Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Finale – “The Last Generation”The season 3 finale of Star Trek: Picard, which is also the series finale, delivered a truly rousing, emotional, and immensely satisfying sendoff for the legendary cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and it set up the potential for more adventures in the 25th century. Coupled with Picard episode 9, “Vox,” the season 3 finale, “The Last Generation,” features stunning action, heartfelt moments, and what appears to be the final resolution to the story of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Borg that has lasted for 35 years.
As the cloaked USS Titan-A tried to fight off the entire Borg-assimilated Starfleet before they could annihilate Earth at the disastrous Frontier Day celebration, the USS Enterprise-D confronted the Borg Cube on Jupiter. Picard rescuing his son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), from his destiny as Vox of Borg was the key to saving the galaxy. At the risk of killing Picard, Jack, Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and Captain Worf (Michael Dorn), the Enterprise destroyed the Borg Cube from within. Luckily, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) was able to locate and beam their friends aboard in time before Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and Data (Brent Spiner) ended the Borg threat. Here are all the key points following the triumph of the Enterprise-D and the Titan at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3’s finale.
Related: Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 9 Ending Explained
Picard and Jack Found The Connection They Needed In Each Other
After confronting the degenerated Borg Queen (Alice Krige), Jean-Luc Picard realized the only way to save Jack was to plug himself back into the Collective. At the risk of becoming Locutus once more, Picard found his son, who seemed lost to the Borg and the fate he was seemingly born for. But Picard was able to reach Jack by confessing that they are the same; they both sought connection all their lives, and Picard repressed his own connections, but the connection that was missing and truly mattered was with each other, father and son. Jean-Luc declaring his love and need for Jack broke the Borg’s spell, as the young Crusher realized he needs his father as much as Picard needs him.
Picard and Jack’s heartwarming moment of connection calls back to the first time a teenage Crusher sought out Admiral Picard at 10 Forward and was disappointed when Jean-Luc, who thought he was a stranger, told him “Starfleet is the only family I need.” Picard told Jack that he also put up walls to those closest to him, but he has learned to be more open, and that having his son and his family in his life is what will complete it. Jean-Luc previously claimed to Laris (Orla Brady) that he’s “not a man who needs a legacy,” but Picard learned this isn’t so: Jack is his legacy and the son he always wanted.
The Borg Queen & Collective Are Finally Destroyed
Once Jack was no longer Vox of Borg and reverted to his true self, he told the Borg Queen, “The time of the Borg is over!” Indeed, the Enterprise destroying the Borg Cube and their Queen marked the final destruction of the original Borg Collective, finally ending the 35-year-long plague on the United Federation of Planets that began in Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “The Best of Both Worlds” and Star Trek: First Contact. The Borg were already severely weakened by their encounter with Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Star Trek: Voyager‘s finale and the Enterprise foiled their last, desperate attempt to evolve into a new form by assimilating Starfleet’s youngest officers.
Disengaging Jack from the Borg Collective and destroying their carrier signal and amplifier severed the Borg’s connection to the assimilated Starfleet, which reverted everyone back to their normal state, including the USS Titan’s Ensign sisters Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and Alandra La Forge (Mica Burton). While Star Trek: Picard season 3’s finale may mark the end of the Borg menace, however, a benevolent faction of the Borg led by a hybrid of the Borg Queen (Annie Wersching) and Dr. Agnes Jurati (Allison Pill) from Star Trek: Picard season 2’s deleted Confederation reality remain Starfleet’s allies. The hideous, deformed state of the Borg Queen also tacitly confirms that she was The Face (Garth Kemp) who commanded Vadic (Amanda Plummer) to capture Jack Crusher.
Related: Picard Season 3 Episode 9’s 2 TNG Character Comebacks Explained
Dr. Crusher & Starfleet Stopped The Changelings
After the Borg were eradicated once and for all, and the USS Enterprise-D and USS Titan-A returned to Earth, the Changeling menace was also dealt with thanks to the newly promoted head of Starfleet Medical, Admiral Beverly Crusher. Beverly purged the Borg tech from the infected Starfleet Officers. Already an expert on the evolved Changelings she encountered aboard the Titan, Beverly also invented new technology to scan for the altered Changeling biology. This allowed Starfleet to apprehend the imposters. However, Star Trek: Picard season 3’s finale left it unclear what became of the remaining Changelings. Were they returned to the Great Link? Were they imprisoned in Daystrom Station? The Changelings fate was left up in the air in favor of wrapping up the stories of Picard’s heroes.
Seven Of Nine Formally Becomes A Captain Thanks To Shaw
One happy outcome of the Changelings’ exposure and capture was the liberation of the Starfleet Officers they impersonated, including Captain Tuvok (Tim Russ). The Vulcan hero met with Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), his old friend from the USS Voyager, to discuss how Admiral Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D all received pardons for hijacking the Titan. When talk turned to Seven, she attempted to resign from Starfleet, but Tuvok played her a hologram log by the deceased Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), who sang her praises and recommended her promotion to Captain.
