Star Trek: Picard has welcomed so many characters into the mix, but these five deserve their own Short Trek.
Short Treks are easily my favorite thing to come out of the Trek revolution at CBS. I love how the platform can provide characters such as Captain Pike, Number One, and Spock with a platform upon which to continue their stories when Discovery can no longer serve them. So, I cannot help but think of all the storylines that can be explored in greater detail outside of Star Trek: Picard.
The title of the series says it all — this is a show about the legendary Jean-Luc Picard. Thus far, the series has explored his history with the Romulan refugee relocation efforts, his grief and processing of that grief following the death of Data, and most recently, the always-present trauma of his time spent as part of the Collective.
But the focus on Picard is somewhat shortchanging the other very interesting characters on screen. For starters, there is Raffi, the analyst who begrudgingly helps Picard acquire a ship, a pilot, and tags along on his guilt trip finale tour before reluctantly returning to serve at his side when things in her personal life go a bit sideways. We are privy to a few onscreen reflections of their relationship and how Picard’s decision to leave Starfleet following the synth ban sent her down her current path.
While there is so much to unpack for Raffi, her presence in both the comics and novel fill in some of the blanks. Others are not as fortunate.
Here are the five characters that need an episode of Short Treks during the next hiatus.
5 Characters who need a ‘Short Treks’ episode
Hugh
Hugh, Hugh, Hugh. How could a character, who has so little screen in his first appearance in Trek time, fill me with so much nostalgia and joy? We’ve seen Hugh in The Next Generation episode “I, Borg” where Geordi La Forge gave him the name “Hugh” after separating him from the Collective. It was, as Hugh notes in episode 6, the first step towards regaining some semblance of humanity.
Both Hugh and Picard share the long and harrowing experience of having been assimilated by the Borg. No matter how far removed Picard and Hugh get from it, the memories never quite go away. Hugh’s time on Picard is not over yet, but his journey to the Artifact and how he found himself appointed as the executive director is a Short Trek I would love to see.
Alternatively, the Short Trek team have the opportunity to break open an emotional tale of Hugh’s early work with one of the XBs (or ex-Borg). What we’ve seen from hugh thus far is that he is so full of life. He cracks comments at Soji, he welcomes Picard with a giant hug, he is a man of the people and feels indebted to the crew of the Enterprise for giving him that second chance at life. What a great story to expand upon!
The Holograms of ‘La Sirena’
Santiago Cabrera is killing it as Cristóbal Rios. But there is no denying that the real fun comes with playing the various emergency holograms programmed into the La Sirena who inexplicably bear his resemblance. There is the grumpy, bilingual tactical weapons AI, the emergency medical AI, the hospitality AI, and my personal favorite the navigation hologram who reads Rios into his grave.
These holograms can be dismissed with a simple command, but they are serving up a much more than their programmed purposes. For instance, the navigational hologram appears and reports to Rios that the work on the ship his completed. But he lingers, offering up a navigation of Rios’ personal life and what it may mean that he is willing to serve another Captain. Rios quickly fires back that he is not serving another Captain as the one and only one he did serve was killed before his eyes. This interaction is not devoid of feelings on one end as one might expect with a conversation with a computer. Instead, the holograms are programmed with sass and unexpected behavioral patterns.
How did Rios go about developing and implementing this tech into the ship? While that question is ripe for the taking, I would much rather see a Short Trek of a one off pre-Picard adventure featuring the need for several holograms. Maybe a malfunction in their early days where they all appear at once and Rios cannot escape their maddening behavior.
It will be quite the lift for Cabrera, but I have no doubt he can pull it off.
Dr. Agnes Jurati
I truly believe that I would like Agnes Jurati a lot more if she was given more screen time. I do not know at this point what secrets she is harboring following her run in with the Tal Shiar, but the girl could use a break to finally open up about her life. In the lab, even though it was all but defunct, watching her explain to Picard the nature of her work with Maddox was thrilling.
If we could get back to a point in time that showcased their working relationship (and yes, I’ll allow a brief slide into their romantic life), I believe this would build out her character so much better than the series has allowed for. It may be premature to write this, but based on the very little focus she has been given thus far, I don’t think that there will be enough room to fully unpack her connection to her work in synthetic engineering in the final run of episodes this season.
I understand that by having to murder Maddox, we are watching someone burrow into themselves. She has no one to talk to about it, no one.
Laris and Zhaban
Ok ok, I know that I kept Raffi off of this list because she has a presence in the novel. So why would I give Laris and Zhaban a pass when they are integral in the comic series? Mainly because I do not want to see their backstory, I want to see what they are doing while Picard is off on his mission. Are they harvesting the grapes? Does business carry on? Are there attacks on the vineyard even though Picard is off world?
Some of the best Short Treks have been centered around characters during what is seemingly normal day. Tilly going about her routine exercises, suddenly finds a soon-to-be ruler stowed away aboard Discovery. What would happen if when we went to check in on the vineyard just as the last of the grapes are harvested and a phaser shots through a barrel?
These are two ex-Romulan agents, they are trained and deadly fighters and operators. We saw a flash of their skill set when the agents came after Picard. I would like to see more of their training or at the very least see what a “Day in the Life” is like at the chateau.
The Qowat Milat
Elnor has stolen my heart and soul, but our best boy does not need the spotlight for this Short Trek episode. Instead, let’s spend some time with the sisters of the order who trained and raised him. The Qowat Milat are Romulan warrior nuns who speak with candor. There is no mincing of words, only truth and service to those who have a worthy cause (and those who are hopeless).
Zani, the sister Picard befriends during his refugee missions, would be an excellent entry point into the order. Perhaps a flashback to her own training, seeped in the lore and traditions of the Romulan culture before relocation efforts were needed. These women are feared by the Tal Shiar for reasons that become abundantly clear when we see Elnor in action.
But Elnor, though we know he was trained by women, is still a male figure we see in action. Let’s have some ladies in combat! The Qowat Milat may still be called upon before season’s end, but I do think this season of Picard has opened up a window in the many aspects of the Romulan culture that beg for more attention on screen.
Star Trek: Picard will release new episodes on CBS All Access in the U.S. on Thursdays, on CTV Sci-Fi channel in Canada on Thursdays, and on Amazon Prime elsewhere on Fridays.
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