One of the biggest trailers to come out of San Diego Comic-Con was the first look at Star Trek: Picard. There was a lot to unpack and today the TrekMovie team put it under the microscope. Below you will find the moment by moment screenshots with detailed captions based on what has been reported, along with some educated speculation.
Retirement at Chateau Picard
The vineyard at Chateau Picard, the Picard family winery in La Barre, France on Earth, first visited in the TNG episode “Family” (although that was shot at a different location)
The main house at Chateau Picard with voice-over from character Dahj (Isa Briones) asking Picard, “Have you ever been a stranger to yourself?”
A retired Jean-Luc Picard looks out at his estate in 2399. In voice-over, he answers, “Many, many times.”
A box containing Picard’s old Starfleet combadge
Picard looks down at his badge
Analysis: According to the “First Duty” exhibition, Picard retired from Starfleet in 2386. Star Trek: Picard finds him having retired to his family’s vineyard over a decade ago. We also saw an elderly Picard retired and on his vineyard in a Q-created possible future in the Next Generation series finale “All Good Things.”
Visiting stored memories
A drawer at a Starfleet facility. In voice-over Picard says, “Nearly two decades ago, Commander Data sacrificed his life for me.”
Drawer contains a disassembled Soong-type android
Picard and Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) look down on B-4, the early prototype Soong Android from Star Trek Nemesis. B-4 was functional at the end of the film, set 20 years before.
Analysis: Picard is referencing the events of Star Trek Nemesis when Data sacrificed himself by remaining on board the Romulan flagship Scimitar in order to destroy it. The Soong-type android here is B-4 (confirmed by Spiner), who was introduced in that film. B-4 was a simpler prototype, who is seemingly non-functional and has suffered some damage.
It’s also noteworthy that this facility shows how the Starfleet aesthetic has evolved in the last two decades. It’s modern yet recognizable as part of TNG look.
A restless Picard
A drone waters the vines at Chateau Picard, with futuristic buildings in the background
Picard walks among the vines
Picard with his dog, Number One
Picard – now with his combadge on – looks to the stars, with his voice-over. “These past years I really tried to belong here, but it never truly felt like home.”
The sky, presumably above Chateau Picard
Analysis: Chateau Picard was always the domain of Picard’s late brother Robert. It is no surprise that Jean-Luc’s heart is still in space.
A mysterious visitor
A hooded Dahj (Isa Briones) with some kind of wound on her head walks the streets on a Federation planet
Dahj walks towards a couple looking at monitors showing images of Picard
Dahj on the Picard estate; she pulls back her hood, and in voice-over we hear her say: “Do you know who I am?”
Dahj (who appears human) says to Picard: “Everything inside of me says I am safe with you.”
Analysis: Dahj seems to be a central character for the arc of the first season and while she appears human, it is very likely there is more to her story. All indications are she has some connection to the Romulans and/or the Borg, and Picard has a connection to both as well. This may be why she is drawn to him.
A meeting at Starfleet
Picard outside Starfleet HQ, 2399
Picard speaks to an admiral
Picard: “Admiral, I have encountered a woman. She came to me for help.”
Analysis: Since he is retired, Picard seeks the help of the organization he was part of for decades. He may be a former admiral, but in 2399 he is just a visitor (indicated by his badge) at Starfleet HQ.
This section also gives us another glimpse of Starfleet uniforms in 2399, which we went over in more detail back in May.
Dahj is in trouble
An unknown soldier aims a weapon at Dahj
Dahj runs while being fired at with an energy weapon
Picard watches as Dahj is attacked
Dahj fights off three soldiers
Dahj kicks a soldier while Picard looks on from below
One of the soldiers is beamed away after being kicked over the side
Picard (likely speaking about Dahj) says: “If she is who I think she is, she is in SERIOUS danger.” It is unclear who is speaking to, but possibly it’s Seven of Nine (see below)
Title card lets us know when the show is coming
Analysis: It’s unclear who or why, but someone wants Dahj dead or captured. She obviously has some impressive defensive skills.
Romulans are up to something
A fleet of (likely) Romulan ships approaches an unknown red planet
A Borg corpse in a Romulan lab
Picard enters an unknown location, possibly the same as the location of the lab and detention facility (more below)
Picard sees the banner for “Captain Picard Day” (from the TNG episode “Pegasus”)
A Romulan detention facility
The Romulan facility has some connection to the Borg, with what may be Borg alcoves
ZOOM IN: Sign says (in English): “This facility has gone 5843 days without an assimilation” and is repeated in Romulan. That would be around 16 years
Dahj is one of those being held at the facility
A Romulan (Orla Brady) speaking to Picard says: “Sometimes I worry you have forgotten who you are. We do not.”
Analysis: It has been stated that the destruction of Romulus (from 2009’s Star Trek) has had a major impact on Picard. Both the non-canonical Countdown prequel comic and other recent publicity have all indicated that Picard led the effort of the Federation to save the Romulans, and he clearly made some friends amongst them, even though the mission to save the planet failed. All of this flows well following Star Trek Nemesis where he worked with the Romulans to stop the Reman Shinzon, who had taken over the Empire and tried to start a war with the Federation.
The Countdown comic also revealed that Nero’s ship the Narada was based partly on Borg technology. The Romulans had been researching the Borg before the destruction of the planet and from what we can see in the trailer, they never stopped. And Dahj seems to be somehow connected to this.
Getting help from a new crew
Picard on an alien planet. Shooting location Vasquez Rocks has been used to depict a number of planets in Star Trek, including Vulcan and Cestus III
Picard visiting Starfleet HQ, walking away from beam-in platforms
A close-up of Cristobal “Chris” Rios (Santiago Cabrera), who is the captain of the main ship used in Star Trek: Picard.
Researcher Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) on Rios’ ship
Picard raises his hands in surrender (likely to Raffi)
Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), who has a loose connection to Picard’s past, lowers her weapon
Elnor (Evan Evagora) a Romulan who is “fiercely loyal” to Picard
Elnor and Picard on Rios’ ship
Elnor, Dr. Jurati, and Picard on Rios’ ship
An unknown Romulan says to Picard: “You can’t do it alone, you need protection, you need a crew. Be the captain they remember.”
Picard smiles in response.
Rios in the command chair of his ship with Picard in the background on the left with Elnor at his side, Raffi at the front console and Jurati in the background on the right
Picard on Rios’ ship, looking concerned
Title card: “The Journey”
Assuming Starfleet was dragging their feet or flat out refused to help, Picard goes out on his own to help Dahj, but eventually finds he needs assistance (as he is reminded by some friendly Romulans). He meets up with Rios, Raffi and Jurati and solicits their help.
Dahj the destroyer?
Picard (now with a backpack) visits a village, possibly on Vulcan
Picard walks in the village
Picard (in a different outfit) enters some kind of high tech facility, possibly the Romulan one seen above as he is wearing same outfit
Picard in the facility is joined by an unknown person (played by Maya Eshet) who appears human
Narek (Harry Treadaway), a Romulan who does not know Picard at the start of the show, is scanned entering a room, likely for security purposes.
Narek enters Dahj’s room.
Dahj sits on her bed; her few possessions include a plush toy.
Narek speaking to an unknown Romulan says: “She has no idea who she truly is.”
Title card: “Is far from over”
Picard stands alone on Rios’ ship on what appears to be a transporter platform, possibly having beamed back from the Romulan facility (as he’s wearing the same outfit as seen in other shots at the facility)
Picard on Rios’ ship
A Romulan being held down (possibly by Elnor) says: “She is is the end of all…she is the destroyer”
A close-up of Dahj
A Borg cube with large gaps protected by blue shields
Analysis: There is obviously something unique about Dahj, and it makes her dangerous to at least some of the Romulans. Also, the Borg cube seen may not actually be part of the collective and could be associated with Hugh’s free Borg or possibly the Romulans, who have been researching the Borg.
