History Recap / StarTrekPicardS2E01TheStarGazer

* ProperlyParanoid: Seven is naturally completely right about the Borg having ill-intent, though the Queen conspicuously avoids killing anyone.

* ALighterShadeOfBlack: While forcing your way onto TheBridge of a Starfleet vessel and attempting to hijack an entire fleet isn't precisely a gesture of good will, the Borg Queen holds back from simply killing the {{Red Shirt}}s attacking her -- a significant change of behavior from the Borg, who more typically hold to the "AMillionIsAStatistic" and "WhyDontYaJustShootHim" line of thinking.

* SelfDestructMechanism: When the ''Stargazer'' is captured and nearly assimilated by the Borg Queen, Picard activates the autodestruct.

* BorrowedCatchphrase: Rios uses Picard's "Make it so" when giving orders, but in Spanish.

** Seven, aboard the ''La Sirena'', just so happens to be within sensor range of the anomaly while fending off some pirates trying to steal her cargo of medical supplies.
** The anomaly happens to coincide with Starfleet Academy sending a class on training flights aboard actual starships, meaning both Raffi and Elnor join the fleet that is sent to the anomaly.

* TooDumbToLive: Starfleet packing their ships with Borg technology is such an obviously stupid idea that it seems amazing that they'd actually go through with it. Comes back to haunt them when the Borg Queen takes over an entire fleet of ships by hacking them via the Borg tech.

** Seven and ''La Sirena'' just so happen to stumble upon the anomaly used by the Borg while Seven and Emmet fight off some pirates who are trying to board the ship.
** Likewise, Raffi and Elnor just so happen to be stationed aboard the (25th-century) ''Excelsior'', which is also part of the fleet which assembles to confront the anomaly and the Borg.

** The Borg ship is a jagged starburst shape with plenty of SpikesOfVillainy, instead of the usual cube or sphere.

* VillainousRescue: Say what you will about him but Q ''did'' pull Picard out of a self-destructing starship.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Mechanical tentacles, an anomaly with a SicklyGreenGlow, many voices speaking in unison... the Borg reveal can be seen coming a mile away.

** There's also a new USS ''Excelsior'', where Raffi is XO.

* ALighterShadeOfBlack: While forcing your way onto TheBridge of a Starfleet vessel and attempting to hijack an entire fleet isn't precisely a gesture of good will, the Borg Queen holds back from simply killing the {{Red Shirt}}s attacking her -- a significant change of behavior from the Borg, who more typically hold to the "AMillionIsAStatistic" / "WhyDontYaJustShootHim" line of thinking.

* BorrowedCatchphrase: Rios uses Picard's "Make it so" when giving orders.
* CallBack: The auto-destruct sequence aboard the U.S.S. ''Stargazer'' incorporates the "zero-zero-zero-destruct-zero" pattern also used in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''.

* OnceMoreWithClarity: When the plot returns to the scene of the Borg Queen boarding and attempting to assimilate the ''Stargazer'', we not only see her actual arrival along with that of her vessel, but also find out that the Queen is actually stunning the crew members trying to shoot her, rather than killing them with the returned phaser fire.

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* ALighterShadeOfBlack: while forcing your way onto TheBridge of a Starfleet vessel and attempting to hijack an entire fleet isn't precisely a gesture of good will, the Borg Queen holds back from simply killing the {{Red Shirt}}s attacking her -- a significant change of behavior from the Borg, who more typically hold to the "AMillionIsAStatistic" / "WhyDontYaJustShootHim" line of thinking.

* TimeSkip: It's been a year and a half since the end of season 1. In that time:

** Zhaban has apparently died, leaving Laris a widow.

->''Do you recall what I said to you when last we parted ways? The trial never ends.''

* MissedHimByThatMuch: Lari's returns to the villa just moments before Picard boards a shuttle to head to the anomaly, entering the house through the front door as he leaves out the back.

** Instead of the usual "blad woman with cables for hair", the Queen has a BadassCape and a creepy faceless metal mask.

** Zhaban has apparently died, leaving Laras a widow.

* TheBusCameBack: Quite a few just this episode:
** Guinan makes her return to the franchise after last being seen in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''.
** The ''actual'' Borg Queen makes her return after last being thought killed in the GrandFinale of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''[[note]]The Borg Queen appeared in the ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' episode "I, Excretus", but that was a holodeck program[[/note]]. However, her appearance is radically different from past iterations of the Queen.
** Ziggzagged with Q. While Creator/JohnDeLancie had previously reprised the role of Q in the first season of ''Lower Decks'', that was a voice-over performance. Q's appearance here is, at the very least, the character's return to live-action ''Trek'' for the very first time since the final Season of VOY back in 2001.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Starfleet learns the hard way that using the tech of your enemies is not a good idea, especially a foe with the ability to assimilate and connect to a HiveMind.

** The ''actual'' Borg Queen makes her return after last being thought killed in the GrandFinale of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''[[note]]The Borg Queen appeared in the ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'' episode "I, Excretus", but that was a holodeck program[[/note]].
** Ziggzagged with Q. While Creator/JohnDeLancie had previously reprised the role of Q for the early episodes of ''Lower Decks'', that was a voice-over performance. Q's appearance here is, at the very least, the character's return to live-action ''Trek'' for the very first time since the final Season of VOY back in 2001.

** Likewise, when Picard notes he thought Guinan's species didn't age, she responds 'we can when we choose not to." She says she found it off-putting for humans to look exactly the same so allowed her physical appearance to be older like others.

* ProperlyParanoid: Seven is naturally completely right about the Borg having ill-intent.

* UncomfortableElevatorMoment: The Starfleet Security team waiting in the turbolift to arrive at the ''Stargazer's'' Bridge during the teaser.

** Zhaban has apparently died, leaving Laras a widow.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: After complaints regarding Riker's "copy/paste fleet" in the previous season finale, the producers make a point to present an assemblage of starships that is ''profoundly'' varied.

** Ziggzagged with Q. While Creator/JohnDeLancie had previously reprised the role of Q for ''Lower Decks'', that was a voice-over role. His appearance mere marks his return to playing Q in live-action for the first time since the final episodes of VOY back in 2001.

** Ziggzagged with Creator/JohnDeLancie. While he had previously reprised the role of Q for ''Lower Decks'', this is his return to playing the character in live-action for the first time since the final episodes of VOY back in 2001.

* ALighterShadeOfBlack: while forcing your way onto TheBridge of a Starfleet vessel and attempting to hijack an entire fleet isn't precisely a gesture of good will, the Borg Queen holds back from simply killing the {{Red Shirt}}s attacking her -- a significant change of behavior from the Borg, who more typically hold to the "AMillionIsAStatistic" / "WeHaveReserves" line of thinking.

** Soji has been on a diplomatic tour on behalf of her fellow synths.
** Agnes has been cleared of murdering Bruce Maddox, since she was under the influence of a mind-meld.
** Zhaban has apparently died.

** Guinian makes her return to the franchise after last being seen in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''.

** Guinian makes her return to the franchise after last being seen in ''Film/StarTrekGenerations''.