Heartwarming / Star Trek: Picard

Heartwarming moments in Star Trek: Picard.

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

Season 1

1x 01 — Remembrance

• Picard named his dog "Number One" after Riker.
• A Jerkass reporter asks Picard if he ever lost faith in Data. His reply? "Never."
  • Earlier in the interview, the reporter points out that the millions of lives that Picard advocated so hard for were Romulan. But that didn't matter to him:
    Picard: But the Federation understood there were millions of lives at stake.
    Reporter: Romulan lives.
    Picard: No. Lives.
• For over fifty years, we've viewed the Romulans as, to quote the aforementioned reporter, "the Federation's oldest enemy," but there is something pretty heartwarming about seeing the two Romulans who work for Jean-Luc. Instead of the treacherous Machiavellians a lot of viewers have grown up with, Laris and Zhaban are shown to be kind, loyal, and incredibly grateful to Jean-Luc. In just a few scenes, they do much in humanizing one of Star Trek's biggest antagonists.
• Bruce Maddox, the guy who once insisted Data was nothing but property for him to do with as he pleased, ended up fulfilling his dream of having a daughter who would surpass him, creating two fully human-appearing androids from the remains of his positronic brain based on the portrait Data painted of the daughter he always wanted. He also apparently still thought so highly of Picard that he programmed Dahj to instinctively seek him out in case she ever ran into serious trouble.
• Jean-Luc assuring that Dahj is just as real and just as alive as any human, even after he reveals to her that she may be an android. And then there's his later admission that if she truly was who he thought she was ^note that she's Data's daughter, then she was dear to him in ways that she couldn't understand.
  Picard: If I'm right, it means you are the daughter of a man who was all meaning, all courage. Be like him.
  • During that conversation, the way that he speaks of Data, twenty years after his death, speaks to how much Picard treasured his friendship with Data, and never has and never will view him as anything less than human. All the more notable given the Federation's current anti-synthetic life stance.
• When Picard visits his vault, one of the items on display is the "Captain Picard Day" banner, hung in a place of prominence. It says something that Picard kept the banner for over 30 years, and keeps it in a place with the rest of his cherished artifacts, especially if it had still been on Enterprise-D when it crashed, meaning Picard had gone out of his way to have it recovered.
• Among the skyline in the establishing shot of Greater Boston is a holographic billboard for Kasidy Yates Interstellar Freights. Considering that in the build-up to the show's premiere, much focus was put on characters returning from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Seven of Nine, without any indication of DS9 characters appearing, it's nice to see that DS9 isn't being ignored or forgotten about. This also indicates her business was able to get back on track after the Dominion War, despite her time in prison for aiding the Maquis.

1x 02 — Maps and Legends

• While some of the technicians at Utopia Planitia treat F8 as nothing more than a machine — and a creepy one at that — one of them at least defends the synth, and even took the time to start up a friendly conversation with it. Another tech has also been telling jokes to it, despite the futility of teaching humour to an android, as is well known to most viewers of TNG. Sadly, the scene turns tragic within minutes.
• Despite denying Picard's proposal to be reinstated for one final mission, even calling it "sheer fucking hubris," and the disdain and resentment she shows towards him, Admiral Clancy respects Jean-Luc enough to have his story checked out at the very least.
• The way Agnes' face lights up when Picard approves of her choice in tea. ^note It's Earl Grey, by the way.
  Picard: I knew there was something about you.
• And later in the same scene, Agnes confirms that, despite the antagonism between them during the events of the episode "The Measure of a Man", Data and Bruce Maddox became friends.
• As funny it is to see Laris angrily chew Picard out in his own house, it is very clearly out of Anger Born of Worry. She cares for Picard dearly and she fears for his safety. Zhaban shares her concern, though he doesn't show it quite as fiercely... which is why he offers to watch his back.
  • Picard is deeply touched by their loyalty, and he understands Laris' anger toward him. He also turns down Zhaban's offer to accompany him, because he refuses to endanger the people that he cares about. This is also why he refuses to involve the members of his old crew because he knows they will leap into Hell if he asks them to, which leads Zhaban to quip that Picard should recruit people who hate him and have nothing to lose.
  • There's also some Fridge Heartwarming when Zhaban suggests Putting the Band Back Together — one of the names that he mentions is Worf. Klingons and Romulans have traditionally hated each other, yet Zhaban still thinks that calling Worf to ask for help is a damn good idea.

1x 03 — The End Is the Beginning

• Hugh makes his return to the franchise, and it is immediately established that he and Soji have a rapport, thanks to the fact that she insists on treating the disconnected Borg drones as people, not as drones. She's even been using Hugh's advice to try to comfort them. Because of this, he pulls rank to allow Soji to talk to Ramdha, one of the disordered ex-drones, as it is revealed he is the executive director of the entire Borg Reclamation Project.
• Despite his veneer of cynical weariness, when Picard describes Rios as "Starfleet to the core," there's just a hint of a smile on Rios' face.
• For all of her justified frustration and rage at her former CO, Raffi joins Picard on his mission, protesting that she's only going as far as Freecloud and not the slightest bit further. Picard is visibly touched, though Raffi is very emphatic when she points out she's not there to help him. This denial comes after she told Rios to warn Picard about the Zhat Vash assassins...

