Star Trek: Picard (Season 3), Episode 3: Recap and Ending Explained (2024)

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Star Trek: Picard (Season 3), Episode 3:The primary criticism that Picard always faced in its previous seasons wasn’t that it was a slog throughout. On the contrary, the first couple of episodes throughout Star Trek: Picard’s three seasons had been compelling, to varying degrees. However, Picard Season 3 has shown confidence in its storytelling approach so far. And while it is impossible to completely understand where this season’s endgame is, the revelation of the nature of the antagonist at the end will induce excitement in any Trek fan because it opens itself up to the speculation and endless possibilities of storytelling.

Star Trek: Picard (Season 3), Episode 3 Recap:

“Seventeen Seconds”

It would be wrong to say that a Jonathan Frakes-directed episode would have focused on the character of Riker, as Frakes, in his previous directorial ventures, had shown a natural capability for handling ensembles (“Star Trek: First Contact”). Seventeen Seconds, though, in its opening, manages to flesh out Riker a bit more, as well as foreshadow the events about to follow in the third episode. It opens with the two of them celebrating the birth of Riker’s son, Thaddeus.

The heavy amount of de-aging in Riker and Picard and their uniforms suggest that this takes place a couple of years after Star Trek: Nemesis, with Riker still as the captain of Titan. The conversation reveals how Riker’s priorities change when he finally is called to the med-bay and those “seventeen seconds” in the elevator when his whole life flashed in front of his eyes as he was wrecked by fear for his wife and son.

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This is important character development for Riker, as it shows that he is foregoing the careerist approach that had defined him for at least the early seasons of The Next Generation. Riker also wishes that Picard would share the same feeling one day. It was also lovely to see Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi again, disheveled and sarcastic at seeing the two friends imbibing whisky and smoking cigars while their son projectile vomited all over Engineering. Riker laughingly promises his Imazadi that he is on the way, and she haughtily counters by saying to bring the whisky (a lovely callback to that Imazadi sobriquet).

On the USS Titan, Shaw calls on the two ensigns to watch out the back windows for the Shrike as the nebula slowly interferes with its sensors. As no visuals of that behemoth are reported, La Forge reports that the warp drive would take at least two hours to be repaired. As the ship violently shakes, the Vulcan Lieutenant T’veen remarks that the energy surges resemble electrical and biological phenomena, making Shaw sarcastically remark that this is “fun.” He then relieves LaForge, Esmar (the Bajoran navigator), and Mura, as they had pulled a 36-hour shift, which contributes to the character development of Captain Shaw as more than just an antagonistic Captain.

Seven of Nine frustratingly works on a small model in her quarters while listening to Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus, K. 618, ” when her door chimes. When LaForge visits her. Their interactions reveal a friendship where LaForge knows Seven and considers her a friend. She equates herself with her father, and while her father and her differences over her career are well documented, she had a hard time making friends like her father. Thus, helping friends would not be considered insubordination by her father. Neither does she believe that’s the same thing. Seven is touched by that sentiment and dismisses LaForge to go to rest, but not before thanking her and smiling at LaForge’s acknowledgment of calling her “Commander Seven” (this acknowledgment is going to come back).

In sickbay, Beverly and Jack try to get to work but are faced with accusatory glances and the dismissal of Beverly by Dr. Ohk (the trill doctor). Beverly counterremarks and forces Ohk to let her work finally. As Beverly and Jack start doing the rounds, Riker and Picard enter. As Riker tries to convince Jack to leave the two of them alone, to which Jack vehemently disagrees until Beverly convinces him as well. Picard and Crusher finally have a chance to converse after decades apart and unresolved sexual tension in the Next Generation series.

She reminds him of the shore leave they had enjoyed on Casperia Prime and reveals that was the night she had become pregnant with Jack. As Beverly laments that she already knew that they were at an end, Picard remarks that he was in the dark and had remained in the dark for over 20 years, wondering whether the responsibility solely lay with him. I especially liked how Picard clearly delineated how they had broken their romantic relationship for the fifth time, but he never expected a complete shut-off.

