This post contains spoilers from Star Trek: Picard, season 2, episode 9 “Hide and Seek.”
Captain Cristobal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) has managed to find something in the year 2024 that he doesn’t have in the 25th century. Though he has rejoined Starfleet and has regained a captaincy in that timeline, he still hasn’t found his person…at least not there anyway. But in 2024, he has met Teresa, the doctor who saved his life, and her son. And in the brief time he’s been there, the trio have developed a bond.
When Rios had to leave Teresa to help his teammates, it was upsetting for both her and him. They clearly wanted to be together so it begs the question: should Captain Rios return to the 25th century, or could he build a future with Teresa and her son in this different time?
Star Trek: Picard has established a connection between Rios and Teresa.
Of course there’s plenty to be said about not causing problems with the timeline, but, honestly, hasn’t that already happened? The Borg Queen, who is now in Agnes Jurati’s body, has gotten loose in the city. Admiral Picard and Guinan were arrested. Rios was arrested by ICE, and Raffi and Seven had to help him get off the bus. I think those things alone would be enough to cause some ripples.
With Picard ending next season, we certainly hope that his team will get the proper send-off the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation will get. One way to insure that is by giving Rios a new life in a new world. There would be new things for him to learn (or old things, rather), but he could also, along with Teresa, work to create change.
If Rios staying behind isn’t a possibility then perhaps the writers have already laid out a plan for Teresa and her son to join Rios in the 25th century. It seems a shame for the pair to meet and make a connection only to be torn apart when he is forced to leave. What is the point of having the couple meet and begin to develop feelings for one another if there wasn’t going to be a happy ending?
Perhaps I’m being too simplistic in searching for a happily ever after for a character, but I’d like to think that the writers of Picard have considered the futures of the characters and that we’ll be left with a sense of completion to their stories. Hopefully, everyone gets a really good goodbye.