star trek picard communicator

Yep, The Picard Finale Has A Credits Scene, And We Need To Talk About It

This post contains  spoilers for the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard."

The third season of "Star Trek: Picard" was long ago declared to be its last . Lead actor Patrick Stewart is hanging up his communicator and the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" will finally split up for good. The final season of "Picard" largely served as their encore, a late-in-life reunion that allowed the character to have a few conversations — and to be in utter peril — one last time. It seems the Next Generation is no longer their generation. 

Indeed, "Picard" ends with a Next Generation of its own. Flashing forward to a year after the season's climactic Borg battle, a new crew has been assembled. Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharp Chestnut), the daughter of Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), is already sitting at the helm of the U.S.S. Titan-A. Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the son of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), has passed through Starfleet (in only one year!) and will sit as the special counselor to the captain of the Titan. The captain, incidentally, is Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and her first officer will be Raffi (Michelle Hurd), her one-time girlfriend. This is "Star Trek: The Next, Next Generation."

Also, to assure that legacy is on everyone's mind, the U.S.S. Titan is, at the last minute, rechristened the U.S.S. Enterprise-G (it seems that the Enterprise-F was wiped out quickly). Jack will begin his career on the namesake ship of his father's two most famous commands. 

With the circumstances so arranged, naturally, the showrunners decided to fold in one last notable guest star to link everything back to NextGen. In a mid-credits scene, the presumed-dead trickster god Q ( John de Lancie ), alive again, appears to Jack.

The trial never ended

Q died during the finale of the second season of "Star Trek: Picard." So how can he be back to wreak inconvenience on Jack Crusher? Seeing as he is an omnipotent being that lives beyond the normal laws of time and space, there's no reason why he couldn't have lived another several billion years, only to return to the time when Jean-Luc Picard was alive to bid him farewell. He explains to Jack that humans think in linear terms and that his death was not to be taken as permanent. 

Jack tells Q that he knows all about his appearances to Jean-Luc, and how Q infamously put humanity on trial for their aggression and brutality. Q first appeared in the "Next Generation" pilot episode "Encounter at Farpoint" (September 28, 1987) dressed as a post-apocalyptic judge in control of his own kangaroo court. In the show's final episode, "All Good Things..." (May 23, 1994), Q declared that the trial never ended and that Picard, through his own witlessness, will accidentally destroy humanity. It wasn't until Picard could understand the real existence of paradoxes that humanity began to show a glimmer of promise. Q withdrew, having proven his point.

Q would return a few times on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager," and would close out his story in "Picard," hugging Jean-Luc in a bizarrely sentimental farewell. It seemed that his infinite lifecycle came to an end.

But, as audiences now see, the trial seemingly continues in perpetuity. Q says to Jack that his own trial is just starting. Picard's progeny now bears the responsibility of proving humanity's worthiness to continue existing. 

What does it mean?

Audiences have long been trained to accept mid-credits teasers as previews for an upcoming film or TV series; we have the Marvel Cinematic Universe to thank for that. As such, the appearance of Q might serve as a miniature pilot for another new "Star Trek" TV series. Showrunner Terry Matalas has even said that he would love to make a series called "Star Trek: Legacy," which would presumably be about life on the Enterprise-G with a young ensign Crusher and Captain Seven seeking out new life and new civilizations. 

With a new Enterprise, a new crew, and a godlike antagonist, it seems that we're exactly back to where we were in 1987 with the launch of "Next Generation." Only this time, a whole season of television presaged it, establishing characters and scenarios the way a pilot episode might. The groundwork has been laid. It seems all Matalas needs is a green light. 

As for reusing the "Next Generation" premise of a Picard standing in as humanity's avatar while Q puts our species on trial, I have no problem. Repeating an idea may be cheap from a writerly perspective, but it makes logical sense given Q's nature. He is pretty much immortal, we see, and experiences time on a vast scale. When one can live billions of years, a millennium is but a drop in the bucket. Q knew Picard for, what, five decades? That's not even the single beat of a bumblebee's wing to Q. It makes sense that the trial of humanity would continue into the next generation, or even into multiple generations beyond. Q is the Picard family Devil now. 

Whether or not audiences see it happening, we can rest assured that Q will make Picards miserable for thousands of years to come. 

• View history

The combadge was a small, multi-purpose communications and universal translation device, which usually took the form of an organization's insignia designed to be worn by the user. By the 24th century , combadges and similar devices were in use by multiple species and organizations, including the Bajoran Militia , and Klingon Empire . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Picard )

• 2.1 Primary
• 2.2 Secondary
• 4.1 See also
• 4.2 Background information
• 4.3 Future combadges
• 4.4 Gallery
• 4.5 External link

History [ ]

Section 31 combadge worn alongside two Starfleet insignia variants (2257)

In the 22nd and 23rd centuries, communicators were small, if not bulky devices which needed to be carried or holstered by people using them. Members of Starfleet usually had access to these while away from their ship or were not able to reach a wall mounted intercom . ( Star Trek: Enterprise , Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ) However, unbeknownst to a lot of the Federation , Section 31 had developed and deployed small communicators in the form of the Starfleet delta to its members as early as 2256 . ( DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ") In 2259 , when a time traveling Ensign Brad Boimler was being tended to, Captain Christopher Pike and Lieutenant Una Chin-Riley expressed a distaste for the combadge, preferring the communicator. ( SNW : " Those Old Scientists ")

2350s to 2360s Starfleet combadge

Large scale roll out of small, wearable badges didn't occur to the later 24th century , where they became standard issue among Starfleet crews as early as the 2340s . ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ") A combadge was considered standard equipment for all Starfleet personnel and taking off one's combadge constituted taking off one's uniform. ( TNG : " Redemption ", " Journey's End "; DS9 : " Tacking Into the Wind ", " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ")

2370s Starfleet combadge

As a symbol of loss of membership in Starfleet , personnel that had resigned or had been relieved of duty were required to turn in their combadges. Additionally, personnel confined to a brig were not permitted to retain their combadges during their confinement. ( TNG : " Redemption ", " Journey's End "; DS9 : " Paradise Lost ", " Inquisition "; VOY : " Thirty Days ")

Wesley Crusher wearing a silver provisional combadge variant alongside the gold 2360s version

During this time, Starfleet produced and deployed several iterations of their badge which took on different designs. This trend continued to the all the way to the 29th century . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy ) By 2399 , Cristóbal Rios , the captain of a civilian freighter called the SS La Sirena , had access to smaller combadges, called comm pins , in the shape of his ship's personalized mermaid emblem. When necessary, Rios provided them to his passengers. ( PIC : " Absolute Candor ", " The Impossible Box ", " Nepenthe ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

Tom Paris with a 2370s combadge alongside the silver 2380s combadge

Different styles of combadges often co-existed in the same era. Similar to Starfleet uniforms , the combadge used by personnel may vary by the ship, the officer's rank or department, or the facility they were stationed on; these were retained even when visiting other Federation locations. ( TNG : " The Child "; LD : " We'll Always Have Tom Paris ", " Kayshon, His Eyes Open "; DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ")

Badge styles and insignias have been known to change rapidly year to year, and older combadges were sometimes retained for continued use or for sentimental purposes. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I "; PIC : " Remembrance "; Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

During the Dominion War and its aftermath, uniform and combadge variety was pared down considerably, but the use of different combadge styles and co-existing variants expanded again in the relative peace that followed in the 2380s . This trend continued until the disaster at Utopia Planitia in 2385 , when Federation resources were once again strained. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind "; Star Trek Nemesis ; LD : " No Small Parts "; PRO : " Lost and Found "; PIC : " The End is the Beginning ")

A tricom badge used in the late 32nd century

At some point prior to the 31st century , combadges were replaced with tricom badges . ( Star Trek: Discovery ) However, a handful of 2370s and 2380s style Starfleet combadges managed to survive all the way to the 31st century, where many of them ended up in the hands of the Emerald Chain . ( DIS : " Scavengers ", " The Sanctuary ")

Capabilities [ ]

Primary [ ].

