with Ken Reilly

The first season of Star Trek: Picard was a literary and poignant treatise on the titular captain regaining his identity and purpose late in life. After seeing the launch of Season 2 with “The Star Gazer,” a fast-paced hour of television that successfully reintroduces the show’s cast and moves them forward into a more traditional Star Trek framework, it’s now apparently time for everyone to “live a little.”

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) quotes Spock, telling Elnor (Evan Evagora) that “Exhilaration enhances the absorption of knowledge” – a perfect description for the energy that new showrunner Terry Matalas has injected into the series as it launches at breakneck speed into its 10-episode second season.

In this first hour alone we get Q, Guinan and a supercharged Borg Queen, as well as a variety of flashbacks and a satisfying mélange of scenes showcasing the return of the main cast — in both unexpected and familiar capacities — as the series picks up a full 18 months after the conclusion of the events in “Et in Arcadia Ego.”

Of those reintroductions, the biggest surprise comes as Cristobal Rios (Santiago Cabrera), the vagabond La Sirena captain correctly labeled as “Starfleet to the core,” has returned to Starfleet and is now the captain of an updated version of Picard’s first command, the USS Stargazer. The exciting reveal is accompanied by a VFX shot that might be the cleanest, most visually appealing angle of a starship in this new era of live-action Trek.

The overhead flyby is distinct and clear, as well as long — a full 30 seconds! — and provides a crisp look at the detail in the hull that we haven’t always seen since Trek returned to television in 2017.

As for Rios’ previous command, La Sirena is now in the hands of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), who is still a Fenris Ranger and running the ship solo (albeit with the help of one remaining Rios hologram). As for her relationship with Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), that subject’s just briefly touched upon — as Raffi, like Rios, is back serving in Starfleet, where the commander is working closely with Elnor, Starfleet Academy’s first fully-Romulan cadet.

Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) and Soji Asha (Isa Briones) are together on a diplomatic tour of the Federation to promote the reintegration of synthetic beings into the Federation way of life. The pair are meeting with a delegation of Deltans when Jurati — cleared of murdering ex-boyfriend Bruce Maddox due to “alien-induced temporary insanity” — is summoned to the Stargazer to assist her now-ex-boyfriend Rios investigate a mysterious spatial anomaly.

It is this spatial anomaly that is the fulcrum for the season’s action arc — but happening in circumference to that plot point is some incredibly nuanced character work taking aim at the background of arguably Trek’s most beloved character, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard… and therein lies the key success to Matalas’ relaunch of this series.

As the episode begins, we see a flashback to young Jean-Luc’s arrival at Chateau Picard, where a memory of his mother’s love and encouragement for her “little Magellan” to explore is shattered with glimpses of a dark past that allude to a troubled home, where domestic violence was apparently a part of his life. (This development echoes Patrick Stewart’s difficult childhood and activism working with Refuge, a United Kingdom charity that supports women and children experiencing domestic violence.)

The storyline pairs up remarkably well with what we know about Jean-Luc’s estranged father, a technophobe who sternly disapproved of his youngest son’s choice to join Starfleet. That decision has always been presented as Picard’s desire to explore and reach for the stars, but now it appears there is more to it.

The experiences of his childhood also seem to be a big part of the reason he has ended up alone, without a deep love beyond his friends and career. This growing revelation is explored in two emotional conversations with his Romulan housemate, Laris (Orla Brady), and lifelong friend, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), making her return to the franchise since her 2002 cameo in Star Trek: Nemesis.

The conversation with Laris seems to be heading toward a romantic encounter until she wonders directly “why he has chosen to be alone,” and if being in the stars “is all he really wants” — leading Jean-Luc to pull away and flashing back to the painful childhood memories of his move to LeBarre and his parents fighting.

Later Raffi wonders, while discussing with Jean-Luc about her desire for something more in her relationship with Seven, whether he or Seven ever “even get lonely.” These pointed conversations lead Picard to seek out Guinan in a much-anticipated meet-up — at her bar in Los Angeles on 10 Forward St., naturally — where they discuss his inability to explore his heart or commit to a lifetime of love.

