‘Star Trek: Picard’ Recap – ‘Hide and Seek’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 209 of ‘Star Trek: Picard’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we last settled in to discuss the wondrous and epic Paramount+ series, Star Trek: Picard, we talked a little bit about how the show had done a wonderful job of setting the stage… for an epic run of episodes to close out season two. For we came to learn that Q was dying and desperate to make a mark upon the universe and thought that having Jean-Luc take part in a bold act to save the future might aid in that and of course… evil was thriving. For the Borg Queen had finally taken control of Dr. Jurati’s mind and had begun to build herself a fine new collective, one furnished by a resurgent and angry Dr. Soong. Which meant, the odds were against our heroes, and the stage for a big finish was set, and it would only be a matter of time before this show shifted into more action-oriented territory.
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Oddly enough, it turned out that the series wasted little time in bringing the action to fruition. For this week’s episode of the show, hit the ground running with action and adventure, before adding a little depth for good measure and it accomplished those feats… by bringing the resurgent Borg Collective to La Sirena’s doorstep. For in the opening moments of ‘Hide and Seek’, the queen and her new brood quickly transported in and mostly seized the ship, since Jurati revealed to the Queen she locked out the main computer. Which left a now reunited away team unsure of how to proceed… other than to fight hard of course. Since the Borg wasted little time in opening fire on Picard and his friends, leaving them with no choice but to transport a wounded Rios and his new friends out of the situation before splitting up to try and retake the ship.

An act that proved quite difficult for certain. For Picard and Tallinn were forced into the tunnels beneath the Chateau by Soong and his endless taunting and Raffi and Seven had no choice but to take their lumps and fight with all their might to get to the ship and even when they did… retaking the old girl was no easy task. For the Borg were everywhere, and for a time it appeared there would be little hope of retaking the ship and saving it and their friends from an old foe. But thanks to an Elnor hologram created by Jurati before her assimilation, one that carried the command codes… they were able to beam the Borg Drones into bad places before retaking control, and Raffi also received a touch of closure thanks to the hologram. But alas, this victory was fleeting at best.

For it didn’t take long for the Borg Queen to re-gain the upper hand and badly injure Seven in the process, making it appear as though… the end was nigh for humanity at the hands of the Borg at last. But just then… a powerful hero emerged, in Jurati. Because from inside her mind… she worked to reason with the Queen and pointed out how this path of conquering and assimilation and cruelty led to nothing but strife and pain for the Borg… and complete and utter failure. And that perhaps, the time had come to try a different approach for the Collective, one where fear and control didn’t rule the day and shockingly… the Queen listened to Jurati’s pleas and decided to try this different way and saved Seven. But she took the ship, giving rise to a new future for the Borg. One that will be fascinating to learn about at some point down the line. 

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While Seven and Raffi experienced that wild ride, Picard and Tallinn used the admiral’s extensive knowledge of the Chateau to escape Soong and his forces and this surprisingly… allowed for an important plot line to finally be resolved. Because in order to properly navigate these catacombs, Picard had to dig deep into the past and really ponder upon the last time he was down here with his father and that brought back memories of that dark day that he and Tallinn briefly examined while he was trapped within his mind. As it turned out, he was stuck in this place on a day that his mother was badly struggling with her mental health and had it not been for his father, he might not have escaped the catacombs. But what’s incredible, is that reflecting upon that moment in a time of crisis, allowed for other memories to come flooding back, including the one he has been suppressing all this time.
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Which sadly… involved the tragic fate of his mother. Because the coda to that frightening day in the dark, ended with Jean-Luc opening the door to his mother’s safe room. Which in turn let her out while he slept and sadly… his mother took her own life when presented with the opportunity and that moment, and the rage and pain and suppression that Picard poured into it, formed the man we know today. One that wanted to save lives and help as many people as he can, because of the regret he had in his heart over not seeing his mother grow old and live a full life and it was fascinating to learn all of that, and it was powerful to see Jean-Luc finally face his past and make peace with it after years of letting it torture him and well, this could not have come at a better time. 

Because despite Rios coming back to save his friends and chase Soong off in the process, Adam Soong was… still out there and still eager to have his ego indulged by creating a future where he was worshipped as a savior of mankind. And with the ship now surrendered to the Borg, and everyone’s spirits at an all-time low… they needed a leader to really them to the cause and Jean-Luc quickly gave them just that. For Picard wasted little time in rallying everyone to focus and prepare to fight, because they still had a future to save and would need their wits about them and just like that, the crew followed their leader’s advice and refocused and prepared for one last battle with Soong to preserve the timeline… and they might finally have a way forward in doing so. 

Simply because the Queen did pass along a message to Seven as to how to save the day. In that, two Renée’s are the key to this mess, one that lives, one that dies. Which is… a fascinating bit of advice for Picard and company, one that sadly… we will have to wait to see come to fruition. But while we do, we can bask in the wonder of one epic tale. For this one had everything, action, adventure and deeper meaning and a push for an age-old villain to be better and more than they are and of course… it set the stage for one final showdown between Picard and Soong. One where the stakes are sky high since a better tomorrow hangs in the balance, and it will be quite interesting to see how Picard and his friends will save the future with little to no resources at their fingertips. Until next time.

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