When he asks Beverly why she had never told him, she replies that something always came up: kidnapping by the residents of Kalar V, two Reman Assassins holding him at disruptor point, or how a photon grenade went off meters from him during negotiations with the praetor. This convinces her that there will always be attempts on his life and that space and the galaxy will always be his priorities.

Beverly pointing out Picard’s flaws here reminds you of Kirk’s flaws, as pointed out by Carol Marcus; perhaps the similarities are too great for their good. But Picard’s response makes sense—that she had chosen for him instead of giving him a chance. When Beverly counters by stating that he never wanted a family as he was too afraid of becoming like his father, Picard’s angry chastisem*nt too felt legitimate, as he feels Beverly is using his past to justify her actions while also using events of the past that he had confided in her as an arsenal to justify cutting him out.

And as the events of Season 2 proved, Picard could never be his father, but it would have been nice to have that acknowledgment 20 years later. But Beverly’s counterpoint is equally valid. Having lost her ex-husband, her son Wesley, and now seeing Jean-Luc’s undying romance with the galaxy, she realized that she could be responsible for protecting her son, but not “his.” Interestingly, there could be an argument that the characters feel out of character. But it feels more like the movie version of the Next Generation cast than the series, which does make sense in hindsight.

A similar form of conversation is happening in the corridor itself. It is hilarious to watch Riker and, through his perspective, watch Jack pacing to and fro. The smile on Riker’s face informs his bemusem*nt at the similarities he could discern between this individual and the man he had known for more than 30 years. And even as Jack retorts that Picard isn’t his “dad,” Riker still voices his steadfast belief that Picard is one of the finest men he has known, even though Jack believes that the bigger the legend, the more disappointing the reality.

Jack retorts as a jab by stating that he is “positronic” now, again reaffirming that Terry Matalas and his crew are not ignoring the events of the two seasons but slowly brushing over them (so far). As Jack also realizes that the accusatory glances of the Titan crew remain unchanged, Riker reminds him that the crew deserves to know for whom they are laying their lives on the line. And while Riker agrees that Jack hadn’t asked for this, the least he could do now is own up to it and give them a reason to follow.

Jack didn’t know much about Riker but recalled that his mother would begin to tell a story about the old crew, and her eyes would light up, but then she would get sad and stop. He asks if Riker has a family, and Riker responds that he does: he has a wife, a daughter, and a son. This finally starts to unravel why the marriage between Deanna Troi and Riker is currently strained. It is also remarkable to note how Riker orders Jack to “feel free to call him captain.” The emphasis on the hierarchical structure in Trek is another welcome return to the newer shows.

Meanwhile, Beverly informs Picard and also re-informs the audience on how they were captured on a routine run to Sarnia Prime, first by Fenris Rangers, then by Klingons, and finally by Starfleet officers. Beverly strongly believes that this entire chase to capture Jack has nothing to do with Jack Crusher but more to do with any one of Picard’s old antagonists. She also remarks that this ship is no bounty hunter ship but a warship with the intensity befitting an antagonist like Jean-Luc Picard.

As Picard makes to return to the bridge, he asks about Jack’s accent. Beverly, bemused, reveals that Jack completed his schooling in London and never really shook it. Before he leaves, Picard asks whether he deserves a chance to get to know Jack, and Beverly informs him that she has informed Jack about his parentage and has encouraged him to meet his father. Jack decided not to. Leaving the sick bay, Picard orders Will to walk with him but not before surreptitiously glaring at Jack. As Riker enquires about the confrontation, Picard dismisses it as immaterial, stating that getting to the bridge is far more important. His paternal instinct kicking in, Riker urges Picard to reconnect with his son before it is too late, remembering the loss of Thaddeus.

