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 Search for Spock, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, and Prodigy.
So this is it, then! This is the last theory update for Season 3, the last ever theory update for Star Trek: Picard in general, and the final part of a series of theory-crafting articles that I began writing when Picard’s first season kicked off in January 2020. Are you as emotional as I am?
There were two pretty big theory culls earlier in the season, so we arrived at the finale with only eleven theories that remained on the list. Of these, one counts as confirmed, but the rest were debunked – or simply ignored entirely. With no more Picard on the schedule, we’ll have to retire all of these theories.
The Enterprise-G.
If Star Trek returns to the 25th Century in the next couple of years – perhaps with a Picard spin-off that fans have been asking for – it’s possible, I suppose, that such a series might revisit characters, locations, and factions from Season 3. But I wouldn’t bet on it… and some of the things we were hoping to see resolved from Season 2 (and even Season 1) are all but certain to be abandoned now.
One of the disappointing things about Picard as a whole series is the abandonment of certain characters and storylines, particularly main characters and story points that appeared to be major. Although the way Season 3 was structured always meant that it was a remote possibility that any of that could be addressed in the final episode, there are still things I’d wanted to see resolved!
Riker, Picard, and Geordi bid farewell to the Enterprise-D.
But all of that is for the birds now! Our task today is to wrap up the remaining theories so we can draw a line under this series of articles. Although we netted some big theory wins this season, we’re finishing up with a whole lot of theories that didn’t pan out. I wouldn’t say I was overly attached to any of them – but several would’ve been fun had they come to pass.
As I always say, this has just been a bit of fun! Serialised storytelling has its drawbacks, but one thing I’ve enjoyed across all three seasons of Picard has been that the show has lent itself to this kind of theory-crafting and speculation.
Without any further ado, let’s jump into the list for one final time!
Confirmed theory: At least one more unannounced character will appear.
An emergency transmission from a familiar voice!
I’m claiming this one as a win for both Q’s appearance in the epilogue and for Walter Koenig’s audio-only role as Anton Chekov! The son of Pavel Chekov, Anton was the Federation President whose message was heard as the crew of the Enterprise-D raced to Jupiter to confront the Borg. It’s fantastic to think that, more than fifty-five years after his first Star Trek appearance, Walter Koenig was able to return and play a role in the finale of Picard.
However, I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see anyone else. There were multiple mentions of Admiral Janeway in earlier episodes, and a perfect opportunity presented itself in the epilogue for Guinan to appear at her bar. A returning character could’ve also joined the crew of the Enterprise-G under Seven’s command, or we could’ve seen a familiar face battling the assimilated fleet over Earth. Picard did well with cameos and returning characters across Season 3 as a whole, though.
Debunked theory #1: The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.
Elnor in a promo photo for Season 2.
I held out hope all season long that someone, somehow, in some way, might’ve explained why Elnor, Soji, and the Borg Queen-Dr Jurati hybrid weren’t joining Picard’s mission or taking part in the story. However, none of these characters – who played major roles in Seasons 1 and 2 of the series – were so much as mentioned. The finale was the last chance for it to happen, but it didn’t.
In the future, when we dissect the troubled, disjointed production of Picard in more detail, I think we’ll have to talk about the waste of characters like Soji and Elnor – characters who absolutely could have been included here. Think how much more impactful it might’ve been to see Elnor as one of the assimilated youngsters, having spent three whole seasons with him, instead of the relative newcomers that we got in the story. There’s a lot more to say about this – but we’ll leave it for another time when we can discuss it in more detail.
Debunked theory #2: The Borg and/or the rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.
The anomaly at the end of Season 2.
Another abandoned idea that Season 3 didn’t revisit was the mysterious anomaly from Season 2. This storyline – like others from both Seasons 1 and 2 – is now orphaned, unlikely to be revisited. Though it was long past time for the mysterious anomaly to have been incorporated into the plot in a big way, I still felt there was a possibility that it might be mentioned. Someone might’ve explained that it was the Borg’s first attempt to attack the Federation, for example.
Getting more detail on the mysterious anomaly was one of my requests of Season 3, and it’s disappointing that this storyline was abandoned with no resolution. The anomaly kick-started the plot of Season 2, and it was one of the few potentially interesting narrative points from an otherwise disappointing season. Being left with no explanation for something so seismic is disappointing – and another piece of evidence for how poorly-managed Picard’s overall production has been.
Debunked theory #3: Picard will donate his golem body to Jack.
Jack with Picard in the season finale.
I came up with this idea when Jack was first misdiagnosed with Irumodic Syndrome earlier in the season. Even though that diagnosis was later proven to be incorrect, the brain abnormality that Picard and Jack shared still had the potential to prove fatal – as it did for Picard in Season 1. With that in mind, I wondered if the only way Jack could be saved would be for him to be transferred into a golem body.
Picard could have made the ultimate sacrifice for his son, donating his golem to Jack as a final act of parental love. There had been speculation for years that the series would end with Picard’s death, but after the fake-out in Season 1 I felt it would have been hard to pull off killing Picard for a second time. This was one way it could have happened, though! However, the epilogue explained that Dr Crusher came up with a cure for the Borg modification, and that’s that.
Debunked theory #4: At least one main character will be killed.
The main cast of The Next Generation Season 2.
As much as I’d been expecting this, in the end it turned out that the finale and Season 3 as a whole were a bit of a throwback! Television storytelling has gone through a significant evolution since The Next Generation premiered in 1987, and main characters should no longer be considered “safe” just because of their status. With a dangerous mission at hand – and the Borg involved – it seemed plausible to think that at least one of our heroes would be killed off.
Season 3 did find time to kill off Ro Laren and Captain Shaw, but none of the main characters from The Next Generation found themselves on the chopping block. In fact, the season actually resurrected the long-dead Data and even the Enterprise-D, meaning that by the time the credits rolled the death toll for main characters stood at -2!
Debunked theory #5: The Jurati-Borg will ally with Picard and the Federation.
The Borg Queen-Dr Jurati hybrid.
At the end of Season 2, Dr Jurati’s Borg faction asked for provisional membership of the Federation and promised to watch over the unexplained anomaly. With the Federation seemingly staring defeat in the face as a huge assimilated fleet attacked Earth, I wondered whether Dr Jurati’s Borg might show up to render assistance. The anomaly seemed to be relatively close to Earth, based on its Season 2 depiction, so it seemed possible that she might’ve been able to help.
We knew going into Season 3 that Alison Pill wouldn’t be reprising her role – so that always meant that this theory was unlikely, I guess. But even so, it feels incredibly wasteful to have abandoned that Borg faction and the mysterious anomaly, especially when they could have been incorporated into the story in some way. Even if they showed up too late, after Picard had already saved the day, it would’ve been a fun addition.
Debunked theory #6: Deanna Troi will use her “pain removal” skill on Jack.
Troi in The Last Generation on the bridge of the Enterprise-D.
Earlier in the season, it had been established that Troi had the ability to “enter” someone’s mind and remove pain – a skill superficially similar to Sybok’s, I suppose. With Season 3 dedicating time to this revelation, I wondered whether it might come into play at a crucial moment later on, with Troi using this skill to aid Jack in some way. She might’ve been able to sever his connection to the Borg or even cure him of his Borg-induced brain abnormality.
None of that came to pass, however. In fact, Troi’s role in The Last Generation was one of the episode’s least impressive and most clichéd moments, as seemingly from nowhere, as if by magic, she was able to use her empathic ability to pinpoint the location of Riker and the rest of the away team. I’m not disappointed that this “pain removal” angle wasn’t included… but I am a tad disappointed in the way Troi was used in the finale.
Debunked theory #7: Floaty McFloatface will be back.
Nope.
Because of the truly abrupt way in which Vadic’s story ended, I wondered if we might get to learn a little more about Floaty McFloatface – the nameless character who may have been some kind of envoy or go-between for Vadic and the Borg Queen. Although Vadic had died and the Shrike had been destroyed, we hadn’t seen Floaty McFloatface killed – nor was it even clear what Floaty McFloatface was – so it seemed possible, at least, that we might’ve got some kind of resolution to this partial character.
The Last Generation barely mentioned the changelings at all, with a very brief appearance of a rogue changeling being detained in the epilogue being all we got. There was definitely more to say about this faction, including how they came to work with the Borg and what will happen to the surviving members of the conspiracy.
Debunked theory #8: Floaty McFloatface isn’t a changeling.
Floaty McFloatface in its goo form.
As above, I speculated that Floaty McFloatface may not be a changeling itself, but might’ve been a Borg or some kind of representative of the Borg sent to Vadic by the Queen to keep an eye on her. Floaty McFloatface clearly had power over Vadic – both in a figurative and literal sense – and I’d have liked to know at least a little more about how all of that worked.
We’ll have to discuss Vadic in more detail on another occasion now that the season has ended, because there are some pretty big issues with the way her involvement in the story ultimately landed. But for now, suffice to say that this theory is debunked and we can assume that Floaty McFloatface either died with Vadic or died when the Shrike was destroyed a few moments later.
Debunked theory #9: Odo will make an appearance – somehow.
Odo in Deep Space Nine.
Odo had been mentioned by Worf – albeit rather obliquely – earlier in the season, and with the changelings playing a significant role in the story that, in spite of Vadic’s death, was yet to be wrapped up, I felt it was at least possible that the show’s writers might’ve included Odo in some kind of epilogue sequence. It didn’t happen, though – and I’m actually really glad about that!
Season 3 didn’t lean into Deep Space Nine as heavily as I’d expected after the first two or three episodes, and all of the returning characters were from The Next Generation or Voyager. There was scope to do more with the Deep Space Nine and Dominion War angles, but I’m glad that Odo wasn’t digitally recreated or recast on this occasion.
Debunked theory #10: Other old/classic starships will join the Enterprise-D to face off against the Borg.
The Enterprise-A.
As cool as it was to see the Enterprise-D standing alone against the Borg… imagine how much fun it could’ve been if the ship had been joined by other older vessels. We could’ve seen some of the ships from Geordi’s fleet museum, for example, with the Enterprise-D and Enterprise-A fighting alongside one another for the first time ever. Now that would have been spectacular!
I’m a sucker for the “desperate last stand” story trope no matter how it’s written, and The Last Generation did its thing pretty well. But it would have been amazing if Picard and the Enterprise-D could have been joined by even just one or two other classic/retired starships for this final fight. There must be other ships in Starfleet that weren’t upgraded in addition to those at the museum. Oh well!
So that’s it!
The “Death Star trench run!”
We’ve wrapped up our remaining Picard theories now that the season has come to an end. Although there were a lot of debunkings, across the season I did manage to make a few successful predictions! And above all, I had fun speculating about where the story might go. That was the point of all of this, really, and I’m glad to have been able to follow along with Picard from beginning to end, sharing my theories and speculation with you.
So what’s next? Although my theory lists and episode reviews are over, there’s still a lot to say about Picard’s third season and the series as a whole. When the dust has settled I’d like to re-watch all three seasons of the show in one hit to see how well it works (or doesn’t work) in that format. And I already have a few articles and essays that I’m tentatively sketching out in my head, talking about the third season, some of its narrative decisions, potential spin-off ideas, and much more. So although Picard has come to an end, I hope you’ll check back to see some of that!
All together on the bridge, safe and sound.
And of course there’s more Star Trek to come! Strange New Worlds Season 2 will premiere in June, and we have Discovery’s fifth and final season in early 2024 – plus Prodigy, Lower Decks, Starfleet Academy, and Section 31 to look forward to as well!
For now, though, I’ll end by saying that I hope you had fun following along with my theories this season – and across Seasons 1 and 2, too. I had a great time keeping the theory list up-to-date, coming up with ideas, and speculating about the story that Picard was telling. And who knows… if a certain Legacy pitch gets picked up by Paramount, maybe some of my theories will return in the future! Watch this space, and live long and prosper!
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.
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.
It only really hit me when I was sitting at my desk, creating the header image for this review: this is the final episode of Star Trek: Picard. This will be the last time I crop still frames, the last time I have to warn you about spoilers… the last time I review a brand-new episode of this series. There will be plenty of opportunities in the weeks, months, and years ahead to look back at Picard – and I have no doubt we’ll do just that. But for now, suffice to say that I already feel a swirling mass of emotions as the series comes to an end.
I’d waited more than eighteen years for Remembrance– the premiere episode of Season 1. In all of that time, Star Trek had looked backwards. Prequels, spin-offs, and and alternate timeline had all told some fun stories and kept the franchise going, but my Star Trek era – the late 24th Century – had been sidelined. Picard was the show that brought it back, and that brought back Jean-Luc Picard and other incredible characters. I was so passionately excited when I sat down to watch Remembrance a little over three years ago… and it’s been a journey, to say the least!
The Last Generation got its own poster.
If you read my review of Võx last time, you can probably skip this one! I’m going to say more or less the same thing about The Last Generation as I did about Võx: this was a flawed episode, hamstrung by clichés, contrivances, and a badly-paced second half of the season… but I liked it anyway because of the deeply emotional storytelling that it managed to get right.
For a good hour or more after I’d first watched The Last Generation, I found myself sitting around wearing a big stupid grin – because despite the obvious flaws and issues with the episode that we’ll get into in a moment, by far my biggest takeaway was how it made me feel. That’s the success of The Last Generation – and, in a broader sense, of the final chapter of Picard’s third season as a whole. I didn’t expect to feel this way, and if you write out on paper the elements that were dumped into the story at this late stage, how they came together, how rushed much of it felt, and more, I’d have expected to come away from The Last Generation feeling disappointed. But… I don’t.
Showrunner/director Terry Matalas with the main cast.
And that’s in spite of The Last Generation being a deeply flawed outing from multiple angles. I’d go so far as to say that the episode doesn’t even feel like a finale or an ending… let alone a definitive one for a crew who should be ready to enter retirement. Think about where everyone ended up at the end of the story: Dr Crusher has been reinstated in Starfleet, Seven, Raffi, and Jack are about to head off on a new adventure, Riker and Troi appear ready to leave Nepenthe behind and find a new home, Data is just beginning to get used to his new body and newfound humanity, and the only characters who might be ready to return to their pre-Season 3 lives are Worf, Geordi, and Picard… though we didn’t see much of an indication of that in the episode itself.
And that’s before we get into the strange implications of the mid-credits scene.
You did stick around for the mid-credits scene, right? After the credits roll over the lingering overhead shot of Picard and the crew playing poker – a callback to All Good Things at the end of The Next Generation – we got one final scene. Go back and watch it if you haven’t! I’ll wait here.
You stuck around after this, right?
I guess we’ll start with what The Last Generation got wrong, as well as talk about the decisions that led to the story reaching this particular ending.
This was a rushed episode, one in which the main villain of the entire season was outsmarted and defeated in a matter of minutes. There were gripping moments of explosive action and tense drama along the way – but practically all of them would’ve benefitted from a few extra minutes. I stand by what I said last week: the decision to change track from the changelings to the Borg came too late, and there wasn’t enough time remaining to have the kind of climactic final battle that the writers wanted.
If this exact pacing problem hadn’t also afflicted Seasons 1 and 2 of Picard, it would still be deeply disappointing to see it here. But given the criticisms that both of the previous seasons of this series received for precisely this issue… quite frankly it’s unforgivable. This isn’t strictly a problem with The Last Generation, but rather with the pacing and structuring of the season as a whole. If showrunner Terry Matalas is to be trusted with a spin-off – as he and some fans are pushing hard for at the moment – then lessons have to be learned. Matalas helmed Seasons 2 and 3 of Picard, and both seasons came to a close in a mad rush, without enough time to fully explain everything.
The Enterprise-D in action.
As the dust settles, it isn’t even clear whether Vadic and her rogue changelings actually knew who they were working with, or the extent of the damage done to the Borg Collective. That side of the story evaporated with Vadic’s death a couple of weeks ago, and was barely touched in the epilogue after the Borg’s defeat. For a story that supposedly brought together two of Star Trek’s most powerful villainous factions – the Founders and the Borg – to come to an end without any on-screen interaction between them… again, it’s very odd. Something is missing here.
Realistically, if both the rogue changelings and the Borg were to be included, we needed this revelation to have come earlier. There would still have been secrets to keep – such as the inclusion of the Enterprise-D – but had the Borg reveal come sooner, and been explained better, other story elements that came to a head in The Last Generation would have flowed better and more naturally.
Behind-the-scenes on The Last Generation.
The Last Generation relies heavily on a story from two decades ago that wasn’t explained and only got the most oblique of references earlier in the season. In the Voyager finale, a time-travelling Admiral Janeway infected the Borg Collective with a “neurolytic pathogen,” devastating it. It was this event that the Borg Queen said was the cause of the decrepit state of the Collective – but for such an important story point, this needed far more explanation than it received.
Although the latter part of Picard’s third season has the feel of a production that was “made for fans,” it isn’t just hard-core Trekkies who watch the show. I have friends who aren’t immersed in the world of Star Trek who have enjoyed Picard for the sci-fi series it is on its own merit – and I suspect that a lot of more casual viewers, those who either don’t recall or didn’t watch Voyager, would have been left baffled by the Borg Queen and the Collective in general being in such a state. That this presentation of a different Borg Queen is now the third distinct version of the character to appear in Picard just adds to the confusion.
The Borg Queen.
Again, this isn’t a problem with The Last Generation on its own, nor even just of Season 3. Picard’s showrunner and writers chose to bring the Borg into focus in each of the show’s three seasons, offering different and contradictory presentations of the Collective and its leader each time. Given that the changeling storyline had worked so well for the first three-quarters of this season… perhaps a different ending could have been written, one that kept the Borg out of things. Or, alternatively, given that Seasons 2 and 3 went into production together with the same team at the helm, Season 2 could’ve been changed if this Borg ending to the series had already been decided upon.
Though we can argue it’s fitting, in a way, for Picard to be present at what appears to be the final demise of the Borg, given that he was present when the faction was introduced and was assimilated by them, the way this story unfolded doesn’t actually have that much to do with Picard. The Borg’s defeat came at the hands of Janeway, who was mentioned by name several times but didn’t even make a cameo all season long. Picard himself was just sort of… there. As has been the case more or less all season long, Picard – the show’s title character and main protagonist, lest we forget – was swept along by a narrative current that was almost entirely out of his control.
Picard in the Borg Queen’s chamber.
Because the reveal of the Borg’s involvement came so late in the story – partway into the ninth episode of a ten-episode season – Jack’s “defection” to the Collective already felt like it was built on shaky ground. There was the kernel of a good idea here, but again I feel the pacing issue causing a stumbling block. Jack’s powers manifested slowly earlier in the season, and in fact it wasn’t until several episodes in that we saw any indication that he was anything other than human at all. His decision to run away last week was blitzed through in a matter of seconds, and his reconciliation in The Last Generation was likewise rushed.
Reaching out to someone and using “love” to bring them back from a dark place is a bit of a cliché, but it’s hardly the worst that Season 3 has offered up. The way it was handled worked well enough in the moment – though I would argue that Dr Crusher, rather than Picard, would surely have been better-placed to try to convince Jack to stand down. Although we’ve seen a developing relationship between Picard and his son, the events of Season 3 have taken place over a few days at most, meaning the connection between Jack and Dr Crusher is going to be far stronger.
Picard and Jack embrace inside the Borg Collective.
Given the remarkably similar premise between Jack’s story here at the end of Season 3 and Dr Jurati’s toward the end of Season 2, it’s a shame that she and her Borg faction couldn’t appear. In fact, the whole end of Season 2, with the mysterious, unexplained anomaly attacking the Federation, has now passed its last chance to get any kind of resolution. At this late stage I wasn’t expecting that to happen – but it’s again indicative of Picard as a whole being a deeply troubled and poorly-managed production. Lessons need to be learned going forward so that future Star Trek projects don’t suffer similar shortcomings.
As I said last week when discussing the Borg, Jack’s story would feel stronger – and certainly more original – were it not basically a re-hashing of Dr Jurati’s story from last season. Dr Jurati felt lonely, isolated, and without friends – and found those things in the Borg. Jack felt lonely, isolated, and without friends… and also sought out those things from the Borg. Jack’s defection feels weaker, in some respects, because of the way it was set up, and the fact that it’s no longer an original idea further diminishes it.
Jack was able to break free of the Borg Collective thanks to Picard.
Several characters displayed skills in The Last Generation that are either perfectly aligned with things we’ve seen them do in the past, or that felt like natural evolutions based on the story the season has told. Dr Crusher manning the Enterprise-D’s weapons is a case in point: after two decades away from Starfleet, operating outside of the Federation under dangerous conditions, she knows her way around a phaser bank and torpedo launcher!
But Deanna Troi exhibited a telepathic skill that we’ve never seen her use before, being able to pinpoint Riker’s location as if by magic. There were opportunities earlier in the season to set this up, such as the conversation Troi and Riker had while imprisoned aboard the Shrike. As it is, this newfound ability felt like a magical solution to a story that had rather written itself into a corner – a cheap way to allow the Enterprise-D to swoop in and save everyone at the last second.
Deanna Troi on the bridge.
Unlike some of the other points I’ve raised, this one isn’t even a question of timing or pacing. It would’ve required an extra handful of lines of dialogue in an earlier episode, explaining that Troi had been honing her abilities or that when she used her “pain removal” skill on Riker she’d done so at a distance. That small amount of setup would’ve allowed this moment to flow far more naturally, and wouldn’t have led to me rolling my eyes quite so much!
A clever and well-executed misdirect can add a lot to a story, particularly if the stakes are high. But even with that caveat, I have to say that the excessive “foreshadowing” of the deaths of Riker and Picard in particular fell very flat for me in The Last Generation. The episode dedicated an inordinate amount of time to setting up that the away team wouldn’t be returning from the sojourn to the Borg Cube… only for everyone to survive. Stripping some of this out would’ve still allowed The Last Generation to keep the tension high, but would’ve blunted the impression that it was deliberately deceitful. Not only that, taking a few of these scenes away would’ve opened up other possibilities, such as spending a bit more time with the Borg Queen.
There was a lot of foreshadowing that wasn’t paid off.
There’s nothing wrong with an episode feeling like a throwback to an earlier style of storytelling – especially in a story with such a strong nostalgic component. But even with that in mind, the fact that all of the main characters survived the story was a bit of a surprise. Television storytelling has changed a lot since The Next Generation premiered in 1987, and main characters should no longer consider themselves to be safe just because of their status. To the episode’s credit, it genuinely felt like Picard, Riker, and Worf were all in danger during their mission… but nothing substantial came of that, and we even got a deus ex machina rescue right at the end.
Killing off a legacy character was always going to be controversial, and I’m sure that if someone hadn’t survived, there’d have been criticism from some quarters. But a well-timed character death can feel right, conveying how high the stakes are, paying off a character arc, or making an heroic sacrifice. Star Trek has done all of these things before in different ways, and I feel it would have strengthened not only The Last Generation but Season 3 as a whole if a well-written end could’ve come for one of our main characters.
Jack and Picard were both saved at the last second.
Part of the reason for that is that, for all the buildup, The Last Generation doesn’t really feel like an ending. It feels more like All Good Things than The Undiscovered Country, with a new chapter for some or even all of these characters seemingly ready to be written. I’m all for leaving the door ajar, with possibilities on the table… but this season was supposed to be the “final” outing for this crew. Only Picard seems ready to enter retirement – and even that feels questionable as he reunited with Dr Crusher to escort Jack to his first ever Starfleet posting.
