The Star Gazer

2401: A year and a half after the death of his organic body, Jean-Luc Picard has become the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy, but still spends his downtime at the Picard family vineyard. Laris, now a widow, tries to drop a hint that she has an interest in him, but something distracts him. In deep space, an anomaly forms, attracting the immediate attention of everyone from Starfleet (represented by Captain Rios aboard the new U.S.S. Stargazer) to Seven of Nine, aboard Rios’ old freighter, La Sirena. Something in the anomaly begins broadcasting a very specific plea for help, including the portions of the Federation Charter governing the acceptance of new members – and specifically asks for Picard. The ship that emerges is of an unfamiliar design, though Seven immediately recognizes it as Borg technology. The Borg insist on beaming their Queen over to negotiate in person with Picard; when Rios raises the shields, the Borg force the issue. Understandably interpreting these very aggressive moves as hostility, Picard sets the Stargazer to self-destruct. Moments before the countdown reaches zero, the Borg Queen cryptically repeats something Picard’s mother once told him: “Look up.”

And when he does, Picard finds himself in a completely different world – one where he is awaited by Q.

written by Akiva Goldsman & Terry Matalas
directed by Doug Aarniokoski
music by Jeff Russo
additional music by Sam Lucas

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker), Evan Evagora (Cadet Elnor), ORla Brady (Laris), Isa Briones (Dr. Soji Asha), Santiago Cabrera (Captain Cristobal Rios), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), John de Lancie (Q), Madeline Wise (Yvette Picard), Menik Goonerathe (Alien Emissary), April Grace (Admiral Sally Whitley), Rich Ceraulo Ko (HAndsome Deltan), Kay Bess (La Sirena Computer), Alex Diehl (Harvey), Dylan von Halle (Young Picard), Richard Jin (Moshe), Floyd Anthony Johns Jr. (Pirate #1), Swati Kapila (Decorated Officer), Geri-Nikole Love (Urtern), Adele Pomerenke (Kemi), Anushka Rani (Sing), and Number One

Notes: This episode marks the first appearance of Guinan since Star Trek: Nemesis, and the first appearance of Q in a live action Star Trek episode since Voyager (Q2); John de Lancie had reprised the role of Q in animation on Star Trek: Lower Decks prior to this season of Picard. Perhaps in response to the previous season’s finale featuring the U.S.S. Zheng He and an enormous fleet of identical ships, the Borg threat receives a response from a much more varied contingent of Starfleet ships, including ships that had originally been designed for the game Star Trek Online. Though Isa Briones continues to appear in other roles this season, this episode marks the final appearance of Soji in the series. Although April Grace played a recurring role as a transporter chief aboard Picard’s Enterprise in both The Next Generation and the first episode of Deep Space Nine, she plays an unrelated Starfleet Admiral here.