Similarly to Laris, Guinan challenges him with a declaration that “his answers are not in the stars” and that “there is one final frontier to come.” The nuance around these conversations seems to be indicating Jean-Luc might finally be heading toward a truly, madly, deeply ending in the ways of love. We shall see.

All of those powerful moments also help frame a mysterious message from the spatial anomaly (“Help us, Picard!”) that pushes Starfleet to summon Picard back into space aboard the Stargazer, with “Make it so” Rios in command. It’s fair to say that the production design inside the Stargazer is every bit as impressive as the outside. The ship’s internal look is immaculate and powerful, a perfect progression from the 24th century design we know so well as we get our first detailed look inside a 25th century starship.

With a staff of Trek veterans working behind the scenes — from Doug Drexler to Mike and Denise Okuda — production designer Dave Blass has led an impressive team in creating the look for this season and if these early reveals are any indication, we are in for a treat for the next 10 weeks. From updated LCARS screens everywhere you look to the comfortable turbolift designs to a modernized but familiar observation lounge, the entire ship jumps off the screen.

Once on board the Stargazer, where Seven has joined them, the action rockets to Warp 10 as the strange message for Picard intensifies and a shifting, geometric Borg ship emerges from the rift. The dramatic reveal is reminiscent of the Borg artifact’s entrance at the conclusion of the Picard series premiere, “Remembrance.” That interesting contrast is one of many between this opening episode and the launch of the series back in 2020, with both premieres including Picard speeches, meetings with admirals and heartfelt Chateau departures.

Of those connections, the most telling in this new season is the one about respect. In Season 1, it was established early on that Picard was being received differently by everyone he met. He was not recognized at Starfleet Headquarters, he was rebuffed by peers, and he was told to stay out of things on more than one occasion. (Literally the first person to greet him warmly in the entire season was Hugh, and that didn’t come until the sixth episode!)

Now, after the events of Season 1, Picard has his groove back and is being greeted with respect and admiration at every corner — serving the Federation as the chancellor of Starfleet Academy and being sought out by the big brass to assist with a major problem.

With the reveal of that Borg ship, Rios, Picard, Jurati and Seven head to that beautiful new Stargazer observation lounge to debate their next step. Are the Borg actually trying to negotiate entry into the Federation, or is this a last desperate attempt at assimilation from the now-weakened Borg? That answer remains a mystery, but when a new high-tech and faceless Borg Queen beams on board to commence negotiations with Picard directly, she immediately begins to assimilate not only the Stargazer — but the entire fleet of Starfleet vessels that have arrived in support.

With things looking dire, and the Queen about to take control Picard puts the ship into auto-destruct as the crew confusingly reacts to hearing a serenade by French singer Edith Piaf’s song, “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” (“No, I Do Not Regret Anything”). As the countdown approaches zero, Picard is summoned by the Queen with the voice of his mother, who tells him to “Look up” as the ship explodes.

It’s a powerful moment that, impossibly, is matched moments later by what happens next. Picard finds himself transported to Chateau Picard where the admiral stumbles to his feet, distressed and disoriented, only to discover that Q (John de Lancie) has appeared.

The irrepressible foe from the heyday of Star Trek: The Next Generation is pissed-off and ready to wreak some havoc, declaring again that “the trial never ends” and welcoming Picard to “the very end of the road not taken.”

OBSERVATION LOUNGE

• Terry Matalas’ influence can be seen in the new opening credits, which now feature an updated version of Jeff Russo’s theme music. The accelerated theme is a great match for the action-oriented tone that Season 2 promises to deliver, but also retains much of the ethereal resonance of the original composition.
   
  In some ways, the new score is jarring in how it paces back-and-forth between many of the idyllic refrains from the first season and the more dramatic pace of the Season 2 updates.
   
• There are just two sly references to Picard’s new status as an “artificial” lifeform, which would seem to indicate that change will likely not be a big focus of the season. In his meeting with Guinan she says, “whether artificial or synthetic,” and then later Jurati greets him with, “You look absolutely positronic,” after Picard makes a joke that “the older these refits get, the younger they look… unlike myself.”

• Chateau Picard’s Romulan caretaker Zhaban (Jamie McShane), partner to Laris, died sometime shortly after the events of “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2.”
   