A visit from a Borg
Picard pours a drink
At Chateau Picard, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) says to him as if they are old friends: “What the hell are you doing out here Picard? Saving the galaxy?”
Analysis: Within Star Trek canon, Seven of Nine and Jean-Luc Picard were never seen interacting with each other. She speaks to him as an old friend, indicating they became familiar in the years between Nemesis and Picard. Seven also appears to have become much more relaxed and casual—perhaps more Annika Hansen-ish—in her demeanor.
Action!
Romulan ships fly around within the Borg cube
Rios’ ship and crew in action
Picard gets manhandled by some Romulans
A Borg drone is dissected, likely inside the same Romulan facility seen previously
Seven, now on Rios’ ship
Dahj and possibly Rios running away
Picard in his home in France aims a disruptor
While running, Dahj turns around
On Rios’ ship, Picard gives his iconic order to “engage”
Title card
Analysis: There is a lot going on quickly in this section, but there is more indication that the Romulans are in control of the previously seen Borg cube. This section also indicates Dahj escapes her confinement at the Romulan facility and that at some point Seven visits with Picard and the crew of Rios’ ship. Picard giving orders on the ship may be when Rios is off helping Dahj.
A visit with another old friend
Close-up on playing cards and a cup of tea
Picard says: “I don’t want the game to end”
Data (Brent Spiner) says “I could see that, Captain”
Analysis: As stated earlier in the trailer, Data died in Star Trek Nemesis. And the trailer also appears to show a non-functional B-4. It is also noteworthy that Data refers to Picard as “Captain” when it has been stated that Picard’s final rank before leaving Starfleet was Admiral. Brent Spiner has confirmed that he appears as Data but in a “different way,” so it is likely this is not a fully resurrected version of Data. It could be a flashback, or more likely, a holodeck simulation. It is possible that Picard visits with Data and they play cards, hearkening back to the final scene of Next Generation when he joined the crew for a game of cards, noting he should have done it earlier.
What’s your analysis?
Spot anything else in the trailer? Have some wild theories? Sound off in the comments below.
Keep up with all the news on the Picard show here at TrekMovie.com.
The first episode the Vineyard was in was Family, not Home. Home was an Enterprise episode.
Dahj could be Spock’s daughter from his time on Romulus. Spock was black-listed by some other shaved-head Romulans when he was unable to stop their home planet’s destruction. It would explain her mega-strength and feeling that she is safe with Picard (Spocks’s mind-meld with Picard in “Unification II”). Also, those bald Romulans are quite reminiscent of Nero and his crew, who came from this time period in the prime universe (with their Borgified Narada).
While this is a good theory, please no. Let’s leave anything Spock related alone.
Fair enough, but he is sort of ‘flavor of the month’ again after Discovery, and he does have a history with Picard.
Totally agree. Spock will at least be referenced somehow when the destruction of Romulus is addressed. “The event also led to the loss of Ambassador Spock…” or something along those lines. I don’t see them avoiding that temptation.
Particularly if the loss of Spock was part of the reason Picard retired from Starfleet.
It seems unlikely to me that Spock vanishing would have much of an effect on Picard. They only worked together that one time and they barely knew each other personally and mostly it was Picard who knew Spock pretty much only by reputation alone.
Except that they mind-melded that one time, which is a big deal. Particularly if they shared Sarek’s consciousness from Picard’s earlier mind meld.
Pay know attention to ML31, he doesn’t know his Trek lore.
I agree with ML31. It’s not like they were Best Friends Forever.
If I recall, and I only saw the episode that one time, wasn’t meld to share info about Sarek? It wasn’t meant to create an emotional bond between Spock and Picard.
ML31,
When the meld was 1st introduced in the series Spock hesitates to start because he tells Kirk it always forms strong emotional bonds. There’s no other kind.
But later that seems to have changed to be a if not common it certainly wasn’t rare thing. And they haven’t seemed to leave strong emotional bonds with the recipient. Emotional transference, sure. Like when Spock shared his memories of Vulcan biting the dust with nu-Kirk. Kirk felt what Spock felt about that memory. Yet at that point no deep bond was developed between those two. Pretty sure Spock never felt an strong emotion towards Valeris post mind meld either. Apart from the disdain he already felt.
ML31,
Re: Deep bounds
Not sure where you are getting that from. Even when Spock meld with two profoundly unemotional machines, NOMAD and V’ger, Spock was emotionally challenged to his core. The meld to NOMAD was so strong he couldn’t beak it, and V’ger clearly moved him emotionally – and not just in the one edit where he was moved to tears.
There was no emotional bond made with Nomad. It was just a strong link that Spock could not break. Can’t use as evidence an unused take. And even if one could, it would only suggest empathy. Not a strong emotional link akin to deep friendship. The examples I used… The meld with nu-Kirk in Star Trek 09. The meld with Valeris was in ST:TUC. I didn’t pull these things out of thin air. So far there is no evidence any mind meld leaves the users with a strong sense of kinship with the other.
But Spock never returned Picard’s texts afterwards.
I agree with you, but I think AJ and Michael are right. Spock will be referenced. I really hope none of his relatives are in the show, though.
If they are dealing with the destruction of Romulus then yes, it seems reasonable his name would get dropped as part of the Star Fleet effort to save the planet. And that feels natural and right. Unlike forcing the adoptive sister on him. (and again, there is nothing canonical where he couldn’t have one)
I don’t see how Spock isn’t at least referenced, especially since he was a big part of trying to save Romulus. But I think Picard is going through a lot to see both Data and Spock gone and probably does have a profound effect on him, not even counting the failed mission he was in command of as admiral.
I agree that they resemble the ones from Nero’s ship. As for her being related to Spock, I’m not sure where people are getting that from. For one thing, her ears aren’t Vulcan or Romulan.
Spock is half Vulcan. Eventually the pointy ear trait won’t show up in his descendants. She could also be a descendent of Shinzon.
I believe all Borg linked to the Collective died when Admiral Janeway infected the Borg Queen with the pathogen in “Endgame”. It makes sense, then, that free Borg such as Seven, Hugh, Icheb and the Borg children, and the members of Riley Frazier’s commune in the Delta Quadrant survived.
With that in mind, could Dahj be a sort of Borg Patient Zero whose existence threatens to resurrect the Collective as a result of Romulan experiments on Borg? A new Borg Queen?
I’m sure the Borg can’t be defeated that easily. Voyager was still being chased by cubes after Admiral Janeway was assimilated. Voyager struck a blow to the Borg by destroying the transwarp hub, but they didn’t destroy them.
Admiral Janeway infected the Queen with a pathogen designed specifically to kill Borg. The Queen being the Borg’s nexus would ensure their destruction.
I don’t think the pathogen was meant to destroy the Borg. Elder Janeway notes gleefully ‘just enough to bring chaos to order’. I read that as it temporarily breaking the control of the Borg Queen to enable Voyagers’ escape.
Icheb’s parents, “genetically engineered Icheb to be born with a deadly pathogen that was destructive to the Borg”. In fact, in “Collective”, the pathogen was what destroyed the Borg aboard the Cube where Janeway and her crew found Icheb and the other children. Why would the Queen survive it when her drones did not? Also, we saw the entire structure explode.
It is quite clear the Borg continue to function after the Queen’s ‘death’ – worth noting that she’s ‘died’ before and came back – as she mentions that the sphere that is chasing Voyager had already assimilated the pathogen, and were thus impervious to its effects.
True. But the Queen still died. She didn’t assimilate the pathogen, therefore there would have been no way for her to escape. And that sphere was destroyed.
But she was still in contact with other Borg even after the pathogen (thus how she knew the Sphere had assimilated it), providing an easy explanation for how she escaped her seeming ‘death’.
And again, the Borg aboard the Sphere were still alive and kicking (and functional) after her ‘death’. So clearly all Borg linked to the Collective did not die when she did.
