| 1 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stp_the_last_generation_poster.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"It's been an honor serving with you all."'']] |
| 3 | ->''"The only way to save the fleet--to save Earth--is to sever that connection, no matter the cost. What began [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho over 35 years ago]] ends '''tonight'''!"'' |
| 4 | -->-- '''Picard''', preparing to face the Borg one last time |
| 5 | |
| 6 | ->"This is President Anton Chekov of the United Federation of Planets broadcasting on all emergency channels. Do not approach Earth. A signal of unknown origin has turned our young against us. They have been assimilated by the Borg. Our fleet has been compromised and as we speak, our planetary defenses are falling. Sol Station is defending Earth as best it can. But we're almost out of time. We have not been able to find a way to stop this Borg signal and unassimilate our young. But I know if my father were here, he'd remind us all that hope is never lost. There are always possibilities. Until then, I implore you: save yourselves. Farewell." |
| 7 | |
| 8 | As the above distress signal fills subspace, the ''Enterprise''-D finds a Borg cube lurking in the Great Red Spot of Jupiter. Aboard is Jack Crusher, now designated as Vox, confirmed to be broadcasting the Borg signal that controls Starfleet. The cube disarms its weapons and lowers its shields, inviting the Federation contingent aboard; most of its power readings are going to powering the signal. Picard, Riker and Worf resolve to beam aboard the cube and track down Jack's lifesigns and cut the signal off at the source. Picard leaves Commodore Geordi La Forge in command. As they leave the bridge, he says, "ItHasBeenAnHonor," suggesting he expects a OneWayTrip. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Seven, Raffi and the older staff of the ''Titan''-A secure the bridge by beaming the younger crewmembers into the locked transporter room. They're a RagtagBunchOfMisfits -- the ClosestThingWeGot to a pilot is the ship's cook, who had to leave training to take over his mother's deli -- but they are all that is left of Starfleet. They detect the NCC-1701-D near Jupiter and realize Picard is making a play. To buy him time, Seven orders the InvisibilityCloak engaged: the Fleet Formation system requires line-of-sight to work, and simply becoming invisible breaks the ''Titan'' free. She then begins HitAndRunTactics, distracting the assimilated fleet. Unfortunately, Sidney, Alandra and the other BridgeBunnies break free of the transporter room and destroy the cloaking device, exposing the ''Titan'' to return fire, just as Spacedock finally succumbs to assault and Earth's planetary shields fall. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Aboard the cube, ItsQuietTooQuiet; most of the drones are either dead or powered down in service of the signal. Crusher locates Jack, forcing the away team to split up; Picard admits he can no longer be TheCaptain, as now he is beholden to a higher calling: being a father instead. Riker and Worf look for an active terminal while Picard heads after Jack. The boy has been fully assimilated -- he even has the same headpiece that Locutus of Borg did, laser pointer included -- and he is accompanied by the Borg Queen. She goes on her MotiveRant: after Admiral Janeway made her presence known in the timeline (''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager VOY]]'': "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS7E23Endgame Endgame]]"), she was pushed deep into the recesses of space, deprived of succor. This ship and its drones are (with the exception of Queen Jurati's Collective from last season) the LastOfItsKind. That said, it's enough: with the help of her Changeling allies, she has learned to procreate, and is bent on the annihilation of the Federation. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | The Cube breaks dormancy and opens fire, but Dr. Beverly Crusher -- by now a full-fledged CombatMedic -- is at the weapons stations, wielding the ''Enterprise''[='s=] weapons with a force and flair even Worf never managed. Meanwhile, Riker and Worf radio on the location of the transmitter, but there's a problem: it's buried deep inside the center of the cube. Data rises to the challenge, taking the ''Enterprise'' -- a MightyGlacier forty years old -- ''into'' the Cube's superstructure in an AirstrikeImpossible worthy of a SpaceFighter. Finally, it's time for the SadisticChoice: the transmitter is the heart of the Borg cube, and destroying it will destroy the cube... with Picard and Jack still on it, hidden by the interference. Beverly, tearful, signs off, but Worf and Riker refuse to return, insisting on heading in to rescue Picard. They arrive just as Picard, realizing he has no other option, ''voluntarily assimilates himself'' to go in after Jack. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | The two meet in a BattleInTheCentreOfTheMind. Jack, the loner who has always felt different, has embraced his FamilyOfChoice, the family the Borg claim to be. Picard admits that he is the same, that he joined Starfleet to ''find'' a Family Of Choice; but now he and Jack have each other, and perhaps that can suffice. Jack still refuses, so Picard walks the walk: he [[IChooseToStay offers to stay]] with his son, come what may. This is all it takes, and Jack breaks free of the Borg's programming, separating himself from the Collective and tearing out the tube with which Picard had injected himself. He will [[DyingAsYourself die as himself]], at least. Riker, seeing this, wishes a farewell to his ''Imzadi''... and ''Troi'', apprehending this through her mental link with him, grabs the wheel and brings the ship over so they can beam Picard and the others back. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | The Borg ship explodes, with the ''Enterprise''-D [[OutrunTheFireball rocketing out of the fireball]]. Aboard the ''Titan'', the assimilated crew, about to retake the bridge, are suddenly restored to themselves, with Sidney breaking down in a HeroicBSOD in Seven's arms. Aboard the ''Enterprise'' bridge, there are plenty of happy reunions: the Picard-Crusher family, the Troi-Riker family, old friends Geordi, Data and Worf relaxing in the command chairs, and Geordi seeing his daughters freed, happy, and safe together with Seven and Raffi via viewscreen. After 35 years, the Borg threat is neutralized for good and all. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | As Starfleet returns to normal, ''Admiral'' Beverly Crusher, newly installed Head of Starfleet Medical, implements transporter technology that allows the removal of the Borg DNA... and the catching of any remaining Changeling imposters. Raffi is finally invited to meet her granddaughter; she and the crew of the ''Enterprise'' are celebrities now, and her family is proud of her. Worf wishes her great future happiness. Many of the abducted Changeling victims are returned, including Captain Tuvok, who tells Seven that the ''Enterprise'' crew have been granted full pardons. Seven has realized that she is not a fit for Starfleet, and offers her resignation, but in answer, Tuvok gives her her latest crew evaluation -- Captain Shaw, speaking in a recording from before his death, admits that her MilitaryMaverick instincts are valuable, and recommends she be promoted to captain. (Her resignation is not accepted.) And Troi gets back to work helping Data grapple with his newfound humanity; apparently he keeps running over their session time limits. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | After a TimeSkip to 2402, the ''Enterprise''-D is ensconced in its rightful place in the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime. Spacedock has been rebuilt, and Admirals Picard and Crusher see off a loved one -- Ensign Jack Crusher, who has been fast-tracked through the Academy -- to his latest posting: the ''Titan''... well, what ''was'' the ''Titan''. Yes, in recognition of Jean-Luc Picard, his crew, and the efforts to defeat the Borg once and for all, the ship has officially been re-christened: NCC-1701-''G''. The ''Enterprise'' rides again. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | Captain Seven of Nine and first officer Raffaela Musiker take her out for her shakedown cruise, with Jack on the bridge as a [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything Special Counselor to the Captain]]. Seven is asked to choose her CatchPhrase -- "[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Engage]]," "[[Series/StarTrekDiscovery Let's fly]]," "[[Series/StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds Hit it]]," etc -- and therefore to write the first line of her legacy. [[CatchphraseInterruptus The scene cuts away]] before [[TheUnreveal she says it]]. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | In Ten Forward L.A., Picard's crew is gathered and has closed down the bar -- ''again''; Guinan has apparently been giving them the side-eye to get them to leave for half an hour. It doesn't work, as Picard [[CallBack breaks out the poker deck]]. The series ends the way it did the first time: with Picard dealing out a hand to his TrueCompanions. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | TheStinger: Ensign Jack Crusher unpacks in his cabin aboard the new ''Enterprise'', only to be happened upon by Q -- apparently, a Q before his death; the omnipotent members of the Continuum do not have to perceive time linearly. Jack points out that, according to Picard, the trial was over; Q admits that it was -- for ''him''. "Yours, Jack, has just begun." |
| 29 | ---- |
| 30 | !!Tropes: |
| 31 | * AccidentalInnuendo: {{In Universe}} When Worf decides to join Picard and Riker on the Borg cube, he declares "And I will make it a threesome." It's promptly lampshaded: |
| 32 | -->'''Riker:''' Do you even hear yourself? |
| 33 | * ActorAllusion: Not only does he end the series quoting Shakespeare, he engages in a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, an obvious reference to Patrick Stewart's [[Film/XMenFilmSeries other]] [[Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness famous]] [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX role.]] |
| 34 | * ActuallyPrettyFunny: Data and Geordi are both visibly amused when post-mission Worf [[SeniorSleepCycle collapses in Troi's chair and promptly starts snoring]]. |
| 35 | * AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: Continuing on from last episode, Seven, Raffi, and any surviving unassimilated ''Titan'' crewmembers are trapped aboard the still-hijacked ''Titan'' and trying to retake the ship. They successfully seize the bridge and then use the ''Titan'' to buy time for Earth. |
| 36 | * AlphaStrike: For the first time ever Beverly is placed in charge of the tactical station, when Geordi orders a return fire the ''Enterprise'' ''lights up the surface of the Cube''. The entire bridge crew turns to look at her in surprise, which she responds with "[[TookALevelInBadass A lot has happened in 20 years.]]" |
| 37 | * AmbiguousSituation: While Vadic's surviving conspirators are taken in custody by Starfleet, it's left unclear if they'll be held in Federation custody indefinitely, or if they'll be extradited back to the Gamma Quadrant to face judgement in the Great Link. |
| 38 | ** Jean Luc and Beverly come to the Enterprise to see Jack off. But it isn't clear if they are a couple. Jack does however have a picture of them on his nightstand. |
| 39 | * AndTheAdventureContinues: |
| 40 | ** With the latest Starship ''Enterprise'' in service to Starfleet warping away from Earth to Boldly Go among the stars once more. |
| 41 | ** In TheStinger, Q shows up to tell Jack that he has his own HumanityOnTrial quest to deal with. |
| 42 | * ArcWelding: A variation. While the Federation-Borg conflict began on TNG, VOY had developed its own distinct Borg arc that branched off from the main narrative. After being implied last episode, VOY's Borg arc now formally circles back to and merges with the primary TNG Borg arc (as the events of "Endgame" and the damage Team Janeway did to the Collective on their way out of the Delta Quadrant are the catalyst for this final apocalyptic campaign.) |
| 43 | * ArsonMurderAndLifesaving: Captain Tuvok confronts Seven of Nine for helping the old ''Enterprise'' crew hijack the ''Titan''. Before he can finish, Seven announces that she is resigning from Starfleet. Tuvok then shows her a holo-recording of Captain Shaw (shortly before his death), giving his evaluation of Seven, commending her for her courage, loyalty and willingness to [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight go against the rules if it's the right thing]], and recommending her for promotion. Tuvok then tells Seven, "Resignation denied. Captain." |
| 44 | * ArtEvolution: |
| 45 | ** The Red Alert conditions aboard the ''Enterprise''-D have now adopted the darker lighting mode that wasn't introduced to the 24th century until after TNG had ended. Could be justified, as Geordi had to rebuild the bridge module with post-2371 components, which likely had the later OS updates. |
