Picard’s season 2 pilot episode, The Stargazer debuted via Paramount+ just 5 days ago on March 3, with new episodes every week. It’s not a general rule, but sometimes a season’s worth may be glimpsed from its initial episode, and I think the pilot delivers. We are greeted by some of the original characters in the previous season, notably Seven of Nine. But some characters have also been brought back as well, notably Guinan, Q, and even the Borg Queen (portrayed by the same actress).
Right off the bat, the show would appear to be set in Los Angeles (given the trailer for season 2, it seems very likely), that is after the Stargazer confronts a new Borg ship and encounters the Queen (who too is somewhat unfamiliar, with her powerful shield, dual tech tentacles, and a sleek mask). The Borg aren’t the only ones with different appearances, as the Star Trek ships too, are different. The ship designs are from the game, Star Trek Online, which is the first time its ships have appeared on film.
After the grueling encounter, Picard wakes up in his estate, yet everything is unfamiliar. Q finally makes his appearance and it appears he has completely changed the events of time. While this concept of movies constantly playing with time and alternate dimensions or whatnot has become a tiresome or complicated trend (especially with Marvel), I don’t think that’s ever been the case with Star Trek.
Star Trek has always explored those kind of situations, from that time the original Star Trek crew (Kirk, Bones, Spock, etc.) had to go back in time to save whales, to Q’s meddling throughout most of TNG, and all the way to the rebooted Star Trek movies. Q has also Picard in an alternate dimension before, in which Picard never took risks, and therefore never becoming the Picard we known him as. But unlike the previous times, it seems that Q is giving it his all torwards giving Picard (and those accompanying him) a really difficult time.
