about the episode is how it *uses* these characters, pairing up different groups and throwing everyone into situations where we’d never normally expect to see them.

Captain Picard is in a turbolift with a small group of kids (the Enterprise-D’s science fair winners) when the ship loses power and becomes stranded. For Picard – established at the start of the series as not being fond of children – this is still kind of his own personal nightmare! At this point in TNG’s run, his attitude has softened somewhat, but he’s still clearly uncomfortable with the kids and unsure of what to say or how to interact with them. When disaster strikes, he has to step up.

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Disaster showing Picard holding a sign — Picard at the end of the story.

We see Picard not only comforting the children, but also overcoming an injury and eventually leading the group to safety from the damaged turbolift. He stays calm under pressure, and we see him having to confront a completely different kind of situation – one far more human than any alien or adversary from the far reaches of space!

This is also an episode in which Picard demonstrates genuine character growth. He turns the kids into his “crew,” symbolically giving away his rank pips to each of them, and at the end of the episode when the ship’s been repaired, he seems a lot more willing to give them the tour that he’d been so awkward and anxious about at the beginning. Disaster is a busy episode with a lot going on, but Picard’s storyline is one of the many highlights.

Captain Picard Story #5:
Chain of Command (Parts 1 & 2)
The Next Generation Season 6

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Chain of Command showing Picard, Worf, and Dr Crusher in a shuttle — The mission begins…

Sorry, how many lights are there, again?

I bet this one isn’t a surprise; Chain of Command is an iconic Picard story, perhaps second only to either The Best of Both Worlds or The Inner Light in many folks’ estimations. This is the episode in which Picard is captured by the Cardassians while on a secret away mission, and ends up being tortured by the wonderfully complex Gul Madred.

Sir Patrick Stewart and fellow British actor David Warner play off one another wonderfully; Gul Madred is surely one of Star Trek’s best one-off characters. After being lured by the Cardassians with fake scans of a weapon that Picard has experience with, he’s captured and taken to Madred for interrogation. The Cardassian torturer famously shows Picard four lights – but tries to break his spirit and get him to say that there are *five*.

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Chain of Command showing Picard's torture — Picard during his captivity.

We get several truly outstanding scenes between Madred and Picard, and the torture – though unpleasant to watch – never feels gratuitous nor that it crosses a line. The longer Picard spends in custody, the closer he seems to get to breaking, something he confesses to Counsellor Troi at the end of the story.

I think this has to be one of Sir Patrick Stewart’s most complex and outstanding performances as Captain Picard – certainly in The Next Generation. We see him stepping down from his role aboard the Enterprise, training for a secret mission, then how badly wrong it goes, before spending the rest of the story with Picard and his tormentor. It’s harrowing stuff, especially by the standards of Star Trek at the time, and Sir Patrick Stewart brought every ounce of Picard’s pain and suffering to life pitch-perfectly.

Captain Picard Story #6:
Emissary
Deep Space Nine Season 1

Still frame from Star Trek DS9 Emissary showing Picard meeting with Sisko — Commander Sisko meets Captain Picard.

DS9′s premiere might seem an odd choice, but Captain Picard plays a larger role than you might think – even though this is really Commander Sisko’s story (as well as an episode that has to introduce its audience to a whole new cast of characters! But I digress). After his assimilation and rescue in The Best of Both Worlds, we saw Picard take some time off and begin to process what had happened to him in the next episode, Family. But it wasn’t until Emissary came along, more than two years later, that Picard had to confront one of the Starfleet officers who’d been on the other side of that battle.

Now, I’d probably argue, in hindsight, that Captain Shaw’s blow-up about Wolf-359 in Picard Season 3 was more in-depth; we certainly spent more time there than we did here, at least from Picard’s perspective. But there’s something about Avery Brooks’ delivery in his first meeting with Picard that just… makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Still frame from Star Trek DS9 Emissary showing Picard at a desk — Picard aboard DS9.

Commander Sisko isn’t wrong to feel the way he feels; he lost his wife and was left to raise his son alone – not to mention friends and colleagues who also perished. From his perspective, Captain Picard played a role in that… albeit unwittingly. And Picard, it seems, has never come face-to-face with that *anger* before, certainly not in such a raw and emotional way.