| 46 | ** Building off last episode's ending, the 1701-D's warp drive effect has been updated from the original TNG-era "stretch" effect to the current Secret Hideout-era revamp. |
| 47 | * AwesomeYetImpractical: Worf's sword is so ridiculously heavy that Riker can barely lift it. As a mighty Klingon, Worf is apparently strong enough to wield it effectively, but [[RealityIsUnrealistic that isn't how swords and bladed weapons work well in real life]]. They always have to be relatively light because extremely heavy weapons aren't just hard to swing, they also obey Newton's Third Law: swinging them will cause an equal opposite reaction on the wielder's body, pulling them wildly off balance and leave them extremely vulnerable to counter-attack. |
| 48 | * AwesomenessByAnalysis: When the ''Titan'' registers the presence of a ''Galaxy''-class starship in the Sol System, both Raffi and Seven are initially confused as to what the hell this is. Once Seven realizes it's the ''Enterprise''-D, she quickly puts the pieces together: ''this'' is what Geordi's plan last episode was, the ''Enterprise''-D can't be hacked by Fleet Formation, and they're making a play to shut down the Collective system at the source. This analysis also allows Seven and Raffi to figure out their own game plan: Disrupt the attack on Spacedock and buy as much time for Picard's team as they can. |
| 49 | * BackForTheFinale: |
| 50 | ** The real Tuvok returns to give Seven a promotion to captain; the Changelings having kept him alive as they hinted previously. |
| 51 | ** Q returns to have a chat with Jack, despite dying last season. He dismisses this as linear thinking, suggesting this is an earlier version of the character nonetheless aware of his eventual end. |
| 52 | ** Despite Captain Shaw having been slain last episode, Creator/ToddStashwick returns for a cameo as part of a pre-recorded message Shaw made earlier in the season. |
| 53 | * BaitAndSwitch: A scene in the denouement begins with a voiceover of Deanna giving counseling advice in a way that implies that she is speaking to Jack. The scene then shows that she is having a counseling session with ''Data''. |
| 54 | * BaitAndSwitchComment: In the final scene, Data's given the honor of the TNG crew's final toast. He stands, gathers his thoughts, strikes a dignified pose...and then starts reciting that naughty limerick from "The Naked Now". Everybody immediately starts shouting at Data, leading the android to mock-pout he's ''never'' going to get to finish that limerick. |
| 55 | * BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Picard connects himself to the Collective to attempt to reach Jack, which appears as a swirling mass of green energy all around them. |
| 56 | * BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Downplayed, as he does not actually regret the outcome, but Data does note that ''being'' human is just as difficult as the desire to be human and also "infinitely more complex" than he had considered. |
| 57 | * BeyondRedemption: The Borg Collective ultimately are this in the end; in spite of repeated questions about the morality of wiping them out over the course of the franchise, the Borg doom themselves to extinction through their inability to change their outlook that they could coexist[[note]]Jurati's Collective proves that there ''is'' a capacity for the Borg to change and peacefully exist with other life[[/note]] in their constant pursuit of perfection that they would rather become an OmnicidalManiac when facing the possibility of failure of reaching that goal. Thus no tears are shed by ''any'' party, [[FateWorseThanDeath in spite of their horrific condition inflicted upon them by Janeway's virus]], when they are finally put down for good. |
| 58 | * BigBadassBattleSequence: The Borg-assimilated fleet attacks Earth Spacedock, while the ''Titan'' (with her [[InvisibilityCloak cloaking device]]) uses HitAndRunTactics to interfere with them; [[ParallelConflictSequence meanwhile]], the ''Enterprise'' goes one-on-one against the Borg cube. The result: more MacrossMissileMassacre, BeamSpam, and StuffBlowingUp than just about every other installment in the franchise. |
| 59 | * BigNo: The Borg Queen lets this out for the last time, once her plans are ruined ''and'' she is denied her opportunity at TakingYouWithMe. |
| 60 | * BittersweetEnding: The Borg/Changeling conspiracy damaged Starfleet badly, with countless ships and personnel lost in their rampage, and possibly millions of young Starfleet personnel deeply traumatized by assimilation. However, Picard and his team triumphed over the Borg one last time, purging the universe of their threat once and for all. As well, a new generation of officers and an ''Enterprise''(-G) set out to boldly go where no one has gone before. |
| 61 | * BodyHorror: Alternate Janeway's last act was not kind to the Borg Queen, who is an emaciated torso with a melted face, scavenging her last remaining drones to sustain herself. Funnily enough, how malformed she is makes her now more of an {{Homage}} to her concept's [[Film/{{Aliens}} original inspiration]] as a XenomorphXerox. |
| 62 | * BondVillainStupidity: |
| 63 | ** The Queen would have won if she had just blown the ''Enterprise''-D and her crew -- people the Queen knew all too well had triumphed against the Borg during their last two attempts to assimilate Earth -- out of the stars at the beginning of the episode. Instead, she lowers shields and invites Picard aboard. Her need to monologue to Picard and gloat to his face dooms her and the Collective. |
| 64 | ** The Queen would've attacked Earth sooner had she immediately destroyed the ''Titan'' as they did the ''Excelsior'' when Seven and the others had re-taken the bridge. As with her need to gloat to Picard, she likely wanted those closest to him to suffer (and ''especially'' Seven given her relationship with the scourge of the Collective, i.e. Janeway). |
| 65 | * {{Bookends}}: |
| 66 | ** The season premiere was titled "The Next Generation", while the finale is titled "The Last Generation". |
| 67 | ** The entire 24th century era of the franchise [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E1EncounterAtFarpoint began]] with Jean-Luc Picard, his command crew, and the ''Enterprise''-D -- and now it ends with them. |
| 68 | ** Q returns in TheStinger to bookend his first appearance in the very first episode of TNG and the 24th century, as well as his appearance in the very first [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho Borg episode]]. |
| 69 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D was the first Starfleet ship to make official first contact with the Borg in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho Q Who]]," and the one to defeat the first Borg Cube that attacked the Sol System. It ends up being there to eradicate the last of the Borg. |
| 70 | ** Riker and Worf were part of the very first Starfleet Away Team to set foot on a Borg Cube in "Q Who". They're now part of the very last Away Team to ever undertake such a mission. |
| 71 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D was also the first Starfleet ship to contact the Borg with a "hello" and the last one to literally tell them "go to hell" with the metaphorical middle finger. |
| 72 | ** Chronologically, the Borg story began at Earth nearly [[Film/StarTrekFirstContact 350 years earlier]] when the 24th Century Sphere traveled back in time and failed to stop Zefram Cochrane's historic flight. [[Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS02E023Regeneration A century later]], the drones that had survived the Sphere's destruction were discovered, awoken, and set off the chain of events that created a StableTimeLoop and brought the Collective to the Alpha Quadrant -- and with all that ensued at System J-25, Wolf 359, etc. Now, the Borg's story chronologically ends at Earth 350 years later. |
| 73 | ** ''The Next Generation'' [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E24AllGoodThings ended]] with Picard sitting down for a game of Poker with his friends, and ''Picard'' ends the same way (not counting TheStinger). Similarly, [[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E01Remembrance this show's pilot episode]] opened with Picard playing poker with Data (albeit as part of a dream sequence) and likewise ends with him once again playing a hand with the android, only this time surrounded by his whole command crew. |
| 74 | ** In the ''Picard'' season one backstory, Raffi was selected by the then-newly promoted Admiral to serve as his adjutant for the Romulan Evacuation. To put it another way, Raffi was the NumberTwo to a former Captain of the ''Enterprise''. Raffi now exits the series having reclaimed that role and serving as the NumberTwo of the current Captain of the ''Enterprise'' (i.e. Seven). |
| 75 | ** At the end of ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', Picard and Riker were the last members of the command crew to set foot in the wreckage of the bridge before beaming up to the ''Farragut'' and leaving Veridian III. 30 years later, Picard and Riker are again the last members of the old command crew to set foot on the restored bridge before Geordi (who's with them this time) turns out the lights and completes the D's transformation into a permanent Fleet Museum exhibit. |
| 76 | *** Stephen Barton & Frederik Wiedmann's soundtrack also musically underscores the bookend. [[https://youtu.be/WhenhErtuAk "Legacy and Future"]] features a reprise of Dennis [=McCarthy's=] [[https://youtu.be/XASIAs79xLw "To Live Forever"]], which played as Picard and Riker surveyed the D's bridge for what they thought was the last time -- and now truly for the last time 30 years later. |
| 77 | *** Geordi's promise to Picard as they leave the bridge for the last time -- that he will take care of the D because she's always taken good care of them -- bookends Leonard [=McCoy=]'s similar parting advice to Data back during his SpinoffSendoff in the TNG Pilot. |
| 78 | ** The launch of the rechristened ''Enterprise''-G is similar to her departure (as the ''Titan''-A) from the season premiere. They even reuse much of the BGM. |
| 79 | * BrickJoke: |
| 80 | ** Thirty-six years later, and Data still wants to finish that [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E2TheNakedNow rather peculiar limerick being delivered by someone in the shuttlecraft bay]]. |
| 81 | ** Last episode, Geordi warns that one of the panels on the ''Enterprise''-D’s port nacelle was loose, that he had a hard time trying to get it down. During the flyby of the ''Enterprise''-D and ''Titan''-A at the end, you can see that there’s a missing panel on that mentioned nacelle. |
| 82 | ** [[Recap/StarTrekPicardS1E04AbsoluteCandor Back in Season One]], Seven performs a NonSequiturThud by telling Picard he owes her a ship. Boy, does he pay her back in spades. |
| 83 | *** Likewise, at the beginning of the Season, Picard told Seven that she was going to be a Captain before she knew it. He was more prescient than either of them knew. |
| 84 | ** Nearly 30 years after the last time we last the TNG characters playing poker together...and Worf ''still'' can't win a poker hand if his life and honor depended upon it. |
| 85 | *** Similarly, back in "All Good Things", Picard humbly stated that he used to be quite a card player in his youth. Picard proves that was no idle boast by actually besting Riker (who was the most frequent poker victor on TNG) in the final game. |
| 86 | ** Subtle one, but when Data takes the helm, [[Film/StarTrekNemesis he seems to finally understand the human predilection for piloting vehicles at unsafe velocities]]. |
| 87 | * BriefAccentImitation: President Anton Chekov imitates his father's thicker Russian accent when telling everyone "There are always possibilities." |
| 88 | * CallBack: |
| 89 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D exits warp in orbit of Jupiter, similar to how the Kelvin-timeline ''Enterprise'' exited warp at Titan [[Film/StarTrek2009 when racing home to stop Nero's attack on Earth.]] No "rising out of Titan's atmosphere" scene here, though. |
| 90 | *** The staging and angle of the ''Enterprise''-D when it comes out of warp in that shot also matches the very first shot we ever saw of her in the opening scene of [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E1EncounterAtFarpoint "Encounter at Farpoint"]]. |
| 91 | ** Likewise, the ''Enterprise''-D [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds once again]] arrives home in the Sol system to rescue the Federation capital just as the Borg reach its doorstep. For Team Picard, this is also now the third time they've done this particular BigDamnHeroes routine (following Wolf 359 and the [[Film/StarTrekFirstContact 2373 incursion]]) while saving Earth from the Borg. |
| 92 | ** And speaking of ''ST:FC'', this is the second time that the Borg Queen tells Picard, "Watch your future's end." |
| 93 | ** The two Borg drones Riker and Worf fight move more tactically, use energy weapons and have some hand-to-hand combat ability. This is unusual as Borg drones typically rely on a ZergRush with an AdaptiveAbility with shields and don't bother defending themselves, but it is reminiscent of the splinter Borg group encountered in the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent "Descent"]] two-parter. |