All Good Things was clearly part of the inspiration for the epilogue at the end of the episode, particularly the poker sequence. But All Good Things was written and produced at a time when the cast and crew knew that Generations was literally days away from entering production. It didn’t need to be a definitive end… because it was never meant to be. Season 3 as a whole, and The Last Generation in particular, was billed as the final voyage of this crew. And yet it ended in such a way as to suggest that practically everyone has at least one more adventure yet to come.
Riker, Picard, and La Forge on the Enterprise-D.
The final fight against the Borg Queen brought with it a lot of tropes. The Enterprise-D blasted its way along the surface of the Queen’s oversized vessel almost like an X-Wing running the Death Star trench in Star Wars, and though this sequence was visually exciting – and technically perfect from an animation point of view – it was again something that was rushed. The buildup to this sequence was blitzed through, thanks in part to the decision to spend so much time setting up character deaths that ultimately didn’t come.
Starships and the way they operate have always been vague; adaptable to different kinds of stories. Given the size discrepancy between the Enterprise-D and the Borg Queen’s mega-cube, I don’t think it’s any kind of “problem” to see the Enterprise-D move as quickly as it does and with such fluidity – and this sequence felt like an updated, modernised version of the starship’s clashes with Borg vessels in episodes like Q Who and The Best of Both Worlds.
The “Death Star trench run!”
I think my biggest eye-roll in The Last Generation came as the Enterprise-D swooped down for a last-second rescue, literally appearing in the “sky” above the Borg Queen’s chamber. Both in terms of narrative and visual presentation, this was just such an overdone trope. Across the sci-fi genre and into action, adventure, and more… we’ve seen this kind of ending so many times.
Part of the reason why this moment fell so flat for me was, I suspect, because The Last Generation hadn’t made good on any of its foreshadowed character deaths. The rescue of the survivors might’ve been more impactful had one or two of these characters lost their lives along the way. But a combination of the trope itself, its previously-unseen telepathic “magic” setup, and the fact that it rescued all of the main characters from a supposedly impossible situation… it all came together to feel like a clichéd ending.
The Enterprise-D saves the day!
I stand by what I said last time: the presentation of the Borg Queen feels quite diminished in light of what we saw in Season 2. The idea of a decrepit, weakened Borg Queen was an interesting one – but not one that The Last Generation found much time to explore. She leaned very heavily into the “I’m evil for the sake of it” villain trope, far more so than earlier presentations of the Borg Queen, who seemed to have an overarching goal in mind for the Collective. However, I can forgive that trope in light of the collapse of the Borg Collective; the idea that she’d use the last of her power to seek revenge on Starfleet makes sense.
As Jack was liberated from the Collective, and particularly as the Enterprise-D came racing in to save the day, though, the characterisation of the Borg Queen fell apart. Another huge part of why this sequence felt so clichéd was the Borg Queen’s screams of “noooo!” as her plan unravelled. This is the kind of thing that you expect to see from the supervillains of children’s comic books, or the bad guys in a Saturday morning cartoon, as their evil scheme is defeated. Again, this whole sequence was so much less interesting than it could’ve been.
“Nooooooo!” screams the defeated villain.
But now we have to contend with a question that I asked last week: does any of that matter? The clichés, the overused tropes, the basic, formulaic story, the cookie-cutter plot, the poor pacing, the underused yet also played-out villain… none of it really feels like it gets in the way of a fantastic, thoroughly enjoyable romp with Picard and the crew.
Even though The Last Generation absolutely fails to feel like an ending in any sense of the word for basically any of its characters, it’s still a more enjoyable send-off and final mission than the crew of the Enterprise-D got in Nemesis. If this is to be their final outing (and I wouldn’t bet against Paramount considering some kind of Picard TV movie or even theatrical release, given the strong reception to Season 3) then we can finally say that this crew went out on a high.
All safe and sound on the bridge.
And it’s a high because of the emotional storytelling that manages to play the nostalgia card in a way that works. This was another “made for fans” outing, one that leaned heavily into The Next Generation, Voyager, and really all of Star Trek’s past. If you’d told me at the start that the season finale would be like this, I’d have been sceptical – fearing that it would come across as a nostalgia overload. And frankly that’s what The Last Generation is: an episode that sacrifices narrative integrity for the sake of nostalgia.
Maybe it’s the blinkers of nostalgia speaking, as The Next Generation was my way into the Star Trek fandom more than thirty years ago, but I can’t hold that against Picard. It worked for me – and if that’s because I’m a basic bitch, blinded by nostalgia to the obvious flaws and gaping holes of a mediocre story… then so be it! I’ll be a basic bitch all day long.
The Enterprise-D arrives at Earth.
There’s more to storytelling than canon, consistency, and even logic. These things all matter, don’t get me wrong – but in a story like The Last Generation, it’s just that they matter far less than how the episode makes us feel. And for me at least, though I recognise with a critical (some might say cynical or jaded) eye that the episode and its narrative have flaws, almost the entire time I was on the edge of my seat, truly going through all of the emotions with Picard, Riker, and the rest of the crew as their mission unfolded.
As happened last week, that’s my real takeaway from The Last Generation. The fact that I was roped in, entertained, and went through a rollercoaster of emotions with Jean-Luc Picard and the crew more than makes up for any logical inconsistencies or narrative missteps that the episode made.
Picard toward the end of the episode.
The idea that Picard, Riker, Worf, or anyone else might actually be killed – as was extensively foreshadowed and hinted at – was gripping, and more than a little upsetting. Death felt like it was stalking the members of the away team – and those on the bridge of the Enterprise-D or trying to remain in control of the Titan scarcely felt much safer, either. This feeling persisted for much of the episode, and though the way in which it ended was ultimately a little unsatisfying because of everyone surviving, in another way that’s very “Star Trek.” Heroes like Captain Kirk famously didn’t believe in no-win scenarios – and Picard managed to pull off the impossible task of saving everyone.
Animation brought these stories to life in spectacular form – and thinking back to the finale of Picard’s first season just three years ago, it’s amazing how far Paramount and Star Trek have come. The fleets and ships seen in The Last Generation were beautiful and diverse, and seeing Spacedock as Earth’s last line of defence against a massive, imposing armada was a truly stunning sight.
Spacedock and the assimilated fleet.
Both the Titan and Enterprise-D were beautiful, too, and both ships performed incredible feats as they battled their foes. Seeing the Titan in action, taking on the entire assembled fleet, was spectacular to see – and it found another narrative justification for the cloaking device that Jack and Sidney “borrowed” a few episodes ago!
Seven and Raffi hadn’t had as much to do this season as I’d hoped – but the moments they got in The Last Generation showed both characters at their best. Part of the reason fans are so hyped up for a potential spin-off is to see more from Seven of Nine, and The Last Generation added to and rounded out her arc across all three seasons of Picard by placing her, once again, in the captain’s chair. This time, we got to see her people skills – being able to inspire and protect the motley crew of survivors on the bridge was pitch-perfect.
This was a good episode for Seven of Nine.
Again, my only real criticism of this part of the story is that I could’ve happily spent more time with Seven of Nine and the crew of the Titan! As Picard and his crew worked to stop the Borg Queen, Seven and hers provided essential covering fire – and the way that this came across was outstanding. Seven, Raffi, and their assembled survivors felt in danger practically the entire time, especially as the Titan’s cloak was destroyed and its assimilated youngsters made their way back to the bridge.
As unsold as I’ve been on Data’s resurrection this season, the character dynamic between Data and Geordi has been cute – and this trend continued in The Last Generation. Geordi sat beside Data on the bridge of the Enterprise-D – as he had in The Next Generation’s first season – and they had some fun and exciting moments together.
Data.
Likewise Riker and Worf! These two characters had a great relationship during The Next Generation era, serving together and often taking part in away missions. It was a treat to see them teamed up once again, and the dynamic they had aboard the Borg vessel added a lot of comedy to what was an otherwise serious story. Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn have great chemistry and comedic timing together, and the moments of lightheartedness through what was a dangerous mission really elevated the sequences aboard the Borg vessel.
Picard’s act of sacrifice required him to “jack in” to the Borg Collective – voluntarily assimilating himself. As the culmination of Picard’s arc with the Borg, this was a fascinating idea. Picard had already come to terms with aspects of his Borg experience in First Contact and in Seasons 1 and 2 of this series, so it wasn’t totally original or new – and that might’ve improved it, perhaps. But making this sacrificial move was clever, and fits right in with themes that the entire series has touched upon in different ways.
Picard jacks in.
I’m glad that Tuvok survived his ordeal with the changelings – though I would’ve liked to have seen how he and others may have been rescued. Again, this is something a longer season might’ve been able to include. But his scene with Seven, in which she was promoted to captain, was a very sweet part of the epilogue.
I’m not sure how I feel about the return of Q. As I said last year after Q had been “killed” in Season 2, bringing him back to life – especially with the kind of hand-wavey explanation of “don’t think in such linear terms” – undermines one of the few remaining narrative points propping up the entirety of Picard’s disappointing second season. For the sake of such a brief cameo… I wouldn’t have included Q here, I think.
Q is back.
One cameo that I adored was Walter Koenig – who sadly only appeared in audio form – as Anton Chekov, the son (or grandson) of Pavel Chekov. I jokingly said a few weeks ago in one of my theory updates that Chekov would be an unlikely inclusion this season… but it turns out I’m rather prophetic!
The name Anton was presumably chosen in memory of Anton Yelchin, who portrayed the character of Chekov in the Kelvin timeline films. This was a sweet way to memorialize him. Bringing Walter Koenig in for a cameo really brings together all of Star Trek. This finale began last week with a callback to Enterprise, Koenig represents The Original Series, and we have main characters from across The Next Generation era. It really was a celebration of all things Trek!
Data and Geordi listening to President Chekov.
There’s more to say – but we’ll have to return to The Last Generation and Season 3 on another occasion.
This review took me a long time to finish, having started it on the day the episode premiered. I had an original draft ready by last weekend, but I wasn’t happy with it so I ended up deleting and re-writing large parts of it. Keeping up with Picard this season has been a struggle, and I think I’m ready for a bit of a break from these reviews! Thankfully, the Star Trek franchise seems to be better-paced this year, and there’s a break before Strange New Worlds Season 2 arrives in June.
I enjoyed The Last Generation – in spite of its shortcomings. It was a great way to end the season, and it potentially sets up a spin-off set in this same time period, which is something I truly hope can happen.
So long, Captain Picard!
So we come to the end of Season 3… and of Star Trek: Picard. In the weeks and months ahead we’ll return to The Last Generation and to Season 3, perhaps taking a deeper look at some of the individual characters, narrative points, and themes – and dissecting them! But for now, I’m about ready to put this review to bed and move on to other topics!
I’ll round up my theory list sometime soon, too. But for now, I hope you enjoyed following along with my Picard reviews this season. Season 3 was an improvement on Season 2, without a doubt, and for the most part I had a good time with it.
Stick around, because the website isn’t going anywhere! There’s Strange New Worlds to come this summer, the video game Star Trek: Resurgence, and Discovery’s final season in early 2024. In between I’ll be re-watching older films and episodes, crafting theories, previewing upcoming projects, and talking about other franchises, too. Thanks for bearing with me while I was writing this review, and I hope to see you soon!
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.
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 Search for Spock, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, and Prodigy.
I had a tough old time figuring out what to say about Võx this week. It was simultaneously an incredibly emotional episode that hit all of the right nostalgic notes… and a flawed, trope-laden outing that literally had me rolling my eyes and even laughing out loud. But as Picard and the crew boarded the Enterprise-D and the dust settled… it’s also an episode that has completely decimated our theory list!
You can find my review of Võxby clicking or tapping here – and I hope you’ll check it out if you have time. I’ve shared my thoughts as best as I can… but I’ll be genuinely curious to see how the episode holds up in a year’s time when we’ve had time to process everything that happened this season, and to move on. Will those deeply nostalgic moments still cover up the episode’s flaws?
Jack aboard a shuttle in Võx.
This week we have five debunked theories, three further theories that I’m choosing to retire, and five fully confirmed theories. We also have three theories that I’m calling “semi” confirmed – and the reason for that status is the same in every case: something I’d proposed might be a changeling idea was actually a Borg idea. I got the basic outline more or less right – but called it a changeling plan not a Borg plan. But it’s my list so I’m still calling those “semi” confirmed!
I had a lot of fun last week theorising about what the “ancient evil” surrounding Jack might be – as well as knocking over a couple of popular fan theories that I’d spotted on social media. There’s no such bonus theory to come this week… and as we strike so many theories off of the list, we’ll be going into the finale with only a few remaining on the table!
As always, we’ll start with theories that were confirmed or debunked this week.
Debunked theory #1: Jack has changeling/Founder DNA.
Jack in this week’s episode.
Until we saw the Borg hiding inside Jack’s mind this week, which began the process of unravelling the Borg’s involvement in the story, the “big bad” that Picard and the crew were facing appeared to be a group of rogue changelings. With their focus on Jack, and Vadic appearing to have some kind of personal interest in him or connection to him, it seemed a reasonable guess that Jack might have somehow got changeling DNA mixed in with his human DNA.
Võx debunked this idea, though, explaining that Jack’s condition is in fact the result of Borg biotechnology – something that he inherited from Picard at the moment of his conception.
Debunked theory #2: The rogue changelings are attempting to reach the Nexus.
The Nexus.
This was a total wildcard, and I freely admit that! When we saw James T. Kirk’s body at Daystrom Station in the episode The Bounty, I wondered if that might’ve been a hint at the Nexus – the powerful energy ribbon seen in Star Trek Generations. The Nexus was a gateway to a paradise-like realm… but it also offered the opportunity to travel through time, something that Picard and Kirk both took advantage of.
With no other references to the Nexus or the events of Generations, it always felt like a bit of a long-shot. And if it had come so late in the season, it might’ve felt like a bolt from the blue! But the idea of the rogue changelings looking to use time travel to avenge or prevent their defeat in the Dominion War is an interesting one. Perhaps a future Star Trek story will consider an idea like this one day… or find another reason to return to the Nexus.
Debunked theory #3: Jack has Borg nanoprobes in his system.
Borg nanites as seen in Season 2.
This was completely debunked by Dr Crusher in Võx, as she stated outright that scans of Jack had confirmed that he has no Borg nanites or technology in his system. This revelation makes the Borg even more frightening, in my view, as their biotechnology is clearly light-years ahead of anything the Federation has… and proved to be completely undetectable, too!
Although I wasn’t certain that there was a Borg connection to Jack, it felt like a solid possibility – especially as we headed into Võx. With that in mind, Borg nanoprobes seemed like a reasonable explanation – but it didn’t pan out that way!
Debunked theory #4: Irumodic Syndrome is important to the rogue changelings.
Picard was first told about his susceptibility to Irumodic Syndrome in All Good Things…
The rogue changelings – who we now know were being controlled and/or directed by the Borg – couldn’t care less about Irumodic Syndrome. Picard and Jack don’t actually have the condition after all, it would seem! They wanted Picard’s old corpse and Jack because the anomaly in their brains was latent Borg biotechnology.
The Borg needed Jack to broadcast and amplify their signal, which they did during the Frontier Day event. Irumodic Syndrome was never part of their plan – it was a misdiagnosis by Starfleet doctors who didn’t understand what they were dealing with.
Debunked theory #5: The rogue changelings are planning to cripple Starfleet.
The assembled fleet in orbit of Earth.
Although being assimilated and controlled by the Borg is a crippling blow to Starfleet, that isn’t really what I meant by this theory! In short, I suggested that the rogue changelings’ scheme involved destroying either key front-line ships within Starfleet or blowing up large numbers of ships indiscriminately. When we saw that some rogue changeling operatives had powerful explosives with them, that possibility seemed likely!
We now know, of course, that the plan was for the Borg to assimilate younger Starfleet officers and hack into the connected Federation fleet. It doesn’t seem like the Borg plan to destroy any of the ships under their control – though they did destroy a vessel that managed to escape!
Retired theory #1: Someone on the crew is a changeling imposter.
Picard and the crew aboard the Enterprise-D.
Even though there’s one episode remaining in which I fully expect twists and turns, I’m choosing to belatedly strike this theory from the list. After the deeply emotional reunion at the end of Surrender, and Picard and the crew taking their posts aboard the Enterprise-D this week, I no longer feel that this kind of storyline would work. With less than an hour left to wrap up all of the storylines in play, adding something like this into the mix would also complicate the story unnecessarily.
As Võx has moved away from the rogue changelings to re-orient the story around the Borg, I suspect we won’t hear much more about them at all. There really ought to be something to wrap up that side of the story… but with the Borg planning a conquest of Earth, this theory now feels beyond the realm of possibility.
Retired theories #2 and #3: The rogue changelings are also planning attacks on the Klingons, Romulans, Bajorans, and Cardassians.
A joint Federation-Klingon task force during the Dominion War. Image Credit: JTVFX on YouTube
These two theories are also being retired now that we know the Borg are the ones directing this conspiracy. In short, I’d suggested that if the changelings were on the march, they might be seeking revenge for their defeat in the Dominion War. If so, it seemed logical to think that they might also be targeting other factions beyond the Federation who fought alongside them.
The Klingons and Romulans were the main ones, as they’d been part of the anti-Dominion alliance. But the Cardassians turned on their Dominion allies near the close of the war, and while officially neutral, Bajor clearly sided with the Federation, too. But now that we’ve seen the truth behind the conspiracy, this idea seems to be busted!
Semi-confirmed theory #1: The rogue changelings didn’t want Jean-Luc Picard, they wanted Locutus.
Locutus of Borg.
The conspiracy necessitated the use of Jean-Luc Picard’s corpse… but not for any reason to do with Picard himself! Borg biotechnology that had been installed or generated inside of Picard’s brain while he was assimilated was key to the conspiracy, meaning that the rogue changelings really needed the body of Locutus.
It seems as if this DNA/brain modification isn’t something that all Borg receive, otherwise the conspiracy could’ve targetted someone like Seven of Nine – or simply used any other Borg drone or ex-Borg. So it really was Locutus who was the key to the success of this scheme.
Semi-confirmed theory #2: Jack is a “sleeper agent.”
Jack in Võx.
The Borg clearly knew of Jack and his potential long before this conspiracy got started. They didn’t necessarily “plan” his conception – and it remains unclear whether any other child of Picard’s would have been similarly useful to them. But when the Borg learned that Picard had a child, they realised they could take advantage of his abilities.
In that sense, Jack is a “sleeper agent;” an asset that the Borg had within humanity unbeknownst to anyone in Starfleet – or even to Jack himself. Jack would never have voluntarily participated in the plot – though his decision to seek out the Borg Queen had the unintended consequence of the scheme succeeding – but the Borg Queen planned to use him for that purpose.
Semi-confirmed theory #3: The Borg hacked into the connected Federation fleet.
The USS Titan.
Having a connected fleet that could operate as a single entity always felt like a dangerous idea – and so it proved! The Borg were able to tap into Starfleet’s connected armada and turn the entire fleet against the Federation – even destroying ships that broke formation and tried to escape. This had been set up by comments about the connected nature of newer Starfleet vessels earlier in the season.
The Borg are a fascinating warning about the dangers of out-of-control technology, and if we extend that metaphor to their takeover of the fleet, there are some very interesting real-world parallels as we continue to work on artificial intelligence out here in the real world!
Confirmed theory #1: The “ancient evil” was the Borg Queen.
Well, look who it is!
I tackled this question in last week’s theory update, and expanded it in a standalone piece in which I considered a few other ideas – and debunked a few theories that I felt certain weren’t correct! It never seemed plausible to me that Species 8472, the Romulans, or the Pah-Wraiths could have been introduced into the story at such a late stage – not without any kind of hint or suggestion that they were implicated in the conspiracy. The Borg – and the Borg Queen specifically – seemed the most likely “ancient evil” to me, and so it proved!
There had been hints and teases all season long; a trail of breadcrumbs to follow that led to this revelation. While we can (and will) criticise the decision to bring the Borg into play for the third season in a row, the timing of this revelation coming so late in the season, and myriad other issues with this storyline, I can’t really find fault in the setup.
Confirmed theory #2: Jack’s hallucinations, red eyes, and superpowers came from the Borg.
Jack’s glowing red eyes.
There was a bit of a misdirect here, as the colour red isn’t one we’d really associate with the Borg. Nor are Jack’s other abilities, come to that! But given that I was always suspicious of some kind of Borg involvement or connection to the events of the season – going all the way back to before the season premiere – it seemed plausible that what was happening to Jack was caused by the Borg.
The biotechnology deployed by the Borg is unlike anything we’ve ever seen them use – but that’s a pretty cool idea, and it shows once again just how much more advanced the Borg are when compared with the Federation. In addition to tapping into combat prowess he didn’t know he had – which may have come from assimilation victims, if you think about it – Jack also heard the voice of the Borg Queen and possessed the ability to “assimilate” other humanoids, albeit only briefly. The glowing eyes were just a symptom.
Confirmed theory #3: Captain Shaw died.
Captain Shaw meets his end.
Poor Captain Shaw! After surviving far longer than I’d expected, he was finally killed off in Võx, with his death buying time for Picard and the others (sans Seven and Raffi, for some reason) to escape the Titan. Captain Shaw had been an interesting character in the first three or four episodes of the season, but had felt superfluous for a long time. I’d been expecting his death from the very first episode, initially wondering if he might be killed off to allow Picard, Riker, or Seven to sit in the captain’s chair.
At this late stage in the story, Shaw feels like the easiest main character to have killed. And while his death had an impact and showed the danger faced by Picard and everyone else in Starfleet… it came a bit late in the game for me. As a character who hadn’t had much to say or do for several episodes, Shaw’s death was perhaps less significant than it could’ve been. But regardless – I got this prediction right!
Confirmed theory #4: Another unannounced character returned!
Admiral Shelby!
After Ro Laren and Tuvok had appeared earlier in the season (and of course Lore and Professor Moriarty, who had been teased in pre-season trailers, appeared too), we got to see Admiral Shelby this week. Shelby appeared in the classic episode The Best of Both Worlds, where she was one of Starfleet’s biggest experts on the Borg. In an episode in which the Borg returned, there was something fitting about bringing her back – as indeed there was at having her (apparently) killed by the Borg.
There were also name-drops of a couple of other characters, including a starship seemingly named after Dr Pulaski – the doctor who joined the crew of the Enterprise-D for one year. This one is going to be recycled back into the main theory list, though… because there’s still time for another surprise or two before the season is over!
Confirmed theory #5: The Borg are involved.
Called it!
After the season premiere, in which there were a handful of Borg references, this theory was added to the list. And it turns out that those hints and teases actually were intended to jump-start the process of setting up the Borg to be the season’s main antagonist. We can argue that this reveal came too late in the story, and with only one episode left it might not be the most satisfying conflict, but at the end of the day it’s still pretty cool to have Picard and the crew facing off against the Borg once again!
As above, this is something I feel was pretty well-established by earlier episodes in the season, even as the main story seemed to focus on Vadic and the changelings. There are issues with the way this was done, particularly in terms of timing and pacing, and we’ll have to unpack all of that in the future. But for now we can call this one confirmed!
So those theories were confirmed, debunked, or have been retired.