• Picard’s memory of his mother is the first time Yvette Picard has been portrayed on-screen since her illusionary appearance in “Where No One Has Gone Before.”
   
• Yvette makes a passing mention of Picard’s brother, the first time Robert Picard has been referenced since his death in Star Trek: Generations.
   
• It seems like using transporter tech to beam grapes off the Chateau Picard vines is something Robert Picard would absolutely hate — more of that “wretched technology” at work.

• The medical supplies carried in La Sirena’s cargo hold feature Starfleet graphics from current and past eras; several feature NX-01 style graphic labeling, the ‘snowflake’ medical graphic dating back to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and others have external lighting resembling set dressing seen on the Enterprise-E and Voyager.
   
• Along with his Enterprise-D ready room painting and Shakespeare book, other artifacts seen in Picard’s home include a miniature Promellian battle cruiser in a bottle (likely built by Picard as a boy as mentioned in “Booby Trap”), a sextant like the one seen in his Enterprise-D quarters, a game of Kal-toh, a shattered Bajoran tablet quite similar to the Reckoning tablet found at B’hala, several golden Enterprise starship models like the ones seen in the Enterprise-E observation lounge, his trusty Ressikan flute, and the Picard family album previously seen in Generations and Nemesis. 
   
  (We broke down all the familiar props in this Twitter thread.)
   
• After taking command of La Sirena, Seven of Nine merged all of the Rios holograms into one — leaving only the Spanish-speaking Emmet online, now carrying the skills and programming of all five holos.

• Soji and Jurati visit a Deltan colony on planet Raritan IV during their synths-are-okay goodwill tour; this is the first time the bald species has been seen since Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
   
• The Deltan party features several bottles of Risian wine, first seen in “Two Days and Two Nights.”
   
• Terry Matalas references his hometown area of Raritan, New Jersey in all his works; the Deltan planet “Raritan IV” covers that nod in this episode, like “Raritan National Laboratory,” the fictional time-travel research facility in Matalas’ 12 Monkeys television series. “Adler-Lasky Temporal Radiation” also references two scientists from that series, Dr. Adler and Dr. Lasky.
   
• Jurati was cleared of all legal charges stemming from her murder of Bruce Maddox in “Stardust City Rag,” since her actions were caused by the telepathic influence of Commodore Oh’s Zhat Vash-inspired mind meld.
   
• Jean-Luc Picard serves as Chancellor of Starfleet Academy, a role first offered to him (a position then called ‘Commandant’) in “Coming of Age.”
   
• Picard gifts Elnor with a copy of Spock’s memoir, The Many and The One, a title no doubt inspired by the Vulcan’s experience in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

• Starfleet has once again changed up their uniforms, as last season’s design has been replaced by a design inspired by mixing the Next Gen and Wrath of Khan duty uniforms (per series co-showrunner Terry Matalas); the ‘wrap’ style also ties into the uniforms seen in Star Trek: Lower Decks and on the Dauntless crew in Star Trek: Prodigy.
   
• Elnor’s Starfleet Academy uniform has the same grey coloring and hip pockets as Cadet Nog’s outfit, but with a new asymmetrical shoulder yoke.
   
• Elnor is the first fully-Romulan member of Starfleet, but not the first person with Romulan heritage to serve. Simon Tarses was exposed as being a quarter Romulan in “The Drumhead,” and Saavik was originally intended as half-Romulan (though that was relegated to a The Wrath of Khan deleted scene).
   
• Outside Guinan’s new 10 Forward Avenue bar is an oddly-shaped Cardassian object, which originally began its life as a clothing rack at the Las Vegas-based Star Trek: The Experience. (Seriously!)

• Bottles seen inside Guinan’s bar include classic Saurian Brandy, the Risian wine seen on Raritan IV, and the repurposed teardrop-shaped Evian bottle seen both in Phlox’s sickbay and in the NX-01 conference room during Star Trek: Enterprise.
   
• Guinan shares that while her El-Aurian species has an extremely long life they can choose whether or not to display signs of aging — a handy in-universe way to address Whoopi Goldberg’s real-life aging since her last appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis. 
   
• Goldberg also addressed her physical appearance in a January episode of her talk show The View, where the actor revealed that she was ill and on a course of steroid treatment during filming.
   