The Starfleet combadge was a crystalline composite of gold , microfilament , silicon , beryllium , and carbon-70 . ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ", " Time's Arrow "; VOY : " Hope and Fear ") They were designed for on-board ship communication with other Starfleet personnel when using the internal communication system was impossible or impractical, for accessing the on-board computer when not in an area that the computer is monitoring, for ship-to-shore communications, and for direct communication to another combadge. Combadges also were configured to act as universal translators , often translating in real time. ( DS9 : " For the Uniform "; VOY : " The Cloud ", " The 37's ", " Investigations ") Bajoran and Starfleet badges were also capable of recording a user's personal logs. ( DS9 : " The Ascent ", SNW : " Those Old Scientists ")

As with other subspace technology , combadges emitted subspace readings which could be scanned by ship sensors and tricorders . ( VOY : " Future's End ")

As early as the 2360s , combadges were used as a means of providing personal identification to shipboard computers. Each time a user accessed a specific console , the computer logged the individual's identification to that access. ( TNG : " The Drumhead "). By the 2370s , personnel had their name and serial number engraved on the back of the badge. ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

Combadges were activated by pressing it once and calling out the name or general area of the intended recipient. They could then be deactivated by another single press. Multiple presses on the badge could be used as an attempt to gain the attention of a ship's crew. ( VOY : " Caretaker ")

Due to the size of the combadge, its working range was limited to five hundred kilometers , although a starship could boost the signal to bridge larger distances. ( TNG : " 11001001 ")

A destroyed combadge ( 2371 )

Combadges were often incorporated with numerous security features intended to protect its user and Starfleet systems. They can be set to only be activated by the user it was assigned to, identified by biometric fingerprint data. ( TNG : " The Hunted ")

In emergency situations, a combadge could be modified for use in other applications. It could be converted into a subspace distress beacon , or the tiny power cell could be extracted for other uses. ( DS9 : " Rocks and Shoals ") If the casing of the combadge was ever cracked, an emergency distress signal was emitted, mainly to help searchers locate victims. ( TNG : " A Fistful of Datas "; VOY : " Time and Again ")

Furthermore, a combadge's energy cell can be used to power a makeshift personal force field generator for several seconds. ( TNG : " A Fistful of Datas ") A downside to this is when destroyed by an electrical force, a badge could cause damage to the wearer's clothing. ( TNG : " Thine Own Self ")

Secondary [ ]

La Forge uses a combadge to set transporter coordinates

Although designed primarily as communicators and universal translators , many of these devices served other roles for their users.

Combadges could be used by the transporter as a way to lock on to Starfleet personnel; more generally, the transporter could lock onto any person or object with a combadge attached or nearby, thus making transport faster and more accurate. USS Enterprise -D Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge used his combadge to allow the transporter to beam off an explosive device that the Ansata terrorists planted on the ship during their mission on Rutia IV . ( VOY : " Caretaker ", " Tattoo ", " Investigations ", " The Chute "; TNG : " Justice ", " The High Ground ") When Ferengi briefly took over the Enterprise in 2369 , they were captured by attaching combadges to them and using the badges to beam them into a secured transporter room . ( TNG : " Rascals ")

Gallery [ ]

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• Starfleet insignia

Background information [ ]

The Starfleet insignia pin first used in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan later became a combadge, as Lieutenant Richard Castillo can be seen pressing his and speaking into it in TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ". The combadge with the rectangular back was designed for Star Trek Generations and first seen in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine third season premiere episode " The Search, Part I ", before being used continually in the series and Star Trek: Voyager . It also appeared in the four Next Generation movies and in episodes of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks .

When the combadge first appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation , it appeared to be larger than the prop used in later seasons. It was also referred to as a communicator rather than a combadge by Beverly Crusher in TNG : " The Naked Now " and " Remember Me ".

Future combadges [ ]

There have been two possible future combadges seen in Star Trek .

The future combadge most commonly seen throughout the Star Trek franchise was a delta shield outline backed by two vertical gold quadrangles, depicted in several possible futures as early as 2390 . This combadge has been seen in TNG : " All Good Things... ", DS9 : " The Visitor ", VOY : " Timeless ", and VOY : " Endgame ". This advanced combadge finally appeared in the prime timeline in 2378 during the finale of Star Trek: Voyager , when it was brought back in time by a future version of Kathryn Janeway from the year 2404 . That future combadge was left behind in 2378 alongside other anachronistic future technology that aided in Voyager 's early return to Earth fourteen years early. ( VOY : " Endgame ") Years later, a similar looking combadge with streamlined upgrades and silver coloring appeared in Star Trek: Picard , as Starfleet 's standard issue combadge during the 2390s .

Also seen in Voyager was a 29th century combadge. This is a "winged" arrowhead, similar in style to the insignia found on a 24th century starship hull. It has been seen in the episodes VOY : " Future's End ", " Future's End, Part II ", and " Relativity ", used by Starfleet officers aboard the timeship the USS Relativity .

In TNG : " Future Imperfect ", a different future combadge was shown in a holodeck simulation, but it was later revealed to be a part of a fake portrayal of the future used to deceive William Riker . It was comprised of the delta shield and three rectangular strips behind it signifying rank , doing away with rank pips. In TNG : " Parallels " the same combadge was seen again alongside rank pips in an alternate quantum reality , but not from the future. The backing strips were colored either gold, silver, or black depending on the rank of the wearer; admiralty had a starred gold delta with silver backing strips.

External link [ ]

• Combadge at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 3 Ancient humanoid

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Star Trek: Picard Recap: The Needs of the Many

Star trek: picard.

When Vadic died at the end of “ Surrender ,” I breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, things were bad, but they were about to get better. How naive and innocent I was, how childlike and trusting! Shit really hits the fan in “Vox,” and I am very worried about the fate of my beloved crew.

We finally get the answer to the question we’ve been asking all season: What’s the deal with Jack Crusher? Apparently, he’s part Borg. To the point where the Borg Queen thinks of him as her son. Ew.

Dr. Crusher diagnosed Jean-Luc with Irumodic Syndrome at the end of  The Next Generation,  but organic technology within his body was what allowed him to operate as a communicator with the Borg. This answers a question I’ve had for years: Why, in  Star Trek: First Contact , could Picard still hear the Borg’s voices despite not having any Borg tech in his body? He then passed that ability on to Jack, who thought he was hearing the voice of his mother in his mind. Now we know it was the Borg Queen whispering to him. His love of order and ability to control people are all Borg.

Jean-Luc, a man who has no grasp of his or anyone else’s emotions, unsurprisingly does not handle this news well. It’s clear that Jack is scared and looking for answers, but instead of offering comfort, Jean-Luc can barely look at his son as he breaks the dire news. Instead of love, he offers a Vulcan institution and “the needs of the many.” It isn’t his finest moment. Jean-Luc could have handled this better, but he let his fear control him. He has passed much more than Locutus on to his son, but he can’t see past his guilt right now.

And it drives Jack straight into the arms (er … tendrils? Hoses?) of the person who has been pursuing him the entire time: the Borg Queen. It’s not the smartest decision, but it’s an understandable emotional one to go where you’re most likely to get answers. Jack doesn’t understand the power of the Borg Queen (Jean-Luc does all too well, which is why he reacted the way he did). He underestimates her, and he pays the price.

The Borg are back, and the Borg Queen has Jack (and named him Vox), and the Changelings have managed to work an assimilation protocol into Starfleet’s transporter systems so everyone under a certain age is now basically a Borg. Of course, I’m worried about Jack and Alandra and Sidney. They’re all in trouble. I care. Really. I really do care a lot!!!

That said, the problem with mixing legacy characters and new ones is that your heart is always with the people you’ve known for most of your life. I reveled in every joke, glance, and smile between these characters. And when they revealed the final cast member for this legacy reunion, something I hoped would happen after Alandra’s Hangar Bay 12 reference in the episode “ The Bounty ,” I fully lost my shit. I couldn’t care about anything or anyone else.

