Q has made his grand return and he and Picard are facing each other for the first time since the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 2
After the cliffhanger of the first episode of Star Trek: Picard season 2, where we saw the crew of the USS Stargazer and the rest of the fleet facing off against a massive Borg ship that has taken control of the fleet. Picard and Ríos ordered the self-destruct option for the ship, deeming it the only viable option. However at the end, Q makes his grand return and Picard finds himself in a strange but familiar place.
Turns out it is Chateau Picard, but with a few modifications, it is not the vineyard that Picard had built, but now it is a conqueror’s palace, as we see that in this timeline, Picard is a merciless conqueror who has executed numerous leaders from different species. Q proudly shows Picard this new version of himself, while Picard is horrified. Something else worth noting, is that this version of Picard doesn’t drink the signature Earl Gray tea. Absolutely horrifying.
Back in the Starfleet headquarters, Seven of Nine wakes up…without her Borg implant. She is also wearing a wedding ring, who is she married to? Why is she at the Starfleet headquarters? Well, we soon find out she is the President of the Confederation, which is that timeline’s version of the Federation, her husband also happens to be a big part of the Confederation. So what happened to the rest of the crew?
Raffi works with the Confederation as well, capturing rebels who are against the Confederation, one of the rebels being Elnor. Worth noting, is that all our leading characters remember each other and the lives they led before finding themselves in this timeline. They are all looking for each other. Seven tracks down Ríos, who is now a Colonel. With the crew located, a major absence being Soji, perhaps she isn’t in this timeline because she wasn’t at the Stargazer at the time of the event?
With the team reunited, they try to figure out what the Confederation is doing, and this is where we get the return of another iconic Star Trek character, The Borg Queen. She has been brought back, because Picard is to execute her in front of hundreds of people, and she will become a trophy much like the rest of the alien species at Chateau Picard. However, the team devices a plan to save the Borg Queen, by beaming her up to La Sirena and using time travel to return to their correct timeline. Simple enough plan.
Picard gets into his role as the conqueror and delivers a very convincing speech, as Seven watches on, somehow concerned at how convincing he is, or if the plan will work. As Picard raises his gun, they are beamed up. When it looks like everything has succeeded, Seven’s husband comes on board and shoots Elnor, and the episode ends.
Now our beloved crew is in an even more compromising position, as they must now save one of their own while also being trapped with one of the most menacing villains ever introduced. Will they be able to save Elnor in time?
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
About Star Trek: Picard Season 2
The second season of the American television series Star Trek: Picard features the character Jean-Luc Picard as he and his companions are trapped in the 21st century when reality is broken by Q as part of the ultimate trial for Picard. They must race against time to save the future of the galaxy.
The new season of Star Trek: Picard premieres March 3, 2022 exclusively on Paramount+.