Picard keeps it together, of course, and is professional and courteous towards Sisko. But the encounter clearly leaves him rattled, and he’s forced to relive those bad memories as he encounters a man who lost almost everything at Wolf-359. We know, thanks to First Contact and Picard, that Picard carried that guilt and those memories for a long, long time… but to really understand how bad it was for him, I think Emissary is a must-watch.

Captain Picard Story #7:
Starship Mine
The Next Generation Season 6

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Starship Mine showing Picard in a Jeffries tube — Crawling through a Jeffries tube.

Starship Mine shows us a rare Picard trait, and one that TNG used sparingly: brutality. After the Enterprise-D docks for a dangerous cleaning procedure, the ship has to be evacuated – but, at the last second, Picard discovers intruders aboard. He’s then trapped, alone, with a gang of mercenaries as the deadly baryon sweep begins to purge the Enterprise-D.

This is another “Picard out of his comfort zone” kind of episode… which seems to be a bit of a trend on this list, now that I come to think of it! But we see the captain alone, unable to rely on any members of his crew, having to use both his wits and his fists to overcome the mercenaries and stop them from making off with a dangerous weapon.

Still frame from Star Trek TNG Starship Mine showing Picard using a handheld communicator — Picard watches the mercenaries’ ship explode.

It’s also fun to see Picard out of uniform, and I’ve always felt there was something decidedly creepy about seeing the Enterprise-D powered down and almost entirely empty; it’s giving “liminal space” vibes, to use some modern lingo. Picard has to navigate these familiar halls knowing that danger could be lurking just around the corner, and he has to draw on every bit of knowledge he has about the ship to evade, outsmart, and defeat the mercenaries.

And then we come to his moment of sheer brutality. Confronted by the leader of the mercenaries, Picard seems to have no choice but to let her leave with her prize. However… it’s quickly revealed that Picard was able to sabotage the dangerous chemical’s container, meaning the mercenaries’ ship explodes mere seconds later. We almost never see such coldness or such calm lethality from Captain Picard, so when we do… wow. It packs a punch.

Captain Picard Story #8:
Generations
Movie

Still frame from Star Trek Generations showing a close-up Picard on Veridian — Tracking down Dr Soran.

No, this isn’t *just* on the list because we get Captain Picard and Captain Kirk together – though, admittedly, that’s part of it! I adore Generations, and a big part of the reason why is Picard’s role in the story. The whole sequence between him and Dr Soran, where they talk about the importance of time, is something that’s stayed with me since I first saw the film at the cinema more than three decades ago. “Time is the fire in which we burn” was Soran’s line; Picard would rebuff it at the film’s climax, but it’s a really powerful metaphor that’s always stuck with me.

Then we come to Picard’s emotional journey. He learns, towards the beginning of the film, that his brother and nephew have died. And, in a cruel twist of fate, the Nexus seems to offer him a glimpse at a very different life – a life in which he has a family of his own, children of his own, and in which his family name – something clearly very important to him – will continue for another generation.

Still frame from Star Trek Generations showing Kirk and Picard on horseback — Two legendary captains on horseback.

Picard has to actively reject… well, heaven. Or paradise. And it takes an almost impossibly pure-hearted and strong-willed character to make that kind of sacrifice. Picard demonstrates the very best of Starfleet’s values as he sets aside his own wants and his own desires to do the right thing and to help others – his crew, yes, but also the millions of inhabitants of the Veridian system.

The team-up with Kirk is really just the icing on the cake. We get some fun moments between the two men: Picard telling Kirk to do his duty and Kirk’s funny rebuttal, riding horses together, and eventually the high-stakes fight against Soran. But for me, Generations is really about Picard’s emotional journey – time catching up with him, the loss of his family, and the choices he makes.

Captain Picard Story #9:
Nepenthe
Picard Season 1

Still frame from Star Trek PIC Nepenthe showing Picard and Troi reunited — Reunited with Deanna Troi.

I was *beyond* excited for Star Trek: Picard’s premiere in 2019 and going into 2020; just check back to some of the (many) articles and columns I wrote here on the website in those days as evidence! After we saw an illusory Data in the season premiere, and also met Seven of Nine, Nepenthe took Picard and Soji to Riker and Troi’s house… and the reunion was moving and truly beautiful.