| 94 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D [[OutrunTheFireball hauls ass away from the exploding Borg cube]] exactly like in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds "The Best of Both Worlds"]]. |
| 95 | ** The scene with the ''Enterprise''-D next to the ''Titan''-A in Earth orbit flying off into the sunrise mirrors a similar shot at the end of ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' with the ''Enterprise''-A and ''Excelsior'' flying into the sunset in Khitomer orbit. |
| 96 | ** Likewise, both the film and the episode feature quotes from the play ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar'' in their last few scenes. Interestingly, Picard quotes Brutus’ [[TropesAtSea nautical]] metaphor praising the importance of [[JumpedAtTheCall free will]], [[CarpeDiem adventure]], and [[TrueCompanions teamwork among equals]]. In contrast, Chang quotes Caesar’s [[StellarIndex astrological]] simile praising the (false sense of) permanence of [[TheFatalist fate]], [[StatusQuoIsGod stability]], and [[TheDictatorship power over a hierarchy]]. |
| 97 | ** The dust band and star cluster we see at the beginning of President Chekov's broadcast are an exact match to those in the TNG opening credits, starting with Season 3. |
| 98 | ** Back in [[Recap/StarTrekPicardS3E06TheBounty "The Bounty"]], Jack tells Seven of Nine that the refit Constitution class ''Enterprise''-A was his personal favorite. In the post-credits stinger, in addition to Jack setting up a model of the ''Enterprise''-D in his quarters, a model of the ''Enterprise''-A can also be seen. [[https://i.imgur.com/mofKppy.png Blink and you will miss it.]] |
| 99 | * TheCameo: President Anton Chekov is voiced by Creator/WalterKoenig. |
| 100 | * CantHoldHisLiquor: By the time of the final party at Ten Forward, Beverley's plastered. Justified, as she ''had'' been downing Klingon Bloodwine all night. |
| 101 | * CantKillYouStillNeedYou: Just as the Dominion did during their Cold War with the UFP, Vadic and her rogue faction of Founders kept many of their captured Starfleet targets alive. They needed to be able to interrogate their captives for useful information (or personal details to help sell the imposters). |
| 102 | * CapitalOffensive: Once the Spacedock is destroyed, the fleet prepares a direct attack on Earth's major cities. |
| 103 | * CaptainsLog: Delivered by Riker after the battle, summing up Starfleet's recovery efforts. |
| 104 | -->"Captain's log, Stardate...shall we say 'one'. The first of a new day for friends both old and young. Starfleet has implemented a fleet-wide transporter solution to purge our young officers of the Borg infection. A world-saving effort developed by our new head of Starfleet Medical Branch -- Admiral Crusher, who also managed to spearhead technology that privately scans for other irregularities.[[labelnote:*]]Security officers apprehend a rogue Changeling exposed by the transporter buffer.[[/labelnote]] In constant need for information, our changeling adversaries kept yet did not kill many of their targets. From the lowest of ranks to the very highest." |
| 105 | * TheCavalry: Riker demands to know where the cavalry is as the ''Enterprise'' enters the Sol system and receives updates on the battle. Data's sensors confirm all distress calls from Federation and civilian ships have gone silent, meaning the 1701-D essentially ''is'' the cavalry. |
| 106 | * CharacterCatchphrase: Jack and Raffi ask Seven what she's going to say to have the newly christened ''Enterprise''-G go to warp for their first mission, as every ship captain seems to have their own personalised way of saying "Engage". Just as she's about to say it, cut to the ''Enterprise'' going to warp, leaving Seven's catchphrase [[TheUnReveal a mystery]]. |
| 107 | * CharacterDeath: The Borg Queen bites it again and for good this time. |
| 108 | * ChekhovsGun: The ''Titan'''s cloaking device proves to be the key to breaking the Fleet Formation override, which requires line-of-sight to function. |
| 109 | * ClosestThingWeGot: Seven's temporary pilot is the ship's cook, who only partially finished pilot training before leaving to take care of the family restaurant. |
| 110 | * CollapsingLair: The design of the Borg transmitter means that, when it's destroyed, the entire cube goes up with it. |
| 111 | * CombatMedic: Beverly, much like how she was on the first episode of this season, is a capable combatant, this time handling the tactical systems of the ''Enterprise''-D against the Borg cube. |
| 112 | * ContinuityNod: |
| 113 | ** Anton Chekov broadcasts a planetary distress signal in the same way that President Hiram Roth in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'' did, using nearly the same dialogue ("Do not approach Earth"). |
| 114 | ** The fact that the new Earth Spacedock is able to (for now) HoldTheLine against what is essentially the entire assimilated Federation fleet is a vast improvement upon [[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS3E10TheStarsAtNight the last time we saw one in battle]], when three ''Texas''-class [[AIIsACrapshoot automated starships]] were able to nearly wreck a Spacedock-like space station and a ''Sovereign''-class starship [[TheWorfEffect with relative ease]]. Given that Starfleet lost several personnel, including a flag officer (albeit [[InsaneAdmiral a corrupt one]]), in that incident, and an auxiliary ship had to lure the rampaging ships away to give Starfleet time to respond and ended up being pummelled as a result, it's likely they took that veritable disaster as a wake-up call and responded to it by upgrading the type to improve defensive capabilities and developing a contingency plan for rogue ships. |
| 115 | ** When Picard willingly reconnects to the Collective to save Jack, flashbacks to ''First Contact'' and to himself assimilated as Locutus appear during the "boot up" sequence. |
| 116 | ** Worf tells Raffi that he has never shed any tears. Back in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', Spock tells Scotty that Klingons have no tear ducts. |
| 117 | * CoolDownHug: Sidney is suddenly freed from the Collective and hit by the trauma of being assimilated and forced to try to kill the people she cares about. She is initially dazed, then horrified by the sight of her phaser (set to kill) pointing at Seven, and starts to freak out while desperately stammering her apologies. Seven walks up to Sidney without any hesitation, hugs her as she breaks down sobbing, and calms her down by assuring her 'it's over'. |
| 118 | * CurbStompCushion: Spacedock is getting pounded on by hundreds of ships and by all accounts it can't hold out forever, but not only does it manage to hold with Earth's planetary shields protecting it, it also is able to lay the hurt on attacking fleet. In one scene it disables at least 5 ships with all its return fire. |
| 119 | * DareToBeBadass: Seven of Nine completes her transformation into TheCaptain. With her scratch command crew (other than Raffi) clearly uneasy over her plan to hit and run against the entire Borg controlled fleet to try and distract them and buy time for Earth, Seven pretty emphatically takes up the mantle of a Starfleet Captain as she tells her crew that here and now, they are all that is left of Starfleet and it's up to them to HoldTheLine until Picard and his crew do their stuff. And her crew promptly rally to her and follow her into the fire. |
| 120 | ** Earth Spacedock also gets this as well as she’s not only able to hold her own against what is essentially a 300 strong armada carrying the mother of all ammunitions depots but is seen actually doling out equal amounts of punishment. This isn’t Kirk’s Earth Spacedock folks! |
| 121 | * DarkestHour: Continuing on from "Vox", all interlinked Starfleet vessels are now under Borg control and all young officers or enlisted crewmen have been rapidly assimilated thanks to the Borg's transporter-introduced genetic malware. Earth's defenses have been destroyed, Spacedock's LastStand is only delaying the inevitable, and the Borg-controlled flotilla is on the cusp of burning the cradle of humanity and the heart of the Federation to a smoking cinder. The last, best hope for Starfleet and the Federation lies in Jean-Luc Picard, his command crew, and the resurrected ''Enterprise''-D -- but even still, it's seven people and one decades-old ship against the totality of the Collective. |
| 122 | * DavidVersusGoliath: Picard and the crew of the ''Enterprise''-D have their work cut out for them as they have to take on a Borg Cube in a single ship thirty years past its prime (let alone without even a skeleton crew), once again dwarfed by the sheer size (and firepower) of the Collective's trademark vessel. In the same vein, Seven and her motley crew have to neutralize the Titan's assimilated officers and distract the entire Borgified armada to buy Sol Station more time. And although Sol Station is a massive fortress itself, it stands practically alone against almost the whole of ''Starfleet''. |
| 123 | * DeathByAThousandCuts: Earth Spacedock has defenses so strong that no single starship could ever hope to disable it. Unfortunately, the Borg have hijacked ''hundreds'' of starships, all of which are unloading on Spacedock with everything they have. Spacedock is shown disabling several of them, but the sheer volume of fire eventually overcomes their defenses. |
| 124 | * DeathByIrony: Despite all the spectacle of the final confrontation, the Borg are ultimately defeated not through force of arms, but through loyalty, solidarity, self-sacrifice, and compassion as well as individualism. In other words, the Borg are laid low by the very ideals that are the bedrock of the Federation, Starfleet and the entire franchise -- ideals which are also the antithesis of everything the Collective believes in and represents. Symbolically, it's a very classical ''Trek'' resolution. |
| 125 | * DecapitatedArmy: Subverted. When Jack is pulled from the Collective, the drones simply default to the last order given because the signal controlling them is still active, just no longer forwarding commands. The cube blowing up a minute later, thus severing the link completely, is what truly frees them from the Collective. |
| 126 | * DidntThinkThisThrough: Retroactive instance for Team Janeway following the confirmation that this is all payback for "Endgame". The ''Voyager'' crew was intent on using the Transwarp Hub to get home ''and'' dealing a crippling blow to the Borg in the process. Their mistake, however, was that they didn't stop to consider what would happen ''after'' they deployed the Neurolytic Pathogen. What if there were survivors...and how might they react to being poisoned and left to die by the Federation and Starfleet? Now, over 20 years later, Earth is paying the price for Janeway's failed foresight. |
| 127 | * DidntSeeThatComing: The Borg Queen thought the Beacon was safe from enemy fire deep inside the Cube. She never anticipated that Picard's team would be daring and crazy enough to actually fly the ''Enterprise''-D ''into'' the Cube itself. |
| 128 | * DrivesLikeCrazy: Data flies the ''Enterprise-D'' like he stole her into the Super-Cube's interior spaces. Justified, as Data's superhuman reflexes and perception make him the only member of Team Picard capable of such piloting. |
| 129 | -->'''Deanna''': Why am I sensing enjoyment?\ |
| 130 | '''Data:''' ''(shit-eating grin)'' |
| 131 | * DualWielding: A FreezeFrameBonus shows Raffi battling with two hand phasers when her and Seven's teams invade the bridge to re-take it. |
| 132 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: |
| 133 | ** Picard started the series alone in bitter, self-imposed exile from Starfleet and the rest of the world. Picard now exits it and the franchise having gained a family, reunited his closest friends for the first time in two decades (along with resurrecting Data and, in a way, the ''Enterprise''-D too), and having triumphed once and for all over his oldest, most personal enemy. |
| 134 | ** Raffi likewises started the series just as broken as Picard. The collapse of the Romulan Evacuation and her relationship with the Admiral also took down Raffi's career, her familial relationships, and her sobriety. But Picard's investigation into Soji Asha and Zhat Vash conspiracy slowly began pulling her out of the wreckage of her professional and personal lives. Raffi exits the series still struggling with her personal conflicts, but in ''much'' better shape now thanks to her relationships with Picard, Elnor, Seven, and now Worf. Having helped saved the Federation from utter annihilation, the recognition has allowed Raffi to not only begun reconciling with her son Gabe, but to also be offered one of ''the'' plum postings in all of Starfleet: The Federation Flagship's XO. |