Phew, that was a lot! There are still a few theories that remain in play, though – and Võx threw up a couple of new ideas, too. So let’s jump into the main theory list!
Theory #1: The Jurati-Borg will ally with Picard.
The Dr Jurati-Borg Queen hybrid.
The events of Season 2 were briefly mentioned earlier in the season, but it’s worth remembering that the Jurati-Borg are still out there, potentially as provisional Federation members in relatively close proximity to Earth. Maybe they will ride to Starfleet’s aid and help protect Earth against their Borg brethren.
We still need to get closure on Dr Jurati’s story, which ended with a kind of “see you later” as she promised to watch over the mysterious anomaly at the end of Season 2. Perhaps the final episode of the series could bring her back – along with her Borg offshoot faction.
Theory #2: Other old/classic starships will join the Enterprise-D to face off against the Borg.
The Enterprise-D departing the Fleet Museum.
One starship against the entire Federation fleet? The Enterprise-D will be obliterated in a furious storm of quantum torpedoes the moment it arrives at Earth. Galaxy-class ships aren’t especially manoeuvrable, either… so if Picard is going to take a stand and defeat the Borg, he’s going to need allies.
Perhaps there are other ships in the fleet that weren’t upgraded, or other mothballed vessels that could join the Enterprise-D. Ships with primarily older crews, or vessels whose transporters hadn’t been meddled with could all – in theory – join in. We’ve already seen some beautiful CGI recreations of ships like the USS Voyager and Enterprise-A… maybe they could join the party?
Theory #3: At least one more unannounced character will make an appearance.
I don’t think we can rule out Morn…
We’ve already seen characters from The Next Generation and Voyager this season – but aside from Worf, there hasn’t been anyone from Deep Space Nine. Could that change? Someone like Miles O’Brien, for example, could make for a great inclusion in the story. We could also get another cameo or two from guest stars from that era – older Starfleet officers who may rush to the Federation’s defence and take a stand against the Borg with Picard.
There are many possibilities for how this could play out – and after the shocking appearance of Wesley Crusher last year, I’m not ruling anyone out as we head into the final episode of the season!
Theory #4: At least one main character will be killed.
Rest in peace…
The demise of Captain Shaw has proved one thing: this is a dangerous, life-threatening situation! As I said before the season began, television storytelling has changed a lot since The Next Generation first aired, and main characters should no longer be considered to be “safe” simply because of their status.
As we approach what seems to be a climactic battle, practically everyone could be in danger! I’d posit that most of the officers who had been “assimilated” are still salvageable, though.
Theory #5: The Borg and/or the rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.
The anomaly.
With their plot now exposed and out in the open, could we finally learn that the mysterious anomaly from Season 2 was also a Borg/rogue changeling attack? Perhaps it was intended to be a precursor to their scheme, or the thwarting of their attack is what led them to develop this more underhanded plan.
I hope that the series won’t just end without explaining this anomaly… even though I fear that will be the case! It was an important point in the story of Season 2, and is actually one of the few elements from last time that might’ve worked. I’d like to know more about it at any rate – even if the Borg and rogue changelings had nothing to do with it.
Theory #6: Picard will donate his golem body to Jack.
Picard with Jack.
Even if the Borg can be stopped and Jack can be recovered safely from the Borg Queen’s clutches, he still has a brain anomaly that is likely to prove fatal. Although Picard and Jack are not afflicted by Irumodic Syndrome, the Borg biotechnology in their brains is still an issue – and it “killed” Picard back in Season 1.
With that in mind, perhaps Jack could be saved the way Picard was – by being transferred into a golem body. Picard could step up and donate his golem to Jack, saving the life of his son in one final act of parental love.
Theory #7: Deanna Troi will use her “pain removal” skill on Jack.
Deanna with Jack.
A couple of weeks ago we learned that Troi was able to “enter” Riker’s mind and remove from him the pain he felt at the death of their son. This skill feels like it could come in handy for removing something malicious from someone’s brain – and Jack is just the person who might need that kind of help!
Even if Troi can’t physically remove the Borg’s biotechnology, perhaps she will be able to use this skill to prevent the Borg from using Jack in this way again, or at least cover up the symptoms so Jack can live a normal life.
Theory #8: Floaty McFloatface will be back.
Floaty McFloatface.
We haven’t seen Vadic’s boss for a couple of episodes now, and it’s plausible to think that her death means this unnamed character won’t be back. But if the finale is to explain the alliance/relationship between the Borg and the rogue changelings in any degree of detail, it’s at least possible that Floaty McFloatface could be part of that – either by having survived or via a flashback sequence.
I’d quite like to know how the Borg were able to either assimilate or ally with Vadic and her group, and there’s only one episode left for this to be explained!
Theory #9: Floaty McFloatface isn’t a changeling.
Vadic with Floaty McFloatface.
It seems plausible, if not downright likely, that Floaty McFloatface is a Borg, perhaps a representative sent by the Queen to keep Vadic in line. However, Floaty McFloatface always appeared to have changeling-like qualities, and the exact nature of who and what they are hasn’t been fully explored.
As above, it’s possible we’ll get none of this, and that the season will end without going into detail on this half-baked character. But I hope we’ll get to know something about how the Borg and changelings came to work together, at the very least.
Theory #10: The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained – or at least mentioned.
Soji in Season 1.
Was Elnor aboard the USS Excelsior when it was destroyed? Because that was the ship he was assigned to in Season 2. Where are Soji and her friends from Coppelius? And is the Dr Jurati-Borg Queen hybrid still watching over the mysterious anomaly? These characters were all important in earlier chapters of the story, and while Laris briefly appeared in the season premiere, the others have yet to be so much as mentioned.
It would be a shame if the series were to end without at least mentioning some of these characters – even if they don’t appear in person. They were all important in Seasons 1 and 2, and while Picard seems to have given up on the idea of introducing brand-new characters, developing them, and giving them a chance to take the franchise forward… I’d still like to know why some of these folks couldn’t have joined Picard’s mission on this occasion.
Theory #11: Odo will make an appearance – somehow.
Odo in Deep Space Nine.
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.
So that’s it!
The Enterprise-D is en route to Earth…
As we head into the final episode of Star Trek: Picard, the theory list has been slimmed down! I’m sure that there will be twists, turns, and unpredictable moments as Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D battle the Borg for one last time. I have absolutely no idea how they’ll pull it off or turn this dire situation around… so I guess the only way we’ll find out will be to watch The Last Generation when it airs!
I’ll be trying very hard to avoid spoilers before I watch the episode – and I hope you’ll manage to do the same. The finale of Picard is bittersweet, and to think that this is the last time I’ll be writing theories about an upcoming episode of this show… it’s an emotional moment!
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.
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 Search for Spock, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, and Prodigy.
Phew! Surrender has finally killed off a whole bunch of theories as we gear up for the final two episodes of Star Trek: Picard. There are still twists and turns to come, of that I’m certain, but this week marks the definitive end for a whole host of theories – several of which have been running for all or almost all of the season!
Quite a few of the debunked or retiring theories were to do with Vadic – and as she died this week, so do they. Vadic’s death was unspectacular, at least in my opinion, and also it feels premature. Vadic died without telling us much of anything, aside from her tortured backstory, and several of these theories still feel like they could have been plausible had we spent more time with the season’s only named villainous character.
Vaporising a dead changeling.
But you can check out my review for my thoughts on Vadic, Surrender in a more general sense, and my unease at the concept of killing the only named villain in the eighth episode of a ten-episode season. You can find my review of Surrenderby clicking or tapping here.
This week we have one confirmation, one semi-confirmation, a whopping five debunkings, and two theories that – while not debunked outright by the events of Surrender – I’m choosing to retire from the list. They now seem completely implausible based on the direction taken by the story. As always, we’ll take a look at all of these first!
Confirmed theory: The rogue changelings are keeping their most important prisoners alive.
Riker and Troi in a prison cell aboard the Shrike.
I have to say that it never seemed to be a realistic prospect that Riker would simply have been murdered after being kidnapped by Vadic – not before he could rejoin the crew and participate in the TNG reunion that pre-season marketing heavily pushed! But the fact that Riker and Troi were being kept alive by Vadic’s crew may also bode well for Tuvok – and possibly for other characters, too.
We saw in earlier episodes that the rogue changelings were killing at least some of the individuals that they replaced – but with all the talk of blood and DNA, it seemed at least plausible that they might keep some of their more important targets alive. Hopefully that includes Tuvok!
Semi-confirmed theory: Worf and Raffi saved Riker and Troi.
A hug for a job well done!
I had also included Tuvok in this theory last week, so we can only call it “semi” confirmed! But as expected, Worf and Raffi successfully tracked down Riker after his capture and were able to free him – along with Deanna Troi – from captivity aboard the Shrike.
Raffi played less of a role in this story in some ways, but she got her explosive action sequence after boarding the Titan.
Debunked theory #1: Picard and the crew will commandeer the Shrike.
The destruction of the Shrike.
There were multiple narrative routes to Picard and the crew of the Titan stealing the Shrike – a powerful warship that could have proved useful in the fight that may lie ahead! I wondered if Vadic may have been trapped in the holodeck, for example, or if Picard would use her takeover of the Titan to covertly slip his forces aboard her vessel somehow.
Regardless, this idea was shot down in flames – literally! The Titan blew up the Shrike shortly after Vadic’s death, and although it might’ve made sense to try to capture the vessel instead, its destruction is kind of symbolic of the story of the past eight episodes being brought to a close ahead of the finale.
Debunked theory #2: Vadic and/or the rogue changelings got to Lore before Picard.
Lore in Surrender.
For me – speaking as someone who has admittedly never been the biggest fan of Lore – the return of Data’s “brother” fell rather flat. His lack of connection to the main story made the sequences in which he appeared feel like little more than padding; an unnecessary bump in the road as a relatively thin story was stretched to breaking point.
One way in which I felt Lore could have made a more positive contribution to the plot is if he’d been connected to Vadic and the rogue changelings somehow. With Vadic’s people having boarded Daystrom Station at least once – to steal the portal-weapon and Picard’s body – it seemed plausible to think that they might’ve somehow tampered with Lore, reprogramming him to be on their side. But it didn’t pan out that way!
Debunked theory #3: Vadic is the female changeling from Deep Space Nine.
Vadic shifting between forms.
While I wouldn’t say I was ever “sold” on this theory, it seemed like a possibility for a while. The female changeling who directed the Dominion’s war effort in Deep Space Nine was one of only a handful of changeling characters that we met, and as of the end of the Dominion War she was in Federation custody.
The story of Season 3 has touched on Deep Space Nine in more ways than one – but the female changeling hasn’t been so much as mentioned all season long. It would have felt like a bolt from the blue if this connection had been made at such a late stage… but it could have been interesting if it had been handled well.
Debunked theory #4: Deanna Troi is a changeling.
Oh no she isn’t!
In a story involving a changeling-led conspiracy, I think it’s all too easy to become “paranoid” and to see changelings behind the face of practically every character! That being said, Troi’s first appearance in the season – outside of minor cameos – came aboard the Shrike… a vessel crewed by changelings.
It didn’t seem like much of a leap to think that she may have been replaced, and that this imposter was designed to trick Riker into betraying Picard or revealing the location of the Titan.
Debunked theory #5: Vadic will be killed by her own portal-weapon.
Vadic was ejected into space.
In the first part of the season, Vadic’s portal-weapon was a big plot point. In fact, Vadic’s theft of the powerful device was basically the only thing we knew about her for several episodes! In stories like these, it’s not an uncommon trope for the villain to be killed by their own weapon; hoisted by their own petard.
After Vadic jettisoned the portal-weapon before taking the Shrike into the nebula a few weeks ago, I felt sure she’d pick it back up. It seemed like too powerful a weapon to just abandon. But the portal-weapon disappeared from the plot – and Vadic’s ultimate end was entirely unrelated to it.
Retired theory #1: Not all of Raffi’s messages were from Worf.
The encrypted communications panel aboard La Sirena.
This theory hasn’t been debunked – but with two episodes left and a conspiracy to defeat, it feels all but certain that the story is going in a completely different direction. In short, I had suggested that there was a reason why Raffi’s messages from her handler came in the form of text and a disembodied digital voice, and that perhaps Vadic or other rogue changelings hacked into her messages and relayed her false information.
Raffi’s relatively minor role over the past few episodes, and the story leaving behind the criminal underworld, had already made this one feel increasingly unlikely. I’m choosing to pull it from the list at this point, since it doesn’t seem like a story beat that will be revisited.
Retired theory #2: Vadic has assembled a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.
Vadic in Surrender.
This theory had been barely hanging on for several weeks – but I was still wondering if other characters from past iterations of Star Trek might’ve been allied with the rogue changelings and included in their conspiracy. The fact that the crew of the Shrike were all wearing strange masks led me to wonder whether there might be familiar faces hidden behind the masks – but the Shrike was destroyed this week, and its crew were all killed.
As a concept, the idea of Picard having to face an alliance of all of his most powerful adversaries from across The Next Generation was a fascinating one – and while we won’t see it in this series now, perhaps it’s an idea that could be revisited one day. It would make a fun 60th Anniversary special, for example, if a combined crew from across The Next Generation era had to face down a rogues’ gallery of villains!
So those theories were confirmed, debunked, or have been retired!
Now we’ll move into the main theory list, beginning with theories that are brand-new or that saw significant movement in the episode Surrender.
Theory #1: Troi will use her “pain removal” skill on Jack.
Troi and Jack.
While Riker and Troi were imprisoned, their conversation turned to something that Troi had done to Riker: she used her Betazoid abilities to “enter” his mind and remove the pain he felt at his son’s death. She did so with the best of intentions – but as always, these things have unintended consequences!
But why bring up this episode in their past? We didn’t see any of this happen, after all, and Surrender seemed to linger over this idea. Could it be that this sequence has established Troi’s pain removal skill for a reason? If so, who might need something removed from their mind? Jack Crusher, who has been struggling with hallucinatory experiences, seems like the most likely candidate!
Theory #2: The rogue changelings didn’t want Jean-Luc Picard… they wanted Locutus.
Picard comes face-to-face with Locutus in Season 1.
Did Picard’s old body just get blown to smithereens when the Shrike was destroyed? Regardless, it seems as if the rogue changelings took part of Picard’s brain – the part that may have been affected by Irumodic Syndrome. But why would they want that? My theory is that they were harvesting not something organic, but rather a Borg device that was left over from Picard’s assimilation experience.
We saw in Season 2 that Starfleet has used Borg tech in its latest generation of starships – and how the Borg were able to take advantage of that. Maybe the rogue changelings’ plot involves using parts from Locutus in order to commandeer, hack into, or damage Starfleet vessels. They didn’t need Jean-Luc Picard’s body… they needed Locutus.
Theory #3: The rogue changelings are planning to hack into the entire connected Federation fleet.
A Starfleet armada as seen in Season 2.
Connected to the idea above, perhaps part of the rogue changelings’ plans for Frontier Day involve hacking into Starfleet. We learned earlier in the season that all of the ships in the fleet can communicate with one another – so perhaps the rogue changelings want to take advantage of this. They could instruct the ships to fire on one another, perhaps.
I would say that it’s kind of frustrating at such a late stage to not know what exactly the rogue changelings are planning! This feels like a plausible idea based on what we’ve seen on screen so far, though.
Theory #4: Jack’s eyes, combat skills, and hallucinations are connected to the Borg.
Jack’s eyes.
If Picard’s Irumodic Syndrome may have been misdiagnosed, then perhaps the same has happened to Jack. If Picard’s brain was actually affected by Borg implants, perhaps Jack somehow inherited these Borg changes from Picard. If so, his skills, eyes, and hallucinations may all be connected to the Borg.
Red isn’t a colour we typically associate with the Borg – but if Jack’s eyes glowed green, perhaps that would be too much of a giveaway! In past Star Trek stories, characters who had previously been assimilated have been shown to “hear” Borg voices, or the voice of the Borg Queen, so that could also connect with this theory.
Theory #4-A: Jack has Borg nanoprobes in his body.
Borg nanoprobes.
If Jack has a Borg brain (or a Borg brain implant) then it stands to reason that he also has Borg nanites in his system. Given the connection to Picard, it seems likely that he would have inherited these from Picard at the moment of conception, but I suppose it’s also possible that he picked them up somewhere along his travels.
These latent nanoprobes may be the key to his hallucinations – explaining how Jack can hear a voice that isn’t his own.
Theory #5: Jack’s “ancient” voice is the Borg Queen.
The original Borg Queen.
At the end of Surrender, Deanna Troi explained that Jack is hearing an “ancient” voice that is not his own, and that this voice is tied to the darkness swirling around him. In earlier episodes, a voice that Jack could hear had a feminine quality to it, so my thoughts have immediately turned to the Borg Queen. If, as suggested, Jack has Borg nanites in his system that he inherited from Picard, maybe he’s hearing the voice of the Borg Queen.
Presumably, if this theory were to pan out, we’d be talking about the original Queen, not the Dr Jurati hybrid that was created in Season 2. There are certainly other ancient evils that I can think of in Star Trek, but none are as connected to Picard – and possibly to Jack – as the Borg Queen. This connection could also pay off the multiple Borg mentions earlier in the season.
Theory #6: The Borg are involved.
A Borg cube in The Next Generation.
There have been multiple references to the Borg this season – and to Picard’s assimilation experience in particular. We’ve just looked at a couple of possible ways in which the Borg could be brought into the story, but there are others. I suspect that, if there is to be a Borg connection, it will involve Borg technology rather than the Collective itself – especially with only a couple of episodes remaining.
However, we can’t rule out some kind of alliance between the rogue changelings and the Borg. Floaty McFloatface may have been the Borg’s “representative,” for example, directing the rogue changelings to carry out the Collective’s orders.
Theory #7: Jack Crusher has changeling DNA… somehow.
A strand of DNA from the closing credits.
Whatever is going on with Jack is implied to also be tied to Picard, so would this mean that Picard also has changeling DNA? That’s something to think over! But for now, suffice to say that Vadic knew a lot about Jack, including the specific details of one of his hallucinatory experiences. How could she possibly know that – unless it’s something that she and/or other changelings have experienced?
I don’t believe that Jack is a changeling – and at this late stage, the story couldn’t get away with going down that route. However, it seems possible that Jack has somehow got a small amount of changeling DNA in his system – explaining why the rogue changelings have been so interested in him, and how they’ve come to know so much about him.
Theory #8: Jack is a “sleeper agent.”
Jack holding a thermal detonator.
Jack may or may not have Borg nanites or changeling DNA… but either way, perhaps he’s a “sleeper agent.” He could be either a Dominion sleeper agent or a Federation one, who has been programmed or brainwashed – perhaps while away from Beverly attending school – and designed to be “activated” at a later time.
Jack’s birth came after the end of the Dominion War, so he wasn’t – as I had originally guessed – programmed to participate in that conflict. But this kind of deep cover intelligence asset is something that Section 31 might use, as well as other factions.
Theory #9: Floaty McFloatface will be back.
Floaty McFloatface with Vadic.
Argh, I hate this one. But it seems at least possible that Floaty McFloatface – who appeared to be Vadic’s boss – may not be as dead as we think. We didn’t see Floaty McFloatface in Surrender, and while Vadic seemed to have both of her hands when she died, it’s possible that this unnamed character may have survived, or may have never been a true part of Vadic to begin with.
I don’t like this idea because bringing a character back in this kind of fake-out way is usually not very satisfying. But another part of me wants to know who Floaty McFloatface was and what they hoped to achieve – things I can hardly believe that we still don’t know at this late stage in the story!
Theory #10: Floaty McFloatface isn’t a changeling.
Who (and what) is Floaty McFloatface?
If we haven’t seen the last of Floaty McFloatface, perhaps we’ll learn who they really are – and I suspect that they may not be a changeling, or at least not a Founder. The way in which Floaty spoke to Vadic, and specifically the way in which he talked about her “kind,” seemed to imply that they may not be the same race.
Vadic also appeared to fear Floaty McFloatface, which could suggest a power imbalance. If Floaty was a representative of the Borg, for example, Vadic may have feared their power. Vadic’s death throws this theory into doubt, but I don’t think we should strike it from the list just yet.
Theory #11: Captain Shaw will be killed.
He’s lasted longer than I expected…
I’m tempted to strike this one off the list, to tell you the truth! But I’ve held onto this theory for the whole season, and with two episodes left it still seems possible – despite the fact that Captain Shaw has survived two major injuries so far. I maintain that Shaw feels superfluous – decisions appear to be taken on board his ship without his input, and that doesn’t really pass muster as a narrative point. But at the same time, opportunities to kill him off have come and gone.
It would have been far more impactful for Vadic to have killed Shaw in Surrender than to have killed the relatively minor character of T’Veen, for example. If the writers want the impact of killing a major character but don’t want the controversy of killing a legacy character, Shaw and Raffi are the only real choices. With two episodes left – in which Picard and the crew must confront the remaining changelings – Shaw could still be in danger, even if the impact of his possible death would be lesser at this point in the story.
Theory #12: Someone on the crew will turn out to be a changeling imposter.
Picard and the crew in The Next Generation Season 5.
At this point in the story, it seems as if we should be able to rule out all of The Next Generation characters as changeling imposters. But part of me still feels suspicious – there may yet be a twist in someone’s story that we’re not supposed to see coming!
It might be difficult to pull this off now, especially after a touching reunion between the old friends at the end of Surrender. But when the changelings are involved… as I said earlier, it can be tempting to feel paranoid and see changelings hiding everywhere! Perhaps a changeling has been hiding in plain sight all along, pushing Picard and the crew to a specific place to benefit their overall conspiracy.
Theory #13: The rogue changelings are planning to cripple Starfleet.
Federation vessels seen in a pre-season trailer.
Frontier Day is now just hours away… and we still don’t know what the rogue changelings are hoping to accomplish. Having replaced dozens or perhaps hundreds of well-placed Starfleet personnel, it seems plausible that they may be planning to destroy or disable a significant number of Federation starships. We’ve already seen on two separate occasions that rogue changeling operatives were equipped with bombs. Perhaps blowing up the fleet is their ambition.
A coordinated strike against dozens of ships could cripple the Federation’s ability to defend itself, especially if the rogue changelings pick their targets carefully and select the right ships! This could even be a backup plan of sorts – something that the rogue changelings will do if their main plan involving Jack Crusher can’t be carried out.
Theory #14: At least one main character will be killed.
Spock’s funeral at the end of The Wrath of Khan.
As we approach the end of the story, there’s still at least one battle to come. I suspect that not everyone will make it to the end in one piece – and a well-timed character death could really seal the deal when it comes to raising the stakes and/or paying off a character arc. It would be shocking and tragic, of course, to have to bid farewell to someone we may have known for more than thirty years… but it’s a distinct possibility.
I’m a tad surprised at this point in the season that we haven’t seen more death. Ro Laren’s death was the most significant so far… but there’s still time! I wrote a list before the season premiere outlining who I thought could be in danger, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here.
Theory #15: At least one more unannounced character will make an appearance!
Could it be Julian Bashir or Ezri Dax?
In addition to the characters we knew would be returning, there have been two big surprises: Tuvok and Ro Laren. But there’s still time for at least one more character from the past to make a welcome return to Star Trek. Admiral Janeway’s name has been mentioned more than once, and we know that Kate Mulgrew is still involved with Star Trek as she’s appeared in Prodigy, so she has to be a contender!