Tuvok took a tiny bit of pleasure in denying her resignation and welcoming Captain Seven of Nine, but the former Borg was exceptionally touched by Shaw. Seven and Shaw had a contentious relationship in Star Trek: Picard season 3 but his log, which was recorded before the chaos involving Picard and the Changelings began, showed that Shaw had the highest regard for Seven, after all. Shaw’s recommendation of Seven also validated her true value to Starfleet, an organization that needs a little rule-breaking now and again.
The Enterprise-D Retires & A New Enterprise-G Launches
A time jump to one year later returns Admiral Picard and Captain Riker to the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime where they join Commodore Geordi La Forge in formally retiring the USS Enterprise-D. The mighty Galaxy Class starship takes the final spot among the other legendary vessels in the Fleet Museum after it saved the galaxy one more time. The emotional return of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Enterprise-D in the final two episodes of Star Trek: Picard season 3 fittingly brought back the missing ‘character’ and ingredient that truly completed the TNG reunion.
Soon after, Admirals Picard and Crusher accompany Jack to his new starship post. Crusher is now an Ensign after completing an accelerated Starfleet Academy program (which Jack, perhaps accurately, attributes to nepotism), but the Crushers have a surprise for Picard: Jack is not assigned to the Titan but to the newly christened USS Enterprise-G, which was the former USS Titan. Renaming Shaw’s old ship to Picard’s honors the heroism of Jean-Luc and the crew of the Enterprise-D. Although Jack kept his surname of Crusher instead of changing it to Picard, making the Titan into the new Enterprise signifies that names and legacies do matter.
Picard’s Poker Scene Honors & Improves On TNG’s Finale
After a more-human-than-ever Data completed his latest counseling session with Deanna Troi, the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation assembled one more time to drink and close down 10 Forward, where Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) was said to be giving them side-eye offscreen. But after Picard delivered a final monologue from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, he produced a pair of playing cards. Rather than go their separate ways, the crew of the Enterprise-D gathered around for one more game of poker, just as they did in the TNG series finale, “All Good Things…” when Captain Picard uttered the immortal words, “Five card stud, nothing wild, and the sky’s the limit.”
When Captain Picard sat down to play poker with his crew in TNG‘s finale, it was an acknowledgment that these people were his family and he had kept his distance from them long enough. Unlike their quieter game 30 years ago, Star Trek: Picard season 3’s finale poker game was a raucous affair, where the characters were infused with the real-life actors’ chemistry and their legendary friendship of over 3 decades. Once more, Picard got to have the famous last words when he told Riker over a winning hand, “I’ve come to believe the stars are in my favor.” This was an ingenious final line acknowledging that no matter what he has endured, the stars have, indeed, always smiled on Jean-Luc Picard.
Star Trek: Picard Sets Up Continuation As Star Trek: Legacy – But Will It Happen?
While TNG’s legends enjoyed each other’s company once more, another legend in the making begins as Captain Seven of Nine and her Number One, Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), welcome the irrepressible Jack Crusher to the Enterprise-G as the “Special Counselor to the Captain.” Raffi, who has reunited with her estranged family thanks to Worf broadcasting news of her heroism across the galaxy, is on point when she remarked that she can’t believe Starfleet gave “a thief, a pirate, and a spy” their own starship, and the new Enterprise, no less. “What could possibly go wrong?” Seven wryly asks before the new Captain faces the pressure of coming up with her own catchphrase to launch the Enterprise to warp – a catchphrase that audiences will have to wait to learn if Star Trek: Legacy happens.
Star Trek: Picard season 3’s finale obviously sets up the continuation of the next generation of characters in the 25th century. Captain Seven of Nine and the Enterprise, which consists of helmsman Sidney La Forge and the surviving crew of the Titan, are set to boldly go into all-new adventures. Whether Star Trek: Legacy will happen, either as a continuation series or as one of the reported new wave of Star Trek movies made for Paramount+, is unclear, but the table is set for the Enterprise-G to keep flying.
Q Makes A Shocking Return In Picard’s Finale End-Credits Scene
Star Trek: Picard season 3’s end-credits scene has one final shock: Q (John de Lancie) is back, and he has now fixated on Picard’s son, Jack Crusher, who is “a chip off the old block.” Q admits that Picard’s trials may have ended, but Jack’s are just beginning. Q died at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 2, but the omnipotent quipped that he hoped the next generation wouldn’t “think so linearly.” Whatever means by which Q has returned, the cosmic trickster resets his classic paradigm with Jack as Q had with Picard. Q tormenting Jack is obviously meant to be a key part of Star Trek: Legacy, which creates even more desire for the spinoff to happen. Hopefully, the stars are in Star Trek: Legacy‘s favor just as they were in Star Trek: Picard season 3’s favor.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+.
