star trek picard season 2 episode 9 review

10 Best Captain Picard Episodes in 'Star Trek The Next Generation,' Ranked

Star Trek: The Next Generation isn’t just one of the best installments in the Star Trek franchise, but one of the greatest drama shows of all time . While the original Star Trek series was sadly canceled after the end of its third season, Star Trek: The Next Generation was given the chance to keep pushing the story forward for over seven years.

Although there are many beloved characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Patrick Stewart’s performance as Captain Jean-Luc Picard turned him into the greatest hero in the history of the Star Trek saga . Stewart crafted a complex, vulnerable hero who was defined by his dedication, principles, and willingness to hear both sides of any given dispute; he’s simply a character that everyone should aspire to be like. Here are the ten best Captain Picard episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Release Date September 26, 1987

Cast LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, michael dorn

Rating TV-PG

Genres Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

The Measure of a Man

Season 2, episode 9 (1989).

There are few relationships in the Star Trek franchise that are more profound than the dynamic between Picard and Data ( Brett Spiner ), the android who serves as one of the most important officers on the U.S.S. Enterprise. “The Measure of a Man” featured Picard serving as Data’s defender in a legal case in which he must defend his right to exist. The discussion about the merits of artificial intelligence is just as relevant today as they were when the episode first aired in 1989.

“Measure of a Man” showed that Picard was willing to stand up for the rights of those that were mistreated , as Star Trek has always been an incredibly progressive franchise when compared to other science fiction properties. This episode solidified the fact that Picard was willing to risk his own livelihood if the safety of one of his crew members was ever placed in danger.

The Best of Both Worlds

Season 3, episode 26 & season 4, episode 1 (1990).

“The Best of Both Worlds” is one of the most important episodes of any Star Trek series, as the first installment of the two-parter that ended the third season had a massive cliffhanger that had viewers screaming at their televisions. The episode featured Picard being captured by the Borg, with his replacement Captain William T. Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) put in a position that could end his life.

“The Best of Both Worlds” was the first instance in which Picard felt completely vulnerable , as it was feasible that he could get killed off and replaced by Riker for the rest of the show. Although Picard ended up surviving the incident, his feud with the Borg as a result of his torture left him with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder that he continued to deal with for the rest of the series.

Season 4, Episode 2 (1990)

“Family” was a critical episode that helped to humanize Picard and showed what his family life looked like for the first time. Although Picard rarely discussed his personal motivations and background with members of his crew during the first three seasons of the show, “Family” saw him returning to visit his family farm after his traumatic encounter with the Borg in “The Best of Both Worlds.”

“Family” was an important shift in tone for Star Trek: The Next Generation that helped follow up the action of “The Best of Both Worlds,” and did a great job at showing how Picard was dealing with his personal mental health in the series after such a frightening incident. Stewart is arguably at his most profound and emotional in “Family,” as the episode strips away all the duties of command from Picard and examines what it is like for him to live a normal life outside of Starfleet.

The Drumhead

Season 4, episode 21 (1991).

Star Trek has always been a very political franchise that touches on hot-button issues, and “The Drumhead” explores a scary situation about the denial of truth that has proven to be just as relevant today in an era of political divisiveness and fake news. After a member of his crew is accused of being a traitor, Picard is forced to prevent a representative of Starfleet from badgering everyone under his command and impeding their civil liberties.

“The Drumhead” plays out like a legal thriller, and feels just as exciting as the courtroom dramas that dominated the 1990s . While it is relatively light on action compared to some of the more intense episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “The Drumhead” proved that the series was capable of developing nuanced ideas about what the future would look like under Gene Roddenberry ’s vision.

Season 5, Episode 2 (1991)

“Darmok” is perhaps the most intimate episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as it sees Picard being trapped in a primitive world where he can only communicate with the native species using rudimentary language. The episode shows just how effective of a hero Picard can be, even if he seems to enjoy being in the company of a crew that supports him.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is well known for making interesting genre deviations, and “Darmok” feels like the closest that the series ever got to a Western adventure story . Although some viewers may have felt the same exact confusion and frustration that Picard did when the premise was first established, “Darmok” ends with one of the most powerful emotional revelations about the ability that Picard has to inspire others in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Season 5, Episode 14 (1992)

“Conundrum” is one of the most imaginative episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as it takes place after a mysterious alien virus forces the entire crew to forget their memories, leaving them helpless in the middle of space. This was an episode that essentially showed how the Enterprise crew could be built again from the ground up, as Picard is the first one to assess the parameters of the mystery and start developing a solution to keep everyone safe.

“Conundrum” was one of the best episodes that showed Stewart’s generosity as an actor , as even though it is Picard’s moment to shine as a leader, every single member of the cast is given a standout moment. The success of “Conundrum” in combining the emotional with the practical is a major reason why the fifth season is often cited as the best that Star Trek: The Next Generation ever aired.

Cause and Effect

Season 5, episode 18 (1992).

Time travel is notoriously a concept that is very difficult to capture on screen in a compelling way, as it is very easy to get so confusing that viewers struggle to understand what the stakes are supposed to be. However, “Cause and Effect” presented a brilliant time travel storyline in which Picard and the crew of the Enterprise are trapped in a recurring loop that could doom them for eternity.

“Cause and Effect” was a great example of Star Trek: The Next Generation showing Picard’s abilities as a strategist . While many of the captains established in other shows and films in the Star Trek franchise earned their rank through military conquest, it's Picard’s intelligence and ability to make rational decisions while under pressure that make him such an all-time great character. “Cause and Effect” succeeds because Stewart understands this fundamental truth about the character.

The Inner Light

Season 5, episode 25 (1992).

“The Inner Light” is perhaps the most emotional episode of the entire Star Trek franchise, and would have earned Stewart a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series had the Television Academy not been so notoriously biased against science fiction and other genre shows. The episode takes place entirely in Picard’s mind, as he begins to live out different fantasies about what an alternate life could look like when he is unconscious.

“The Inner Light” revealed truths about Picard as a character , showing how his unflinching willingness to perform his duty against mitigating circumstances put a severe detriment on his ability to start a family. There isn’t another episode more tear-jerking as “The Inner Light,” as Stewart reveals how Picard is dealing with the burdens of his sacrifices, and how it has been taken for granted by those who serve under him.

Season 6, Episode 15 (1993)

“Tapestry” was an integral episode that revealed that Picard himself was flawed , as his encounter with Q ( John de Lancie ) allows him to travel back to moments from his past and reflect on the mistakes that he made as a young man. Essentially serving as a coming-of-age story about Picard’s youth, “Tapestry” showed that even someone that noble had elements of their past that they had buried deep within their minds.

The dynamic between Q and Picard is one of the show’s most interesting, as the two have completely different outlooks on humanity and its potential. While Q uses the mistakes that humanity has made as evidence that they are beyond reason, Picard argues that humans are capable of being empathetic, compassionate, and willing to redeem themselves. It’s Picard’s faith in others and general optimism about the future that makes him such an inspiring character.

All Good Things

Season 7, episode 25 (1994).

There aren’t many shows that end on a perfect note, as many acclaimed programs like Game of Thrones , House of Cards , Killing Eve , and Battlestar Galactica had such underwhelming series finales that fans questioned why they were ever loyal to the shows in the first place. However, Star Trek: The Next Generation ended on a perfect note with “All Good Things…,” an episode that featured a profound moment where Picard was able to thank every member of the crew for their dedication to the Enterprise .

“All Good Things…” showed that Star Trek: The Next Generation was more interested in developing great characters than overwhelming the viewers with action, as it takes a far more philosophical approach to a series finale than some may have expected. A final shot of Picard playing cards with various crew members was the perfect way to wrap up the show.

NEXT: Every 'Star Trek' TV Show (So Far), Ranked

Den of Geek

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 9 Review – Hide and Seek

The penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 has plenty of action, but what often feels like a deeply messy and often pointless plot.

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The following contains Star Trek: Picard spoilers

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 9

Well, the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is a thing that we have all now watched. Plagued by many of the same problems that have repeatedly cropped up throughout the rest of the season—poor pacing, ill-timed flashbacks , and a bizarre disregard for the basic rules of time travel—”Hide and Seek” is an hour that has plenty of action, but a deeply messy and often pointless plot, as Picard and friends face off against the Borg Queen, a bunch of random paramilitary types she’s assimilated, and Adam Soong, who is also there for some reason.  

If you were hoping this episode had any more answers about Q, his apparent impending death, or why he chose to set Picard the test that has ultimately led to this mess of a story we are all watching, you are out of luck, and by the time this hour is over it seems glaringly obvious that the crew has botched the timeline so thoroughly that whatever future they go back to isn’t going to look much like the one they left. Which, given that most of them couldn’t manage to make even the smallest effort to preserve that future in the first place, is probably what they deserve. (Sorry Elnor, I guess.)