But there are a whole host of characters – major and minor – from The Next Generation era and beyond who could potentially appear. There isn’t time now for anyone to play a major role, but cameos are a distinct possibility. We saw in both Seasons 1 and 2 that the final episodes included surprises… so be on the lookout for familiar faces!
So those theories are new or moved significantly this week.
Now, as always, I’ll recap the remaining theories that are still in play. I find it helps to keep everything in one place!
Theory #16: 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 #17: The rogue changelings may also be targeting the Bajorans and Cardassians.
Gul Dukat with Weyoun in Deep Space Nine.
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 #18: The rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.
The anomaly in the Season 2 finale.
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 #19: Picard will donate his golem body to Jack.
Picard in his golem body at the end of Season 1.
The revelation that Jack has the terminal and incurable Irumodic syndrome was a surprising inclusion in The Bounty – and it tied into that episode’s theme of the relationship parents have with their children, and what kinds of things children inherit from their parents. Irumodic syndrome was the most obvious example of a “flaw” passed from parent to child.
But this story could have also set up the endgame – not only for Season 3, but for Jean-Luc Picard himself. In short, I’m suggesting that Picard will donate his golem to Jack, sacrificing himself to save his son’s life in one final act of parental love. This will come after the rogue changelings have been defeated – and will mark the definitive, conclusive end of both Star Trek: Picard and the show’s title character.
Theory #20: The rogue changelings are trying to reach the Nexus.
Dr Soran excitedly awaits the Nexus.
One of the easter eggs in The Bounty showed us a glimpse of Captain Kirk’s body – or a readout on a screen, at least. As far as we know, only two corpses were stored at Daystrom Station: Picard’s and Kirk’s. Aside from both being captains of the Enterprise, what else do these two characters have in common? They both used the Nexus to travel through time. Picard travelled only a few hours, but Kirk jumped forwards in time by decades.
The Nexus hasn’t been mentioned since Generations, and it would be a less well-known part of Star Trek to bring back in some ways. But the timelines could kind of sync up here: if it’s been 30+ years since the events of Generations, and the Nexus returns every 39.1 years, that could work! The Nexus could also be phenomenally useful for the rogue changelings – if they wanted to travel back in time to prevent the Dominion’s defeat, for example.
Theory #21: Irumodic syndrome is important to the rogue changelings.
Irumodic syndrome “killed” Picard… briefly.
As Picard noted in The Bounty, he “died” of Irumodic syndrome back in Season 1. Irumodic syndrome is a big link between Jack and Picard right now – and because these two characters are the ones who seem to have gotten most of the rogue changelings’ attention, that fact could be significant!
Perhaps Irumodic syndrome can be used by changelings to mask their presence, or maybe it can somehow cure the genetic disease that Section 31 created. Irumodic syndrome could also be an indication that an individual possesses changeling DNA – or some other attribute that’s important to changelings.
Theory #22: The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.
Elnor with his fellow cadets in Season 2.
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 #23: Odo will make an appearance – somehow.
Odo in Deep Space Nine.
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.
So that’s it!
Vadic’s disappointing demise.
It’s still all to play for as we approach the final pair of episodes, and there are still many different routes that the story could take. I desperately hope that whatever comes next will feel natural, and will feel connected in some way to the story elements that have already been introduced. The last thing Picard needs is yet another deus ex machina-type ending! In spite of my disappointment with Surrender and the premature death of Vadic, I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for an ending to the story that is, at the very least, narratively coherent.
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.
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 Search for Spock, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Discovery.
If you’ve already checked out my review of Dominion, you’ll know it’s an episode that I have mixed feelings about! It was tense and exciting, with some truly fantastic acting performances and clever use of lighting – but it’s also an episode that, narratively speaking, wasn’t particularly original and that didn’t take the main story of the season to an especially fun place.
After last week’s theory massacre, Dominion didn’t actually move the needle very much! Most of the theories on the list remain relatively unchanged, in spite of a lot of running around and shooting at changelings! There are a few changes, of course – but perhaps fewer than I’d been expecting at this relatively late stage. There are just three episodes left, after all!
The Titan and the Shrike in Dominion.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Tuvok’s face this week – and I hope that we’ll see the real Tuvok before the season ends. It’s great to see Picard leaning into Voyager and Deep Space Nine as well as The Next Generation – it feels like Season 3 is trying really hard to celebrate the legacy of the 24th Century Star Trek shows. This was “my” era of Star Trek through my adolescence and young adulthood – so I’m trying really hard to keep a positive attitude and get on board with this festival of Trek!
This week we have two theories that I’m calling “semi” confirmed, one outright confirmation, and one sole debunking. As always, that’s where we’ll begin!
Semi-confirmed theory #1: Lore betrayed Picard and the crew.
Lore in Dominion.
I’m probably going to rework part of this theory and keep it on the list – so check that out below! But for now, suffice to say that I was right about Lore messing things up for Picard and the crew. His ill-timed interventions, just as the crew of the Titan were trying to trap Vadic and her crew, seem to have allowed Vadic and her followers to break out of confinement and seize control of the ship – as well as endangering Jack and Sidney in the process.
I have to be honest here: I didn’t like how this played out on screen. It felt contrived, and it made the main thrust of Dominion’s story feel like a succession of random, unlikely coincidences. But nevertheless, I was right about Lore betraying Picard.
Semi-confirmed theory #2: A spin-off has been announced!
The official announcement graphic.
Okay, okay. If you want to get all technical about it, Starfleet Academy probably isn’t a true spin-off from Picard. The show’s rather threadbare announcement seemed to imply that the new series will be set in Discovery’s far future era, perhaps picking up threads from the backdoor pilot All Is Possible, which aired during Discovery’s fourth season.
But I’m claiming victory on this one nonetheless! This is the first announcement of a new Star Trek series since Strange New Worlds was greenlit three years ago, and it came during Picard’s third season – as I hoped an announcement would! Part of me is tempted to stick this theory back on the list and hope for an announcement of a “Seven of Nine show” or Star Trek: Titan… but I suspect that Starfleet Academy will be the last big announcement for some time.
Confirmed theory: Another unannounced character made an appearance!
Mr Vulcan!
Tim Russ returned to Star Trek for the first time in more than two decades to play Tuvok… or rather, Tuvok’s changeling impersonator. It was a bold move to try something like this, and I think Dominion pulled it off remarkably well. I’m holding out hope that we’ll see the real Tuvok before the season ends, though.
The sequence between Seven and Tuvok was tense, and a great way to begin the episode. Seven poked and tested Tuvok while Captain Shaw and the Titan’s science officer tried to analyse his responses, and it seemed at first as if Tuvok may have been the real deal. But that was ripped away when it was revealed that he was an imposter. A clever sequence, and a fun way to welcome back one of the stars of Voyager.
This theory is going to stick around, though… I don’t think Picard is done with surprise characters yet!
Debunked theory: Vadic is a veteran of the Battle of Wolf-359.
Vadic at the end of Dominion.
Dominion finally gave us Vadic’s missing backstory, and began the process of putting both her quest and her eccentric characterisation into some kind of context. This theory was already hanging by the tiniest of threads after we got confirmation that Vadic was a changeling – but I felt that multiple references to the Battle of Wolf-359 and Picard’s assimilation could have indicated that she was present at the battle, and perhaps was traumatised by the events that unfolded.
It remains to be seen whether the lack of a connection between Vadic and Picard will be an issue. Her current scheme has roped in Picard; she stole his corpse, she’s chasing his son, and she’s captured at least two of his friends. But it would have been interesting in more ways than one if Vadic had some kind of tie to Picard from the past.
So those theories were confirmed and debunked in Dominion.
Up next we’ll jump into the main theory list, beginning with those theories that saw movement this week or that are brand-new.
Theory #1: Picard and the crew will commandeer the Shrike.
The Shrike with the SS Eleos.
I don’t like the old “the heroes’ ship is captured” trope – but one way that the next episode could put a totally different spin on that tired concept would be to reveal it as a kind of double-bluff. In short, Picard and the crew allowed Vadic to think she had captured the Titan and taken them all prisoner… but they then beamed aboard the Shrike at the last moment. Maybe that’s why Geordi was so concerned about the transporters!
The Shrike is a powerful warship and could prove to be a valuable asset to Picard and the crew. With Riker and Troi potentially imprisoned there, too, such a storyline could reunite the crew. It would be a bold plan – but it could be a fun, unexpected twist in what isn’t the most original of storylines.
Theory #2: The rogue changelings are keeping most of their important prisoners alive.
Is Riker as “dead” as the rogue changeling claimed?
Picard suspected that his corpse was stolen from Daystrom Station so that the rogue changelings could replicate his DNA. If they need actual bodies for that, that could bode well for the likes of Tuvok. Maybe the changelings need to periodically drain some of their captives’ blood, maybe they need to keep them around to “refresh” their DNA, or maybe there’s some other technobabble reason for it – but one way or another, I suspect that they aren’t just murdering all of the people they replace.
Perhaps this is a theory born of hope: hope that the likes of Riker, Troi, and Tuvok will survive their captivity! But there are reasonable pathways to making it happen.
Theory #3: Vadic and the rogue changelings got to Lore first.
The golem at Daystrom Station.
Lore hasn’t said much about changelings since awakening in the golem body, but could his actions aboard the Titan this week be taken as evidence that Vadic and her gang tampered with him? We know that at least some of the rogue changelings visited Daystrom Station, where the Data-Lore golem was being held. And we know that synths can be reprogrammed – that’s something we saw in Season 1. Lore’s actions this week also benefitted Vadic in a huge way – trapping Picard’s friends, allowing her to break out of confinement, and paving the way for her to seize control of the Titan.
As I said above, this sequence of events feels pretty contrived right now. But if it were revealed that Lore had been somehow convinced, programmed, or brainwashed into doing Vadic’s bidding, it would go a long way to making that aspect of Dominion feel a lot more natural.
Theory #4: Jack is a Dominion War-era “sleeper agent.”
Jack used his powers to “possess” Sidney.
As Jack’s superpowers continue to manifest and grow, we’re getting more and more evidence that everything is not as it seems! I suggested last week that Jack may be a kind of “sleeper agent” – an intelligence asset that has been programmed and was designed to be “activated” at a later date. Jack could be a Federation or Section 31 sleeper agent – or he could be a changeling/Dominion sleeper agent.
Jack certainly has no idea what’s going on – though this week we saw him seemingly make the conscious choice to use his powers for the first time. Vadic, however, has promised to spill the beans… so we might not have long to wait to find out what’s going on with Jack!
Theory #5: Vadic is the female changeling from Deep Space Nine.
The female changeling.
This theory feels very unlikely now that we’ve seen Vadic tell us about her backstory… but nothing in that story entirely contradicted the idea that Vadic and Deep Space Nine’s female changeling – the Founder who led the Dominion’s forces during the Dominion War – are one and the same. In fact, we could make the case that as the only changeling known to have been in Federation custody, the female changeling is actually a good candidate here!
I’d be surprised if the story goes in this direction now, and it would come close to treading on the toes of the ending of Deep Space Nine. But this theory remains in play, at least for now.
Theory #6: Worf and Raffi will save Riker, Troi, and Tuvok.
Riker with Worf and Raffi.
Where did Worf go? If he was trying to track Vadic and the Shrike to rescue Riker, he isn’t doing a very good job! This week, Picard and the Titan caught up to the Shrike, but Worf and Raffi were nowhere to be found. Although it was implied that Riker and Troi were imprisoned aboard the Shrike, perhaps they’ve been transferred to another rogue changeling ship or facility – and that’s where Worf is going. Or maybe Worf was just a long way behind Vadic, and will show up this week – perhaps at the last second.
Either way, I hope to see Worf and Raffi make some kind of rescue attempt! If they come across a prison camp, perhaps other characters like Tuvok might be there, too – and could be saved.
Theory #7: Floaty McFloatface isn’t a changeling.
Floaty McFloatface.
The way Floaty McFloatface spoke to Vadic this week seemed to suggest that they don’t see themselves as being part of the same group or even race as Vadic. Floaty McFloatface spoke down to Vadic, telling her that her kind are “malleable,” and that line could be taken as the two characters being from different races. We’ve also only ever seen Floaty in this one singular form, which could mean that they are unable to shapeshift.
The nature of Vadic’s relationship with Floaty McFloatface isn’t clear, though she seems to be very much the junior partner in whatever their scheme may be.
Theory #8: At least one more unannounced character will make an appearance!
It probably won’t be Chekov…
There have been two big surprises so far this season: Ro Laren and Tuvok. But there’s still time to include other unannounced characters! Admiral Janeway’s name has been mentioned more than once, for example, and in a story about rogue changelings, it’s possible that a main character from Deep Space Nine could emerge.
In Seasons 1 and 2, there were surprises all the way up to and including the final episodes… so there’s still plenty of time for someone truly unexpected to make a shocking – but welcome – return to Star Trek!
Theory #9: Captain Shaw will be killed.
Captain Shaw was injured (again) this week.
Captain Shaw didn’t have much to do in Dominion, but his main scene saw him beaten up and captured by Vadic and one of her goons. With Shaw held captive on the bridge of the Titan, he seems to be in a lot of danger! I could see Shaw making an heroic sacrifice, perhaps saving the life of Seven or one of the bridge officers.
Narratively speaking, Shaw has complicated things in Season 3. He served a purpose at first, don’t get me wrong, but the story hasn’t always been well-served by concentrating so many senior officers on one ship. Shaw has felt superfluous now for several episodes – really since his big blow-up with Picard about Wolf-359 – and doesn’t seem to be involved in any real way in the decision-making process aboard his own ship. I’ve been predicting his death all season long… but could the moment have finally come for the “dipshit from Chicago?”
So those theories are new or saw significant movement in Dominion.
As always, I’ll now recap all of the other theories that are currently in play. These theories didn’t change based on what we saw this week – but I find it helps to keep the whole list together in one place!
Theory #10: At least one main character will be killed.
Who could it be?
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.
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.
Cardassia Prime as it appeared in Deep Space Nine.
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 Titan and the Intrepid.
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: The rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.
The anomaly in the Season 2 finale.
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 #15: Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.
The crew in a Season 3 promo collage.
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’ve been replaced by changeling infiltrators before they linked up with Picard and the crew of the Titan, and it may not be possible to know who to trust.
With two “changeling imposter” storylines 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 main character having been replaced might turn out to be a big revelation in a future episode.
Theory #16: 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 #17: Picard will donate his golem body to Jack.
Picard awakens in his golem body at the end of Season 1.
The revelation that Jack has the terminal and incurable Irumodic syndrome was a surprising inclusion in The Bounty – and it tied into that episode’s theme of the relationship parents have with their children, and what kinds of things children inherit from their parents. Irumodic syndrome was the most obvious example of a “flaw” passed from parent to child.
But this story could have also set up the endgame – not only for Season 3, but for Jean-Luc Picard himself. In short, I’m suggesting that Picard will donate his golem to Jack, sacrificing himself to save his son’s life in one final act of parental love. This will come after Vadic and the rogue changelings have been defeated – and will mark the definitive, conclusive end of Picard and the show’s title character.
There has been speculation ever since Picard was announced that the series would end with his death – and while I’ve said it would be hard to pull off after the fake-out death at the end of Season 1, this kind of sacrifice could be one way to make that story work.
Theory #18: The rogue changelings didn’t want Jean-Luc Picard… they wanted Locutus.
Locutus of Borg.
Why did the rogue changelings abscond with Picard’s corpse? And for that matter, why was Section 31 holding onto it to begin with? Perhaps the reason is that Picard was once Locutus of Borg – and his body may contain some residual Borg implants or nanoprobes that the rogue changelings want. If Jack Crusher also has Borg nanites in his system that could explain their interest in him, too.
We know that Starfleet has incorporated Borg technology into some of their newer vessels, and in The Bounty we learned that the entire fleet can automatically link up and communicate – which could be Borg tech. In Season 2, the Borg Queen seemed to be able to seize control of one Federation ship and then use that to command an entire fleet. Could that explain why the rogue changelings need Borg nanoprobes?
Theory #19: The rogue changelings want to hack the entire Federation fleet.
The Borg Queen used her mechanical tentacles to hack into the USS Stargazer’s systems in Season 2.
Tied to the theory above is the idea that the changelings may not want to destroy Starfleet outright, but rather hack into the ships and use them in some other way – perhaps to attack Federation or allied targets, or even to attack each other. If the ships are connected somehow, and the changelings could take over that connection, maybe they could seize control of the entire fleet at once.
This would be an interesting idea, as it would potentially connect the story to what happened at the beginning of Season 2. With many advancements in AI out here in the real world, it could prove to be quite a timely story, too!
Theory #20: The rogue changelings are trying to reach the Nexus.
The Nexus.
One of the easter eggs in The Bounty showed us a glimpse of Captain Kirk’s body – or a readout on a screen, at least. As far as we know, only two corpses were stored at Daystrom Station: Picard’s and Kirk’s. Aside from both being captains of the Enterprise, what else do these two characters have in common? They both used the Nexus to travel through time. Picard travelled only a few hours, but Kirk jumped forwards in time by decades.
The Nexus hasn’t been mentioned since Generations, and it would be a less well-known part of Star Trek to bring back in some ways. But the timelines could kind of sync up here: if it’s been 30+ years since the events of Generations, and the Nexus returns every 39.1 years, that could work! The Nexus could also be phenomenally useful for the rogue changelings – if they wanted to travel back in time to prevent the Dominion’s defeat, for example.
Theory #21: Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.
Characters like DaiMon Bok could be involved… somehow!
This theory is barely hanging in there right now, especially now that we know that Vadic’s crew are changelings. However, I still think it’s a possibility that there could be other players involved in the rogue changelings’ conspiracy, and some of those could be familiar characters from past iterations of Star Trek.
I originally came up with this idea after we saw Lore and Moriarty in pre-season trailers, and made the assumption that they would be on Vadic’s side. Now that we know that isn’t the case, this idea feels another step further away! But there’s still a chance – so I’m not striking it off the list just yet.
Theory #22: Jack’s eyes, combat skills, and hallucinations are connected to the Borg.
Why do Jack’s eyes glow red?
I feel that there’s more to Jack’s story than a diagnosis of Irumodic syndrome. The theft of Picard’s body – a body that was once assimilated by the Borg – could come into play here too. The feminine voice Jack has heard on more than one occasion could be the Borg Queen reaching out to him – and while Dr Crusher has given him medication that may treat his symptoms, if there’s a Borg connection here all that might do is mask it.
We don’t know whether there will be a greater Borg connection in the story – but it feels like there could be. There have been mentions and references to the Borg, and specifically to Picard’s assimilation experience, going all the way back to the season premiere. Jack could be the key to understanding why!
Theory #22-A: Jack has Borg nanoprobes in his body.
Borg nanoprobes.
If Jack’s symptoms are connected to the Borg in some way, it stands to reason that he may have Borg nanites in his system. The question of how this could have occurred is still an open one – perhaps they came from Picard at the moment of conception, or perhaps Jack encountered Borg technology during one of his medical missions.
Again, this could explain the rogue changelings’ interest in him. We saw in Season 1 that many ex-Borg had been killed; butchered for parts. There may not be many individuals in the quadrant with any Borg technology in their systems – and that could account for the rogue changelings both stealing Picard’s body and chasing after Jack.
Theory #23: The Borg are involved.
The first Borg drone ever seen in Star Trek.
We’ve talked a fair bit about the Borg already, and looked at a couple of ways in which they could be included. This theory has come about largely because of the frequent mentions of the Borg and the Battle of Wolf-359 in the story so far. The theft of Picard’s body could also be connected to this idea, as Picard had once been assimilated by the Borg. But why keep bringing up these Borg references if there’s no bigger connection?
It’s possible, but perhaps unlikely, that the rogue changelings have formulated some kind of deal or alliance with the Borg, as both factions would benefit from the Federation collapsing or being severely damaged. This seems less likely than a more subtle connection, perhaps, but it’s worth acknowledging the possibility!
Even if I haven’t figured out the exact way in which the Borg will be woven into the story, some kind of Borg connection feels like a distinct possibility.
Theory #24: Jack Crusher has changeling DNA… somehow.
Is this Jack’s DNA?
We learned a couple of weeks ago that changelings can mimic humanoid DNA well enough to pass scans and screenings – so even though Jack was recently investigated by Dr Crusher, his being diagnosed with Irumodic syndrome shouldn’t rule out some kind of changeling DNA being present in his system. If Jack were a “sleeper agent,” as suggested above, that could explain why he has some changeling DNA. Or it could be as a result of something that happened to Jack and Dr Crusher during one of their medical missions.
I don’t think that the story could get away with saying that Jack is a changeling – and that he was never truly the son of Picard and/or Dr Crusher. That would be too hard a pill to swallow, especially after episodes like The Bounty focused extensively on the themes of family and relationships between children and parents. But Jack could still possess changeling DNA somehow – and that may account for the rogue changelings’ obsession with catching him.
Theory #25: Deanna Troi is a changeling.
A captive Troi. But is she who she appears to be?
The final scene of The Bounty saw Riker taken into custody aboard the Shrike – where he encountered a captive Deanna Troi. But is this the real Troi, or is the fact that she’s on a ship crewed by changelings a hint that she might not actually be who she appears to be?
It’s very easy in a story like this to become almost paranoid, and to see changelings behind every character’s mask! But right now, of all the characters currently in play, Deanna Troi aboard the Shrike feels like the most likely candidate for being a changeling imposter. Perhaps she will try to get information out of Riker, pressing him to choose between his family and his friends – only to reveal that it was all a ruse.
Theory #26: Irumodic syndrome is important to the rogue changelings.
Irumodic syndrome “killed” Picard… briefly.
At this point in the story, we know that the rogue changelings want Jack Crusher badly. And we’ve just learned that they’ve stolen Picard’s corpse from Daystrom Station. As Picard noted in The Bounty, he “died” of Irumodic syndrome back in Season 1. Irumodic syndrome is a big link between Jack and Picard right now – and because these two characters are the ones who seem to have gotten most of the rogue changelings’ attention, that fact could be significant!
Perhaps Irumodic syndrome can be used by changelings to mask their presence, or maybe it can somehow cure the genetic disease that Section 31 created. Irumodic syndrome could also be an indication that an individual possesses changeling DNA – or some other attribute that’s important to changelings.
Theory #27: The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.
Soji in Season 1.
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 #28: Vadic will be killed by her own portal-weapon.
The USS Titan and one of the portals.
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 #29: Odo will make an appearance – somehow.
Odo in Deep Space Nine.
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.
So that’s it!
Picard’s phaser pistol.
With three episodes remaining, we have quite a long list of theories that are still in play! Dominion side-stepped most of them, and didn’t really move the needle in a big way. But there’s still plenty of time to debunk every last one of them, so don’t worry! Even though I wasn’t wild about some of the storytelling decisions taken in Dominion, I’m still very much looking forward to the next episode of Picard.
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.
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, and Voyager.
Dominion was undeniably a fun, fast-paced, exciting episode; a thrill ride that kicked Picard’s third season into a higher gear as the plot builds to its climax. It was also an episode that shone a light in some very dark places, and did what Star Trek has always done so well: used its science-fiction setting to think about some of the issues facing us out here in the real world.