It did kill the Queen, just like Enterprise’ warp coolant killed the Queen. They got a new queen.
There are many Queens though. In fact its possible that there are hundreds of thousands of Queens, at least.
I always assumed the Borg Queen were just clones and how she kept appearing everytime they killed her. She’s been killed 3 times in BOBW part 2, First Contact and Endgame and wouldn’t be shocked if she was back again lol.
But if they are looking for a new Queen on the show it would be a new dynamic.
“But if they are looking for a new Queen on the show it would be a new dynamic.”
Or a King for a change :) The new Borg King is an orange buffoon who wants to Make the Borg Great Again :)
I wouldn’t count BOBW as one where the Borg Queen perishes. The way I saw it, she was never physically there. When Picard says in First Contact “You were there” I got the feeling it was in his head.
You think in such three-dimensional terms.
My guess is she is some sort of genetic offspring of the borg, perhaps even from a union between the Queen and Locutus, and was created more recently from genetic material as a way of assimilating humanity, the same way they tried to use Picard as a “bridge.”
Too much like Shinzon, no?
What’s a Shizone?
No clue. Shinzon, on the other hand, was Picard’s clone in Nemesis.
What’s Namesize?
Is it possible the Vasquez Rocks and the pastoral village with pointy-eared folks are actually on Mintaka III?
I was thinking Elnor could be a Mintakan, which would explain his “Legolas” vibe, though I guess the actor referred to him as a Romulan.
That is an interesting idea. I read a cast breakdown that circled around the internet several months ago and it indicated there was a Romulan teen from a matriarchal sect. The Mintakans were also matriarchal, do maybe the Romulan designation is a fake out…
Not a bad thought, but I almost hope they don’t go the route of trotting out references to ever big Picard episode. What’s next, they get rescued by a Telarian ship captained by Jono? Admiral Darrin shows up as with Vash and Kamala in tow?
lol
in the Picard museum,a Mintakan tapestry was seen, I think you might be on to something
I think the Borg being “dissected” (or at least, having his implants removed) is Hugh, although I’m not certain of that.
“Continuing his conversation with the admiral” I don’t think that is in the same scene.
When Picard visited HQ they show a clear blue sky, after leaving they using Mexican yellow tint (or maybe it’s just evening lol) that could hint something.
Dahj
Others: Picard’s / Spock’s / Borg queen’s daughter or she’s another borg queen
Me: Janeway’s baby clone :D
“Janeway’s baby clone :D” Ladies and gentlemen we ha a winner!
Thanks for the detailed breakdown!
The relationship with the Romulans appears to have a lot to unpack.
In the interview cited on an earlier thread, when Stewart said that Picard was restless and not at home in the vineyard he mentioned that it was inspire of two lovely Romulan people.
So, I’m wondering if Elnor and perhaps one of the other Romulans speaking with Picard had taken refuge with him on the family estate.
Which would set up the rather boggling scenario of Picard leaving the heritage vineyard and winery in the care of Romulans.
Yeah, those two Romulans -male and female- giving him a pep talk, I think, are the two who are committed to helping and caring for him on that vineyard post Seventeen year old Elnor may be their son. That would in part explain his fierce devotion. They may have been pregnant at the time of the rescue mission.
I’m betting the doctor is an expert in Data’s tech but has seen no progress.
I’m also if the mind that Dahj is somehow Borg. And that Narek helped free her. We see what looks like the two of them running to escape.
Lots to unpack!!!
Agree — I bet that the “good” Romulans encouraging Picard were sponsored by him after Romulus’s destruction and help run the vineyard, and their son Elnor volunteers to go along with “Uncle” Jean-Luc on his adventure. (Whereas Narek is affiliated with the “bad” Romulans detaining / experimenting-on the Borg. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re ex-Tal Shiar trying to restore the Star Empire with Borg tech…) Picard helping Romulan refugees would be entirely fitting given my theory about the circumstances under which he resigned from Starfleet. (I.e., after an attempt to aid Borg refugees went bad: briefly, Starfleet finds some major Borg ship or outpost with drones disconnected from the post-Voyager largely-disrupted Collective, who are desperate for help; Picard successfully argues for helping them and leads a rescue armada; the Collective regains control of a few of the refugees, who start assimilating rescuers; some of the Starfleet ships start massacring the refugees, thinking it was a trap, despite Picard calling for restraint; Picard resigns from Starfleet in disgust and despair.) Helping Romulan refugees would be a nice, fitting way for Picard to atone for his failure to help Borg refugees.
Based on Brent Spiner’s comments, it does seem that he’s managing expectations for a full-on Data resurrection (at least, initially). I think that yes, Alison Pill’s character Dr. Jurati is a cyberneticist who’s been trying to resurrect Data in B-4’s body, but hasn’t been making great progress — too much software for the hardware, as it were: Data’s consciousness is just too much for B-4’s relatively primitive brain, even though all of Data’s memories are still safely stored on B-4’s “hard drive”. (And maybe the fundamental reason why, decades after Data et al’s creation, there aren’t more sentient androids running around is that Soong’s work was “artisanal” — i.e. required years and years of work by a uniquely brilliant mind, and can’t be programmatically reproduced and thus scaled up. So it’s beyond even her probably also-considerable ability to just “upgrade” B-4’s brain so that it can accommodate Data’s consciousness.)
I don’t think that the Data interaction shown in the trailer is just a run-of-the-mill holodeck simulation — Picard may have gotten sentimental in his old age, but he wouldn’t be so moved if he’s been playing poker with holo-Data for all those years. But, maybe Dr. Jurati sees Borg tech as a way to upgrade B-4’s brain sufficiently to host Data’s consciousness. And maybe, in the interim, she’s rigged up a way to interact with Data’s consciousness via the holodeck, which she shows to Picard (which is why it moves him profoundly — because it *is* Data he’s interacting with, albeit not physically). This might also be a way for Data to come along for the adventure without being physically alive or “evolving” (to use Spiner’s language in one of his interviews) — he can be stored in a ship’s computer and then manifested/accessed via a hologram, even if he doesn’t (yet) have a body, or a means of storing new memories. It’s as if Data’s a 10 TB file and B-4 is an old smartphone with really, really slow memory access — Data’s portable, but you can’t carry him around in your pocket and embody him, or add to him. (But maybe the Borg have a way to turn that old smartphone into something cutting-edge…)
I like your thinking on this Logician.
I don’t think that Picard or Data would support killing B4 to bring Data back to life.
They already did an episode sorta about this. It was called “Tuvix” ;)
Logician, you should be writing for this show lol. I love your thinking about all of this. And it would be interesting to have a link between trying to resurrect Data and the Borg. I could see Dr. Jurati going that direction too.
Nero and his compatriots notwithstanding, the Romulans seem to hold Picard in high regard. And possibly the Federation as well.
Theory on Data, what we see is neither b-4 nor data, but a prototype that has been made trying to copy the Soong-type androids, perhaps made by LaForge. He looks odd because it’s not really Data, the memory engrams from b-4 were also downloaded into this. He is not fully functioning as he is still a work in progress but Picard visits him to be able to talk to his old friend.
I like this idea. Starfleet is trying to recreate Data’s more complex positronic brain so they can upload his memories to it and bring him back. It’s just taking a very long time.
Slightly different take on that: The disassembled android Picard sees in the drawer is Data, not B-4. At some point after the destruction of the Scimitar (I’m not going to twiddle with the Hobus Star and all the temporal possibilities on that subject, TYVM), his body may have been found floating somewhere in the vicinity of the Bassen Rift; damaged, (explaining the damage to the torso), non-functional, but intact (sans uniform, I’m sure). He was recovered, and placed in isolation (possibly), as a potential reclamation project in progress. Need-to-know basis. One of the first things they did try as a matter of expediency was to attempt to upload Data’s memory engrams. A writer could easily flesh the reasons out. Were they successful? Possibly yes, possibly no. Now, here we go diving down a couple of rabbit holes. Were they successful in fast-tracking repairs to Data as a ‘favor’ to unofficially assist Picard? Are any of his cybernetic marbles missing or loose from the Scimitar explosion and exposure to any radiation? Or is the Data we see a hologram, and are THAT Data’s marbles missing or loose, due to a damaged database? If it were B-4, even if he was Data’s older and slower prototype AND he was still active at that time, wouldn’t he still know Picard was a retired admiral? The holo and/or resurrected Data would only have memories of Picard still being a captain, hence his calling him so.