The Borg Queen wants to steal the La Sirena along with Agnes Jurati’s body to give herself and her people a 400-year head start on avoiding their wholesale slaughter by the time the Confederation of Planet’s love of genocide begins to push out into the galaxy. But the much-ballyhooed battle for the ship is almost laughably simple, as Borg Jurati takes it over almost immediately and sends her nameless minions out to shoot at its former crew. 

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This all results in a race through the ruins of Chateau Picard , which is an idea that absolutely feels like it should be incredibly compelling on paper, but one that in reality can’t overcome the fact that this season simply does not seem to know how to tell its whatever its larger story about Picard’s inner demons is in a compelling way. Every time it seems as though something exciting is about to happen, the moment is undercut by another poorly timed flashback about his childhood, and as much as it pains me to admit this, at this point I no longer feel confident that this emotional narrative is really going anywhere worthwhile.

Look, am I interested in digging into Jean-Luc’s past? Aways! Do I wish that the show had been clearer about how these childhood experiences still inform the man he is today in combination with everything he went through on Star Trek: The Next Generation and beyond? Yes! And would I love for literally anyone to tell me why there’s been no sign of Picard’s brother in any of this? Please! But there is a time and place for those sorts of conversations, and stopping dead to have lengthy explorations of repressed childhood trauma while you’re essentially running for your life is…not it?

Every time Tallin and Picard casually stop to observe the various rooms that will eventually hold such life-altering moments for him as though people trying to kill them are not on their heels, it basically brings the rest of the episode’s story to a screeching halt. (And makes the stakes feel laughably thin.) As tragic as the revelation is that young Picard found his mother’s body after her suicide and that he blames himself for giving her the freedom to carry out her plan, I just can’t understand why right now is the appropriate moment for the show to tell this story or how we’re meant to see it as part of the season’s larger narrative. What are we, as viewers, supposed to be learning from this? Is this what Q rewrote reality to force Picard to face? Why? (Also: Picard has got to be pushing 100 by now. Are we seriously meant to believe that he’s never thought about any of this stuff over that long a lifetime?)

Classic Star Trek Episodes to Watch Before Strange New Worlds

Picard Season 2 Episode 8: The Biggest Star Trek Easter Eggs

Anyway, as someone who likes Agnes, it was fun to watch her mentally battle the Borg Queen after seemingly having so little control of their shared body last week, and her creation of an Elnor battle hologram was a rather inspired way of actually giving Evan Evagora something to do. I’m not sure that I fully buy her impassioned speech about essentially being the same as the Borg Queen just because they’re both beings that are lonely, but her bizarre connection to this creature is one of the few things about this season that has actually worked for me, so I’m willing to go with it.

If this is the last we see of Allison Pill’s Agnes Jurati, it’s a worthy send-off for her character as she basically merges with the Borg Queen to save her friends and centuries of future victims of assimilation. (Maybe? I’m not super clear on that last point. How else do the Borg grow as a collective if not through essentially absorbing other cultures and species? Is the process somehow better or more ethical if they’re being really nice about it? Who can say!) But, I suspect we’ll see Jurati at least one more time, when it’s inevitably revealed that she is the cloaked and hooded Borg Queen from the season’s first episode , trying to guide her new people to the Federation and a different kind of life. 

Seven gets her Borg implants back as the cost for the Jurati Queen saving her life, and Jeri Ryan’s face looks so devastated about it, that I’m annoyed all over again that Picard  Season 2 has done so little by way of exploring what it’s been like for her to be fully human again for the first time since she was a child. It’s a thing that has been mentioned in an offhanded way a few times, but since Seven hasn’t really had much of what you might call an arc this season, it’s just yet another example of how Picard Season 2 has counted on viewers to do the emotional heavy lifting required to give these moments any kind of real meaning. (See also: Raffi’s reunion with Hologram Elnor and Rios’s entire relationship with Dr. Teresa.)

And with the La Sirena now gone and just one episode to go, it feels almost impossible that Picard will manage to tie up most of Season 2’s loose ends in a satisfying way. The suddenly manufactured “two Renees” mystery (which maybe would have been something worth introducing, say, two episodes ago!) and the fact that our friends suddenly have no way to get back to their own time would be problems enough for the finale to solve on their own. But there are so many dangling plot threads still out there—-How does poor Kore fit into the Soong family legacy of genetic and cybernetic experimentation? How much have the activities of the former La Sirena crew changed the future? What about the Q of it all? The heavily hinted Picard and Laris romance? —that it seems impossible for a single episode to ever address them all. 

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More importantly, what does a satisfying ending even look like for this season? Perhaps the thing that’s most disappointing is that at this point, I honestly have no idea. 

2.5 out of 5

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

Star Trek: Picard season 2 episode 9 review: "How do you solve a problem like the Borg Queen?"

GamesRadar+ Verdict

With no Q, no Renée Picard, and no Europa mission, ‘Hide and Seek’ is an unnecessary detour from the season’s core arc. It has enough entertaining moments to pass the time, but next week’s finale needs to up its game.

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Warning: This Star Trek: Picard season 2, episode 9 review contains major spoilers – many of them set to stun. Boldly go further at your own risk…

The penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard season 2 is titled ‘Hide and Seek’, but a more accurate name might have been ‘How do you solve a problem like the Borg Queen?’ The figurehead of the cyborg Collective has been one of the standout characters of the season – whether she’s inhabiting Agnes Jurati’s body or not – but as the story arc gets closer to its conclusion, she’s turned into something of a distraction. 

The Queen’s presence in the 21st century was always an entertaining narrative convenience, her mastery of the space-time continuum the means by which Picard and co. traveled back in order to save the future. But with her impressive arsenal of witty putdowns and knack for stirring things up, she’s been a welcome – if antagonistic – addition to the crew. Unfortunately, in ‘Hide and Seek’ she’s starting to get in the way.

It’s as if the writing team didn’t want to deal with the Q/Soong/Renée Picard conundrum until the Borg interloper was safely removed from the equation, and her over-involvement here makes the episode feel rather anticlimactic and flat. This is the TV equivalent of a holding pattern, when the story should be warping towards the finish line. 

That’s not to say the episode is quiet or dull. In fact, this is the most action-packed outing of the season so far, as Queen Agnes’s army of insta-drones goes into full-on attack mode in a bid to take control of La Sirena. Nods to the likes of Aliens and Star Trek: First Contact are everywhere – the repeated use of very Borgy lasers, albeit green rather than red, is a neat touch – though it’s nowhere near as accomplished as the action classics it imitates.

As the crew of La Sirena reluctantly play soldiers, Picard uses his knowledge of the chateau and its numerous secret passages to marshal the fight back. Leading the opposition is Adam Soong, who has – rather unconvincingly – morphed from disgraced scientist to military leader in what seems like the blink of an eye. As with the Borg Queen, a promising character has become surplus to requirements as the story strains to keep him relevant.

While it makes sense that a man as ruthlessly ambitious as Soong would be desperate to ensure his legacy – especially now that the product of his life’s work, Kore, has rejected him – it doesn’t ring true that he’s betting everything on the word of a strange cyborg woman he’s only just met, however appealing the idea of being the ‘saviour’ of a dystopian future might be. Indeed, If Soong wasn’t played by Star Trek legend Brent Spiner, it’s unlikely he’d still have a part to play in the story.

And if you were expecting that big showdown between Q and his old sparring partner Jean-Luc, well, that’s going to have to wait. Instead, the legendary former captain of the Enterprise is distracted by further trips down memory lane, as the episode continues ‘ Monsters ’’ excessive flashbacks to his childhood. This is somewhat problematic.

Firstly, the idea that Picard would start to daydream in the midst of a heated battle is insulting to both the character and the audience. But more importantly, everything we learn about his past adds little to Trek mythology.

‘Monsters’ made it pretty clear that Picard lost his mother in tragic circumstances, so the revelation that she hanged herself – and that he feels responsible for her death – isn’t quite the bombshell the writers clearly think it is. It’s also questionable whether Jean-Luc Picard needed a tragic backstory – if this is the show’s way of explaining away his subsequent well-publicised attachment issues, it’s an over-simplistic and cheap move.

With Picard spending most of the episode indulging in painful nostalgia, it’s left to Raffi and Seven to save the day on La Sirena, where Queen Agnes is plotting to use the ship to establish a new Collective. Unexpected help comes in the form of a holographic Elnor, conjured up by Jurati (still lurking inside that shared mind) to keep the Queen from the ship’s security codes. Whether his return is the most ridiculous element of the episode is debatable – it’s a competitive field – but he does, at least, help Raffi confront her guilt over his death. That said, if La Sirena has the ability to recreate any crew member as an emergency hologram, you have to wonder why the 25th century isn’t packed with virtual avatars of resurrected dead people. And whether – after the ridiculous plot twists in the Discovery season 4 finale – it’s possible for a key Trek character to die and stay dead.

At least, in what would seem to be her final appearance, Queen Agnes manages to make a nuisance of herself. And after leaving Seven critically wounded with one of her tentacles, she seemingly has the upper hand, until Jurati employs a tactic that rarely works on the traditionally ruthless Borg – diplomacy.

