star trek picard ferengi sneed

Picard's Throwaway Easter Egg is a Who's Who of Galactic Criminals

Star Trek: Picard's Ferengi criminal Sneed is a scene-stealer -- but it's his rap sheet that really earns Trekkies' attention with familiar names.

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 2, "Disengage," now streaming on Paramount+ .

Star Trek 's intergalactic used car dealers known as the Ferengi overcame a rocky start to become franchise favorites thanks to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . They've been less common in the modern era, save for a few tantalizing glimpses in Star Trek: Discovery and Dal's duplicitous foster parent Nandi on Star Trek: Prodigy. They were even absent from the initial seasons of Star Trek: Picard , despite their prominent role in some of the title character's early heroics.

Picard Season 3, Episode 2, "Disengage" changes that with Sneed, a duplicitous ne'er-do-well connected to Raffi's search for stolen weapons. He comes with an ever-so-brief Easter egg: his rap sheet lsting his crimes and known associates. Though it's only on screen for a second or two, it paints a comprehensive picture of Star Trek 's underworld -- including a fistful of recognizable canon figures. Sneed knows some very familiar faces.

RELATED: Picard's Biggest Nostalgia Fix Isn't for TNG - It's Even Better

Quark Is Star Trek's Perennial Ferengi

After the Ferengi failed to catch fire as bad guys in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine reimagined them as petty criminals. Quark was the principal fulcrum for that and became a beloved character in the process. He ran all manner of hustles and scams from his bar on Deep Space 9, and a number of DS9 's most classic episodes centered around the fallout from some scheme or another. In his own way, Quark followed a tradition of characters acting as narrative gateways for their species that started with Spock in The Original Series and continued with Worf on The Next Generation .

Brunt Was Quark's Foil on Deep Space Nine

Brunt was described as one of Quark's business associates, though Deep Space Nine presented him more as a foil or even a straight-up antagonist. He was a Ferengi "liquidator" charged with the dissolution of Ferengi businesses, making him the equivalent of a hitman in their cutthroat capitalist society. He first appeared in DS9 Season 3, Episode 23, "Family Business," but returned six more times in various capacities. The character played by horror icon Jeffrey Combs deeply disliked Quark, but was forced to ally himself with the bartender more than once out of pure self-interest.

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Morn Was Quark's Best Customer and a DS9 Running Joke

Morn was a Lurian -- the first of his species to appear on Star Trek -- who seemingly ran a courier business. DS9 Season 6, Episode 12, "Who Mourns for Morn?" revealed far shadier details: he once participated in a big-time heist and chiseled his partners out of their cut. He appeared in a whopping 96 episodes of Deep Space Nine , though rarely as a central figure. Most of the time, he just sat at the end of Quark's bar and drank. His name is the reverse of Norm in an homage to George Wendt's barfly from the beloved sitcom Cheers . As if that wasn't amusing enough, one of the show's biggest running jokes was about his chattiness or loud voice... when Morn never spoke in any of his appearances.

Larell Was a Professional Thief and Morn's Former Partner

Larell is the most obscure figure on Sneed's list, having appeared only in "Who Mourns for Morn?" She was a thief who worked with Morn on the aforementioned big heist and came to Deep Space 9 looking for her cut of the loot. He turned the tables on her and his other ex-partners so they were arrested by the episode's end. Sneed's rap sheet in Star Trek: Picard suggests that Larell either avoided or escaped prison before returning to cause Morn more trouble.

Okona Is Picard's Only Name Not From Star Trek: DS9

Of the five canon names Picard mentions, the "outrageous" Thadiun Okona is the only one not to have appeared on Deep Space Nine . That makes his inclusion on Sneed's list particularly intriguing. Considering that Sneed was arrested on Deep Space 9, the rap sheet may be describing Okona's first visit there. He debuted in The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 4, "The Outrageous Okona" and Billy Campbell reprised Okona in Star Trek: Prodigy as well as a brief cameo on Star Trek: Lower Decks . He's a smuggler and freighter captain with copious charm and a penchant for heading for the exit when trouble arrives... making him a perfect fit for Sneed's rogues gallery.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Published Feb 24, 2023

RECAP | Star Trek: Picard 302 – Disengage

Cornered in space, which has no corners.

StarTrek.com

In Episode 2 of Star Trek: Picard , “ Disengage ,” aided by Commander Seven of Nine and the crew of the U.S.S. Titan , Picard makes a shocking discovery that will alter his life forever – and puts him on a collision course with the most cunning enemy he’s ever encountered. Meanwhile, Raffi races to track a catastrophic weapon – and collides with a familiar ally.

• Jack Crusher
• Jean-Luc Picard
• William Riker
• Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Seven of Nine (Annika Hansen)
• Sidney La Forge
• Kova Rin Esmar
• Matthew Arliss Mura
• Raffi Musiker
• Jae (Raffi's ex-husband)

• S.S. Eleos XII — medical ship
• Orbit around Sarnia Prime
• Nebula, Ryton system
• U.S.S. Titan -A
• District Six

In a flashback two weeks prior, on the Mariposa medical vessel, Eleos XII , Jack Crusher sought orbital entry into Sarnia Prime. Appearing on his viewscreen, a Fenris Ranger declares Jack has violated airspace en route to a designated quarantine zone. Unless he can provide Federation access codes, the Eleos will submit to inspection. Jack assures the ranger that he’s been granted moral authority as he’s looking to relieve thousands below with Galarian fever who are immuno-resistant to bureaucracy.

The Eleos is soon boarded by the ranger, flanked by two additional crewmen, as they inspect the vessel’s complement of medical supplies. Despite the clear medical cargo, the ranger notes that he’s in clear violation of about 27 medical protocols, give or take. In an overt bribe, Jack reveals a crate of advanced-tech weaponry and shares that everyone’s aware that the fever was orchestrated by warlords to clear the zone of refugees. He negotiates a cut for the ranger in on the deal when he trades one half to a warlord and the other to another; it’s no matter to him as it’s bad guys shooting bad guys and they’ve helped the refugees with a pandemic. The ranger agrees, but once out of Jack’s earshot, on the docking bay, he touches his communicator, “ Reach out to the Marked Woman; we’ve found him .”

Back in the Ryton system, in present day, picking up immediately following the events of the previous episode “The Next Generation,” the massive unknown vessel emerges through the void just beyond the nebula heading towards them as the Eleos is running on power levels at 13% with Beverly Crusher inside a medical stasis pod, her son Jack Crusher, Jean-Luc Picard , and Will Riker on board. A worried Jack has no answers; they’ve been pursued by a motley of groups — Fenris Rangers above Sarnia. Klingons a day later. Then three Starfleet officers who tried to prime direct him into an early grave. He reveals they’ve been running for months; whoever is pursuing them — those behind the massive warship across from them — clearly has resources. Unfortunately, the nebula has fried the Eleos ’ systems. They’re out of options, Beverly needs medical attention, and it’s clear the enemy ship does not intend to negotiate so Jack hopes their little shuttlecraft has a larger friend close by. Riker reveals they came on the Titan ; she’s gone but it’s possible she’s still nearby.

Meanwhile back on the Titan , Ensign Sidney La Forge informs Captain Shaw that they’ve picked up a third signal by the nebula. Lt. T’Veen, a science officer, runs a full diagnostic scan that’s reading photonic activity with unrecognizable energy signatures; it’s most definitely another vessel. Reviewing the diagnostic scan, Shaw sees the vessel is packing significant weapons. Commander Hansen thinks they’re after Picard and thinks there’s still time for them to intercept. Shaw belays her order, reminding her of her rank and not holding back his disdain for Picard and Riker. The Titan is an exploratory vessel outmatched by this alien vessel in every way, and he will not risk the 500 lives aboard the ship for two “relics who think that a couple brass metals make them golden boys.”

On the Eleos , as it’s circled by the massive enemy vessel, Jack Crusher suggests they prep Beverly’s med-pod for transport on their shuttlecraft, seeking Riker’s help, who delights in the resemblance between Beverly’s son and Picard. Suddenly, the Eleos is hit by a photon blast, destroying the Titan shuttle. Worried, Picard sees Beverly’s med-pod losing power, and with it, her life signs begin to fade. Jack rushes back in the command bay to alert them they’ve lost the shuttle.

Aboard La Sirena , with the seedy skyline of District Six in the background, Raffi is wrought with guilt, regret, and fury as she watches news replays of the Starfleet recruitment building destruction that left 117 dead. The attack is attributed to a Romulan dissident, Lurak t’Luco. Opening a secure line to her handler at Starfleet Intelligence, Raffi blames herself for the 117 deaths because she failed to stop whoever was stealing experimental weapons from Daystrom . Raffi is committed to finding out who is responsible. Her mysterious handler advises her to not seek blame or anger, before ordering her to disengage her investigation until further notice. Raffi’s not buying what the reports are saying; why would a low-level Romulan triggerman go through all the trouble for this? Her handler orders her once more to disengage; the mission has been terminated. Incensed at her handler’s refusal to meet once more, Raffi plans to go on her own and to speak for the dead.

Picard safeguards the Eleos , placing small transport inhibitors around the command bay when Jack begins to fizzle, enshrouded in a transport field. Quickly flipping the switch of the final device, Jack resolidifies as Picard confirms he now knows what the other vessel wants — Jack, alive. Out of options and resigned to their fate, the unknown vessel has ensnarled the medical ship with its tractor beam, pulling them towards it. Suddenly, the Titan arrives between the Eleos and unknown enemy vessel, shattering the tractor beam. Destroying the transport inhibitors, the trio, unsure of which ship will beam them out first, find themselves in the Titan ’s transporter room. Picard urges Jack to lower his phaser as they’re surrounded by Starfleet security.

In the square of District Six, Raffi reconnects with her ex-husband Jae, unsure if he would show up. Jae notes that their son Gabe said she ambushed him at his baby’s doctor. Stung, Raffi reveals she just wanted to meet her granddaughter in person. She assures him that she’s staying clean and she’s with Starfleet Intelligence. Speaking of which, she needs a favor, an intro to the Ferengi broker Sneed. Heart sunk, Jae exclaims Sneed’s a monster, a gangster, then expresses concern for her head returning to the place of webs and conspiracies and falling back onto drugs and dark rabbit holes. Jae made a choice when they had their beautiful boy — his son and his art, that was enough for him, but it wasn’t for her. With hurtful honesty, Jae tells Raffi that Gabe pushes her away because he remembers all of that. He offers her an ultimatum — he can talk to Gabe and put in a good word for her, or he’ll talk to Sneed — he won’t do both . She knows what it has to be as Jae walks away disappointed.

As the massive enemy vessel circles the Titan like a shark, T’Veen reports they secured all four aboard the ship, with the injured civilian in Sickbay, unconscious but stable. Relieved, Commander Hansen suggests they warp away, but Shaw refuses. Now that they’ve engaged, he wants to know with who and why. Security escorts Picard, Riker, and Jack to the Bridge just as Esmar reveals that the enemy vessel is hailing them.

Captain Vadic* introduces herself to Captain Liam Shaw. Referencing his official Starfleet psychological report, she is thrilled he’s been able to remain “functional,” causing Shaw to darken. Picard interjects telling Vadic she’s caused them some distress and to state her business. She’s delighted by the presence of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, in the synthetic flesh. She states that they’re harboring Jack Crusher, who has broken several laws inside and outside Federation space, and there’s a sizeable bounty on him. She intends to take him. Shaw asserts that Starfleet does not negotiate with bounty hunters. She reminds him that they’re outside of their jurisdiction, then to clearly assess the situation, lowers her shields for the Titan to scan her armament. Lt. Mura reveals the presence of significant isolytic burst warheads, plasma and photon torpedoes, antimatter missiles, pulse wave, and an unknown piece of tech that’s loaded in primary position. As the crew on the Bridge tenses, Vadic states they have one hour to hand over Jack Crusher. If they intend to run, she will be merciless in their assault. As a parting demonstration of her intentions, her vessel seizes the Eleos XII in a tractor beam and hurls it at the Titan , stunning everyone.

Shaw, Seven, and Ensign La Forge review the damage report. The Eleos managed to break through their shields and the force of impact caused shrapnel to tear through the hull on Deck 11. La Forge enthusiastically states that her father has taught her there’s no law of physics that can’t be either weaponized or broken by another law of physics. Assessing the situation, Shaw deduces they’re unable to run or risk destruction the second their nacelles light up, help is days away, the nebula’s damaging their long-range comms. They’re “essentially cornered, in space, which has no corners.” Worse yet, they know nothing about Vadic; there’s nothing in the Starfleet database. As for Jack Crusher, Commander Hansen hands Shaw a padd of the report on Beverly Crusher’s son.