The game is afoot. And a leg. And a head. Speculation as to WHOSE head is open for discussion.
Sorry. If this is the actual Data then they will have lost all credibility on the same level as the Lorca reveal. Data was vaporized. He was at ground zero. His body was not intact. At best there are a bajillion microscopic pieces flying around in different directions. But really he was probably just incinerated. It’s obviously a hollodeck, a flashback or a dream.
I like this idea, though if he were an entirely new android, there would be no logical reason to design him to look like Data (ie: Brent Spiner). I am a firm believer in Occum’s Razor: this is either B-4 or Lore.
Interesting idea, I did posit in another thread that Commander Maddox might be involved with this too.
Data is a holodeck simulation. They are playing cards like the last scene in the TNG TV show. Picard misses his old friend and doesn’t want the simulation to end
I think so too, it is as simple as that
I think Data is a hologram, but what if Data’s brain was transferred to the holographic system. Technically, he would still be Data. Remember the holographic doctor on Voyager, who became a real entity?
Which means Data is just an EMH holo emitter away from total resurrection.
It would be cool if Dahj is really Lal.
I really like what they are doing with the character names here to give the show (finally) a more international feel, opposed to the tired “Burnhams” and “Brads” on Discovery and Lower Decks, respectively. Given that nobody made such attempt in the other Kurtzman series, this may be one of Chabon’s first thoughtful influences.
Speaking of language, the English sign in the Romulan detention center is odd unless this is/was a joint Romulan-Starfleet venture (Starfleet the antagonist in this once more, Insurrection style?) And the day count written with chalk is funny, low tech at the cusp of the 25th century!
Thats what i believe. After all blue force fields are more starfleet type. I even think that joint venture paints parts of starfleet shady again (evil admirals are back ;)
“Nobody made such an attempt in the other Kurtzman series”
Owosekun comes to mind, as does Keyla Detmer and Georgiou.
Kayla Detmer was named by David Mack when he wrote Desperate Hours.
I’ve wondered if Olantunde Osunsamni had an influence on Owosekun’s naming, it sounds as though they wanted a name of African origin. However, she’s still stuck with a ‘Joann’ as a personal name.
Generally, I think that VS is on point that both the character names and the casting is more international.
I was hoping it was a trend, but clearly no challenge function was used to make the Lower Decks cast names more international.
So, whether it was Chabon, Stewart or just the writers room as a whole, clearly this is an innovation for new Trek.
It’s a nice, and i’m glad they’re doing it, but let’s not act like it’s breaking some kind of new ground here.
It’s new ground for a series post TOS.
Really? Torres, Chakotay, Bashir, Rozhenko, Ishikawa, Ogawa, Ayala… oh yeah, totally new.
Kim, Sato…
Just wait until all the anti-diversity fans get ahold of those names!
“Where are the Kyles, Zacks, or Davids?! This show is anti-white, anti-American, anti-Male!”
BS. Non-Anglosaxon names are as much standing for international representation as a cast that is NOT half-black. Especially in Europe where TNG used to be huge. As everyone should have realized since 2016, California and London do NOT represent the world or areas where a TNG era series has appeal. That said, at least one Asian cast member would have been nice given that unlike white and black, they DO represent a majority of the people of Earth! This overrepresentation of black (sans Picard) and almost complete snubbing of Asians in Kurtzman Trek is weird. Even Michelle Yeoh doesnt really count, it seems her inclusion and own series is mostly about her star appeal. Then again maybe they plan to stuff the S31 series with Asians but that would be odd too. Like they have a knack for rogue organizations or something ;)
But they’ll still say it.
Racists
The new Starfleet uniforms look like a cheap and lazy design, like a low quality costume replica you’d find at the halloween store.
Unfortunately i dont like how they manufactured either. And the little differences to the DS9 era uni like the trapezoid going down in the middle feel unnecessary
They’re not materially distinct from STO uniforms.
I liked the First Contact uniforms, I wonder why they haven’t decided to continue on a variation of those uniforms. Perhaps people are not into greys as much anymore.
I think maybe they just want them to look like the bright colours of TNG as that’s what they imagine people remember most.
Maybe we get some variants… the Admirals Uniform does not seem to link directly to the Semi-DS9 Uniforms, at least not in the color palette.
Some people suggested the colorful variant could be cadet uniforms, but I think the people wearing them are too “grown up” for that.
I pretty much like the STO stuff, especially bringing plain white into the mix, much like the First Contact Gala Unis.
I find it interesting, that the civilian clothes picard wears in several shots also bears the famous shoulder design element. Maybe some sort of official starfleet casual variants? Or just a nod to how some fashion trends give us things like bomber jackets, epaulettes, trenchcoats and so on :D
I’d wager it mostly came down to money.
20 years later with the same unis. No
I get the feeling that we won’t be seeing much of them over the course of the series.
I agree. And of all the uniforms the TNG era used, the early DS9/VOY uniforms were my least favorite. I always thought they looked drab and lazy. Wish there had been some continuation of the TNG uniforms (with collar) or TNG-movie/late-DS9 uniforms. Of all things I’ve seen of Picard, this is for some reason the thing that bugs me, but totally admit it’s my own subjective taste. I realize others love those uniforms
I hated the drab (and very uncomfortable-looking) FIRST CONTACT/late DS9 outfits, and am delighted to see them go.
I’ve decided I don’t like the new uniforms either. They look perfunctory, trite, obvious – I’ve seen dozens of fan designs that look just like it. By people who think the DS9 uniform was some sort of design high point; sure it was a bold step and a left field turn from the established late-24th century Starfleet uniform, but to go back to something so similar now is a retrograde step.
And the colours! It’s following on from Discovery’s conceit that command-later-operations gold is actually banana yellow (though it looks almost tangerine or peach in the outside scene above). And the sciences blue is now a teal so dark it looks grey.
One thing I don’t think we’ve seen anything of is command red? I wonder if there’s a reason for that. As if they’re holding it back until some point when Picard dons it once again. Probably not – Stewart was apparently keen not to have a uniform – but it’d be a nice touch. You CAN see a bit of the red, that admiral has some on her uniform. Looks burgundy but that could be the lighting in the scene.
The actress in the “Narek speaking to an unknown Romulan woman says: “She has no idea who she truly is.”” photo is unmistakably Peyton List (Gotham, Mad Men).
Definitely her.
Oh yeah, Roger’s secretary/ex-wife from Mad Men. Good call.
Vasquez Rocks and Romulan/Vulcan looking people kinda reminds me of Mintaka. Just a thought there…
Perhaps that’s because the rocks were also used for the Mintaka location. They are very recognizable. And just a stones throw from the Santa Clarita studios where they shoot the thing.
In the last episode of Picard season one, the cliffhanger will be: Dahj will turn into a Borg queen and reactivate the Borg. The big bad Borg are back and we have a threat for season 2. Maybe it happens even earlier as I don’t think they would stretch a Borg arc over 2 seasons.
You gotta admit, the Admiral Picard is talking to in that scene kind of looks like Hillary Clinton!
At first I thought it might have been Admiral Nechayev from TNG, but looking at the still this doesn’t seem to be the case.
I noticed something strange… I wanted to have a good look on her and the uniform – and went over the scene frame by frame. She does not move, every frame is THE SAME. Maybe they pull a “Marvel Trailer” manipulation on us and the adiral is another guest star after all?… XD
Also, the LCARS in te background does not move. Only Picard :D
If it is what you’re hinting at, you just found the way for me to be more excited about this show than I already am.
