By Monita Mohan
Somehow, they've returned.
!['Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: What Does It Mean Now That [SPOILER] Are Back? (1)](https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/star-trek-picard-season-3-episode-9-patrick-stewart-social-feature.jpg "'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: What Does It Mean Now That [SPOILER] Are Back? (1)")
Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 9.We thought we knew who the real villains of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 were, but in Episode 9, “Vōx,” showrunner Terry Matalas and team flip the lid and reveal who’s really been behind the imminent attack on Starfleet—the Borg. Yep, the bane of Jean-Luc Picard’s (Sir Patrick Stewart) existence is back and, worse, they’ve been closer than he thought all this while.
When Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) opens the red door that’s been a barrier in Jack Crusher’s (Ed Speelers) mind, she sees something horrifying—a giant Borg cube. But Jack has never even met the Borg, let alone been assimilated, so what’s his connection to them? It all goes back to Locutus. The Borg, it seems, was playing the long con. They had a plan when they first turned Picard into Locutus, and that plan comes to shocking and terrifying fruition by the end of the episode when the Borg have well and truly taken over Starfleet. Only the former crew of the Enterprise-D are left (hopefully not just them) to defeat the Borg.
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RELATED: ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Episode 9 Recap: Oh Yes, She’ll Fly
Locutus Changed Picard in More Ways Than He Knew
!['Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: What Does It Mean Now That [SPOILER] Are Back? (2)](https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/the-best-of-both-worlds-patrick-stewart.jpg "'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: What Does It Mean Now That [SPOILER] Are Back? (2)")
Back in Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter “The Best of Both Worlds,” Picard was assimilated by the Borg to become Locutus of Borg — his name meant he was acting as a mouthpiece for the Borg. Once Picard was liberated, he thought he was finally free of the Borg, but it turns out he was not. Picard has, over the course of films and especially on Star Trek: Picard struggled with the trauma of being assimilated and has often heard the Borg in his mind.
In The Next Generation's finale, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) examined Picard and found a structural defect in his brain that could possibly be Irumodic Syndrome, a neurological disease that causes delusions and death. Later, doctors confirmed this diagnosis. In this season of Star Trek: Picard, Beverly discovered that Jack had the same syndrome, except it turns out neither actually has the disease — the symptoms are caused by a Borg experiment. When Picard was assimilated, the Borg introduced new organic technology that laid dormant in his body but then was passed on to his progeny, Jack Crusher.
All drones are genetically modified, so their organic bodies can interact with their cybernetic systems. When Picard was assimilated, the Borg adapted a whole new kind of genetic code, which was not detected decades ago, when humanity’s knowledge of the Borg was nascent, at best. When Picard died in the finale of Season 1, his mind was transferred to a synthetic body thanks to Alton Soong (Brent Spiner). Soong eventually discovered the anomaly in Picard’s organic body as being something other than the cause of Irumodic Syndrome. But Picard’s body was soon stolen by the Changelings, and Soong couldn’t continue his examinations. So, what did the Borg do to Picard that has now left all of Starfleet at their mercy?
The altered genetic code in Picard made him a receiver for the Borg. The code that was passed on to Jack makes him a transmitter. That’s the reason Jack has the ability to control other people’s minds — it’s one of the ways the Borg operates when sending orders to drones. This might also explain some of Jack’s own thinking, such as his wish to end wars and bigotry by making people hear each other and ‘act in one mind together.’ But how could Jack enter people’s minds if they weren’t already assimilated? Beverly finds the terrifying answer during the episode.
Frontier Day and Starfleet’s Version of the Hive
!['Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: What Does It Mean Now That [SPOILER] Are Back? (3)](https://static1.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/picard-season-3-episode-9-ed-speleers-marina-sirtis-social-feature.jpg "'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: What Does It Mean Now That [SPOILER] Are Back? (3)")
The Changelings were sent to retrieve Picard’s body so that they could specifically remove parts of his parietal lobe—the part that was supposedly defective from Irumodic Syndrome. They used his genetic material to embed into transporter architecture so that everyone using transporters in Starfleet would be coded with the material. But it only works on those younger than 25 because their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully formed. None of this, of course, would be a problem if Starfleet, in their infinite stupidity, didn’t come up with a plan so stupendously bad that they kind of deserve to be taken over by the Borg.