Yes, Starfleet is in trouble, and things look really bad, but the Enterprise-D is back and I got to watch my cast walk onto the bridge. It’s funny. This is a plot-heavy episode with a ton of big reveals — uncovering the Borg connection, the beginning of Frontier Day, all the young people becoming Borg, Shaw dying (oh no), Raffi staying behind to support Seven (oh yes) — yet it’s hard to focus on any of it because our ship is back and she’s perfect. (Did you hear that, Worf? SHE IS PERFECT.)

The big moments of this episode are rooted in nostalgia, especially the closing reveal. That’s not a bad thing (I absolutely loved it), but it makes it hard to talk about this episode rationally. It’s not about the plot or what happened; it’s how it made me  feel . That’s what I care about here. Despite the dire circumstances (don’t destroy Spacedock!! Starfleet is Borg now?) and having only one episode to wrap up a huge story, it feels good because we’re home. This is a family, and when they’re together, everything will be okay.

Captain’s Log

• The Enterprise-F ! It’s being decommissioned! Maybe we’ll see a new Enterprise at the end of this.

• Haven’t we learned by now  not to network the ships ? Come on, Starfleet! Admiral Shelby, shame!

• I was starting to get worried that we wouldn’t have  any  Raffi-and-Seven moments, but now they’re stuck on the Titan together and I have hope!

• But the sad thing is that Shaw is gone and the internet will be  very mad .

• The Borg Queen sounded a whole lot like Alice Krige, who played her in  Star Trek: First Contact . So creepy, so well done. (According to the credits, it is, in fact, Alice Krige!)

• Seven calling Data “the robot” made me laugh so hard I cried.

• Data  finally  has a grasp of humor, and I love it. His humor with the emotion chip felt so artificial, but this is natural and funny!!

• There’s something extra-moving about Geordi being back at the conn, which is where he started!!

• My heart is not ready for this show to end.

• star trek: picard

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The figure will include multiple hands, a 2401-era Starfleet phaser, and a bottle of Chateau Picard wine as accessories, and this edition of Picard will arrive clad in his  Picard Season 3 jacket, pants, and boots — and with his unique Admiral’s badge.

From EXO-6’s official announcement:

This 1:6-scale figure re-creates this iconic character in exquisite 1:6 detail. Standing approximately 11 inches tall, every element, from his 24th century jacket to his custom black boots, is authentically reproduced. The original portrait sculpt of Patrick Stewart has an authentic, hand-painted likeness.   The EXO-6 Picard 1:6 Scale Articulated Figure includes:   – Fully Articulated Body: More than 30 points of articulation allow the figure to be displayed in multiple dynamic poses, approximately 28 cm tall.   – Realistic Portrait: Lovingly rendered by a top artist, this excellent likeness of Patrick Stewart as jean-Luc Picard is specially hand-painted.   – 24th Century Outfit: With research assisted by Costume Designer Michael Crow, this clothing set matches the onscreen costume as seen in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. Including the jacket, pants and trousers – all matched to the original costume. An authentically scaled communicator badge is permanently affixed to the jacket. – Boots: Plastic boots sculpted to match the cut and style of the original footwear.   – Display Base: A hexagonal display base featuring the transporter pad will provide additional support for the figure. Two different inserts for the floor of the base can represent the transporter pad or the center of the transporter array.

The new Admiral Picard figure is up for preorder at EXO-6’s website today for a price of $190, and is expected to ship to collectors in late 2023.

While other third-party retailers will likely list the figure in the coming days, the fastest way to get the completed Admiral Picard figure once out of manufacturing is to order through EXO-6 directly.

Keep your sensors locked on TrekCore for all the latest  Star Trek collectible news!

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5 Great Lessons Star Trek: Discovery Learned From Picard Season 3

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 takes a fun turn with space exploration, embracing the adventurous nature of Star Trek.
• Building on TNG and DS9, season 5 introduces new characters like Captain Rayner to shake things up.
• Discovery season 5 offers compelling villains like Moll and L'ak, adding mystery and tension to the galactic treasure hunt.

Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season learned all the right lessons from Star Trek: Picard season 3. Following the adventures of the USS Discovery and Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Discovery has been many things throughout its four seasons. After the titular ship jumped to the 32nd century at the end of Discovery season 2, the show began exploring the Federation of the far future. While Discovery has often focused on dark and emotional storytelling, season 5 finally embraces the fun of space exploration. Between the latter half of Discovery season 4 and the first few episodes of season 5, the show has finally found a formula that really works.

Star Trek: Picard also told darker stories in its first two seasons, but Picard season 3 leaned more into nostalgia and fun. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) reunited with his Star Trek: The Next Generation crew for one last galaxy-saving adventure that involved big revelations and connections to the past. Picard season 3 became a resounding success , and many fans have been clamoring for the proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy , ever since. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 seems to have learned a thing or two from Picard's success, and is shaping up to be the best season of the show thus far.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery season 5 builds on star trek's long history, both discovery season 5 & picard season 3 continued stories that began on tng..

The Star Trek franchise has been captivating audiences since the premiere of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, and with that comes a lot of history and lore. Star Trek: Discovery has always been connected to TOS , but Discovery season 5 has been building more directly on stories that were established in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The main plot line of Discovery season 5 serves as a direct follow-up to TNG season 6, episode 20, "The Chase," and has sent Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery on a galactic treasure hunt.

Star Trek : Discovery's 32nd century finally feels more connected to the rest of Star Trek 's timeline.

As Burnham and Discovery search for the ancient and powerful technology of the Progenitors, they also seek to learn more about themselves and answer the biggest questions about life, itself. Discovery 's treasure hunt has already taken them to the planet Trill where Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) participated in a Trill ritual first introduced on DS9 . Aside from obvious connections to DS9 and TNG , Discovery season 5 has also included numerous shout-outs to previously established aliens and planets. Star Trek : Discovery's 32nd century finally feels more connected to the rest of Star Trek 's timeline.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Embraces Nostalgia

Picard season 3 saw more returning characters, but discovery season 5 tells a classic trek story..

Not only has Star Trek: Discovery season 5 been building on established Star Trek history, but it has also embraced the nostalgia many fans have for TNG -era Trek in particular. Discovery season 5 may be set too far in the future to bring back characters like Star Trek: Picard season 3 did, but the show has still managed to feel more like classic Trek . Not only did the Discovery season 5 premiere show a photo of Captain Picard, but the episode also introduced a Soong-type android named Fred (J. Adam Brown), who bore a striking resemblance to Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner).

While Star Trek: Discovery season 5 still has many serialized elements, each episode also tells its own story, often taking Burnham and her crew to a new planet. In Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," Captain Burnham and Mr. Saru (Doug Jones) find themselves under attack by automated drones, in a plot taken straight from TNG . Whether or not Discovery will have its own USS Enterprise-D moment like Picard season 3 remains to be seen, but the season has certainly leaned into its connections to the past more than any previous seasons.

Many of the new characters, like the android Fred and Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), wouldn't feel out of place on TNG or DS9.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Introduces New Characters To Shake Things Up

Captain liam shaw & captain rayner have a lot in common..

Much like Star Trek: Picard season 3 introduced Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) to challenge Admiral Picard and Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced Callum Keith Rennie's Captain Rayner to test the patience of Captain Burnham and Discovery's crew. After Rayner makes a bad call on Q'Mau in the season premiere, he gets demoted to Commander, and Burnham recruits him to be the USS Discovery's First Officer. When Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) pushes Rayner to get to know the crew, he pushes back, pointing out that he has more important things to worry about.

Like Shaw, Rayner has a gruff personality that doesn't quite gel with the rest of the USS Discovery crew.

When Michael first asks Rayner to be her Number One, she acknowledges that she needs someone who will sometimes challenge her. This will likely come up in the episodes to come, as Discovery gets closer and closer to the Progenitors' treasure. Rayner has already hinted that he has a past with couriers Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), and his main goal is to find them and stop whatever it is they're planning. Over the course of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Captain Shaw became a fan favorite as more was revealed about his backstory, and it seems likely that Rayner will get similar results.

