This week the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard hits the halfway point with the fifth episode. We have details along with new images, plus a clip and trailer.
“Imposters”
Episode 5 of Picard’s third season is called “Imposters.” The episode was written by Cindy Appel & Chris Derrick, and directed by Dan Liu. It debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, March 16.
Synopsis:
Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether a prodigal crewman from his past has returned as an ally – or an enemy hellbent on destroying them all.
NEW Images from episode 5:
Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, Patrick Stewart as Picard, Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker and Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Michael Dorn as Worf and Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker in”Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Patrick Stewart as Picard in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Jin Maley as Kova Rin Esmar in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Patrick Stewart as Picard and Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw and Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Patrick Stewart as Picard and Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker in”Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Michael Dorn as Worf and Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker in “Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Michael Dorn as Worf and Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker in”Imposters” (Photo: Paramount)
Trailer:
A preview is available on the official site.
Clip:
A clip was shown at the end of the Ready Room (at 31:48):
The third and final season of Picard premiered on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., and Latin America, and on February 17 Paramount+ in Europe and elsewhere, with new episodes of the 10-episode-long season available to stream weekly. It also debuted on Friday, Feb. 17 internationally on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.
Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
Oof.
To less Input for now to even speculate “Imposters” for me. Let’s see
The USS Intrepid seems to caught up to the USS titan and perhaps they talk about Jack Crusher (or how many alias he have)
But there is still an split second Scene from the Big “old” Trailers, that something will happen. But for now, let’s see
Presumably that will be Lore? (masquerading as Data?)
Apparently this former crewmember hasn’t been seen in trailers thus far.
My bet is Ro
There were statements on another site that there’s a surprise cameo this season.
Ro would be cool. Maybe it’s Shelby? Could you imagine if it’s Doctor Pulaski? Another left field person: Barclay!
Wasn’t there an article here a year ago though that Robert Picardo was cast to play the Doctor?
In terms of the surprise cameos, my thoughts are that we will see Bakula as Archer, perhaps in a historical recording, to celebrate Frontier Day. I also think we’ll see Picardo as The Doctor, or Sid as Bashir. I think we will see more than one cameo from a legacy actor, and given the storyline so far, those three make the most sense to me, although I am not saying that all three will be there.
Barclay would be over the left field wall, past the parking lot, and out on the interstate somewhere.
What this episode needs is more Reg, said no one, ever.
prodigal: a person who leaves home and behaves recklessly, but later makes a repentant return
Sounds like Ro, doesn’t it?
That’s my thought too.
Prodigal sounds like it could be Wesley too
Wes is a prodigy, but he is not prodigal. The two words have different meanings. They’re right–Ro is the obvious choice for someone who is prodigal. A prodigal child is someone who left as a rebel and came back repentant. A prodigy is a gifted child. Prodigal is from the Latin word prodigus, which means lavish. Prodigy comes from the same Latin root as prodigious, which despite sounding similar is actually a different word.
Both words apply to Wesley.
Yeah, he’s got a lot of analysis there for being wrong. lol.
What is your deal, dude? Each time I post anything, you start picking a fight. I have no interest in it. Grow up.
Drew, I get what you’re saying, but I don’t see Wes as prodigal. He became a godlike being, not something disappointing. He was a prodigy even in that decision.
Probably not Wesley for the simple reason that the character did a surprise pop-up last season. Been there, done that, my guess is the producers would want to move on, try something new.
I believe Wil when he says that he’s not in this season. Don’t think it’s him.
That would be cool but there was the added or are they hell bent on destroying the federation? I feel like this would not be Ro
Could be Reg Barclay.
The Maquis were wiped out by the Cardassians once they joined the Dominion. Only a few dozen from Eddington’s cell survived (not counting those on Voyager), and Ro would have led her own cell. Unless she was captured before they were wiped out, then perhaps she’s still around, but where would she be? Starfleet would not have let her back in due to her treason, unless there’s a retcon coming…
Since my previous post is stuck in limbo (or might’ve been rejected, due to a link within), I’ll let you know where to find out WHO it is, if you don’t mind SPOILERS:
The Star Trek subreddit links to an image from the next episode (which was accidentally released early in Brazil). 👈😃
It could also be a changeling masquerading as Geordi or someone.