Unfortunately, Nepenthe suffers on a re-watch because of what came after – both in Season 1 and then later in Season 3. But in isolation, it’s still a fun episode, one which steps away from several of the narrative threads that had been running across the show’s first season to give us some quieter moments with Picard, Riker, and Troi. The moment Riker and Picard reunited after a long absence – both in-universe and outside of it – is still a striking and really emotional moment for me.

Still frame from Star Trek PIC Nepenthe showing Riker with Picard outdoors — Picard and Riker.

The setting of the titular planet Nepenthe is fun, too; Riker and Troi’s home has a real “cabin-in-the-woods” vibe, only with a few 24th Century mod-cons! After so much racing around, so much subterfuge and death in previous instalments, it was nice to step away from the frenetic action for a little while and just give these returning characters a bit of room to breathe.

We also get some fun character moments between Picard and Riker, Picard and Troi, and Picard and Soji, who are just beginning to establish a relationship. There’s drama and tension, sure, but what sticks out to me most about Nepenthe are those smaller moments; Picard and Soji encountering Kestra, Riker’s reunion with Picard, and everyone coming together to remember the late Data and to cook a pizza in a brick oven.

Captain Picard Story #10:
The Star Gazer
Picard Season 2

Still frame from Star Trek PIC The Star Gazer showing Picard in his uniform — Back in uniform.

Although it was ultimately let down by the rest of Season 2, when seen in isolation, The Star Gazer is a really fun and exciting story. We see Picard returning to Starfleet to serve as Chancellor of Starfleet Academy – giving one of his big speeches to a gaggle of new cadets. And then things take a turn as Picard visits Captain Rios aboard the all-new USS Stargazer. With Seven of Nine in tow, a strange message takes the ship to the site of a mysterious anomaly… and who should emerge but the Borg?

This version of the Borg, in this appearance, was truly terrifying; by far the most intimidating and overwhelmingly powerful that the faction had felt since sometime early in Voyager’s run. And Picard, still scarred by his own Borg experiences, including just a year previously aboard the Artifact, once again comes face-to-face with the enemy that’s haunted him for a long time.

Still frame from Star Trek PIC The Star Gazer showing Picard at the auto-destruct countdown — Staring down the Borg Queen…

Confronted with an apparently unstoppable foe – who’s using the USS Stargazer’s own Borg-derived technology to take over the ship – Picard has no choice but to order a self-destruct. It’s genuinely one of the most tense, exciting, and frightening sequences in all of modern Star Trek, and Sir Patrick Stewart rose to the occasion and absolutely excelled. Picard keeps his head when everything starts to go wrong, and ultimately prepares to sacrifice the ship (and his own life) in order to save the Federation.

And then, in the episode’s final moments, we’re introduced to the architect of all of this chaos: none other than Q! The character Picard met all those years ago is back for one last adventure. And, thanks to digital de-ageing, we get a fun scene between John de Lancie and Sir Patrick Stewart as Q talks about age and how much time has passed. Despite what happened next in Season 2, I can’t hate The Star Gazer. There are just too many fun ideas, creative visuals, and wonderful moments with this older version of Jean-Luc Picard.

So that’s all for today.

Behind-the-scenes photo from Star Trek PIC S3 showing Frakes, Stashwick, Stewart, and Dorn — Sir Patrick Stewart with three of his *Picard* Season 3 co-stars.
*Photo: Todd Stashwick on Facebook*

I wanted to do this sooner, but honestly, Sir Patrick Stewart’s death hit me quite hard, so it’s taken me a little while to revisit some of these stories and be ready to put (metaphorical) pen to paper about them. I hope the list has been interesting, and maybe I picked out one or two stories you weren’t necessarily expecting. Honestly, I could do another dozen posts just like this one; I had to exclude so many truly excellent stories and adventures with Captain Picard just to keep this list to a readable length! I guess that’s a testament to the character and how truly incredible Sir Patrick Stewart’s performance was.

If you were looking for a playlist to remember Sir Patrick Stewart, I hope I’ve given you an idea or two to get started. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen some of these – as it had been for me in a few cases – then why not go back to Paramount+ or your DVD box set and get lost in one or two of these episodes for a while? As we continue to mourn Sir Patrick Stewart’s passing, spending a little more time with one of the many characters he brought to life over the course of a long career just feels… right.