Voyager’s numerous encounters with the Collective did plenty to neuter Star Trek’s greatest villains, but this week’s resolution is up there with the most contrived. Despite previous episodes’ efforts to establish the Queen’s constant desire for connection, there’s been little hint that she might actually listen to the owner of her host body. So Agnes persuades her to head into the galaxy to create a new, altruistic Collective, it feels we’ve crossed over into a bizarre parallel dimension.

How do you solve a problem like the Borg Queen? On the evidence of ‘Hide and Seek’, we’re still looking for an answer.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard season 2 beam onto Paramount Plus (US) and Crave (Canada) on Thursdays. Viewers elsewhere can watch the show on Amazon Prime Video on Fridays. For more Trek action, check out our reviews of Star Trek: Discovery season 4 .

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy. 

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Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: Hide and Seek

By: Author TV Fanatic Staff

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On board La Sirena, Rios realizes the transporter is being operated remotely and the assimilated military forces are beaming in all around the ship. Rios, Ramirez, and Ricardo run for it as forces beam onto the ship with Jurati. Jurati pulls out the drawer containing the Borg queen's body and redresses herself in the queen's armor.

Using Tallinn's transporter, Picard, Tallinn, Seven, and Raffi arrive at Chateau Picard. They have two weapons between the lot of them. Rios, Ramirez, and Ricardo find them and inform them that the queen and her forces are already there.

The assimilated soldiers pin Picard and his people down.

On the ship, the queen encounters resistance when she tries to take control. Jurati asserts her will. She accuses the queen of being lonely.

The queen makes contact with the controls but finds herself locked out. Jurati's locked it. She activates the ship's Emergency Combat Hologram. It appears as Elnor. The key code for the ship is embedded in his program.

As Picard and his people engage the Borg army, a flash-bang goes off and Picard is transported to his childhood memories again.

As a child, he asks his mother to play a game. His parents discuss Yvette's mental health, Maurice noting that they haven't had an incident for some time. Yvette decides they'll play Hide and Seek.

Back in the present, Picard and Tallinn retreat to the house. Rios gets shot as he hurries Teresa and Ricardo in after them. Picard instructs Tallinn to beam Rios, Teresa, and Ricardo to safety. Once they've gone, he tells Tallinn to turn it off so that Rios can't return.

On the battlefield, Seven proposes they split up and double their chances of taking the ship back.

Suddenly the Borg's lazer sights disappear. Adam Soong calls out a greeting. He wants Picard to stand down so the queen can ensure Soong's legacy.

Picard hears himself as a child calling for his mother during their game of Hide and Seek. He decides that's the way to evade Soong and the Borg forces.

He taunts Soong and, when they open fire, he and Tallinn run into the house, drawing the forces while Seven and Raffi sneak around the side.

They encounter one merc and take him out.

Picard leads Tallinn down into the tunnels, following a memory of his mother taking a bad turn.

Tallinn recognizes the tunnels as the dungeon from Picard's unconscious.

As Raffi and Seven arm themselves for battle, Raffi asks why Seven never joined Starfleet. She tells her that Starfleet wouldn't take her because she was Borg. They make a desperate run for the ship.

The Borg queen and her mercs hunt for Elnor. He arms himself with a sword.

Rios attempts to hack Tallinn's transporter. Teresa insists he sit down to let her remove his bullet.

Soong finds the way into the tunnels.

Picard recalls a conversation with his mother where she likens herself to a dying star.

He and Tallinn come across the room where he was stuck as a boy. He tells Tallinn how his mother was locked away for her own safety. She begged the Young Picard to let her out. One night, he let her out.

Soong and his men arrive. Picard finds a gun and shoots at them. They escape through a door.

The Borg queen confronts Elnor. He escapes into a storage bay and finds himself face to face with Raffi and Seven.

Elnor explains he's an ECH and the key to unlocking the system. Seven has a plan and asks him to unlock the ship for her.

Raffi takes a moment to confess her guilt. The ECH exonerates her.

Picard and Tallinn find themselves cut-off from the tunnel they want to take and detour.

Seven gets to the transporter and beams the Borg soldiers into the foundation stone of the chateau.

The Borg queen has a transport inhibitor. She takes on Elnor in a fight. Seven and Raffi hold weapons on her but she deploys tentacles, deactivates the ECH Elnor, knocks Raffi away, and impales Seven.

The queen regains control of the computer and directs it to set course for the Delta quadrant.

Raffi pleads for Seven's life.

As dawn breaks, Picard and Tallinn emerge from the tunnels into the solarium. Adam Soong finds them there.

As the queen moves to end Seven with a knife, Jurati stops her yet again. She cries.

Picard reveals to Soong what his future looks like for humanity.

Jurati shows the queen how the Borg end because they are always defeated in every timeline. She offers her another option. To save other species by offering salvation instead of forcing it on them through assimilation. Starting with Seven.

Adam Soong gives the signal for his men to execute Picard and Tallinn.

Rios succeeds in rebooting Tallinn's transporter. Teresa tries to talk him out of going back. He insists he must. They kiss.

Rios transports in as the mercs are about to fire. He uses a disrupter on one which causes a key to fall to the ground. He struggles with the other while Picard looks at the key.

The Borg queen turns to Seven. Her tentacles connect and she starts to heal Seven.

Rios fights off the other merc but Soong gets ahold of the disrupter. Because it's DNA-coded, it detonates. Soong escapes.

Seven revives. Her implants are back. Jurati/Borg queen admit they are becoming something new.

Rios heads for the ship. Picard picks up the key. He remembers that he unlocked his mother's door and she hung herself in the conservatory.

Tallinn comforts him.

Seven and Raffi face Jurati/Borg queen who demands the ship in exchange for saving Seven's life. She also gives them a message for Picard, "The mission must not be postponed. To succeed, there must be two Renees, one who lives and another who dies."

She beams Seven and Raffi off the ship to be reunited with Rios, Picard, and Tallinn. The ship takes off.

The team regroups and considers the danger Adam Soong poses to the Europa mission.

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'Star Trek: Picard' Season 2 episode 9 leaves a lot to be concluded in the finale

A well-paced penultimate episode that, despite quite a few plot holes, is still so much better than this point in Season 1

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Picard" season 2, episode 9

You may recall that only a couple of weeks ago, we wrote "[Picard] will be the only new ' Star Trek ' series to be written with a two-season story arc" since it was assumed this was the case given the back-to-back shooting of principal photography, complexity of the plot, pace of the story and just about everything else. 

As such, we — just like you — believed we'd be given an impressive end-of-Season-2 cliffhanger to segue nicely into the third and final season that will probably air next year. But no. This is not the case. 

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Last week, "Star Trek" showrunner Terry Matalas responded to a simple but all-important question on Twitter and shattered what we didn't even realize was an illusion.

"Is this a self contained season?? Or does it carry over to S3?" Asked @MiphasGrace21.

"Self contained," replied Matalas.

Self contained. https://t.co/PgJbFUNSYR April 29, 2022

So there you have it. And that means after this jam-packed penultimate episode nine that's called "Hide and Seek" there is going to be a monster of a season finale. Or of course, it could be a half-baked pile of Pyrithian bat poop. Either way, if you need to get caught up before reading the rest of this review, check out our guide on how to stream Star Trek: Picard .

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Now, on to "Hide and Seek."

We pick up exactly where we left off last week, with the now ¾ assimilated Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) leading her band of Budget Borg to attack the La Sirena. They even have wandering laser rifle sights that mimic the instantly recognizable laser eyepieces of more conventional Borg drones. It's a clever way of mirroring the more traditional, threatening Borg that we've seen in "Star Trek: First Contact" and such like and that's clearly very deliberate so we shall come back to this shortly. However, as nice as this touch is, we're still unconvinced about the need for Discount Borg drones, so the subtlety is sadly wasted.

In all likelihood, the semi-assimilated Spearhead Operations soldiers were used quite literally for cannon fodder, so that when they get killed in a creative manner, the producers can sleep soundly, safe in the knowledge that only Bad Guys bite the dust. And in fact, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) manages to beam a few of them from La Sirena into a solid brick wall in one of the many catacombs under Château Picard and as far as Terrifying Tales of Teleportation go, that's up there. (Something similar happened in an early episode of NBC's short-lived sci-fi " Debris .") That said, simply scattering their atoms across the fields of La Barre would've been a far better idea. The more action that takes place in 2024, the greater the chance that a piece of physical evidence is left behind and the future is changed irrevocably.

Seven and Raffi (Michelle Hurd) create a hologram of Elnor (Evan Evagora) to help defend La Sirena as Jurati now takes on the physical form of the Brog Queen (Annie Wersching). And while there's some debate over why he needs to wear a mobile hologram emitter while onboard the ship or why the hologram contains many of Elnor's memories, that's second to the fact that as a hologram, he should be impervious to bullets..? There's even a fun, very discrete homage (so, not like " Discovery " then) to "Pulp Fiction" as he looks for his weapon of choice, à la Butch Coolidge.

