‘Star Trek: Picard’ Recap – ‘Farewell’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season two finale of ‘Star Trek: Picard’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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We are taught from a very early age… that life is a gift, and there is good reason that lesson is sent our way. Because… life really is just that. For not only are we given the gift of life and consciousness, but through our travels on this earth, we are showered with all kinds of unique presents. For instance, we’re connected to our family on a level so deep that no one knows us better than them and that gives us meaning and a sense of belonging, and eventually a great deal of us is given the wonder of love… and our own family to accompany it. Plus, we are free to chase our own endeavors and live the life we want to and that really is special and should be celebrated often.
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But while one could go on all day about the majesty of life, as is often the case when it comes to these lessons… it too is incomplete in nature and that’s unfortunate. Because by not receiving the full picture in our youth… we find ourselves stunned as adults when life seemingly begins to send cruel moments our way and begins to take away some of the gifts that it gave us. Which are surprises that jade us and galvanize us and traumatize us. To the point where we lose sight of the gift we’ve been given and it takes a titanic reset to reflect upon the reality that every moment is indeed a gift, regardless of its emotional influence… and well… those particular aspects of our journey are relevant today… for they were put on full display in the season two finale of Star Trek: Picard.

But not before… the mission at hand was resolved. For with hours to go before the Europa Mission got underway, the crew of the now late La Sirena, had to figure out how to stop Soong from putting an end to the Federation’s future in ‘Farewell’ and well… that required a two-pronged attack to save tomorrow. One where Raffi and Rios, and Seven, made their way to Soong’s genetic experimentation lair. To uncover his plans to stop the shuttle with the Borg Queen now off toward the Delta Quadrant and what they found… was a drone attack wave. One that they would need to race against the clock to reprogram and destroy and that was no easy task. For they launched quickly and started to make their way toward the launchpad and had it not been for Rios’ fine piloting and Raffi’s skills, they would have succeeded in destroying the rocket.

Which meant it was up to Picard and Tallinn to stop Soong at the source and keep Renée safe and well… in order to do that, sacrifice was in order. Because Tallinn knew that Soong would stop at nothing to kill the future in every sense of the word and since she was Renée’s protector… she saw it as her duty to stand in as the once and future hero and take on any pain needed to preserve her life and the Picard line, and the foundation of the Federation… and she did just that. But not before teaching Renée of her potential so that her future would be free of doubt at last and thanks to her efforts, the Europa mission took place and Soong was left with only one last outlet to pour his disgusting genius into… Eugenics and a future where his new offspring will cause trouble with a captain named Kirk. 

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With evil in defeat, well that’s when the story shifted gears and decided to explore the episode’s grander themes and it accomplished that by way of a moment of inflection for Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. For seeing Tallinn die in his arms and hearing her words about absolving himself of his pain and for acts that he has no control over… had a profound impact upon him. One that helped him to realize that he has indeed spent his life trying to heal by helping others rather than facing his pain and making peace with it himself, and that allowed for him to finally embrace the man he is and the life he’s led and once he came to that point… Q returned and answered all of his questions about this voyage and why he has been such a large part of Jean-Luc’s life.
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As it turns out, all of it has been related to Jean-Luc’s potential. For Q saw what Tallinn saw and knew that there might come a day where Picard could rise above the hurt and be a true hero and see that the death of his mother and the fears, he harbored about death in general… weren’t meant to hurt… but to teach. To teach Picard the value of life, the gift that it is and how it should be celebrated regardless of the circumstances. For when we do that, we are free and we grow in ways we never thought were possible and we find peace and joy and can embrace the gifts that are out there waiting for us, regardless of age or our standing. For life does continue to give… even at the very end.

Because Q also made it clear that the potential he saw in Jean-Luc also made him worthy of some final parting gifts from a god that was ready to transition into the beyond. The kind that would allow for Jean-Luc and his friends to return to the restored 25th Century to get things right one last time and be reunited with old friends. And he was true to his word, and once Picard and most of his friends… minus Rios who stayed behind… returned to the bridge of the Stargazer, they were able to reason with the Borg and save the galaxy in the process and say hello to Agnes and her new form once again and just like that… all was well and once more, Picard was reminded of what this voyage is all about and how to cherish every moment, since they will never come again.

Which brought about… a beautiful ending to a supremely intimate year of storytelling. The kind that is rare to see in the Star Trek Universe since this kind of character study just hasn’t happened before. But Picard went for it and the end result was beautiful and poetic and meaningful for both Jean-Luc and the audience. Plus, we’d be foolish to not point out the epic and triumphant return of Wil Wheaton to the STU, since his cameo here was perfect and wonderful and satisfying. But that awesome cameo aside, in the end, it will be fascinating to see how Admiral Jean-Luc Picard will use this growth to approach the gift that is life differently, when we rejoin him one more time for his final adventure through the stars. Until next time.  

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