Thanks for joining me. If you want to check out my obituary of Sir Patrick Stewart, you can find it by clicking or tapping here. And, as always… Live Long and Prosper, friends.

Most of the Star Trek franchise (except for Prodigy) is available to stream now on Paramount+. Most Star Trek seasons and films are also available on DVD and/or Blu-ray. The Star Trek franchise – including all series, films, and properties discussed above – is the copyright of The Skydance Corporation. Two still frames (from DS9′s Emissary) were upscaled using A.I. tools. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Twelve Star Trek episodes to watch before Picard Season 2 arrives!

Mon 21.02.22Tue 22.02.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Picard Season 1 and the trailers and teasers for Season 2. Spoilers are also present for the following Star Trek productions: The Original Series Season 1, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine Season 3, Voyager Seasons 2, 3, and 7, and First Contact.

It seems an age ago that we were eagerly anticipating Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard. In those sunlit, rosy days before the pandemic hit, this website was brand-new, and I spent a lot of time in December 2019 and January 2020 looking ahead and wondering what we’d see when the Star Trek franchise finally returned to the 24th Century – after an eighteen-year wait!

With Season 2 of Picard now only days away, I thought it could be fun to revisit a concept from the early days of the website: a list of episodes that I think could make for interesting background viewing, potentially informing story points and characterisations in the new season of Picard. In the run-up to Season 1 I focused on episodes of The Next Generation that strongly featured Captain Picard himself, as well as a few stories about the Romulans, and a few more stories which could’ve potentially led to big changes in the two decades following the events of Endgame and Nemesis.

We’ll soon be on another adventure with Jean-Luc Picard!

This time, we have a little bit more information to go on! Season 2 will tell a story that involves (to a greater or lesser degree) the following elements: the Borg Queen, Guinan, Q, time travel, and, of course, Admiral Picard himself. On this occasion, then, I thought it could be fun to pull out twelve stories from Star Trek’s past that might just be useful background viewing for Season 2 of Picard. It goes without saying that Season 1 is mandatory viewing, so I’m not putting any of those episodes on this list! You should really watch, or re-watch, all ten before the season kicks off!

My usual caveats apply, as they always do! Firstly, everything listed below is entirely subjective. If I miss out an episode that you think is incredibly important, or you hate all of my picks, that’s okay! We all have different opinions about Star Trek, and there’s no need to fight about it. Secondly, I don’t claim to have any “insider information.” I’m basing my theories and guesses about Season 2 on publicly released material, such as trailers and interviews. And finally, the episodes are not ranked; they’re merely listed below in the order in which they were originally broadcast.

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

Number 1:
Tomorrow is Yesterday
The Original Series Season 1 (1967)

I’m pretty sure this violates the Temporal Prime Directive…

Though The City on the Edge of Forever is perhaps the best-known of The Original Series’ time travel stories, Tomorrow is Yesterday preceded it by several months. It was the first episode of the Star Trek franchise where time travel played a major role in the story, and it was also the first in which the crew paid a visit to the modern day. Tomorrow is Yesterday established what went on to become a mainstay in terms of the franchise’s time travel story tropes: being sent back in time by accident!

Aside from being a fun episode in its own right and well worth a watch, Tomorrow is Yesterday is also the episode which introduced the Star Trek franchise to something that appears to be making a return in Picard Season 2: the slingshot method of travelling through time, referred to in this episode as the “light-speed breakaway factor.”

The USS Enterprise using the “light-speed breakaway factor” to travel through time.

Almost every Star Trek series has included the occasional time travel story, and we can look to episodes like Tomorrow is Yesterday for creating that premise. Visiting the modern world would go on to be significant later in The Original Series, in Star Trek IV, and on several other significant occasions in the franchise. For me, some of these stories can feel rather dated, but I think Tomorrow is Yesterday largely avoids that trap!

As we get ready for Picard Season 2 and the franchise’s latest foray into time travel, stepping back to see where it all began during the first season of The Original Series is no bad thing. Tomorrow is Yesterday has a fairly straightforward premise that should be easy enough to follow even for fans who aren’t as familiar with The Original Series, and is well worth a watch on its own merits.