As it is, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Frontier Day, Starfleet has ordered every single one of their ships to congregate in one place, but then to top it all, Admiral Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) announces that Starfleet has created a new advancement, Fleet Formation, a "synchronous technology" that controls every single ship in the fleet so they can "act as one." Starfleet has now effectively created its own version of the Hive, and it’s not long before this plan backfires in epic fashion. Or is this the impact of the Changelings? We saw the havoc they wreaked when they infiltrated bureaucratic bodies in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Thanks to the Changelings infiltrating every level of Starfleet, they’ve implemented parts of Picard’s Borg DNA in all of Starfleet’s transporter systems. As Beverly discovers, part of the transporter architecture recognizes commonalities in different species, the Changelings have now added Picard’s DNA as a common piece of biology throughout Starfleet, effectively assimilating everyone who’s used a transporter into a new version of the Borg. And it takes just one moment to activate the new Borg. How are they activated? Well, that’s down to Jack Crusher’s impulsiveness. Countless people died for this man to live, and he thanks them by running straight into the arms of the enemy, aka the Borg.
But, hang on a second, how are the Borg here? Voyager destroyed the Hive in the Delta quadrant in the Star Trek: Voyager finale, “Endgame,” around 10 years before the events of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 take place. Looks like parts of the Hive, including the queen, survived among the debris and have been rebuilding themselves in secret. The voice that Jack has been hearing in his head all his life is the voice of the Borg Queen (voiced by Alice Krige). He follows the Queen’s voice to a nebula and is sucked into a transwarp conduit which leads him to the remnants of the Borg. The Queen controls Jack, so he can’t kill her, a handy failsafe, and then he gets hooked into the Hive mind. The entire season has been about protecting Jack from the bad guys to prevent exactly what happens in Episode 9. Well, too late now.
Once Jack is assimilated, he becomes the vōx, or the voice of the Borg, activating the younger generation of Starfleet officers, including the Titan’s Bridge crew and Geordi La Forge’s (LeVar Burton) daughters, Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and Alandra (Mica Burton). And, with the entire fleet under one singular command, the Borg commandeer every ship in Starfleet. They are now one step away from reaching their final frontier, assimilating Earth.
It’s unsurprising that the Borg will bookend Picard’s story. Throughout Star Trek: Picard, we’ve felt the impact the Borg has had on Picard. But how will the Enterprise-D crew overthrow this nemesis? And will we ever find out what happened to Tuvok (Tim Russ)? You can’t introduce a beloved Voyager character as a captive of the Changelings and then leave us hanging. While we’re saving Earth, can someone save Tuvok?
The series finale of Star Trek: Picard premieres next Thursday on Paramount+.
FAQs
What is the cube at the end of Picard? ›
The Artifact was a disabled Borg cube that was abandoned in Romulan space by the Borg Collective during the late 24th century and later captured by the Romulan Free State.
Who is the Borg Queen in Picard Season 3? ›Alice Krige plays The Borg Queen in Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard."
Why are the Borg decimated in Picard? ›On stardate 50984.3 the Borg faced their destruction after they invaded Species 8472's fluidic space with intent to assimilate this species. Unfortunately – for the Borg – Species 8472 DNA encoding was so dense that nanoprobes could not assimilate their cells. Species 8472 responded with an all out attack on the Borg.
Why was Picard assimilated? ›In 2366 Captain Jean-Luc Picard was assimilated to be a counterpart between humanity and the Borg alongside the Borg Queen herself. Following his assimilation, the Borg Collective gained tremendous amounts of knowledge including Picard's personal lifetime experience and expertise.
What was the last thing Q said to Picard? ›Picard relays the orders to each Enterprise. Each ship suffers catastrophic damage, with Q telling the future Picard that "all good things must come to an end" just before the future Enterprise explodes.
How did the Federation defeat the Borg? ›There, what was to be Starfleet's last line of defense turned into a massacre — 39 starships destroyed by one Borg cube. The crew of the Enterprise-D eventually managed to sever Locutus from the Borg Collective, save Picard, and ultimately defeat the Borg.
Who is the Borg Queen Mother? ›Erin Hansen was a Human exobiologist and the mother of Annika Hansen, the Human female who became Seven of Nine. She and her husband Magnus were the first Humans to closely study the Borg.
Is Picard a human or a Borg? ›| Jean-Luc Picard | |
|---|---|
| Species | Human (2305–2399), Synthetic Human (since 2399) |
| Affiliation | Starfleet |
| Family | Maurice Picard (father) Yvette Gessard (mother) Robert Picard (brother) Jack Crusher (son) |
| Relatives | Marie Picard (sister-in-law) René Picard (nephew) Adele (aunt) |
Shinzon of Remus
Star Trek: Nemesis' villain is Shinzon, a younger clone of Picard.