| 135 | ** Similarly to Raffi, Seven started the series just as broken by the death of her surrogate son Icheb and Starfleet's FantasticRacism that prevented the ex-Borg from joining her friends from ''Voyager'' (and in spite of Janeway's fierce lobbying). Hooking up with Team Picard and her tumultuous romance with Raffi allowed Seven to slowly begin healing and living again. Seven exits the series having helped end the Borg for good and becoming Captain of the Federation Flagship (and while no longer romantically involved with Raffi, remaining close friends). |
| 136 | ** Geordi and Sidney start the season estranged. Then just as Geordi begins to better understand and bond with Sidney, he loses her (and Alandra) to Borg assimilation. He's so desperate to save his girls that he's initially ready to rush out to their rescue without thinking things through. Thankfully, Data gets Geordi to see that they need a plan to save his girls. And it works. Seeing Sidney and Alandra, freed, safe, and happy, alongside Seven and Raffi, brings out a well-earned smile from Geordi. |
| 137 | ** The Federation itself has gone through nearly half a century of conflict and societal upheaval not seen since the days of Captain Kirk with the threat of the Borg constantly in the back of everyone’s mind. The rising of the Sun over Earth dispels the long living nightmare of the last 40 years and the rise of a new century in which the Federation can recover and grow anew with a new ''Enterprise'' leading the way. |
| 138 | ** Even the ''Enterprise''-D, in a sense, gets a happy ending. When we left it at the end of ''Generations'', the once proud Federation Flagship whose adventures we'd followed during TNG's run had died an ignominious death, with the secondary hull destroyed by a warp core breach and the saucer had been, for all intents, left to rot on a backwater world in the middle of nowhere. But Geordi's ascendancy to the Fleet Museum Curator role gave him the cachet to salvage the old girl and begin restoring her over two decades. Not only does she get to fly again one more time, but the ''Enterprise'' helps save the Federation from annihilation and defeat the Borg once and for all. In the epilogue, the "D" exits the series and the 24th century era fully restored and now taking its rightful place in the Fleet Museum -- a far more honorable and deserving final fate for the franchise's second most famous Starship ''Enterprise''. |
| 139 | *** This also applies to the USS ''Syracuse'', from which Geordi gained the ''Enterprise's'' new secondary hull. While the actual ship undoubtedly had a distinguished career, and likely saw action in the Dominion War, it will live on as [[TheseusShipParadox part]] of the ''Enterprise'' legacy. In fact the entire Galaxy class itself will live on as part of her legacy as well. |
| 140 | * EndOfAnAge: As Jack states, "The time of the Borg is over." |
| 141 | * EndOfSeriesAwareness: |
| 142 | ** A determined Picard states that "What began over thirty-five years ago ends tonight!" While he means the Federation-Borg conflict in-story, on a meta level of course he's also describing ''TNG'' itself, which premiered just over thirty-five years before the final season of ''Picard''. |
| 143 | ** In the final scene in Ten Forward, Riker says this looks like the end of the road. He's talking about last call (and Guinan trying to get them out of the now-closed bar). But of course, it's also talking about the closing minutes of the series finale and the last appearance of the TNG characters. |
| 144 | * EvilEvolves: The Borg Queen managed to survive the events of ''Voyager''[='=]s GrandFinale through desperate, cannibalistic measures, sustained by a super massive Cube (possibly rebuilt from the Unimatrix Zero One complex) but is in no condition to make a direct assault against any modest spacefaring civilization, let alone the Federation and Starfleet. So they changed their tactics, utilizing Changelings to infiltrate Starfleet and secretly mess with the genetic code of near all of [[ManchurianAgent its officers to make them susceptible to mass assimilation once the trigger occurs]]. This change is cited by the Borg Queen herself no less as the catalyst for where they're going next. |
| 145 | -->'''Queen''': The future of the Borg does not lie in ... assimilation, but evolution. |
| 146 | * EvilLaugh: The Borg Queen gets a good one when she shows herself. |
| 147 | * EyeAwaken: The camera pans a couple of times on the face of one of the lifeless Borg drones that Worf and Riker find in the Cube. On the last one, the drone's eye snap open. |
| 148 | * FaceDeathWithDignity: Riker and Worf when the Borg cube looks ready to go up with them in it. |
| 149 | -->'''Riker''': Well, my old friend, is this good enough?\ |
| 150 | '''Worf''': This is indeed a fine day to die with honor. |
| 151 | * FateWorseThanDeath: The Borg Queen's plan was to rebuild her Collective through the assimilated Starfleet officers by ''procreation'', meaning that not only did she intend to have the Federation's youngest members wipe out their elders, but would then force them to reproduce in order to propagate her "species". In other words, she was not only going to commit murder but ''rape'' (both MindRape and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil sexually]]) on a mass scale while her victims could do nothing to stop it. |
| 152 | * FinalBattle: The events of Frontier Day in orbit of Earth and Jupiter ultimately serve as the final confrontation between the Federation and the Borg. |
| 153 | * ForbiddenZone: The opening starts with President Anton Chekov warning away anyone listening to his message from Earth as the Borg have taken over. |
| 154 | * ForegoneConclusion: |
| 155 | ** The Borg's AssimilationPlot ''will'' fail, the Federation and Starfleet ''will'' be restored, and Earth will not be destroyed. On a meta level, similarly to [=DS9=] and the outcome of the Dominion War, the franchise needs the UFP intact for future projects. In terms of internal continuity, we already know they're still intact and active into the late 32nd century (the setting of ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' from the third season onwards). The dramatic tension going into the finale instead lies in ''how'' the day is saved and whether or not any of the TNG characters (the ''Enterprise''-D included) will die to achieve that victory, as while they're long dead come the third season of ''Discovery'', the circumstances of their final fates are unrevealed. |
| 156 | ** Similarly, whether or not the Borg will be destroyed or survive to assimilate another day is ''also'' part of the dramatic tension, as there's been no mention of the Collective at all in the future timeframe of ''Discovery'' -- except for one passing reference made by the Federation president wherein she compared Species 10-C's hive mind to the Borg Collective -- leaving their fate in the centuries separating eras unknown, until now. |
| 157 | * FromBadToWorse: |
| 158 | ** Upon beaming over to the Cube, Picard discovers they're in even worse trouble than they thought. Not only is the Borg Queen still alive, but she's gone completely insane and devolved into an OmnicidalManiac. So, if they can't stop the Collective here and now, it won't just be the Federation that falls. The reborn Borg Collective will spread throughout the stars and annihilate rather than assimilate every single lifeform in the galaxy. |
| 159 | ** Played for BlackComedy in the Stringer. Having experienced and survived his father's archenemy (the Borg), Jack now finds himself facing his father's ''other'' perpetual pain in his posterior (i.e. Q). |
| 160 | * FreezeFrameBonus: |
| 161 | ** On President Anton Chekov's message screen, there are several listed Starfleet orders, all of which have previously been defined in the franchise: |
| 162 | *** Code: One ([[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Total or imminent disaster, possible invasion, or the Federation is soon to be in open war, requiring Starfleet personnel to assume tactical alert]]) |
| 163 | *** General Order 12 ([[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan On the approach of any vessels where communications have not been established, raise shields]]) |
| 164 | *** Starfleet Order 104 ([[Recap/StarTrekS2E6TheDoomsdayMachine In the absence of a starship's captain, a flag officer had the authority to assume command]]) |
| 165 | *** Regulation 19 Section C ([[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS2E01Brother An officer can assume command if an eminent threat is detected, lives of Federation citizens are in question and no officer of equal or higher rank is there to mitigate the threat]]). |
| 166 | ** When the ''Enterprise''-D flies by Jupiter, we're treated to a high-definition closeup of the saucer section. Sharp-eyed viewers can spot brief glimpses of the interiors of Ten Forward, the ready room, and the observation lounge when the camera pans over them. |
| 167 | ** While it's already visible in the previous episode, the 1701-D's slow approach to Jupiter orbit offers a better chance and better lighting to see the differences between the original saucer section (and what work Geordi's been able to do on it) and the ''Syracuse's'' former stardrive section. The ''Syracuse'' is obviously a cleaner, well-preserved TNG-era ''Galaxy''-class secondary hull. The D's primary hull, of course, is older, more worn and dirty, and still bears the signs of its fiery plunge through Veridian III's atmosphere thirty years earlier and of plowing into the surface and skidding to a stop. The starboard nacelle pylon also bears the ''Syracuse's'' registry number, NCC-17744, rather than the ''Enterprise's'', NCC-1701-D, as Geordi said in the previous episode that he was still in the process of rebuilding the engineering hull of the ''Syracuse''. |
| 168 | * FrontlineGeneral: Knowing the Collective as he does, Picard correctly concludes the Borg ''are'' on site somewhere in the Sol system directing the assimilated flotilla. His hunch is right, as Data detects a Borg vessel inside of Jupiter. |
| 169 | * FullyAbsorbedFinale: For ''The Next Generation'', as the final season was conceived and developed by Terry Matalas to be the farewell and sendoff that ''Nemesis'' failed to provide the franchise's second most famous crew. |
| 170 | * GetOutOfJailFreeCard: After saving the entire Federation from a Borg takeover and near-annihilation, Starfleet can't exactly court-martial or dishonorably discharge Picard and the old 1701-D/E command crew (or Raffi, Seven, and the ''Titan'' officers and crew) for offenses and criminal acts committed throughout the season, can they? Tuvok even lampshades it during his scene with Seven. |
| 171 | * TheGhost: As the crew close down the bar they imply Guinan is just off camera, but is neither seen or heard. |
| 172 | * GrandFinale: For both ''Picard'' and the overarching TNG saga that began in 1987. Barring any potential post-series spinoffs, it is also the chronological finale of the entire 24th century era of the franchise, as ''Prodigy'' and ''Lower Decks'', while still in production at the time of this episode's premiere, are both set before PIC in 2380 and 2384 respectively. |
| 173 | * HereWeGoAgain: Having concluded Picard's Trial, Q's ready to begin the "judicial process" anew with the next generation (in the form of Picard's son). |
| 174 | * HesBack: A minor, if humorous example. Just as the beloved "Picard Maneuver" returned in last week's penultimate shot, the likewise beloved and iconic "Riker Lean" also returns. Riker -- or at least Creator/JonathanFrakes -- must love being back on this particular bridge with its consoles and finally being able to do it again. |
| 175 | * HiddenInPlainSight: The Borg cube relaying the infection signal and harboring the Borg Queen is revealed to be hiding deep within Jupiter itself, practically sitting on Starfleet's doorstep the entire time as they waited for their moment to activate the assimilation process. Now that it's actually transmitting, it's had to poke out of the gaseous surface and can be detected. |
| 176 | * HistoryRepeats: TheStinger ends much as TNG began: with (a) Picard finding themselves dealing with Q. |
| 177 | * HonorBeforeReason: After completing their mission objective, Riker and Worf go back for Picard -- and despite knowing it's a one-way trip and they're likely going to die once the ''Enterprise'' destroys the beacon. Riker's loyalty and love for Picard won't allow him to leave his former Captain behind. This honor and loyalty, of course, ironically is what ends up saving them all (as Deanna senses Riker's location in the dead zone through their empathic bond). |
| 178 | * HopeSpot: Played for black comedy in TheStinger when Q pops in. Jack is understandably confused, recounting how his father had said Q was dead. An annoyed Q grouses he ''had'' hoped the next generation wouldn't be so linear with its thinking (something he'd [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E24AllGoodThings previously accused]] Jean-Luc of being). Alas, Jack's already dashed Q's hopes within mere moments of their first meeting. |