Having sat with Dominion for a couple of days, though… it isn’t actually an episode that I particularly enjoyed. It had some explosive moments of action, some engrossing moral quandaries, a sequence between two of my favourite characters from The Next Generation that was tense and emotional, and was backed up all the way by some great writing and some truly outstanding acting performances. But I didn’t actually like much of what the episode brought to the table from a narrative standpoint.
The USS Titan in a scrapyard.
As we discussed last week, the decision to resurrect Data is not one that I would have made. There are some deceased Star Trek characters who, for one reason or another, didn’t get a proper send-off – and I argued just last year that the main characters from Seasons 1 and 2 of Picard are themselves in that category. But Data, more so than practically any other Star Trek character, had been laid to rest. His resurrection not only undid all of that, but it takes away one of the few successful moments from the finale of Season 1 – one of the very few threads keeping the ending of that season together.
And this week, I’m sorry to say that despite incredible performances from both Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton as they wrangled with Data’s apparent return… this storyline hasn’t yet justified itself. I can buy technobabble explanations in Star Trek for all manner of things – that comes with the territory in sci-fi. But you have to admit that few characters in the franchise had been killed as definitively – and as often, in different ways – as Data, so any rebirth or resurrection has a significant obstacle to overcome. I wouldn’t have even attempted it – the technobabble excuse feels like something straight out of fan-fiction – but now that it’s happened, there has to be some kind of narrative or storytelling justification for it. And there isn’t.
The resurrection of Data (and Lore) continues to be a drag on the story.
The resurrection of Data has also brought back Lore – and Lore’s intervention this week led to a storytelling trope that I’ve never enjoyed: the “heroes’ base is captured and they’re all taken prisoner” cliché. Discovery did this a couple of seasons ago, we’ve seen it in Deep Space Nine, too, and on countless other occasions in sci-fi and beyond. To me, these storylines always feel so incredibly forced, as if a particularly uncreative writer couldn’t find a better way of adding tension to a story. And that’s how Vadic’s capture of the Titan feels to me.
If the premise underlying this takeover was stronger, perhaps some of that frustration would’ve melted away. But it came about as a combination of a poorly-defined plan from Picard and Dr Crusher – a plan that was executed terribly, too – and Lore’s shenanigans. What was already a disappointingly overused trope ended up feeling even less appealing as a result.
Vadic in the captain’s chair of the USS Titan.
I’ve never been much of a Lore fan. The “evil twin” angle was an interesting one in some ways… but even after a mere four appearances in The Next Generation, spread out over several years… Lore had already worn out his welcome, at least for me. He’s as one-dimensional as they come, feeling akin to a Mirror Universe character in some respects, and I’ve just never found him to be of much interest. Stories in which he would attempt to take Data’s place or convince his brother to betray his friends just never stood out to me as being among The Next Generation’s best.
And I think I should be up-front about that – I have a bias against this character that’s been running for some thirty years or more! When it was teased that Lore would play a role this season, this feeling being dragged back up is precisely what I feared would happen – and so it proved in Dominion. As we’ve said in earlier episodes about Vadic: a villain needs some kind of motivation. Lore is “evil for the sake of it,” and I find that deeply unsatisfying. It was unsatisfying in The Next Generation and it was unsatisfying in Dominion, too.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of stories that included Lore.
The saving grace on this side of the story should’ve been Geordi – and the wonderfully emotional performance that LeVar Burton put in as Geordi tried to reach out to his long-dead friend. Burton deserves an award for his scenes this week, as they were absolutely riveting to watch. In fact, in just two episodes, Geordi has quickly become one of the best characters in Picard, and LeVar Burton has been hitting all of the right notes consistently. But it’s a scene that just… didn’t need to happen, at least not this way.
We’ve basically had this conversation and this scene before: it came between Data and Picard at the end of Season 1. Geordi’s reunion with Data, and his attempt to reach out to him and break through Lore’s control, feels like a rehashing of those conversations between Picard and Data. In spite of what has to be one of the single best acting performances in all of modern Star Trek, these scenes just don’t add much to the story. Geordi could have expressed his sorrow at Data’s death to Picard, or to Altan Soong if the character hadn’t been unceremoniously killed off. Bringing back Data still isn’t sitting right with me.
This was a masterful performance from LeVar Burton.
I’ve talked before about the “snowball” in media criticism: a few big or fundamental criticisms of a story get things rolling, and before you know it, the “snowball” is picking up speed, finding more and more elements of a narrative to pick on and single out for criticism. And because of how the Data-Lore resurrection has landed for me, I find myself pulling at threads on this side of the story that would have probably passed unnoticed otherwise.
For example: how was Lore able to break out and effectively seize control of the ship? The answer seems to be “because plot,” and that’s just never a very satisfying explanation – especially given the high stakes. It’s hard to see how Vadic would have been able to take control of the ship had Lore not intervened, so the main thrust of Dominion’s narrative now appears to unfold thanks to a succession of unlikely, unpredictable coincidences one after another.
Lore’s escape wasn’t well-explained.
Alright, enough about my gripes about Data’s resurrection and my dislike of Lore! There’s no denying that LeVar Burton’s performance this week was outstanding, and when watching his big emotional scene with Data in particular, it was easy to put all of those concerns and criticisms out of my mind. Burton has made this older, more mature version of Geordi a real tour de force, and he’s brought far more to the table than I could have expected. If there are to be any future Star Trek projects set in this time period, they’d damn well better find a way to include Geordi – because I’m not ready to say goodbye!
It made sense for Geordi to be the one working with the Data-Lore golem, given his experiences with Data in The Next Generation, and I felt the setup for this story was handled about as well as it could’ve been. Geordi’s line that this golem is significantly more complicated than Data was also a helpful bit of exposition! Given that we’ve heard these new generation synths referred to as “flesh-and-blood” creations, maybe Dr Crusher, not Geordi, should have been examining the golem? Food for thought, at least!
Geordi was working on the Data-Lore golem.
I have to admit that I was sceptical about Mica Burton – LeVar Burton’s real-life daughter – playing Geordi’s on-screen daughter Alandra. I’d been vaguely familiar with Mica Burton’s work as a presenter from Star Trek Day a couple of years ago, and her stint on a YouTube gaming channel a couple of years before that. But I felt that she was untested as an actor, having only had a couple of bit-parts before now. This felt to me like “stunt casting;” bringing an actor into the series not on merit, but due to a combination of her parentage and a desire to make headlines. A “nepo baby,” to use some contemporary slang.
And… well, I’m not wrong about that. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that Mica Burton has put in two solid, perfectly creditable performances in the episodes in which she’s appeared so far. The character of Alandra La Forge, while not exactly front-and-centre, adds something to this story, and has given Geordi both an assistant and a dependent, all while managing to feel like a rounded character in her own right. We’ve started to see some great things from Sidney La Forge over the last couple of episodes – and I hope that there will be time before the season ends to give Alandra a moment in the spotlight, too.
Geordi and Alandra La Forge.
Before we get into other big stories, let’s talk briefly about another surprising character: Tuvok! Or should that be “the changeling formerly known as Tuvok,” because after what had been a great sequence between Tuvok and Seven of Nine, this character reunion was ripped apart. It was dramatic and exciting – but perhaps not how I’d have chosen to bring back an actor for what may turn out to be their final Star Trek appearance.
As a moment of pure shock value, I think the revelation that Tuvok was a changeling worked incredibly well. And I’m holding out hope that the real Tuvok might make an appearance before the end of the season – I mean, the changelings have to be keeping all of these prisoners alive somewhere, right? Maybe we should save the speculation on that for my next theory update!
The changeling formerly known as Tuvok.
It was a bold move to bring back a character in this way, perhaps even more so than killing off the likes of Hugh and Icheb in Season 1. Tuvok was a main character for all seven seasons of Voyager, and aside from a tiny voiceless cameo in Lower Decks last year, this is the first time we’ve seen him since. Bringing back Tim Russ to play a changeling imposter feels like a very brave call – one that could’ve backfired. I think Dominion managed to make it work, though – and it was a real twist to bring back Tuvok and seem to set him up as an ally, only to rip it away mere moments later in the same sequence.
I’d love to see more from Tuvok, though – and get a genuine reunion with Seven of Nine. In a story with Worf, there’s also scope to put these two characters together. Worf and Tuvok were both security chiefs and tactical officers – but they were very different characters who had conflicting approaches to the role! Even now that Worf has entered his transcendental meditation phase, it could still be a lot of fun to put him together with Tuvok for a scene or two. A Trekkie can dream, eh?
The scene between Seven and Tuvok was bold… and a lot of fun.
Speaking of Worf, he was absent this week – along with Raffi, Riker, and Troi. There are now only three episodes left for Deanna Troi to make any kind of impact on the story, having had only a couple of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos so far, so I really hope that she’ll have something major to say and do soon.
Despite being billed as a reunion for the characters, there hasn’t yet been a single scene or sequence in which Picard and his old crew are back together – with different characters or pairs of characters largely in their own narrative boxes, not really interacting with one another. Before the season is over, I hope that there will be something for everyone to do – but perhaps more importantly, their effort to stop Vadic and the rogue changelings should feel like a collaborative effort. In Season 2, splitting up the main characters for much of the story led to a number of issues – and I sincerely hope that won’t be the case this time around. But it’s noteworthy, at this stage, that the promised reunion still hasn’t materialised, and that several main characters haven’t gotten as much to do as I’d hoped.
Is Riker, as the changeling claimed, already dead?
As Jack’s superpowers continue to manifest, it’s now more than obvious that there’s more going on with him than we’ve learned so far. This week, we saw him “take over” Sidney La Forge, using his newfound combat skills to defeat a nameless goon who appears to serve as Vadic’s second-in-command.
This sequence, by the way, was exceptionally well choreographed. It must have been one heck of a challenge for actors Ed Speleers and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (or their stunt doubles) to perform these difficult acrobatic moves in total synchronisation, but the way it came across on screen was just fantastic. Few sequences in modern Star Trek have managed to feel truly new – but this was something that the franchise hasn’t ever done before, at least not as far as I can remember! It was fantastic to watch, and while it may not have been the most intense action sequence ever brought to screen, it was incredibly clever – and it marks the beginning of a new phase in the stories of both of these characters.
This sequence was exceptional.
The exciting and beautifully choreographed fight was almost enough to make me forget the horrible contrivances that led to it. Almost! I stand by what I said before: Lore’s involvement in this story, messing with forcefields and transporters at precisely the right moment, was one heck of a contrivance. While we got an exciting sequence with Jack and Sidney as a result, that alone isn’t enough to justify it – and too many forced coincidences like this make for a particularly weak narrative foundation.
As the fight simmered down, one moment really stuck with me. As Sidney looked at Jack, she had a mixture of fear and shock in her eyes; that moment, as Sidney realised that she’d just been – for want of a better term – “possessed” by Jack, was exceptionally well done. Once again, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut excelled.
Dominion was a great episode for Sidney La Forge’s characterisation.
There was potential in the “let’s lure the baddie into a trap” idea that was posited by Dominion, but it quickly fell apart. The writing on this side of the story failed to set up a narratively coherent plan, and when we’re dealing with experienced officers like Picard, Seven, Dr Crusher, and even Captain Shaw, the fact that their plan was so flimsy, and fell apart so easily, doesn’t make for a satisfying presentation. There were other ways to have Vadic commandeer the Titan – if that was the episode’s required outcome – without going through this long and convoluted rigamarole.
Splitting up their forces, having poorly-armed ensigns with little combat experience literally running around the deserted hallways of the ship, and allowing the much more powerful Shrike to transport a group of changelings aboard the Titan are all indicators of a poorly-formulated – and poorly-written – plan, one that was clearly written in order to arrive at a particular outcome. Some of the specifics of this plan feel incredibly flimsy, too: where did the Titan’s crew acquire the wreck of a Vulcan ship, and how were they able to convince Vadic of its authenticity?
This plan was neither well-conceived nor well-executed.
All of this, however, led to two interesting revelations about Vadic. The smaller revelation concerns the character I’ve dubbed Floaty McFloatface (Star Trek: if you don’t want fans to give silly names to your characters and factions, name them yourself). It now seems as if Floaty McFloatface may not be a changeling – or at least, not the same kind of changeling as Vadic herself. We won’t get too deep into speculation here – and I’ve been wrong about Vadic and Floaty McFloatface before – but suffice to say that there’s a complexity to their relationship that was spoken to, albeit rather briefly, this week.
I’ve been saying for weeks that we need to spend more time with Vadic, and to come to understand what’s been driving her all this time. It still seems as if Vadic’s desire to capture Jack Crusher stems from orders from Floaty McFloatface – and not, as Picard and Dr Crusher repeatedly assumed, in order to steal his DNA to make a copy of Picard. But we found out a lot more in Dominion about where Vadic came from – and it was in equal parts incredibly dark and absolutely riveting.
Vadic and Floaty McFloatface have a difficult relationship.
By coincidence, I’ve recently been re-watching Ken Burns’ documentary The Vietnam War, and with all the talk this week of torture and rogue military operations, I felt echoes of that conflict – as well as more recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. I think we can absolutely see Vadic’s story in Dominion as a cinematic response to American foreign policy over the past few decades, and a reflection of how the country is coming to terms – or failing to come to terms, in some cases – with its own recent history.
One of the lessons of Vietnam that was sadly not learned by the time of Afghanistan was an oft-repeated line that America was “creating its own enemies.” Every house burned down, every village raided, every bomb dropped… all of these things created more Viet Cong or Taliban fighters, and this is the lens through which I see Vadic’s story. By torturing and experimenting upon Vadic and the other changelings – implied to be the crew of the Shrike – Starfleet has inadvertently created another enemy for itself.
Starfleet (or Section 31, at least) is responsible for making Vadic into the villain she became.
However, there are a couple of queries I have about this revelation. They aren’t yet “problems,” let alone “plot holes,” but parts of this backstory for Vadic seem to come dangerously close to contradicting what we know of the rogue changelings and their scheme from earlier episodes. Worf, for example, specifically told us that this group of changelings had departed the Great Link following a schism, implying that these rogue changelings may be those who rejected Odo’s path of peace.
Secondly, the number of changelings involved in this conspiracy feels massively inflated based on what Vadic told us. She said that she was one of ten changelings being experimented upon, yet there are clearly far more than that. We’ve already seen at least seven killed – and that doesn’t account for Vadic and her crew. While she did say that she could pass along the abilities that she had developed to other changelings, it still doesn’t seem to add up. Ro seemed to think that all of Starfleet was compromised, and that there could be changeling infiltrators aboard multiple ships. If the original group consisted of just ten members, where have all the others come from?
Vadic and her crew.
I’ve always felt that there was a conscious effort on the part of the writers and producers of Deep Space Nine to present the Dominion War as a conflict akin to the Second World War – something we see quite prominently in the show’s finale at the signing of the Treaty of Bajor. But there were definitely Vietnam War influences during Deep Space Nine’s run, too. Episodes like Change of Heart, which prominently featured a “jungle” setting, spring to mind – as does The Siege of AR-558, which was directed by Vietnam veteran Winrich Kolbe.
But there was an even darker tone to the story Vadic told us this week, something that echoed less the Afghanistan War and more the human experiments performed in concentration camps. We’ve always known that Section 31 was willing to go to extreme lengths on behalf of the Federation – even violating Federation law. But when we saw the virus they created in Deep Space Nine, we only saw its effects. This time, we saw the process – the torture that Vadic and her fellow changelings endured.
Vadic’s torturer.
Since its emergence in Deep Space Nine more than twenty years ago, Section 31 hasn’t sat right with a lot of Trekkies – and I get that. This organisation is about as far from Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a more idealistic and enlightened humanity as it’s possible to get. But the idea that Section 31 represented has always been a fascinating one for me: that there’s someone in the background, working behind the scenes, to preserve the enlightened future that humanity has struggled to build. Section 31 sees itself as defending the Federation – even if it has to violate every single Federation principle and law in the process.
In this case, the question is perhaps a bit less interesting. It feels a lot easier to say that Vadic’s torture was wrong – because it was ultimately unnecessary. It was designed, at least according to Vadic, to allow the creation of a weapon – changelings who could bypass all the typical tests and who would report to Section 31 and Starfleet. The virus, in contrast, has always posed much more of an interesting moral question: when faced with conquest and possible extinction, should that kind of biological weapon be off the table?
The experiments that Section 31 performed were intended to create a weaponised changeling.
It’s easy to condemn Vadic’s torturer – and by extension, to feel a pang of sympathy for what Vadic herself has been through. There’s no denying that Vadic is a far more complex and interesting character coming out of Dominion than she was before the episode began – and that’s a good thing. We don’t need to agree with a villain or sympathise with them to understand them – but in order to really get invested in their story, we need something to give them motivation and to explain who they are. Vadic had been lacking this all season long – but we finally got the details this week, and it puts her characterisation into context.
The one disappointing thing, though, is that Vadic lacks any meaningful connection to Picard – and to anyone else on the crew, for that matter. Her torturer was a nameless Section 31 operative, she wasn’t even involved in the Dominion War as far as we can tell, and she certainly didn’t know Picard or any of the others prior to this conspiracy getting underway. They’ve definitely formed an adversarial relationship – but it comes quite late in the story. Contrast this with the likes of Khan or Gul Dukat: characters who had burning, passionate hatred for their Starfleet adversaries.
We know a lot more about Vadic now.
In a series called Star Trek: Picard, that could be the missing piece. In both Seasons 1 and 2, for better or worse, Picard was at the centre of the story. The Zhat Vash conspiracy disrupted Picard’s armada, and he was the one to unravel it years later. Picard’s relationship with Q led to the whole Confederation/time travel plot. And while Vadic’s determination to kidnap/capture Picard’s son gives her some kind of connection to him… I’m still not feeling the personal side of it.
I will say, though, that we’ve seen moves in that direction not just this week, but over the past several episodes. As Picard has gotten deeper into the conspiracy, his determination to do anything to stop it has grown. And there are personal stakes for him: the death of Ro, the capture of Riker, and the threat to the son he didn’t know that he had. All of those things are positive, and while we still don’t have all of the details, we have more than enough to understand Picard’s decision-making process – and his ability to cross a line that we might never have expected him to cross.
Dominion presented Picard with a moral dilemma.
Star Trek has a fantastic collection of morality tales going all the way back to The Original Series. But for me – and I daresay for many fans of my generation, too – fewer hit harder than Deep Space Nine’s Season 6 classic In The Pale Moonlight. That episode, told through flashbacks and a frame narrative, sees Captain Sisko wrangling with breaking all of the rules in order to manipulate an outcome that he and the Federation needed. It was life-or-death, and Sisko took it upon himself to place the Federation’s survival ahead of his conscience – and ahead of following the law.
Dominion sees Picard and Dr Crusher confront the same basic moral quandary. There are laws against the killing of prisoners – yet killing Vadic (and unbeknownst to them, Floaty McFloatface too) would have thrown a spanner in the works of the conspiracy ahead of its targetted date of Frontier Day. We see them agonise over the decision, especially in light of Vadic’s backstory… but they ultimately decide to go for it.
Picard and Dr Crusher ultimately decide to break the law – and their own moral code.
Dominion tries to present this as a choice with a time-limit – it will only be a matter of time before Vadic escapes or before someone breaks her out, so they have to decide relatively quickly. The episode also worked hard to show how conflicted Picard in particular felt about violating one of the foundational laws of war. And in the moments we got with Picard and Dr Crusher, this question of morality versus practicality worked well, and I could feel through the screen how painful it was for Picard to even have to consider a course of action like this.
However, this side of the story was split up at points by Jack and Sidney running around the hallways of the Titan, and by Geordi and Alandra working on Lore and the ship’s systems. I’m not sure that Dominion dedicated enough time to what was meant to be the key dilemma for the show’s title character – because after Vadic had explained where she came from and we’d gotten all of the other scenes and sequences with other characters… the ultimate decision seemed to be reached by Picard and Dr Crusher pretty quickly. It felt, in that moment, as if they’d already decided what they were going to do before we saw them confirm it.
This moment was arrived at rather quickly.
And I’d also like to point out another unenjoyable trope that came out of this side of the story. We saw in Seventeen Seconds a few weeks ago how easily Worf was able to kill a changeling in their liquid state. Seven and Jack were also able to relatively easily kill changelings in their humanoid states, too. But this week – as soon as it became convenient for the story – both Vadic and her second-in-command were able to survive multiple phaser blasts under what appeared to be similar circumstances.
There was a pathway to allow both characters to survive without doing this, and it’s really just a worn-out cliché at this point. There was some fantastic acting and choreography on both sides of the story here – but it all led to such a bland and oft-repeated outcome.
The old “you thought he was dead” cliché…
And I guess that last line kind of encapsulates my thoughts on Dominion as a whole, really. Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, and LeVar Burton all absolutely excelled… with the material that they had in the confines of a fairly uninspired story. This was a tense, exciting episode that moved along the plot on the Titan – while ignoring the stories of Worf, Raffi, Riker, and Troi – but that just didn’t take the season’s main narrative to a particularly exciting or original place.
There was scope to make more of Dominion, and there’s a risk, I fear, that its “captured starship” outcome will be easily undone next week, rendering much of the episode a bit… well, pointless. I’m glad we got to learn more about Vadic, and to put her conspiracy and quest into some kind of personal context for her. That was desperately needed as the season passes its three-quarter point. And there were some wonderful performances along the way, both in terms of acting and in terms of a well-choreographed sequence that felt like something new to Star Trek. But overall, I’m not thrilled with where the story went this week.
The Shrike and the Titan.
With three episodes left, there’s still plenty of time for Season 3 to recover, to deepen its mysteries, and to throw in some more twists and turns. And despite my criticisms, I don’t hate Dominion. It told the story it wanted to tell about as well as it possibly could. It can be hard to judge mid-season episodes fairly when the final destination is still unclear – and it’s to Dominion’s credit, in some respects, that the story’s endgame is still obscured through a thick narrative fog.
So I’m trying to stay positive! I’m loving the fact that we’re getting a look at some familiar faces from Star Trek’s past, that Section 31 is in play, and that it feels like Picard is finally taking a look at the broader state of the galaxy in this 25th Century time period. Dominion also put a morality question at its heart, harkening back to some of my favourite complex episodes from Star Trek’s past. There’s potential to build on what was delivered here – and maybe to take the story to a more enjoyable place next time!
A few scattered final thoughts:
Repeated mentions of Admiral Janeway – could she appear in the season finale?
Vadic didn’t confirm what she wanted with Picard’s corpse… but a look in her eye seemed to suggest he was wrong in his assumption.
I’m sure that Geordi’s partner won’t appear now… but I hope it isn’t supposed to be Leah Brahms!
Jack is wielding a 23rd Century phaser pistol – which is pretty cool!
Tuvok has been promoted – good for him!
Captain Shaw is, to my immense surprise, still alive.
A reference to the Chin’Toka system – the site of two major battles in Deep Space Nine – did not pass unnoticed!
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.
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 Search for Spock, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.
Right off the bat, here’s perhaps my biggest theory ahead of the next episode of Picard: it’s going to be a big one! Why do I say that? Well, ahead of Season 3 being broadcast, quite a lot of reviewers, critics, fans, and even some YouTubers were treated to the first six episodes – as you may have gathered if you check out other fan sites and social media channels. But they weren’t able to see the rest of the season beyond episode six… so that could mean that the next episode is going to introduce something big, perhaps an unexpected character or surprising twist!