In the Observation Lounge, Jack tells Picard and Riker he’s never even heard of a Vadic. Shaw enters with Seven and two security officers and orders Jack to the Brig. Shaw shows a report of Jack Crusher to the two senior officers. Jack has a lengthy rap sheet; he’s an intergalactic fugitive with aliases such as Jack Canby, John Carson, James Cole, and Jarlis Carvel. Shaw then turns on “First Officer Seven of Nine” relieving her of duty for insubordination; she wagered 500 lives against her loyalty to Picard, and now they’ve engaged with a hostile entity outside of Federation space. Picard defends Seven, but Shaw retorts that Jack is a man who deserves what’s coming to him, so does Seven, and so do they. He’s inclined to hand Vadic her bounty and anything beyond that will be saved for the tribunal. Shaw states that the rules of engagement outside Federation space are clear, “The safety and preservation of the ship’s crew above all else.” They are outgunned; this is a dogfight they will surely lose. Picard requests he be allowed to speak to Jack and learn more. Shaw reminds him that Vadic gave them an hour so he has half that to prepare for Jack’s departure.

Riker questions why Picard is dancing around the issue, to which his old captain replies that Jack very well may be Beverly’s son. Incredulous, Riker remarks how he’s unable to see what he sees, do the math, Jean-Luc ! Picard admonishes Riker for speculating. Moments later, Picard arrives at the Brig and sits across from Jack in his cell with a forcefield door between them.

Anxious, Jack inquires how his mother is doing. Picard states that’s she’s mending but unable to defend him so he must defend himself and the crimes he’s accused of committing — organized crime on Andoria, actual terrorism on Binar III, wanted for the death of a man on Andreus 5, sighted in a war-zone on Kemiyo. Jack corrects the admiral stating it’s a rebellion and they were providing the Kemiyans with medicine and supplies as they’ve been fighting against their oppressors for decades. Picard refers to him as a “freedom fighter,” to which Jack haughtily states, “only in the sense that a doctor fights for the freedom of his patient to not be dead.” He reminds Picard that “currency is currency and medicine isn’t free,” and the likes that take issue of him were none other than mere gamblers, low-level gangsters, fathers of daughters everywhere, not vigilante bounty hunters willing to pick a fight with the Federation. Picard dismisses the lovely self-pardon asserting that they both know Beverly would never permit this.

Jack asserts that it was Beverly who taught him all this; she’s constantly beside him, equal partners, trying to do some good in a good-less universe. Hitting a nerve, Jack questions when Picard even last spoke to Beverly and if anyone he knows still the person he knew , or was he too busy planting roots in his vineyard while everyone moved on. Clocking the resentment, Picard questions who Jack’s father is, to which Jack aggressively retorts that he never had one. Unable to respond, Jack acquiesces to Vadic’s demands as long as it ensures his mother’s future and the end of the current conversation. As Picard gets up and prepares to exit, he tells Jack that he deserves the justice of courts, not criminals, and he himself is not prepared to betray his oldest friend, but to harbor him, risks the lives of everyone aboard the Titan including hers. Right now, he only has 18 minutes left to decide what to do with Jack.

Meanwhile, Raffi has secured a meeting with Sneed, a Ferengi who brokers deals between people, in District Six. Sneed questions if she’s with Starfleet, to which she states the organization didn’t value living “high-class,” consequently, she freelances now before offering him a small bag of rare, glittering gems. Raffi wants to know if he brokered the deal for stolen portal tech for the Romulan t’Luco; the same kind of tech that brought down a Starfleet recruitment center. Feigning shock and lack of knowledge of a t’Luco, Sneed then concludes he’s heard t’Luco went underground after swallowing up that building. Raffi states they both know t’Luco didn’t push that button because she works for him; she wants to know who paid Sneed to blame her client for the attack. Suspicious, Sneed states that she smells like Section 31 and this feels like a sting.

To prove she’s not Starfleet, he demands she take “Splinter,” which got its name for the way it rips its user apart into a million little pieces and pulling them back together again. Taking the narcotic and refusing to let it take hold of her, Raffi maintains her cover that she works for t’Luco. Countering her claims, Sneed produces the severed head of t’Luco. As he leans forward to grab her gems, the disoriented and vulnerable Raffi stabs Sneed’s hand with the Splinter vial. With him distracted, she grabs Sneed’s data-pad of clients. Sneed’s goons ready their weapons as Raffi stumbles to her feet. Suddenly, Raffi sees through her haze a hulking shadow enter the fray with his Kur-Leth, beheading Sneed and attacking his goons. Before Raffi passes out, Worf scoops her up and scolds her for engaging when he told her not to.

As the enemy vessel aggressively hovers before the Titan , Picard and Riker make another appeal to Shaw on the Bridge that doesn’t involve cooperation. Shaw vehemently refuses to hear what he has to say; he’s not in the business of selling out the lives of his crew for the “son” of his “ex-girlfriend.” He reminds the two officers that they only have 15 minutes left to let Vadic know their answer. In the Brig, Jack manages to short circuit his cell’s force field before knocking out the officer guarding him and making a break for it.

In Sickbay, Riker questions Dr. Ohk about Beverly’s vitals. She’s suffered an arterial wound, but they’ve luckily located the internal trauma and stopped the bleeding. She’ll be alright. Good! Riker urgently grabs the hypo and injects Beverly.

As Shaw and Picard continue to debate their options, the enemy ship hails them. Vadic still intends to honor their terms, but she wants them to know the name of her vessel — The Shrike — it’s named after an Earth creature; a small bird that “doesn’t attack in anger or malice, one that isn’t made frantic by hunger, but rather kills surgically, carefully.” She reminds the gentleman they can hand over Jack now or later, but with each passing moment, she will take another piece of them, everything that makes them them, until there’s nothing left.

As Shaw prepares to turn Jack over, Esmar relays that there’s been a security breach on Deck 12 at the Brig. Shaw is incensed. Seven finds Jack in the transporter room. Picard urgently pleads with Shaw; if he really was trying to escape, he’d be half a system in a shuttle away now. At the transporters, the only place he can go is to hand himself over to Vadic… to protect his mother. Shaw thinks they should let him do exactly that and not risk the lives of the crew. Suddenly, the door to the Bridge’s lift opens. Beverly enters, escorted by Riker. Meeting Picard’s gaze, she sends him an affirmative, sad nod, confirming what Riker tried to assert earlier. Knowing all he needed to know, and accepting the inconceivable, Picard belays Shaw’s command asserting Admiral’s orders. Jack stays here. “Because he’s my son.”

With the truth finally out there, Shaw orders full power to forward shields and commands La Forge to prepare for flight. Shaw asserts that whatever happens next is on Picard. Putting Vadic on screen, Picard relays his answer — Engage! — as the ship rockets past the Shrike , firing a series of rear torpedoes toward their opponent. The move delights Vadic as she orders her crew to follow him. If she’s looking for a fight, she’s going to have to find them first.

* Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country — Not a direct connection; the enemy Vadic, played by Amanda Plummer, harkens back to another classic Star Trek villain, General Chang , played by Amanda’s father Christopher Plummer.

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Christine Dinh (she/her) is the managing editor for StarTrek.com. She’s traded the Multiverse for helming this Federation Starship.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Review: Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 2 “Disengage”

Hot on the heels of discovering Beverley Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) and her supposed son, Jack ( Ed Speleers ), hiding in an unusual nebula just outside Federation space, Captain William Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) face off against the threatening ship that seems to have arrived to capture the young man.  

Before we get to that, though, the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard “Disengage” begins with a bit of backstory to the Crushers’ adventures together. Jumping back two weeks previously, we see Jack trying to deliver medical supplies to a location plagued by sickness, only to be met by a couple of Fenris Ranger ships. Jack isn’t above trying to smooth-talk his way out of the blockade and even resorts to a bit of bribery to get out of the jam. Before the leader of the rangers leaves, though, he sends a message to an unknown contact asserting he has found Jack. Someone is indeed hunting the young man.

Back to the present day, the Crushers’ ship is no match for the imposing enemy vessel. The three men scramble to protect Beverly’s medical pod and regain contact with the Titan , but not before Riker asserts to Picard that there is something “familiar” about their new friend. Picard seems to know what Riker is alluding to but opts to focus on the present situation instead. The new arrival destroys the Titan’s shuttle, which means Picard, Riker, and the Crushers are trapped in a faceoff.

“You could be the hero who saved heroes. Or you could be remembered as the captain who left two legends to die. It’s your call.” – Seven to Shaw as the two disagree over rescuing Picard and Riker.

Before too much damage can be done, and before Beverley’s life support pod is disabled, the Titan arrives just in time to rescue the away team. The last-minute save almost didn’t happen, as Commander Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ) needed to take great pains to convince the Titan’s stubborn and displeasing captain, Liam Shaw ( Todd Stashwick) , that putting the Titan at risk to save the wayward men was worth it, despite his adamant objections.

When the four stranded humans beam back to the Titan, it’s time for some introductions. The commander of the opposing ship, Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer), wastes no time introducing herself. Moreover, she lets the Starfleet ship scan her striking vessel, which she ultimately reveals is the Shrike. Like the Scimitar in Star Trek: Nemesis , the Shrike seems to be built as an overpowered predator, complete with a mysterious weapon at the base of the ship. To further show her resolve, Vadic has her ship throw the unoccupied medical vessel at the Titan, crashing it into the Neo-Constitution class. It definitely seems like Vadic isn’t playing around.

Our first impressions of Captain Vadic are positive. She seems nicely unhinged, an assessment supported by some of her curious behavioral quirks. She seems to have a sincere need to get to Jack Crusher — although we don’t believe her stated intention of just wanting to collect a bounty on Jack.

In watching Amanda Plummer, we can’t help but think of her father, Christopher Plummer, who so memorably played the dramatic General Chang in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County. In fact, we wouldn’t be terribly surprised if the younger Plummer’s performance in Picard is partly inspired by him; the two share a knack for dramatically spinning in their command chair, after all. But, we’re not worried Amanda won’t be able to carve out a bespoke performance for herself as this season’s main villain – she seems like a fine addition to the Star Trek baddie pantheon.

Moreover, Vadic hints at being a villain who has done her homework. In their initial conversation, she praises Shaw for being at all “functional” despite his psychological profile, which begs a couple of questions: what in Shaw’s past was so traumatic for him that it could have sent his life into a spiral, and why did Vadic bother to learn about the Titan’s captain before their encounter?

In any case, Vadic gives the Titan an hour to hand over Jack, a spacious amount of time that conveniently allows for a few pivotal character-driven scenes to take place. After doing a bit of research on Jack, Shaw commits to handing him over, as we learn Jack is actually a criminal with quite a few offenses and pseudonyms on his resume. Shaw asserts he’s a con man, which makes the captain inclined to hand him over to Vadic the bounty hunter.

“I have a great affinity for virtuosos, but it seems that your instrument is deception and thievery.” “Wow, that’s a hell of an opener.” – Picard and Jack, as Jack is sitting in the brig.

Picard gleans a bit of Jack’s personality as the pair converse in the brig. Jack asserts he is a fighter who only struggles for the well-being of people across the galaxy, even if it means resorting to less-than-chivalrous measures. To Picard’s surprise, he also asserts his mom is an equal partner in this endeavor, something Picard just doesn’t believe. Jack, for his part, makes a great point: he asks the older man how many people have actually gone unchanged over the years, which sounds like a great thesis for this season of Picard and its returning characters. Seeing how the TNG folks have changed since we last saw them will be something worth keeping an eye on.

Despite Picard and Riker’s moral objections, Shaw is still inclined to turn over Jack. Jack is thinking along the same lines, too, as he breaks out of the brig and tries to beam to Vadic’s ship, a move that Picard considers as the young man protecting his mother. Before Shaw allows Jack to beam over, Beverly arrives on the bridge and dramatically yet wordlessly tells Picard that Jack is indeed his son. This revelation makes Shaw understand they can’t just turn over the boy, so the Titan plunges into the nearby nebula to try and escape the Shrike . Seeing Picard and Crusher communicate silently in this way is a great moment between these characters (and these actors), and hints at a chemistry that developed – and then broke down – for the pair in the years after Star Trek: Nemesis .

As our older heroes are facing off against Vadic, Raffi Musiker ( Michelle Hurd ) is trying to piece together how and why the destruction of the Starfleet Recruitment Center happened. According to news reporting, a Romulan terrorist, Lurak T’Luco, is likely responsible for the destruction, but there’s surely more to the story. Raffi’s mysterious handler is not helpful and insists she disengages from the operation altogether. This doesn’t sit right with Raffi, who goes rogue and pursues a lead on the investigation against her handler’s wishes. A Ferengi, Sneed ( Aaron Stanford ), supposedly sold T’Luco the devastating weapon used in the recruitment building attack.

To help set up the meeting with Sneed, we get re-introduced to some of Raffi’s familial trouble. Super-conveniently for her, her ex-husband, Jae ( Randy Goodwin ), can arrange the meeting with the Ferengi. Jae spares no words in what he thinks of Raffi’s dedication to Starfleet over her family, and offers her an ultimatum: he can either set up the meeting with Sneed or talk to their son, Gabe, on his mother’s behalf.