| 179 | * HowTheMightyHaveFallen: The Borg, who once had trillions of drones and controlled a vast swath of the Delta Quadrant, have been reduced to one barely-functioning cube. The Borg Queen, having survived the neurolytic pathogen that decimated the Collective, has herself been reduced to an insane, pitiful, vengeful shell of a creature. In her final moments, all she can do is throw up her hands in a vain attempt to shield herself and pitifully say "[[BigNo no]]" as her plan literally falls apart around her, and her with it. |
| 180 | ** Even more impactful is that in the last 20 or so years the Borg have gone from being a nigh-untouchable threat that even the omnipotent Q didn’t DARE mess with to being the harmless bogeymen of children’s bedtime stories and by the 32nd century are nothing more than another footnote in Federation and Galactic history barely mentioned or acknowledged by anyone. |
| 181 | * HypocriticalHumor: Subtle instance that also doubles as a BrickJoke for ''Nemesis''. Back during the Kolarus III away mission -- specifically during Picard's...[[DrivesLikeCrazy "piloting"]] of the ''Argo'' -- Data remarked he was forever puzzled by the human predilection for piloting vehicles at unsafe velocities. Over 20 years later, Data's doing the ''exact'' same thing with the ''Enterprise''-D -- and loving every moment of it. |
| 182 | * IdenticalGrandson: We don't actually see President Anton Chekov, only hear him through the emergency message that begins the episode - but considering the voice is that of Walter Koenig, best known as Ensign Pavel Chekov from the Original Series, who is Anton's father, it's hardly a stretch of imagination that son Anton looks a lot like dear old dad. |
| 183 | * ImpossiblyGracefulGiant: The Galaxy class ''Enterprise''-D was part of a bygone era where ship design focused on majesty and [[JackOfAllStats general purpose functionality]], while not lacking in weaponry they were not known for tight maneuvers, Starfleet ships became more streamlined and maneuverable after the Borg encounter and Dominion War. But thanks to Data's advanced piloting coupled with being rebuilt with Dominion War era technological components and the star drive section of the Syracuse (along with improvements in modern visual effects) the D is shown strafing the Borg cube with weapons fire, eventually diving inside at full speed with little room to spare like she’s dancing the can-can! |
| 184 | * InformedFlaw: It's made clear in both this episode and the previous one that the ''Enterprise''-D is at a disadvantage, being decades out of date and not even at full strength. And yet, the command crew do so well the old ship comes off as a LightningBruiser, only taking some light damage. Justified in that the Borg Cube is even worse off: it's at 36% capacity, and most of that is devoted to controlling Starfleet (to say nothing of countering the immense gravitational pull of Jupiter). There are barely any functional drones left besides the Queen, so their ability to adapt is practically non-existent. Additionally, Data is the one piloting the ''Enterprise''-D and Dr. Crusher has worked on her aim considerably in the last 20 years. |
| 185 | * IndyPloy: Following on from last episode, Team Picard has grabbed the ''Enterprise''-D -- the one active Starfleet ship left not linked into the Fleet Formation protocols and thus can't be hacked -- from the Fleet Museum and, with people dying every second, must improv their plan once they reach the cube. |
| 186 | * ItHasBeenAnHonor: |
| 187 | ** Picard declares that it's been an honor serving with his friends as he, Riker, and Worf prepare to leave for the cube, knowing this is a mission some or all of them may not come back from. |
| 188 | ** Riker and Worf say their goodbyes to each other this way as it seems that the ''Enterprise''-D won't be able to rescue them. |
| 189 | * ItsQuietTooQuiet: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Riker upon beaming onto the Borg cube, as he notes that he has never been in such a situation that ended with a "pleasant surprise". |
| 190 | * KeystoneArmy: The Borg cube transmitting the signal is also the only thing holding the attack and assimilation of Starfleet together, meaning that for Picard and his crew to succeed in saving the Federation and the galaxy, they ''must'' sever the connection by any means necessary. |
| 191 | * KilledOffForReal: The original Borg Collective is, effectively, extinct by the end of the episode through a combination of Janeway's virus deteriorating them down to the one single cube that was broadcasting the signal assimilating the fleet from their original trillions-strong number and its subsequent destruction at the hands of the ''Enterprise''-D undoing said assimilation, sealing their fate completely. |
| 192 | * LastStand: For Starfleet, as the ''Enterprise''-D, the ''Titan''-A, and Spacedock are all that's standing between the Borg and the destruction of the heart of the Federation. |
| 193 | * {{Leitmotif}}: |
| 194 | ** A reprise of Dennis [=McCarthy=]'s "To Live Forever" from ''Generations'' plays at the Fleet Museum in the epilogue, as the now-fully refurbished ''Enterprise''-D takes its place alongside its legendary sister ships. It musically brings the ship full circle where we'd left it back in 1994, but also symbolizing how it really will live forever now and not be forgotten and alone on some backwater alien world. |
| 195 | ** Jerry Goldsmith's ''First Contact'' theme (which had been part of the End Credits music throughout the final Season) returns one more time to underscore Picard's final PatrickStewartSpeech. |
| 196 | ** And of course, it would not be a final sendoff for the TNG Crew if Jerry Goldsmith's theme didn't get [[https://youtu.be/UagioRS9B88 one last triumphant reprise]] during the poker game. |
| 197 | * LockedOutOfTheLoop: Since the TNG characters fled ''Titan'' last episode, Seven and Raffi have no idea what Geordi's plan was (as there was no time for him to share it before the shuttlebay deck came under attack). So, when the ''Titan'' first registers the ''Enterprise''-D's presence in the Sol System, both Raffi and Seven are initially confused as to what the hell this is (at least until Seven puts the pieces together and deduces Team Picard's plan). |
| 198 | * LogoJoke: The usual opening logo card is modified for this episode, swapping the ''Shrike'' for a Borg cube, replacing the ''Titan''-A with the ''Enterprise''-D, and ending with a green filter and red flash akin to the laser sight of a Borg drone. And of course, replacing the usual logo card tune with the Borg's four-chord {{leitmotif}}. |
| 199 | * LoopholeAbuse: Q's return from the dead in the Stinger -- or at least how it can be Q despite his death last Season. Q is 100% definitely '''dead''', at least at the end of his own personal timeline. But, being a non-linear being means there's an infinite spectrum of hims out there that ''aren't'' dead yet to keep coming back and harassing Picard and his progeny for a long long time to come. |
| 200 | * MeaningfulEcho: When Jack is rescued from the Borg Cube, Admiral Picard welcomes him to the ''Enterprise''-D. A year later, Jack is ferried to his first assignment as a Starfleet ensign and revealing to Admiral Picard that the ''Titan''-A has been rechristened: |
| 201 | -->'''Jack:''' Welcome to the ''Enterprise'', Admiral. |
| 202 | * MeaningfulRename: The ''Titan''-A, following a harrowing battle against the entire assimilated fleet, is rechristened the ''Enterprise''-G. She’s more than earned it. |
| 203 | * MildlyMilitary: |
| 204 | ** Starfleet continues in this tradition. For Picard to put Geordi in charge actually makes sense: ''Commodore'' La Forge outranks Captain Riker and Captain Worf. That said, when he (La Forge) tries to pull Riker and Worf off the Cube, Riker says, "Belay that order" -- which he cannot legally say to someone who outranks him. Since the two are TrueCompanions, not to mention on the lam from Starfleet, no one comments. (Besides, they're all taking orders from Jean-Luc Picard, who, as a ''retired'' admiral, can give orders to ''nobody whatsoever''. Technically, Geordi is the ranking officer.) |
| 205 | ** It strains credibility that Jack would be fast-tracked into an officer's commission after just one year, even with two admirals as his parents. However intelligent he may be, his behavior on the bridge of the ''Enterprise''-G makes it clear that he's not very disciplined. |
| 206 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Once the connection between the drones and the Borg Queen is severed, the remaining crew of the ''Titan'' come to, finding themselves face to face with Seven, Raffi and the remaining elder crew. Sidney’s the first to [[HeroicBSOD break down]], realizing what happened. |
| 207 | ** Specifically, when Sidney's connection to the Collective is severed, she initially looks dazed. It's when she looks down and sees her phaser pointed at Seven that her eyes widen in shock/horror at what she was about to do: kill the people she loved, while being helpless to stop it. |
| 208 | * MythologyGag: |
| 209 | ** President Chekov's warning to avoid Earth at all costs sounds a lot like President Roth's warning during the Whale Probe crisis in ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome''. |
| 210 | ** Troi and Riker are able to psychically communicate, which was a bit of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness from the TNG pilot and never seen again until now. |
| 211 | * NearVillainVictory: The Assimilated Starfleet managed to destroy Earth Spacedock and the planetary shield drops. They start targeting every major city and population center just before the ''Enterprise''-D crew destroy the Borg Cube. |
| 212 | * TheNeedsOfTheMany: Our heroes on the ''Enterprise'' realize that destroying the transmitter will save Starfleet but also destroy the Cube, killing their friends still aboard. As much as it pains them, they blow up the transmitter, but stick around just long enough to rescue Picard and his team. |
| 213 | * {{Nepotism}}: Beverly and Picard congratulate Jack on a prestigious posting so early into his Starfleet career, calling it a great honor. Jack jokes that it could also be nepotism, given his heritage, though both deny their names got him anywhere. |
| 214 | * NeverBeHurtAgain: Part of the Borg Queen's overrarching goal is to annihilate non-Borg and ensure the Collective can never be hurt again after what Janeway did to them. Ironically, this was also the same motive behind the Changelings forming the Dominion (furthering the parallels betweem the two powers). |
| 215 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: Picard's final confrontation with the Queen confirms (curiously without actually naming her) that this final campaign against the Federation is Janeway's fault. The neurolytic pathogen that the Alternate Future Admiral Janeway "bequeathed" to the Borg back in "Endgame" ravaged the Collective, leaving the Queen reduced to a wreck, alone, and hellbent on revenge against Starfleet and the Federation. |
| 216 | * NiceJobFixingItVillain: The Borg Queen invites Picard into the cube to gloat. This ultimately is the last fatal mistake she ever makes as it allows not only Picard, but Worf, Riker ''and'' the ''Enterprise''-D into the cube and puts the final nail in the coffin of the original Borg Collective. |
| 217 | * NoEndorHolocaust: The Borg remotely assimilate roughly half of Starfleet and turn it against the other half. At the very least, most if not all of the 25+ crew of the assimilated vessels were killed, along with however many assimilated crew were killed during the battle. This is on top of the casualties that would have been incurred when Earth Spacedock fell. Despite this, the {{Denouement}} treats the event as a momentary close call rather than a horrendous loss of life, and the cast are all smiles as they wrap up the remaining plot threads. No mention whatsoever is made of the massive casualties that must have ensued or the trauma those temporarily-assimilated survivors must now be dealing with. |
| 218 | * NoOntologicalInertia: Zig-zagged with the assimilated Starfleet youths. Jack leaving the collective simply prevents them to receive new orders, so they default to the last order received (which was to kill every non-assimilated). However, when the cube explodes, their assimilation reverts instantly. |
| 219 | * NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Having menaced the 24th century and the entire ''Star Trek'' franchise for over thirty years, the existential threat posed by the Borg Collective has ''finally'' ended. The original Collective is ''gone'', leaving only Jurati's friendly offshoot out there somewhere. |
| 220 | * NotQuiteDead: Most of the drones on the cube are at best dead and at worst actively being cannibalized by nanoprobes for raw materials. This causes Riker and Worf to let down their guard when they access a Borg terminal, as the drones in that section are relatively intact and deployed in response to the intrusion. |
| 221 | * NotSoAboveItAll: Worf reveals to Riker that there's a phaser hidden in the hilt of his sword. When Riker naturally complains about his choice of tactics, Worf responds: |
| 222 | -->'''Worf:''' Swords are fun. |