Yours truly, however, was not invited by Paramount to check out the season ahead of time. I wonder why that could be? Surely it isn’t because I’ve spent several years writing articles criticising the corporation for its mismanagement of Paramount+ and Star Trek, at least one of which included the phrase “useless bag of dicks” to describe the executives and board members? Now that I think about it, maybe that does explain it…
What a useless bag of dicks.
As the second half of the season gets underway, we still have a bunch of theories in play. The Bounty took several big ones off the board… but it also added several new theories to take their place! It’s a merry-go-round at the moment – but that’s to be expected from some of these mid-season episodes.
This week we have a whopping eight debunked theories and one theory that I’m rather generously calling “semi” confirmed! And as always, that’s where we’ll begin.
Semi-confirmed theory: Picard and the crew re-activated Lore.
It’s a projec-ta! Get it? Projector + Data… projec-ta… ah, forget it.
This didn’t go quite the way I’d expected, but nevertheless it fell to Picard’s crew to re-activate the golem containing Dr Soong, Lore, B4, Lal, Data, and possibly other Soong-type androids. I had initially speculated that Picard and the crew might have been seeking out synthetic allies – perhaps because they felt they needed trustworthy friends in light of the rogue changelings seemingly being all over Starfleet.
The final pre-season trailer seemed to hint at Lore being aboard the Titan, and it was based on those clips that I first put this theory on the list. Earlier it had seemed plausible to think that Lore might’ve been on Vadic’s team – which could have been interesting in and of itself. But then the final trailer came along and seemed to blow that away. I didn’t get the specifics right, and I was wrong that Professor Moriarty would be included here as well. But I was close enough to call this one “semi” confirmed!
Debunked theory #1: Picard and the crew need to find synthetic/AI allies.
The Data-Lore golem.
When both Lore and Moriarty appeared in pre-season trailers, I wondered what role they might play. It seemed plausible to think that the fact that they were both artificial life-forms could have been relevant, and that feeling only grew when the rogue changelings were revealed as part of the story. With the rogue changelings crawling all over Starfleet, and Picard and the crew not knowing who to trust, it didn’t seem like much of a reach to think that they might turn to synthetic life-forms for help.
As far as we know, changelings have never been seen to mimic synthetic life-forms, so it seemed a logical guess – at least to me! But we learned in The Bounty that Picard and the crew didn’t even know that Data/Lore was present at Daystrom Station, and that Moriarty was (disappointingly, I must say) not even real. I’m glad this didn’t pan out, though, as it would have made the absence of Soji and the other Coppelius synths incredibly glaring and obvious. But it was an interesting, plausible theory for a while there!
Debunked theory #2: Professor Moriarty is the “sophisticated AI” at Daystrom Station.
Moriarty.
Based on what we glimpsed of Daystrom Station ahead of The Bounty, and combined with Moriarty’s clips in pre-season trailers, it seemed like a sure thing that we’d encounter him this week – and so it proved. But as noted, Moriarty’s role was much less than it could have been – and much less than I’d personally been expecting based on his appearances in the trailers.
It seemed plausible, based on what we’d seen, that Moriarty could have been the sophisticated AI that Raffi and Worf mentioned – essentially filling the role that we now know was taken by the Data-Lore golem. It could have been interesting to see Picard and co. come face to face with Moriarty after all these years – and perhaps having to apologise for trapping him in a simulation. Freeing Moriarty from Section 31’s control could have been a fun story, and a way for Picard to make up for imprisoning Moriarty in the first place. Regardless, it didn’t happen!
Debunked theory #3: Ex-Terran Empress Georgiou will be found at Daystrom Station.
Not this time, unfortunately!
There were easter eggs aplenty at Daystrom Station – and seemingly multiple corpses being kept there, too. But my theory that the Section 31-operated facility might lead to Picard and the crew coming face-to-face with Georgiou wasn’t to be!
In truth, this always felt like a heck of a long-shot. Newly-minted Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh has spoken of a desire to return to Star Trek since leaving Discovery a couple of years ago, but no announcement has been made as of yet. It could have been a heck of a surprise and a really fun way to tee up the Section 31 show’s escape from development hell, though!
Debunked theory #4: Vadic’s crew are Jem’Hadar.
Vadic with a couple of her crewmates.
In a short (and unimpressive) scene at the beginning of The Bounty, Vadic spoke to her crew and seemed to confirm that the masked characters are all changelings – seemingly removing any possibility of an appearance by Jem’Hadar or Vorta. If these are rogue changelings then it makes sense that the Dominion’s troops would have remained loyal to the Founders… but it seemed possible that some might have followed the renegades, or that they’d been able to establish a cloning facility somewhere.
I think it’s still possible that we might encounter Jem’Hadar or Vorta this season, especially if the rogue changeling plot is the precursor to an all-out assault on the Federation. But as far as we can tell right now, Vadic’s crew are changelings.
Debunked theory #5: Several members of La Sirena’s crew have joined Captain Vadic.
The crew of La Sirena at the end of Season 1.
As above, we can now safely assume that Vadic’s crew are changelings. However, when we first saw that the crew of the Shrike were all wearing face-concealing masks, I wondered if the reason could have been that at least some of them were familiar characters. The crew of La Sirena came to mind first and foremost as they’re no longer involved on Picard’s side of the story.
This theory was always unlikely because of announcements from most of the actors that they weren’t involved in Season 3. And as the rogue changelings storyline unfolded, its likelihood decreased even more! But it was a fun idea to consider for a moment – that Picard might find himself, somehow, caught between his old crew and his new friends.
Debunked theory #6: Lore and Moriarty were stolen from Daystrom Station.
The Shrike at Daystrom Station.
Going into The Bounty, this theory still felt plausible. Vadic is still the only named villain on that side of the story – and no, Floaty McFloatface doesn’t count! To give the villains a bit more interest, having Lore and Moriarty on their team would have been an interesting idea. Perhaps Vadic and the rogue changelings could have been looking for allies – or for entities that were familiar with Picard.
Vadic did steal someone from Daystrom Station – but not Lore or Professor Moriarty! Instead, we now know that she stole the original body of Jean-Luc Picard. And don’t worry, I have an idea or two as to why she and the rogue changelings might want a Frenchman’s corpse!
Debunked theory #7: Vadic is not a changeling.
Vadic shifts into her more familiar form.
When we first saw Vadic cut off her hand and speak with Floaty McFloatface, I felt certain that meant she wasn’t a changeling – but rather a humanoid who had some kind of changeling appendage. I was wrong about that, though, and The Bounty provided final confirmation that Vadic is indeed a changeling.
However, I maintain that she’s unlike any other changeling we’ve ever encountered! Her relationship with Floaty McFloatface is intriguing, and the role she may play in the rogue changelings’ scheme is still up in the air. She’s a powerful changeling, yes… but she isn’t top dog. Her eccentric personality (and over-the-top performance) are still aspects of her characterisation that the series needs to explain.
Debunked theory #8: Other background ideas for Vadic.
Vadic.
Before Season 3 aired, I put together a list of ideas for who Vadic could be – and crucially, what her relationship could be to Jean-Luc Picard in a series all about him! Now that we know Vadic is one of the rogue changelings, that seems to rule out all of the remaining ideas that were still in play.
I had suggested that Vadic might’ve been a member of Picard’s crew – perhaps someone who had been injured or left for dead while serving under his command. I liked this idea the most, to be honest, because it would have given Vadic a powerful connection to Picard, and a real reason for hating him. But there were other plausible ideas, too, including connections to the Romulans and Sela, DaiMon Bok, Insurrection’s Son’a, and even the weird parasite-aliens from the episode Conspiracy!
So those theories were (semi) confirmed and debunked.
Phew, that was a lot of debunkings! But this kind of theory massacre was always going to happen sooner or later – and there are still plenty of other theories on the list to be similarly debunked in the weeks ahead!
Up next we’ll jump into the main theory list, beginning with theories that are new or that saw significant movement as a result of events that transpired in The Bounty.
Theory #1: Picard will donate his golem body to Jack.
Picard awakens in his golem body at the end of Season 1.
The revelation that Jack has the terminal and incurable Irumodic syndrome was a surprising inclusion in The Bounty – and it tied into that episode’s theme of the relationship parents have with their children, and what kinds of things children inherit from their parents. Irumodic syndrome was the most obvious example of a “flaw” passed from parent to child.
But this story could have also set up the endgame – not only for Season 3, but for Jean-Luc Picard himself. In short, I’m suggesting that Picard will donate his golem to Jack, sacrificing himself to save his son’s life in one final act of parental love. This will come after Vadic and the rogue changelings have been defeated – and will mark the definitive, conclusive end of Picard and the show’s title character.
There has been speculation ever since Picard was announced that the series would end with his death – and while I’ve said it would be hard to pull off after the fake-out death at the end of Season 1, this kind of sacrifice could be one way to make that story work.
Theory #2: Jack is a Dominion War-era “sleeper agent.”
Jack in The Bounty.
As I noted in my review of The Bounty, Jack’s diagnosis of Irumodic syndrome feels like only part of the explanation of what’s been going on with him. His hallucinatory experiences and general feelings of aggression may be able to be waved away now that he’s been diagnosed – but how do we explain his glowing red eyes and his sudden combat mastery? Jack was able to defeat four changeling operatives at once – something that, as Captain Shaw noted, seems remarkable.
There was something about the way Jack’s combat prowess seemed to suddenly emerge, as if a switch had been flipped, that made me think of stories involving “sleeper agents.” Such an operative would be brainwashed, placed into a population, and could then be “activated” via a code phrase or some other method. This is a trope of spy fiction going way back – and a lot of the indicators seem to apply to Jack. If he is a sleeper agent, that could explain not only his combat abilities, but the rogue changelings’ interest in him.
Theory #3: Vadic is the female changeling from Deep Space Nine.
The female changeling as she appeared in Deep Space Nine.
One unnamed changeling spearheaded the Dominion war effort in Deep Space Nine – and now that we have definitive proof that Vadic is a changeling, my left-field theory is that the two characters are one and the same! The last time we saw the female changeling, Odo had cured her of the genetic disease that had been created by Section 31, and she was due to stand trial for war crimes after the Dominion’s final defeat over Cardassia. She didn’t return with Odo to the Great Link, and it was assumed that she would remain in custody for some time.
If the female changeling escaped – or was released after serving her sentence – perhaps she had been changed by her time in prison. She could have been lying to Odo, pretending to go along with his plan in order to receive the cure. She could also have suffered some kind of nervous breakdown after being away from the Great Link for such a long time – which could explain why Vadic is so eccentric!
I’m not sure about this one, to be honest, but it’s an interesting idea that would tie Picard even closer to Deep Space Nine.
Theory #4: The rogue changelings didn’t want Jean-Luc Picard… they wanted Locutus.
An updated look at Locutus as seen in Season 1.
Why did the rogue changelings abscond with Picard’s corpse? And for that matter, why was Section 31 holding onto it to begin with? Perhaps the reason is that Picard was once Locutus of Borg – and his body may contain some residual Borg implants or nanoprobes that the rogue changelings want. If Jack Crusher also has Borg nanites in his system that could explain their interest in him, too.
We know that Starfleet has incorporated Borg technology into some of their newer vessels, and in The Bounty we learned that the entire fleet can automatically link up and communicate – which could be Borg tech. In Season 2, the Borg Queen seemed to be able to seize control of one Federation ship and then use that to command an entire fleet. Could that explain why the rogue changelings need Borg nanoprobes?
Theory #5: The rogue changelings want to hack the entire Federation fleet.
The Borg Queen used her mechanical tentacles to hack into the USS Stargazer’s systems in Season 2.
Tied to the theory above is the idea that the changelings may not want to destroy Starfleet outright, but rather hack into the ships and use them in some other way – perhaps to attack Federation or allied targets, or even to attack each other. If the ships are connected somehow, and the changelings could take over that connection, maybe they could seize control of the entire fleet at once.
This would be an interesting idea, as it would potentially connect the story to what happened at the beginning of Season 2. With many advancements in AI out here in the real world, it could prove to be quite a timely story, too!
Theory #6: Lore will betray Picard and the crew.
Will Lore seize control of the golem and turn on Picard?
Although Data is back, he isn’t alone. Data is sharing a golem body with Dr Soong, Lore, B4, Lal, and possibly other androids, too. It was noted in The Bounty that no personality was dominant, and we caught glimpses of all of them at the end of the episode. But if one personality – Lore’s – were able to take control of the body, even just for a short period of time, he could end up betraying Picard and the crew.
Lore has always been a wildcard, but as we saw in his stories in The Next Generation, he’s also someone who considers himself superior to organic life. Having been deactivated and shut down for decades, Lore might want to seek revenge against Picard and the crew – or he might reckon his chances are better with the changelings than the Federation. There are multiple routes to a potential Lore betrayal!
Theory #7: The rogue changelings are trying to reach the Nexus.
The Nexus.
One of the easter eggs in The Bounty showed us a glimpse of Captain Kirk’s body – or a readout on a screen, at least. As far as we know, only two corpses were stored at Daystrom Station: Picard’s and Kirk’s. Aside from both being captains of the Enterprise, what else do these two characters have in common? They both used the Nexus to travel through time. Picard travelled only a few hours, but Kirk jumped forwards in time by decades.
The Nexus hasn’t been mentioned since Generations, and it would be a less well-known part of Star Trek to bring back in some ways. But the timelines could kind of sync up here: if it’s been 30+ years since the events of Generations, and the Nexus returns every 39.1 years, that could work! The Nexus could also be phenomenally useful for the rogue changelings – if they wanted to travel back in time to prevent the Dominion’s defeat, for example.
Theory #8: Vadic has put together a “rogues’ gallery” of Star Trek villains.
Characters like Sela could be involved… somehow!
This theory is barely hanging in there right now, especially now that we know that Vadic’s crew are changelings. However, I still think it’s a possibility that there could be other players involved in the rogue changelings’ conspiracy, and some of those could be familiar characters from past iterations of Star Trek.
I originally came up with this idea after we saw Lore and Moriarty in pre-season trailers, and made the assumption that they would be on Vadic’s side. Now that we know that isn’t the case, this idea feels another step further away! But there’s still a chance – so I’m not striking it off the list just yet.
Theory #9: Vadic is a veteran of the Battle of Wolf-359.
The Enterprise-D and debris from the Battle of Wolf-359.
I know, I know. We’ve just spent a long time debunking Vadic backstory ideas – and knowing that she’s a changeling should invalidate this one, too. But I can’t shake the feeling that all of these references to Locutus and Wolf-359 are setting up some kind of bigger connection – possibly involving Vadic.
If Vadic was one of the hundred changelings that had been sent out by the Founders, it’s not impossible that she might’ve been present at the battle. She could have been injured there or even partially assimilated – and the trauma from that event could account for her eccentricity. It could also explain why she wanted to steal Picard’s corpse from Daystrom Station.
Unlikely? Undoubtedly! But not impossible… not yet.
Theory #10: Jack Crusher has changeling DNA… somehow.
Is this Jack’s DNA?
We learned a couple of weeks ago that changelings can mimic humanoid DNA well enough to pass scans and screenings – so even though Jack was recently investigated by Dr Crusher, his being diagnosed with Irumodic syndrome shouldn’t rule out some kind of changeling DNA being present in his system. If Jack were a “sleeper agent,” as suggested above, that could explain why he has some changeling DNA. Or it could be as a result of something that happened to Jack and Dr Crusher during one of their medical missions.
I don’t think that the story could get away with saying that Jack is a changeling – and that he was never truly the son of Picard and/or Dr Crusher. That would be too hard a pill to swallow, especially after episodes like The Bounty focused extensively on the themes of family and relationships between children and parents. But Jack could still possess changeling DNA somehow – and that may account for the rogue changelings’ obsession with catching him.
Theory #11: Jack’s eyes, combat skills, and hallucinations are connected to the Borg.
Why did Jack’s eyes glow red?
As I said above, I feel that there’s more to Jack’s story than a diagnosis of Irumodic syndrome. The theft of Picard’s body – a body that was once assimilated by the Borg – could come into play here too. The feminine voice Jack has heard on more than one occasion could be the Borg Queen reaching out to him – and while Dr Crusher has given him medication that may treat his symptoms, if there’s a Borg connection here all that might do is mask it.
We don’t know whether there will be a greater Borg connection in the story – but it feels like there could be. There have been mentions and references to the Borg, and specifically to Picard’s assimilation experience, going all the way back to the season premiere. Jack could be the key to understanding why!
Theory #11-A: Jack has Borg nanoprobes in his body.
Borg nanoprobes.
If Jack’s symptoms are connected to the Borg in some way, it stands to reason that he may have Borg nanites in his system. The question of how this could have occurred is still an open one – perhaps they came from Picard at the moment of conception, or perhaps Jack encountered Borg technology during one of his medical missions.
Again, this could explain the rogue changelings’ interest in him. We saw in Season 1 that many ex-Borg had been killed; butchered for parts. There may not be many individuals in the quadrant with any Borg technology in their systems – and that could account for the rogue changelings both stealing Picard’s body and chasing after Jack.
Theory #12: The Borg are involved.
Borg drones as seen in First Contact.
We’ve talked a fair bit about the Borg already, and looked at a couple of ways in which they could be included. This theory has come about largely because of the frequent mentions of the Borg and the Battle of Wolf-359 in the story so far. The theft of Picard’s body could also be connected to this idea, as Picard had once been assimilated by the Borg. But why keep bringing up these Borg references if there’s no bigger connection?
It’s possible, but perhaps unlikely, that the rogue changelings have formulated some kind of deal or alliance with the Borg, as both factions would benefit from the Federation collapsing or being severely damaged. This seems less likely than a more subtle connection, perhaps, but it’s worth acknowledging the possibility!
Even if I haven’t figured out the exact way in which the Borg will be woven into the story, some kind of Borg connection feels like a distinct possibility.
Theory #13: Deanna Troi is a changeling.
A captive Troi. But is she who she appears to be?
The final scene of The Bounty saw Riker taken into custody aboard the Shrike – where he encountered a captive Deanna Troi. But is this the real Troi, or is the fact that she’s on a ship crewed by changelings a hint that she might not actually be who she appears to be?
It’s very easy in a story like this to become almost paranoid, and to see changelings behind every character’s mask! But right now, of all the characters currently in play, Deanna Troi aboard the Shrike feels like the most likely candidate for being a changeling imposter. Perhaps she will try to get information out of Riker, pressing him to choose between his family and his friends – only to reveal that it was all a ruse.
Theory #14: Irumodic syndrome is important to the rogue changelings.
Irumodic syndrome “killed” Picard… briefly.
At this point in the story, we know that the rogue changelings want Jack Crusher badly. And we’ve just learned that they’ve stolen Picard’s corpse from Daystrom Station. As Picard noted in The Bounty, he “died” of Irumodic syndrome back in Season 1. Irumodic syndrome is a big link between Jack and Picard right now – and because these two characters are the ones who seem to have gotten most of the rogue changelings’ attention, that fact could be significant!
Perhaps Irumodic syndrome can be used by changelings to mask their presence, or maybe it can somehow cure the genetic disease that Section 31 created. Irumodic syndrome could also be an indication that an individual possesses changeling DNA – or some other attribute that’s important to changelings.
Theory #15: A spin-off series will be announced.
The executive producers of Picard Season 1.
The sad news of Discovery’s cancellation, which was announced earlier this season, seemed to suggest that Paramount might be slowing things down for Star Trek – perhaps as a result of financial pressures. But we learned recently that Strange New Worlds has been picked up for a third season, and that Lower Decks has also been renewed for a fifth season – so there’s still hope for Star Trek’s future after all!
Furthermore, Alex Kurtzman has suggested that more announcements may be in the offing “soon,” potentially including new series, mini-series, or even films. I’m still crossing my fingers for a Picard spin-off – or at least a project set in this same early 25th Century time period!
The 5th of April is “First Contact Day,” and in the past Paramount has marked the day in some way. Could an announcement be coming soon, then? I guess we’ll have to watch this space!
So those theories are new or saw significant movement in The Bounty.
Now, as always, we’ll recap the other theories that are still on the board. I find it helpful to keep the list all together in one place – even though these theories didn’t see much movement or attention this week.
Theory #16: Odo will make an appearance – somehow.
Odo in Deep Space Nine.
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 #17: Vadic will be killed by her own portal-weapon.
The USS Titan and one of the portals.
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 #18: The absences of characters from Seasons 1 and 2 will be explained.
Could we learn where Elnor went?
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 #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: Someone on Picard’s crew will turn out to be an imposter.
The crew as they appear on the Season 3 promo poster.
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’ve been replaced by changeling infiltrators before they linked 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 #21: Captain Shaw will be killed.
Captain Shaw with Geordi La Forge in The Bounty.
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 #22: The rogue changelings are planning to cripple Starfleet.
A Starfleet armada seen in Season 2.
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 #23: 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 #24: The rogue changelings may also be targeting the Bajorans and Cardassians.
Cardassia Prime as it appeared in Deep Space Nine.
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 #25: The rogue changelings are responsible for the mysterious anomaly seen in Season 2.
The anomaly in the Season 2 finale.
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 #26: At least one main character will be killed.
A coffin adorned with the Federation flag.
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.
Theory #27: At least one more unannounced character will make an appearance!
Could it be Rom?
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.
So that’s it!
The HMS Bounty.
As episode seven approaches, we have a pretty busy theory list – even as this week saw a significant culling of debunked theories! I think this could be a big week for the story, potentially with some explosive revelations or even a shocking death to really shake things up as the season – and the series – gets ready for its final act.
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.
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 Search for Spock, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Discovery.
The Bounty feels like an episode that was made for fans. More than any other episode of Picard – at least since Season 1’s Nepenthe – I felt that the writers were leaning as heavily as they could into the lore and history of the Star Trek franchise, plucking some of those nostalgic chords for no other reason than to harken back to classic episodes, films, and stories that Trekkies will remember with fondness. There were some incredibly powerful emotional moments as a result, and I will never tire of seeing close-up shots of some of the franchise’s most beautiful starships!
Despite that, however, The Bounty was an imperfect outing overall – an episode with a couple of story beats that felt incomplete or just abrupt, and that resurrected a character who I felt had been appropriately and perfectly laid to rest. Moments of nostalgia spread throughout The Bounty felt absolutely magical… for the most part. But I fear this side of things was overdone and may have tried to carry the episode just a little too far. There will be repercussions for the story as a whole as the second half of the season – and the final act of Picard – gets underway.
The USS Titan.
Let’s talk first about something that had been teased in pre-season trailers and had got a lot of Trekkies chattering excitedly: the “return” of Professor Moriarty. For me, the way this ultimately came across in The Bounty was a let-down; a textbook example of how not to over-hype a character. Moriarty, in my view, should never have appeared in trailers and marketing material for two reasons. Firstly, his cameo here was incredibly brief, with Moriarty getting only a couple of lines and one very short moment of action. Secondly, and perhaps most significantly, this isn’t actually Moriarty.