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We also mentioned last week that each "guest" director has taken on two consecutive episodes: Douglas Aarniokoski E01, E02, Lea Thompson E03, E04, Jonathan Frakes E05, E06 and finally, Joe Menendez E07 and E08. The individual responsible for this penultimate episode and the season finale is Michael Weaver, a seasoned dramatic television cinematographer and director with this marking his first foray into science fiction.

Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) takes a hit as our intrepid time-travelling team advance on La Sirena and he's beamed back to Tallinn's (Orla Brady) apartment with Dr. Ramirez (Sol Rodriguez). Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his ancestral Romulan love interest meanwhile continue both a physical journey through the tunnels under the vineyard and a metaphoric journey through Jean-Luc's mind as we see exactly what happened to his mother, Yvette (Madeline Wise) and father, Maurice, played once again by the legendary James Callis. It's beautifully filmed and a really rather tragic story. ( Nerd Note: eagle-eyed Jörg Hillebrand spotted that young Picard is playing with a model of Doug Drexler's NX-01 refit , thus making it canon in yet another nice "Enterprise" reference.)

Dr. Soong (Brent Spiner) is wrecking mischief and gives chase through the maze of underground passages, leading the Budget Borg Army. Honestly, if they'd been equipped with night vision instead of some silly laser sight that gives away their position, this would all be over by now.

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The fight on La Sirena reaches a climax as Borg Queen Agnes takes out the Elnor hologram and badly injures Raffi and really badly injures Seven. Rios beams back into the fight just in time to save Jean-Luc but the sinister Soong escapes. And then, in this episode's weakest moment, to save Seven, Queen Agnes puts Borg nanobites into her, thus — er, somehow — returning her implants that were missing in this alt-history. And then ... Agnes steals La Sirena and flies off, presumably to make contact with the Collective currently living in the Delta Quadrant and leaving everyone stranded, in the middle of a deserted vineyard, in Eastern France in 2024.

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There's an undeniable hint in this episode of some " Star Trek: First Contact " influence, as the story is now taking on a plot to save the Europa mission launch, which in turn saves the future, much like it was necessary to save the launch of Zefram Cochrane's first warp-capable ship, the Phoenix, in order to also save the future.

For the most part, this is not terrible. The pacing is good and the dialogue of each of the character confrontations is well written. A lot of depth is added to the existing story as the viewer is walloped by one plot twist, then another and then another. While the first season had some unquestionable highlights — " Stardust City Rag " (S01, E05) and " The Impossible Box" (S01, E06) were two such memorable moments — this second season has been consistently better. Yes, it dipped a little in the middle when there was clearly some indecision about how to spread the story evenly across the season structure, but Season 2 will probably fare much better in a rewatch.

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However, this all leaves quite a lot to be resolved if none of the events of this series are carrying forth into the next. Personally, I hope to see another La Sirena land and for another Picard and Rios to step out, greeting the existing group with, "How's it hanging dudes?" and then they have to guess how many fingers New Rios is holding up behind his back to prove their legit. But, we'll see.

In other "Star Trek" news, the premiere of the very latest live action, spin-off series, "Strange New Worlds" is this week, coincidentally on the same night as the "Picard" season finale, so Wednesday evening might be a late one for sci-fi fans. 

Rating: 7/10

The first nine episodes of "Star Trek: Picard" are now available to watch on Paramount Plus and the premiere season of "Strange New Worlds" begins on May 5. Season 4 of "Star Trek: Discovery" is available to watch now on Paramount Plus in the US and CTV Sci-Fi or Crave TV in Canada. Countries outside of North America can watch on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel.

Follow Scott Snowden on Twitter . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . 

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Episode 9 Review

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The penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard attempted to make up for a lack of action and a lack of movement towards the end of the story in one big swoop. As is usually the case, that tends to make for a hurried and harried episode. There were quite a few episodes of Picard that came before where it feels like a little less time-wasting could have made Episode 9 that much better. Having said that, despite some bumps and cringe-worthy moments, it's not a stretch to say that this was one of the best episodes of the season. It's certainly the best of the last few.

There was a running theme throughout the episode, and it wasn't all that hard to break down the code. "Love conquers all" was certainly a saccharin idea that did in fact, make things even more cringe-worthy at certain periods of the show. However, there's also something to this, especially when talking about dealing with a race of aliens like The Borg , who have long been one of the big evils of the entire Star Trek universe. Those kinds of villains usually don't think about something like love as a power. In fact, the Borg Queen makes it very clear that they see it as a weakness. It might have been a bit heavy-handed, but this episode did manage to show that it can be a strength in a way that wasn't entirely poorly carried out.

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"Hide and Seek" picks up where the previous episode of Picard left off, with the Borg Queen launching an assault on the crew as they work to try and get back to the future. She's managed to transform several soldiers that she got with the help of Soong into Borg troopers and appears to have the crew easily outnumbered. On the other hand, this is also the first part where the show seems to have some odd plot holes. These highly trained soldiers that are now quite literally killing machines don't seem to be much of a match against what is a rather rag-tag group of survivors. In fact, for most of the episode, it's about seven or eight Borg going up against two or three resistance fighters in the form of Seven of Nine, Raffi, and sometimes Picard when he's not just running.

Granted, the point of "Hide and Seek" is that the resistance is usually hiding and taking out Borg soldiers in a sort of guerilla approach. As the battle unfolds the episode covers a number of past traumas that members of the crew are having to get over. The biggest and still most pointless is that of Picard's childhood, where he continues to figure out just what his mother was really like. As the audience has learned in previous episodes of Star Trek: Picard , he had long thought of his father as a monster who basically drove his mother to death. It turns out that his father was just trying to keep her alive and protect young Jean Luc from the dangers of a mother who suffered from severe depression.

Despite that storyline being mostly solved, it's still hard to figure out just what exactly it has to do with the broader point. What exactly does that have to do with how the future was twisted and warped? Most of this season of Star Trek: Picard has made it very clear it's incredibly important. Most of this ninth episode did the same. It's still an open question. There is also the open question as to why the writers so desperately want to resolve the Raffi and Elnor storyline with a happy ending. They wanted to do it so badly that they even created what seems to be a brand-new creation that's never appeared in the Star Trek universe before. If it has popped up, it's certainly not something that's been around much.

The Emergency Combat Hologram is of course like the Emergency Medical Hologram that was made famous in Star Trek: Voyager . For some reason, the ECH was created in the form of Elnor and even apparently has all his memories. The line "I share the recollection of Elnor's final breath" is not only sappy as all get out, but makes very little sense in the grand scheme of things. If someone is wanting to enlist what is basically a robotic warrior, why would they give him thoughts and feelings and emotions and the understanding of death? It's a small nit to pick perhaps, but it's also so very obviously done as a way to resolve a plotline that it is hard to ignore.

One area that the show has done very well, throughout the season and in this episode particularly is the other love that seems to be brewing on the crew. Raffi and Seven of Nine appear to be pairing off together but it has long been a rather subtle nod here and there. Considering that Star Trek has never been all that good at handling romance when it comes to subtlety, this aspect is something to give plaudits to because there isn't any romantic music swelling in the background followed by a deep, passionate kiss. Rather it appears that the romance is brewing while the people falling in love understand now isn't really the right time to start a bit of lip-lock.

What wasn't remotely subtle was the megalomaniacal behavior of Soong, who showed that he's actually a bit of a sociopath in previous episodes. However, it didn't appear that he was a psychopath. However, this particular episode seems to have him taking that final step towards murderous madman, and quite frankly, he simply isn't scary enough to be that. There's also the fact that he seems rather naive when it comes right down to it. In taking the word of the Borg Queen as to how his actions are going to change the future. It seems like someone as smart as he might realize that he was being manipulated. However, as has been a big problem for most of the series, it appears as though the writers simply didn't care about that particular plot hole.

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The Ending Of Picard Season 2 Episode 9 Explained

Contains extensive spoilers for "Star Trek: Picard" Season 2 Episode 9

As "Star Trek: Picard" Season 2 rockets toward its conclusion, the penultimate episode sets up the final stakes for the fate of multiple timelines as the crew of the La Sirena fights on all fronts. Under the influence of Q (John DeLancie) and in pursuit of personal glory, Dr. Adam Soong (Brent Spiner) is determined to stop Renee Picard (Penelope Mitchell) from taking flight to Europa. Meanwhile, Jurati (Allison Pill) is possessed by the Borg Queen (Annie Wersching), who is determined to get a 400-year jump-start on assimilating the galaxy. With both closing in on them, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his remaining crew must find a way to restore the primary timeline and ensure that the totalitarian alternate future Q created does not come to pass.