Why I'm On Rayner's Side In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Star trek: discovery season 5 has compelling villains, moll & l'ak may not be as menacing as vadic, but they all have compelling backstories..

Star Trek: Picard season 3 introduced one of Star Trek's best new villains in Amanda Plummer's Vadic, a Changeling with a grudge against the Federation. While much about Moll and L'ak remains a mystery at this point, the hints that have been dropped about them are interesting and suggest they have a compelling backstory. Rayner seems to know more about them than he's letting on, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) has a connection with Moll that has yet to be explored. Moll and L'ak are Star Trek's version of Bonnie and Clyde, but it's possible an even bigger bad hired them to steal the Progenitor technology.

It's possible a more powerful threat could emerge before Star Trek : Discovery season 5 comes to an end.

With all the secrecy surrounding L'ak in particular, whose species is not even known, it's possible he could have connections to Star Trek's past that have not yet been revealed. Moll and L'ak may not have quite the menace of Vadic, but both villains have advanced technology and absolutely no interest in working with the Federation. The Borg Queen (Alice Krige) also made a return in Star Trek: Picard season 3 as the one pulling the strings, and with technology as seismic as the Progenitors' treasure, it's possible a more powerful threat could emerge before Star Trek : Discovery season 5 comes to an end.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Is Fun

Picard season 3 & discovery season 5 both remembered that star trek should be fun..

And last, but certainly not least, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is simply more fun than any previous season. The latter half of Discovery season 4 showed hints of this, but season 5 has embraced the adventurous nature of exploration. With desert bike chases and automated weapons and invisible aliens, each episode of Discovery season 5 so far has had a least one big, high-energy action sequence. Like Star Trek: Picard season 3, Discovery season 5 has also found time for humor and laughter shared among friends even when the stakes are high.

It's unfortunate Star Trek: Discovery is coming to an end so soon after it found a winning formula, but at least the show will end on a high note.

Captain Burnham and the Discovery crew have been through a lot since season 1, and Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is finally letting them have fun. They may have to keep the Progenitors' technology out of the wrong hands, but they still get to embark on a massive treasure hunt centuries in the making. Saru has found love with Ni'Var President T'Rina (Tara Rosling), Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) is rediscovering his love of science, and even Tilly has gotten back in on the fun of it all. It's unfortunate Star Trek: Discovery is coming to an end so soon after it found a winning formula, but at least the show will end on a high note.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Release Date September 24, 2017

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek: Picard

Cast Orla Brady, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan, Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Marina Sirtis, Amanda Plummer, Whoopi Goldberg, Gates McFadden, Todd Stashwick, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, John de Lancie, Ed Speleers

Release Date January 23, 2020

Writers Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Directors Terry Matalas, Jonathan Frakes

Showrunner Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Star Trek: Picard Admiral (ret.) Jean-Luc Picard by EXO-6

By Tony_Bacala on September 12, 2023 at 12:56 pm under Star Trek Toy News

EXO-6 have unveiled their next Star Trek 1/6th scale figure with Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Admiral (ret.) Jean-Luc Picard figure.  The figure is 1/6 scale with a killer likeness and soft goods gear.  Read on for full specs and accessories.  Retail is $189.99 with a ship date of January 2024.  Hit our sponsors below to snag your copies!

Entertainment Earth , Big Bad Toy Store

Star Trek: Picard Admiral (ret.) Jean-Luc Picard Estimate delivery date: 4th Quarter 2023 “What began over 35 years ago ends tonight.” The oft-praised Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard is represented here in 1:6 form by EXO-6’s Jean-Luc Picard one sixth scale museum grade collectible figure. This 1:6-scale figure re-creates this iconic character in exquisite 1:6 detail. Standing approximately 11 inches tall, every element, from his 24th century jacket to his custom black boots, is authentically reproduced. The original portrait sculpt of Patrick Stewart has an authentic, hand-painted likeness. The EXO-6 Picard 1:6 Scale Articulated Figure includes: Fully Articulated Body: More than 30 points of articulation allow the figure to be displayed in multiple dynamic poses, approximately 28 cm tall. Realistic Portrait: Lovingly rendered by a top artist, this excellent likeness of Patrick Stewart as jean-Luc Picard is specially hand-painted. 24th Century Outfit: With research assisted by Costume Designer Michael Crow, this clothing set matches the onscreen costume as seen in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. Including the jacket, pants and trousers – all matched to the original costume. An authentically scaled communicator badge is permanently affixed to the jacket. Boots: Plastic boots sculpted to match the cut and style of the original footwear. Display Base: A hexagonal display base featuring the transporter pad will provide additional support for the figure. Two different inserts for the floor of the base can represent the transporter pad or the center of the transporter array. Equipment Picard comes with appropriate hand props as seen in the show. He comes equipped with: Federation hand phaser. Bottle of Chateau Picard (not for consumption). This fine collectible figure is a perfect rendition of everyone’s favorite retired admiral and an excellent way to commemorate Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. Many thanks to showrunner Terry Matalas, Costume Designer Michael Crow and Prop Master Jeffrey Lombardi for their invaluable help in realizing the characters of Star Trek: Picard. Height: 11 in Prototype shown, actual product may vary.

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Star Trek  TM : The Original Series

Bluetooth ® communicator prop replica, the wand company is proud to present our star trek: the original series bluetooth communicator. this exceptionally accurate and highly detailed working replica was revealed on thinkgeek’s booth at san diego comic-con in july 2015., our new communicator is an advanced bluetooth enabled speakerphone that is compatible with all bluetooth enabled communications equipment worldwide, such as mobile phones and music players..

Highly accurate: Created from 3D scans of the last known hero prop

Fully functional: Easy to pair with any Bluetooth compatible mobile phone

Authentic function: Use the classic flip action to answer calls

High quality: Die-cast zinc, CNC machined aluminium, iridescent coated jewels

Contactless charging: Built-in lithium polymer battery

Immersive play features:  17 new authentic voice clips and 3 Original Series Communicator sound FX

Gorgeous transit case : Moulded foam lined transit case and leatherette pouch

beautifully presented

The Communicator prop replica is protected from damage and kept in pristine condition (when not on display) in a high quality, moulded-foam-lined presentation case. Manufactured in hard-wearing engineering-grade ABS, the case is also designed to stack as if supplied from the original Enterprise. When on the move, a leatherette pouch protects it from scuffing.

quality materials

High-quality materials are brought together to create an exceptionally well-finished Communicator replica that looks and feels like it means business: CNC-machined aluminium; nickel-plated die-cast zinc; punched, pressed and welded steel; thermoplastic polyurethane rubber; ABS plastic with a digitally created texture.

the ultimate collectible

Whether you have just discovered Star Trek  or have been hooked since you were a kid, this Communicator is something that you just have to own. Researched, designed and built with fanatical attention to detail, the simplicity of its embossed, die-cast, magnetic, wireless charging stand presents and charges this iconic piece with style.

the fantasy made real

Designed from the first 3D structured light scans of the last known hero screen-used Communicator prop, this amazing replica boasts a host of exciting features such as a silent rotating moiré pattern, AB-coated iridescent jewels and, authentic voice clips arranged in sentence fragments for immersive play, while also being a fully-functional Bluetooth enabled handset.

The Wand Company’s attention to detail combined with state-of-the-art technology brings the fantasy to life

This Original Series  Bluetooth Communicator is not a toy: it is an advanced, Bluetooth wireless technology enabled communications device, designed to pair with a mobile phone and thus permit near instantaneous person-to-person communication at a considerable distance. When paired with a device capable of streaming music, the Communicator may also be used as a wireless music speaker.