My theory is probably far fetched ;D
I saw Devil In The Dark the other day. It suddenly occurred to me that the Horta had an incredible similarity to Trump.
What an idiotic thing to say. The Horta turned out to be good.
Maybe that was what he was trying to say. That the Horta was originally misunderstood by many. Ever think about that?
I miss Admiral Nechayev! She kept everyone on their toes. Would love to know if she’s still in Starfleet or not.
Well, it depends on how long admirals stay. Do they even have age limits for retirement? I mean we saw Bones as an admiral in TNG and how old was he? 138 or something? So I think she could definitely still be an admiral, and Natalija Nogulich is still acting, so anything is possible.
Well it was obvious Picard was older than her and he was made admiral much later, so I don’t think there is any real age limit. And yes there is Admiral McCoy who was actually 137 years old according to Starfleet records. I remembered it exactly! ;)
It is weird though the actress herself just suddenly stopped appearing on Star Trek after being there for several seasons. IIRC the last time we saw her was on DS9’s The Search, part 2 and never seen again. Someone kept me if she showed up again after that. I’m not holding my breath she will come back but this is the Kurtzman age of Star Trek who is bringing back every bit character on these shows from Harry Mudd to Hugh, so anything IS possible these days. ;D
I miss Admiral Nechayev! She kept everyone on their toes. “Would love to know if she’s still in Starfleet or not.”
She also showed there is still a place for Russians in the world of Trek. Maybe something to consider for the current guard to move beyond the lazy and tired domestic cliches they serve on Discovery. But from what I see, the Picard cast is a good start :)
Well she wasn’t as obsessed about it as Chekhov was though lol.
“Well she wasn’t as obsessed about it as Chekhov was though lol.”
No need to be obsessed about it. Just a hint that the future of United Earth consists of more than the various subgroups of America (and we can already see now the actual future Earth will be vastly different from Star Trek). But like I said Picard seems like a nice break from the recent norm, apart from the curious lack of Asians (again) . One of the main characters seems to be South American while another cast name sounds German. And TWO Romulan cast members? Bring it on!
Confused why anyone would think that was her. The actress, Nataljia Nogulich, is still acting, and looks nothing like that woman. Trek fans do this all the time, they see a new character with superficial similarities (“Female Admiral”) and just immediately think it’s the same existing character.
I shudder to think if they’d shown any old fat white man the whole audience would have thought it was Kirk.
Trek has also changed actors for the same character in the past. Saavik went from Kirstie Alley in ST:TWOK to Robin Curtis in ST: TSFS and ST: TVH.
Yes, but it’s so foolish just to assume “wow, female admiral, gotta be Necheyev!” Facepalm. I mean, i guess it could be, but that assumption is just silly. There’s no evidence other than her being a female admiral.
I haven’t seen anyone saying they think it’s her..
Umm, read a few comments up, and he wasn’t the first to do so, and many youtubers postulated it.
Yeah all Alphantrion said he thought it could be her at first glance but realized it wasn’t, that’s it. No one else remotely made that assumption. Afterburn has some odd comments sometimes.
I definitely don’t have to admit that.
I find it a bit annoying the romulans look very human, continuing how they were in star trek 09. I miss the old bowl hair cut ones with yellowy faces!
I thinks it`s really nice to have a broad variation, as we have seen more human looking Romulans in the TOS Movie Era, and the notion that any given Vulcan can pass as Romulan always was a “problem”. Either there have to be Vulcans with Ridges too, or Romulans without them in the TNG Era. They play it really well in Picard imho.
There are many theories out there, like some Proto-Romulans mixed with other races (think of the Debrune) along their Exodus from Vulcan. And politically speaking, It could well be that there where periods of Apartheid, when a especially isolationistic Romulan Government would prevent vulcan looking Romulans from gaining higher ranks on Military Ships etc. or even excluding them from living in some areas like the “Crocton Segment” in “Unification”.
Now that the empire crumbles, they are coming more into the light…
Agree, it’s good to see some realistic phenotypical diversity here (some humans have prominent supraorbital / brow ridges, some don’t), and it nicely resolves those minor canonical inconsistencies over time (including the Abrams take, with all the shaved heads). I think here we’re seeing a broader swath of the Romulan population, and I bet the collapse of the Empire and its associated cultural order loosened things up too — meaning more facial hair, more hairstyle diversity, etc. (I wonder if it’s significant that the Romulans wielding rifles guarding the ex-Borg look — to me — more TNG-traditionally Romulan in their appearance. Might be they’re trying to conform to the old norms more than other Romulans depicted.)
Again, we’re thinking along the same line Logician.
Cheers!
Where do you get the idea that in the KU Romulans are all bald? There is no evidence of that. Only Nero’s crew was bald. That made a kind of sense to me. Loyalty and camaraderie and all that. It doesn’t mean ALL Romulans are bald. That’s quite a leap.
I never got that idea or took that leap — nor is it consistent with the (possibly deleted? I forget) scene where we see a holographic projection of Nero’s now-dead, blonde-haired wife. But seeing bald Romulans (without V-ridges) was a deviation from the TNG “canonical” norm where all Romulans, including civilians, seemed to have bowl cuts and V-ridges. And IIRC in some of the production design stuff that was shared, there was a suggestion that this was what Romulans looked like now. (They were inconsistent re: the tattoos — some stuff suggested that it was a mourning thing Nero’s crew did, but IIRC the hologram of Nero’s wife had tattoos too, despite having been happy and alive at the time of the holo-shoot.)
The Romulan soldiers roughing up Picard at one point look a lot more like Nero’s crew, with their outfits and shaved heads. Maybe it’s like, a working class Romulan thing? (Nero’s crew having been miners, these guys being grunts?)
Comparing the Romulans to the TNG ones I think is problematic. But forgive me for the jump. It sounded like you were saying the KU Romulans (at least the males) were all bald.
(I wonder if it’s significant that the Romulans wielding rifles guarding the ex-Borg look — to me — more TNG-traditionally Romulan in their appearance. Might be they’re trying to conform to the old norms more than other Romulans depicted”
This whole scenario is really reminiscent of the Fall of the Roman Empire. Even in the new order some elites would still cling to the old norms and fashion themselves (literally and figuratively) as Romans. Nice!
I thought the TNG Romulan forehead was ridiculous. Did they give Vulcans foreheads, too? No. So why Romulans? It really made no sense except to try to convey to the audience that “these aren’t Vulcans!”
My theory is regarding Narek, his name phonetically sounds closer to Sarek and he has a similar young Spock beard as Ethan Peck’s Spock. Do you think he may have some sort of relation with Spock? Maybe his son?
Missing Son of Sybok! LOL!
There’s a whole Season 2 arc right there.
Notice Picard’s clothes as he is walking through the village with his backpack. They are almost identical to the Starfleet Uniform he used to wear from First Contact onwards! He even has a family crest badge where he used to wear his comm badge, he clearly does not want to let go of his past life!
I was reading the Countdown comic #4 and saw a picture of Klingon ships heading toward a red planet with the cloaked Narada in front of it. Looks exactly like the same scene in the trailer. There may be some of the Countdown comic in the new series to show what happened prior.
That was even more exciting than the trailer!
I guess I *could* be more ready for this show, but I’m not immediately sure how.
Data is wearing a DS9/First Contact uniform in that last scene, so it has to be the holodeck…explains the comment about “not wanting it to end” too.
B-4 wore a similarly colored jumpsuit in Nemesis
The woman walking next to Picard in two screenschots is played by Maya Eshet, most recently known for her role in Nightflyers.
I agree that Data is hologram, but I think he could be functioning in similar way as the Doctor from Voyager was. So maybe they created special holo-matrix and applied Datas’s memory engrams from B-4 on this hologram. With that Data is able to live to some point, he is just missing his physical body.
