Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard is just around the corner. Audiences seem to be excited about what new journey Jean Luc Picard will go on this time around. The first season saw Picard’s consciousness transferred into a new body after saying goodbye to his best friend, Data, and season two sees Q return to cause trouble once again.
The trailers that have been released are filled with Easter eggs both big and small for the larger Star Trek universe. Not only does season 2 feature Q and time travel, but there may be other things at play judging by some of the imagery of the trailers. To get ready for the next season, here are some episodes with links to season 2 of Star Trek: Picard.
Star Trek: The Original Series – “Tomorrow Is Yesterday”
The new season of Star Trek: Picard sees Picard and his new crew having to go back in time to fix an event that Q has changed so that they can fix their future. The method they seem to have chosen hasn’t been seen since Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and first appeared in the original series episode, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday.”
“Tomorrow is Yesterday” sees Kirk and his crew accidentally thrust back into the 20th century. The crew has to figure out how to get home. They surmise that if they travel around the sun at warp speed the momentum would send them back to their home time period. They were right, and it’s nice to know the maneuver has made it to the late 24th century.
Star Trek: The Next Generation – “Q, Who”
The Borg plays a heavy role in Picard’s life, and while the Borg as a species may not show up but their queen sure will. It’s fitting that the Borg are featured in some way, considering that Q was the one who introduced the Federation to the Borg way back in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Q, Who,” one of the best Star Trek Borg-centric episodes.
While the Queen wasn’t introduced till much later, this episode also features Guinan and her relationship with Q. When Q sends Enterprise and her crew in front of the path of a Borg cube, Guinan warns them that they aren’t ready for the horror that they’ll bring. If you want a quick episode to learn about Guinan, Q, and the Borg, you could do worse than “Q, Who.”
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – “Reckoning”
The very first trailer for Star Trek: Picard season 2 saw a curious object in Picard’s study at his vineyard home – a Bajoran tablet that looked a lot like the one seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, “Reckoning.” Even though the tablet hasn’t been seen again since the teaser trailer, speculation has been rampant about what it could mean.
“Reckoning” sees an ancient Bajoran tablet uncovered after 30,000 years that foretells a battle between the Prophets and their dark counterparts, the Pah-Wraiths. The tablet was destroyed by Ben Sisko prior to the end of the episode, which explains its appearance in Star Trek: Picard. Will the Prophets play a role in this new season?
Star Trek: Voyager – “Future’s End Parts 1 & 2”
Star Trek has some of the best time travel storylines in sci-fi. The new season of Star Trek: Picard sees Picard and his new crew having to travel back in time to fix what Q has broken, but they aren’t going back to just any time period, they’re going to the early 21st century.
Most Star Trek episodes that involve going back in time end up in the modern-day, likely since it’s cheaper to film. One Star Trek episode this harkens back to is Star Trek: Voyager‘s season 3 two-parter, “Futures End.” There, the crew of the USS Voyager has to travel back in time to stop a massive explosion in the 29th century. While in the late 1990s, they have to try and blend in with the locals, much in the same vein that Picard’s new crew will have to in the upcoming season.
Star Trek: Enterprise – “Borderland”/”Cold Station 12″/”The Augments”
Brent Spiner has played almost every member of the Soong family since appearing as Data, one of the smartest characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The actor looks to be portraying a new member of the Soong family in Star Trek: Picard season 2, but this isn’t the first time he’s played Data’s ancestor. In a trio of season 4 episodes in Star Trek: Enterprise, audiences are introduced to Dr. Noonian Soong’s father, Dr. Arik Soong.
Dr. Arik Soong was a brilliant scientist, much like his son, but his interest was in eugenics. He believes that the reason why Khan was a tyrant wasn’t because of eugenics technology, but because of the misuse of the technology. He was arrested when it was discovered that he had created a new generation of enhanced people and he was the one tasked with stopping them with the Enterprise.
Star Trek: The Next Generation – “Brothers”
The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Brothers,” sees Brent Spiner play three characters in one scene. This episode set the precedent that would keep Spiner playing every male relative of the Soong family, something that seems possible in this new season of Star Trek: Picard.
“Brothers” sees Dr. Noonian Soong summon Data to the planet he’s been hiding away at in order to give him an emotion chip that he’s developed. Data’s brother, Lore, who already had an emotion chip, shows up unexpectedly and the three of them have a family reunion that ends in tragedy.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – “Past Tense Parts 1 & 2”
When Picard and his new crew head back in time, they arrive in the year 2024. Unlike other time travel episodes, this is a year that has already been seen in the original Star Trek shows. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode, “Past Tense,” Commander Sisko, Dr. Bashire, and Jadzia Dax have found themselves in the year 2024, just before the famed Bell Riots.
The Bell Riots were named after Gabriel Bell and were one of the most violent civil disturbances in America. Sisko and his team try to find a way home before they’re caught in the middle of it, but due to some temporal tampering, Sisko has to become Gabriel Bell in order to set history on the right course, or else there will never be a Federation. Will season 2 of Star Trek: Picard reference this event?
Star Trek: Voyager – “Someone To Watch Over Me”
Seven of Nine is one of the best characters on Star Trek: Voyager and she first appears in season one of Star Trek: Picard, though she has been changed dramatically in the years since. In Star Trek: Picard she’s more hardened by the life she has led but she seems to have found a family with this new crew, and even a girlfriend in the form of Raffi.
The Star Trek: Voyager episode, “Someone to Watch Over Me,” is focused on Seven learning about romantic relationships and dating from the EMH doctor. This was one of many episodes that focused on Seven learning how to become more human. Since she was assimilated at such a young age, almost everything was foreign to her. Looks like these lessens paid off.
Star Trek: Voyager – “Endgame”
The finale of Star Trek: Voyager was met with mixed feelings but it’s one of the best episodes to look at when talking about the Borg Queen. The Borg Queen featured heavily in the events of Star Trek: Voyager after her introduction in Star Trek: First Contact. This also marks the last time audiences saw the real Borg Queen in the Star Trek canon.
In this episode, an older Janeway brings technology from the future to help Voyager return home earlier than they would have normally. One technology, in particular, is a strong armor plating that can wrap around a ship, which eagle eyes fans believe they’ve spotted in the trailers for Star Trek: Picard season 2.
Star Trek: The Next Generation – “All Good Things…”
The last time Picard ever saw Q was in the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the finale, Q, once again, brings Picard to the courtroom in the first episode to tell him that he’ll bring about the end of humanity. Unbeknownst to Picard, Q is helping Picard this time around, in the form of quick-time travel.
“All Good Things…” is the perfect encapsulation of Q’s relationship with Picard. He’s mischievous and will mess around with him, but ultimately Q enjoys Picard and does want him to succeed. In the trailer for Star Trek: Picard season 2, Q reiterates that the trial never ended, but what could his motive be for his favorite captain?