This Communicator has been developed to give its owner the maximum level of enjoyment; designed using extremely accurate 3D scans of one of the last remaining communicator hero props from the 1960s Original Series television show, dedicated attention to detail, the use of authentic materials, textures and finishes and the tireless support and extraordinarily deep knowledge of HeroComm.com so generously given to us, has resulted in a fully functioning, display grade product that is highly faithful to the original prop.

The Communicator is robust enough to be used in play and cosplay. With its authentic sound effects and original voice clips, the Communicator provides plenty of opportunity for in-universe interaction and fun, and of course its Bluetooth functionality enables it to be used exactly as it was always intended – as a person-to-person communications device. The Communicator is not a walkie-talkie. In order to use it to talk to another person, you will also need a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone (or internet phone) that can make and receive telephone calls.

Pairing and using the Communicator with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to receive and make calls is straightforward

Pairing with a mobile phone is a simple procedure.

Once the Communicator is paired with a phone, just flip open the antenna grille to answer an incoming call.

Press and hold the right-hand button to initiate voice dialling (or to access other functions available via voice-activated assistants such as Siri on iPhones, Google Now on Android or Cortana on Windows phones).

Double-click the right-hand button to pause and play music.

20 authentic Star Trek voice clips and Communicator sound FX can be accessed at any time via the right-hand 5-way jog button.

What people are saying about the Communicator

The Verge The little device was actually designed using one of the original props from Star Trek, and is composed of a combination of pressed metal, aluminum, and textured plastic. Without having actually lived through the 1960s, I thought it felt authentic — weighty and purposeful for people in Starfleet. The grill flips opens with the actual sound effects from the show, and the speaker and transceiver make it look truly like a 23rd century artifact.

The Thrillist That sound you may have heard earlier today? The excited sobs of Trekkies everywhere when they saw that this bad boy is soon going to be a reality. The Wand Company just threw down a certified replica of the iconic Star Trek Original Series Communicator. A fully-functioning certified replica. Yeah!

Gizmodo This Bluetooth-equipped Star Trek Communicator is going to enable my bad habits even further—and my friends will hate me for it. Created by The Wand Company, a toy outfit that has a penchant for designing nerd treasure with actual real-world function.

Pocket Now Here’s where things get intense. The Wand Company wasn’t content merely to kick out a slightly refined version of the communicator toys we’ve seen for years; rather, building on the reproduction expertise it demonstrated with its earlier phaser remote control, it’s made the Star Trek Bluetooth Communicator a fully-fledged, museum-quality replica.

The Trek Collective …it is also probably the best reproduction of that prop ever offered.

Our customers

“It’s so great that you build all that stuff from the original show!!! Thanks for that!! I will buy some!”

“I wish I could high five each and everyone one of you at The Wand Company you all def deserve!”

“This is absolutely amazing. I just got through studying it. Heck, even the diagram is fantastic. I can’t imagine how great it will be to actually hold one of these in my hands.”

“I am very much looking forward to this, if it works like I hope it works, I may never talk directly on my phone again!”

“I’ve never even watched Star Trek and I honestly want this. Looks awesome.”

“This is awesome, Wand Company! Have wanted one of these for a long time and this was a great surprise when I came across it today! Every one of your products so far has been great! Keep it up!”

“I’ve been involved in the Star Trek prop-building community for a long time, and this is the holy grail. Commercially available “replicas” made up to this point have been pretty lackluster…and come in at many times the price of this and had no practical functionality at all.”

“This will look fantastic sitting next to my Phaser can’t wait.”

“Wow. You are spoiling us now….but THANK YOU!!! An already top quality product just got better!”

A Communicator that really works is a dream come true for fans who have waited 50 years for the function of this iconic prop to be realised.

Ever since James Tiberius Kirk flipped that gold-coloured antenna grille, called the Enterprise’s Chief Engineer orbiting 1000 kilometres above him, and asked to be beamed up, every Star Trek fan, in fact pretty much every science fiction fan, has wistfully dreamed of having a working Communicator of their own.

The Communicator didn’t just excite fans with a sense of what the future might hold for them: it actually inspired engineers to boldly go and create that future. Martin Cooper, the engineer working at Motorola credited with creating the world’s first mobile phone in 1973, said it was Kirk’s iconic prop that inspired him to create it.

The mobile phone has changed the way that the human race interacts. Mobile phones now dominate one-to-one and one-to-many communications; but still nothing can compare with the utter magic of putting yourself into the mindset of an intrepid 23rd century Starfleet landing party and flipping that golden antenna grille to answer an incoming call with the classic Communicator chirp, or speaking through the Communicator to your ship’s computer to ask it to dial and connect you with one of your friends.

For all those fans that dreamed, now at last the wait is over – owning is believing!

Where you can order a Communicator

The Communicator is available exclusively from

United States | United Kingdom | Canada | European Union

Is the Communicator a walkie talkie?

Can i receive phone calls on the communicator, can i make phone calls on the communicator, what batteries does the communicator use.

• Is the Communicator a ``screen-accurate`` replica?

Can I use any USB cable to power up the charging stand?

Frequently-asked questions.

Look down this list of frequently-asked questions to find answers that will help you if you are thinking of buying a Communicator and want to learn more about how it works.

No, the Communicator is a Bluetooth enabled handset. This means that the Communicator can wirelessly send and receive audio to and from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone (or Bluetooth enabled music player) within a range of about five metres. Therefore, in order to use the Communicator to talk to other people, you will need a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone with which the Communicator will have to be paired and connected.

Yes, provided you have a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone and the Communicator is paired with it, within range and connected to it.

When a call comes in, the Communicator will play the hailing beep and flipping open the antenna grille will answer the call.

The Communicator does not have a numeric keypad or graphical display, so calls may only be initiated via the Communicator if it is paired with and connected to a mobile phone that supports voice dialing from a hands-free Bluetooth headset, or by using the ‘last number redial’ function (see below).

To make a call:

Single click the right button to initiate voice dialing.

Once voice dialing is initiated the Communicator will play speech prompts and confirmation tones from your mobile through the Communicator’s speaker and your mobile phone will use the Communicator’s microphone.

For some phones, an internet connection is required for voice dialing.

IMPORTANT: Please check your mobile phone’s user manual to find out if your mobile phone supports voice dialing from a Bluetooth headset, and best way to activate and use it. There are some mobile phones that can only use voice dialing if a key is pressed on the mobile phone to initiate voice dialing. You will not be able to use a phone like this for voice dialing from the Communicator. Also, identical mobile phones may handle remote voice dialing differently depending on what version of operating system software they currently have installed.

Last number redial

Press and hold the right button for last number redial. This can be useful where your mobile phone doesn’t support remote voice dialing, but you would still like to make a call from your Communicator.

What batteries does the Communicator use?

The Communicator has a built-in rechargeable lithium polymer power cell that is recharged via the USB cable supplied with the Communicator. (Any good quality USB to micro-USB cable may also be used). The Communicator handset is charged by placing it on the charging base and held in place by magnetic catches.

Is the Communicator a “screen-accurate” replica?

For most users the answer is a definite “Yes!”. We have spent thousands of hours and taken great care to make this Communicator replica as accurate as possible to the last known screen-used hero prop that Shatner and Nimoy used in the original series of Star Trek. In order to make it so accurate we took high-resolution 3D structured light scans of the “Alpha” original hero prop. To complement the “Alpha” scans we took numerous photographs and measurements, 3D laser scanned the “Epsilon” static screen-used prop, and took castings from (and weighed the components of) the “Zeta” static prop. We also made use of HeroComm.com’s extensive access to samples of authentic original materials, which were kindly loaned to us to make sure that our Communicator not only followed the data of the original accurately, but also captured the nuances of the original prop’s intention.

However, in order to make the Communicator manufacturable and more affordable, and to iron out some of the original’s inconsistencies, we have had to make some slight changes, and as such, this replica may be considered to be an idealised version of the original hero prop.

The original hero prop was made from a range of different materials including thermoformed Kydex sheet material, brass, and aluminium. In order to keep the cost as reasonable as possible we have used the nearest equivalent material that is suitable for modern manufacturing methods. Where metal was used in the construction of the hero prop, we have used metal in the Communicator replica.