Number 2:
Encounter at Farpoint
The Next Generation Season 1 (1987)

In the first teaser trailer for Picard Season 2, we heard Q’s voice proclaiming that “the trial never ends.” Encounter at Farpoint is the episode in which Captain Picard first encountered Q, and the episode in which the referenced “trial” began. Q accused humanity (and by extension, the Federation) of being a “dangerous, savage, child-race” who are unfit to travel the stars. Picard and his crew defended themselves against the accusation.

The task Q set for Picard was to unravel the mystery of Farpoint Station, which he and the crew of the Enterprise-D were en route to. However, figuring out the puzzle wasn’t the end of the trial, and even after bringing the Farpoint saga to a successful conclusion, Q departed in ambiguous fashion, hinting that he would return. He did, of course, on a number of occasions!

Worf, Picard, and La Forge on the bridge of the Enterprise-D.

Encounter at Farpoint was the premiere of The Next Generation and established the characters of Picard and Q (as well as many other familiar faces). As we approach Picard Season 2, it’s worth going back to see where it all began. This was the first big puzzle that Q tasked Picard with solving, and seeing how Q operates and what the point of it all is, from his perspective, is well worth taking into consideration.

This is also the beginning of “the trial.” We don’t know to what extent the idea of Picard – and humanity – being on trial will feature in Picard Season 2, but if Q has returned to set up a new mystery there could be a connection – and there could be consequences if Picard and the crew of La Sirena can’t figure it out. Q has toyed with Picard on a number of occasions; Encounter at Farpoint was the first.

Number 3:
Q Who
The Next Generation Season 2 (1989)

Q threw Picard and the Enterprise-D into danger.

Q Who is the episode that introduced us to the Borg – and it’s a pretty scary one by Star Trek’s standards! Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D have never faced a villain like this, and the Borg represent an existential threat. Q made good on his promise to show Picard that there are dangers in the galaxy that he couldn’t even imagine… and eighteen members of the Enterprise-D’s crew paid the ultimate price.

In a way, Q Who shows Q at his most aggressive, devious, and villainous. By throwing the Enterprise-D into the path of the Borg, he proved his point to Picard about the Federation’s unpreparedness in the most painful way possible. But I don’t believe that’s all there is to the story.

I have a theory about Q Who that you can find by clicking or tapping here. To briefly summarise: Star Trek has made a mess of the history of Borg-Federation contact, and it seems likely that the Borg were already aware of humanity and Earth long before the events of this episode. They may have already been preparing for an attack or assimilation attempt, and Q hoped to prevent that by giving the Federation advance warning.

My theory goes into much more detail! But suffice to say the complicated history of contact between humanity and the Borg makes it seem plausible, at least to me, and shows off an aspect to Q’s character that I think could come into play in Picard Season 2. Q Who also establishes the existence of history between Q and Guinan – something that may come up in Picard Season 2 given that both characters are returning.

Number 4:
Yesterday’s Enterprise
The Next Generation Season 3 (1990)

Though it’s a fantastic episode in its own right, Yesterday’s Enterprise is on this list for one reason: Guinan. When a rift in the space-time continuum sends the Enterprise-C forward through time, decades’ worth of history are changed, leaving the Federation in a very bleak timeline in which it’s fighting a losing war against the Klingons.

Aboard the warship Enterprise-D, Captain Picard and the rest of the crew are completely oblivious to the change; this version of the characters have only ever known the war timeline. But Guinan alone realises that something has gone wrong, and argues with Captain Picard about how to set things right.

Guinan presents her case to Captain Picard.

Despite a recent controversy, Whoopi Goldberg will be reprising the role of Guinan in Picard Season 2, bringing the character back for the first time since Generations in 1994. Given that we know Season 2 also features a radically changed timeline, not dissimilar to the one seen in Yesterday’s Enterprise, perhaps Guinan will be aware of the change.

Guinan could be the one to talk to Picard about the possible point of divergence, as we know she’d visited Earth in the 19th Century. She may also be one of the only people other than the crew of La Sirena to be aware that something has changed. Guinan also has a history with Q, as we saw in the episode Q Who – so that could also come into play!