It’s at this point we must wonder why Jae would be this cold toward Raffi. She is clearly trying to save a lot of people from dying. Even if he thinks she’s pursuing another one of her conspiracy theories, doesn’t he know her previous theory in Picard season one panned out in the way she thought? We don’t blame Raffi for feeling the need to opt for her mission in this case, and Jae should not have confronted her with that choice. This kind of forced family drama only hampers an otherwise well-measured episode. To Hurd’s credit, Raffi does seem torn over the decision, and regret and sorrow are etched on her face as she thinks about the choice.

The Starfleet Intelligence operative does gain a face-to-face meeting with Sneed. Raffi tries to ascertain the identity of Sneed’s boss by pretending to have worked for the same Romulan the news is blaming for the attack, but Sneed sees right through her attempt. The small-lobed Ferengi is even sharp enough to identify her as a member of Section 31, the mysterious Starfleet intelligence bureau first mentioned in Deep Space Nine and then prominently featured in Discovery .

Sneed, ever the vile gangster, plays to Raffi’s drug history by asserting she could prove she isn’t loyal to Starfleet by ingesting some of his drug products, which she does. Raffi resists the drug’s effects long enough for Sneed to pull out his ace in the hole: the head of the very Romulan Raffi claims to be working for. It’s only the last-minute save from a sword-wielding Worf ( Michael Dorn ) that Raffi evades certain death, and the Klingon reveals to the audience that he was Raffi’s handler all along.

Taken together, “Disengage” only engages us more in this season’s developing plot. The fact that Picard has a son is a major revelation, although not one that is unknown to the captain; remember, he faced the prospect of a newly discovered child in The Next Generation’ s “Bloodlines,” although that son ultimately proved a fraud. We’re sure Jack is actually Picard’s son, however, so the idea that Beverly ghosted Jean-Luc for twenty years means there’s certainly some explaining to do.

This family drama is much more interesting than the family drama that played out with Raffi in this episode. We would be content with this show not focusing again on Gabe or Jae, especially since the choices Raffi was forced to confront between her work and her family were unreasonable. We’re hoping for a happy ending for Raffi and her family, of course, so we hope this season will leave the character on a high note in that regard. She deserves it, after all.

Equally as interesting as the expanding Picard family tree is why Vadic is so obsessed with capturing Jack. Moreover, her strategy in confronting the Titan is not like other villains we’ve seen. Her metaphor about being like a bird and nipping away at her enemies until they falter presents an exciting challenge for our heroes; will Shaw, Picard, and Riker be able to outsmart this unstable personality?

Stray Thoughts:

• We learn the Titan-A has a crew complement of about 500 people, as asserted by Captain Shaw in this episode.
• Asserting that history remembers Picard as a captain and not an admiral is fairly rude on Jack’s part, yeah? Yes, the audience remembers Picard as a captain and his adventures in TNG and subsequent movies, but Picard has done plenty of things since becoming admiral, like leading the ill-fated Romulan evacuation.
• We’re not wishing for a higher death count, but how did only 117 people die in the recruitment center attack? The entire building collapsed and then dropped onto another part of the city!
• Why did it take Vadic so long to try and beam Jack away from the medical ship?
• Why would Picard reason that the enemy ship would give up sending ground troops after only one failed takeover attempt?  Riker threw a plasma grenade and killed two intruders – that hardly qualifies as insurmountable resistance.
• We aren’t experts in shield technology or physics, but the Eleos seemed to impact the Titan ’s bridge directly. Why didn’t that room specifically, and the ship generally, take more damage after being hit directly by the smaller vessel?
• Among Sneed’s human artifacts in his office are a baseball and a hand grenade.

The third and final season of Star Trek: Picard stars Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, Michael Dorn as Worf, Jonathan Frakes as William Riker, Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi, Brent Spiner as Lore, Jeri Ryan as Seven, Michelle Hurd as Raffi, along with Amanda Plummer as Vadic, Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw and Ed Speleers .

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Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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Picard Season 3 Episode 2 Easter Eggs: The Best Star Trek References

The latest episode of Picard season 3, "Disengage," features plenty of easter eggs and references to other parts of the Star Trek universe!

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This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.

Part of what makes Star Trek: Picard season 3 so compelling for old-school TNG fans is the endless love these episodes have for the ‘90s era of Trek . But the references and easter eggs actually go way beyond just The Next Generation . In fact, what makes this season so interesting when it comes to the deep cuts is the fact that some references extend way beyond the Star Trek universe, and into other fandoms and franchises.

So, with that in mind, here are all the best easter eggs we caught for Picard season 3, episode 2, “Disengage.”

The Shrike Hiding in the Star Trek Logo Introduction 

Since Strange New Worlds , the new shows have opened with a Star Trek logo, complete with whichever ship is the “star” of the particular program. But there are sometimes small easter eggs lurking in these intros. For example, in the Lower Deck s intro, there’s sometimes a koala hidden in the nebula. For this episode of Picard , Captain Vadic’s ship, the Shrike can briefly be glimpsed in the intro as the USS Titan warps around.

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“Starchild” by Baby

Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) is jamming out to a 1974 track called “Starchild” by the Texas-based band Baby. This band did not last and isn’t particularly famous, but this track is totally killer and Jack clearly has good taste. 

Jack Crusher Jr.

Although nobody mentions it outright in this episode (though maybe they will in a future one) the new Jack Crusher is obviously named after Jack Crusher Sr., Beverly Crusher’s late husband. In The Next Generation , we learned that Jack Crusher died under Picard’s command onboard the USS Stargazer . In “The Bonding,” we even learned that Wesley Crusher blamed Picard for the death of his dad. Jack’s name clearly has a lot of baggage! 

Thanks, Rios!

Jack identifies the SS Eleos as a “Mariposa medical vessel.” This references the 21st-century Mariposa medical clinic run by Dr. Teresa Ramirez in Picard season 2. Because Rios stayed behind in the 21st century to help Teresa with humanitarian aid, it seems like this type of medical vessel might exist, indirectly, because of Rios.

Romulan Ale

Jack tangos with some Fenris Rangers in this short flashback, and briefly, they talk about taking Romulan Ale as a bribe. The bottle style of the Romulan ale is identical to the same bottle Bones had in The Wrath of Khan , which is when we first learned about Romulan ale. 

Riker and Picard’s Shuttle Is Called “Saavik”

The shuttle that Riker and Picard took from the Titan is revealed to have the name “Saavik.” This is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it easter egg, just as the wreckage from the shuttle flies at the screen. Saavik, of course, references the 23rd-century half-Vulcan-half-Romulan protégé of Spock, first introduced in The Wrath of Khan .

In that film, Saavik was played by Kirstie Alley, and then later by Robin Curtis in The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home . In the backstory of the USS Titan , revealed by Paramount’s official “logs” Instagram account, it turns out Saavik was the captain of the first USS Titan , which predates Riker’s Titan and Shaw’s Titan by almost a century. In this episode, gold models of all three Titans are on display in the briefing room. 

Also, having shuttlecraft named after former captains of previous versions of your starship is an old tradition. In the TNG episode “The Most Toys,” Data flew a shuttlecraft called “Pike,” which, of course, references Captain Pike, an earlier captain of a different Enterprise .

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The Titan’s Rescue of the SS Eleos  

When the Titan warps in at the last second to save Picard, Riker, Jack Crusher, and Beverly, the moment is very reminiscent of when the Enterprise-E warped in to save the Defiant from the Borg in First Contact . Even the angle is similar! 

Captain Vadic’s IRL Lineage 

If Captain Vadic’s chair seemed reminiscent of General Chang’s giant Klingon chair in The Undiscovered Country , it should. The chair is very similar. Maybe Vadic borrowed it from General Chang? In real life, the actress who plays Vadic is Amanda Plummer , the daughter of Christopher Plummer, who played Chang in Star Trek VI .

Picard’s Synth Body

Vadic mentions that Picard is “in the synthetic flesh.” This references the fact that Jean-Luc was reborn in a Synth body at the end of Picard season 1. Notably, when the Titan tries to beam everyone over from the Eleos, all the lifeform readings scan as “human.” Picard’s Synth body truly does pass for flesh. He’s like a Replicant. Only better.

Isolytic Weapons

Lt. Mura (Joseph Lee), a Bajoran, mentions that the Shrike is rocking a huge arsenal, including “Isolytic Weapons.” This references Star Trek: Insurrection when Geordi explained that isolytic bursts are basically subspace weapons. 

Jack Crusher’s Aliases 

All of the various false names that Jack Crusher has used over the years are hilarious. But the biggest reference here is “James Cole.” That refers to the protagonist of 12 Monkeys , played by Bruce Willis in the 1995 movie and Aaron Stanford in the Syfy reboot. That version of 12 Monkeys also starred Todd Stashwick, who plays Captain Liam Shaw on this season of Picard , and was produced by Terry Matalas, the showrunner for Picard season 3.

Aaron Stanford Cameo: James Cole Returns!

Later in this episode, Aaron Stanford, James Cole himself from 12 Monkeys , appears as the Ferengi crime boss Sneed . He even refers to the drug that he offers Raffi as “Splinter,” which references the time travel tech from that show. Stanford also starred with Patrick Stewart in X-Men 2 , where he played Pyro. However, he doesn’t share any scenes with Stewart in this episode, since Worf, you know, cuts off his head.

Jack’s Crimes

When Picard is grilling Jack, he says that Jack is wanted for “organized crime on Andoria” and “Terrorism on Bynar 3.” Andoria references the homeworld of the Andorians, and also the Aenar. Meanwhile, Bynar 3 is a reference to the species first introduced in the TNG episode “11001001.”

Is That Sisko’s Baseball?

When Sneed tells Raffi he’s obsessed with “human things,” we see a baseball, which will make many Deep Space Nine fans wonder if he somehow got his hands on Sisko’s baseball from DS9 itself. In the Lower Decks episode “Hear All, Trust Nothing” Kira still had Sisko’s baseball in 2381. But this is 2402. Could someone have stolen it? 

Appropriately, Sneed accused Raffi of being part of Section 31, Starfleet’s super-secret agency which was first introduced in the DS9 episode “Inquisition.” Section 31 also appears in Enterprise , Lower Decks , Star Trek Into Darkness , and, extensively, in Discovery . Technically, although it is referenced here, Raffi is not part of Section 31, but rather, working for Starfleet Intelligence, which, as far as we know, in the 2402 context, is not the same as Section 31. Notably, in the late 24th century, Section 31 was not as well known as it was in the 23rd century. So, it’s possible it’s even more underground in the 25th century.

No Money in the Federation

Raffi says that the Federation is an organization that “doesn’t value money,” which references a long-standing concept in Star Trek that the Federation doesn’t use money at all. Kirk joked about this in The Voyage Home . In First Contact , Picard outright said that “money doesn’t exist” in the 24th century.

But since The Original Series , we’ve known there is still plenty of money in the Star Trek future. It’s just that the Federation specifically doesn’t use it. In Discovery season 3, the Orion leader Osyraa pointed out this hypocrisy, noting that the Federation benefits from capitalism, even if within the Federation, there’s no conventional currency. 

Sneed’s “Splinter” drug (again, a 12 Monkeys reference) is injected into the eyes. This feels like a very obvious reference to the TNG episode “The Game,” in which Riker brings onboard a virtual reality game that everyone gets addicted to in the worst possible way.

Worf’s Return

It turns out that Worf is Raffi’s handler at Starfleet intelligence, which makes some of the text messages Raffi received in episode 1 suddenly make a lot more sense. This is the first time Michael Dorn has appeared as Worf since 2002 in the film Star Trek Nemesis . All in all, Worf is the character who has appeared in most episodes of Star Trek , including 174 episodes of The Next Generation and 96 episodes of Deep Space Nine . When we first see his face, we hear Jerry Goldsmith’s “Klingon Theme,” which was first featured in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Subsequently, this theme was used to represent Worf’s heroics in First Contact .

We talked to Michael Dorn and Michelle Hurd about Worf and Raffi’s new partnership here .

Worf’s Weapon

Although we have never seen Worf wield this exact Klingon weapon, it was created by Dan Curry, who also designed the Bat’leth and Worf’s smaller weapon, the Mek’leth. This new Klingon weapon is called a Kur’leth. 

Jack Is Picard’s Son

In a twist we all knew was coming, Beverly gets on the bridge and convinces Jean-Luc to fight for Jack. Picard says that Jack is “my son,” and we realize that means that Jack was born sometime right after 2379, following the events of Star Trek Nemesis . This makes him about 22 or 23 years old.

The Blaster Beam

As Picard takes the Titan deeper into the nebula, we hear the infamous “Blaster Beam” sound effect. This famous sound appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture as the sound of V’Ger. Although the complex “Blaster Beam” instrument was invented by John Lazelle, it was popularized by Craig Huxley. Prior to his work on making a cool Blaster Beam for TMP , Huxley guest starred in Star Trek: The Original Series when he was a child. In “Operation Annihilate!” he played Peter Kirk and in “And the Children Shall Lead” he played Tommy Starnes. So, when you hear a “blaster beam,” you’re hearing the various Star Trek generations… collide.