| 223 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: The Borg have notoriously always been so fixated, [[FateWorseThanDeath dark as it might be]], on assimilating other cultures and adding them to their own to [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans improve their chances of reaching perfection]] and, in a twisted way, gift that opportunity (regardless of whether their victims want to or not) to any species they find intriguing enough to add to their Collective... so the moment the Borg Queen herself gloats how the Borg no longer ''need'' to assimilate anymore is a massive sign that the Borg Collective — [[LastOfHisKind or what remains of it]] — have gone off [[SanitySlippage the deep end]] and have [[ThenLetMeBeEvil fully slipped into their roles]] as the horribly evil monsters the galaxy saw them as when the Queen emphasizes their desire is now to '''''[[OmnicidalManiac annihilate]]''''' all other life now that they can reproduce through the usage of the assimilated techno-organic youth of Starfleet and thus need to add nothing to them. |
| 224 | * OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The assimilated Starfleet's attack on Earth and Spacedock has been continuing off-screen while Team Picard grabbed the ''Enterprise''-D from the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime. All orbital weapons platforms have been destroyed, but Spacedock itself has held its own and repelled the attack so far, although with the sheer amount of firepower arrayed against the facility, it's only delaying the inevitable. Spacedock wouldn't have been unaffected by the Borg signal activation last episode and they're almost certainly trying to stop the same "instant drone" uprising that hit the entire Frontier Day fleet. Yet, Spacedock has managed to either stop the assimilated Starfleet personnel, or at least forced them into an impasse -- and this is also all while fighting back against the similarly assimilated Starfleet armada. |
| 225 | * OmnicidalManiac: Thanks to Janeway's neurolytic pathogen she unleashed on the Borg Collective, the sole surviving manifestation of the Borg Queen was [[SanitySlippage driven mad]] by the isolation of being all alone and deprived from their original trillions-strong chorus, now seeing [[YouWillBeAssimilated the original method]] of the Borg as a failure because it allowed them to be hurt so bad to begin with and concluding that the response for the Borg to achieve the perfection they desire is [[EvilEvolves through violent evolution]] via self-propagation by any means necessary. As such, after one last mass assimilation of Starfleet's youth who would all be able to give rise to newer generations of Borg without needing to devour other worlds to grow their number, the Queen would just start to wipe out all other life to avoid their Collective ever being hurt again. |
| 226 | * OneWingedAngel: The final Borg Queen presents herself towering over her human opponents, what's left of her biological body partially rotten and wearing the electronics that fuse her to her ship like a menacing robe, with [[SpiderPeople the tubes surrounding her even alluding to spider legs]]. This also, however, makes her more of a ClippedWingAngel due to her radical transformation being a consequence of the neurolytic pathogen introduced by Janeway, so instead being a sign of her immense power over the protagonists, it instead shows how desperate the Queen is not to die by ''any'' means necessary even if costs her own physical ability and the power of the Collective in the process. |
| 227 | * OutrunTheFireball: The ''Enterprise''-D fleeing the Queen's exploding cube. This is, incidentally, the second time the "D" has to do this with the Borg, following on from the original 2366-67 incursion --and the third time by an ''Enterprise'' commanded by Picard, as even the "E" had to run hell at the end of the Battle of Sector 001 in ''[[Film/StarTrekFirstContact First Contact]]''. |
| 228 | * OrbitalBombardment: The assimilated fleet comes very close to laying waste to Earth. |
| 229 | * PatrickStewartSpeech: Given the honor of the TNG crew's final toast, Picard's very last speech of the franchise is, fittingly, one more recitiation of Shakespeare (specifically Brutus' speech to Cassius from ''Julius Caesar'', Act 4. Scene 3. Amusingly, Picard's also using the toast as part of a long-winded means of proposing one more game of Poker with his crew. |
| 230 | -->'''Picard:''' There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures. |
| 231 | * PetTheDog: Worf covertly leaks Raffi's classified Starfleet Intelligence file, showing all the commendations for valor she earned. |
| 232 | * PowerOfLove: How Picard is able to save his son and, by extension, what ends up wiping out the Borg Collective through unconditional love against their cold, emotionless MindHive, [[TogetherInDeath the sheer fact that he is ready to die with his son in spite of all of his fears]] breaks Jack free from his assimilation, and in turn allows everyone to escape the collapsing Borg cube together. |
| 233 | ** More over as love is an enigma to even non MindHive civilizations this is the one thing that the Borg, for all their efforts, are unable to assimilate as it’s something that all logic dictates shouldn’t even EXIST and yet somehow does in defiance of said logic! |
| 234 | * PrecisionFStrike: Riker when he tries to wield Worf's Kur'leth...and nearly drops it because he didn't realize much the Klingon weapon ''really'' weighed. |
| 235 | -->'''Riker:''' Oh shit! I had no idea it was that heavy! |
| 236 | * PromotionNotPunishment: Seven of Nine prepares to resign from Starfleet in the aftermath of her disobeying of direct orders before Tuvok reveals that she -- based upon a prior report from Captain Shaw -- is to be promoted to captain instead. |
| 237 | -->'''Tuvok:''' Resignation denied...Captain. |
| 238 | * RageQuit: Played for laughs when Worf gets frustrated during their final poker game and folds with only two cards. |
| 239 | -->'''Worf:''' I fold! Okay?!\ |
| 240 | '''Geordi:''' Seriously?\ |
| 241 | '''Troi:''' With two cards? |
| 242 | * RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The new command crew of the ''Enterprise''-G, as they themselves lampshade with Seven even TemptingFate. |
| 243 | -->'''Raffi:''' I still can't believe Starfleet saw fit to give a thief, a pirate, and a spy their own ship.\ |
| 244 | '''Jack:''' Bunch of ne'er-do-wells and rule-breakers, really.\ |
| 245 | '''Seven:''' WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong |
| 246 | * RankUp: |
| 247 | ** Seven is promoted to captain, and given command of the ''Titan''-A, newly [[MeaningfulRename rechristened into]] the ''Enterprise''-G. |
| 248 | ** The ''Titan''-A goes from being just another ship in Starfleet to being ''the'' flagship! |
| 249 | ** While it's not particularly commented on, as not much was said about her rank either way, Beverly Crusher goes from a resigned Starfleet officer with the (former) rank of Commander to Head of Starfleet Medical with the rank of Admiral. |
| 250 | * TheReveal: |
| 251 | ** The Borg Queen's vessel ''wasn't'' hiding in a nebula as "Vox" implied, but in Jupiter's atmosphere, or at least made a beeline there from wherever she picked up Jack and assimilated him. |
| 252 | ** ''Voyager'' did more damage to the Borg on their way out of the Delta Quadrant than even they realized. The entire Collective was left crippled by the Alternate Future Janeway's neurolytic pathogen and has imploded in the 20+ years since "Endgame". The Queen and her Cube are the last remnant of the once-mighty power. |
| 253 | * RewatchBonus: |
| 254 | ** The viewscreen during President Anton Chekov's distress signal has several codes on it that had been referenced previously in the franchise:[[note]]These are paraphrased [[https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/General_Orders_and_Regulations#Starfleet/Federation_Codes from references kept on Fandom wiki Memory Alpha]][[/note]] |
| 255 | *** Code 1 means the Federation is at war with, or being invaded by, a hostile power, and all Starfleet personnel must immediately assume tactical alert. |
| 256 | *** General Order 12 means if you approach a vessel, and cannot establish contact, you must immediately go to Red Alert. |
| 257 | *** Starfleet Order 104 means a ranking officer can assume command of a vessel from a flag officer if they have evidence that they are compromised. |
| 258 | *** Regulation 19, Section C permits the highest-available officer to assume command of a vessel if the lives of Federation citizens are at risk. |
| 259 | ** Shaw's [[FantasticRacism earlier animosity]] in the season to Seven of Nine is revealed posthumously in a officer report -- made before everything that happened -- to be exacerbated by shattered trust in her for helping Picard and Riker essentially appropriate the ship from him, despite recommending her for captaincy once they return to port. He has retroactively put his career in jeopardy by suggesting a MilitaryMaverick be promoted. |
| 260 | *** Shaw's OutOfCharacterAlert example to Seven during the Changeling manhunt back in [[Recap/StarTrekPicardS3E04NoWinScenario "No Win Scenario"]] likewise plays differently now with the new context. On the first watch, it came across as Shaw being the equal parts {{Jerkass}}, if MentorInSourArmor, of the early episodes. Now, it's revealed to have actually been a SarcasticConfession (and one made possible only because of how angry Shaw was at Seven's betrayal of his trust). |
| 261 | ** The Borg Queen's facial features complete with tubes in her right eyesocket can actually be seen as part of the gooey floating head image that Vadic takes orders from in the previous episodes. Also, even though her transmission to Vadic is in a male voice, the mannerisms of Creator/AliceKrige shine through plain as day. |
| 262 | * RousingSpeech: Delivered by Seven during the battle. |
| 263 | -->'''Seven:''' I'm not asking you to give your lives for nothing. I'm asking you to fight for what's below. Your families, your children. The Borg have taken our crew, taken our captain. But in this moment, here and now, ''we are all that is left of Starfleet''. It's up to us. |
| 264 | * RuleOfSymbolism: |
| 265 | ** Continuing on from last episode, the ''Enterprise''-D being Team Picard's starship for the last battle with the Borg. This was the ship that made [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E16QWho official first contact]] between the Federation and the Collective -- an encounter that set off a chain of events that led to [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds Wolf 359 and Picard's assimilation]] and ripple effects that reverberated across the franchise into [=DS9=], VOY, and even back in time to ENT. So, it's fitting that the ship that was there at at the very beginning of the Federation-Borg conflict -- and which stood against the Collective [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg twice]] [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent more]] before Veridian III -- is back for the final confrontation between the "best of both worlds". |
| 266 | ** The Borg Queen's cube setting up shop in orbit of Jupiter. The gas giant, of course, is named for the god-king of Roman mythology, Jupiter (based on the Greek god Zeus), who before [[AGodAmI ascending to Olympus]], went and overthrew the old order and pantheon (i.e. the Titans). So, what more fitting place would there be for the Borg ''Queen'' to plant her throne after deposing the "old gods" (i.e. Starfleet and the Federation) and symbolically declaring herself the new god-queen of humanity, let alone the Alpha Quadrant? |
| 267 | *** it turns into LaserGuidedKarma as without any means to keep it in orbit once the beacon’s destroyed Jupiter’s gravity begins to take hold of the cube even before it explodes and dooms whatever survives to be crushed by its gravity and disintegrated into oblivion by its winds. Jupiter was also seen as the Supreme God of Justice and a defender of humanity against chaos thus where else would a race that has destroyed countless civilizations and murdered/wiped out countless races and move on like a KarmaHoudini style plague of locusts be given a fitting punishment than to be defeated for good in the home system of the single space faring civilization that has not only defied them thrice but has ultimately won the battle and erased their existence from the galaxy forever. |
| 268 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D and the ''Titan''-A soaring above Earth into the dawn after the final battle. While an obvious homage to the final shot of the ''Enterprise''-A and the ''Excelsior'' above Khitomer in ''The Undiscovered Country'', it also symbolizes the two generations in the larger context of the franchise: the first hero ship of the 24th century and, for now, the final hero ship in the same period, figuratively and literally sailing out of the fading darkness of the long night and into the dawn of a new era. |