Number 5:
Time’s Arrow Parts I-II
The Next Generation Seasons 5-6 (1992)

Guinan also plays a key role in the two-part episode Time’s Arrow. Thanks to time travel, this is the episode where she and Captain Picard actually have their first meeting, and although the nature of their relationship is still shrouded in mystery, we get a little bit more information about how they came to meet in the first place.

Guinan’s fascination with Earth appears to date back to at least the 19th Century, as she visited undercover during that time period. We know from the most recent Picard Season 2 trailer that Guinan appears to be running a bar on Earth at the dawn of the 25th Century, giving her an association with Earth and humanity that stretches back over five hundred years.

Time’s Arrow is an interesting story that mostly focuses on Data, who was of course a huge part of the story of Picard Season 1. It seems as though Brent Spiner will be playing a new role in Season 2 – perhaps another ancestor of the Soong family – so getting a bit of extra data on Data could be worthwhile, too!

One thing I’m personally curious about in Picard Season 2 is if we’ll get any further backstory on the Picard-Guinan relationship. Although Time’s Arrow depicts their first meeting from Guinan’s perspective, we’ve still never learned how they came to meet in the 24th Century from Picard’s point of view. All we know is that it likely happened prior to his assuming command of the Enterprise-D. I don’t know if Picard Season 2 will expand on that in any way… but it would be interesting!

Number 6:
Tapestry
The Next Generation Season 6 (1993)

Tapestry is a really interesting episode that deals with the dynamic between Q and Picard, and specifically looks at the nuances present in their relationship. Picard has always viewed Q as an adversary, but I’ve argued in the past that Q doesn’t see himself that way. He views Picard as a friend, and himself as a guide or even an ally – and the way Tapestry unfolds kind of shows why that is.

When Picard is injured on an away mission, he finds himself close to death. At that moment, he encounters Q – who claims he’s already dead. Q gives Picard a chance to avert his death by changing a key event in his past – getting stabbed shortly after graduating from Starfleet Academy – but doing so sets Picard’s life and career on a completely different path.

Lieutenant Picard in an alternate 24th Century.

The important thing here is how Q views the whole affair. We can entertain debates on whether or not Q actually sent Picard back in time or whether it was all an elaborate illusion, but that’s entirely beside the point. Q genuinely believed that he was helping – that by showing Picard an alternate life, he gave him an appreciation for the life he had actually led, even if that meant it was about to end.

I firmly believe that there’s more going on with Q in Season 2 than meets the eye. It’s possible that he didn’t change the timeline at all, and is merely responsible for shielding Picard and the crew of La Sirena from it. It’s also possible that he did change it as part of an elaborate puzzle, one which he hopes and expects that Picard will be able to solve. Speaking of which…

Number 7:
All Good Things…
The Next Generation Season 7 (1994)

All Good Things is the best example of this aspect of the dynamic between Picard and Q, and could – in theory – be a template for the events of Picard Season 2. In All Good Things, the Q Continuum sets a puzzle for Picard – an eruption of “anti-time.” Thanks to the time-travelling interventions of Q, Picard is able to hop between three different periods of his own past to solve the mystery.

The solution to the anti-time eruption required Picard to challenge his own way of thinking, specifically his linear perception of cause-and-effect. Being able to recognise that events in the future had a causal link to events in the past greatly impressed Q, who seemed to suggest that it was the first step on a path that could one day see humanity evolve into beings comparable to the Q themselves.

All Good Things was also Picard’s last dalliance with Q prior to the events of Picard Season 2. As far as we know at this stage, Q hasn’t been to see Picard in the approximately twenty-five years since the events of All Good Things – but that could change as we get into the new season. It’s possible, at least in my opinion, that Q might’ve been interested to see Picard at his lowest ebb, possibly showing up to see if he could provoke him into action. But we’ll save a detailed explanation of that for my next theory post!

It’s possible that the trailers and teasers for Season 2 have already revealed the nature of Q’s involvement in the story: that he is directly responsible for changing the timeline, he did so on purpose, and he will be the main villain of the season. But I would argue that the “villain” monicker does not fit with Q’s past characterisation, and thus I suspect that there’s much more going on than meets the eye. All Good Things is both a piece of evidence in favour of that argument, as well as a potential blueprint for how a time travel puzzle set by Q could unfold.