Regarding the “Picard day” banner, I think that someone from the new Picard’s crew is former kid from Enterprise-D.
That would be very cool. I don’t think they would do that, however. It would not deal w/ Data’s obvious “aging” situation. Brent Spiner is getting old, and yet Data is not supposed to age. Even though it would feel shallow in a way, I always thought they should just build Data a new android body, ie: A new actor/actress, and just transfer his positronic brain over to the new body. This way Data could live forever.
I think the banner was just a memory or flashback. Nothing more.
Could Seven (given some kind of Borg signal which overrides her human side) turn upon Picard, and that’s whom he’s protecting himself from?
Does anyone know the actor playing the bearded Romulan talking to Picard? He looks so familiar, but I just can’t place it…
I have the same feeling. Reagrding his character, maybe it is D’Tan?
The people in the detention facility don’t seem to be in distress or particularly unhappy to be there. Maybe they aren’t being detained, but are there for some other reason?
Perhaps it’s like some of the (technically former) inmates at Guantanamo Bay? They’re ex-Borg but have nowhere to go – their homeworlds don’t want them back, they don’t trust them (and nor do the guards, possibly with reason given assimilation is obviously still a possibility). Or, they don’t know where they came from, or it’s too far away (Delta Quadrant, etc.).
[oof, a Guantanamo analogue – that’ll go down well with all the Trumpies!]
Several people on my breakdown video have commented that the “unknown red planet” is in fact Mars, pointing out a number of geographical features that link it to that very real red planet. I suppose it could just be texture mapping to make it look real, but it’s possible it really is supposed to be Mars.
We also know that one of the Short Treks is going to be a prequel to Star Trek: Picard, and one of them is titled “Children of Mars.” A possible connection?
Maybe the refugees from Romulus were sent to live on Mars, and now we’re seeing the first generation of Martian-Romulans…and Dahj is one, but with Borg technology seemingly built into her DNA…
Heck, I don’t know, it’s all speculation! :)
Very Babylon 5
Sounds plausible. If she was born with cybernetic organs she would, indeed be in grave danger. Her DNA could be unique, and there may be a Romulan faction that wants to dissect her, while other factions see her as an abomination. The romulan being heald on the ground at will mentioned something about her being “The destroyer of worlds.” How that fits in to this theory is puzzling but it’s likely to be a lot of fun speculating for the next five months or so…
It looked like Mars to me as well.
I thought the red planet could be Vulcan.
I think this is going to be a political commentary on the current issues at the southern border of the US. Everything is starting to line up for me in that angle, as you have a Borg camp, where they are turning them back into their humanoid forms and then imprisoning them, fearing what they might be capable of. Dahj escapes. Finds Picard. He brings this to the attention of Starfleet (government). They ignore him. He goes on a non-sanctioned trip to liberate the Borg people, held by the Romulans.
Not taking a side politically, but just an observation.
That might explain the involvement of Seven and Hugh, both former Borg themselves.
I think it’s also evoking the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe. Only here assimilation is the fear, not the hope.
nice
with all the trailer analysis i’ve read i feel like i’ve already seen the whole show… not a complaint… just funny how much fans can gleam out of these tiny bits
What if Dahj is the daughter of Data and the Borg Queen, conceived during First Contact?
Than(or is it “Then”) I would say they ripped of Blade Runner 2049.
Is it me or does Picard have a heck of a lot of costume changes in the first few episodes?
I like how the red turtleneck and black jacket give minor hints to his old uniforms
It’s a fairly common observation that former military officers tend to dress like they’re still in uniform.
It’s also reminiscent of retired Admiral McCoy in the TNG pilot, sans the 80s cues :)
I don’t think the soong Android in the drawer is b4.. I think that’s data with the damage from nemesis
He exploded in Nemesis. There wouldn’t be any pieces left.
Yep. He would have been vaporized. He was right next to ground zero. There is nothing left.
I love these breakdowns, thanks TM! I’m hopeful about everything I’m seeing so far.
Do some of the Romulans have forehead ridges? I can’t tell if it’s prosthetics or just the lighting for the bald guy but they look like ridges to me. If they are showing a mix of ridge and non-ridge, kudos for that!
The Data scene is almost certainly a flashback. It appears he has a yellow collar and gray shoulder pads, which means a NEMESIS-era uniform, not the more DS9-ish uniforms to which Starfleet seems to have returned 20 years later.
Whoever Dhaj is she’s being attcked by at least 3 Kylo Ren’s
just an observation: in the shot where Picard has his hands up (before Raffi), it sure looks like a bottle of Chateau Picard in the sack. seems that Jean-Luc knows not to show up empty-handed!
Could be that she REALLY prefers California wine…
Wonder if there was a particular reason why Picard was ordered to patrol the Neutral Zone in 2373 (First Contact)? Is there a lot more going on than we ever (including Picard and Crew) had originally known?
The Borg negotiated with Voyager (albeit briefly I’ll grant), so why not the Romulans. And not forgetting Shinzon either. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shinzon is somehow explored further in the series.
How so? Not only was he impaled but like Data he got vaporized after that when the thaleron weapon blew.
Picard was ordered to the Neutral Zone in 2373 during the second Borg attack on Earth? Why? And what more can be gleamed from Shinzon and his connection with the Romulans and Picard?
I like to imagine wild and outside the box sometimes, I know. But it’s no worse than other theories/ideas I’ve heard said so why not. IMO
Because Star Fleet command was concerned that a person who was once linked to the hive mind might be a liability in battle. Even though it proved to be incorrect I still think it was a legitimate concern.
A tantalizing teaser, to be sure, and a fantastic breakdown/examination of the scenes. Thank you!
However, as a fan of Romulans, I’m disappointed to note that most Romulans pictured above (particularly series leads Elnor and Narek) do not have the distinctive forehead-appliance makeup used on all TV series from TNG through ENT.
But I noted at least 3 Romulans (a balding, bearded man and two guards) who seemed to have some kind of “brow enhancement.”
Hopefully there will be some explanation for this.
Also it seems beards are in fashion now for Romulans. Do goatees still denote evilness? ;)
While we’ve seen it’s bridge area, I’m hoping that the next trailer will feature a good look at the ship itself which this crew ends up on. And hopefully it’s an interesting design and not a bland one.
I’m shocked we didn’t see a single starship either. I’m sure they are holding all of that back for the next trailer including an appearance of Riker and Troi being either on the Titan….or the Enterprise! ;D
After seeing what was revealed in this trailer its clear they have tons more surprises up their sleeve.
After all the upcoming cameos, they surely won’t resist the biggest cameo of all, the Enterprise-E (or F), right? There are many letters in the alphabet :)
I’m 100% convinced the Enterprise is showing up. People thought even after they showed the Enterprise at the end of Disocvery first season we may never see the bridge. Well that clearly wasn’t the case lol.
CBS/Kurtzman know what they doing. They want to give us ‘new’ shows and approaches but they clearly are trying hard to bring in as much fan service as possible and nothing gets bigger than seeing the Enterprise herself.
MAYBE they will pull a Discovery and not reveal it until the end of the season or even wait to show it in season 2 but I have a feeling we will be seeing it much sooner than that. If they found a way to bring back a dead android that ship is coming lol.
Personally I think it gotta be the F. They won’t pass up on this chance to introduce a totally new flagship and since the E was always ever only in the movies, people dont have the same nostalgia for it as for the series E-D. They could make this a dramatic plotpoint by having the E-E destroyed during Picards rescue mission at Romulus (which is one of the things that upsetted him so greatly) and even show it in flashbacks.