This version of Moriarty was revealed to be a projection; an illusion created from the decaying remnants of Data’s memories. And that’s totally fine in the context of the story. Had I gone into the episode not expecting to see Moriarty nor knowing he was going to be included in the season, I’d have almost certainly been surprised and impressed. But the build-up to Moriarty’s return had been a significant moment in pre-season trailers going back several months… and seen through that lens, I felt more than a little let down – as if the promised return was nothing more than a bait-and-switch.
Moriarty’s cameo in The Bounty was minor.
Ro Laren’s surprise return to Star Trek last week had been kept secret – and it worked phenomenally well as a result. I can’t help but feel that Daniel Davis’ return as Moriarty should have been treated the same way, as keeping Moriarty out of pre-season trailers would have made his return feel impactful rather than underwhelming. There was scope to do more with Moriarty – and having wondered for months why he might be involved and what kind of a role he could play… I just feel like this cameo was over-hyped. Partly that’s my own fault… but partly it’s Paramount’s marketing, which deliberately over-inflated Moriarty’s role in pre-season trailers.
Trying to assess this inclusion on its own merit, though, I think it would’ve been a lot of fun were it not for being basically spoiled ahead of time. Visiting a black site like Daystrom Station only to encounter a dangerous foe from the past, having to figure out what was going on and how to defeat him, while at the same time he’s unable to be harmed… it was a setup that should have been tense and exciting, while at the same time being a great deal of fun to welcome back a character that I don’t think anyone could’ve truly expected. But unfortunately it didn’t stick the landing – and that’s all because this surprise was spoiled by pre-season trailers.
Moriarty’s return had been spoiled by pre-season trailers.
Let’s get all of the disappointments out of the way up front and look at another let-down! I always like to caveat these particular kinds of criticisms by noting that Paramount doesn’t have unlimited financial resources, and that it isn’t fair to compare Star Trek to productions from the likes of Disney or HBO that have significantly more money to play with. But even with that caveat… I felt that there was a scene or sequence that was sorely missing from The Bounty.
Jack Crusher and Sidney La Forge teamed up to “borrow” a cloaking device from the titular Bounty – the Klingon Bird-of-Prey used by Captain Kirk and co. during the events of The Voyage Home. But this daring heist took place entirely off-screen… and I just feel disappointed by that.
The titular HMS Bounty.
Even with the caveat that Paramount doesn’t have unlimited money, let’s consider this story beat and see how it could’ve played out. First up, there are only two characters involved, which obviously makes it a lot more manageable from a practical point of view. Secondly, it wouldn’t necessarily have required the construction of multiple sets. Between the AR wall (which I know is in Toronto, not California where Picard is produced) and pre-existing sets, surely it must’ve been possible to recreate a small portion of a Bird-of-Prey – even if it wasn’t the bridge. Just a corridor or something where we could’ve seen Jack and Sidney beaming aboard. Alternatively, the episode could’ve seen Jack and Sidney take the USS Defiant’s cloaking device, and a small part of that ship could’ve been created.
Although some creative(ish) storytelling and writing tried to present this aspect of the story as a bit of a surprise, it was actually pretty clear what Jack hoped to do, and even though I know we don’t always need to see every moment unfold in order for a story to be entertaining… we absolutely could have in this instance. In an episode that was already leaning heavily on the crutch of nostalgia, think how much fun it could have been if we’d actually been able to visit one of the ships at the museum instead of just seeing their recreated CGI husks.
So I’m afraid to say that this aspect of The Bounty feels like it has a pretty glaring omission.
Jack formulated a plan… but his plan took place entirely off-screen.
I can’t wait any longer to talk about Data! This is a huge point, not just for Season 3 and potentially not only for Picard, either, but for Star Trek as a whole. The resurrection of seemingly-dead characters is something the franchise has done before – and done quite well, at least in some instances. Technobabble can be used to excuse and justify these things in a sci-fi setting, so from a technical standpoint there really isn’t much to say about the whole “Data, Lore, B4, and other androids are all stuck inside the same ‘golem’ body” idea that The Bounty introduced. I think it clears the bar from that point of view.
But I can’t forgive it as a narrative point.
One of the few highlights of the two-part Season 1 finale was how poignant and beautiful the scenes between Picard and Data were. Eighteen years after Data’s death in Nemesis hadn’t really been given a sufficiently emotional payoff, Et in Arcadia Ego righted that wrong, and Data was finally laid to rest as Picard entered the digital afterlife. Those scenes did so much to elevate what was an otherwise disappointing finale – but more than that, they felt final and conclusive; a definitive but also appropriate end for a character we first met way back in 1987.
Data’s resurrection is a difficult storyline to get behind.
By allowing Data to permanently die, Picard helped him achieve his lifelong goal of becoming more human – because what could possibly be more human, for an artificial life-form who doesn’t age, than dying? This was one of the most impactful moments in all of Season 1 for me, and seeing Data come to the definitive end of his life, even as Picard was being reborn in a new body, went a long way to making the journey feel worthwhile.
The Bounty has now undermined and even overwritten that powerful emotional moment – and I fear that it has no reason for doing so other than the selfish desire of some of the show’s producers to play with the character of Data once more. I feel like I’m watching children playing with action figures; sure, Data was “dead,” but that doesn’t matter now. Pretend it didn’t happen, pick up the doll, and start playing a new game.
He even kind of resembles an action figure in a box…
One of my biggest concerns going into Season 3 – and really going back a whole year to the announcement of these actors returning – is that the story would end up feeling not only tacked-on and unnecessary, but like a childish mess. Bringing back these characters has to serve a purpose, but it also has to make narrative sense within a long-established world. More than that, it has to feel like it’s being done for more than just nakedly commercialised nostalgia – and the resurrection of Data, who had been permanently killed off twice, has crossed that line for me.
As we saw in both Seasons 1 and 2, there are ways to include Brent Spiner – if that had been deemed necessary – without resurrecting the character of Data. Pre-season trailers seemed to indicate that Spiner would be playing Lore, and while I wasn’t wild about that as I’ve never been a huge Lore fan, it seemed like a passable compromise if the show’s producers wanted to get as close as possible to a TNG reunion.
Data the projector.
I have no doubt that there will be some kind of narrative payoff to Data being “back,” and I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that it will be something I find at least bearable. But based on what we got in The Bounty, I’m sceptical. This resurrection feels like it serves two purposes: the desire of the showrunner and writers to play with their favourite action figures, and the commercial wishes of Paramount as it hopes to offset some of its huge losses by nakedly playing the nostalgia card. Neither excuse, quite frankly, is good enough – and neither comes close to justifying a pretty clunky technobabble explanation for resurrecting this long-dead character.
I keep thinking back to The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock as a point of comparison, because I think that may be another factor in Data’s resurrection here; it’s intended to mirror Spock’s. But in that story, Spock’s resurrection had been teed up at the end of The Wrath of Khan in a scene that showed Spock’s coffin lying, undamaged, on the surface of the Genesis Planet. Not only that, but these two stories were told one after the other. Data’s death happened back in 2002 – and his supposedly final end came more than a full season ago. While there are echoes of the Spock story here… that one feels a lot stronger, and seems to have been written with more of a sense of purpose. Data’s story, in contrast, feels muddled and disjointed; the consequence of different writers and writing teams having fundamentally contradictory ideas for where to take the character – and how and even whether to end his life.
A glimpse behind-the-scenes during The Bounty’s production.
Star Trek can successfully pull off a death-and-rebirth narrative, so I don’t think that is a problem in and of itself. We got one such example involving Jean-Luc Picard in the Season 1 finale of Picard – and another even more recently with Book at the end of Discovery’s fourth season. But here, with Data, having seen him so beautifully and sensitively laid to rest in Season 1, and with his death in Nemesis having come more than twenty years ago… it doesn’t work, at least not for me.
Rather than feeling like Spock’s rebirth, or even Picard’s in Season 1, Data’s resurrection reminds me a lot more of Elnor’s, which came at the very end of Season 2. Elnor was, like Data, definitively dead. And like Data, his death had a significant emotional impact. Raffi’s entire Season 2 storyline saw her grieving and coming to terms with his death – and that storyline was, for much of the season, one of the few that seemed to be working. Elnor’s last-second resurrection undid all of that, damaged the overall narrative of the season, felt unearned, unnecessary, and just plain stupid. And many of those same points – particularly those about undermining an emotional storyline and feeling ultimately unnecessary – are present here as well.
As much fun as it could be to have Data back and to get reunions with Geordi, Picard, and the rest of the crew, I’m struggling with this storyline.
Though it may have been intended to echo Spock’s rebirth from The Search for Spock… Data’s resurrection didn’t work anywhere near as well.
Data did tell us something very interesting, though: the “real” theft from Daystrom Station that the rogue changelings wanted to cover up was that of Jean-Luc Picard’s corpse. Precisely why Section 31 wanted to keep Picard’s body, and what they might’ve done with it for the past couple of years, wasn’t made clear… and that’s already kind of odd, when you think about it. Could there be a reason why Picard’s and Kirk’s bodies were both kept at Daystrom Station? Perhaps something connected to the Nexus or the events of Generations?
One thing that we learned from The Bounty that Picard and Jack have in common is a diagnosis of Irumodic syndrome. Given that the rogue changelings are also chasing after him, perhaps that has something to do with it – but we’ll save the speculation for my next theory post. Suffice to say it was an interesting development, and one that brings the conspiracy several steps closer to Picard himself.
Apparently the rogue changelings have absconded with Picard’s corpse.
But all of that came at the end of the episode, and there were plenty of fun or at least interesting moments before we reached those revelations. As I said, The Bounty really feels like an episode that was made for fans – or at least that had moments of pure fan-service that I absolutely lapped up.
Visiting the Fleet Museum was an opportunity to show off some beautiful CGI recreations of some of Star Trek’s most well-known ships. The USS Defiant, the Enterprise-A, and of course the titular Bounty were all present. Seven of Nine and Jack taking a closer look at the USS Voyager was an especially sweet moment, and several familiar musical stings accompanied these ships as they were shown on screen. I adore much of the music of Star Trek – especially the films from the ’80s and the shows of the ’90s – so hearing these short clips was enough, as Scotty once said, to bring a tear to my eye.
The Fleet Museum.
This sequence was a perfect “made for the fans” moment. It was a total nostalgia overload, but one that made sense in the context of the story and that was just the right length. Given what we’ve just been talking about, there must’ve been a temptation to drag this out and perhaps go overboard with the nostalgia plays, talking about each ship in more detail. But here, less was more – and the sequence, which only lasted about three minutes, came across beautifully as a result.
Since reappearing as the Titan’s second-in-command, I hadn’t really been blown away by Seven of Nine’s inclusion in the story of Season 3 so far. She served a narrative function on a couple of occasions – by rerouting the Titan against Captain Shaw’s orders and by identifying the first changeling infiltrator by using her real name – but she hadn’t had that much to say, nor many scenes in which she took centre-stage. Pairing her up with Jack on this occasion was fun – and we got to see how two individuals who are very different from one another, yet have a connection as Starfleet “outsiders,” were able to find some common ground.
Seven became emotional when thinking back to her time aboard the USS Voyager.
Seven’s line to Jack about the USS Voyager having been her home was incredibly touching, and it’s great to see Picard embracing the legacy of Voyager in such an overt way. I’ve said this before going all the way back to Season 1, but Seven’s transformation has been wonderful to see and more than a little cathartic. Seeing her in uniform, geeking out about starship designs with Jack, was another example of this.
Sticking with Jack, I spoke last week about how his hallucinatory experiences were something that hit close to home for me, and I don’t really want to get into all of that again; it isn’t an easy thing to think about or talk too much about! But suffice to say that I’m convinced that there must be more to what’s going on with Jack than simply “Irumodic syndrome” – though the connection between Jack’s hallucinations and the genetic disease that affected Picard was handled well in the story.
Is there more going on with Jack?
Jack’s glowing red eyes from a couple of episodes ago would seem to serve as the best argument for there being more to this story than an illness, as would Jack’s out-of-nowhere combat prowess last week. And that’s before we account for the changelings’ desire to capture him… for some reason. We’ll go into specific ideas about where Jack’s story could go in my next theory update, but for now I think it’s enough to say that there’s more going on here than we’re aware of at this juncture.
I actually really liked Jack in The Bounty. His conversations with both Picard and Seven were great, but for me his standout scenes actually came with Sidney La Forge, who was also excellent in this episode. Like their parents before them, they make a great team – and who knows, maybe romance could be in their future!
Sidney and Jack make a great pair!
Sticking with the La Forge family, I think we’ll briefly talk about Geordi’s other daughter. And “briefly” is all we’ll need, because unfortunately Alandra La Forge didn’t get much to say or do in this episode. There’s potential in the “sibling rivalry” idea that Sidney and Alandra seemed, at first, to embody – but if that’s going to be basically dumped now that the girls are both firmly on the same team… without wanting to be unkind, I just don’t see where Alandra is going to fit.
Sidney La Forge got a genuinely great storyline this week as she confronted her father for both his unwillingness to help with the mission at hand and, by extension, for favouring her sister as she was more inclined toward engineering. Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, who plays Sidney, absolutely excelled in the scene with the far more experienced LeVar Burton, and genuinely sold me on this family argument. Most of us can relate, in some way I daresay, to having this kind of conversation with a parent or relative, and I was beyond impressed with the performance that she gave.
For the first time in the season so far, Sidney got a lot to do.
As for Geordi himself, I can see some fans potentially taking umbrage with the idea that he’d be unwilling to help Picard, or that he’d be so fearful of repercussions that he’d put his family first. It isn’t necessarily a fun story for Geordi, nor is it one that presents him in the best or most heroic, selfless way. But what I’d say in defence of this story is that it’s very human, and is again something that feels incredibly relatable.
One of the themes of Season 3 that we’ve seen through Picard’s conversations with Dr Crusher and Captain Shaw in particular is the idea that Picard himself is a kind of maelstrom; a figure around whom danger, disaster, war, and even death have a tendency to swirl and coalesce. Geordi’s initial reluctance to throw himself and his family into another Picard adventure is a continuation of this theme – and it fits not only with what’s been established before, but with what we’ve seen of Picard over the course of some thirty-five years.
Geordi was initially reluctant to join Picard’s mission.
Because past iterations of Star Trek were primarily episodic affairs, the franchise hasn’t always been able to take a look at some of the longer-term consequences of the adventures and misadventures that some of its key characters have had. There have been attempts to do so: episodes like Family in The Next Generation, for example, or Worf’s scenes with Ezri Dax in Deep Space Nine’s seventh season. But until Discovery and Picard came along, these were limited to a few episodes or character arcs, and didn’t get to go into as much detail.
Parts of Picard haven’t gotten this quite right, particularly in the show’s lacklustre second season. But here, the idea that even some of Picard’s closest friends would struggle to rejoin his cause because of the danger they know it’ll put them in feels surprisingly natural. Having worked with Jean-Luc Picard for fifteen years or more, Geordi saw first-hand the danger many of Picard’s missions posed, and wanting to keep his children away from that is a perfectly valid and understandable reaction – even if we may not like or agree with it on the surface!
Geordi felt that teaming up with Picard would endanger his family.
There was a danger that this part of the story could’ve felt like an artificial speedbump; a delay to slow down the Titan’s progress so other storylines could unfold at Daystrom Station or with the heist at the Fleet Museum. And part of me wants to call it that – to say that Geordi’s rather abrupt turnaround after an entire episode of dragging his feet makes the whole thing redundant. But actually, having had some time to think about it, the positives outweigh the negatives and Geordi’s storyline not only made narrative sense, but played into key themes that have been running for the duration of the season so far.
It isn’t always fun to see an heroic character behaving in a more rational, self-preserving, and more human way. And I get that – Geordi doesn’t feel like the selfless hero for much of The Bounty. But if every main character was totally virtuous, selfless, and pure of heart… well, that would make for a pretty bland and one-dimensional story, wouldn’t it? Geordi has family considerations here, and the idea of wanting to keep one’s children safe – even if that means risking some big, nefarious scheme being able to unfold… it’s relatable and understandable.
Geordi was very relatable in The Bounty.
Although we’ve had some wonderful adventures and powerful emotional moments with all of these characters over the years, here in Picard is where we’re seeing them at the most human and relatable that they’ve ever been – and Geordi encapsulated that feeling for me in The Bounty. I’d defend his characterisation here as not straying from his presentation in The Next Generation – but rather being an evolution of it, showing how conflicted he feels between the fear he has for his family’s safety and his loyalty to Picard and desire to help.
It almost goes without saying that LeVar Burton nailed this complex presentation. It was always going to be wonderful to welcome him back to Star Trek after such a long absence – but to see such a masterful and nuanced performance from the veteran actor was truly astonishing. The character of Geordi La Forge was cast perfectly in 1987 – and as one of the stars of Roots, LeVar Burton was one of the best-known actors in the cast as The Next Generation entered production on its first season. Geordi got some great spotlight episodes across The Next Generation’s run – The Enemy, I Borg, The Next Phase, and Relics all being examples that jump to mind. But here, in The Bounty, we really got to see what LeVar Burton can do with this wonderful character. And it was riveting.
LeVar Burton gave an outstanding performance and was a joy to watch.
Geordi’s inclusion in the story was also an opportunity for the rather superfluous Captain Shaw to have a fun and light-hearted scene. Having set up Shaw as a former engineer a couple of episodes back, that backstory got a truly cute payoff in The Bounty as the Titan’s captain found himself tongue-tied and starstruck when coming face to face with one of his engineering heroes. I felt echoes of Lower Decks’ protagonist Boimler in the way Shaw reacted to Geordi – and it was a nice change of pace for a character who’s been standoffish.
However, I maintain that the story of Season 3 is not well-served by having so many senior officers concentrated aboard the Titan. Riker’s (surely temporary) absence may have alleviated that for now, but the Titan is still blessed with an Admiral, at least one Captain, and now a Commodore as well. Captain Shaw repeatedly draws the short straw – understandably, perhaps. But as we saw yet again this week, big decisions aboard his ship are taken without much input from him.
Captain Shaw with Geordi.
Here’s a question to ponder: are there too many changelings in the plot?
That might sound silly given that the rogue changelings are our main adversaries, but hear me out. Changelings are, if you think about it, kind of overpowered from a narrative standpoint – and their new ability to mimic humanoids in far more detail than ever before has only increased their relative power. We’re at a point in the story where it’s difficult to know who is and isn’t a changeling – and that could make for an exciting and tense mystery… or a frustrating experience!
Past stories involving changeling infiltrators were more cautious, and I mentioned last time that the Deep Space Nine duology Homefront and Paradise Lost made sure to include the detail that there were only four active changeling infiltrators. If, as Ro Laren told us, Starfleet is compromised and there may be multiple changelings aboard many ships in the fleet, it risks making the story hard to follow, and throwing an uncomfortable cloud of suspicion over practically every character arc and plot point. I don’t think we’re at a stage yet where it’s a huge problem… but it could make the story difficult to follow and needs to be handled with a degree of care.
We aren’t always going to be able to know who is and isn’t a changeling in a story like this one…
That only leaves us with the away mission to Daystrom Station. It was fantastic to see Riker and Worf teaming up for an away mission once again! Worf was often one of Riker’s go-to officers when putting together an away team during their adventures aboard the Enterprise-D, so it felt incredibly appropriate and fitting for them to work together again on this occasion.
Raffi was an interesting inclusion here, and after she and Worf had worked over the past few episodes to uncover the Daystrom connection, it made sense for her to join the mission along with them. But after they accessed the chamber where Data was being held, Raffi kind of felt like a bit of an unnecessary addition. She didn’t have the connection to Data, nor the history with him that Riker and Worf had, to give her much to say, and the few lines she got at this point felt more like exposition than anything else.
The away team at Daystrom Station.
Raffi’s reunion with Seven of Nine was also cut short, and I hope it’s something we’ll see more of before the season ends. As disappointing as Season 2 was, and in spite of the problems Raffi’s storyline ran into in the final episode, the developing relationship between Seven and Raffi was one of the season’s stronger storylines. It humanises both characters, gives each of them something to fight for and reach for, and if there is to be any kind of “Captain Seven” show in Star Trek’s future, this relationship, one way or another, will be part of it. With both characters aboard the Titan, I hope there’ll be time in the remaining episodes to reunite Seven and Raffi for a scene or two.
There are already breakdowns and lists of all of the miscellaneous objects and items that were being stored at Daystrom Station that fans have compiled, so I won’t just list all of them here! But some of these little easter eggs were great fun, and in an episode that was all about callbacks to past iterations of Star Trek, this kind of storage facility was a great way to include many smaller references. I doubt very much that any of the stored items at Daystrom Station will prove to be important to the plot, but it was a cute way for Picard to pay homage to characters and stories from across the franchise’s 850+ episodes and films.
Captain Kirk’s body is apparently stored at Daystrom Station too.
The away mission to Daystrom Station felt tense and exciting – but the sets used for the station were, once again, seriously under-lit and far too dark. This has been a problem that’s been running all season long, but the especially dark corridors of Daystrom Station were perhaps the worst example so far. It wasn’t easy to follow all of the action as Worf, Raffi, and Riker were sneaking around and battling their way into and out of the station’s central chamber.
The fight sequences themselves, despite the aforementioned lighting problem, were decent, though. I genuinely felt that Riker was in danger as he raced off to buy time for the others to escape – and that’s really the first time so far this season that Picard has managed to give me that feeling. After Ro’s death the stakes have been raised significantly, and as I said before the season aired, it’s possible that not all of our heroes will make it to the end in one piece! Riker escaped… this time. But it was touch-and-go for a minute there in an incredibly tense and well-performed fight sequence.
Riker genuinely seemed to be in danger.
I confess that Vadic being a changeling is still something I’m getting to grips with. I said last time that I interpreted her scene with Floaty McFloatface as Vadic being a humanoid who had some kind of symbiotic relationship with a changeling… but it seems, instead, that she’s somehow two changelings in one body? The mechanics of it bug me, at least from an in-universe perspective. We know that changelings can communicate by linking, and we’ve seen in Picard that they also seem to have developed a clicking language of their own – so why does Vadic physically cut Floaty McFloatface off of herself and have a chat with them in English? Obviously the answer is “to make it a more interesting story.” But that isn’t always a satisfying explanation!
But still, we got absolute, indisputable proof this week that Vadic is a changeling. I’m excited to see her finally being able to interact with someone other than her silent crew and Floaty McFloatface, and there’s definitely potential in her interrogations of Riker and Troi – assuming it is the real Troi! I’m a tad disappointed, however, that Vadic now doesn’t seem to have any personal connection to Picard. Something may yet be revealed in that regard, but if she’s a changeling it would seem to rule it out.
Vadic at the end of the episode.
Vadic is clearly based on characters like Khan, and that kind of villain can be truly delicious to watch. But so far, Vadic hasn’t managed to capture much of that feeling for me. Her over-the-top performance actually feels out of place right now, and while I still want to see her defeated and her plan stopped, on a personal level I think there’s a disconnect between Vadic and the audience. Six episodes in and we’ve only had a few short moments with her, we’ve already seen her defeated once, and her over-the-top characterisation feels more like it’s treading water than going anywhere.
But now that she’s captured and assaulted Riker, perhaps we’ll finally start to get some of that burning, passionate dislike that Vadic hasn’t managed to garner so far. I certainly hope so! A villain so maniacal should be able to drum up that sort of a reaction – and now that she’s captured not just one but perhaps two of our heroes… there’s the potential, at least, for an improvement on the villainous side of the season.