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Recap / Star Trek: Picard S3E02 "Disengage"

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Two weeks ago , Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) sails the Eleos XII into contested space, and is confronted by the Fenris Rangers. While he's in violation of various laws, he claims to be on a mission of humanitarian aid to help relieve the Galarian fever on the planet down below. He also bribes the Rangers with a shipment of weapons. As they leave, the Ranger radios in: "Reach out to the Marked Woman. We've found him."

Today, Picard, Riker and Jack Crusher investigate their options aboard the ailing Eleos . While Riker tries to devise a technobabble solution, Picard sets up transport inhibitors — narrowly preventing the giant ship from beaming Jack away, and confirming to Picard that they are after the boy specifically. Jack, meanwhile, wants to get Beverly's medpod to Picard's shuttle... but the giant ship blows the shuttle up, stranding them aboard. Back at the Titan -A, sensors pick up the weapons fire. Captain Shaw is not interested in bringing his ship in — the Titan is a Fragile Speedster built for science and exploration — but Seven has a firm word with him about whether he wants to be remembered as the man who saved two Famed In-Story Living Legends ... or the man who stood by and let them die. Therefore, as the giant ship begins to haul the Eleos in with its Tractor Beam , the Titan arrives to break the lock. After a bit of a kerfuffle with the transport inhibitors, all four occupants of the ship are evacuated by transporter, with Dr. Crusher being transported directly to Sickbay.

Raffi consults with Starfleet Intelligence, upset that she was unable to save anyone. She requests permission from her handler to go deeper, but her handler (again via text message) claims they have identified a culprit, a Romulan extremist named T'Luco who purchased the portal technology from a Ferengi crime lord named Sneed. "Repeat: Starfleet Command has terminated investigation. Disengage ." Raffi, after being denied a face-to-face meeting with her handler, resolves to go it alone. To do this, however, she needs to connect with Sneed... And to do that , she needs to talk to her ex-husband, Jae Hwang. Jae hoped that she wanted him (Jae) to reach out to their son Gabriel, and is disappointed when she's more interested in her theories.

The giant ship hails Captain Shaw, and its captain introduces herself as Vadic. She claims that she's a bounty hunter and Jack Crusher is a wanted criminal. She gives Shaw one hour to make a decision, and then lowers her ship's shields as a sign of good faith. Titan 's scans reveal that her ship is armed to the teeth; there's no way they can fight their way out, and also no way the ship is merely for bounty hunting. Vadic proves her point by using her ship's tractor beam to throw the Eleos at the Titan bodily , resulting in a collision that the shields barely handle. A cursory search of Memory Alpha reveals that Jack is indeed an intergalactic fugitive, and Shaw has him held in the brig, with Picard trying in vain to get Jack to reveal what the big deal is. Riker, meanwhile, needles Picard about Jack's resemblance to himself note  where Jack's apparent age lines up with the last time he and Beverly saw each other .

Raffi meets with Sneed. She claims to want to know — on behalf of her boss, T'Luco — who is spreading the rumors that T'Luco used the portal phlebotinum. Sneed suspects she's Starfleet Intelligence, maybe even Section 31, and demands she prove herself by taking a hallucinogen. Despite this, Musiker manages to maintain her cover story. However, Sneed has already seen through it: he knows for a fact that nobody works for T'Luco anymore, and proves it with a Decapitation Presentation of the Romulan's head. He then orders his mooks to kill Raffi. Musiker is, of course, completely inebriated by the drug... But whoever comes in for a Big Damn Heroes moment, fighting off the mooks with a bladed weapon and then killing Sneed, is not. The rescuer helps Raffi up and begins to walk her out of the den: "I told you, do not engage." It's Worf, son of Mogh.

• Art Evolution : Sneed is the first Ferengi seen in live action in a long time, and his design is subtly different than contemporary Ferengi. His eyebrow line in particular is much larger and appears to be a mixture of muscle, fat and ligaments, as previous Ferengi had more of a thin ridge across their eyebrow line linking to their ears and had an implied bone structure to it. His head shape also appears slightly more bulbous and segmented.
• Ax-Crazy : From her scenes in her debut episode, it's evident Vadic isn't the most stable member of the Trek rogues gallery.
• The Shrike has the Eleos in a tractor beam when the Titan downwarps between the two ships, breaking the beam.
• Worf rescues Raffi from Sneed and his mooks with a Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind .
• Bounty Hunter : Vadic claims to be one who's trying to collect the price on Jack Crusher's head. While Jack is guilty of these transgressions, the sheer size of Vadic's resources and time she's put into this hunt implies there's much more going on here than a simple bounty collection.
• Lower Decks had the Drookmani scavengers similarly weaponize their tractor beam by reversing it, though on a much smaller scale.
• For that matter, it's appropriate that Ensign La Forge explains how the tractor beam could be weaponized; her father reversed its intended function several times over the course of TNG .
• Speaking of Lower Decks , background details in Sneed's lair reveal the Ferengi are still harvesting Mugato horns . The Ready Room explicitly confirms the nod.
• The tactical analysis of the Shrike 's overwhelming complement of weapons mirrors Worf's similar analysis of Shinzon's Scimitar during Star Trek: Nemesis . The Shrike is also stated to be carrying Isolytic Burst weapons, which haven't been seen in TNG-era Trek since the days of the Son'a (and which won't chronologically be seen again until later on Star Trek: Discovery courtesy of Ruon Tarka).
• Cherry Tapping : Vadic has the Shrike take the Eleos in a tractor beam and throw it at the Titan, which destroyed the Eleos but the Titan managed to maneuver enough to make it a glancing blow, yet still penetrated the shield and caused some hull damage. Ensign La Forge explains that a combination of Techno Babble in the tractor beam and raw kinetic force got around the shield. It was Vadic affirming they were outmatched.
• The Titan 's ill-fated shuttle is the Saavik .
• During negotiations, Vadic notes that Picard's a synthetic human (his status quo since the end of Season One).
• Worf indeed has the beard of iron grey that his adoptive mother Helena Rozhenko predicted he would someday have.
• Curb-Stomp Battle : The Son of Mogh delivers one of these to the Ferengi Sneed and his associates.
• Cutting the Knot : Picard opts to simply shoot the transport inhibitors he previously set up so that the Titan can beam everyone to safety, rather than waste time individually deactivating them when a hostile ship is bearing down on them.
• Dare to Be Badass : Seven tells Shaw that he can be remembered as the hero who saved two of Starfleet's greatest legends, or the man who let them both die.
• Dark and Troubled Past : Implied with Shaw during negotiations with Vadic. Upon recognizing him, Vadic reveals she's read Shaw's official Starfleet psychological profile. We don't learn its contents, but Vadic is mockingly relieved that Shaw's still "functional" in spite of whatever's in that file, a pointed choice of wording. Indeed, it's telling that Shaw's already sour expression hardens in response to Vadic's specific choice of words.
• Dead Guy Junior : Beverly's son reveals his name to be Jack — the name of Beverly's first husband and Picard's best friend, killed in action aboard the first U.S.S. Stargazer eleven years before TNG began.
• Decapitation Presentation : Sneed tells Raffi that he knows she isn't working for T'Luco, and proves it by pulling the Romulan's head from his ice box.
• Deadly Euphemism : Jack snarks that the Starfleet officers that came after him and Beverly tried to "Prime Direct" him into an early grave.
• Double-Meaning Title : "Disengage" not only refers to Worf's orders to Raffi as her handler, but also to the Titan -A's tactic of fleeing from the Shrike into the Ryton Nebula to buy themselves time and space to get away more conclusively. It's also a Mythology Gag to Picard's Catchphrase command of "engage".
• Entertainingly Wrong : Vadic opens her conversation with the Titan -A's bridge crew with " good afternoon ", noting that it supposedly is afternoon in Earth's solar system. If she knew anything about Earth's rotation and time zones, it's always afternoon somewhere on the planet, unless perhaps she's going by UTC or some other standard baseline.
• Evil Laugh : The episode cuts to black at the end with Vadic's gleeful laugh echoing as she and her ship pursue the Titan -A and the protagonists into a nearby nebula.
• Face–Heel Turn : To the extent that they even were heroic at all back in the first season, the Fenris Rangers in Jack's flashback are blockading a planet on which a bioengineered plague is raging, and when Jack manages to get the Eleos past their inspection (by bribing the patrol's leader), the Rangers then call up Vadic to tell her where Jack is. It's possible that Seven, back when she was a Fenris Ranger, was more of a Token Good Teammate than she was representative of the group in general.
• Facial Dialogue : Beverly can still barely stand when Riker brings her to the Titan -A's bridge, but she and Picard need no words to confirm what Picard and Riker already know — that Jack is Jean-Luc and Beverly's son.
• Fan of the Past : Sneed is a fan of 20th century Earth culture, mostly because it's valuable to the right buyer.
• Faux Affably Evil : Vadic (which amusingly contrasts Amanda Plummer's role to her father's Affably Evil General Chang from Star Trek VI ).
• Five-Second Foreshadowing : Motion can be seen in the shadows outside Sneed's hideout right before Worf pulls a Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind on Sneed's guards for a Big Damn Heroes moment, takes the gangster's head off , and rescues Raffi.
• From Bad to Worse : Beverly's pod is losing power, and this is immediately followed by the Shrike blowing up the Titan 's shuttle with its opening volley, preventing any escape.
• Good Smoking, Evil Smoking : Vadic lights one up during "negotiations" with the Titan .
• Grievous Harm with a Body : A shipborne version; with the Eleos unoccupied, Vadic has the Shrike 's tractor beam throw the medical vessel straight at the Titan -A. It doesn't do much damage, but may have been intended more for the intimidation factor anyways.
• Impairment Shot : After Raffi takes Sneed's "splinter", the camera from her POV goes distorted as she succumbs to its effects.
• I Shall Taunt You : Vadic orders her ship's shields to be dropped at one point so that the Shrike 's weapons can be scanned. She also promises one hour, but hails the Titan -A well before it expires to taunt Shaw and Picard about the name of her vessel and what she promises to do in her quest for vengeance.
• Shaw's tact leaves something to be desired, but he was absolutely right in not wanting to risk the lives of his crew to save Picard and Riker after their rogue mission goes awry.
• Shaw is also right that Jack's multiple aliases and criminal records make him very untrustworthy.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : Shaw certainly has issues (to put it politely), but when Picard finally pulls rank to stop Jack going to Vadic's ship and Shaw asks him why (that Jack is his son), he immediately acquiesces to Picard and works with him to escape Vadic.
• Laughing Mad : Vadic, especially in the climax when she's manically giggling at the Titan 's attempts to evade them.
• Leitmotif : Jerry Goldsmith 's "Klingon Theme" from The Motion Picture plays at the end of Worf's Big Damn Heroes moment. This is the first time it's been used as a personal theme for Worf since Insurrection .
• List of Transgressions : Picard confronts Jack with his extensive criminal record. Picard: You're accused of organized crime on Andoria, actual terrorism on Binar III and you're wanted for the death of a man on Andreus 5. Jack: That's unfair, he's a Falsetti, and they go into a deep hibernation for seven cycles, so is he dead or is he alive? Who's to say? Picard: Says here you were recently sighted on Kemiyo. That's a war zone. Jack: It's a rebellion. The Kemiyans have been fighting against their oppressors for decades. I brought them medicine, supplies. Picard: Oh, so you're a freedom fighter? Jack: Only in the sense that a doctor fights for the freedom of his patient to not be dead. I'm that, at best. At worst? Well, I'm a thief. Picard: Of stolen medical supplies, yes. But also, stolen weapons and other prohibited cargo. Jack: Currency is currency and medicine isn't free.
• Luke, You Are My Father : Beverly and Jean-Luc confirm through some Facial Dialogue near the end of the episode that Jack Crusher is indeed their son. Riker catches on substantially earlier but isn't able to conclusively prove it.
• Meaningful Name : Invoked by Vadic as she gives a Cold Ham To the Pain description of how the Shrike resembles its Earth namesake. "It's an Earth creature. A small carrion bird, one that doesn't attack in anger or malice, one that isn't made frantic by hunger but rather kills surgically, carefully . Give me the boy now or continue to delay, but with each ticking moment, I will take another piece of you. I'll peck, and I'll jab at everything that makes you you. Every system that makes your ship your ship, until there's nothing left but the choice to have given me what you could have given me now. But certainly... take your time."
• Mildly Military : Picard has no right to give the orders he does. He might have been an admiral once, but today he's retired and is therefore outside the chain of command. For Shaw to ignore him and just throw Jack to the wolves would be a Jerkass move, but he'd have military law entirely on his side. To keep the show moving, this Loophole Abuse is not addressed.
• Multiple Identity IDs : Jack is revealed to have multiple aliases, and they all have his initials: Jack Canby, John Carson, James Cole, and Jarlis Carvel (the last one being Shaw's favorite).
• The episode title, "Disengage", is the negative form of Picard's famed Catchphrase , "engage" — which he utters at the end of the episode for good measure, as the Titan -A flees into the nearby Ryton Nebula.
• Among Sneed's various goods for sale is an evidently antique baseball in a clear box, just like the one that Captain Sisko used to keep on his desk in his office on DS9. Depending on what happened in the intervening nearly thirty years, it might even be the same ball.
• The Titan -A physically cutting off a tractor beam to shield a smaller ship and beam its occupants aboard is the same tactic used by the Enterprise -D when dealing with the Garidians' dispute in the opening section of the renowned TNG video game A Final Unity .
• Vadic hailing the Titan and casually addressing Shaw and others by name recalls Nero from 2009's Star Trek , where he opened a conversation with the alternate-reality Captain Pike and Enterprise with "Hi Christopher, I'm Nero".
• The medical supplies on the Eleos are labeled as coming from an organization called the Mariposas. This is the medical foundation formed by Cristobal Rios and Teresa Ramirez after the former stayed in the past at the end of Picard Season 2.
• Never My Fault : Among the things Shaw berates Seven for, that she persuaded him to rescue Picard and Riker, never mind that he’s the captain and he clearly didn’t trust or respect her even before she helped Picard and Riker take the shuttlecraft.
• Jack mentions multiple run-ins with agents of Vadic's conspiracy. We only get the broad strokes from Jack, along with a flashback, but they serve to illustrate how long the Crushers have been on the run and how extensive the conspiracy is.
• The list of outstanding charges against Jack in Federation and non-Federation space, which Picard reads out in the Brig.
• Vadic references Shaw's psychological profile, and mockingly notes that he is still "functional", alluding to something severe happening to him in his past.
• Off with His Head! : Sneed shows T'Luco's severed head to Raffi to underline his refutation of her cover story and tells his lackeys to chop off hers as well. Sneed loses his own head only moments later when Worf kills him and his men to rescue Raffi.
• Outside-Context Problem : At this point no one has a clue who Vadic is or what the Shrike is capable of. Once they get a good look at its weapon systems, which includes five types of torpedoes and several weapons they don't recognize, the Titan bridge crew is well aware they are outside its weight class.
• Properly Paranoid : Jack reveals to Picard and Riker why Beverly was so paranoid in her transmission last episode. The conspiracy targeting the Crushers evidently has substantial resources and pull at their disposal, as they managed to sic Fenris Rangers, Klingons, and even Starfleet officers on them over the last few months — hence Beverly's warnings not to bring Starfleet into this or to trust anyone. She's vindicated, as Vadic proves to have extensive knowledge of Starfleet — including access to Shaw's private Starfleet psychological profile.
• Protagonist-Centered Morality : Picard is perfectly okay with Beverly's son's Heroic Sacrifice . He's completely opposed to his son doing the same thing — even though these two characters are the same person . While Picard's dismay at being the Last of His Kind has been on his mind ever since his brother and nephew died untimely in 2371 (thirty years ago), it's still one hell of an about-face... especially since "approving of my son's Heroic Sacrifice " is very in-character for Jean-Luc Picard.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Shaw does this several times to Seven of Nine — oh, wait, Annika Hansen — for her Military Maverick tendencies.
• Worf is Raffi's handler.
• Jack is Picard's son, a fact so obvious that Riker badgers Picard about it several times before confirming with Beverly.
• Rewatch Bonus : Vadic's reactions during her first meeting with Picard — in particular, her emphasis on him being here in the synthetic flesh — take on a much different context after the revelations of "The Bounty".
• Raffi refuses to give up her investigation because she knows Starfleet is wrong about the culprit.
• Shaw relieves Seven of duty for going behind his back, but this doesn't stop her from commanding teams to hunt down Jack when he breaks out of the Brig. The crew evidently don't mind, either, since not one raises an objection.
• Snark-to-Snark Combat : Vadic and Shaw's opening dialogue during "negotiations".
• Jack reminds Picard and Riker that the Eleos has been on the run for months and, after having been moored in the Ryton Nebula for too long, its systems are now running on fumes and fried.
• The Deflector Shields on the Titan can only do so much when Vadic hits them with the full, kinetic mass of the Eleos . As Sidney explains, physics will always be physics.
• Surrounded by Idiots : Jack's opinion of Picard and Riker for ignoring his mother's explicit warnings to not trust anyone and to not bring Starfleet into this, having done pretty much the exact opposite.
• Teleport Interdiction : Picard wisely sets up transport inhibitors moments before Jack Crusher is nearly beamed away by the Shrike . He then has to destroy the inhibitors so the Titan can beam them aboard .
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill : Vadic uses three photon torpedoes to destroy Picard's shuttle. One should have been more than sufficient, and could have also destroyed the Eleos .
• This Is Gonna Suck : Picard silently winces as he accepts he's about to do something really stupid to protect his son, and Shaw is equally dismayed when Picard reveals that fact and he has no option but to go along with it. Shaw: ( under his breath ) ... God damn it ...
• Title Drop : Raffi's handler tells her to "disengage" from her investigation.
• The Shrike tries to tractor in the Eleos when transporters and boarding prove useless, the sheer force of the beam combined with the state of the Eleos nearly tearing the ship apart. The Titan warps in between the two ships to break the connection.
• Vadic then uses the tractor beam to toss the Eleos at the Titan , just to prove how outmatched they are.
• Unknown Rival : Jack and Beverly have no idea who Vadic is or why she and her followers have been targeting them.
• Villain Has a Point : Despite Starfleet's opposition to working with bounty hunters, Shaw admits that Vadic's claim on Jack has legal validity.
• Sneed is genuinely impressed that Raffi managed to maintain her lucidity after taking his drugs, and accurately pegs her as a former addict.
• Sarcasm Mode or not, Vadic says she's impressed that Shaw is still "functional" after the events of his Dark and Troubled Past .
• Wakeup Makeup : After spending years on the run as a renegade, being severely injured, kept in stasis, operated on, and abruptly awoken from a coma, Beverly limps onto the bridge with perfect mascara and lipstick and elegantly styled hair.
• "I told you, 'Do not engage'!", by Worf, revealing to the audience that he was Raffi's Starfleet intelligence handler.
• "Because he is my son.", by Picard regarding Jack.
• Wham Shot : Worf is revealed to be Raffi's rescuer and handler from Starfleet Intelligence.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Riker lightly tears into Picard for dancing around the issue of his obvious relation to Jack, with Picard merely insisting that they not jump to conclusions. Riker revives Beverly despite her weakened state to force Picard's hand.
• The Worf Effect : Averted when the Son of Mogh shows up to rescue Raffi as he takes out three of Sneed's mooks before taking off Sneed's head.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me! : Jack's incredulous reaction to Picard's insistence that they open a dialogue with the Shrike and find out who they are and what they want, when it's currently targeting every system on the ship.
• Star Trek: Picard S3E01 "The Next Generation"
• Recap/Star Trek: Picard
• Star Trek: Picard S3E03 "Seventeen Seconds"