| 269 | *** The dawn symbolism also takes on greatest context in the overarching TNG-era narrative. When TNG opened, the UFP was at peace with the Klingons and the Romulans had retreated into isolation after the Tomed Incident. It was a golden age of peace, exploration, and utopia for over half a century -- until First Contact with the Borg. Wolf 359 shattered that golden age and seemed to open the floodgates to non-stop crises and existential threats over the next 35 years: the Maquis, the Klingon invasion of Cardassia and the sundering of the Khitomer Accords, the Dominion War, the Son'a, Shinzon, the Synth Attack on Mars, and on and on. For the nearly four decades since Wolf 359, the UFP has taken hit after hit and lost more and more of its way amidst the darkness and uncertainty. But now, the final defeat of the Borg Collective and the renegade Founders is an exorcism of the last, vengeful ghosts of the past. The long night is over and the Federation has ''finally'' found its way out of the darkness. |
| 270 | *** And with the ''Titan'' being rechristened a year later, it's also a PassingTheTorch moment from one ''Enterprise'' to another. |
| 271 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D's final shutdown sequence in the Fleet Museum for obvious reasons. The 24th century era began with the voyages of the ''Enterprise''-D, Jean-Luc Picard, and his crew. From their voyages (both in-universe and on a Meta level) came [=DS9=] and VOY (and even ENT in terms of production order). So, having been preceded by ''Voyager'' and the ''Defiant'' (and, again in production order, the NX-01), the D now joins its "younger siblings" in the figurative, honorable afterlife. Geordi shutting the ship down is literally turning off the lights of not just the D, but the entire 24th century era -- and it's ending exactly where it first began 35 years earlier. |
| 272 | ** The show's final scene mirroring the opening of the pilot episode. When Picard played poker with Data there, it was a dream showing Jean-Luc alone, a shadow of his former self, and trapped in the past between the lingering loss of the ''Enterprise''-D and the guilt from Data's death during ''Nemesis''. Now, he's at it again -- only this time, Data has been resurrected, Picard has been reunited with his entire command crew and best friends for the first time in decades, and he's been made whole in a way that he never was even during TNG. |
| 273 | *** This final game also symbolizes his CharacterDevelopment not just across this series, but also since the TNG series finale. While Picard had slowly bonded with his senior officers over TNG's run, he still ultimately maintained a professional working relationship with them as TheCaptain (with Beverly being the sole exception). When he sat down to play poker with the command crew in "All Good Things", it was really his first steps towards interacting with them on the same level and truly seeing them as his ''friends'', rather than as his subordinate officers. Now, thirty years later, they end as they did before with another round of poker -- but ''this'' time, Jean-Luc's the one initiating the game. He's visibly relaxed and at ease, grinning, and delighted to be surrounded by the people he has come to love and cherish more than anyone else in the galaxy. |
| 274 | * RunningGag: |
| 275 | ** A bit of a BlackComedy variation. Once again, the Borg are at Earth's doorstep -- and for the third time now, it's up to a starship ''Enterprise'' (let alone one commanded by Picard ''again'') to be TheCavalry and bail out everyone's asses. |
| 276 | ** Deanna once again takes the conn during the last adventure of an ''Enterprise''. In this case, she does ''far'' better than her infamous moment when the same vessel was knocked out of orbit to the surface of Veridian III (or when she later rammed the E into the ''Scimitar'' -- albeit on Picard's orders -- almost a decade later). A [[https://youtu.be/C2srSv4oLLc?si=4DmIqrHKgP8RgkMH deleted blooper]] has Creator/MarinaSirtis and Creator/LeVarBurton lampshading and poking fun at this. |
| 277 | ** Worf ''still'' can't win a hand of poker if his life and honor depdended upon it. |
| 278 | * RunningGagged: In preparing for a SuicideMission to rescue Picard and Jack while missing their chance to beam aboard the ''Enterprise'', Worf comments that for a moment he was worried they would actually ''survive'' the battle, and later paraphrases the oft quoted "Today is a good day to die" as they prepare to FaceDeathWithDignity. |
| 279 | * SadisticChoice: |
| 280 | ** Picard grimly observes that they have to sever the Borg cube's signal controlling their KeystoneArmy no matter the cost. The subtext (and Beverly's reaction) is clear: saving Jack may not be an option and they may end up forced to kill him to save Earth and the Federation. |
| 281 | ** While it's not explicitly pointed out, the Spacedock crew also got hit with this during their fight against the assimilated Starfleet armada. By firing on Starfleet vessels, they're killing their friends, peers, and innocent people who've all been turned into unwitting pawns by the Borg. But if they ''don't'' fire back, then Earth's last line of defense will fall and there will be nothing to stop the cradle of hummanity from being reduced to a smoking cinder. |
| 282 | * SanitySlippage: As a result of her body being ravaged by Janeway’s pathogen and the decimation of the Collective, the Borg Queen has become noticeably more unhinged than usual, her voice losing much of its trademark calm in favor of near seething rage and resentment towards Picard and the Federation. |
| 283 | * SaveTheWorldClimax: Following on from the ending of "Vox", Picard, his allies, and the refurbished ''Enterprise''-D are now the last hope to save the assimilated Starfleet and Federation from the Borg. |
| 284 | * SavedByCanon: Again, the Federation and Starfleet will survive and be restored and Earth will not be destroyed, thanks to both still existing [[Series/StarTrekDiscovery into the late 32nd century]]. |
| 285 | * SequelEpisode: The last two episodes serves as a continuation of both "The Best of Both Worlds" and ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', culminating in a FinalBattle against the Borg. It's also explictly confirmed here this is just as much a sequel to "Endgame", following up on the Collective's fate after ''Voyager'' essentially fire-bombed them on their way out of the Delta Quadrant (and their revenge 20+ years in the making). |
| 286 | * SequelHook: Similar to how ''Discovery''[='s=] second season ended, the series ends this way, leaving it open to the adventures of the ''Enterprise''-G. In particular, Q shows up to tell Jack that his trial has just begun. |
| 287 | * SingleTear: Seven sheds one as she watches Shaw's performance review, and realizes he ''did'' respect her. |
| 288 | * SkywardScream: The Borg Queen does this as her cube explodes, while Picard, Riker, Worf and Jack are beamed away and rescued as everything collapses. |
| 289 | * ShoutOut: |
| 290 | ** The ''Enterprise''-D flies into the cube to destroy it, just like how the ''Millennium Falcon'' and Wedge in his X-wing destroyed the second Death Star in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. Data even says "Here goes nothing" right before entering, as Lando did. It also ends the same way, with the ''Enterprise'' rocketing out of the fireball of the exploding monstrosity just like the ''Falcon''. |
| 291 | ** Pavel Chekov's son is named Anton—a reference both to the late actor Creator/AntonYelchin, who played Chekov in the Kelvin film series, and to the great playwright Creator/AntonChekhov. |
| 292 | * SmugSnake: The Borg Queen has essentially the entirety of Starfleet and Earth at her mercy, and the only possible threat to her is a ship over thirty years out of service and only just pulled out of a drydock repair bay that — even against her crippled supermassive Borg Cube — would be not unlike swatting a fly with the amount of firepower and shielding she should still have at her disposal. But, her ''need'' to gloat to Picard's face like a bitter ex sour over their break-up has her clutch the VillainBall hard and essentially spells her own demise. |
| 293 | ** Although that smug gloating turns to silent astonishment when the D begins tearing her cube up from the inside! |
| 294 | * SpecialEditionTitle: The opening bumper replaces the ''Titan''-A with the ''Enterprise''-D, uses darker and more subdued music, and throws in a Borg cube. |
| 295 | * TheStinger: After the poker game, Q shows up in Jack's quarters on the ''Enterprise''-G, informing him that while his father's trials are over, [[SequelHook his are just beginning]]. |
| 296 | * StunnedSilence: Played for laughs with the collective reactions of Geordi, Deanna, and even Data when Beverly uses the D's weapons systems (and with precision and force that even ''Worf'' never did) to [[MamaBear wreck the Queen's cube like a baseball bat whacking a piñata]]. |
| 297 | -->'''Dr. Beverly Crusher:''' A lot's happened in the last twenty years. |
| 298 | * SupermanStaysOutOfGotham: |
| 299 | ** Justified. All Starfleet vessels are now under Borg control thanks to the Fleet Formation synchronization protocols and assimilated crew members, or would be the moment they entered range. The hijacked Starfleet armada moved so hard and so fast that any other nearby non-Starfleet Federation or civilian vessels have already been destroyed (or [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere fled for their lives]]) in the interim while Team Picard was grabbing the ''Enterprise''-D from the Fleet Museum at Athan Prime (however far away that is from Earth). Superman, for all intents, literally can't even fly into Gotham. |
| 300 | ** It's also worth noting that it's unclear if there are any [=DS9=] and VOY characters (or secondary TNG characters like Barclay) present in the vicinity of Earth. Odds are reasonable that there ''are'' some of them on site (or at least Starfleet members) due to Frontier Day. But assuming they survived the initial attack, they almost certainly have got problems of their own, with the siege of Spacedock and the impending planetary bombardment of Earth. |
| 301 | * SurprisinglyHappyEnding: While there have been some deaths and misery over the course of the season, the original Borg Collective is finally eradicated forever and Earth, Starfleet, and the Federation are simultaneously saved by efforts of Picard, his crew, and Seven of Nine who all are commended for their efforts, pardoned for their prior actions, and are to help usher in a new hopeful era in spite of all that has happened. And to cap it off too, Picard is able to finally able to reach out to his son Jack and becomes involved with his life as his father, while Jack becomes a Starfleet officer aboard the ''Titan''-A, now [[MeaningfulRename rechristened to]] the ''Enterprise''-G under the command of ''Captain'' Seven-of-Nine on her first new voyage. |
| 302 | * SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: |
| 303 | ** Thanks to Vadic unintentionally giving her a EurekaMoment back in "Dominion", Beverly now knows what to look for and how to detect post-Project Proteus Changelings. So, once the post-battle clean-up begins, Beverly's insights allow Starfleet to upgrade their anti-Changeling detection methods and tools. From there, the remaining renegade Founders are quickly and easily found and neutralized offscreen. Rooting them out was also certainly made easier by Vadic's faction being in disarray between her unexpected death and the failure of their endgame (and likely ''not'' have a "Plan B" in the unlikely event things went south with Frontier Day). |
| 304 | *** There was also a possibility that the reason they had no “Plan B” was that even if things went as expected or went south there would be no place for Vadic and her changelings to retreat to as the rest of the Founders wouldn’t want them back and in fact would most likely have them hunted down for “betraying them” for siding with and aiding an even worst threat than the “solids” as the Founders were no doubt fully aware of the Borg and the danger they represented. |
| 305 | ** The virus unleashed upon the Borg by the alternate Janeway, while it did a monumental number on them that left them on the brink of extinction, had [[NiceJobBreakingItHero the consequence]] of leaving the survivors who barely held together '''''extremely vengeful and pissed off''''' at the Federation due to losing their collective voice and chance at perfection; sending them from a force that, while a threat to the galaxy on the occasion their interest was piqued to assimilate a new civilization to further that goal of perfection, ended up leaving mostly everything else alone... to now being a wholly rabid entity that [[OmnicidalManiac wish to eradicate all life that isn't them]] to preserve what's left of their Collective by any means necessary. To be fair to the Janeways no one in Starfleet (or the UFP in general) appeared to be overtly eager to travel to the Delta Quadrant to check up on how effective the virus had actually been, that’s if they even knew about the virus’s existence at all. |