It seems as if Picard himself holds the key to salvation, as the season has repeatedly returned to a dark memory from his childhood that it seems he will have to reckon with. The Watcher (Orla Brady) is helping him retrieve those memories, but the clock is running out. Q has enlisted the help of disgraced scientist Doctor Adam Soong to eliminate Jean-Luc, and the Borg Queen has assimilated a team of mercenaries for him to command. The ending of Episode 9 deals with these various plot threads in a much-needed narrative jolt. Multiple plot points that have been slowly brewing are resolved in a packed episode that sends the show hurtling at warp speed toward the season finale.

A new kind of Borg set sail among the stars

The Borg Queen pins Seven (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi (Michelle Hurd) down on the La Sirena and is on the verge of killing Seven when Jurati manages to take back some control of her body. In an impassioned speech, Jurati urges the Borg Queen to reevaluate what the Borg can be. Instead of assimilating people who don't want to be part of the collective, she tells the Queen to incorporate people who need a second chance at life. Jurati's vision of a Borg collective where the "collective" is emphasized, where the collective is not constantly at war, speaks to the Queen. She heals Seven — adding back the Borg implants that disappeared when the crew traveled to this new timeline —and resolves to create a new kind of Borg. As payment for saving Seven, Jurati takes the La Sirena, jumping to warp and leaving the rest of the crew behind on an Earth that will not see them born for 400 years. The Queen leaves with a cryptic message: "There must be two Renee Picards. One who lives and one who dies."

If we look back to the end of this season's first episode , the mysterious Borg that came through a wormhole might finally make sense. Assuming the Jurati-Queen hybrid spent 400 years reshaping the galaxy and creating a peaceful new kind of Borg collective, that may be the version of the Borg who hailed Admiral Picard, perhaps wishing to cross over into the main timeline all those years later. One possibility is that they sought refuge from the xenophobic Confederation and crossed into the main timeline in search of such asylum, only to be blown to bits when Picard initiated the fleet-wide self-destruct sequence. 

With only one more episode to go, hopefully those answers will be made clear in the finale.

Jean-Luc unlocks the tragic secret of his childhood

This season, "Star Trek: Picard" has repeatedly returned to the idea of Jean-Luc's inability to form intimate connections. We still don't know why Q decided to inflict this "trial" on Picard and his friends, but the show has repeatedly implied that part of the solution for fixing the timeline involves the Admiral recalling a repressed traumatic memory from his childhood. Now, in the season's 11th hour, Picard has finally pieced together the great tragedy of his mother's death.

While trapped by Doctor Soong and his newly acquired Borg henchmen in the atrium of Chateau Picard, Jean-Luc finds a large metal skeleton key. The object triggers him to recall the final fragment of his repressed memory. After Yvette Picard (Madeline Wise) suffered from a mental health episode during which she nearly got Jean-Luc killed, Maurice Picard (James Callis) locked her in the bedroom. Yvette begged the young Jean-Luc to open the door, and so he did. But while he was asleep in her bed, Yvette walked to the atrium, climbed onto a chair, and hung herself with a length of rope. "If only I had left that door closed," Picard tells the Watcher, "she might have become an old woman."

Again, we can look to the season premiere, "The Star Gazer," for the missing puzzle pieces. When the Borg emerge through a wormhole in that episode and beam their Queen onto the Stargazer's bridge, she repeats Yvette's words, "Picard, look up." If the Jurati-Queen hybrid began building their new Borg collective in 2022, it's possible they rescued Yvette before she could take her life and assimilated her. That would mean the Borg Queen in Episode 1 has Yvette's memories integrated into the collective, explaining why she said that line to Jean-Luc.

Dr. Soong and Q are a formidable pair of antagonists for the season finale

Q took advantage of disgraced geneticist Doctor Adam Soong over the past few episodes, recruiting him to put a stop to Picard. By the end of Episode 8 , it looked like the Borg Queen was teaming up with them. She assimilated mercenaries and placed them under Soong's command. While those soldiers do prove formidable foes in Episode 9, they're dealt with by the end of the hour. The Borg Queen heads off to start her new collective, leaving Soong in the wind and Q somewhere in the shadows.

Brent Spiner seems to be having the time of his life playing against type as an egomaniacal antagonist , and it shows during his face-off against Admiral Picard. Q has told Soong that if he prevents the Europa mission from succeeding, he will become the savior of humanity. Picard explains that will lead to the creation of the xenophobic Confederation in Q's timeline and tells Soong he won't be loved, but rather feared. Soong smugly retorts, "We have to create our own destiny. Captains of ships and captains of industry. To men like us, love and fear are the same thing: a means to an end."

Rios transports into the room , taking out the henchmen and saving Picard and The Watcher. Soong tries to shoot them with a phaser, but triggers the DNA-lock, causing it to explode. He tosses it away at the last second and by the time the dust clears, he's gone.

With Soong and the Borg Queen gone, the crew finally has a moment to regroup. Seven passes on the Queen's message that there must be two Renee Picards. The Admiral responds that he refuses to accept an outcome that has not yet occurred, and with that, the crew heads off to prepare for a final showdown.

Picard has a lot of questions to answer in the season finale

With only one episode left in the season, "Star Trek: Picard" has plenty of plot threads to tidy up. Can they outmaneuver Soong and Q to make sure that Renee Picard goes to Europa, setting the world on track to the future "Star Trek" fans know and love, or will the planet careen toward Q's dystopian future in which humanity has become the scourge of the galaxy? And even if they manage to do so, will they be able to return to their own time without the La Sirena or the Borg Queen?

While there are various methods of time travel documented throughout the "Star Trek" canon, the most obvious — using the La Sirena to slingshot around the Sun at high warp — is now out of the question. Of course, Q traditionally has time travel powers, but he's currently dying and his powers are vastly diminished. Other pathways through time — such as wormholes — aren't accessible, either.

Moreover, even if everything goes as planned and the crew manages to get back to their own future, there's still the fact that Picard triggered the self-destruct of the Starfleet ships during their last moments in the main timeline. Will Picard get a chance to make a different choice in that scenario, or will the crew return to find themselves engulfed in a blinding explosion?

Anything is possible , so it will be fascinating to see how the show navigates the maze of complexity it has built up over the course of Season 2. The season finale is sure to be one for the history books, but which history that will be remains a tantalizing mystery.

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‘Hide and Seek’ Demonstrates How Star Trek Lost Sight of the Borg

This discussion and review contains some spoilers for Star Trek: Picard season 2, episode 9, “Hide and Seek.”

With “Hide and Seek,” Star Trek: Picard brushes up against a problem that has haunted the Star Trek franchise since at least February 1999: the collapse of the Borg Collective as a credible threat.

The Borg were the breakout alien species on Star Trek: The Next Generation . This was cemented with their use in “ The Best of Both Worlds ,” an episode that both brought the show into its own and was a genuine cultural phenomenon . The Borg have been a focal point for decades of Star Trek media, including video games , theme park experiences , and even the feature film Star Trek: First Contact . It is no surprise that the Borg returned for Picard , despite Patrick Stewart’s reticence .

However, the franchise has often struggled with the Borg. Over the decades, the franchise has found new angles on plenty of existing aliens. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fleshed the Ferengi out into a complex and multifaceted species . Star Trek: Enterprise found a newish approach to the Klingons in episodes like “ Judgment ” or the “ Affliction ” duology. Even the Romulans provided fodder for Deep Space Nine episodes like “ In the Pale Moonlight ” and “ Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges .”

However, the franchise has struggled to adapt and update the Borg as a viable threat, which is ironic for a species defined by their ability to adapt to any threat. It’s tempting to blame Star Trek: Voyager for the collapse of the Borg as a menacing antagonist, but this was arguably evident even towards the end of The Next Generation , where the show’s last season-bridging cliffhanger “ Descent ” found the Borg effectively serving as heavy muscle for Data’s (Brent Spiner) evil twin Lore (also Spiner).

There have been a handful of standout episodes featuring the Borg since the end of The Next Generation . “ Child’s Play ” is an underrated episode of Voyager that interrogated the show’s more reactionary tendencies . On Enterprise , “ Regeneration ” worked largely by stripping the Borg of any meaning and boiling them down to a horror movie threat . For all its problems, even the first season of Star Trek: Picard found an interesting angle on a collapsed Borg community.

Still, the Borg suffered from a unique decline among the major villains of the Star Trek pantheon. There are several reasons for this. The most obvious and superficial is that the Borg largely ended up in the custody of Voyager ’s writers’ room, while other recurring aliens remained in the care of the Deep Space Nine creative team. Deep Space Nine was just a much better (and more ambitious ) show than Voyager , so it was much better at developing its alien cultures, both old and new.

Perhaps related to this, the Star Trek franchise never seemed to understand what exactly the Borg represented. The Klingons were a handy stand-in for old Cold War enemies. The Romulans were a space-based Roman Empire that served as a mirror to the Federation’s New Frontier utopianism . The Ferengi were grubby little capitalists. The Borg, on the other hand, were a striking visual and design, but a somewhat abstract concept.