The Main Housing

The hero prop’s main housing was made by thermoforming a sheet of Kydex material over a specially shaped tool. The Kydex had a particular pattern designed to replicate a pigskin texture. Due to the process, the texture stretched slightly at the sides, where the sheet was drawn down over the steeper draft angles of the housing. Our Communicator could not be made using thermoforming due to the need for internal fixings, so as a result our replica’s housing is made from injection-moulded ABS. However, the Kydex pattern was carefully reproduced using an advanced 3D laser etching process to create the pattern on the surface of the mould tool. One of the benefits of using this process is that we were able to measure the distortion of the original sheet material and recreate it on the texture of the injection-moulded part.

The Antenna Grille

The hero prop’s antenna grille was made by forming a sheet of perforated brass to give it its distinctive rounded-corner box shape. This was then soldered onto a brass wire that was glued into the turned brass hinge axle. For our Communicator for the purposes of robustness we have used steel for the grille and the supporting wire and coated it in a gold metallic finish. The hinge axle is die cast zinc.

The Mid-Plate

The hero prop’s mid-plate was a simple shape cut out of a sheet of aluminium. While our Communicator’s mid-plate looks identical on the outside, inside the Communicator it has a complex design that is a structural element, providing a fixing for many internal parts and a strong hinge stop for the antenna grille. As a result our Communicator’s mid-plate is manufactured in die-cast zinc, causing the overall weight of our replica to be around 27 grams heavier than the screen-used “Alpha” hero prop.

The Moiré Bezel

In the hero prop, where aluminium was used for the bezel, we have copied this exactly using CNC-machined aerospace-grade aluminium. On the “Alpha” hero prop, the bezel was mounted not quite centrally onto the top of the housing – we have corrected this imperfection for our product.

The hero prop’s jewels were Swarovski jewels mounted on the upturned ends of vacuum metallised slot car wheel hubs. The left and right jewels were sputter coated in gold to give them an iridescent AB (Aurora Borealis) look. The hero prop jewels did not light up and were prone to falling off. Our Communicator’s jewels do light up and need to be fixed permanently in place. The replica jewels are injection moulded – with facets underneath to catch the light. The left and right jewels are also sputter coated in a gold layer to give them that authentic iridescent AB (Aurora Borealis) appearance. Light pipes connect the jewels to LEDs inside the main housing, and chromium-plated injection-moulded mounts house and fix the jewels permanently in position. In the “Alpha” prop, the jewels were not evenly spaced across the housing – this was not an intentional aspect of the design so we have corrected the spacing for our product.

The Buttons

The hero prop had vacuum-metallised slot car wheel hubs as buttons. The original hubs were injection moulded in yellow plastic that was coated in a very thin layer of shiny metal. As a result it wore off during handling, revealing the plastic underneath. Our Communicator uses specially moulded buttons that are more heavily plated (with true chrome electroplating) and will be much less prone to surface wear.

Moiré winder

The “Alpha” hero prop’s moiré pattern rotated, turned by a pocket watch mechanism inside the prop. This was wound up through a brass tube that poked out of the main housing at the front under the mid-plate. After careful consideration, we decided that this aspect of the hero prop was not intended to be shown on screen and as a result was removed from our design. To make room inside the Communicator for the Bluetooth wireless components battery and speaker, the moiré screen is rotated by a miniature stepper motor.

Yes. The Communicator is supplied with with a USB charging cable, but any good quality micro-USB cable may be used to power the charging stand and thus charge up the Communicator.

Look down this list of frequently-asked questions to find answers that will help you if you are thinking of buying a Communicator and want to learn more about how it works.

Is the Communicator a "screen accurate" replica?

The “Alpha” hero prop’s moiré pattern rotated, turned by a pocket watch mechanism inside the prop. This was wound up through a brass tube that poked out of the main housing at the front under the mid-plate. After careful consideration,we decided that this aspect of the hero prop was not intended to be shown on screen and as a result was removed from our design. To make room inside the Communicator for the Bluetooth wireless components battery and speaker, the moiré screen is rotated by a miniature stepper motor.

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Star Trek: Discovery is cracking open a box Next Gen closed on purpose

The USS Discovery is on a mad chase across the galaxy for one of Star Trek’s biggest secrets

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Calling back to a single 30-year-old episode of television is a time-honored Star Trek tradition , one that’s led the franchise to some of its most fascinating detours. And in its two-episode season premiere, Star Trek: Discovery seems to be kicking off an entire season calling back to one particular episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

And not just any episode! The 1993 installment of Next Gen in question delivered a revelation so seemingly earth-shaking that it should have rewritten galactic politics on a massive scale. But then, as was the way in the 1990s era of episodic TV, nobody ever mentioned it again.

At least until now.

[ Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.]

Writer Michelle Paradise and director Olatunde Osunsanmi lay out the connection at the end of the first of two episodes released this week, “Red Directive.” Discovery’s mission is to follow a series of ancient clues leading to a cache of ancient technology, and to get there before a couple of professional thieves, Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis), do.

The technology, as Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg) explains, belongs to the so-called Progenitors, a barely understood ancient spacefaring species that “created life as we know it […] every humanoid species in the galaxy.” Presumably such tech holds the key to understanding how the Progenitors did that, and how that power could be used again.

The Progenitors are from the Star Trek episode “The Chase”

Kovich also calls up a helpful video presentation of the moment the Progenitors were discovered by an assembled group of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, and Cardassian captains, including Jean-Luc Picard. But you don’t have to be a Star Trek lore nerd to know you’re actually just looking at clips from an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Specifically, from the 20th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s sixth season, “The Chase,” in which Picard and crew discover pieces of a computer program hidden inside the DNA of species from dozens of different planets. Questions abound: What does the program do? And what kind of entity could have been so ancient and powerful that it had determined the genetic legacy of most of the known galaxy before sentient life had even evolved here — and then left no trace of its existence except the genetic codes themselves?

In a nutshell, the mysterious death of Captain Picard’s old archeology professor (did you know that if he hadn’t gone into Starfleet, Jean-Luc was studying to be a space archeologist? Well, now you do) sets the captain and the Enterprise on a search for the missing DNA fragments necessary to complete his unfinished work.

The action of the episode becomes a grand chase, as Klingon and Cardassian captains come to believe the program must be a great weapon or dangerous secret. Eventually Picard and his rivals all discover the lonely planet with the final DNA strain — and when they get there, some Romulans who’ve been secretly following all of them show up, too, just to make things even more tense.

In the end, the program isn’t a weapon or a secret, but a message from an ancient race of humanoids that apparently created sentient life in our galaxy as we know it.

Actor Salome Jens appears as a Progenitor hologram, and delivers a speech that’s stirring by any standard of Star Trek monologues, telling the story of a race of sentients that took to the stars and found them empty. They had evolved too early to meet other forms of sentient life, and knew that their time was too limited to ever expect to.

“We knew that one day we would be gone; that nothing of us would survive, so we left you,” Jens’ Progenitor explains. The Progenitors seeded humanoid life across the galaxy in their own image; life that tended to evolve into bipedal, tailless, largely hairless creatures with two eyes and two arms and five fingers on each hand. And they left clues in the genetic signature of their work, broken up among the stars.

Wait, was this really all about lampshading the limits of Star Trek’s alien design?

Kinda, yes! The writers of “The Chase,” Ron Moore and Joe Menosky, were inspired by elements of Carl Sagan’s Contact , but also by Menosky’s pet fascination creating an in-universe explanation for why all the common alien species in Star Trek are basically shaped like humans (albeit with latex on their faces).

In other hands, it would be hokey and trite, but even under heavy makeup, Jens sells the hell out of her single scene on voice and stance alone — it’s no wonder she was asked back to the Trek fold to play a major antagonist role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

“It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message, and if you can see and hear me, our hope has been fulfilled,” the Progenitor hologram concludes, with gentle compassion. “You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence. That was our wish: That you, too, would know life. [...] There is something of us in each of you, and so something of you in each other.”