Meanwhile, the ensign in the aft section notices the Shrike bearing down on them and warns Captain Shaw. Shaw orders battle stations while wondering how the Shrike managed to locate them within the nebula. Still, as Riker and Picard enter the bridge, the Shrike fires a volley of torpedoes, damaging the bridge and injuring Shaw severely. In a moment of desperation, Shaw transfers command to Riker before being carried off to sickbay, declaring ominously, “You dragged us into this; now you will take us out.”

Taking his place in the captain’s chair, Riker orders Jean-Luc to launch a torpedo toward the Shrike, intending to detonate it with the phasers and create a concussion wave. Picard, even before Riker finishes his thought, launches the torpedo. Sure enough, the detonation creates a concussion wave, knocking them off the nebula. Jokingly, Picard asks Riker to call him “Number One.” There are interesting interplays here, but like most of the Next Generation movies, they come at the cost of plot contrivances. However, the interplays are so good that you are open-minded enough to forgive some of the contrivances, however noticeable they might be.

The Raffi subplot finally kicks into high gear in this episode. As Raffi wakes up from her drug-induced slumber aboard the La Sierna, she finally meets Worf, whom we see practicing his battle stances and moves with the Kurleth before finally introducing himself to her and offering her chamomile tea. The dissonance between the Klingon legend Worf and the man striving to work on himself is suitable fodder to mine for comedy, and Michael Dorn as Worf is perfect at playing the straight man. But as Raffi realizes that Worf is her mysterious handler, Worf reveals that he is acting as a subcontractor and that he is investigating a conspiracy within Starfleet itself.

The incident at the Starfleet recruiting center caused by the stolen portal weapon is part of a bigger conspiracy. Raffi is incensed at realizing that her hunch was correct but that she was told to disengage by Worf himself, and she demands to know why? To which Worf replies that he didn’t want her to be killed, which he remarks she almost proved right until Worf arrived to rescue her from Sneed and his goons.

As Raffi wonders about the cost of getting involved in such a mission that risks her life, family, and sobriety, Worf reminds her of the bravery she possesses to have taken on such a mission and that she has the heart of a warrior. He reveals the human who had paid Sneed to lie about T’Lucco—a human who had multiple underworld contacts. Worf decides to hunt the man down by partnering with Raffi (calling her Raffaela is so quintessentially Worf because you don’t see him as someone who uses colloquialism).

There is a fascinating sense of inversion of character as we see Picard and Riker in charge of the mission to confront Vadic. Picard is the one trying to advise Riker to go on the offensive, reminding him that the nebula makes Vadic as blind as they are, while Riker chooses to evade Vadic until the warp drive is ready. Riker’s defensive strategy is a result of the Shrike’s munition capabilities. As an energy pulse rocks the ship, Lieutenant T’veen again remarks on the electrical and biological signatures identifiable within the pulses, something she had never seen before. She believes that they are inside an anomaly rather than a mere nebula, which urges Picard to advise not to go straight through the nebula, advice concurred by T’Veen.

Riker informs LaForge to change course, choosing to travel to the edge of the nebula, and instructs Engineering to have warp drive operational by the time they reach the edge. As the Shrike nips at their heels, Riker plots a course for the nearest starbase. Vedic gives the order to prepare the device, and as the Titan prepares to warp, the Shrike fires what is revealed to be a portal gun, and the Titan passes through the portal and appears inside the nebula again. The Titan tries to escape again, and Vadic orders the Shrike to fire the weapon again, forcing the starship to be pulled back. Picard realizes that Vadic is trying to corral them, using her weapons and the nebula’s energy waves to cripple them, and they must fight back. Still, Riker again orders LaForge to take them back inside the nebula to hide.

Meanwhile, Captain Shaw suffers from internal bleeding at sickbay, which Beverly manages to identify. With the help of Jack, she manages to shift him to the side, and as she and Dr. Ohk begin to identify and try to help him, Shaw asks Jack, “How did she find us?” As Jack could only apologize for what the ship was going through, Shaw reiterates the same question. It forces Jack to look down at the small pools of blood leading into the sick bay, which reminds him of the Fenris Rangers’ old code: “Blood in the water.”