The Shrike leaves Daystrom Station.
So I think I’ve touched on all of the points I had in my notes for this outing. The Bounty was a beautiful, nostalgic romp through Star Trek’s past in more ways than one… but an episode that didn’t stick the landing on a couple of key points. It can be difficult to fairly judge these mid-season episodes, though, until we know how character arcs and storylines that have been set up will ultimately be paid off – something I’m especially aware of in Picard, given the way Seasons 1 and 2 both ended. So perhaps we’ll be able to look back at some elements of The Bounty a little more kindly in retrospect.
With Troi, Geordi, and the Data-Lore-Soong-B4 golem now in the picture, the cast is complete and the reunion has finally happened. Was the tail end of the sixth part of a ten-episode season the right moment… or should most of the rest of the characters have gotten back together sooner? I guess that’s another point where only time will tell!
There are four episodes left for this story to come to an explosive and exciting conclusion – and it feels as if most of the pieces are now in play. In spite of The Bounty’s shortcomings, I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
A few scattered final thoughts:
For such an important facility, it’s kind of silly that Daystrom Station isn’t fully staffed and well-guarded – especially considering it’s already been attacked and robbed once.
What could Section 31 possibly want with Kirk’s dead body? And what is “Project Phoenix?”
This is the first mention of Section 31 in Picard – could that be a hint at a resurrection of the Section 31 series that’s been languishing in development hell?
I’d have given anything to see Picard and the crew beam aboard the Enterprise-A…
Geordi was very concerned about his kids… but was perfectly fine with ditching his wife!
Including a sequence from Encounter at Farpoint – and finding a way to make it relevant to the story – was incredibly sweet.
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.
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!
A glimpse behind the scenes!
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.
Two rogue changeling infiltrators.
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!
Ro Laren in Imposters.
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.”
Picard and Ro in The Next Generation.
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.”
It wasn’t Elnor…
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.
Vadic’s changeling-hand.
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.
Jack is troubled by hallucinations.
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.
Borg nanoprobes in Season 2.
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.
Borg drones in First Contact.
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.
Is this Jack’s DNA?
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.
Professor Moriarty.
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.
Is this just a silly idea?
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!
My money’s on Morn…
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.
Spock’s funeral in The Wrath of Khan.
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.
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.
The anomaly in the Season 2 finale.
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.
We still don’t know who Vadic is.
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.
Vadic with two members of her crew.
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.
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.
Shaw in Imposters.
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.
Lore.
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.
Professor Moriarty.
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.
The USS Titan and one of the portals.
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.
Odo in Deep Space Nine.
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.
Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Picard Seasons 1-3, including the trailers, teasers, and marketing material for upcoming episodes. Spoilers are also present for the following Star Trek productions: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Discovery.
For some utterly inexplicable reason, Paramount doesn’t make all of its marketing material available to viewers outside of the United States. Trailers, teasers, clips, posters, and even Paramount’s own press website are geo-blocked, meaning fans and viewers who aren’t American can’t access them – at least, not officially. This is just another example of Paramount’s stupid, dangerous, and obviously damaging “America First” fetish that we’ve talked about here on the website on more than one occasion in the last few years.
But we’ll have to give Paramount another stern talking-to, clearly.
Fuck you too, Paramount.
Because I don’t have access to that, I missed something potentially huge about the upcoming fifth episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 that was revealed in the episode’s official press release. Here’s the full blurb so you can read it for yourself:
“Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether a prodigal crewman from his past has returned as an ally – or an enemy hellbent on destroying them all.”
One part of this in particular jumped out at me: the “prodigal crewman.” Who could this character be? And more importantly: might it be someone we’ve met before; a returning legacy character?
There are quite a lot of characters who could potentially return!
I would have included this as part of my theory list if I’d spotted it in time! I don’t like going back to posts I’ve already published and adding whole paragraphs and chunks of text, so instead of doing that, I’ve decided to write this one up as a standalone theory.
The use of the word “prodigal” is very interesting here, as it could absolutely be argued to imply that we’re dealing with a character we’ve already met. A “prodigal” son or daughter is someone who returns home, so I think we’ve got a case – albeit not a watertight one – to make in favour of this character being someone we’ve already met. And you better believe that I have a few ideas for who they could be!
Prodigal Crewman #1: Tasha Yar
Tasha Yar at her post.
Denise Crosby, who originated the role of Tasha Yar in The Next Generation’s first season, has been heavily rumoured to be involved with Picard Season 3 for months, and it’s primarily for that reason that she’s in contention here. Yar was, of course, famously killed off toward the end of The Next Generation Season 1, but that didn’t stop Crosby from making occasional returns to Star Trek – either as Tasha Yar herself or as her half-Romulan daughter Sela.
Perhaps part of what Picard will have to figure out is whether Tasha Yar survived her injuries at the hands of Armus, or whether this version of Tasha Yar might be the mother of Sela – someone detained and imprisoned for years by the Romulans. Such a storyline could even cross over with a potential Section 31 series; Tasha’s survival may have been hushed up by the shadowy black-ops organisation.
Tasha Yar was killed off early in The Next Generation’s run.
Most fans of The Next Generation would instantly assume that Tasha Yar couldn’t possibly be real – because we know that she died a long time ago. That would potentially set up a kind of double-bluff, where the show leans into the idea that Tasha Yar is a changeling… only to perhaps rip that away at the last moment and say that she’s actually for real.
A good rule in Star Trek (and fiction in general!) is that if you haven’t seen the corpse, a character may not be truly dead. But we did see Tasha’s body, we watched her die, and we even saw her friends attend her memorial service. It would be difficult, narratively speaking, to find a way around that… and I don’t think it’s something that can just be hand-waved away or ignored. So there’s a potential pitfall here, I fear.
Prodigal Crewman #2: Sito Jaxa
Ensign Sito Jaxa.
Ensign Sito Jaxa made two appearances in The Next Generation. She debuted in the episode The First Duty, where, as a cadet at Starfleet Academy, she played a role in covering up the death of a colleague during an unsanctioned flying manoeuvre. Later she appeared in the episodeLower Decks, having been assigned to the Enterprise-D at Picard’s explicit request.
Ensign Sito was presumed to have died during a mission to aid a Cardassian spy – but her body was never recovered, so it’s possible, perhaps, that she wasn’t killed in action as we were led to believe.
Sito with Picard.
Sito definitely qualifies as a “prodigal” crewman, I think! But as a character who only made a couple of appearances, she may not be as recognisable to the audience. The story would also have to find a way to explain what happened to Sito after her disappearance in a satisfactory way, telling us how and why she disappeared and allowed her friends to assume the worst.
Even with those issues, though, I think Sito could make for a fascinating character to bring back. And as a relatively unknown character, there’s scope to tell a different kind of story unconstrained by too much prior canon.
Prodigal Crewman #3: Dr Pulaski
Dr Kate Pulaski.
I gotta be honest: I don’t really think that Dr Pulaski is a strong contender here. But as you’ll know if you read my in-depth look at her character, I truly like Dr Pulaski, and she’s a character that I wish we’d gotten to spend more time with. Giving her an epilogue after all these years would be fantastic – even if it seems quite unlikely!
So that’s the truth of Dr Pulaski’s inclusion on this list. But I still think we can build a case for her return. First and foremost, Dr Pulaski never got a conclusive goodbye after Season 2 of The Next Generation. She simply disappeared when Dr Crusher returned at the beginning of Season 3, and while there was supposedly a mention of her over a tannoy in the background during the events of the Voyager series finale Endgame, implying that she may have worked at Starfleet Medical, I don’t think that really counts!
Dr Pulaski, ready for a trip to the holodeck!
It would be genuinely interesting to see some kind of on-screen interaction between Drs Crusher and Pulaski, as that’s something we never got during The Next Generation’s run. How would these two very different doctors react to one another, and would their styles completely clash? It could certainly be a bit of fun to see that!
Dr Pulaski also had a burgeoning friendship with Worf, and has a strained relationship with Riker as she had once been involved with his father. She’s also a character who knew Professor Moriarty, who we know is coming back soon; she was present during his creation on the holodeck. There are good reasons to want to see more of Dr Pulaski – even though I think her return on this occasion isn’t the most likely.
Prodigal Crewman #4: Ro Laren
Ro betrayed Riker and Picard the last time we saw her.
The former Ensign Ro is someone who could be absolutely fascinating to bring back. Her defection to the Maquis at the end of The Next Generation was something that clearly stung Picard, so there’d immediately be a loss of trust between them. Ro is also a character who could tell us a great deal about relations between the Federation and the Cardassians, as well as the potential survival of some members of the Maquis.
One interesting idea that hasn’t been explored fully in Star Trek since the Dominion War is the idea that characters like Ro and even Michael Eddington were, in a roundabout way, right. They predicted Cardassian aggression years before it happened, and were willing to fight back at a time when the Federation was pursuing what amounted to a policy of appeasement; peace at any cost.
Picard with Ensign Ro at a Bajoran refugee camp.
If Ro were to return, we could see her take Picard to task for failing to recognise signs that the Cardassians would once again make offensive moves against the Federation – and hearing what Picard may have to say in defence of his actions in that era could be fascinating, particularly in light of what happened in the Dominion War.
We could also see Ro as the returning “prodigal” crewman, perhaps having suffered years of imprisonment at the hands of the Cardassians, and lamenting the loss of many of her Maquis friends. I’m sure Riker would have a thing or two to say to her, too, because the last time he saw her she was pointing a phaser at him!
Prodigal Crewman #5: Lore
Lore as he appeared in The Next Generation.
Is Lore a “crewman” in the strict sense of the term? I’m not so sure… but he’s also the only character on this list that we know for a fact will be included in the season’s story! That alone should mean he’s in contention.
It seems to have been hinted in pre-season marketing material that Lore may have changed since we last encountered him, and that he may have become more of a friend/ally to Picard and the crew. If so, perhaps that will be what Picard figures out over the course of this upcoming episode.
Lore in the final Season 3 trailer.
Is it possible that Lore might have been “repurposed” to somehow resurrect Data? That could also give Picard a puzzle to figure out: is he dealing with the genuine resurrection of his dead friend, or is Lore once again trying to take everyone for a ride by posing as his brother? After a prominent sequence at the end of Season 1 in which Data was laid to rest, I’m not sure this is the route I’d want to see the story go down – but you never know.
I’m not really sold on Lore’s return, to tell the truth. The “evil twin” angle was a fun one on a couple of occasions during The Next Generation’s run, but with Data seemingly out of the picture, Lore’s return seems to be more to do with wanting to reunite actor Brent Spiner with his co-stars rather than for any narrative reason. And with Spiner having already appeared in both Seasons 1 and 2 of Picard… maybe that’s just not something that will turn out to have been necessary. Regardless, this feels like it could plausibly be the moment of Lore’s return.
Prodigal Crewman #6: Elnor
Season 2 promotional photo of Elnor.
I know, I know: actor Evan Evagora has stated that he isn’t coming back for Picard’s third season. However, we heard similar words from Orla Brady, who plays Laris, and she actually did appear in the season premiere. Perhaps Elnor could be back for a one-off appearance after all!
Would we call Elnor a “prodigal” crewman? And what reason might Picard have to suspect that he’s dangerous – other than the obvious changeling infiltration possibility? Also, what kind of role might Elnor have in prosecuting Picard at a potential court-martial? All of these questions would have to be answered if Elnor is indeed to return!
Cadet Elnor at the end of Season 2.
However, it would be an unexpected and fun twist in the story. We could learn that Elnor has graduated from Starfleet Academy and is now a fully-fledged Starfleet officer, perhaps serving in the security division. He could even enable Picard and Riker to escape their potential arrest, proving that he’s on their side.
Elnor’s return could also lead to a reunion with Raffi, as the two clearly had a strong bond. It must’ve been difficult for Raffi to leave Elnor behind to go undercover – especially as he’s the closest thing to family she has left after alienating and estranging herself from her ex-husband, son, and daughter-in-law. Elnor’s story, perhaps more so than any other new character, is arguably the most unfinished – and finding a genuinely good reason for his last-second resurrection at the end of Season 2 should be a priority, too.
Prodigal Crewman #7: Sela
Sela in The Next Generation.
We mentioned Sela above when talking about Tasha Yar, but could she turn out to be the “prodigal crewman” herself? Depending on the state of Romulan-Federation relations in this era, it’s possible, I suppose, that other Romulans might follow in Elnor’s footsteps and join Starfleet – or at least work alongside Starfleet in some capacity as allies.
Sela could also emerge not as a member of the crew, but in some other role, perhaps as a fellow prisoner if Picard and Riker are placed under arrest. She could return offering to break Picard out of jail, only for Picard to have to stop to consider whether she’s doing so to help – or because she has some other nefarious goal in mind.
Picard and Sela have crossed paths before…
This would allow Denise Crosby to return but without having to, for want of a better expression, dig up Tasha Yar. Given the adversarial nature of Sela’s relationship with Picard, it would make sense why he wouldn’t know whether or not to trust her – and why he’d need to figure out whether she’s an ally or an enemy.
I definitely think that there’s scope to bring back Sela in some form this season – though whether this would be the right way to do it is still an open question!
Prodigal Crewman #8: Vadic
Vadic in Seventeen Seconds.
This one is a bit “out there,” so bear with me! I’ve had a theory that has been running for as long as we’ve known Vadic would be a part of the season’s story in which I’ve suggested that she could be a former Starfleet officer – someone who once served under Picard’s command. The inclusion of multiple connections to the Battle of Wolf-359 – including most prominently Captain Shaw’s presence at the battle that was revealed in No Win Scenario – could also be a potential origin story for Vadic: she was a Starfleet officer or enlisted crewman present at the battle.
Perhaps Vadic will return in the upcoming episode, relatively unscathed after Riker’s asteroid attack, and will reveal herself as a former crewmate of Picard’s. She may offer some tantalising piece of information pertaining to the rogue changelings and their conspiracy that Picard will need to investigate – and determining whether Vadic’s offer is genuine or a trap could be a big part of the story.
Who is Vadic?
If Vadic truly is someone who served in Starfleet, I’m not sure if this is how that revelation might come. But it feels like a possibility, at least, and now that we’re relatively certain that Vadic isn’t actually a changeling herself, but is merely working for them in some capacity, the question of her origin is once again an open one.
It would be a shocking twist in the story if Vadic essentially “turned evil” because of something that Picard did or didn’t do. She might blame him for her injuries if she once served aboard the Stargazer or Enterprise-D, or she might hold Picard accountable for her assimilation if she was captured and assimilated by the Borg, for example. There are multiple ways to tie Vadic to Picard’s past – including as a “prodigal crewman.”
Prodigal Crewman #9: Reg Barclay
Barclay with a medical tricorder.
Barclay would be a fun and interesting character to include in Season 3, and a potential story in which he plays a role could also see him interacting with Seven of Nine. Barclay was instrumental in helping the USS Voyager communicate with Starfleet while the ship was stranded in the Delta Quadrant, so a kind of reunion between him and Seven could be a ton of fun!
Although Barclay was arguably not Picard’s favourite officer during his tenure aboard the Enterprise-D, he was always an ally – so the question of why Picard might mistrust him is an open one. As an engineer, there’s also the question of what role Barclay might play during a potential arrest and court-martial – he clearly isn’t going to be a security officer or advocate.
Barclay in Star Trek: Voyager.
Again, Barclay could be someone who shows up, seemingly out of nowhere, offering Picard and Riker a potential way out. Determining whether that offer of assistance is genuine could be what the blurb of the episode is hinting at, and it could be fun to see Picard and Riker trying to “test” Barclay to see whether he’s the genuine article.
Barclay is another character that I think could make a welcome return to Star Trek, and could link up with Picard, Geordi, Seven, and others in Picard’s third season in different and fun ways. Whether this would be the right way to do it… I’m not 100% sure. But it’s at least a possibility!
Prodigal Crewman #10: Miles O’Brien
O’Brien in The Next Generation.
Chief O’Brien is basically the only person on this list who meets the strictest definition of “crewman!” O’Brien was never a commissioned officer, instead holding the rank of chief petty officer – a non-commissioned rank that essentially makes him a senior crewman. Could that complicated work of semantic gymnastics be a hint at the return of Chief O’Brien?
I’d absolutely love to see Miles O’Brien come back. He’d certainly have a lot to say to Worf – the two worked together for years during the Dominion War. He’s also a character with a strong connection to Picard, having served aboard the Enterprise-D before transferring to DS9.
Chief O’Brien.
O’Brien is also a great character to include in a story all about the rogue changelings. As a kind of epilogue to Deep Space Nine seems to be unfolding, bringing back other characters from that series makes a lot of sense – and if it’s someone like O’Brien that Picard hasn’t seen for a long time, it would be understandable if trust is hard to come by at first. Worf could be the point of connection here, proving to Picard that O’Brien is on their side.
I doubt that the question of “crewman” versus “officer” will ultimately matter; that was just a bit of fun. It would be great to think that we might see Chief O’Brien again, though, and that he might have a role to play in a story that brings back the changelings and makes reference to the Dominion War – a war in which he played a major role.
Prodigal Crewman #11: Wesley Crusher
Wesley after his field commission.
Another character who would arguably fit the definition of “prodigal” is Wesley Crusher, who has been off with the Travelers for a number of years. We saw at the end of Season 2 that Wesley has settled into that role, so the question of why he might choose to make himself known to Picard at this time is unclear.
However, as the blurb hints, it could be possible that a changeling is impersonating Wesley to try to catch Picard and Dr Crusher off-guard. This imposter could be trying to get to Jack through Dr Crusher, using the image of Wesley to worm their way into the Crushers’ trust.
Wesley with Kore Soong at the end of Season 2.
Having seen Wesley at the end of last season, though, and seemingly in a pretty conclusive scene, I’m not certain that he’ll be back again so soon. There are good reasons to do it, both narratively speaking and for the fun of including another legacy character, but there are also some pretty solid counterpoints, too.
Still, Wesley would certainly fit the definition, and would be an interesting character to include. His inclusion could set up a kind of double-bluff, where we’re led to believe there’s a high likelihood of his being a changeling, only for the story to prove at the last moment that he actually is Wesley Crusher. I think a lot of fans would like to see a reunion between Wesley and Beverly – and it could be fun to see Wesley meeting his half-sibling for the first time, too!
Prodigal Crewman #12: Thomas Riker
Thomas Riker.
Thomas Riker – a transporter-created clone of William Riker – would be an interesting character to bring back. Last we saw him, Thomas was being arrested by the Cardassians, having exposed a secret fleet that the Obsidian Order was building. This took place in the years prior to the Dominion War – so what became of him after his arrest was never seen on screen.
If Thomas survived the war, he may have been returned to the Federation, or perhaps liberated from a Cardassian prison camp during the course of the conflict. If so, perhaps he was able to rejoin Starfleet at some point.
Could this be Thomas Riker? Or did Thomas somehow replace the real Riker?
The presence of Thomas Riker could tie into the theme of an “imposter” without going down the obvious route of having another changeling hiding out in Starfleet. It could fall to Picard to figure out whether he’s sitting with the original Riker or his clone – and as the two men are indistinguishable by scans and sensors, it might only be Picard’s insight into his former number one that could find out the truth.
This could also potentially explain why we saw a clip in one of the pre-season trailers that seemed to show Riker trapped or imprisoned. If Thomas is involved, could he be working with Vadic? He was actually one of the characters I suggested could be part of her team when I put together a list back in November. You can find the full list by clicking or tapping here.
Bonus Prodigal Crewman: Someone entirely new.
Will it be someone we’ve never met?
In Season 1, the super-synths and Zhat Vash were entirely new creations. In Season 2, Star Trek’s past likewise didn’t factor into either the mysterious anomaly or Picard’s own backstory. There have been moments in both seasons where characters from the past could have been included: multiple admirals and senior Starfleet personnel could have been replaced by the likes of Admiral Janeway, for instance, or Dr Benayoun in Season 1 could have been subbed out for someone like Dr Pulaski or Dr Bashir.
So there are good reasons to think that, once again, Picard will create an entirely new character to fill this space. Such a character could be said to have served under Picard’s command aboard the Enterprise-D, the Enterprise-E, the Stargazer, or during the Romulan rescue mission, and they could be tailor-made to fill a particular role in this new narrative.
In Season 1, the new character of Dr Benayoun was created.
I’d suggest that this reference to a “prodigal crewman” hasn’t exactly been a massive part of the marketing or promotional material for either the season as a whole or even for this episode – so if it turns out not to be relevant, I don’t think we can really accuse Paramount of getting our hopes up too much! On several occasions in recent seasons of Star Trek, there arguably have been teases that hinted at potential returning characters or factions that ultimately didn’t pan out. We could point to Tarka’s friend and Unknown Species 10-C in Discovery Season 4, the Burn in Discovery Season 3, and the super-synths in Picard Season 1 as examples of this… but this reference to a “prodigal crewman” feels minor in comparison.
In short, what I’m trying to say is this: don’t be surprised if this character turns out to be someone brand-new. Although we’ve had fun (I hope) speculating wildly about possible returning characters, a brand-new creation is at least as likely – if not more so – than anyone on this list!
So that’s it!
The Titan will rendezvous with another Starfleet vessel…
We’ve considered twelve possible characters who could be the “prodigal crewman” mentioned in the blurb for Imposters, the upcoming fifth episode of Picard Season 3. Will we look back at this list in a few days’ time and think how brilliant and insightful it was? Or will we instead think how silly it was to speculate about a bunch of characters who clearly had no role to play? Only time will tell! But even if I’m completely wrong on this, it was a bit of fun to speculate about who may or may not be coming back.
I’d be hard-pressed to pick a favourite on the list above. For production-side reasons, characters played by actors who we know to be involved in the season – like Thomas Riker or Lore – feel plausible, as do characters like Sela and Tasha Yar as Denise Crosby has been heavily rumoured to be playing a role this time. But Star Trek has kept some wonderful surprises – Wesley Crusher’s role at the end of Season 2 hadn’t been leaked or even hinted at, making it a great inclusion in the episode Farewell. What I’m saying is that a complete shock shouldn’t be entirely disregarded; it’s possible, at least, that a truly unexpected character could be about to make a return.
As a final note: I always like to end these theory posts 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.
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.
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.
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.
A cute spacefaring critter.
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.
Vadic in this week’s episode.
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.
Jack in No Win Scenario.
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.
It wasn’t changelings after all…
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.
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 on the bridge of the Shrike.
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.
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 #2: Jack Crusher has changeling DNA… somehow.
Whose DNA is this?
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.
The anomaly in the Season 2 finale.
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 #4: 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 #5: 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 #6: There are changeling infiltrators aboard dozens of Starfleet vessels.
A Starfleet armada seen in Season 2.
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.
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 #8: Vadic backstory ideas.
We still don’t know who Vadic is.
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.
Vadic with two members of her crew.
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.
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.
Shaw in No Win Scenario.
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 approaches its halfway point.
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!
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 #14: 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.
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?
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 #16: There will be at least one unannounced character returning!
Could it be Harry Kim?
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.
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 #18: At least one main character will be killed.
A Starfleet coffin.
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.
Lore is coming back…
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 #20: Picard and his crew need to find synthetic allies/crewmates.