But though “The Chase” carried a sweeping revelation, nothing ever really panned out from it. You’d think that a message of togetherness that fundamentally rewrote the origin of life in the universe would have to have tweaked Star Trek’s galactic politics a bit, right? Seems like this would give the Star Trek setting a radically different understanding of the origins of life than we have in the real world — this is literally intelligent design! At the very least there’d be some other characters talking about how humans and Vulcans, Klingons and Romulans and Ferengi and Cardassians and Trill and Bajorans, all share the same genetic ancestor.

But nope: The Pandora’s box of Progenitor lore remained closed. Gene Roddenberry’s successor and Trek producer Rick Berman seems to have been disenchanted with the episode’s reveal — and you can’t really blame him for not wanting to rock the whole cosmology of Star Trek in an episode that’s mostly about explaining how if you turn the DNA snippets like this they make a cool spiral. Now look at this computer screen with the spiral :

Except now, Star Trek: Discovery is opening the box and rocking the boat. This new mad, puzzle-box chase around the galaxy promises to expand on the Progenitors, an idea so big that not even The Next Generation was willing to touch it. It’s a tall order, but Discovery has never been more free to shake up Star Trek continuity than it is right now — we’ll have to wait for more episodes of the show’s final season to find out how free it intends to be.

Star Trek: Discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants

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Star Trek: Picard Magnetic Delta Badge

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This magnetic pin comes to you directly from the   Star Trek: Picard . It is a full-size delta. While manufactured with FanSets normal attention to detail this pin is not meant to be an exact prop replica. With a bright silver delta over a matte finish black nickel it measures 2 ¾" tall. Revised for screen accuracy this new version of the Picard Delta features a groove in the silver overlay. This magnet lets everyone know how much you enjoy Star Trek: Picard.

Product Details:

• Official Size and Scale!
• Double Clutch Magnetic Back
• Measures 2 ¾” tall

Ordering Information

• Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
• Shipping: Ship times are estimates of time in transit after your product leaves the fulfillment center. Some items in your order may ship separately to arrive faster.
• Availability: Ships internationally to most countries around the world.
• Shipping Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy here .

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TREKNEWS.NET | Your daily dose of Star Trek news and opinion

Star Trek: Discovery “Under the Twin Moons” Review: Clues among the moons

New photos from the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5

First Photo from Star Trek: Section 31 revealed, legacy character confirmed

New Star Trek: Discovery posters revealed ahead of final season premiere

Revisiting “The Lost Era: Serpent Among the Ruins” Retro Review

Star Trek: Discovery “Jinaal” Review: One step forward, two steps back

Star Trek: Picard — Firewall Review: The Renaissance of Seven of Nine

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premiere “Red Directive” Review: In Pursuit of Legacies

Strange New Worlds director Jordan Canning talks “Charades,” the versatility of the series & Star Trek fandom

‘Star Trek Online’ lead designer talks the game’s longevity, honoring the franchise, and seeing his work come to life in ‘Picard’

Gates McFadden talks Star Trek: Picard, reuniting with her TNG castmates, InvestiGates, and the Human Condition

Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating talk ‘Enterprise’, their relationship with Star Trek in 2023 and their first live ‘Shuttlepod Show’

John Billingsley discusses what he’d want in a fifth season of Enterprise, playing Phlox and this weekend’s Trek Talks 2 event

57-Year Mission set to beam 160+ Star Trek guests down to Las Vegas

Veteran Star Trek director David Livingston looks back on his legendary career ahead of Trek Talks 2 event

ReedPop’s Star Trek: Mission Seattle convention has been cancelled

56-Year Mission Preview: More than 130 Star Trek guests set to beam down to Las Vegas convention

7 new photos from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3 “Jinaal”

2023: A banner year for Star Trek — here’s why [Op-Ed]

‘Making It So’ Review: Patrick Stewart’s journey from stage to starship

54-Disc Picard Legacy Collection, Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Complete Series Blu-ray box sets announced

Star Trek: Picard series finale “The Last Generation” Review: A perfect sendoff to an unforgettable crew

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD and DVD this December

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Hegemony” Review: An underwhelming end to the series’ sophomore season

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 finale “Hegemony” preview + new photos

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 209 “Subspace Rhapsody” Review: All systems stable… but why are we singing?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” preview + new photos

Star Trek Day 2021 to Celebrate 55th Anniversary of the Franchise on September 8 with Live Panels and Reveals

Paramount+ Launches with 1-Month Free Trial, Streaming Every Star Trek Episode

Paramount+ to Officially Launch March 4, Taking Place of CBS All Access

STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Season 2 Now Streaming For Free (in the U.S.)

[REVIEW] STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS “Children of Mars”: All Hands… Battle Stations

‘U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook’ Review: A must-read Star Trek: Lower Decks fans

New photos from this week’s Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 finale

Star Trek: Lower Decks “The Inner Fight” Review: Lost stars and hidden battles

New photos from this week’s episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy begins streaming December 25th on Netflix

Star Trek: Prodigy lands at Netflix, season 2 coming in 2024

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 sneak peek reveals the surprise return of a Voyager castmember

Star Trek: Prodigy canceled, first season to be removed from Paramount+

Revisiting “Star Trek: Legacies – Captain to Captain” Retro Review

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The events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture to continue in new IDW miniseries “Echoes”

Star Trek: The Original Series “Harm’s Way” Book Review

William Shatner’s New Book ‘Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder’ Review: More of a good thing

Star Trek: Infinite release date + details on Lower Decks­-themed pre-order bonuses

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‘The Next Generation’ cast is back on the bridge of the Enterprise-D in new ‘Star Trek: Picard’ photo gallery

Hero Collector Revisits The Classics in New Starfleet Starships Essentials Collection

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Star Trek Designing Starships: Deep Space Nine & Beyond Review: a Deep Dive Into Shuttlecraft of the Gamma Quadrant

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Illustrated Handbook Review: Terok Nor Deconstructed in Amazing Detail

Robert Beltran Is Officially Returning to Star Trek as Chakotay on ‘Prodigy’ + More Casting News

Robert Beltran Says He’s Returning to Star Trek in ‘Prodigy’

John Billingsley Talks Life Since Star Trek: Enterprise, Going to Space and Turning Down Lunch with Shatner and Nimoy

Star Trek: Enterprise Star John Billingsley Talks Charity Work, Upcoming TREK*Talks Event

Review: Star Trek: Picard – Firewall

Seven of Nine, a heroine who has resurged in popularity thanks to Jeri Ryan’s return to the franchise in Star Trek: Picard , is now the subject of a much-deserved character spotlight from veteran Star Trek author David Mack . Mack’s bibliography includes the end of the Star Trek literary universe as we know it, the landmark Star Trek: Destiny trilogy , and dozens of other Star Trek publications. Considering Firewall ’s author and its complex protagonist, fans should be happy to know Mack delivers a worthy tie-in to Picard , capably filling in Seven’s story between the end of Star Trek: Voyager and the beginning of Picard .

Firewall begins two years after Voyager returns from its harrowing journey on the other side of the galaxy, and Seven is at an inflection point in her life. She’s a stranger in a strange land, and the people of Earth, who are terrified of the Borg, don’t let her forget it. Members of Voyager’s crew – indeed, Seven’s adopted family – have gone their separate ways. Seven is alone, save for a precious but tenuous mother-daughter relationship with now-Admiral Kathryn Janeway. But even this relationship doesn’t stop Seven from wanting to forge her path in the stars since her track doesn’t lie within Starfleet thanks to the organization’s xenophobic resistance to bringing an ex-Borg into their ranks.

Seven’s journey brings her first to a supposed member of the Federation Security Agency, who tasks her with infiltrating the extrajudicial Fenris Rangers. But this ragtag group of law keepers ends up being a place of supreme significance to Seven’s personal and professional life – so much so that she ends up eschewing a place in Starfleet to stay in their ranks.