Thus he goes to the ex-Fenris Ranger on the ship Seven of Nine. After being unable to enter the bridge to warn Picard and Riker due to a red alert being announced shipwide, Jack finally reaches Seven’s quarters, where he tries to convince Seven that there must be something leaking from the Titan that is managing to lead the Shrike to them. Following that logic, Seven conjectures that the warp coils are insulated with verterium, a material that does not need long-range sensors to be picked up but a mass spectrometer. They have a leak. But Seven, just to be sure, orders Jack to come with her to the engine room. The sentry doesn’t allow them to pass, but Jack sucker punches him and knocks him out, which earns him an eyebrow raise from Seven, who remarks that he is insane. I agree.

On M’talas Prime, Raffi makes her way through the streets before spotting Worf leaning against a nearby wall. She had told him to stay back, but it was not in his nature to “stay back.” He also thinks she looks “conspicuous” in her hood. Musiker points out the “warrior gear” he has on, to which Worf corrects it as “casual.”

Musiker sarcastically asks if that were the kind of thing he would wear to a “Tuesday beheading.” The banter stops when Worf spots their target behind her and tells her the moment is calling. She pursues him under Worf’s direction, but as she begins to lose him in the crowd, Work appears in front of their target and bodyslams him through a table, knocking him out. He then remarks that “beheadings are on Wednesdays.” This humor would have been perceived as too jokey and out of place in any other character. In the hands of Worf, his self-serious delivery manages to drive the humor of the situation home.

Seven and Jack discover the source of the leak and don gas masks to prevent the Verterium from poisoning them. Seven realizes that the sensors have been damaged, and thus the computer is unable to detect the leak. They discover evidence of a phaser fire as they search for the malfunction.

Seven immediately calls the bridge with the discovery, pointing to the evidence and forcing Picard and Riker to realize they have a saboteur onboard. T’Veen again reminds them that the presence of the massive gravity well at the center of the nebula could spell trouble, so they should change course. At the same time, Picard believes that the Shrike doesn’t know that their deception has been identified, and that could be an advantage for the Titan to lure the Shrike into a trap. Riker, however, reminds Picard that he is not going to risk the lives of the crew or this ship, but he will take them home. He then orders engineering to prepare for warping.

Back in the engine room, Jack is ambushed by Ensign Foster, who appears unaffected by the Verterium exposure. As Seven reports that she has stopped the leak, Foster removes the oxygen mask and hurls him across the room. Jack punches him in the face and sees Foster’s face reconstituting itself as Jack loses consciousness while Foster flees.

Back on La Sierna, Worf and Raffi try to play “good cop and bad cop” to taunt their target. Realizing that the shaking by Rikka was, in fact, withdrawal symptoms, Raffi tries to taunt Rikka by holding a container of the narcotic in front of him. Meanwhile, on Titan, Jack has a vision in which he sees Seven standing over him while red tree branches are growing on the ceiling behind her. He sees Seven asking him to connect the branches and also sees a red door being opened.

He is pulled out of his vision by Seven, who is frantically trying to wake him. Seven barely manages to drag Jack back to the sick bay while calling Picard to inform him that Jack is injured. Riker urges Picard to go, and as Beverly and Dr. Ohk try to bring him back from the clutches of death, Picard is having the longest seventeen seconds of his life inside the turbo-lift, faced with the real possibility of losing his son. When he arrives, Jack has already flatlined, but a final effort by Beverly manages to resuscitate him back to consciousness.

On the La Sierna, Raffi is unable to break open Rikka to a satisfactory confession. He is evading their questions by pointing fingers at the Romulans. Finally, Rikka admits that he had entered Daystrom with “like-minded souls”—the enemies of the federation—and that the portal weapon theft was just a distraction towards something much larger. Raffi also realizes that Rikka is not experiencing withdrawal, as the contours of his face are losing shape, which finally forces Worf to ask how long he has been from the Great Link.