1x 04 — Absolute Candor

• Picard's interactions with young Elnor are absolutely adorable, especially for someone who, as the nuns acknowledge, usually doesn't like kids. It seems age has softened him somewhat. Because Picard is childless and his nephew René died a long time ago, Elnor is the closest thing he has to a son. Elnor is an orphan who is being raised by the nuns, so Picard is the closest thing he has to a father. Seeing them bond together as a surrogate father and son definitely elicits an "Awww!" reaction from the fans.
• Although the adult Elnor is bitter at Picard for abandoning him, there is a cute moment when he fondly recalls what the old man had recounted to him about Data and Spot. The description of the latter must have been quite vivid because Elnor still retains his boyish wish to see a cat in person.
  Elnor: (smiles) You told me stories about Data. He had an orange cat named Spot.
  Picard: (chuckles) That's right!
  Elnor: I've still never seen a cat.

1x 05 — Stardust City Rag

• Jurati is watching an old home video of her and Maddox as a couple. In the video, Jurati is in hysterics, laughing her ass off at the completely insane thing Maddox has done: Replicated all of the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, mixed them together, and baked them in the oven. For the life of her she can't seem to grok the idea that he would do that extra work instead of just replicating the cookies.
• Raffi trying to reconcile with her son Gabriel is overall a Tear Jerker, as it's clear that the problems which drove them apart are still very much present, but she does get to meet her daughter-in-law, a Romulan. It is another small sign that despite the generally negative tone of the setting following the destruction of Romulus and the attack on Mars, bridges are being built between the Romulans and the Humans, once long-time rivals.
• Seven and Picard have a heart-to-heart during the denouement, where they finally discuss their shared experiences as former Borg drones. Worth noting that through the entire discussion, there is the uncomfortable subtext that they both know Seven is about to go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge which is definitely not up to Picard's lofty Starfleet ideals, but which has honestly been very well-earned by Seven's intended target.
  Seven: After they brought you back from your time in the Collective... did you honestly feel that you'd regained your humanity?
  Picard: Yes.
  Seven: All of it?
  Picard: ... No. But we're both working on it, aren't we?
  Seven: Every damn day of my life.
  • The soundtrack then shifts into a beautiful callback to the Voyager theme song as Seven steps onto the transporter pad, arms her phaser rifles, and goes to work.
• Much like the Kasidy Yates reference in the premiere, Quark's bar made it to Freecloud. What better happy ending for a Ferengi than to become a franchise?

1x 06 — The Impossible Box

• Picard boards the Artifact with great trepidation, not even close to having really gotten over what the Borg did to him the last time he set foot on a Cube. When he starts freaking out while standing on a catwalk, two nearby Borg grab him, making him freak out further... until it's made clear to him that they don't want him to fall. Once Picard calms down, we see that these are xBs, with much of their implants removed.
• When Hugh and Picard meet up on the Artifact, they greet each other with a smile and a Man Hug. After twenty-seven years, they're genuinely happy to see each other again.
  • Hugh doesn't even give Picard a chance to explain what he wants, but instead declares that, despite not knowing why Picard is there, Hugh will help him in any way he can.
• Awake late at night, Rios and Agnes meet up. When he sees that she's upset, Rios tries several avenues to help her, despite only knowing her for a few days; he offers to give her a drink and listen to her talk about Bruce, he reciprocates when she kisses him and stops when she backs off, shows no anger when she implies that sleeping with him is a mistake, and goes along with her after checking that it's what she wants to feel better.
  • Plus, throughout the whole conversation, he's completely focused on her and what she wants and needs. He literally doesn't look away from her as she speaks.
• Hugh shows Picard what the Reclamation Project is about, with drones having their cybernetics removed and beginning the rehabilitation process, and he warmly commends Hugh for the good he is doing, even if it means working for the Romulans to do so.
  • One xB is shown having his implants removed and the scarred and ravaged skin underneath smoothed over. He looks in the mirror and sheds Tears of Joy.
  • Picard realizing that for all the dread they may inspire in him, the xBs are just as much a victim of the Collective as he was. Hugh then says with tentative hope that an Admiral Picard who would advocate for the rights of xBs as they struggle to regain their individuality and autonomy would be a fine thing indeed...
• They're in a life-and-death situation, but Picard and Elnor take a moment to acknowledge that they care deeply for each other.
  Picard: (offers his hand) Elnor, I will not leave you behind again.
  Elnor: (smiles) It fills me with joy to hear you say that.

1x 07 — Nepenthe

• Picard's reunion with Troi and Riker. Warm hugs all around. Both of his former officers immediately realize he is in danger and don't hesitate for a moment to offer him sanctuary.
• Kestra and Soji hit it off immediately, with Kestra showing Soji around and the two of them hanging out on a bunkbed while Kestra tells Soji about what a great person Data was. Considering that Kestra has literally never met Data (he died years before she was born), the implication is that her parents spoke of him often.
• The Troi-Riker family is immediately accepting of Soji and treat her completely as a sentient being right from the start.
• The fact that Riker and Troi named their children after Riker's ancestor who was saved by a Q, and Troi's late older sister.
• It's also a tearjerker moment, but seeing the photograph of then-Admiral Picard holding the infant Thaddeus Troi-Riker, still in a place of honor on Thad's old desk. Picard is absolutely beaming with delight as he cradles the baby, displaying him for the camera. It's not a stretch to imagine that Riker and Troi might have named him as their son's godfather/honorary grandparent.
• Troi helps Soji come to terms with her android nature, telling the story of how Troi and Riker's first son died, of a perfectly natural disease that could have been easily treated with Synth help (if not for the Synth ban).
  Troi: So you see, Soji. Real isn't always better.
  • Through the entire discussion, Troi is very perceptive of what Soji is going through, picking up on her sense of betrayal from Narek's manipulations, and making it clear to Picard why his approach with her isn't working.
• When Raffi sees that Agnes is in severe distress, she immediately starts speaking to her in soothing tones and takes her down to the galley to get her some cake and a few glasses of milk. It's pretty obvious that she's channeling her long-unused maternal instincts into caring for the younger woman, and it's quite a sweet change for someone who has spent most of the season as a bitter drunk.
• As Picard and Soji prepare to depart, Kestra gives Soji a gift, her broken compass. As useless as it may be, it's a reminder that there are people out there who really care for her.