| 306 | *** More over the fact that virus also caused the Borg Collective to lose their technological and tactical advantages over their neighbors as well as the civilizations that somehow managed to survive within their own borders undetected so there’s little reason to doubt that survivors of their “assimilations” (as well as civilizations on the Borg’s “post-human assimilation” list) took full advantage of this unexpected surprise “gift” to dish out some long overdue payback! As when the Borg Queen says that she had been forced to withdraw to the sparsest places of the galaxy in a single Cube unable to even assimilate anything of worth due to the virus, it means that the Collective was literally driven out beyond even the backwaters of civilized space itself! It goes to show just how loathed and HATED the Borg truly were that the entire GALAXY was more than eager to throw a whole library’s worth of books at them when they were finally brought low! Not that the Borg didn’t have it coming to them. |
| 307 | ** Data is shown to be taking therapy after all is said and done, going over the scheduled time by an hour and apparently having daily sessions with Troi. Considering all that has happened to him, not the least of which includes melding his personality with Lore and being revived in a body that is almost human, it's not terribly surprising. |
| 308 | ** The refurbishment of the ''Enterprise''-D being completed within a year during the TimeSkip. While Geordi had essentially spent the past 20 years working on it in his garage on the weekends, the restoration ''was'' ultimately a side project; it was clearly a lesser priority for the Fleet Museum's resources and agenda. After helping save the Federation -- a victory only made possible ''because'' of Geordi's side-project and a non-networked ship -- however, it's not hard to imagine that whatever resources and manpower Geordi wants, Geordi gets. Command would also almost certainly recognize the PR value (especially in the wake of the Frontier Day nightmare) of restoring and displaying the ship that literally singlehandedly stopped the Borg Collective once and for all and saved the UFP from assimilation and annihilation. |
| 309 | ** Despite being fast-tracked through the Academy and earning a prestigious posting on the ship of his choosing, Jack only receives a posting as "special counselor" to Captain Seven of Nine. For all his practical spacefaring experience and clout for being a Picard ''and'' a Crusher, he's still young and unused to working in a command environment. Talent and nepotism can only fast-track someone so far in an institution with a strict military hierarchy like Starfleet. |
| 310 | ** As Jack learns the hard way in TheStinger, if your father was the favorite mortal plaything of a mischievous godlike TricksterMentor for over 30 years, then odds are good said higher-dimensional entity's also going to take an interest in any progeny of ''Mon Capitaine''. And since said entity transcends space and time, the fact that he died several years ago is completely meaningless; he ''will'' still make time to "drop in" at a point ''before'' his passing. |
| 311 | * SwordCane: When Worf is injured by two drones, Riker is not strong enough to lift his kur'leth. As it turns out, the kur'leth has a hand phaser built into the grip. Riker quickly questions the logic of using a bladed weapon ''over'' an energy weapon. Worf shrugs it off with "Swords are fun." |
| 312 | * TakeAThirdOption: Initially, it seems the ''Enterprise'' crew must choose between blowing up the beacon and killing their friends still aboard the cube, and dooming the rest of the galaxy to assimilation and genocide. Thanks to Deanna's emotional link with Riker helping her find the away team, they end up blowing up the beacon ''and'' rescuing their friends (and Jack to boot!) in the minute left between destroying the beacon and the cube blowing up. |
| 313 | * TakingYouWithMe: Even after her plans are in ruins, the Borg Queen tries to taunt Jean-Luc and Jack with this. [[VillainousBreakdown She does not take their subsequent rescue well.]] |
| 314 | * TakeMeInstead: Picard demands that the Borg Queen take him instead of Jack -- but she doesn't want him anymore. |
| 315 | -->'''Picard:''' Let him go. Take me. I'm the one you want. Your equal.\ |
| 316 | '''Borg Queen:''' No. I don't want you, Locutus. The future of the Borg does not lie in... assimilation but evolution. |
| 317 | * TeleportGun: Seven and the crew use modified phasers that instantly beam away whoever they shoot to the transporter room, which has been locked down to keep the Borg crew occupied. Unfortunately, the crew eventually break out. |
| 318 | -->'''Seven:''' Good job routing transporter fields through phasers. You may have just invented the portable beam-me-up... if we survive. |
| 319 | * ThisCannotBe: From the expression on the Borg Queen's face, the ''last'' thing she ever expected to see was a ''Galaxy''-class starship suddenly show up literally right on top of her. |
| 320 | * ThisIsGonnaSuck: Played for laughs in the final scene with Worf's agonized groaning after Picard produces the deck of Poker cards. His head's bowed in resignation, knowing he's gonna get his ass kicked at the poker table (and does). |
| 321 | * TimeSkip: Following the final battle with the Borg, the finale jumps ahead one year for its epilogue. |
| 322 | * TogetherInDeath: In what he expects to be his last moments, Riker calmly muses aloud that he'll be waiting for Deanna with their son. It's then subverted when this emotion is strong enough for Troi to sense his location in the cube and bring the ''Enterprise''-D in for a rescue. |
| 323 | * TrademarkFavoriteFood: Worf's love of Prune Juice ''finally'' returns, as Beverley's dialogue during the final scene indicates he's had at least one glass of the stuff so far that evening. |
| 324 | * TurnInYourBadge: Averted; when Tuvok confronts Seven of Nine about her actions in stealing the Titan-A, Seven announces her intention to resign from Starfleet. Tuvok then shows her Captain Shaw's logs, in which he commended Seven for her courage and loyalty, despite her maverick tendencies. Tuvok then informs Seven, "Resignation denied, Captain." |
| 325 | * UnresolvedSexualTension: Seven tells Sidney La Forge to ignore any orders that Jack gives on the new ''Enterprise''. She says she always does (whilst smiling) and Jack smirks to himself. |
| 326 | * TheUnreveal: |
| 327 | ** While Tuvok was still alive, it's left unrevealed when he was captured and replaced by the Founders (leaving it either presumably several months before the Season, or during the first half of Season Three once they realized Seven and the ''Titan'' were involved). |
| 328 | ** Seven of Nine is asked to come up with a {{Catchphrase}} for ordering the ship to warp, like "Engage" or "Make it so". Just as she is about to say it, the scene cuts to an exterior shot of the ship as it takes off. |
| 329 | ** Nor what happens during the TimeSkip. Besides Tuvok, there would've been a lot of work identifying and arresting all the infiltrators, locating and rescuing their victims, rebuilding spacedock and so forth. Was the ''Enterprise''-D in service during that time with a full crew? |
| 330 | * UnspokenPlanGuarantee: When the ''Enterprise'' crew learns where the core is, Geordi is sure that not even Sidney could get them in there. However, despite it being statistically- and probability-wise impossible, Data is just so certain he can pilot the ''Enterprise''-D in and begs the others to let him do this. He doesn't explain ''how'', but seeing as he's going balls-to-the-wall insane with the controls, it's more than certain his reflexes are just fast enough to pull off the stunt. It certainly caught the Borg by surprise. |
| 331 | * VictoryByEndurance: |
| 332 | ** The assimilated fleet is able to wear down Earth Spacedock by virtue of [[WeHaveReserves having so many ships]] that Spacedock simply can't shoot them down fast enough. |
| 333 | ** Conversely, Spacedock holding out as long as it does buys just enough time for Picard's crew to take out the Queen and save everyone. |
| 334 | * VillainousBreakdown: Twofold with the Queen: her motivation for annihilating Starfleet is built around a massive case of SanitySlippage thanks to what Janeway's virus did to the Borg (along with the expected retribution dished out by the survivors of previous Borg attacks), leaving her the [[LastOfHisKind Last of Her Kind]] and is fundamentally broken into misathropy [[OmnicidalManiac against all other life]]; then, once denied her attempt of {{Revenge}} as her Borg Cube is falling apart all around her and seeing the end of the Collective before her very eyes, the Borg Queen completely loses [[FauxAffablyEvil what bit of civility]] she had left and screams ''even'' if he survives, Jack will always be alone without them as they escape. Jack simply tells her, while looking at Picard, [[ShutUpHannibal he isn't alone]]. |
| 335 | * VisualPun: Subtle one during the final scene in Ten Forward. At the poker table, Riker is seated to Picard's right. In other words, even now ol' Number One is still figuratively ''and'' literally Picard's right-hand man. |
| 336 | * WhamEpisode: The original Borg Collective are [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore effectively extinct for good by the end of the episode]], eradicating the most dangerous {{Archenemy}} of the Federation seemingly forever with the destruction of their last Borg cube hiding within Jupiter. |
| 337 | * WhamLine: "Well, look at you. A chip off the old block." Q is BackFromTheDead -- or at least this is Q from a point prior to his death last season. He is omnipotent, after all, and doesn't obey linear time. |
| 338 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: |
| 339 | ** Where's Laris at the end of the season? At the beginning of the season, they're clearly a couple, but Picard never mentions her at all during the season and never tries to call her or leave a message for her. |
| 340 | ** While the remaining rogue Changelings are taken into custody, their final fate (if Starfleet imprisoned them indefinitely like the Female Founder, or if they were extradited back to the Gamma Quadrant to face the judgment of the Great Link) is left unrevealed. |
| 341 | * WhatAPieceOfJunk: When the ''Titan'''s sensors register the ''Enterprise'' at Jupiter, Seven deduces it's Team Picard engaging the Borg. Raffi's skeptical, pointing out the "D" (or what's left of her) is ''ancient'' (both in comparison to a Borg Cube and the rest of the hijacked Starfleet). Seven counters that's ironically it's greatest stregnth -- that it ''can't'' be hacked by the Borg (and Raffi, now seeing her point, agrees). |
| 342 | * WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: Zig-zagged. For much of the original show, and indeed for much of this episode, Deanna is basically a paperweight on the bridge. But then HeartIsAnAwesomePower when her telepathic link with Riker allows her to locate and rescue Picard, Worf, Riker, and Jack from inside the dead zone in the cube. |
| 343 | * WhatTheHellHero: Played for laughs when an incredulous Riker demands to know why Worf even had a phaser inside his Kur'leth's handle if he wasn't going to use it. Again, cue Worf's cheeky response that swords are fun. |
| 344 | * WorfHadTheFlu: The Borg super-cube looks immensely terrifying, and the ''Enterprise''-D is a 40 year old ship that would ordinarily be ridiculously outmatched even if she were in peak condition (which she isn't), but the Borg are in even worse shape. The cube is only 36% functional, most of the Borg drones -- the Queen included -- are necrotic and barely surviving, and is devoting most of its resources to the assimilation signal that is controlling Starfleet on the other side of the Sol System as well as resisting Jupiter’s own gravitational pull. While it still has way more guns than the ''Enterprise'', it simply can't muster the power necessary to make those guns as effective as they would be in a proper engagement. |
| 345 | * YearZero: In a Captain's Log, Riker resets the stardate to 1 to reflect the unambiguous destruction of the Borg Collective and the start of a new era (one free of the Borg threat). It’s doubtful anyone in Starfleet or the Federation is going to object. |
| 346 | * YouCantGoHomeAgain: A villanious variation. The Borg Queen's ranting ("No roads by which to return home!") is an indirect mention of ''Voyager'''s destruction of the Borg Transwarp Hub over 20 years earlier. This confirms the cascade effect from the destruction of its interspatial manifolds did indeed bring down the entire Transwarp Network, further crippling the Collective and a boon to its enemies. |
| 347 | * YouShallNotPass: This is Spacedock's situation in the interim since "Vox". With Earth's orbital defenses destroyed, it's the only thing standing between the cradle of humanity and the assimilated Starfleet armada. It does eventually fall, but [[HeroicSacrifice its valiant defense]] in holding off the entirety of Starfleet's continued barrage on it bought the crew of the ''Enterprise''-D enough time to destroy the Cube broadcasting the signal. |
| 348 | * YoureInsane: Picard says this to the Borg Queen verbatim when he confronts her. |
| 349 | ---- |
| 350 | ->'''Jack''': You told my father that humanity's trial was over.\ |
| 351 | '''Q''': It ''is''... for him. But I'm here today because of you. You see, ''yours'', Jack, has just begun. |
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