Number 8:
Past Tense, Parts I-II
Deep Space Nine Season 3 (1995)

We know, thanks to a voiceover in the most recent trailer, that at least some of the events of Picard Season 2 take place in the year 2024. But Picard Season 2 isn’t the first Star Trek production to visit that specific year! In Deep Space Nine’s third season, Commander Sisko and the crew of the USS Defiant found themselves accidentally sent back in time to the exact same year.

Past Tense is an interesting story, as it will mark the first time that any episode of Star Trek set in “the future” at the time it was broadcast will be reached, and I’m sure I won’t be alone in doing a full write-up of its story when we hit the end of August 2024! We could talk for hours about how its depressing presentation of the 2020s seemed a long way from reality once upon a time, but with the growth of homelessness and other economic issues, today’s society feels far too close for comfort to the world of the Bell Riots.

I’m not sure how much of Deep Space Nine’s presentation of a fictionalised 2024 will make it into Picard Season 2. It’s possible that the new series will entirely ignore this two-part episode… but I think we should keep an eye open for references or callbacks to some of the characters, events, or even things like brands and products.

Regardless, this will be the first time that two very different Star Trek productions have travelled back in time to the same year, and it might be interesting and informative to take a look at Past Tense to see how Deep Space Nine told us that the year would unfold. It seems as though Picard Season 2 will be set, in part, in California – which is also where Past Tense was set, so that’s another point of connection. I’m not expecting a huge crossover with this one single Deep Space Nine story, but there could easily be references made to it.

Number 9:
Death Wish
Voyager Season 2 (1996)

Captain Picard wasn’t the only Starfleet officer to tangle with Q. After making a sole appearance in Deep Space Nine, Q hopped over to the Delta Quadrant, where he had several run-ins with Captain Janeway during Voyager’s journey home. Q presented a bit of a puzzle for Voyager; his abilities mean that he could have sent the ship and crew back to Earth with a snap of his fingers. But if we can look beyond that narrative hurdle, Q’s appearances in Voyager added a lot to his characterisation.

In Death Wish, we got our best look to date at the Q Continuum itself. Depicted in a manner that humans could comprehend, the Continuum resembled a rather dilapidated roadside house in the middle of the desert. For the first time, we got to see more members of the Q Continuum as well, and got a glimpse of how Q himself is a bit of a radical by the standards of his people.

Captain Janeway and Tuvok visit the Q Continuum.

The idea that the Q Continuum is not an entirely stable, homogeneous place is an interesting one, and was explored in more detail in the episode The Q and the Grey. But Death Wish also presented a very complex moral question – in the longstanding tradition of Star Trek! This episode can be a difficult watch for some folks because of its discussion of suicide, and it’s absolutely fine to skip it if that subject hits too close to home. If the debate around suicide and end-of-life care is something you’re interested in, though, this is a uniquely “Star Trek” attempt to tackle it.

Q emerges from this story as a reformer – or even a radical – by the standards of his people. We also know, thanks to a line in All Good Things, that he was responsible for assisting Picard when the Continuum set the anti-time puzzle. It’s stories like this that make me think that there’s a goodness in Q; that he isn’t just a trickster or a pure villain.

Number 10:
Future’s End, Parts I-II
Voyager Season 3 (1996)

Chakotay, Janeway, Tuvok, and Paris on Earth.

The two-part time travel story Future’s End sees Captain Janeway and the crew of the USS Voyager sent back in time to Earth, circa 1996. It’s another story set in the California area, and I think it’s an interesting episode – albeit one that I feel has become very dated by Star Trek standards!

If Picard Season 2 sticks with things like the Borg and the slingshot method, it seems that the kind of time travel depicted in Future’s End won’t be a factor. But there are still interesting points to consider, such as the Temporal Prime Directive and how Starfleet in the future would come to police the timeline, watching out for changes.

It’s Los Angeles – where Picard and the crew of La Sirena appear to be headed!

There aren’t a great many Star Trek episodes that visit the modern day, and as I’ve already explained I feel that a modern setting can make such stories feel very out-of-date very quickly. Future’s End definitely falls into this trap; its depiction of Southern California has a very ’90s flavour. But it’s a bit of fun, and dare I say almost a guilty pleasure!