1x 08 — Broken Pieces

• Narissa gets a moment, sitting by the bedside of Ramdha, her "Auntie," who was driven mad by the Admonition. Narissa marvels at how her Auntie lost her mind "with such panache," such that when the Borg assimilated her, she managed to sever an entire Cube from the Collective with her existential despair. Then Narissa announces that she is leaving soon, and adds, in a slightly pleading note, if Ramdha wakes up, she can come with her.
• Seven saves Elnor in the nick of time, and he immediately dives in for a much-needed hug, which she returns, while reassuring him that it's alright and that she's there.
  • More Heartwarming the more you think about it — Elnor, raised among the Qowat Milat, is habituated to being surrounded by surrogate mothers, and, in the course of both this episode and subsequent ones, clearly seems to have already adopted Seven as one as well. And then there's the fact that Seven explicitly referred to Icheb as having been a son to her, only to have had to Mercy Kill him, having failed to rescue him from Bjazyl's chop shop. So now there's a young man, looking up to her as a mother figure, and she arrived in time to save him. Plus there's the simple fact that Seven of Nine, who was very averse to touch and emotion back during Voyager, gets embraced by this kid that she's known for maybe a total of a couple days at most... And her first instinct is to return that hug and assure him that he's safe and she's here for him.
• Picard tries again to convince Admiral Clancy to help him. Now that he has some concrete information for her, she immediately agrees to give him what he's asking for, a full squadron of Starfleet ships to rendezvous with him at Deep Space 12.
• Picard and Soji have a heart to heart about Data. Soji asks Picard if Data loved him, and Picard says that Data couldn't process emotion in that way, but at her request tells her what he hopes Data would have thought of him had he died on the Scimitar instead. After hearing it, Soji matter-of-factly tells Picard that Data loved him (in his own way).
• Raffi, while trying to get the Emergency Holograms to help her figure out what's wrong with Rios, ends up working most of the way towards figuring out her own mystery with the Romulan conspiracy and the Conclave of Eight. She was able to help herself by helping a friend.
  • Once she figures out enough to force Rios to talk about it, she goes to his quarters and gets him a cup of coffee, just as he did for her when she was in a low spot in "The Impossible Box."
• Jurati meets Soji, and marvels at all the little normal things about her: That she eats and sleeps and has birthmarks. She describes Soji as a technological marvel, and having met her face to face, swears that she no longer wishes her any harm. They come out of the room and sit at the table side by side with the others.
  • Which, incidentally, might be the first time the entire crew of La Sirena (minus Elnor) has sat at a table together. Most of their previous meetings had them standing or sitting around the room apart from each other.
• When Seven becomes the new Borg Queen and uses her control of the xBs to drive away the Romulans, Elnor is able to talk her down by simply asking if she's going to assimilate him now. He doesn't say it out of fear or disappointment, but a straightforward, candid query of who she intends to be.
  • When Seven looks at Elnor again after she regains her individuality, he smiles at her, happy that she's back to her old self and admiring Annika's inner strength to resist getting Drunk on the Dark Side.
• Picard and Rios talk for a bit, reminiscing about the people they have in common. Picard briefly met Captain Alonzo Vandermeer when they were introduced by one of Picard's Academy classmates, Marta Batanides. Rios never met Batanides, but Captain Vandermeer spoke about her so much he feels like he already knows her.
• When they arrive at the conduit leading to Soji's homeworld, the broken compass Kestra gave her points firmly in that direction.

1x 09 — Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1

• Elnor is so happy and relieved that Picard is still alive that he runs up to his father figure and gives him a hug.
• Rios vaults over a bench to stop Sutra from mind melding with Agnes, knowing that the last mind meld she endured sent her into a suicidal meltdown. When she insists on going ahead with the meld, he stays at her shoulder and catches her when she falters.
• Seven reveals what Queen!Seven was talking about with Annika's mission: When she was joined with the Collective, she saw that Picard was in danger, and made the decision to set out after him to help.
• Rios comes to say goodbye to Agnes when he's returning to La Sirena for repairs. He promises not to forget her, and very gently strokes her face, making sure she can see him coming.