Captain Kirk's Enterprise never faced the Borg and it can't happen in the Prime Timeline. Star Trek 4 could bring the Borg into the Kelvin reality.
Can Q defeat the Borg? ›
The Borg, while still a powerful threat, are nothing compared to this type of power. The Q are not only able to defeat their entire race without breaking a sweat, but can also eradicate any trace of their existence altogether.
Can the Borg assimilate Romulans? ›While most people who are assimilated by the Borg, like Picard himself once was, can be physically and mentally restored to their former states, the Romulans who were assimilated are now mentally unstable. These “Disordered” are kept in a sort of psychiatric ward aboard the ship.
Is Dr Jurati the Borg Queen? ›The final two episodes of Star Trek: Picard season two saw Agnes Jurati become a Borg Queen.
Why does Picard wear a red shirt? ›Designating the wearer's career is the main function of a Starfleet uniform. In TOS (The Original Series) gold was reserved for command, red was for engineering and security, leaving science and medical officers with blue.
Was Jurati always the Borg Queen? ›With the final two episodes of Star Trek: Picard revealing that Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) was the new Borg Queen, having joined with Annie Wersching's version in order to protect Agnes' friends and the world, one resounding question was heard around the world from Trekkies.
Who killed 7 of 9 Picard? ›It is revealed that Seven's true intentions are to kill Bjayzl, who was responsible for Icheb's death. Picard believes he is able to talk Seven out of killing Bjayzl, and they return to La Sirena with Maddox.
Did Picard ever say shut up Wesley? ›Wesley Crusher : Sir, I know this may finish me as an acting ensign, but... Capt. Picard : Shut up, Wesley!
What is Captain Picard's famous saying? ›"Make It So": As the Captain's command to set things in motion, Picard used this time-honored catchphrase as far back as The Next Generation's pilot episode, "Encounter At Farpoint—Part 1."
What is the most powerful race in Star Trek? ›The Gorn are one of the most powerful species in the Star Trek universe–and there is a dark reason why this is. In Star Trek Alien Spotlight: The Gorn, first published by Idw, readers are treated to a fascinating glimpse into Gorn society–namely the way they treat their young.
Did the Klingons ever fight the Borg? ›The Klingons, now armed with transphasic torpedoes, managed to successfully defend the planet Morska from the Borg.
Did Wesley Crusher create the Borg? ›
No. Maurice Hurley created the Borg.
Does seven of nine become the new Borg Queen? ›In Picard Season 1, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) briefly becomes a Borg Queen. The once-assimilated daughter of Magnus and Erin Hansen, who collected the earliest Federation data on the Borg, must attach herself to the device inside the Queen's liar and say, "We are the Borg," to save Borg and xBs on the Artifact.
Who conceived the Borg? ›| The Borg | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Maurice Hurley |
| In-universe information | |
| Base of operations | Delta Quadrant |
| Leader | Borg Queen |
Queen Elizabeth II is also a successor of Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen, who was Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death in 1603. According to RMG, Queen Elizabeth I's last words were, “All my possessions for one moment of time.”
What species are humans to the Borg? ›Species 5618 - Human - Alpha Quadrant
Humans are considered by the Borg to be a highly resistant species.
The new Borg Queen created a Collective that would not forcefully assimilate people and would embrace the distinctiveness and individuality of its members. When they join with StarfleetOpens in new tab to stop a destructive spatial anomaly, they formally request membership in the Federation.
Who is Captain Picard's son? ›In Star Trek: Picard, the Starfleet legend discovers he has an adult son he never knew of — Jack Crusher.
Who turned down the role of Jean-Luc Picard? ›#TriviaTuesday Actor Edward James Olmos was offered the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard In Star Trek: The Next Generation before Patrick Stewart. Olmos turned it down because he was too busy with other projects.
Is Janeway in Picard Season 3? ›Furthermore, Janeway has already been name-checked multiple times throughout Picard season 3. In the first episode, “The Next Generation,” Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) states that she only joined Starfleet at the behest of Admirals Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Janeway.
Why did Santiago leave Picard? ›Some of these are obvious, like Santiago Cabrera, whose character Rios chose to stay behind in the past of 2024 LA to be with his new love interest, Teresa—and whose death in the past we learn of when Guinan tells Picard about it in the 24th century.
