Star Trek: Picard has made a bold move by bringing in Deep Space Nine aliens.
Star Trek: The Next Generation has brought us many great aliens and villains. From the Ferengi to the Borg, to the Duras Sisters, Sela, and Q to name a very few of the many great characters and aliens from the show. So when Picard launched its third and final season, the onus was on the return of the Next Generation cast as the stars.
Not surprisingly, season two saw Q, Guinan, and Wesley Crusher return, while Will Riker, Data, and Deanna Troi returned for season one. It didn’t ever feel like the build-up was for a Next Generation reunion, but here we are.
So you’d think that Picard, a Next Generation sequel series for all intents and purposes, would bring in known Next Generation characters or aliens to be the core villain of the show. Nope. Instead, Picard reached into the Deep Space Nine section of the universe and pulled out the show’s true villains; Changelings.
The Changelings were as Deep Space Nine as you got, with one of them serving as the constable of the station; Odo. They were also the primary driving force for the Dominion War, serving as the Dominion’s joint figureheads. They would make all the sense in the world for a Deep Space Nine sequel, but a Picard sequel?
No.
The Changelings in Star Trek: Picard feel forced
The Changelings or the Founders if you will, were great in Deep Space Nine, but they are usually a very docile race, and to shoehorn them into the final season of Picard feels uninspired. Like their usage was more for shock value than anything meaningful.
Someone like Sela, or even Armus would make more sense. But the one that makes the most sense, and really proves that showrunner Terry Matalas was more worried about fitting the most popular things from the franchise into the final season instead of the things that made the most sense; the season one parasites.
Bringing back the parasites from season one would’ve felt more inspired and more connected. It could’ve brought closure and a conclusion to a story that started nearly 40 years ago. Instead, we get Matalas using other people’s betters ideas and somehow making them lackluster.
Maybe Picard popped too early by doing The Borg in season one Q in season two. Both feel like much more deserving names to bookend the series.
Hell, even Soran would’ve made more sense.