• A large neon sign advertising Arcanis Lager hangs on the wall of 10 Forward; a similar sign was seen at McCoy’s bar in Star Trek III.
   
• Admiral Sally Whitley, who visits Picard at his home, is played by actor April Grace, who previously portrayed Enterprise-D transporter operator Maggie Hubbell in several episodes of TNG (and in the Deep Space Nine pilot, “Emissary”).

• Once aboard the Stargazer, Picard wears a new version of last season’s black jacket, this time styled to resemble the shoulder striping of his Admiral duty uniform.
   
• Alien races serving aboard the Stargazer include members of the Vulcan, Trill, and Bajoran species.
   
• When the mysterious vessel appears from the spatial anomaly, Picard looks to Seven for confirmation that it’s Borg… because with his new body, he can no longer hear the Collective’s voice.
   
• Picard sets off the Stargazer’s auto-destruct sequence with authorization code “Picard Zero-Zero-Zero-Destruct-Zero,” a direct callback to Kirk’s code used to destroy the Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
   
• Actor Alex Diehl returns as “Harvey,” the non-sentient android at the dark Picard estate; he first played that type of synthetic last season where he appeared as F8 in “Maps and Legends.”
   
• Q makes his first on-screen appearance in the Star Trek franchise since the 2001 Voyager episode “Q2” (following his animated cameo in “Veritas”), arriving to Chateau Picard digitally de-aged before transforming into actor John de Lancie’s current-day look.

STARSHIP SPOTTER

• Raffi and Elnor are assigned to the starship USS Excelsior, a 25th century successor to the original starship introduced in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; other Starfleet ships mentioned during cadet assignments include the USS Grissom and USS Hikaru Sulu.
   
• The Akira-class USS Avalon gets knocked for a loop as the green Borg anomaly makes its first appearance in Federation space.
   
• A new design of Starfleet shuttlecraft is used to transport Picard up to the Stargazer; this style of shuttle looks to be an iteration on the Type 11 design introduced in Star Trek: Insurrection.

• The USS Stargazer (NCC-82893) is the first Federation starship to be built using technology gleaned from the abandoned Borg cube seen in Picard Season 1 (“The Artifact,”) something which likely helped the Borg Queen seen in this episode take over the ship’s systems.
   
• Picard’s entrance to the Stargazer corridor allows a brief view of the ship’s shuttlebay behind him; the digital background looks to be a modification of Discovery’s shuttlebay environment — not an unreasonable thing to repurpose for a split-second background shot.
   
• A recreation of the original USS Stargazer dedication plaque (from “The Battle”) can be seen on display in the new Stargazer conference room.
   
• The Stargazer features a return to the use of “bubble shields.”
   
• Aboard the Stargazer bridge, at least two duty stations use the same transparent monitor technology used on the Star Trek: Discovery sets.

Federation Fleet - Starships, Starships, Starships!

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• Beyond La Sirena and the new Stargazer, other starships seen in the Federation fleet include several Luna-class vessels (like the USS Titan seen in Lower Decks), an Excelsior-class ship (likely Raffi and Elnor’s USS Excelsior), an Akira-class (the Avalon), multiple Sovereign-class vessels (like the Enterprise-E), and a few Inquiry-class ships (from “Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2”).
   
• Also seen in the fleet for the first time are several ships from Star Trek Online, including the Sutherland-class (a Nebula-class variant) and the Ross-class starship, the Reliant-class Advanced Light Cruiser, as well as the Gagarin-class design.

In the end, this episode is a goldmine of pure Picard content and backstory. The relaunch under the watchful eye of Terry Matalas has made an interesting difference. This season of new Star Trek just feels different, as it relaunches for a wild ride through Q shenanigans, time travel and eventually the Borg Queen.

What a rapturous set-up for the season to come!

Jim Moorhouse is the creator of TrekRanks.com and the TrekRanks Podcast. He can be found living and breathing Trek every day on Twitter at @EnterpriseExtra.

Star Trek: Picard returns March 10 with “Penance” on Paramount+ in the United States, and on CTV Sci Fi Channel and Crave in Canada. Outside of North America, the series is available on Amazon’s Prime Video service in most international locations.