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Star Trek: Picard – ‘Disengage’ Easter Egg Analysis & Theories

We’re two episodes into the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard and the easter eggs are just about as plentiful as last time. We’ve just got to jump into our ‘Disengage’ Easter Egg analysis. The writers for this epic second episode, “Disengage” , were Christopher Monfette and Sean Tretta. The director was Doug Aarniokoski. There are plenty of references, easter eggs and even a few theories to dive into! So without further ado, (dis)engage!

Jack & The Eleos

The episode opens with a flashback with Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). It’s nice to get some time alone with him after last week’s revelations, to get to know him in his element. Alongside his mother Beverly (Gates McFadden), Jack becomes a mix of freedom fighter and doctor. The use of the song ‘Starchild’ by Baby gives it a very Guardians of the Galaxy feel. It’d also be interesting to see more flashbacks throughout the series, perhaps even on the USS Enterprise-D.

We learn that the Eleos is a Mariposa medical vessel, a reference to the Mariposas, an organisation created by Rios (Santiago Cabrera) at the end of last season. In the same ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ vein, we see a Romulan ale bottle of the same style Bones (DeForest Kelley) gifted Kirk (William Shatner) in The Wrath of Khan . Jack also mentions the Klingons, the Fenris Rangers, and Starfleet, factions Trek fans are very familiar with. Perhaps this means we’ll see some proper Klingon action later in the season too?

Jack also uses the French phrase “mon ami” when talking with the Fenris Rangers. This foreshadows what we learn later, in that he is the son of the French Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart). Interestingly, both actors are British and use their native accents in the show. While the show isn’t implying that British accents are biological, the connection is definitely there. Given Picard doesn’t know about his son. Perhaps there’ll be a better explanation for his accent later on.

Raffi Gone Rogue

Picking up where we left Raffi (Michelle Hurd) at the destruction of the Starfleet recruitment facility on M’Talas Prime. She has a conversation with her handler. When Raffi starts blaming herself, they say, “do not seek blame, do not seek anger”. These words are displayed in the end credits, but also are the words of someone who has grappled with similar loss in the past. It makes a lot of sense when this character is revealed to be Worf (Michael Dorn). Especially when considering his experiences in the Dominion War.

She picks up the trail of the Ferengi Sneed. On his Starfleet file, we can see some of his accomplices are fellow Ferengi Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Brunt (Jeffrey Combs) both from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ( DS9 ), as well as Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s (TNG) Thadiun Okona (Billy Campbell) from “ The Outrageous Okona ”. While nice references, given Quark’s return on Lower Decks , Okona’s return in Prodigy , and Jeffrey Combs’ guest spots in Lower Decks , their returns are not off the cards.

While Raffi is meeting with her ex-husband, they call back to Raffi meeting her son at the doctor in Picard season one. Small references like this to the other seasons of Picard are a lot of fun, as each season has largely existed in isolation. With all the references to the previous Trek shows, one that’s far too often overlooked is the newer shows. It’s genuinely cool that we’re calling back to those as well. This feels like such a love letter to Trek .

At the headquarters of the Ferengi Sneed (Aaron Stanford), we can briefly spot an encased baseball on his shelf. Due to his ties to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters , there’s a good chance this is related to Sisko’s (Avery Brooks) love of baseball on the show. There’s also a gambling table, the Ferengi book of acquisition, and even some Mugato horns! Just wall-to-wall easter eggs. I love this section’s affinity for DS9 in particular. Certainly, this gives ‘Disengage’ Easter Eggs to show off!

The namedropping of Section 31 by Sneed, the secret organisation originating in DS9, which recently reappeared in Discovery , is currently ambiguous. While Raffi and Worf’s statuses are classified in the Logs, we don’t know if they’re working with Section 31. I look forward to finding out! I’d love some more covert spy operations and action pieces.

The Reveal of the Handler

Worf, here to make sure nobody takes his “most appearances in Trek” record, returns in this scene. The ensuing bloodbath is fun to watch and a bit reassuring after the line about “preferring pacifism” in the trailer. He also uses his new Kur’leth, designed by Dan Curry, who designed the Bat’leth, to fight Sneed’s men and save Raffi. With Raffi on drugs, it does a good job obscuring Worf until the very end of the scene, even if it is very obvious who it is. Of course, ‘Disengage’ Easter Eggs did hint towards him like the previous episode.

Carrying her away, he reveals himself as Raffi’s handler, referencing the “do not engage” line from earlier. The scene also uses a new version of the Klingon theme that we first heard in The Motion Picture , although something about it sounded slightly off compared to other musical callbacks. I’m looking forward to discovering why Worf didn’t want to meet with Raffi. Perhaps this operation is even bigger than we’re led to believe.

Escape to the Titan

While initially hesitant, citing the 500 crew members of the Titan risking themselves to save two people in a homage to “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”, Shaw (Todd Stashwick) eventually beams Picard and Riker aboard. While beaming back aboard the Titan, we can quickly spot that the Titan’s computers still read Picard as human despite his synthetic body, similar to the advanced synths Soji and Dahj (Isa Briones) in the first season of Picard .

We also see the debris of Picard and Riker’s shuttle, revealed to be named Saavik (Kirstie Alley & Robin Curtis). Beyond her appearances in the movies, Saavik was recently revealed to have captained a USS Titan before Riker. The shuttle’s font is also in the style of The Original Series . Picard also namedrops the planets of Federation founder Andoria and Binar III from “ 11001001 ” in his interrogation. There’ve been a lot of lovely callbacks to The Original Series and their movies these past few weeks.

Captain Vadic

Vadic also implies there’s more than meets the eye with Shaw’s psychological profile. This improves my theory that he was traumatised at the Battle of Wolf 359. The isolytic burst warhead was also a piece of tech banned during the Khitomer Accords, started in The Undiscovered Country and featured in Star Trek: Insurrection . As well as this, every fact she shares about the Shrike birds is true. This implies a much bigger motive for her. The sound the Shrike ship makes is also identical to that of V’Ger in The Motion Picture .