1x 10 — Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2

• Although Elnor and Seven discuss how bleak life is for the xBs just beforehand, he reassures her that he doesn't want her to die because he'd miss her. As the camera moves away from them, you can catch a ghost of a smile forming on Seven's lips.
• When Narissa and Narek are reunited, she initially puts a knife to his throat, but then drops it and gives him a hearty hug instead, just about the only sign she gives of the stress of the situation getting to her. Or, for that matter, of having any genuine affection for her brother.
• When Picard is delivering a Patrick Stewart Speech to convince Soji to deactivate the synth-summoning beacon, Riker is listening with the classic Riker grin on his face. You know he's thinking, "There's the Jean-Luc Picard I remember."
• The exchange between Picard and Riker after Riker successfully gets the Romulan armada to stand down.
  Picard: Will! How the he—
  Riker: When I heard you sent an SOS, I asked for temporary reassignment. Just because I didn't try to talk you out of it, didn't mean I was going to let you go it alone. I'm supposed to be sitting around in the woods making pizza while you have all the fun? Admiral Picard, I leave this situation in your capable hands.
  Picard: Thank you, Will, for always having my back.
  Riker: I learned from the best.
  Picard: I've got it from here.
  Riker: I'll see you around, old friend. Riker out.
  [transmission closes]
  Picard: Adieu...
• Before waking up after being transferred into a synth body, Picard gets some much needed closure. He gets the chance to speak to Data one last time and lets go of the guilt that has haunted him. And he learns that Data knew how Picard felt.
  Data: Knowing that you loved me... formed a small... but statistically significant part of my memories.
  • Fridge Heartwarming, but Data has now gone where his daughter (Lal, for everyone who remembers "The Offspring") has gone before him, and he is bound to be reunited with her.
  • On the topic of Data's death, Picard's eulogy captures the spirit of Data's quest to be human and the ideas behind the franchise as a whole; they can see the worst that humanity has to offer, and still aspire for the best parts of humanity.

Season 2

2× 01 — The Star Gazer

• Elnor is now the first full-blooded Romulan at Starfleet Academy. Despite the 250+ years of bad blood between The Federation and the Romulans, Elnor has been warmly welcomed at the Academy.
• It may have taken decades but Picard's attitude to the Borg asking for help and to join the Federation show he has finally found peace after his traumatic assimilation. Treating their pleading for help with the same cautious but optimistic attitude as we saw so many times from him during the Next Generation.
  • Note it's only when the Borg Queen tries to assimilate the Federation Armada does he order the self destruct.
• Picard is in a much better place in general at the start of this season than he was in Season 1. Starfleet has him as Chancellor of the Academy, his relationships with Raffi, Rios and the rest of the gang are much warmer, even his work at the Chateau Picard vineyard is more enthusiastic instead of dutiful.
• Picard and Guinan reunite. Hugs and hooch all around.

2x 02 — Penance

• Q is acting unusually agitated about the situation he's put Picard in, which the latter quickly notices. And despite how much of a nuisance Q has been to him over the years, Picard sounds genuinely concerned for him.
  Picard: Are you…? …Q, you're not well.
• Elnor and Rafi hugging as they're reunited in the dystopian hellhole of the alternate universe.
• Elnor and Agnes hug in the lab when they're reunited like two siblings bubbly smiles and all.

2 X 03 — Assimilation

• A brief moment as Seven brushes at her face, free of her implants and marveling on how, despite this reality being horrible, she's finally free of the Borg parts of herself.
• Seven beams into Los Angeles in a park in front of a little girl...who thinks this is the coolest thing ever. She asks "are you a superhero?" Seven can only offer a little smile and wink as she asks the girl to keep her secret.

2 X 04 — Watcher

• Even after being told that the timeline isn't what it's supposed to be, as well as her earlier bout with time sickness, Guinan adamantly refuses to get involved in Picard's mission to Set Right What Once Went Wrong. And it doesn't help that the latter is intentionally keeping certain details about their relationship vague so as not to risk compromising Guinan's future. What changes Guinan's mind? "My name is Jean-Luc Picard. Four hundred years from now, you will be my oldest...and dearest friend."

2 X 05 — Fly Me to the Moon

• The scene quickly turns horrifying, but for a brief few moments Kore is temporarily cured and she is able to go outside for the first time without choking on the air or being burned by the sun. The sheer joy on Adam and Kore's faces when they hug is truly heartwarming.
  • And a little later on in the scene, when Kore swims for the first time in her life. Well, tries anyway.
  Kore: It's just floating in motion!
• As his daughter is resting in the other room, Adam Soong notes that he is Q's hostage if he truly has a real cure for Kore's condition. Q responds in his own Q manner, but what he says suggests that he empathises or perhaps even sympathises with Adam and his situation.
  Q: We're all hostages to what we love. The only way to truly be free is to love nothing. How meaningless would that be?

2x 06 — Two of One

• Jean Luc Picard giving his ancestor Renée a much-needed pep talk and encouragement that leads her to stay on the Europa mission.

2x 07 — Monsters

• Tallinn helps Picard break out of his coma and helps him learn something crucial about his mother. They also end up bonding even more when she reveals that she is, in fact, Romulan.
• Rios continues to bond with Teresa and her son Ricardo. He finally confides in her who he really is and transports her and her son onto his ship. Ricardo is absolutely delighted and goes exploring while Teresa is just standing there in shock and realization that Rios really is who he says he is.

2x 08 — Mercy

• Although Adam Soong failed to uphold his end of the bargain with Q in exchange for the cure to Kore's condition, Kore is cured anyway. What makes it even more heartwarming is that Q gives the cure to Kore directly rather than through Soong, effectively giving her freedom from her father and his experiments.
  • And something else that is noteworthy is the lack of strings attached to the cure offered by Q. No deals, no caveats, tricks or anything to that effect—this was an act of kindness.
• Jurati's love for her friends is so strong that she is able to stop the Borg Queen from killing them—something that Picard couldn't do when he was assimilated by the Borg.

2x 09 — Hide and Seek

• Jurati yet again, who not only saves her friends but wins over the Borg Queen with the offer of helping her build a new collective based on second chances and choice instead of fear and assimilation.
• As Seven laments the return of her Borg implants, that it was "nice to be ordinary," Raffi responds that it was impossible for her as, implants or no implants, Seven is the most extraordinary woman she has ever met.
• Seven also reveals that Janeway threatened to resign when the academy refused to admit her into Starfleet. It ultimately wasn't enough, but it does show how much Janeway came to believe in her during their time on Voyager.