I’m including Future’s End here for its modern day time travel story and its focus on California, both of which are elements that we know will be part of Picard Season 2. As with Past Tense, I don’t expect to see a huge tie-in between the new season and the events of this episode, but there may be smaller callbacks and references to some of the characters and events it depicted.

Number 11:
Star Trek: First Contact
Film (1996)

First Contact introduced us to the Borg Queen for the first time, and went into a lot more detail about Picard’s assimilation experience. The Borg Queen was presented as the embodiment of the Borg rather than their leader, and she became a fearsome adversary for Picard and Data over the course of the story.

Season 1 of Picard saw the retired Admiral face his lingering Borg assimilation trauma when he beamed aboard the Artifact in the episode The Impossible Box, but Season 2 will see him come face to face with a Borg Queen for the first time in twenty-five years. For someone who’s clearly suffering from some form of post-traumatic stress, we don’t know what effect that could have.

Data and Picard lead the battle against the Borg.

Picard was violently anti-Borg in First Contact, and we saw hints of that in Picard Season 1 as well. His conversation with Dr Jurati and Elnor in The Impossible Box, as well as the way he responded to some of the xB’s in later episodes, was in line with his attitude to the Borg in First Contact – and I wonder how encountering a Borg Queen will make him feel!

Many Trekkies hold up First Contact as one of the absolute best Star Trek films, and it’s hard to disagree. As an action-packed work of sci-fi with some truly scary elements thanks to the way the Borg are depicted, it’s an exciting ride from start to finish. It also goes into a little more detail about World War III – an event in the history of the Star Trek timeline that could play a role in Picard Season 2. Check out my full World War III theory by clicking or tapping here!

Number 12:
Endgame
Voyager Season 7 (2001)

Some of Voyager’s crew in an alternate 25th Century future.

Almost five years after First Contact depicted the Borg’s biggest attack on Earth to date, Endgame brought back the Borg Queen in a significant way. The interventions of a time-travelling Admiral Janeway from the future saw the USS Voyager make it home to Earth, and in the process dealt a significant blow to the Borg Collective.

Even though it’s been more than twenty years since Endgame, we don’t actually know what became of the Borg in the aftermath of Admiral Janeway’s attack. I’ve always assumed that the Borg Collective was large enough, clever enough, and adaptable enough to survive the neurolytic pathogen that she introduced into the Borg Queen… but because the Star Trek franchise has yet to return to the Borg post-Endgame, we can’t be certain of that.

Even Season 1 of Picard, which depicted the disabled Borg Cube known as the Artifact, didn’t settle the issue. So it’s an open question at this juncture whether the Collective survived, whether it was significantly damaged by Admiral Janeway’s pathogen, or whether it was able to easily shake off the attack. It seems as though no major Borg activity occurred in Federation space in the twenty-plus years after Endgame, though.

Endgame makes this list because of the Borg Queen’s role in Picard Season 2, and I think it could be very useful background viewing, possibly even setting up a story about the Queen herself or the state of the Borg Collective at the dawn of the 25th Century. On a vaguely related note, I took a deeper look at Admiral Janway’s actions in Endgame, and you can find that article by clicking or tapping here.

So that’s it!

Admiral Picard is coming back in just a few days’ time!

Those are twelve episodes (alright, eleven episodes and a film) that I think might make for useful or interesting viewing prior to Picard Season 2! I think we’ve hit most of the key subjects – at least, those that we’re aware of at this early stage – and got a good mix of stories focusing on Captain Picard, Q, Guinan, time travel, and the Borg Queen.

At the end of the day, though, Star Trek’s past didn’t prove all that important to unravelling the events of Picard Season 1 – nor to recent storylines in Discovery, either. So it’s quite likely, in my view, that Picard Season 2 will bring plenty of brand-new characters and story elements into play. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth going back to these stories and others, but my suspicion at this stage is that the new story won’t rely excessively on what came before.

When Picard Season 2 arrives at the end of next week, I hope you’ll stay tuned for individual episode reviews, theories, and more. Despite the somewhat underwhelming end to Season 1, Picard Season 2 has been one of my most-anticipated shows for almost two years, and I can’t wait to jump in and have another adventure with Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of La Sirena.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 will premiere on Paramount+ in the United States on the 3rd of March 2022, and on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom and elsewhere 24 hours later. The Star Trek franchise – including Picard and all other properties mentioned 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.