She gives the Titan an hour to hand over Jack Crusher, 59 minutes more than Khan (Ricardo Montalban) gave Kirk to hand over Genesis in The Wrath of Khan. Both times are similarly tense, however. It’s at this time that Picard accepts that Jack is his son. Beverly communication with Picard on the bridge is perfect, and it shows the strength of their relationship despite the passage of time. And we all recognise the final catchphrase “engage!” in an absolute air punch moment.

Although it was obvious that Jack was going to be Picard’s son, I do love that they focused not on the reveal’s impact but on Picard’s emotional turmoil in accepting him. Same sort of story as Worf’s reveal. It wasn’t about the surprise but rather the execution. I can’t wait until we hopefully get into some big surprise reveals later on. I noticed we’ve already seen many trailer shots, so we’re heading into uncharted territory sooner than I thought.

While it’s not a Star Trek series, both 12 Monkeys and season 3 of Picard were showrun by Terry Matalas. As a result, he enjoys putting small references to 12 Monkeys into this and hiring some of the same people. If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should! This week’s episode of Picard featured two 12 Monkeys alumni in guest-starring roles, Todd Stashwick as Shaw and Aaron Stanford as Sneed. The episode’s writers, Christopher Monfette and Sean Tretta, also wrote extensively for the series.

Jack Crusher’s pseudonyms included James Cole. James Cole is the lead character of 12 Monkeys . He’s played by Aaron Stanford, who also played Sneed in this episode. This name was also read out by Stashwick’s character Deacon, who addresses Cole by his full name. While it’s just a little wink at the audience who have seen the show, it was a lot of fun.

Sneed also references having developed the drug “Splinter”. ‘Splinter’-ing is the way that characters in 12 Monkeys travel through time. The reference to doing it repeatedly refers to the number of times Cole (and, by extension Stanford) did it over the course of the series. The repetition is reminiscent of when the team tortured Olivia (Alisen Down) by rapidly splintering her “over and over”. I can’t wait to see what references they sneak in episode 3 !

Did you spot any ‘Disengage’ easter eggs that we missed? Star Trek: Picard Season 3 airs on Paramount+ in the United States and on CTV Sci-Fi Channel and Crave in Canada. However, the series will be available on Amazon’s Prime Video service for most international locations in the following days. For coverage of all things Star Trek: Picard Season 3, follow Trek Central!

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📰 – INTERVIEW: Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Talks Season 3!

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Aaron Stanford

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Stanford played James Cole in Terry Matalas ' 12 Monkeys (with Todd Stashwick , Kirk Acevedo , James Callis , Alisen Down , Scottie Thompson , Faran Tahir , Jay Karnes , Christopher Lloyd , Andreas Apergis , Ben Cross , Rothaford Gray , Billy MacLellan , Michael Boisvert , Avaah Blackwell , Dwain Murphy , Stephen McHattie , Conrad Coates , Mark Margolis , Brian Quinn , Romaine Waite , Grace Lynn Kung , Christopher Heyerdahl , Matt Frewer , Daniel Kash , and Priya Ragaratnam ).

He played John Allerdyce / Pyro in X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), both with Patrick Stewart , Rebecca Romijn and Famke Janssen . Bruce Davison appeared in the former while Kelsey Grammer appeared in the latter.

He also portrayed Seymour Birkhoff (birthname Lionel Peller) in the 2010 CW spy drama action series, Nikita , along with Melinda Clarke .

External links [ ]

• Aaron Stanford at Wikipedia
• Aaron Stanford at the Internet Movie Database
• Aaron Stanford at X (formerly Twitter)
• Aaron Stanford  at Instagram
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Villains Wiki

Hi. This is Thesecret1070. I am an admin of this site. Edit as much as you wish, but one little thing... If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!!

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Sneed was a villainous Ferengi who appeared in the third season Star Trek: Picard episode Disengage . He was portrayed by Aaron Stanford who was best known for playing Pyro in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand .

He had a long and extensive criminal career stretching all the way back to 2354, when at the age of 10 he was arrested by the Ferengi Alliance for falsifying documents, which he was fined for. Then in the mid 2360s he was arrested by the Cardassians for fraud and spent time in a Cardassian penal colony. Then he found himself in trouble with the Federation for smuggling, and then for arson when he started a fire on Deep Space Nine in 2384.

In 2401, Sneed was operating out of a bar on M'talas Prime, he was a gangster and drug dealer who supplied the experimental portal weapon that destroyed the planet's Starfleet recruitment center to the Romulan extremist Lurak T'Luco. After the weapon destroyed the center, Sneed had T'Luco killed. When Raffi Musiker tracked the weapon back to Sneed she went to confront him at his bar, however Sneed saw through Raffi and realized she was a member of Starfleet Intelligence.

Sneed was about to steal Raffi's money and have her killed when one of his men suddenly had a sword burst through his chest before a new assailant took out Sneed's other men out. Sneed died when the new arrival beheaded him before revealing himself to be Worf, Son of Mogh and helping Raffi out of the bar.

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Armin Shimerman admits envy of Sneed on Star Trek: Picard

By rachel carrington | oct 26, 2023.

In the final season of Star Trek: Picard, a Ferengi was introduced who wasn’t anything like Quark played by Armin Shimerman on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Armin Shimerman played the first Ferengi ever seen on a Star Trek property on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Ferengi were meant to be enemies of the Federation and a threat; however, the episode that introduced the Ferengis took a comedic turn instead, something Shimerman regrets and has apologized for. But that did lead to a starring gig as Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

From that point forward, though, Ferengis were seen as greedy aliens that would sooner steal from you than stab you. They were never seen as much of a threat…until Star Trek: Picard changed all of that in its third and final season, introducing Sneed, a corrupt, essentially evil crime boss, played by Aaron Stanford (12 Monkeys and Nikita).

Armin Shimerman watched Standford’s portrayl of a Ferengi on Star Trek: Picard and felt the pangs of jealousy.

According to Indiewire , while watching Sneed on Star Trek: Picard, Shimerman turned to his wife and said “That’s the way I should have played the Ferengi from the first.”

Admitting that Sneed was more believable, oily, cunning, and less cartoonish, Shimerman knows the Ferengi would have been a much different species.

"“[Sneed] was both cunning and oily and believable and less cartoonish … it would have been an entirely different species if I had played a Ferengi as well as that actor played it.”"

In reality, though. would someone like Sneed have been able to continue long term on Deep Space Nine? Quark, in spite of his materialism and need for latinum, became a beloved character on the series. He certainly didn’t end up with his head chopped off at the end of Worf’s blade.

While the Ferengi were seen as comic relief, the Federation has its fair share of enemies, so having one that was more of an annoyance than a foe made sense as some aliens are more interested in the latinum than being the king of an evil empire. So while Shimerman may regret how he portrayed Quark, Star Trek fans don’t. Without him, we wouldn’t have the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and the numerous one-liners that made us laugh and appreciate him even more.

Next. Armin Shimerman wanted to know Quark’s IQ. dark

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Speleers is a revelation as Beverly’s itinerant son, playing the part with the necessary spunk and flair to try and control every room he enters with charisma and charm. They are important traits for both the character and the actor as his role in the season is setting up to be critical for not only Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) motivations, but for that of the season’s big bad, as well.

Back on board the Eleos , Crusher is now trapped by an ominous villain alongside Picard and Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), as they work to save themselves and Beverly, entombed in a failing stasis chamber. Things are going from bad to worst in their efforts to do just that, until Picard realizes that the ship pursuing the Eleos clearly wants Jack Crusher alive.

Meanwhile, on board the Titan , Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick) is doing that Captain Shaw thing introduced so well in last week’s season premiere — and is pointedly relaying to Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) the reasons why he is not going to risk his crew of 500 on “two relics that think a couple of brass medals make them golden boys.” It isn’t until Seven, who Shaw has already dismissed from the bridge, challenges him one last time in his ready room “to be the hero who saved heroes,” as opposed to the “captain who let two legends die,” that he decides to go against his better judgment and jump into action. Literally.

With the Eleos on its last legs in its fight with the Shrike , the Titan blasts into position and beams all four life signs from the ship to safety. This is where the real action begins, as we get our first look at Captain Vadic , played with intense, jovial tenacity by the always impressive Amanda Plummer.

Plummer’s persona leaps off the screen as she lays out the dire situation facing the Titan , starting with the knowledge she has acquired on the crew she is squaring off with. She begins by belittling Shaw in referencing his psychological profile and the fact “he’s remained functional,” she then greets Picard “in the synthetic flesh,” a nod to his life-altering changes back in Season 1, and then, as every good villain does, she lets everyone know the Titan has one hour to turn over Jack Crusher, who has a sizeable bounty on his head, or be destroyed.

But just in case the message has not gotten through to Shaw, she reveals the massive armaments her ship is packing, and then offers a display of her prowess by using a tractor beam to snare the now discarded Eleos and hurl it at the Titan , where it shatters against their shields and pierces their hull. Or as Sidney LaForge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) puts it, “she threw a ship at us.”

With the full scope of what has happened before him now (and after getting a look at Crusher’s criminal record), Shaw officially relieves Seven of duty for her role in exacerbating their current predicament — and indicates to Picard and Riker that he is inclined to turn over the “intergalactic fugitive” to Vadic and save the rest “for the tribunal.” Even with Riker pushing back on him, he resolutely stands strong, sighting protocol and the fact that a battle with the Shrike is a “fight we will lose.”

With Vadic’s one-hour countdown underway, Picard heads to the brig to meet with Crusher, but not before a frustrated Riker confronts Jean-Luc in the turbolift. Riker has already prodded Picard about Crusher on the Eleos , sarcastically saying “there’s just something familiar about him,” but now he is going for broke with several verbal jousts for him to acknowledge the obvious about Jack. “Why are you dancing around this? Are you not seeing what I’m seeing? Do the math Jean-Luc.” As you might expect from a captain we’ve known intimately for 35 years now, Picard refuses to speculate.

Once in the brig, we are greeted to a couple of powerhouse performances as Picard and Jack Crusher aggressively go toe-to-toe, while also deftly avoiding the big topic head-on. The script from Christopher Monfette and Sean Tretta in this pivotal scene is matched only by the performance of Stewart, who raises his game to arguably the highest level we’ve seen since re-inhabiting his venerable character four years ago. And Speleers is up to the challenge for all of it, especially when rightfully setting Picard straight on exactly who the person he thinks his mother has become.

After Picard challenges him with his litany of offenses, Jack responds with the last thing Picard wants to hear: “When she is not behind me kicking my ass, she is right beside me — equal partners — trying to do some good in a good-less imperfect universe.” (That actually sounds quite a bit like the Beverly we knew from TNG.)

As Jean-Luc continues to protest, Crusher cuts even deeper with his next foray, saying, “Because you know her so well? When was the last time you even spoke to my mother?” Ouch. Their argument ends with Jean-Luc shouting, “Who is your father?” and Crusher responding at an even higher decibel level, “I never had one!” Both men seemingly know the truth, but it goes unspoken here as Crusher ends their exchange by saying he will gladly be turned over to Vadic if it serves the dual purpose of saving his mother’s life and ending this conversation. Touché.

Amidst the personal upheaval facing the two characters in this dramatic showdown is also a key reveal from Crusher as to the true motivations of Vadic, who obviously is not just a bounty hunter. “The people who dislike me are gamblers, low-level gangsters, the fathers of daughters everywhere — not vigilante bounty hunters willing to pick a fight with the Federation,” says Crusher. Something to think about.

The other strained parental relationship showcased in this episode is even more difficult to watch than the situation with Picard, Beverly, and Jack. This one belongs to Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) and is an unexpected callback to her estranged son, Gabe, seen previously in Season 1’s “Stardust City Rag.”

As we saw in “The Next Generation,” Raffi is working undercover for Starfleet and has a lead on the horrific attack she witnessed on a Starfleet recruitment building on M’Talas Prime that killed 117 people. Raffi is not buying the story being peddled both publicly and internally on who is to blame for the attack and has followed a lead to her ex-husband Jae (Randy J. Goodwin) to try and connect with Sneed (Aaron Stanford), a low-life Ferengi crime lord that she thinks has the answers she needs.

In approaching Jae, however, she must face her old demons once again as it is hard for him to see anything but the Raffi who lost herself years before in a dark world of deep-dive conspiracy theories. Despite warning her that Sneed is a monster he agrees to help her, but gives her an ultimatum. He will either re-connect her with Gabe to try and mend their broken relationship or he will get her set-up with Sneed. He won’t do both.

The scene is a difficult continuation from what we saw in “Stardust City Rag,” and when confronted by Jae, Raffi’s hesitation provides the answer he already knew was coming. So, he sets her up with the Ferengi crime lord, where things go south quickly.