Were the Borg Collective a metaphor for the Soviet Union, the fear of the erasure of the individual in the face of communism ? If so, they arrived quite late to the party. They first appeared in “ Q Who ” in May 1989, as the Soviet Union was collapsing . Just two and a half years later, on Christmas Day 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev would announce the end of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics . Ironically, the Borg were not even at the peak of their popularity to that point.

Many later Star Trek stories would try to build on this metaphor, treating the Borg Collective as analogous to the former Soviet Republics. This was the premise of episodes like “Descent,” “ Unity ,” “ Collective ,” and even “ Unimatrix Zero .” The Borg Collective seemed to be frequently collapsing into itself, falling apart. The trend even carries over to Picard . The announcement of a revived Borg threat in “ The Star Gazer ” had a lot of resonance following recent Russian expansionism.

However, the Borg Collective was too important to be allowed to truly collapse into itself, so that allegory never really worked. Ironically, Deep Space Nine would off-handedly home in on a pretty compelling read on the Borg in a throwaway line in “ For the Cause ,” when Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) suggests that they are a dark mirror to the Federation, and that “assimilation” is not so different from what the Federation wants of its allies and members .

All this circles back around to the central problem facing “Hide and Seek,” the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard season 2. This season is incredibly heavy on fan service, populated with elements like the return of Q (John de Lancie), Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), and the Borg Queen (Annie Wersching), or the casting of Brent Spiner as yet another human relative of Data. The season opened with a massive homage to First Contact , including the return of the Borg.

However, the show has no idea what to do with any of these elements, let alone how they should interact with one another. The idea of the Borg running loose on 21st century Earth is a compelling story hook. Even a single drone trying to either assimilate humanity or trying to establish contact with the Borg Collective would be a compelling threat. What do the Borg mean in the era of the internet? What happens if a tech company gets a hold of Borg technology?

“Hide and Seek” takes the idea of a Borg Queen on modern-day Earth and turns it into an uninspired runaround using generic henchmen with some quick-and-easy makeup applied to their faces. The idea of using firearm laser sights to stand in for the red lights on the side of the drones’ heads is a clever visual, but it is not enough to sustain an entire episode. There is no reason for the “Spearhead” mercenaries in “Hide and Seek” to even be assimilated, except for lazy fan service.

It is all frustratingly generic. It is possible that Stewart is responsible for pushing the show towards its action sensibility, given his famous reported complaint that Picard needed to do more “ fucking and fighting ,” but it is disappointing to see Star Trek descend to bland goons waving machine guns down dark hallways. “Hide and Seek” even strips the Borg of their iconic cybernetic appearance, perhaps because, to quote showrunner Terry Matalas, a contemporary aesthetic is “ less expensive .”

Befitting an episode about the Borg, everything about “Hide and Seek” feels like it takes the path of least resistance. Adam Soong (Spiner) offers a big “not so different” speech to Picard (Stewart) that is decidedly undercooked. “Captains of ships and captains of industry,” he boasts. “To men like us, love and fear, the same thing. Means to an end.” That’s just nonsense. At one point, Seven (Jeri Ryan) earnestly urges Jurati (Alison Pill), “I know you’re in there. I know you can fight.” It’s all cliché.

There is something potentially interesting in Raffi’s (Michelle Hurd) confession to Elnor (Evan Evagora) that she held him back because of her own fear, making her an intriguing mirror to Soong and Kore (Isa Briones), but “Hide and Seek” over-eggs the pudding. “I share the recollection of Elnor’s final breath,” a holographic Elnor reassures Raffi, “enough to know that his last thoughts of you were not of blame, but of love.” How does that make any sense whatsoever?

There is also something potentially interesting in Jurati’s efforts to make peace with the Borg Queen. Enterprise writer Garfield Reeves-Stevens has argued that, at its core, Star Trek is the story of “ how our enemies become our friends .” This happened with the Klingons and the Ferengi, so why can’t it happen with the Borg? What would that look like? “What if we take this ship and build a better Borg?” Jurati asks. “A real Collective, built not on assimilation, but salvation?”

However, to make that argument convincingly, “Hide and Seek” would have to understand what the Borg actually are. Jurati ultimately tries to reduce the Borg to some trite pop psychology. “This was never about perfection,” Jurati taunts. She insists that the Borg Queen needed more because of some psychological dependency. “It was never enough because you’re just like me, lonely.” It is reductive and simplistic, reducing an entire culture to an individual character’s psychosis.

Indeed, the episode’s most telling moment is ultimately a small one. Seven is wounded during the big climactic battle. Jurati convinces the Queen to heal and resurrect Seven. The Queen is convinced, but warns that there is “a cost in saving her.” That cost turns out to be… the restoration of Seven’s Borg implants after they were erased in “Penance.” The price is the reset of the status quo, the restoration of Seven of Nine back to factory defaults, to the classic action figure mold.

There’s a hollowness to all this, the sense of watching a shell game in action. There’s no progress, no growth, no development. Nobody ever ends up much further than where they started. There is no sense of what any of this actually means, beyond the idea that the iconography might have some material value divorced from any understanding of it. It feels appropriate that so much of “Hide and Seek” takes place in a decaying and collapsing mansion. It might be the episode’s best metaphor.

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A vital revelation for Jean-Luc suffers from narrative shortcuts and flavorless shootouts.

In one recent film , a blissful child begins wandering through the public streets. He plays in the way that young children do, chasing a butterfly wherever it takes him. Until, all of a sudden, it flits toward a ghastly sight that punctures his joys. There, for all to see hangs his mother, dangling lifeless in the town square.

It’s a jarring scene and the crux of the film. At stake is the soul of a ten-year-old boy. In an instant, his childhood is irrevocably shattered. The contrast between his idle daydreams and the harsh realities of the real world, serves the themes of the film. The scene speaks to how those close to us, and the act of losing them, can dramatically change who we are and what we believe.

Star Trek: Picard reaches for the same ideas in its penultimate episode. Forced to take refuge once again in his childhood home, Jean-Luc ( Patrick Stewart ) rediscovers a part of his memory he’d kept long-buried. He recalls a time his father locked his mother in her room during a difficult episode. The young Jean-Luc responded to her desperate pleas and unlocked the door in the middle of the night. Only, the next morning — when he wanders into the solarium that’s become one of the key symbols of this season — he too finds his mother hanging, an angelic but no less grisly sight.

The reveal is a heavy one, but comes with its own sort of catharsis, and even beauty. To see a parent in crisis without understanding why, to discover the body of a loved one, to unduly hold yourself responsible for such a sad end, would impose unimaginable psychic weight upon a young mind. Yet, the depiction of these complex traumas comes with artistry and poignance. A queen is raised high and brought low. The ripples of repression and guilt are keenly felt. There is great meaning in it.

And Picard, like his butterfly-chasing counterpart, is unquestionably changed by these events. They affect both the little boy who experienced them and the old man finally reckoning with such harsh truths. “Hide and Seek” strives for the same ends as its cinematic predecessor, to show how the person Jean-Luc was and is and may yet still become, rests with this moment. 

There’s only two problems with that noble idea. The first is that, once again, the series tries to explain too much via its grand reveal. The tale of a man who suffered an unspeakable tragedy as a child — and as a result, never felt safe sharing his love, lest similarly terrible ends occur — could be a moving one. Unfortunately, it simply doesn’t align with his personal history of a character who, despite some aloofness, did love, did forge connections, did share himself and his life with those he was close to.

The problems with ST:P ’s continuity snarls do not lie in the granular details of Picard’s past. Yes, it’s a little odd that his older brother, Robert, never shows up once in these flashbacks. Yes, the fig leaf “Hide and Seek” places over Jean-Luc’s vision of his mother as an old woman in an early episode of The Next Generation is a little unsatisfying. But those are easily forgiven trifles.

The real issue is that the eight seasons of television and four movies released up to this point are each founded on the bonds that Jean-Luc Picard built with those around him. He forged dear friendships with the likes of Guinan, Beverly Crusher, Will Riker, Deanna Troi, and Raffaela Musiker ( Michelle Hurd ). He became a surrogate father to Data, Wesley Crusher, Jason Vigo, Elnor ( Evan Evagora ), and Soji. He found those great loves, close connections, and other vital relationships that gave him no shortage of joy and pain over the years.

The story of a man who could never fully connect with others given the difficult feelings surrounding his mother’s suicide could be outstanding. It’s just not Jean-Luc Picard’s story.

The second is that this episode doesn’t find meaning by contrasting this bracing revelation with the innocent bliss of youth. Instead, it sandwiches Jean-Luc’s key recollection within some of the most flavorless, unnecessary action Trekkies have seen. Longtime fans of Captain Picard will likely experience painful flashbacks to when the TNG films tried to turn its contemplative, interstellar professionals into generic action heroes. Too much of “Hide and Seek” is spent with the main characters fleeing/punching/shooting generic Borg-ish mooks in bog standard skirmishes.