2x 10 — Farewell

• Q revealing that, facing his end alone, he's spent what little energy he has left teaching Picard a final lesson so that the same doesn't happen to him. When Picard questions why he's so important in the grand scheme of things, Q says it's simply because he cares about him.
  Picard: But...why does all this matter? Is something going to happen for which I will be required...?
  Q: Must it always have galactic import? Universal stakes, celestial upheaval? Isn’t one life enough? You ask me why it matters. It matters to me. You matter to me. Even gods have favorites, Jean-Luc. And you’ve always been one of mine.
• Despite being a massive pain in his ass for over 30 years, Picard still parts ways with Q with a hug, ensuring that Q doesn't die alone.
• Q keeps his gaze on Picard as he snaps his fingers one final time. This means that Picard is the last thing he sees before he dies.
• Q using the last of his energy to not just return the group to their own time, but also to bring Elnor Back from the Dead.
• Rios chooses to stay in the 21st century with Teresa and Ricardo. According to what Guinan tells Picard when they reunite in the 25th century, he ended up living a long and happy life, helping people wherever he could.
  • It's also implied by Guinan that Renée was a part of their lives too given that she was referred to as "Auntie Renée".
• Picard realizes that the Borg Queen is Jurati, immediately cancels the auto destruct and tells everyone to stop shooting. The song that is playing in the background is a song that his mother used to play to calm him down. He had told Jurati about it and she in turn played it in the hopes that he'd calm down. Then the mask comes off and we see Jurati's face. They asked for him because they not only needed a person of authority but a friend. Why did she show up? To protect the region of space from a galactic event using the assembled fleet as a shield. With that task successfully completed, she reveals the reason for her formal request for membership. The event created a new transwarp conduit that they've perceived as a new unknown threat and they want to stay and monitor it.
  • The assimilated Jurati herself is weirdly heartwarming. She's been a Borg for so long at this point that her entire lifetime as a human is little more than a rounding error, and yet she still clearly retains the essence of who she used to be. Beyond that, though, Jurati as a human had always seemed to carry a deep sadness and insecurity just below her bubbly exterior, whereas now she simply seems content. Strange as it seems, you get the impression that she is finally where she belongs.
• Picard finally lets go of his emotional baggage and seeks a future together with Laris, who accepts.
• Wesley Crusher finally returning to recruit Kore into the Travellers. He was so awkward and unsure for such a long time, but traveling all of space and time seems to have finally made him comfortable in his own skin.
• Raffi and Seven's Big Damn Kiss. With their back and forth throughout the season of uncertainty of where or if their relationship is going to actually go anywhere and be anything more than a brief blip from the end of the previous season, it's a solid affirmation that yes, they're going to do what they can to make this work.
  • On top of that, given the long troubled history the franchise has had with regards to LGBTQ+ representation, including several cast members expressing disappointment that it didn't happen in their time, even acknowledging that this era of Star Trek has been committed to improving that, seeing Seven of Nine, who is one of the franchise's flagship characters openly kissing another woman is a big celebratory moment for any LGBTQ+ fan watching.

Season 3

3 X 02 — Disengage

• Picard and Beverly seeing each other for the first time in more than twenty years. They silently lock eyes for a few moments, which makes Picard realize who Jack Crusher is, after which he immediately takes action to prevent Jack from being beamed out.
  Shaw: You're going to get us all killed. Why are you doing this?
  Picard: Because he's my son.
• For all of his grumbling and boorish behavior, Shaw getting convinced by Seven to follow Picard and Riker to check up on them, and deferring to Picard when he reveals why he wants to protect Jack.
• Picard putting his hand on Shaw's shoulder after Shaw acquiescing to Picard. Shaw may be acting antagonistic to Picard (and Riker and Picard did arrive on Shaw's ship on false pretenses), but he's not completely heartless.
• Shaw may not be the most open and friendly captain we've seen in Trek, but he takes the safety of his crew very seriously.

3 X 03 — Seventeen Seconds

• In Worf's intro spiel he uses his usual 'Worf, Son of Mogh' bit but also adds that he is the House of Martok and "Son of Sergei, House of Rozhenko" fully acknowledging his adoptive family in a way he usually didn't on the previous shows, while also acknowledging his second adoptive family the way he usually does.
• Ensign La Forge is sent off duty to get some needed rest but before she does so she approaches Seven, who has been confined to quarters, to give her some encouragement saying that she (and her father) find it hard to make friends but value the ones they have highly so she understands and approves of Seven putting Picard/Riker ahead of Shaw. She caps it off by addressing Seven as "Commander Seven" her preferred form of address instead of Hansen which Shaw had insisted on.
• Even if he went unnamed, it was nice to know that Odo warned Worf about the renegade Changeling faction as it shows Odo hasn't forgotten the friends he made on DS9. Likewise, Worf still respects the Constable enough all these years later to refer to him in passing as a friend and a man of great honor.
• While Jack's frustrated about how he's being stared at now that his connection to Picard is known, Riker just grins and remarks that he spent two decades watching him being "cooked up," pleased as punch that Picard and Crusher actually DID get together at some point. His affection and love for his friends, and specifically that they did actually get together, just shines through, even with the impending threat of Vadic pressing on the Titan in that moment.