Maybe Tasha Yar is back, I mean not her, but a changeling. I dunno.
This suddenly gave me an idea for a scene where a Changling taunts the crew by changing into people we/they know, ultimate fan service unlocked ;)
The synopsis isn’t really clear as to who is up for court martial charges–the crewman from the past or Picard/Riker. Picard/Riker being brought up on charges is plausible since they essentially commandeered the Titan under false pretenses, but a “caught” crewmember from the past (eg. Ro) who evaded justice would also be possible.
Deanna pointedly asked Will Riker if he was in trouble during their videocall.
Seems to me we have the set up for a court martial episode, and not for Seven.
Might we see Captain Shaw testifying in support of not only Seven (who he’s already acknowledged has earned reconsideration of his relieving her of duty), but also of Riker?
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Picard/Riker’s actions, however noble, set off a chain of events that resulted in grave injuries to the Titan’s crew and could have caused total loss of the ship.
I hear Ro Laren’s name being bandied about–her desertion to the Maquis would qualify her for charges… but that was decades in the past. Not sure what the merits would be to charging her now, or using those charges as a plot point.
Wait, what about Thomas Riker?
yeah. Why should Spiner get all the fun of playing multiple characters??? ;)
Prodigal crewman = Ensign Ro? that would be fun. only other person i could think of is Wesley
People are confusing prodigy and progidal, which have very different meanings. Wes isn’t prodigal (see my explanation elsewhere in this thread).
also – unless the character they are referring to was an excessive spender and wasted all of their money, they aren’t technical prodigal either.
My interpretation of the logline is that the crewman in question is the one either prosecuting or judging Picard, Riker, and anyone else being court martialed.
With that in mind the question becomes, who it could be?
Crewman denotes someone Picard served with. We assume that means on the Enterprise, in which case it COULD be Ro assuming she became a lawyer. Does that sound like something she’d do?
If not her, who else from The Next Generation could be the potential prosecutor or judge?
Alternatively, it could be someone from the Stargazer, in which case it would be someone we’ve never seen before.
“prodigal crewman from his past has returned”
Sito Jaxa anyone?
That would be cool, but a deep dive.
Could the prodigal be Worf? He isn’t exactly in a Starfleet uniform and said he is a subcontractor.
Sito Jaxa wasn’t prodigal. She was a prodigy. Not the same thing.
She’s also dead, which makes it difficult to be either an ally or an enemy.
True. The episode does indicate that she was killed.
If you include behind the scenes sources it’s possible she’s not. Back in the Berman Era there had been plans to bring her back during DS9’s run as having been captured by the Cardassians. The episode Hard Time was, originally, written for her.
“Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows…”
Gheez, is that really the official synopsis? That doesn’t make any grammatical sense at all. That says paranoia was caught by Starfleet and is facing court martial. That’s basic grammar 101. Shouldn’t Paramount have people with strong writing skills proofreading these releases before they go out to the press?
Agreed. The grammar is contorted, probably deliberately, so as not to reveal much. The problem is either the sentence has no subject, or the opening phrase is in the passive voice with an unclear referent.
“Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether a prodigal crewman from his past has returned as an ally – or an enemy hellbent on destroying them all.”
The only nouns in the sentence that could be facing court martial are Picard or the prodigal crewman from his past. The first would read: “Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, Picard’s paranoia grows…” In that case, Geordi LaForge could be the “prodigal” who departed from the TNG leadership crew for some reason against Picard’s wishes. He is now heading the Starfleet Museum (??). (Did I read or hear that they had a falling out?) But then LaForge would never be hellbent to destroy everyone.
The second grammatical option would read: “Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, the paranoia of a prodigal crewman from Picard’s past grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether the crewman is an ally or a hellbent enemy.” While Ro Laren is the leading candidate to be a “prodigal,” why would she ever be hellbent on destroying the Federation? Something about Bajor’s admission to Federation membership? Seems like a stretch, though not out of the question (especially if she’s a Changeling).