It doesn’t help that the pure craft involved in these fisticuffs is downright awful. The grand battle involves sweeping shots of Chateau Picard, with a conspicuously CGI landscape that instantly breaks immersion. There’s little sense of geography or flow to the different confrontations on the ship, in the house, or in the tunnels. The enemies themselves are forgettable and interchangeable. None of our heroes offers a single word of regret about these innocent people commandeered by the Queen (Annie Wersching). And even the superficially cool parts of the stand-off — like a Borgified Agnes ( Alison Pill ) having a sword fight with a holographic Elnor — are chopped up to hell in the editing bay.

If Star Trek: Picard wants to turn this episode into Die Hard meets Home Alone for some godforsaken reason, then at a minimum, the action shouldn’t be this terrible. It’s unclear, at best, why we need goons beamed into walls, or Raffi and Seven ( Jeri Ryan ) bringing down baddies with MMA holds, or scads of pointless shootouts all in the midst of Jean-Luc’s key emotional epiphany.

Nonetheless, such realizations abound as Star Trek: Picard wraps up several major arcs ahead of its finale. Seven reveals that the Federation wouldn’t allow her to join Starfleet because of her Borg background, despite Janeway(!!!) threatening to resign over it. But with Raffi’s encouragement, she reaches some equilibrium about melding the best facets of both her human and Borg selves. Raffi grapples with her own fear of being alone when she apologizes to a holographic Elnor. He, in turns, grants her absolution, which comes with shades of Raffi’s own fraught relationship with her estranged son. There’s merit to both character beats.

But these stories have been continually undercooked in the show’s overstuffed second season. And the resolutions are too quick and convenient. The Queen nigh-magically reassimilates Seven with her exact same classic look, and Seven’s basically cool with it once Raffi’s comforts her. The existence of holo-Elnor is kind of a cheat in the first place, but a tolerable one given the need to dramatize Raffi’s desire to say she’s sorry. But apparently La Sirena ’s computer didn’t just capture Elnor’s likeness, but also his dying thoughts of love for Raffi somehow? It’s a cheap shortcut that undermines an otherwise worthwhile emotional landing spot.

Implausible routes to worthy conclusions is the name of the game in “Hide and Seek”. The     newly royal Jurati is basically the Big Bad of the episode. What ultimately fells her, however, is not some explosion or random bit of violence. It’s Agnes reaching Queenie on an emotional level. Dr. Jurati draws a line between the two of them as lonely souls reaching for connection. The Borg may forge bonds more forcefully, but in Jurati’s eyes, the principle is the same, and so is the inevitable loss that comes from connections achieved by force.

Jurati suggests an alternative, one founded on Seven as an example. She proposes a new Benevolent Borg, made of people who gain a second chance through the Queen’s intervention, who will fight and commune willingly, not as drones. The two find equilibrium together, a bonding of souls for both the Queen and Jurati that makes each feel whole and points the way toward something brighter.

It’s a lovely sentiment and a wholesome reimagining of what Star Trek ’s greatest enemy could become with the right influence. Moreover, it’s a heartening way to resolve Agnes’ abiding insecurities and Queenie’s megalomaniacal ambitions. However, here’s a fun fact: it also makes no goddamn sense.

As with so much in this season, the central notion is insightful, but lacks the right texture to capably realize it.

Our heroes refuse to change the past, but they’re just going to let Borg Agnes blast off into the galaxy in a twenty-fourth century ship? They’ll go to extreme lengths to save any allies but instantly accept Jurati bailing with a Borg on the brain? Three trained officers can’t fire a phaser at the Queen before she neutralizes them with her tentacles? Everyone present is immediately willing to trust that the head of a perpetually malevolent force is totally good now and no longer a threat? The ideas behind all this are beautiful, but “Hide and Seek” can’t muster the plot points to earn them.

That may as well be the secret theme of this episode. Just as Raffi comforts Seven, or Agnes comforts the Queen, Tallinn (Orla Brady) comforts Picard over the truth about his mother. She tells him that love is always a gift, even if it brings with it hardships. The love Yvette Picard gave her son sustained him, helped spur him to great things. The love he showed her in return, however ill-fated, was not a sin, and not a reason to remain closed off from giving that love away again in the future.

There is legitimate profundity in that notion, for so many folks reconciling the best and the worst of challenging childhoods. It’s a shame, then, that such a stirring lesson is packaged in an onslaught of empty violence and channeled through a man to whom, by all rights, it shouldn’t apply. As with so much in this season, the central notion is insightful, but lacks the right texture to capably realize it. At its best, this series can find moments to match other great films and television shows across the ages. But it still can’t weave them together to make them mean what they could.

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Star Trek: Picard season 2 episode 9 “Hide and Seek”

Star Trek: Picard returns this week with the ninth and penultimate episode of season two “ Hide and Seek ” and we have a collection of new photos, a video sneak peek, and a teaser trailer for you below. Written by Matt Okumura and Chris Derrick and directed by Michael Weaver , “Hide and Seek” premieres on Paramount+ this Thursday, April 28th.

Picard and his crew fight for their lives as they come under attack from a new incarnation of an old enemy. But to survive, Picard must first face the ghosts of his past. Seven and Raffi have a final showdown with Jurati.

Sneak Peek:

The cast of Star Trek: Picard season 2 includes Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Orla Brady, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, Brent Spiner, along with Annie Wersching and special guest stars Whoopi Goldberg and John de Lancie.

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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 2 Finale Review: Even Gods Have Favorites 

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The second season of Star Trek: Picard has come to an end with its aptly named finale, “Farewell.” While the penultimate episode offered closure on most of this season’s plots last week, the finale ties everything up in a neat little bow and finally sheds light on why Q ( John de Lancie ) set all of this into motion in the first place. The episode tugs at the heartstrings at every corner—ushering fan-favorite characters into new lives, killing off others, and bringing an air of finality to Q’s “final act.” Despite all of this, “Farewell” feels like a happily ever after, so long as they don’t pull an Into the Woods (undoing the happy endings established before the final act) when they return for the third and final season.

The episode opens with the crew trying to unravel the prophecy that Agnes ( Alison Pill ) provided them with last week: one Renée must live, one Renée must die. Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) realizes what the prophecy means at roughly the same moment that Tallinn ( Orla Brady ) realizes that in order to save the future, she is going to have to be the one to die. As Tallinn sets off to save Renée ( Penelope Mitchell ), Picard decides at the last minute to go with her, much to her chagrin. Picard wants to be the hero, he wants to save her from her impending death, but Tallinn is having none of that. She points out that saving Renée is her job, and it’s her decision, and her decision alone, if she chooses to die to fulfill that duty.

Seven ( Jeri Ryan ), Raffi ( Michelle Hurd ), and Rios ( Santiago Cabrera ) head to Dr. Soong’s lab, following a hunch that he has a larger plan to sabotage the Europa Mission. When they arrive he is nowhere to be found, but he has rigged the lab to make them think he’s inside. Instead, Picard spots him at the Europa launch, charming (strong-arming) his way through quarantine protocols.

RELATED: 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Long Live the Borg Queen

In a race against time, Tallinn suits up in a flight suit and heads off to find Renée before it’s too late. Renée is startled by a stranger barging into her quarters, but then she realizes she’s seen Tallinn before. Not just at the gala a few nights ago, but throughout her life. Tallinn reveals what her purpose was, how she had been watching and guiding Renée throughout her life, and she warns her about what will happen if she doesn’t go up with the Europa Mission. Before the launch happens, Soong seemingly finds Renée alone, wandering the hallway and alarmed about a strange woman who was talking to her. Thinking that he has finally caught her, Dr. Soong uses a neurotoxin attached to his hand to poison “Renée.”

Back at Dr. Soong’s lab, the crew discovers that he has programmed a small fleet of drones to shoot down the space shuttle. Things seem dire once the drones take off, but with a little fast-thinking from Rios and Raffi, Rios is able to commandeer one of the drones and cause the rest to crash into each other, essentially saving the day.

Tallinn dies in Picard’s arms, but her death is not in vain. As she takes her final breaths, Picard urges her to look up—the sentiment that has been repeated throughout the series—and she watches as Renée and the flight launch off into orbit. With the future safely secured, Tallinn dies having accomplished her life’s mission. Her death becomes even more poignant when the crew returns to the chateau where Q is waiting for Picard in the solarium. Picard wants answers for why Q put him through all of this turmoil and, for once, Q is ready to pull up a chair and explain himself.

Q is dying, which is something that we learned two episodes ago, but now he clarifies that he’s not just dying, he’s dying alone . He doesn’t want Picard to face the same fate as him, which is why he’s meddled with time and space to teach him a lesson. Ironically, this is something that fans had qualms about when this series premiered. Picard had stepped out of public life, pulled out of his commitments with Starfleet, and was living a quiet life on his vineyard. This didn’t seem like the Picard we knew and loved from The Next Generation , and clearly, Q felt the same way. Picard pushes back, wanting to know why he matters so much to Q, and the answer is quite simple. Even gods have favorites and Picard happens to be Q’s favorite.