Now, if only they could hand the E-F design to someone OTHER than John Eaves for once…
One weakness of Kurtzman is he doesn’t understand design lineage. He doesn’t understand the order of sailing ship – steam boat – nuclear wessel (;-) is not interchangeable and certainly cant happen all at once. This much is obvious in Discovery. Technology and science should not be fantasy and magic. And Eaves either doesn’t understand it either or doesn’t want to because he is so fond of his blocky Star Wars ships he applies it to any era.
So I hope we see some kind of believable order of progress from TNG to Picard, but judging from the Romulan ships in the trailer (and what Discovery already did to the timeline in that respect) , I won’t hold my breath.
If it does show up I’d wager it’s the F. For some odd reason 20 years seems to be the life span of Starfleet ships in this world.
Yeah I forgot to mention that point. The only Enterprise that survived much longer than 20 years (presumably) was the unlettered, original one.
I guess even in the Star Trek world they don’t make ’em like they used to!
But that’s not really true, starships ARE built to last for decades. Voyager was set to run for 70 years to get home and we saw several alternate futures the ship was running fine 30-40 years into the voyage and thats without any starbases around. We saw the Discovery standing by for literally 1,000 years waiting for the crew to come back and while a bit dusty still ran just as good (probably thanks to Zora keeping things running smoothly). In AGT alternate future timeline the Enterprise D was still around and even badder than ever with upgrades and that ship was at least 30 years old.
I think Starfleet just treats its starships like we treat smartphones these days and after awhile they simply want to upgrade them with newer tech and sleeker designs.
Tiger2, no doubt they are built to last; the reason many of them don’t last nearly as long (especially starships bearing the name “Enterprise”) is because they are destroyed before their time. Only the E-A was decommissioned for being outdated, as it was the more than 50 year old Constitution class (despite several refits).
The E-A was no refit. It was just some existing Connie that Star Fleet decided to repaint. No one knows how old it was at the time. The original Enterprise was more than 30 years old. The weird thing was they just did a major refit requiring time, effort, currency… And some admiral only a couple of years later decided “its day was over”. That was always a head scrather for me.
Leave Spock out of it, please no Spock love child, but that seems unlikely for all the reasons already mentioned. We only saw Spock and Picard together one time, but if Spock was working on reunification, and then involved trying to stop the destruction of the R&R, and Picard was also involved somehow in the rescue that followed, it is likely they had contact between Nemesis and now.
Another issue is what timeline are we in? This is the pivot point between TOS timeline and JJT timeline. In TOS timeline, spock disappeared before the setting of the Picard series,and before Picard was involved in the rescue effort. They have no idea where he is. If he has reappeared downstream (during 2009 Star Trek) according to JJtrek theory, everything changed. In theory, all of the events of TNG may not have happened, or not have happened in the same way. IF he has not reappeared yet, we are still in TOS/TNG timeline. not JJT timeline. For all they know he is dead. My head can explode now.
It seems pretty clear that the timeline bifurcated.
Trek is deeply invested in a multiverse theory, no need to let Tarantino’s confusion muddle us up.
The TNG episode Parallels had Worf move through a whole sequence of similar but not identical timelines in the multiverse.
Spock has gone back in time, but not his own past unlike the crossing through the Guardian of Forever.
He crossed through the same event horizon to the Kelvin timeline.
The Prime universe carries on unchanged.
I still can’t believe Tarantino is so confused on how this works even if he doesn’t actually like it. Not a great sign for someone who say they are a Star Trek fan.
But as the poster from above showed, people are still really confused by it. If the re-merger with Viacom and CBS does happen and by some miracle the Kelvin movies are still going (unless Tarantino gets his way…ugh) then they need to do some kind of crossover event (which of course they actually did with Prime Spock the first time but yeah) but this time make it CLEAR its two universes and two separate groups of characters. Put Zachery Quinto and Ethan Peck in a scene together and nerd it out explaining what it is. Someone can even bring in a holographic chalk board complete with white holographic bouncy ball if that’s what they have to do to FINALLY put it to rest.
It was never established it is a multiverse. Yes, trek has done that in the episode parallels and the mirror universe, but that is not what happened in trek09. Spock himself explained it in the movie. Events changed. It did not create an extra reality, the reality for those characters changed. Yes, time could have split at that point, into two different universes, but that is not what JJTrek is. JJTrek is supposed to be the same universe as TOS/TNG, just changed because of Nero. I think a much better movie would be to close that loop. return to the original timeline is some way. Make the JJTrek universe something that essentially never happened, much like was done in “The City on the Edge of Forever” by Edith Keeler living, everything changed, to restore the timeline, she had to die. it was not a new universe or new reality (AKA Man in the high Castle).
I suppose it could be. But I saw it as a parallel timeline. This way fans can still have their TOS-TNG time line and this new line can still exist with Pine & Co. It’s the best of both worlds. And from what I can tell with how time is played with in Trek, time acts as it needs to act to tell that particular story.
Only its not that at all Michael. Its two universes. This has been explained and argued to death for a decade now. The other writer of the movie, Bob Orci, has made it clear on this very site. Yes, the movie could’ve explained it better but no the KU and the PU are TWO distinct universes. That’s EXACTLY what happened.
I was hoping once Discovery came around it would make this clear. Hopefully Picard takes a trip on Vulcan to prove once and for all that these are just two different universes.
And returning to the original timeline defeats the ENTIRE purpose of these films. I don’t understand why some don’t get that? Its simply its own universe with its own canon, nothing needs to be ‘fixed’.
Michael,
Re: It was never established it is a multiverse.
Not sure how you arrived at THAT conclusion? The 1st series established TWO alternate to Prime parallel universes. One, the MU which you cited, but the other was Lazarus’ which, because it wasn’t being crossed by transporter, was threatening to annihilate Prime as well as his home universe because of the way his Prime crazy self was willing to use the safety valve to attempt to obliterate him so there could only be one Lazarus in all the multiverse.
Michael, I suggest you rewatch the TNG episode Parallels.
It’s canon.
As for the JJ-verse. What Spock said to his younger self was that sharing information couldn’t affect the future because the Prime Universe Spock did not live the same life, events had changed when Nero and crew destroyed the USS Kelvin.
He did not say that there was only one timeline. After all, he could remember the timeline he grew up in.
I never intended to say trek did not have a multiverse. I am well aware of the various times trek has explored this. I meant that JJT was never established as a “new” universe within the movie series. The creatives may have since decided that, perhaps partially due to the complaints from people here, but in the movie it was clearly stated that Nero changed things. He did not create an extra-verse, or new universe. Much like McCoy changed everything when prevented Edith Keelers’ death, Nero changed everything and was not supposed to be there, and was not supposed to take out the Kelvin. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, but based on in-movie dialogue and explanations at the time, JJT2009 changed history.
That is even more obvious with that fact that Kirk and Pike become close in the JJT movies. In TOS, Pike and Spock are close, so close, Spock commits mutiny to save him. Fortunately, Discovery seems to be sticking with that history, the prime universe. Despite a similar look, Disco is set in the prime (TOS) universe, not the JJTrek universe. I think that was made clear by creatives at the beginning of the series.
When they confirmed the show would deal with the destruction of Romulus we obviously knew Romulans would be a big part of the show. And I suspected we would get another big group involved. I thought it could be the Klingons or even the Cardassians involved. To go with the Borg is inspired casting.
Not surprised they would show up again because everyone on Discovery wanted to do them. I assumed they might wait until second season to do it but if you want butts in the seats you bring in the Borg.
I think the four main past stories that will be a big part of the season will be Nemesis, Endgame, Descent and Star Trek 09. But it will probably reference multiple shows and films, especially TNG and Voyager. I’m starting my mega marathon the day they announce when Picard premieres.
I can’t wait for this show… EEEEK.