If not Ro, then who? Moriarity? Lore? But neither of them was ever a “crewman.”
So, if this synopsis’ phrasing was designed to reveal next to nothing, it has succeeded. :-)
Please tell me Oscar-Winner Michelle Yeoh is Worf’s handler.
My money is on Kira Nerys.
On second thought…if the prodigal is Ro Laren, then it’s most likely that Ro is also Worf’s handler.
My money now is on Ro Laren.
Ooh, I like this idea. It would mean that Ro is the one who puts together that Worf and Picard are different parts of the same investigation, which then brings the entire group back together.
:D
Just was “Inquisition” on DS9. Julian Bashier, anyone?
I don’t think so, but there is an outside chance that it’s Bashir. I’m making this assumption based on some level of involvement of Section 31 in all this. Bashir had extensive experience with Section 31, and being an Augment, he could have moved into a position to reform it back to what it was in the early Discovery era, a Special Ops group within Starfleet Intelligence.
I also could have sworn I saw something on-line that Sid had been approached to reprise Bashir. He’s made a nice name for himself over the years, so it would be good to see him come back in some capacity.
Not on this show. Handlers come and go.
Yes she is.
Ro Laren is the only prodigal that fits the bill, but who knows.
I wouldn’t say I’ve ever loved La Sirena, but it’s odd they didn’t add back in the interior orange highlights from the prime universe version. It’s still all black around the engine like the fascist alt reality version.
While it looks fine as it is, I agree that it would have been worth the redress to make it clear that it the origin from the Prime timeline.
Michael Eddington… perhaps didn’t really die in the DS9 episode and returns hellbent on revenge for the slaying of the Maquis….
And from the trailer the other starfleet vessel that meet them perhaps has already been…changelingified…explains the starfleet on starfleet fighting
Aye, it could be a group of Changelings. Last change to get Jack Crusher before he is unreachable for them. Dunno why he is that Important for them
I speculate that he could be perhaps the best Clone of Picard from the Nemesis Clone Program exchange Picard with him. Sleeper Mind Probe, like “Total Recall” with Schwarzenegger
It’s obvious it is Geordi. They have to find a way to bring him into the story and not just because of his daughter.
I think the Intrepid has been tasked to bring in the Titan and Picard, but they’re following orders, not part of the greater conspiracy. Which will make the choice faced by Picard and company that much harder when confronted by them.
This will then force the Titan to go on the run in order to continue their mission, as they will likely be declared fugitives within the Federation and all of Starfleet will be searching for them.
Which might explain Geordi’s irritation with Picard, seen in the final trailer, when the Titan shows up at the fleet museum, presumably looking for assistance.
Oooh, Tom Riker. :-)
He’s not a prodigal of Picard’s though.
Some thoughts about the Episode 5 trailer:
Why does the engineering section of the Intrepid look like it was attached backwards?Is that Miles O’Brien materializing on the left side of the transporter pad, just before everything cuts to Jack Crusher’s red vines? He was a key Enterprise crewmember once upon a time, and who knows what hijinks he was up to at the Academy…A Vulcanoid (i.e. Vulcan, Romulan, or Mintakan) with a mutilated right ear… Hmmm…
Great Shaw called the Popo, figures. What a dick!
Seriously?
Picard and Riker hijacked his ship and brought it to near destruction, all without authority.
And Shaw’s inappropriate for contacting real officers with actual authority to make his report?
Should he instead continue to let his command be taken for the apparently self-serving priorities of Picard, who in any other series would be viewed as a ‘badmiral’?
Are you say that because it’s Picard and Riker, any reasonable command-level officer should just assume that, Starfleet command is infiltrated, and there is an existential threat to the Federation based on a single overpowered attacking ship and a single Changeling saboteur?
Yes seriously,
Shaw said it himself, “how do they keep finding us”. Well we found out how, there was a Shapeshifter on board. Shapeshifters don’t go around impersonating Starfleet offers just to win some bounty for a few crimes. There is something larger going on here that a Captain should clearly be able to see. I think he can. But I think he’s letting his prejudice toward Picard and Co. blind him to the fact that he has senior officers who have literally put down invasions of the Federation on board who he might want to freaking defer to because who knows how far these Changlings have infiltrated Starfleet.