3 X 04 — No-Win Scenario

• In the holodeck we see the Titan's crew comforting each other about their apparent impending demise. Of note there appears to be a Vulcan man touching another officer's shoulder to comfort them.
• Riker apologising to Picard, and admitting Picard was right.
• After escaping the nebula and Vadic's grasp, Riker apologizes to Troi for his recent attitudes and vows to help patch up their relationship.
• Jack telling Shaw to back off when the latter, still traumatised by the Battle of Wolf 359, starts to angrily recount the horrors committed by an assimilated Jean-Luc during that battle. And then Jean-Luc allowing Shaw to vent, knowing that he probably needs to.

3 X 05 — Imposters

• It's also a tearjerker since she's about to die, but Picard and Ro Laren are finally able to reconcile after decades of mutual bitterness over Ro's decision to join the Maquis.
• We see the Son of Mogh making visual contact with his former commanding officers Picard and Riker for the first time in likely years.

3 X 06 — Bounty

• The reunion between Worf and his former Enterprise crewmates, even if he still isn't used to physical intimacy.
• Though Geordi is very cross with Picard, he can't help but give Beverly a warm hug, the first time they'd seen each other in years.
• While Geordi and Sidney are odds, it's clear she's on good terms with her sister Alandra who seems to be very much on her side and wanting broker peace between them.
• Just seeing all those ships at the Fleet Museum can't help but tug at your heartstrings. Kirk's Enterprise-A and Sulu's Excelsior, Sisko's Defiant, Archer's NX-01 and Janeway's Voyager. When Seven shows off some of them, you can hear their iconic themes in the music.
  • If you look closely, you can see the NX-01 is in a refit configuration—the same configuration that it would have gotten had Season 5 of Enterprise got made. It's touching to see that for all the flak that Enterprise got back in the day, the franchise hasn't forgotten about the ship or her importance, and even offered a taste of what might have been. She even has the USS designation for good measure!
  • The fact that Starfleet was able to save the Defiant after Prodigy seemingly left her to her doom. Sisko hasn't come back in canon yet, but the brass wasn't going to let his baby float away as junk like what happened with the first one. They completely fixed her up for display, and she's enjoying a well-earned retirement. A tough little ship indeed.
  • Speaking of Seven, you can just hear how proud she was to serve on the Voyager, that she was reborn from a simple Borg drone to a person with a Found Family. That ship holds so many memories for her.
  • Also, just think about what all these Starfleet ships represent in the real world and in-universe. These are nearly every one of the vessels whose voyages fans have followed for over half a century and across hundreds of hours of television and film. These ships and their crews have explored and defended this universe that's inspired and cherished by so many people all over the entire world. They're the symbols of the franchise and are just as much Main Characters as their crews. So to see these ships and their legacies honored both by the franchise's current custodians and by Starfleet in-universe is genuinely emotional.
  • And of course, the Bounty itself gets to play a role in saving the Federation and our protagonists once again, all these years after it brought Spock to Vulcan to be made whole again and carried the whales that saved Earth from destruction
  • In addition, it's not JUST our hero ships at the museum. As much as we love these ships and their crews, Starfleet is wider than any one show and crew, and as important as the Enterprise-A, Excelsior, Defiant, Voyager, and NX-01 are to us, as the audience, they are just individual ships in a long line of Starfleet vessels beyond what we get to see in an individual series.
• Despite his hostility towards nearly everyone else Captain Liam Shaw, as a former engineer, is extremely admiring and appreciative of Geordi and after a little Bait-and-Switch Geordi says he's impressed with the engineering and maintenance Shaw has done on the Titan,
• Riker figures out the significance of the violin chords during their confrontation with Moriarty, and we get a flashback all the way back to "Encounter at Farpoint" with Riker first exploring the Holodeck while someone whistles a hesitant rendition of "Pop goes the Weasel," which Riker finishes back in the current time.
  Moriarty: [relieved smile] Marvelous.
  Worf: How did you know it would work?
  Riker: I shared that tune decades ago with another dear friend. One who dreamt of crows, and aspired to thwart Moriarty with the intellect of Holmes. Somebody who couldn't whistle worth a damn.
  [Riker flashes back to his first meeting with Data]
  Riker: [whistles "Pop Goes the Weasel"]
  Data: Marvelous.
  • The "Encounter at Farpoint" flashback is also lovingly rendered in stunning high-def and widescreen.
• Altan Inigo Soong's final log entry explaining M-5-10 and firmly establishing him as an unambiguous good guy.
  Altan Inigo Soong: Before I gifted Picard my golem, my intention was to live beyond my years. To become my own legacy. Now I see, in my final days, that wasn't just poor humanity, it was poor science. Because evolution is not an act of preservation, it's addition. Into this new golem will go a bit of Lal, B-4, of Lore and, of course, a great deal of Data. This time with the wisdom and true human aesthetic of age. With the hope that, in totality, something— someone— will rise to be the best of us.
• When Geordi activates Data-3 for the first time, the Golem's first words are "Geordi?", recognizing his best friend almost immediately.

3 X 07 — The Dominion

• Tim Russ finally getting to return to live-action Trek, 20 years after his last episode of Voyager.