He reveals to Raffi that Rikka is a changeling, and Raffi’s identification of withdrawal symptoms was the changeling’s propensity to regenerate into their liquid form to store energy. Rikka, finally realizing that his identity has been revealed, taunts the “solids,” warning them that the federation will crumble. As Rikka finally dissolves into a liquid, it tries to escape. But Worf manages to vaporize it with a phaser, and the burn mark reminds you of the burn mark Beverly produced after killing one of Vadic’s crew in Episode 1. Meanwhile, Jack, too, regains consciousness and reveals that one of the Starfleet ensigns is a changeling. The changeling, disguised as Foster, sets an explosive device near a power conduit.

Worf reveals to Raffi and re-introduces to an excited Trek audience the Changelings. They used to be the key species and the leader of the Dominion, a group best described as the anti-federation and the chief cause of the Dominion War. But when the Dominion War ended, a rogue terrorist faction of the Changeling broke away from the Great Link in preparation for an attack.

A trusted friend (Odo, one of the main characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) informs Worf of the threat, but acknowledgment by Starfleet of another threat by the Changeling would ignite a second Dominion war. Worf believes that while these changelings do not want another war, they are preparing for an attack, and Starfleet is the primary target. He believes that the portal weapon was just a distraction to cover up an even bigger heist, which might be the likely plan, and Raffi’s instinct might be the logical one. Thus, he decides to team up with Raffi to stop this threat as partners.

Star Trek: Picard (Season 3), Episode 3 Ending, Explained:

Seeing that Jack is stable, Picard returns to the bridge and urges Riker to engage the Shrike, as it is the only way to protect the crew. When Riker retorts that he is doing the same thing, Picard mentions that his tragedy might inspire this propensity for caution. Riker takes offense to that, reminding Picard that, unlike him, he is very familiar with the feeling of loss and that he is out of line. They are now peers, and Picard isn’t Riker’s boss anymore. When Picard heatedly asks him how long he can continue this defensive strategy, Riker coldly orders Picard to sit down.

Seven calls the bridge with Jack’s suspicion, but as the ship prepares to go into warp, Foster’s bomb goes off, disabling the warp drive. Riker now has no option but to follow Picard’s advice and attack. The leak has been repaired, meaning they should be coming behind the shrike, but they realize it has already engaged with them. As the Titan lets loose a volley of torpedoes, the Shrike uses its portal weapons to redirect the torpedoes toward the Titan itself, completely disabling it. The ship, now completely disabled, slowly starts falling towards the gravity well, with LaForge unable to control the ship and the Shrike retreating after the job is finished. Riker coldly orders Picard to remove himself from the bridge, as his order has killed them all.

Final Thoughts:

The perennial definition of what a “Star Trek movie” could be is defined by seventeen seconds. An episode where action set-pieces and character interactions are balanced in equal measure. But like most of the Star Trek Next Generation movies, the proclivity to focus on action set pieces comes at the cost of some plot contrivances. It is fascinating to see the inversion of characters between Picard and Riker.

Riker being the aggressive and adventurous captain and now exercising caution, makes complete sense because we are privy to his thoughts and the loss of his son. Picard’s somewhat cavalier attitude comes from the realization of a family he didn’t know existed. To mask his vulnerability, Picard chooses to retreat within the myth of Jean-Luc Picard himself. The problem with the myth being larger than the shaky reality is that, at some point, the myth could be torn down. And Riker, due to his friendship with Picard, manages to break through the myth and strip him to his bare essentials, showing him the flawed human he is. It’s good writing, without drawing attention to the subtext but also focused on telling a good story.

The revelation of the villain is, however, the moment when the excitement of the show reaches astronomical heights. With the reveal of the Changelings as the villains again, questions abound. Have they already infiltrated Starfleet? How much of an espionage-heavy storyline will we see? Will we see the version of a Dominion War again, or will it be, in a modern context, a version of Marvel’s Secret Invasion? This is fascinating, and that is not even discounting the question of how the crew would be able to get out of the gravity well. This season is firing on all cylinders, and I am all in.

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