Yes, it is irrational, and I agree with you, he’s kind of a d***. And that’s awesome, the world of Trek needs more irrational d***s (or rather, needs more characters who aren’t all noble good boys who always make the right decisions).
That said, one of the themes of the season seems to be legacy. The point of Shaw’s character, I believe, is to show how over time, Picard and the Enterprise crew have not held up to be as quite the legendary heroes that we knew them as.
This story is likely going to wind up being — thematically — about reminding the wider Trek world of how great they really were. In a lot of ways, it’s very reminiscent of Star Trek VI, which I don’t think is any coincidence.
Wow, that is one truly intriguing trailer.
Worf and Raffi meet a stranger with pointed ears and two armed bodyguards. Hmm. Romulan? If so, what is he bringing to the table?
A quick shot of a transporter room shows supposed humans inside transporter tubes dissolve into what appear to be Changelings. Is The Intrepid now under Changeling control? Titan’s Ensign Esmar is shown writhing in pain as thick black marks erupt on her face. Is she a Changeling, or is she perhaps being attacked by one?
Looks like yet another terrific episode full of unexpected twist and turns. My only prediction is that by the ep’s ending, Shaw will be moving towards becoming a member of Team Picard.
They turn Into Changelings, when they where Still Materialize. So perhaps some Changeling Virus mixed with their Bio Data and made them instant into Changeling Drones. Enough to be controlled from an Bigger Changeling Fish. That could also explain Vadic’s behavior
A Mix of Borg + Changeling Stuff
I do agree it’s a fascinating episode preview.
Some of this may be more visual hallucinations or waking dreams from Jack Crusher.
Not sure about Shaw moving to ‘Team Picard’ anytime soon. (It seems anyway to be more Team Crusher-Picard family at the expense of making all the other ‘real’ officers look bad, including Riker at times. It’s an underdog middle-rank ship, but wonder-Jack shouldn’t be coming up with all the solutions and be more successfully persuasive than his mother.)
Shaw’s eventual reluctant concession to Picard’s strategy the need to protect his ship and crew, I can see – but only when Starfleet command channels are proven to be compromised.
I am almost certain that Shaw’s response to Picard’s assertion “You have to trust me!” will be “No. I don’t.”
Picard needs to earn trust and he still owes Shaw an apology (as he acknowledged to a Riker in episode 2). Add to that Shaw’s own continued journey through reexperiencing his own profound trauma every moment Picard is present, any kind of quick turnaround would feel unearned.
I like your observations on any eventual conciliatory relationship between Shaw and Picard. You are right – Shaw still bears deep emotional wounds from the horrors of Wolf 359, and understandably so. Moreover, the duplicitous manner in which Picard and Riker drew The Titan’s crew into mortal danger is not something Shaw can easily overlook – the loss of his friends and shipmates at Wolf 359 has clearly made him fiercely protective of his crew.
Oddly enough, this current crisis may be the event that heals Shaw’s decades-old trauma, and I suspect one of the first signs of that healing will occur soon when he begins to refer to Seven by her chosen name. I’m looking forward to that touching scene, and will be gobsmacked if it never happens.
All that said. as the gigantic and mysterious threat to The Federation becomes clearer, I hope Shaw is going to emerge as an eager and useful contributor to the collaborative efforts of the merging Picard/Worf teams as they seek to thwart their still very mysterious foe.
It fascinates me to realize that the story arc of this secondary character – meshed as it is with both Picard and Seven—is just one small subplot in a huge, complex and compelling season.
My gosh, this is one helluva great written show.
Complete, absolute, bonkers, shot in the dark. So insane, unlikely, and implausible that it might actually end up being right:
The crewman in question is one of the kids Picard was stuck in the turbolift with.
I’m thinking Harry Kim now…
It’s got to be a TNG crew member as per Terry Matalas’ warning to TNG fans specifically to avoid spoilers. Ro most fits the word ‘prodigal’ but it could be anyone.
Trailer still says “Video unavailable”