Also, the article does not mention this but the Romulan-Borg connection goes way back to the genesis of the Borg in TNG’s season 1 finale, when both Starfleet and Romulans investigate destroyed colonies along the Neutral Zone and this became the reason for the Romulans to re-emerge (Ok, the Borg themselves weren’t properly introduced until “Q Who” but the destruction in the Neutral Zone was later attributed to them) . What became of the Romulan investigation of these Borg incursions into their territory? Maybe Picard will bring this storyline FULL CIRCLE finally :)
That season one episode, to me, felt like a hastily prepared effort to re-introduce a big bad for the series since the Ferengi concept crashed and burned. Turns out the Romunlans didn’t even end up being their go-to baddies.
“That season one episode, to me, felt like a hastily prepared effort to re-introduce a big bad for the series since the Ferengi concept crashed and burned.”…
It was; at that point, they planned that species to be insectoids! The Borg concept was only fully developed in Season 2, but the Neutral Zone incursions were explicitly linked to the devastated planet the crew visits.
To go with the Borg is fan service and a way to get ratings. The Borg were the most popular enemy in Trek. That’s why everyone wants to have them in their show (Disco). They were over used in Voyager and became weak.
Bringing them back for Picard can be justified because of his past. They should never ever be on Disco. I hope the writers can be more creative then that. The temporal cold war on Ent. was just as effective and more creative then just bringing back an old enemy that has been defeated now several times.
I agree. The Borg do seem to be popular so it’s a pretty safe route to take. But as you say, how many times does Star Fleet need to defeat them before they become toothless? I think the Borg have reached the point where they are no longer formidable enemies. Sure Picard has a bit of a history but still… The Borg are no longer the menace they were when first introduced. Quite the opposite in fact.
But it looks like they are doing a very different take with the Borg in this one. They may even be the underdogs this time and we don’t know just how badly Janeway damaged them when she gave them the virus. So I’m excited to see the direction they take them.
Yeah as I literally said they are clearly there to get butts in the seats! But as you also said they were one of the most popular enemies in Trek and we haven’t seen them since season 2 of Enterprise, that was a life time ago. Eventually they were going to be brought back, this was the first non-prequel they could finally do it with. And as you also said Picard has a personal dealing with, also why it was great to bring in Seven, who obviously can bring another Borg layer to the show.
And bringing back old villains is a Star Trek meme at this point. Discovery started their show with a (boring) Klingon story line. Section 31 showed up in season 2 at least seem like it was going to work with Starfleet until we found out it was actually the main villain as well. I suspect in Discovery third season the villain there will be all android Cardassians. ;D
Also glad to hear Jeri Ryan confirmed Seven of Nine won’t just be a one off in the pilot and I hope a full on cast member like the others. Even if she is just a recurring one her presence is obviously wildly popular and such a brilliant direction to go in. Her pressence has now probably doubled the interest in this show for a lot of fans, certainly for me. Even some of the usual bitter youtubers seem overjoyed about a lot of what Picard is doing, especially bringing back Seven and Data.
I still hope we get Janeway in another season (DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET MULGREW BACK CBS!!!!!) but it will be interesting to know if Seven herself has kept up with her Voyager family in the last 20 years (along with her relationship with Chakotay) or if she has gone her own way completely? I’m pretty sure we are going to find out.
She could actually have a bunch of Chakotays and Annikas running around threatening to assimilate the other kids in school. ;)
I’m as excited for Jeri Ryan to be coming back as for Brent Spiner to be coming back. And if we don’t get Mulgrew back, it’s a sin.
Yeah we have to get Janeway aboard this show at some point. It would seem odd if we never saw her again. Her cameo in Nemesis was way too short and I want her and Picard in the same room. It would be great to see the two former captains actually together.
As it seems Riker isn’t an Admiral anymore (at least not an active one), they should take this chance to fill the inevitable Admiral roles with some other familiar faces: Janeway, Necheyev, maybe even Admiral Nog (fast track career) :)
Admiral Dax?
Actually, I’d rather see Ezri Dax as Captain.
The Relaunch books developed her as a fascinating character. Once Ezri got in charge of all Dax’s past hosts, she was able to be a formidable captain.
Yes, I know they’re not doing the books, but Captain Ezri Dax is a great idea to lift from them.
He can’t be speaking with Seven at Chateau Picard because she says “What are you doing out *here* Picard..?”
She could mean “What are you doing out here in your chateau when you should be off in space?”
I posted a shorter version of this under another Trekmovie article a couple of days ago, but it got buried near the end of that thread. So I’ll post it here again, with a few more thoughts.
This is just speculation, but I might be able to shed some light on the mysterious young woman’s possible identity, from the perspective of an Indian/South Asian guy.
Some commenters have previously mentioned Data’s android “daughter”, Lal. You may remember that her name was translated as an Indian word for “beloved” in that TNG episode. Technically this is correct, although it actually means “beloved” in the sense that a child is beloved to their parents. (It doesn’t have romantic connotations).
Apparently the amnesiac young woman — possibly Lal — is currently going by the name “Dahj”. This has several different meanings in a couple of South Asian languages:
In Punjabi, the word “daaj” — literally pronounced “dahj” — means “dowry”. So this may be relevant to the theory that the woman was intended to be the new Borg Queen. Especially if (getting conspiratorial) a third party (Section 31?) was supposed to “give” her as a “gift” to the shattered and dysfunctional Collective, with the secret intention of weaponizing the Borg via a queen under Starfleet/Federation control.
In a number of North Indian languages, “dahj” is also a root term for several words involving “burning” or “scalding”. So this may be connected to, for example, the woman actually being a Section 31 sleeper agent/assassin — or a Borg who can fully pass for human — who was instrumental in triggering the supernova that destroyed Romulus. The trailer shows a male Romulan shouting “She’s the end of all! She’s the destroyer!”.
Star Trek also has a long history of using slightly-modified South Asian names. So “Dahj” could be a tweaked version of “Taj”, which literally means “Crown” — possibly another connection to the Borg Queen.
It could be something completely different, of course. Trailers sometimes involve deliberate misdirection. So the woman could be “Klingon messiah” Miral Paris, disguised as a human, using an alias, and with her memory wiped for her own protection, if the orthodox Klingon clergy are hunting her in order to kill her. Or she could even be Khan’s genetically-engineered daughter, defrosted from another sleeper ship; there is a precedent in ENT depicting “augments” with South Asian names and exceptional martial arts skills.
But at this point I think the theories relating to her name and involving some Lal/Borg/Romulan connection are more likely.
More observations:
– The potential Section 31/Starfleet Intelligence connection has further parallels with everyone’s favourite amnesiac CIA agent. The scene where Dahj beats up several attackers while Picard looks on from the bottom of stairs is very similar to a superb scene in The Bourne Ultimatum: Bourne single-handedly beats the hell out of multiple attackers while his British ally watches from the bottom of a staircase, clearly awestruck at Bourne’s martial arts abilities. Game of Thrones fans will also notice the parallels with the “Battle of Winterfell” scene where Arya Stark easily fights off multiple zombies while her allies stare at her combat skills — although I suspect that scene was inspired by Bourne too.
– Dahj being called a “destroyer” and possibly also being an important individual of interspecies origin has parallels with the BSG reboot: Starbuck the “Harbinger” and Hera respectively.
– An individual that is genetically augmented, or is actually an android, or is a Borg hybrid, but can fully pass for human and has greater capabilities than humans would indeed be seen as a threat by many, especially Federation authorities (or Romulan survivors, if she was responsible for destroying Romulus). This may partly explain Picard’s comment about Dahj being in great danger.
– I’m not sure the ships above the red planet are actually Romulan. If you expand the photo, they look like streamlined Klingon Birds-of-Prey.
– If those ships really are Romulan, and the scene depicts Romulan refugees settling on Mars (as others upthread have suggested), it’s a nice touch storywise. The mythical Romulus and “god of war” Mars were obviously very important in Roman culture.
The village reminded me a bit on the Ba’ku village from ST INS in architecture
As Rich Evans said: Alex Kurtzman is involved, so it has to be shitty.
Looks like Discovery with Picard. No thanks.
Wow! This show looks great!