Setting aside the unusually-silent and pointed-eared variant seen in Star Trek: Discovery’s far-future setting, Sneed is the first old-school-styled Ferengi seen mixing it up in live-action Star Trek since the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise — and Stanford’s performance feels familiar and lived in. And despite the danger and peril permeating throughout their meet-up, for the viewer the scene is a blast and feels like it could have taken place anytime during the 90s era of Trek .

Before long, Raffi is dangerously in over her head, as Sneed produces the severed head of the Romulan trigger-man that was being blamed for the attack and who Raffi said she worked for as part of her ruse. It’s at that precise moment that the handler Raffi is actually working for shows up by slicing his way through Sneed’s protection — before beheading the Ferengi himself.

It’s a glorious return to the screen for one of Star Trek’s most popular characters, as Worf (Michael Dorn) comes back for the first time since Star Trek: Nemesis , a span of 21 years. For a character known for his one-liners across 15 years of inhabiting the Son of Mogh, it is perhaps appropriate that he only gets one line in his return, telling Raffi, “I told you, ‘Do not engage.’” The perfect Worf parting shot.

Seeing Worf again in this way is an adrenaline shot for any Star Trek fan, matched only by the fact we also get to see him eviscerate three or four baddies in that return. Worf is back and how.

Back on the Titan , tension is building in the face off with the Shrike , where Vadic has decided to do a little pontificating about her ship, explaining to Shaw and Picard that it is named after a small bird that doesn’t attack in anger, but kills surgically and carefully, telling them if they do not hand over the boy “I will take another piece of you.” It’s a threat backed with the veracity of truth.

Meanwhile, Jack has used some hidden old-school tech to escape the brig and is trying to beam himself over to the Shrike but has been stopped by Seven (still in action and perhaps earning her way back into Shaw’s good graces). The Titan captain decides once and for all it “is not worth the lives of my crew” and is going to turn Jack over to Vadic.

But now it is Riker’s turn to be one step ahead of everyone, as he emerges on the bridge of the Titan with Beverly, who he revived in sickbay. Without saying a word, Beverly and Jean-Luc lock eyes across the bridge and now, finally, the truth is known. It says a lot that this unspoken secret, that honestly, everyone inside the show and watching the show knew the answer to almost immediately, could provide such an engrossing and riveting reveal. It really works, especially as Picard exclaims, “Admiral’s orders! Lock it down. Shuttles, Transporters. The boy stays here.”

A flabbergasted Shaw can’t believe what he is hearing, but this character we’ve only known for two episodes somehow steals the moment again, by first asking Picard honestly, “Why are you doing this?” (Picard: “Because he’s my son!”) and then quietly resuming control of his ship with a stream of commands showing exactly what kind of leader he is, “Goddammit. Tactical, full power to forward shields. LaForge, get ready to fly. Standby to execute commands. Whatever happens next admiral, that’s on you.”

With a soft touch on his shoulder, Picard beautifully acknowledges Shaw’s decisive choice to put his ship in the line of fire. And then, with an “Engage!” for the ages from Picard, the Titan fires and runs as Vadic laughs hysterically, chasing them into the nebula.

MOMENTS OF STASHWICK

We think Todd Stashwick and his portrayal of USS Titan captain Liam Shaw is destined for Trek icon status — each week this season, we’ll be highlighting one one of the character’s (and actor’s) best moments.

We already know how much Captain Shaw likes structure, so in this week’s moment, his exasperation gets to him at the end of this hilarious, spiraling soliloquy in which he realizes he is not a fan of the ship’s current predicament.

“We have 500 guns pointed at our head. We try to run we are vapor the second our nacelles light up. Help is essentially days away. And this nebula is wreaking hell on our long-range comms. We are essentially cornered… in space… which has no corners.”

OBSERVATION LOUNGE

• “Disengage” marks Michael Dorn’s 275th episode of Star Trek , further extending his status as the most often-seen character in the history of the franchise.
• Like Seven’s medical cargo aboard La Sirena last season, Crusher’s ship Eleos carries the butterfly symbol of the Mariposa relief organization — as Jack references when speaking to the Fenris Rangers — started by Cris Rios and Dr. Teresa Ramirez in the 21st century.

Like Seven's medical cargo aboard La Sirena last season, Crusher's ship Eleos carries the butterfly symbol of the Mariposa relief organization — started by Cris Rios and Dr. Teresa Ramirez in the 21st century. #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard pic.twitter.com/PH7hQjJ0BM — TrekCore.com 🖖 (@TrekCore) February 20, 2023

• The Shrike’s tractor beam features a cool, new green gaseous VFX.
• Shrike is loaded to the brim with weapons, including 40 isolytic burst warheads, 88 plasma torpedoes, 236 photon torpedoes, 18 antimatter missiles, 20 pulse wave, 30 series five, and an additional unknown technology in its primary weapons position.
• Jack Crusher’s known aliases include “James Cole,” the central character of the  12 Monkeys story.
• 12 Monkeys lead Aaron Stanford becomes the second alum from Terry Matalas’ time-travel show to join the Picard players this season — will more follow as the adventure continues?
• Sneed drinks a bottle of green Slug-O Cola — known to Ferengi as “The Slimiest Cola in the Galaxy!” While the drink itself was introduced in “Profit and Lace,” the bottle label was first seen at 2022’s San Diego Comic Con, where fans could purchase bottles of root beer (of course!) with the Slug-O label.

Welcome to 10 Forward 🖖 #StarTrekSDCC #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/oSz6NuGP6k — Star Trek (@StarTrek) July 21, 2022

• The drug Raffi’s forced to take is called “splinter,” a reference the time travel technology at the center of the 12 Monkeys television series.
• Known associates of Sneed include Jae of Earth (Raffi’s ex-husband),  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Morn of Luria, Quark and Brunt of Ferenginar, and Thadiun Okona of Omega Sagitta System — most recently seen in  Star Trek: Prodigy .
• A fan of Earth culture, Sneed’s collection includes a baseball and a hand grenade.
• Sneed name-drops Section 31 when questioning Raffi’s story — as we know from last season on Lower Decks, the secretive organization is still alive and well.
• Sneed also has a copy of the Rules of Acquisition on his display shelf, along with a golden Nagus head for depositing customary slips of gold-pressed latinum.

Two episodes and two nebula-bound, Shrike -faceoff cliffhangers — but who’s counting? We’ll take this level of character, story, nostalgia, and production every week if the Star Trek: Picard team keeps bringing their A-game like this!

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

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 will continue with “Seventeen Seconds” on March 2 on Paramount+ the United States and on CTV Sci Fi Channel and Crave in Canada.

It will arrive the next day on Paramount+ on February 17 in the UK, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The series is also available on Amazon’s Prime Video service in most other international locations.

• PIC Season 3
• Star Trek: Picard

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• April 26, 2024 | Michael Dorn Wanted Armin Shimerman To Play The Ferengi That Worf Killed In Star Trek Picard
• April 26, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Gets To Know The Breen In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 505, “Mirrors”
• April 25, 2024 | Prep Begins For ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Finale; Cast And Directors Share BTS Images
• April 25, 2024 | Jonathan Frakes Sees Opportunities With Streaming Star Trek Movies, Weighs In On “Filler Episodes”
• April 25, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Reflects On Its Choices In “Mirrors”

Podcast: All Access Gets To Know The Breen In ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 505, “Mirrors”

| April 26, 2024 | By: All Access Star Trek Pod Team 18 comments so far

[ Discovery 505 review starts at 17:00]

Anthony and Laurie start with a  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds production update, then round up the latest on the William Shatner documentary, a new  Discovery coffee table book, and IDW’s “Star Trek: Celebrations” comic. Then they play some audio from Tony’s recent interview with Carlos Cisco, co-writer of this week’s  Star Trek: Discovery  episode, “Mirrors.” After that, they give “Mirrors” a full review; Tony liked it more than Laurie, but they both enjoyed the Moll and L’ak backstory. After a quick reminder about the PanCAN Purple Stride walk happening this weekend, the wrap up the pod with a Paramount business update courtesy of The Town and a recent interview with makeup legend Michael Westmore on The 7th Rule .

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Carlos Cisco on Twitter

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The story of Dread Pirate Roberts (from  The Princess Bride)

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Anthony:  The Town podcast: Which bidder is best for Paramount?

Laurie: Michael Westmore on The 7th Rule talking about “Allegiance”

Let us know what you think of the episode in the comments, and should you be so inclined,  please review us on Apple .

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I hear you on missing stuff. “The Ultimate Computer” made the rounds on one of the legacy channels last night. In the opening scenes, McCoy, Kirk and Spock make their way to engineering to see Dr. Daystrom. After some conversation, McCoy starts going off on the tech, Daystrom looks square at him and asks “who are you”? In all the times I’ve seen this episode over the decades, Daystrom throwing shade at McCoy had never registered on me…..

I can hear it in William Marshall’s voice as I read it! Hey, it’s always fun to discover something new in TOS episodes I’ve seen a thousand times. There’s a great scene in “Wink of an Eye” where Kirk is asking McCoy if he’s going crazy and Nurse Chapel is totally eavesdropping in the background… it’s so funny! I think I only noticed it for the first time a few years ago.

Great podcast per usual!

I agree with most of the thoughts about Discovery and per usual agree with Laurie this was the weakest of the season so far. There were just waaay too many missed opportunities, not very much happening and clear it was very much shot on a budget.

But it is cool to see the Breen back. That was a big plus.

But I really enjoyed the section where you guys talked about how Discovery was originally trying to avoid canon it’s first year compared to today and be more its own thing. I have been saying this forever now and believe Discovery was originally just a reboot but simply not called that. Everything about that first season just felt so off from Trek of old.

They were clearly trying to reboot the franchise for a different time and audience and move away from the old style and canon of the classic shows.

But I think they really underestimated how much fans wanted the old style and canon back and panicked once the complaints flowed in and why we got Spock and Pike the next season and Picard was announced after that.

I have also said this before as well but if Discovery was a bigger success than the other shows would be in its image, both look and style. Instead they been running from it with the other shows.

SNW is a direct spin off and yet it feels and acts like the Roddenberry/Berman era of shows being episodic again, A and B stories and doing alien/anomaly/crisis of the week. There is not a single episode (OK maybe the musical lol) that couldn’t fit into any of the old shows TOS-ENT.

It is ironic the new era tried to be something different from Berman Trek just to basically be that again with shows like LDS, Prodigy, Picard season 3 and SNW. It just proves A. nostalgia is always a strong tool and B. Old fans ultimately still control this franchise for better or for worse.

My personal take on SNW is that they’re not getting the canon balance right either. They rely too heavily on TOS instead of forging their own path more. It’s why I’ve been so happy with Discovery’s approach this season, particularly when they take something we don’t know a lot about but have heard of and then add to it. SNW has all the ingredients to tell brand-new stories with new aliens and characters, and I hope they start doing more of that and less leaning back into TOS.

Oh yeah fully agree. I think you know my feelings on SNW and while I certainly like the show it’s canon issues really frustrates me and I really think they are overdoing the TOS fan service.

But I was never surprised about the latter. I actually predicted Kirk would show up on the first season finale way before we were told Kirk would be on the show itself. I figured they were going to make it more a TOS ‘prequel’ than a Pike show and sadly proven right.

But I truly truly hope we don’t get a TOS show when SNW is over. They may do it but I really hope they do something different and more original if there is a spin off. I just have zero interest in reliving the show and so far not a fan of Wesley’s Kirk at all, so even less so.

As I’m sure you know, I’m with you on that one!

Hi Tony and Laurie. I felt compelled to thank you both for the podcast. You put a lot of work into each episode despite currently not getting much in the way of feedback or comments. I can’t help but notice that in general, comments across the Discovery articles seem quite low in terms of numbers compared to previous shows. In particular, Picard S3 where for example, some episode reviews garnered +600 comments, so many in fact, that I could only get round to reading a fraction of them. Perhaps Discovery is more niche than previous Trek series.

While I did enjoy last weeks episode, watching Discovery for me still feels a bit like watching The Cage. It’s labelled Start Trek and has Trek iconography scattered throughout and yet IMO it lacks the warmth and connection I felt towards other series.

Thank you, Scott! Appreciate the comment. It’s true I am greedy for comments and we don’t seem to get a lot of them, or reviews on Apple. It sometimes feels like we are just out there in the void! I am always interested to hear what people think of the podcast, what they’d like us to do more of or less of.

I would really like the Shuttlepod back on a regular basis. It was cathartic for me because I felt that it aligned with my view of Star Trek in general, whereas with All Access, I like you both and enjoy listening to you, but I’m frequently disagreeing with your opinions on these shows and the state of the franchise.

So would I! They have a lot of schedules to wrangle. We do try to have them on our podcast whenever they’re free.

The irony for me Laurie is that I actually do try to post in every podcast discussion and there is always so much I want to say. But a lot of the times I don’t post until a few days later since I don’t always have time to listen to it right away. But when I do it looks like everyone has already moved on so I just don’t always bother.