3 X 08 — Surrender

• Data's final memory is the one he holds most dear: his cat Spot. As he explains to Lore, taking care of Spot taught him love, something he didn't know himself capable of.
  • The scene is moving enough on its own, but Data cuddling with the representation of his memory of Spot while describing how important Spot was to him will especially tug at the heartstrings of pet owners and of cat people in particular.
    Data: This is Spot. This simple creature managed something quite miraculous. Something of which I did not know I was capable. In a way, he taught me to love. He is the best of me, the last of me.
  • And after Data disappears, Lore is holding and petting Spot, suggesting that even a sociopath like him can express a small amount of affection for another lifeform.
• When Picard expresses concern that this resurrection of Data "betrays" Data's request to die, Data acknowledges that his original self is dead, and no doubt happily so after a long life, but this version of him wouldn't wish to be anywhere else than with his friends. For their part, they're more than happy to see any version of their friend alive again, especially Geordi.
  • Deanna too. She's the first to run to Data for a hug.
• The TNG crew is back together once again.
  • Even Tasha Yar, who died way back in the first season of TNG, gets a Call-Back, when Data share his memory of her with Lore.
• Data's final solution isn't to destroy Lore... but to reconcile with him, giving his brother his memories so that he becomes like Data and in affect merge with him. He then embraces his brother one last time before the merger succeeds.

3 X 09 — Vox

• After Jack flees the Titan and the crew is unable to track his signal, Data asks Picard if there's anything he can say to comfort his captain. Picard tells him there isn't, so Data just puts a hand on his shoulder and stands beside him, one friend supporting another. For his part, Picard manages a warm smile and covers Data's hand with his. Both of them have come a long way from the emotionless android and stoic, distant captain of the TNG days.
• Sure, she gets hijacked by the Borg not moments later, but you gotta give the Enterprise-F credit for one hell of a flyby for what was supposed to be her final showing. Brief as it was, she does Kirk and the Enterprise name proud.
• In his dying moments, Captain Shaw tells his first officer that the Titan is her ship now and finally calls her "Seven of Nine". While Seven long ago earned the respect he is finally showing her, it's still good to see him show it.
• The command crew of the Enterprise are finally reunited with the last member of their family: the old girl herself, refurbished by Geordi over the last 20 years.
  • In-universe, the fact Geordi spent twenty years working on restoring his old ship shows his devotion to it.
  • Out-of-universe, the fact that the bridge set has been recreated after being destroyed in '94, basically perfectly — down to Worf's Tactical control panels being different colors because the limits of 1980s technology required them to be so — shows the crew's devotion to it. The story goes they almost couldn't because it was too expensive. They insisted they do it anyway, and they pulled it off, not wanting the D to be left out of the reunion. They even found the original set's old dedication plaque and used it on the new one!
  • For the aftershow The Ready Room, host Wil Wheaton steps out onto the bridge for the first time and is utterly flabbergasted. This is also a moment for Wil himself: he has written about the fact that the captain's chair was reserved by common consensus for Patrick Stewart, and no one, neither cast nor crew, sat in it unless they had permission. When Wheaton, having received that permission from his castmates, finally gets to take the big chair, his pride and catharsis are self-evident. Long story short, a lot of people — in both the 25th century and this one — love this ship and what she represents.
• Picard's reluctance to pit his friends against the Borg again is beautifully countered.
  Riker:We're the crew of the USS Enterprise, but more than that... we're your family.
  Deanna: Jack, Alandra, Sydney; They're our family too.
  Riker: Jean-Luc, wherever you go we go.
  Picard: Thank you, Number One.
• Getting to hear Majel Barrett again via archival audio as the Enterprise's computer.
• Seeing the D fly her way out of the old Spacedock as the old ships still in dry dock wish her off. Right above her is the NX-01, the very ship that started the Enterprise lineage, as the D symbolically promises to fix the damage the Borg wrought on the day the NX-01 left for her first voyage 250 years ago.

