‘Star Trek: Picard’ Recap – ‘The Last Generation’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Finale of ‘Star Trek: Picard’. To revisit the show’s penultimate episode, click here.
​
It is definitely safe to say that Star Trek: The Next Generation remains one of the most iconic television shows in the history of the medium. An accolade it earned through its revolutionary special effects, magnificent acting and of course… its bold storytelling. For this is a show that more or less introduced the modern end-of-year cliffhanger to the industry in its third season, and of course, its stories were ahead of their time, and while not always perfect… they started conversations and left us thinking and the show’s impact upon the pop-culture landscape didn’t end there. For the movie era for this crew brought forth big moments and controversial ones, such as how the films handled the end of the line for Captain James T. Kirk and featured the untimely destruction of the NCC-1701-D and of course… there was much ire surrounding the fate of Lieutenant Commander Data.
​
In fact, the fans were so rattled by the end of Nemesis and how that sour note was the final one for the crew of The Next Generation, that they all dreamed of a better ending for the crew of the Enterprise-D and E. One that they never thought they would see come to fruition. But thanks to a bold set of decisions from Star Trek: Picard showrunner, Terry Matalas… that dream finally came to fruition this week. For the series finale of Picard, ‘The Last Generation’, featured one final mission for this intrepid crew. One where they needed to save the Federation from the return of the Borg and well, how Terry and his talented writing staff stuck the landing of this ending, is something that will be fawned over for ages on end. Simply because… this was a masterful finale, one that gave the fans everything they wanted and more. 

Such as grandiose action and adventure. A feat partly accomplished through the battle of Earth. Wherein Commander Seven of Nine and anyone not assimilated by the dastardly plot from the Borg Queen… were able to re-take the Titan and fight the fleet. Which brought forth incredible and harrowing visuals as we watched the entire Starfleet rip Spacedock to shreds with weapons meant to defend, and the epic nature of this final fight didn’t end there. Since the Enterprise’s arrival at Jupiter led to one last fight between the Borg and Picard’s crew… one that finally allowed for the Galaxy-class to shine on screen. For she flew in the days before CGI, and the advent of that technology being applied here, allowed for us to really see what this ship was capable of from a combat standpoint. Which did not disappoint as she taught the Borg hybrid vessel quite the lesson, and all of these moments were just perfect and satisfying and raised the stakes and the wonder of this finale didn’t end there.

Because it also featured the showdown we’ve wanted between Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and the Borg Queen. Because this time, Jean-Luc wasn’t stepping into her lair out of anger or regret over letting the Borg get the best of him. This was about settling scores for the right reasons, to save humanity and more importantly… his son. Which is why it was so incredible to see Jean-Luc return to the collective to see Jack and to talk to him and show him what really awaited him outside of the collective. For it brought forth a beautiful and touching moment between father and son and showed the Borg Queen what she and her species lost sight of, and what really makes life worth living… and that… was her true weakness and allowed at long last for Jean-Luc and his intrepid crew to finally defeat the Borg threat once and for all. And oddly… Jack’s salvation in that moment brought forth the finest message imaginable.

---

​For that spoke to the fact… that the human adventure is about the bonds we share. With the people that are blood and those that we invite into our world and trust, and that is what makes us and our future worth fighting for. For when we look away from the evil in the world, and the isolated morons that spew rhetoric and lies, and focus on those that matter and what we accomplish through trust, lifting one another up and finding compromise… life is something quite special. For the possibilities are endless and those bonds melt away all worries or fear. For we know that the good ones have our back and seeing that play out here and over the course of the past thirty-six with this fine crew… inspires us and gives us hope for tomorrow that we can forge this kind of future. If we’re willing to forge more of those bonds. Making this finale, the perfect resetting of the message that Gene Roddenberry put forth when James T. Kirk and the crew of the NCC-1701 set out upon their five-year mission.

Speaking of the future, that’s another reason this finale was so satisfying. For it was a passing of the torch, one that informed us that a new era awaits. Courtesy of Jack Crusher’s entry into Starfleet as a command division ensign and the beautiful closing moments of this tale where Seven of Nine finally found herself adding a fourth pip to uniform to take command… of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-G. For that informed us that a new generation is ready to explore the stars while these seasoned heroes can finally enjoy a little peace, safe in the knowledge that bloodlines have the galaxy in hand, multiple ones in fact. Since it is pretty awesome that another LaForge is starting out their career at the helm of the most storied ship in the fleet’s history and that too… leads us to another reason this finale works so well and leaves us so happy. 

Because it features the right level of nostalgia. For the little moments such as that, and the throwbacks to the rest of the franchise’s proud history, such as The Voyage Home, and The Undiscovered Country and even TNG’s own storied past with the shoutouts to Majel Barrett Roddenberry’s passing, Generations, and even Admiral McCoy’s own words about how treating the Enterprise like a lady will reward the crews that serve aboard her… are supremely satisfying indeed. As was the return of Walter Koenig to play the presidential son of Pavel Chekov, complete with the lovely tip of the cap to the late Anton Yelchin and his contributions to the franchise, and well… all of those elements come together to truly stick the landing and provide us with one of the finest series finales in the history of television. One that will be damn near impossible for other Trek shows to top, but that’s okay. For it sets the standard. 

But on a more personal note, what truly makes this finale so special… is that for those of us from the time before streaming… where we had to rush home on a Saturday evening to watch TNG live because we forgot to set the timer on our VCR or didn’t have one, this really is the culmination of a lifelong journey. One that started when I was nothing but a child, and to know that their collective story has ended on the right note is powerful, and all this writer can offer… is his thanks. To Terry Matalas and his talented writer’s room for giving the crew of the Enterprise their proper due and thanks to this intrepid crew for igniting the imagination of this nerdy kid and taking me and so many others on a wild emotional ride, one that I will look fondly upon for the rest of my life. Courtesy of the powerful lessons and challenges it sent our way, the kind that asked us to dream and be at our absolute best and above all… helped so much of us feel as though… we all could finally belong.  

---

Powered by JustWatch