Did Q create the Borg? ›
Hurley was also the writer of "Q Who?" and the person who, basically, created the Borg. Again, at this point, the scariest thing about the Borg was their hivemind and their planet-scooping abilities. However, by the time TNG entered its third season, the writing staff had changed significantly.
What is the Borg weakness in Star Trek? ›Their biggest weakness is that so many of the drones which make up the collective don't want to be there. If they end up separated from the hive, which is frankly not very hard to do, they will more likely than not want to keep it that way.
What species was the Borg Queen? ›Species 8472 is a fictional extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. Species 8472 is a designation given to them by the Borg. The multiplayer game Star Trek Online gives their proper name as Undine.
What ship is at the end of Picard? ›The premiere episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3 ends with a shocking reveal and sets up the action and mysteries for the rest of the season. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) boarded the SS Eleos, the medical ship owned by Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden).
What object is brought to Captain Picard at the end of the episode? ›He then delivers to Picard a small box found inside the alien probe. Picard opens the box to find the flute which he still vividly remembers from his life as Kamin.
Why are the Romulans in a Borg cube? ›In Star Trek: Picard episode 2, "Maps and Legends", Soji revealed exactly what the Romulans are doing with the Borg's technology: they're selling it for profit. In fact, Soji's work with the Romulan Reclamation Project directly helps the Romulans harvest the Borg's cybernetics.
Did the Romulans create the Borg? ›It's possible that the big secret of Star Trek: Picard is that the Romulans are actually responsible for the creation of the Borg Collective. We learn in “Maps and Legends” about the Zhat Vash, a secret cabal within the already super secretive Romulan Tal Shiar.
Will the USS Enterprise appear in Picard? ›The Enterprise-F has made her appearance in the ninth episode of Star Trek: Picard. This continues the trend of starships bearing the name Enterprise in the Star Trek universe.
Does Jean-Luc Picard become admiral? ›We know that Data dies in 2379, given the events of "Star Trek: Nemesis," and that in 2381, Picard was promoted to admiral and left the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E for an unknown special assignment. Three years after this, in 2384, Picard supposedly leads the greatest rescue armada in history.
Do Picard and Kirk have the same ship? ›The most notable were Captain James T. Kirk's USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) from the original 1960s television series, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard's USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
What does Shaka when the walls fell mean? ›
We'll eventually realize that “Shaka, when the walls fell” means “failure,” but with no reference to Shaka (or his wall-falling misfortune) the UT program is unable to do so.
Who is Captain Picard's daughter? ›Olivia Picard was Jean-Luc Picard's daughter during his Nexus experience in 2371. Olivia Picard was played by Olivia Hack. According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (3rd ed., p. 324), Olivia Picard was ten years old, the same age as her brother Matthew Picard.
What does Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra mean? ›"Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra" – cooperation. "Darmok and Jalad on the ocean" – new friendship and understanding gained through a shared challenge. "Darmok on the ocean" – Loneliness, isolation. "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel" – successful first contact between two alien cultures, or to work toward a common goal.
Can the Borg assimilate the Ferengi? ›Wouldn't Assimilate - The Ferengi
Physiologically, they are fragile creatures and do not have traits that the Borg are interested in. Aside from a passing interest in their auditory capabilities, it's doubtful the Borg would assimilate the Ferengi.
While most people who are assimilated by the Borg, like Picard himself once was, can be physically and mentally restored to their former states, the Romulans who were assimilated are now mentally unstable. These “Disordered” are kept in a sort of psychiatric ward aboard the ship.
What species is the new Borg Queen? ›This Queen was soon replaced by another, almost identical one — a drone assimilated from Species 125 — who encountered the U.S.S. Voyager in the Delta Quadrant when that Federation crew attempted to procure a transwarp coil.
Were the Borg ever human? ›The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called "the Collective".
Who or what created the Borg? ›The Borg Were Originally Going To Be Insectoids
Writer Maurice Hurley was the first one to come up with the idea of the Borg, but he didn't picture them as the humanoid cyborgs they would become. Instead, his idea was to have them be an insectoid race.
Why is Q afraid of Guinan? Although it was dropped, Guinan's species were initially supposed to have some Q-like powers. That's why she rears up into almost a magic casting pose on initially encountering Q. While she is somewhat immune to timeline changes, and long lived, that's about all that remained.