Yes, Firewall is Seven’s origin story as it relates to Picard . While we received a few details in the show about her journey to the law-keeping but legally dubious security agency, it wasn’t a stretch to assume her story would one day be expanded. Mack has crafted a tale that shows Seven finally allowing people into her inner shell, much, in the same way, a computer firewall allows programs it deems safe. These people include love interests, mentors, and new friends; indeed, two of the standout characters in this book are Ellory Kayd, a fellow Ranger with whom Seven strikes up a passionate romance, and Keon Harper, an older Ranger who becomes the Obi-Wan to Seven’s Luke. While we obviously won’t spoil the state of these relationships by the end of the book, suffice to say we were fascinated at how Seven explored the torrent of emotions she experiences traversing the Qiris Sector, and how they helped transform her from the ex-Borg we knew on Voyager to the hardened do-gooder in Picard .

Mack knows the Star Trek universe, so it’s no surprise he’s able to rope in plenty of familiar elements to help the book’s worldbuilding – including, most excitingly, a familiar ship and crew from Star Trek: Prodigy . But we were surprised at how much Mack’s tapestry of Seven’s journey matched Picard ’s tone, which is of course completely appropriate for such a tie-in book . Many of the places Seven visits, such as the burnt-to-a-crisp Soroya IV, the metropolis Star Wars- esque Otroya II, and the lawless Qiris sector, are all places perfectly at home in Picard ’s culture. Likewise, villains in this book, such as the warlord Kohgish and the sneaky Arastoo Mardani, are some of the most memorable antagonists we’ve read in recent Star Trek books; they both cast a peculiar shade of darkness across the proceedings, and its no wonder Seven is so hardened by the time we see her in Picard .

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Star Trek book without a heart of light, and readers can look forward to a sentimental message at the core of Mack’s novel: found family can be everything. Indeed, it might be fair to say Seven’s new friends and loved ones help her more in Firewall than any single member of Voyager ’s crew during the ex-Borg’s time on that ship. Seven’s journey in Firewall directly sets her on the path to important character development we see in her in Picard , such as emotional intelligence, vigilante altruism, and, ultimately, major leadership responsibility. Rest assured, fans of Jeri Ryan’s character will find a lot to like in this book.

We appreciate Firewall because it offers valuable context for Star Trek: Picard fans. How and why Seven came to be the reborn hero we know and love is a vital part of the character’s happy ending on the bridge of the Enterprise-G , and Firewall fills in the context Picard didn’t care, or have time, to show. Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Firewall ends on a chilling note regarding a particularly tragic aspect of Seven’s story in season one of Picard — so you can look forward to that.

You can buy Star Trek: Picard: Firewall on Amazon now.

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest Star Trek merchandise news, plus details on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy , and more.

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Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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Published Apr 10, 2024

A Brief History of the Progenitors in Star Trek

They designed life itself!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery 's "Red Directive ."

StarTrek.com

Captain Burnham's top-secret mission in the final season of Star Trek: Discovery has finally been revealed. But this time, the Discovery crew isn’t stopping a future-destroying A.I., or a lethal, extra-galactic force. Instead, they’re investigating the basic mysteries of why most species in the Star Trek universe look vaguely human.

As revealed in " Red Directive ," the search for technology used by ancient "Progenitors" sets-up a massive treasure hunt for the season. But, who are the Progenitors? What did Jean-Luc Picard know about the secrets of inter-species alien DNA? And how does all of this fit in with Gene Roddenberry’s earliest ideas for Star Trek ?

Here’s a brief history of the Progenitors, from the early 1960s, to the 24th Century, all the way to 2024, and the 31st Century.

The Real World-Origins of the Progenitors

"The Cage"

When the U.S.S. Enterprise first set out to seek out "new life and new civilizations," a huge swath of those alien lifeforms turned out to look a lot like human beings. And the primary reason for that, at least behind-the-scenes, was two-fold.

First, human actors are more affordable, and second, Gene Roddenberry wanted the classic Star Trek to avoid the sci-fi trope of "Bug-Eyed Monsters." And so, in one of the original 1964 pitch documents for Star Trek , Roddenberry floated the idea of "The Parallel Worlds" concept . The idea was that the format of Star Trek — from a writing and production standpoint — would generally deal with "...plant and animal life, plus people, quite similar to Earth. Social evolution will also have interesting points of similarity with ours."

Unlike a huge swath of science fiction on TV at the time, the promise of strange, new worlds, that were, in fact, populated by people , is something that set Star Trek apart, and was the cornerstone of what gave the series its humanist angle. But, the side effect of course, was an in-universe question — why were so many aliens humanoid?

The Old Ones, Sargon, and The Preservers

"The Paradise Syndrome"

The first two seasons of The Original Series are sprinkled with hints that, in the distant past, the galaxy was visited by super-powered aliens with technology far more advanced than anything in the Federation.

In " What Are Little Girls Made Of? ," we meet Ruk, an android built by "The Old Ones," an alien race capable of creating humanoid androids that were basically immortal. In " Return to Tomorrow ," the disembodied soul of Sargon, refers to humanity as "my children." While Dr. Muhuall says this idea flies in the face of evolutionary theory, Spock mentions the idea that aliens seeded life would "explain certain elements of Vulcan pre-history."

Then in Season 3, in " The Paradise Syndrome ," Bones and Spock tackle the question head-on. When they realize an ancient race of "Preservers" helped various humanoid species throughout the galaxy, the idea of an ancient alien race guiding and "seeding" a ton of humanoid species became less of a myth and more of a working theory. "I’ve always wondered why there were so many humanoids scattered through the galaxy," Bones says. To which Spock replies, "So have I. Apparently, the Preservers account for a number of them."

And then, the questions about an ancient humanoid species went answered. At least, until The Next Generation . 

"The Chase"

Directed by Jonathan Frakes and written by Ronald D. Moore and Joe Menosky, " The Chase " was a sixth-season episode of The Next Generation , which, according to The Next Generation Companion , was considered in the writers' room the most "Roddenberryesque" episode of TNG at that time. The story itself took cues from Carl Sagan's novel Contact , and posited that yes, ancient aliens not only seeded most of the humanoid species, but also hid a message in the DNA of all those species.

Captain Picard's interest in archeology comes in handy during the quest to locate all the DNA strands and reveal the message, which was also represented metaphorically by the ancient artifact known as the Kurlan naiskos .

At the end of the episode, representatives from the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Federation, all witness the truth — an ancient Progenitor (played by Salome Jens) makes it clear that all the humanoid species in the galaxy don’t exist out of pure hubris, but instead, out of a kind of desire for legacy. "You are a monument, not to our greatness, but to our existence…. Remember us."

Ronald D. Moore pointed out that there's no reason to believe that the Progenitors from "The Chase" and the Preservers from TOS aren't one in the same. Though not explicitly stated in the script, he said, "But this could be them, and be internally consistent."

Discovery Brings It All Home

"Red Directive"

While The Next Generation established a canonical fact that TOS only danced around, that only answered the question of why . With Discovery Season 5, a stranger, and more complex question is getting broached — how ?

"The Chase" told us why there are so many humanoid species in the galaxy, but we had no idea how the Progenitors specifically pushed life to evolve on various planets toward the exact form of life we’re all so familiar with. As the crew of Discovery — and other forces — are in pursuit of this ancient tech, Star Trek is boldly speculating on one of the biggest questions of all time.

If there was a supreme intelligence behind the creation of life, what was their method? While these kinds of questions are somewhat mind-boggling in real life, what Discovery is doing now is what Star Trek has done all along: Ask provocative questions that are beyond what we know now, so that maybe, in the future, we’ll be better prepared.

We don’t know that the Progenitors exist in real science, but the "panspermia hypothesis," is a very real scientific concept. A friendly alien may not have consciously sparked life on Earth eons ago, but, in reality, it is possible that some building blocks for life itself may have come from the stars.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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