Picard’s Epic TNG & Voyager Crossover Is Underrated

Star Trek: Picard featured two of the greatest characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s era meeting, and five years later, it doesn’t get the praise it deserves. Star Trek: Picard premiered on January 23, 2020, and ran for three seasons on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation and its three spinoffs executive produced by Rick Berman, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise, introduced many of the greatest characters in Star Trek.

Along with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), one of the most popular characters of Star The Next Generation‘s era was Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) on Star Trek: Voyager. Ryan was added at the end of Star Trek: Voyager season 3 to boost ratings. The sexy ex-Borg embodied by Ryan became a pop culture cover girl.

The final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, Star Trek: Nemesis, originally planned for Seven of Nine to cameo, but Jeri Ryan shot it down for not making sense, since her reclaimed Borg heroine had never met anyone from the USS Enterprise-D or E.

While Kate Mulgrew’s Admiral Kathryn Janeway substituted for Seven of Nine’s rejected cameo appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis, Seven of Nine would finally meet Admiral Jean-Luc Picard 18 years later.

Seven Of Nine Meeting Jean-Luc Picard In Star Trek: Picard Doesn’t Get The Praise It Deserves

Seven of Nine finally met Admiral Jean-Luc Picard at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 4, “Absolute Candor,” and Seven marks the occasion with the memorable line, “You owe me a ship, Picard.”

In hindsight, this was a landmark moment in Star Trek history. Though not the first time Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager characters crossed paths, Admiral Picard and Seven of Nine hold lofty positions as A-list Star Trek characters beloved by generations of fans.

As much as Star Trek diehards wanted to see Patrick Stewart reprise Jean-Luc Picard again, it was almost more unthinkable that Jeri Ryan would play Seven of Nine again 19 years after Star Trek: Voyager ended in 2001. Jeri Ryan returning as Seven of Nine was the most exciting casting of Star Trek: Picard season 1.

Seven of Nine and Jean-Luc Picard remained allies and saved the galaxy, and Star Trek‘s Prime Timeline, in all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. Yet it’s surprising how this phenomenal team-up was so quickly normalized.

It was always special to see Seven and Picard together on-screen, from members of La Sirena’s motley crew, to pretending to be the fascist leaders of the Confederation of Earth, to wearing Starfleet uniforms aboard the USS Titan-A.

Yet Admiral Picard and Seven of Nine voyaging through Star Trek‘s galaxy together, fighting the Romulans, the Changelings, and the Borg in all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard isn’t quite remembered for the monumental event it was to see two of the greatest characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager simpatico.

Picard & Seven Are 2 Of Star Trek’s Greatest Characters (& Borg)

Captain (and later Admiral) Jean-Luc Picard is unquestionably one of the greatest of Star Trek characters of all, right up there with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

Seven of Nine is also an iconic character in her own right, perhaps the most popular female Star Trek character from Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s era, along with Captain Kathryn Janeway.

Seven of Nine’s addition to Star Trek: Picard made sense because she shared being a reclaimed Borg in common with Jean-Luc. Both Picard and Seven have been assimilated and favored by the Borg Queen (Alice Krige, Susanna Thompson) and both have resisted and reclaimed their humanity.

It was also Admiral Picard who gave Seven of Nine a Starfleet field promotion at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 2, which led to her career as a Starfleet Officer and, later, one of Picard’s successors as Captain of the Enterprise.

Seven Of Nine Became A Better Character On Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard‘s three seasons took Seven of Nine beyond the limits of how her character was allowed to develop on Star Trek: Voyager. Almost 20 years later, Seven in Picard was wary and hardened by disappointment and heartbreak.

Star Trek: Picard revealed that Seven was rejected by Starfleet because she is a former Borg. The dejected Seven left Earth for the Beta Quadrant and a career as a Captain of the peacekeeping Fenris Rangers. Seven also lost one of her “children,” Icheb (Casey King), who was murdered in Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: Picard explored Seven of Nine’s inner life and established her status as an LGBTQ+ icon thanks to her romance with Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). In Star Trek: Picard, Seven was a richer, deeper character who contained multitudes and maintained a dogged optimism despite herself.

Commander Seven of Nine’s frustrations with her commanding officer, Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), were rewarded with Shaw’s esteem and a promotion to Captain. And not just any starship captain, but Seven became the Captain of the USS Enterprise-G, capable of leading her own series, Star Trek: Legacy, if it ever happens.

A relative newcomer in the 1990s, Jeri Ryan melded her decades of experience as an actor post-Star Trek: Voyager with a renewed vigor for delving into new aspects of Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard, creating a more mature and even more inspirational hero.

Rewatch Star Trek: Picard and marvel at Patrick Stewart as Admiral Picard and Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine sharing the screen as friends and allies. It’s worth appreciating this union of Star Trek icons even more today than it was when Star Trek: Picard was on new on Paramount+.

Release Date

2020 – 2023

Network

CBS All Access, Paramount+

Showrunner

Michael Chabon