As Picard hashes things out with Q, Seven and Raffi finally have a moment alone to consider where their own relationship stands. But first, they talk about Rios, who is happier than either of them has ever seen him while he plays house with Teresa ( Sol Rodriguez ) and Ricardo ( Steve Gutierrez ). Seven and Raffi finally share a much-deserved kiss and make their amends. Their relationship still hasn’t been the most developed in the series, but at least they’re making headway on getting on the same page with each other.

Dr. Soong returns home and discovers that Kore ( Isa Briones ) is slowly deleting every file on his computer, ensuring that he can’t play mad scientist with any more of her siblings. Soong may have failed to stop the Europa Mission and his daughter may have thwarted his project, but he still has one more trick up his sleeve—Project Khan. Time has a way of connecting everything together, soon, rather than later. Speak of time. After deleting all of Soong’s files, Kore is contacted by someone who she assumes is Q, playing another trick on her. Only it’s not. It’s the Traveler, formerly known as Wesley Crusher ( Wil Wheaton ) who wants to recruit her into becoming a Traveler, to help him protect the natural flow of time. With all those mentions of Watchers and time travel, we should have known Wesley would show up. If this isn’t a major plot point in the final season, Star Trek: Picard may have just set up a backdoor pilot for a Doctor Who -ish spin-off. There’s definitely an audience for it.

At Picard’s prompting, the crew leaves the chateau to meet up with Q on its grounds. Raffi is understandably not thrilled about coming face-to-face with the man responsible for Elnor’s ( Evan Evagora ) death and Q points out that he didn’t technically kill him. While Picard, Seven, and Raffi deal with Q, Rios, Teresa, and Ricardo huddle together in the background, and you know what’s coming. Q presents them with the opportunity to go home and Rios decides he’s not going with them. He’s found home with Teresa and Ricardo. Raffi, who has been his closest friend for years, is the most torn up about him staying behind, but she also understands that he’s always been looking for home. Picard tells him to “Make a good future.” and that’s that.

Before the trio is transported back to the future, Picard and Q share a heartfelt farewell that feels like a genuine goodbye. Not just to the character Q, but to this era that has been underscored by Q’s meddling. Q didn’t just torment Picard—he was a frequent nuisance on Star Trek: Voyager and an anchor point for this particular era of Star Trek . Saying goodbye to Q feels like saying goodbye to an old friend and Picard beautifully plays out those emotions. With one last “Mon Capitaine,” Q sends Picard, Seven, and Raffi back into the future they belong in.

Once more, they’re transported back into the moment they were yanked out of—a ship set to self-destruct and a Borg queen taking control. Only, the voyage to the past has given Picard new information. Everything they set into motion in 2024, already came to pass in the present they were living. The Borg queen is Agnes and everything comes full circle at that moment as Picard fits it all together.

The Borg are trying to save their quadrant of space from a “Galactic Event” that is primed to destroy everyone living and traveling through the region. In order to deflect and contain the power of its explosion, they required the use of the entire Starfleet fleet’s shields, and Agnes knew that she could count on Picard to help her. Once the crisis is averted, they realize that a new trans-warp conduit has been born, and the Borg!Agnes explains that they desire to become the Guardians of the Gate. In order to fulfill this new role, they request a provisional membership in the Federation. Only Agnes could have brought the Borg to a point in time when they could feasibly become members of the Federation. It’s actually quite remarkable that Star Trek: Picard was able to pull off this evolution so flawlessly. At every turn, they built up this plot and pulled it off with perfect execution.

In the midst of all of this chaos, Raffi learns that Elnor is alive—Q’s last little surprise for them. Picard also places Seven in charge of Renée , making her Captain, at long last. A well-deserved promotion for someone overlooked by Starfleet.

After the dust settles, the crew makes their way to 10 Forward for a round of much-needed drinks. Picard and Guinan ( Whoopi Goldberg ) catch up about everything that has now come to pass for Picard, and she shares a bit about Rios’ life in the 21st century. He and Teresa started a medical supply initiative to help people in need. Renée became part of their lives, with Guinan referring to her as Ricardo’s “Auntie Renée.” Teresa lived to a ripe old age and Rios died like he lived—fighting and smoking cigars.

If you have been reading my reviews each week, then you will know that Rios is my favorite character in Picard . Like, Q, I have a favorite too. It was clear when Teresa was introduced that something would happen with this duo—either she would go to the future or he would stay in the past, and the decisions made in this episode work so well with the roguish character we’ve come to know and love. Rios becoming the Captain of a Starfleet vessel at the onset of the season felt like a disingenuous journey for the character, yet it came full circle with his decision to stay with Teresa and Ricardo. It felt like a bad fit for him because it was. He had a life in the future, but he wasn’t fully alive until he arrived in 2024.

As excited as I am about more original cast members from The Next Generation arriving in Season 3, I had my reservations about how they would fit into the cast of characters that have been the lifeblood of Picard . Allowing Rios to gracefully bow out of the future by providing him with a life well lived and loved is more fitting than relegating his character into the background without giving him a happily ever after. That’s a fate worse than dying in a bar fight over medical supplies in Morocco. Besides, should they decide they want Santiago Cabrera to make an appearance, there are five holograms aboard La Sirena that happen to look like him.

Despite all the heartbreak in this episode, the second season of Star Trek: Picard featured brilliant storytelling from start to finish. It built on key aspects from the first season, fleshing out this new world while connecting to the much larger Star Trek canon. Characters were smartly utilized to propel the central part along while developing their own storylines and giving them as much closure as the overarching plot received.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is streaming now on Paramount+.

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Season 2 – Star Trek: Picard

Where to watch, star trek: picard — season 2.

Watch Star Trek: Picard — Season 2 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Picard gets some backup from franchise fan favorites in a sophomore season that charts a course towards recapturing more of the classical Star Trek spirit and makes it so.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Jean-Luc Picard

Isa Briones

Alison Pill

Agnes Jurati

Santiago Cabrera

Cristobal "Chris" Rios

Michelle Hurd

Raffi Musiker

Evan Evagora

More Like This

Related tv news, season info.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Episode 9, "Hide and Seek," Recap & Spoilers

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The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Episode 8, "Hide and Seek," streaming now on Paramount+.

While Q may not be the major antagonist Star Trek: Picard Season 2 initially presented him to be, there are other enemies marshaling forces. The Borg Queen has taken control of Agnes Jurati’s body and embarked on a fiendish mission, allying herself with the unscrupulous scientist Adam Soong . And while the Queen intends to start the Borg Collective centuries earlier than anticipated and Soong reshapes the course of human history, Jean-Luc Picard and his associates are the only ones able to stop this duo from carrying out their plans.

Chris Rios is barely able to evacuate Teresa and her son from La Sirena in time as the Borg Queen and her drones teleport to Picard’s abandoned vineyard to take it over. The Queen attempts to gain full access to the ship’s systems, only to discover Jurati installed a fail-safe to prevent this. A hard light simulation of Elnor is activated, attacking the Borg drones while the Queen’s frustration visibly grows and her small army advances on Picard and his forces in the nearby château.

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As the defenders face waves of Borg drones, Rios is wounded and teleported back to Tallinn’s home with Teresa and her child. Thus, Picard ensures that Rios stays out of the rest of the fight, much to his understandable chagrin. Soong appears on the battlefield and implores Picard to stand down and let him and the Queen secure his legacy, but Picard rejects this and takes cover in the château with Talliinn. As Picard and Tallinn hide in the network of tunnels underneath the château, more repressed memories from Picard’s childhood emerge of the young Picard going into the tunnels with his mother and releasing her from her room, only for her to commit suicide.

Seven of Nine and Raffi Musiker go on a desperate charge to board La Sirena, battling through waves of drones in the vineyard before managing to make it back to the ship. Reuniting with the hologram of Elnor, Raffi and Seven realize Elnor possesses the code allowing access to the ship systems and work to keep him from the Borg’s grasp. With Elnor interfaced to the ship, Seven begins beaming drones away using La Sirena’s transporter.

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With the Queen wearing a transport inhibitor, she evades Seven’s strategy to forcibly remove the Borg from the ship and confronts the trio herself. After deactivating the Elnor hologram, the Queen gravely injures Seven before assuming primary control of La Sirena. However, Jurati intervenes before the Queen can finish off Seven. Jurati proposes the Queen repurpose the Borg Collective to be a beacon for second chances , offering to maintain a sense of individuality to its members while growing and thriving. After a moment’s consideration, the Queen heals Seven, though she is partially assimilated once again.

As Picard and Tallinn emerge from Château Picard’s tunnels by the dawn’s early light, they are confronted by Soong and a detachment of drones under his command. Rios arrives on the scene just in time to take out the drones, and Soong runs after an energy weapon nearly detonates in his hand. As the merged Jurati-Queen takes command of La Sirena to lead it into a new future, Picard and the others realize they must rally to stop whatever Soong’s last-ditch effort may be to derail the Europa mission.

Created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Picard releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

• TV Features
• Star Trek: Picard (2020)