There was a podcast you guys made maybe a month ago that I had so much to say I literally wanted to make a five point post to counter all the discussions you guys said in it lol. But by the time I could sit down and write it it was nearly a week later and I thought what was the point when there were only a few posts and I figured no one would even see it by then so didn’t bother.

It is obviously true there are fewer posts for the podcast but I think mostly due to the fact everything you guys talk about are usually things that has already been discussed ad nauseam on the boards like the latest episode review. You guys are going over news that’s already been posted so people have had their say about it and usually not a lot more to add; unless there is a specific point made in the podcast itself that’s been highlighted for the first time.

But I truly love listening to it and listen to every one of them. I make a comment about 60% of the time but as said the discussions dry up so quickly here that after a few days it just doesn’t seem worth it unfortunately.

But you guys definitely have advid listeners who enjoy listening to your thoughts. I’m certainly one of them especially since I agree with nearly all your thoughts lol.

So glad to hear it. Obviously we talk about stories that are already up on the site, so the discussions are already happening. I get it! I just always hope that if people like things we do or don’t like things we do, they’ll let us know. (Like the way we review shows; is it bothersome that we just jump all over the place and don’t go from beginning to end?)

Hi Laurie. How about you and Tony team up with the Shuttle pod crew to do an end of season Discovery review and also a look back at the series; highs, lows and legacy. By the way I totally agree about your SNW comments. I really enjoy the show and think the cast is terrific but would like them to explore new ground far more than they currently do.

Most of them don’t watch Discovery! But we will definitely do that topic when the show is done, and hopefully Matt can join us for it.

A lot of people have been pointing out the lower discussions about Discovery this season. It really is noticable especially compared to the shows first three seasons which were much more active to say the least.

And yes compared to Picard season 3 is night and day. I went and looked up that seasons episode 5 discussion as a comparison and that got around 450 comments vs Discovery’s current episode 5 that only has around 110 comments currently. And what’s crazy is that is the highest number of posts so far all season.

So yeah it’s definitely a lack of discussions here and all across the bigger sites as well. It doesn’t mean people aren’t watching it obviously but it’s also clear there is much less passion for the show today, especially one that is ending very soon.

Good points. I’ll be interested to see the streaming viewing figures if they are made available.

What we have found is that there are some people who come rushing to all the Discovery posts to tell us how much they hate it, and we are being more vigilant about getting rid of those comments. If someone watches the show and hates it, fair! But there are a lot of comments from people who just want to shit on its existence (and clearly aren’t watching it), so those go, as well as anything racist or homophobic, which obviously happens a lot with this show too.

Yeah I understand but I don’t think that alone is the reason for less posts either because as I said it’s down everywhere else I post and lurk. That includes TrekCre, Reddit, Trek BBS etc. It’s a very obvious gap. Reddit is the more obvious because those posts usually go on the thousands when an episode is reviewed.

For example the latest episode Mirrors has around 400 posts which sounds decent but every episode review in season 4 usually had double that or more. Some got into the thousands.

Maybe it’s just been off the air too long. It has been two years.

Screen Rant

Picard has 2 star trek ds9 ferengi easter eggs.

TNG's Ferengi came into their own during Star Trek: DS9, so it makes sense for Picard season 3's DS9 sequel story to feature some familiar Ferengi.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 5 - "Imposters." Star Trek: Picard has featured two big Star Trek: Deep Space NIne Ferengi Easter eggs in both season 1 and season 3. The Ferengi were first introduced as potential replacements for the Klingons in Star Trek: The Next Generation , but became hugely popular in DS9, so it makes sense for the TNG sequel show to reference the classic Trek aliens. Picard season 3 went one step further by introducing a new Ferengi character, the brutal gangster Sneed (Aaron Stanford), who was swiftly dispatched by Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) during his rescue of Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd).

Unsurprisingly, it was revealed that Star Trek: Picard 's Ferengi villain, Sneed had links back to other criminal characters from the TNG era. Those associates included the "Outrageous" Thadiun Okona (Billy Campbell) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine barfly Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd). However, Sneed's criminal associates also include two infamous Ferengi from DS9 , brilliantly continuing Picard 's love of Ferengi Easter eggs.

RELATED: Picard Season 3's Ferengi Fixes A Star Trek Discovery Mistake

Picard's 2 Star Trek DS9 Ferengi Easter Eggs Explained

In Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 5, "Imposters", Worf and Raffi are forced to return to M'Talas Prime's District 6 when they're denied access to Daystrom Station by Starfleet Intelligence. As the facility is guarded by an intelligent A.I., Worf and Raffi theorize that Sneed or one of his associates must have supplied the Changelings with technology to outfox it. Scrolling through a list of Sneed's associates, they settle on Vulcan gangster, Krinn (Kirk Acevedo) , but not before passing the name of Brunt of Ferenginar (Jeffrey Combs) an old nemesis of Deep Space Nine bartender Quark (Armin Shimerman). Brunt's name was also seen the first time Raffi accessed Sneed's file in Picard season 3, episode 2, "Disengage".

Quark was also included in the list that Raffi had previously consulted, but there were two Quark Easter eggs back in Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 5, "Stardust City Rag". A sign for Quark's Bar was clearly visible on Freecloud, confirming that the Ferengi had franchised out his DS9 business. When the crew of the La Sirena landed on Freecloud in 2399, seeking the missing Bruce Maddox (John Ales), Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) fabricated a criminal persona, which included reference to a job he conducted with a " Mr. Quark of Ferenginar ", which proves that the Ferengi's legend still held weight on the eve of Star Trek 's 25th century timeline.

What Happened To DS9's Ferengi After The Dominion War

In Star Trek: Lower Decks ' DS9 crossover episode, "Hear All, Trust Nothing", it was revealed that Quark was profiting from the Dominion War, by turning his bar into a tourist trap. He would sell souvenirs and pose for pictures with guests, who were keen to soak up the history of the legendary station. It transpired that Quark's success was down to a revolutionary new replicator, which was powered by stolen Karemma technology. This led to a diplomatic incident aboard the station, but it clearly didn't halt Quark's expansion into Freecloud and beyond by the time of Star Trek: Picard season 1.

Meanwhile, another member of DS9 's close-knit Ferengi family , Quark's brother Rom (Max Grodénchik) was named Grand Nagus and aimed to reform Ferenginar, overturning centuries of gender inequality in the process. When he was named Nagus, Rom made it clear that he had no time for Brunt, which is presumably how he ended up pursuing a life of crime alongside Sneed and Krinn in Star Trek: Picard . Rom's son Nog was last seen serving as a Lieutenant, junior grade in DS9 , but he must have had a considerable impact after the Dominion War, as he got an Eisenberg class starship, the USS Nog named after him in the 32nd century, as seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 3.

MORE: Picard Season 3’s Changeling Plan Explained (So Far)

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 Ending, Explained

Quick links, how does star trek: the next generation season 1 end, star trek: the next generation season 1's biggest story arcs, what do fans think of star trek: the next generation season 1's ending.

The stumbles of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation have been well-documented. Behind-the-scenes, writers struggled with the concept set down by franchise creator Gene Roddenberry. Some episodes were blatant remakes of Original Series stories, and the show even managed to lose a key cast member. Sometimes it seemed a quadrant away from the classic-packed first season of Star Trek in 1966.

It would be a couple of years before TNG introduced the trademark two-part stories that split seasons — ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ set a high bar at the end of Season 3. But it was clear TNG wouldn’t settle for being defined by its first season. It mustered up a season finale that reasserted its vision for Star Trek while keeping an eye on the future.

Best Picard Quotes In Star Trek: The Next Generation

‘The Neutral Zone’ ends the first year of TNG in an unusual way. It doesn’t pick up specific plot strands from the 25 episodes that went before, instead serving up two balanced storylines that dovetail into an intriguing ending. In the pre-title teaser, Worf and Data encounter a 20th-century Earth spacecraft packed with cryogenically suspended humans and retrieve three of them. The discovery recalls ‘Space Seed,’ the ominous 1967 episode of the Original Series that introduced major villain Khan Noonien Singh, but the threat in TNG comes from somewhere else entirely.

Mostly, the three revived humans provide comic relief and pose an inconvenience as the crew of the Enterprise investigates the loss of several Federation outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone . The fear that the Romulan Star Empire is re-awakening after 53 years of isolation is realized at the end of the episode when the Enterprise encounters a huge Warbird and two combative commanders.

9 Underrated Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

The twist is that the Romulans aren’t behind the devastating attacks, having lost bases themselves. While there’s a chance for the Empire and Federation to work together, the Enterprise crew and fans are left in no doubt that the Romulans mean business in the galaxy, as one commander promises, “We are back.” As Picard eloquently observes, “I think our lives just became a lot more complicated.”

The episode’s odd structure makes an interesting juxtaposition. The antics of the survivors from the 20th century recall some comedic moments in the Original Series . While the Enterprise crew are oddly dismissive of the time refugees, their presence reinforces that the exploration and knowledge-led 24th century is far removed from the 20th, and even the 23rd. It’s a timely reminder as the parallel plot reintroduces and repositions the new-look Romulan Star Empire as a major threat.

The first season of TNG didn’t have the kinds of story arcs Star Trek fans are used to today. In the 1980s, TNG was syndicated to local stations in the US, meaning episodes could be broadcast in any order. That made arcs impossible and led to soft resets at the end of each story — which is why the death of a major character just two episodes before doesn’t warrant a reference. However, that didn’t stop TNG from seeding plots that would grow over the following years.

TNG ’s first year introduced Data’s long-lost brother Lore and the mysterious Traveler, both of whom would return with consequences. TNG ’s first story, ‘Encounter at Farpoint,’ welcomed fan-favorite Q, the omnipotent alien who would reappear throughout and beyond the series, including the grand finale ‘All Good Things.’ However, the most significant plot arc concluded in the episode before ‘The Neutral Zone.’ Teased in the 19th episode, ‘Coming of Age,’ the penultimate episode ‘Conspiracy’ had Picard and crew uncover and foil a parasitic alien infiltration at the head of Starfleet.

After dealing with monsters close to home and Federation ideals, TNG’s second major arc was all about establishing a next-generation threat to the galaxy. Roddenberry was keen to mark the Star Trek sequel series out from its 1960s forbear. Worf’s presence on board the enterprise was a clear sign that time had moved on, and he spelled it out in the series’ writing rules :

No stories about warfare with Klingons and Romulans and no stories with Vulcans. We are determined not to copy ourselves and believe there must be other interesting aliens in a galaxy filled with billions of stars and planets.

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The solution was the Ferengi, a vicious and distinctive new species mentioned in early episodes before they made their presence felt in the fifth story, ‘The Last Outpost.’ As fans know, the looks and motives of this new threat didn’t work out , and the big-lobed aliens were softly rebooted into the avaricious comic relief that became a popular part of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

The Ferengi retreat left a gap, and the Romulans were ready to fill it . Using the time jump to the 24th century, the show recaptured the mystery of their reveal in the Original Series ’ ‘Balance of Terror’ (the Federation and Romulan Empire had fought a war in the 22nd century, but before view screens!).

The updated villains, who receive a great write-up from Troi in the episode, had new forehead ridges to distinguish them from Vulcans , a new Imperial symbol, and a gigantic new warship. The impressive D'deridex-class Romulan Warbird was the last ship created for the franchise by legendary designer Andrew Probert, who was also responsible for the Enterprise-D.

The fan reception to TNG Season 1 is mixed. It holds an Audience Score of 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, well under the 93% earned by TNG’s seventh and final season.

However, the final episode has received generally favorable reviews. One Redditor has justified that it’s a perfect starting point for new viewers of TNG as it expertly defines the traits of most of the main cast and sets out Star Trek ’s optimistic vision

The way the revived humans are handled comes in for most criticism, as observed on Reddit . While the episode mainly uses the 20th-century throwbacks as a chance to set out the Federation charter in the 24th century, it’s at the cost of plausibility. Would the enlightened crew of the Enterprise not be more interested in the time capsule that fell into the ship’s path or wary, considering what happened with Khan less than a hundred years before?

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The handling of the Romulans stands out, as the Empire snarled back with suitable threat and promise. One Redditor even suggested the episode foreshadowed the approach Deep Space Nine would take to the Federation when they provoked the Dominion . Are the franchise's heroes just bringing trouble on themselves with their smug assertion of how great and correct they are?

An interesting side note couldn’t help but affect how fans perceive the episode as soon as a year after its broadcast. The Romulans were a welcome returning threat, but they were a stop-gap. The Ferengi were pushed aside in preparation for a yet-to-be-revealed major new threat whose presence was felt in the devastating attacks on outposts in the Neutral Zone. It would be a while before the culprits were revealed, even if the stellar cartography and timeline don’t quite match up. ‘The Neutral Zone’ is the first sign of TNG’s definitive enemies: The Borg.

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