3x 10 — The Last Generation

• The episode opens with a call to the galaxy from the Federation President, how Earth has fallen - and yet, he still believes there is hope regardless. That he's making this warning also likely means he is under seige by assimilated officers, but he still speaks of hope for the Federation and all those under the threat of the Borg. The President himself is Anton Chekov - the son of Pavel, managing to connect the generations once more.
• Picard, Riker and Worf have to split up on the Cube, the three making it clear how close their bond is.
  Worf: There are two words a Klingon never admits to knowing. "Defeat" and "farewell."
• Picard willingly plugs himself into the collective just so he can free his son. And when it seems Jack doesn't want to leave, Picard decides he'll stay for Jack's sake. That act alone is enough to get Jack to break free from the Borg—as someone like them could never understand the true strength of a bond between parent and child—as he finally accepts Jean-Luc as his father.
• Seven hugging and comforting the newly freed Sidney, who's breaking down in tears from the raw trauma of her sudden assimilation and deassimilation. She knows full well what it's like to be enslaved by the Collective and forced to commit its atrocities. Also, Sidney realizing that she nearly tried to kill Seven, an officer she deeply respects and cares about, and desperately apologizing. Bonus points for the shot of Seven and Sidney's Cooldown Hug highlighting Seven's Borg implants on her left eye and hand, emphasizing that she's the best person to empathise with Sidney's struggle.
• As the Borg Cube begins exploding following the destruction of the transmitter by the Enterprise-D, Picard, Jack, Worf and Riker are left with no ready escape route. Resigning themselves to their fates, Riker says a final farewell to his imzadi and that he and Thad will be waiting for Troi on the other side. Troi, sensing Riker’s words through their mental link, and with little time remaining, takes the helm of the Enterprise and flies the ship to their location and beams them aboard before escaping.
• Geordi seeing his daughters freed from the Borg. Words can't begin to describe his, Sidney's, and Alandra's joy. Made even better when you remember that last episode, he was totally heartbroken by their assimilation, ready to rush to their rescue without a thought. And now he's glad that he listened to Data and figured out a plan first.
• Every part of the group rescued from the Borg cube entering the Enterprise-D Bridge. Beverly hugging Jack. Riker kissing Deanna. Data returning to Geordi's side, followed by Geordi seeing his daughters safe and sound on the viewscreen from the Titan-A. Then Picard unofficially welcomes his son to the Enterprise-D family:
  Picard: Welcome to the Enterprise.
  • Just like McCoy told Data all those years ago. "Treat her like a lady, and she'll always bring you home." Now, after their darkest hour, the ship and crew are finally home.
• Raffi's estranged son Gabe reaching out and telling her how proud he is of her, and introducing her to her Granddaughter. While they clearly still have a lot to work out, it is a big change from his complete disowning of her previously.
  • Worf gets a moment here too when it becomes clear that he's the “honorable maverick” who leaked all of her previously concealed commendations for gallantry- presumably hush hush due to the sensitive nature of her work- to the public so that her family and people in general will be able to better understand just who Raffi is, in hopes of being able to help her reunite with her family. Considering Worf knows what it’s like to have a strained relationship with your kid? It shows he clearly wants better for her and her son and it’s lovely.
  • Same scene- Worf hugging Raffi. Just… Worf hugging Raffi.
• Tuvok is revealed to be alive and talking to Seven, who's ready to quit Starfleet. Tuvok shows her a hologram message Shaw made where he notes Seven's stubbornness but how he deeply respects her and is recommending her for her own command.
  Tuvok: Resignation denied...Captain.
  • And he says this with a slight smirk on his face which, for a Vulcan, is basically an ear-to-ear grin.
  • Even better is that Shaw made this recording before this entire adventure, showing he always deeply respected Seven (even calling her by that name, and acknowledging that it's 'more accurate' to do so) and was ready to push her on.
    Shaw: That leads me to First Officer Hansen. More accurately, Seven of Nine. (sighs) Hell, I'm a relic of an older time. By the book. By God, the book is boring. Hansen is reckless. She's unrelenting, doesn't give a damn about protocol or procedure. (sighs) However...she's brave and loyal and...the book that she writes is gonna be great. And the rules that she breaks...(sighs)... maybe they were broken to begin with. So, in light of that, I have a recommendation: promotion to captain when we return to port.
• The hopeful ending in general. Yes, we know the Burn is coming over half a millennium from now and will knock Starfleet down for a bit, but for this moment in time, everything is right: the horrible threat of the original Borg is over, Picard’s old crew is reunited, the Enterprise-D now stands proudly alongside its 24th Century brethren in the Fleet Museum and the legacy of the Enterprise continues with the former Titan-A as Captain Seven of Nine and First Officer Raffi helm the Enterprise-G.
  • Speaking of the D, the last we see her she's been fully restored (the discoloration and scuff marks from the Generations crash now completely cleaned up) and put out on display between the Enterprise-A and the Stargazer, her predecessors in both her adventures (with Kirk's surviving Enterprise) and Picard's career (his previous command before the D)
  • As for the G, they went the extra mile with her debut. Previously, each vessel that bore the name Enterprise (aside from the A) was a brand new ship, each bigger and better than the last. Now, just like the A before her, the G gives the Enterprise mantle to another ship—the Titan-A, as thanks for her helping to save The Federation (and to give the old Constitution back the name long after Kirk and company retired). And to add a cherry on top, Jack and Beverly surprise Picard with the new designation when the Admiral accompanies his son to see him off on his first assignment fresh out of the academy. He already told Jack how proud he is of him, but it's extra touching to see Jack go the extra mile to surprise his Dad.
    • On top of that, Jack was worried he only got his posting because his parents were Admiral Picard and Admiral Crusher, but Jean-Luc assures him that names aren't important—Jack got to where he did all by himself. Then Jack shows him the G, and says that names are important, because they gave the Titan the Enterprise name as tribute to the Enterprise-D crew.
  • In the final scene aboard the Enterprise-D, Picard, Riker and La Forge contemplate who they would have been without the Enterprise, all three agreeing that their lives would have been different but none of them can imagine having better lives than what they lived because of their time with this ship. When the computer voice announces the ship shutting down for the last time, Riker nostalgically reflects, "I miss that voice." Of course we all miss Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who provided the voice of the computer for so many years (and, incidentally, was also the voice of Riker's mother-in-law).
  • All the way back in "Encounter at Farpoint," McCoy tells Data of the Enterprise, "You treat her like a lady, she'll always bring you home." During the build to the final season, several mentions were made of not there being no guarantees of the survival of the characters. All the same, Geordi put in the work to put the ship back together, even after her final voyage in Generations, fixing up the old girl. And once again, she did as promised - she brought them all home, and this time earned a place in the fleet museum for her efforts, rather than being disassembled to preserve the Prime Directive.
• That final poker game, which truly is just the cast — the best of friends over the last thirty-plus years — having fun together as the family they are. Best of all, Jean-Luc Picard sits at that table flanked by William Riker on his right (forever and always his right-hand man) and Beverly Crusher on his left... the Captain, the First Officer, and the Chief Medical Officer, back where they belong at last.
  • Also, a great Book Ends to the original final episode, "All Good Things...", where Picard finally joins his crew's poker game, previously only keeping their relationship professional, and beginning to properly connect with them as a family. This time, it's him who enthusiastically initiates the game, completing his growth and symbolizing that he has fully connected with the family that as stuck with him through thick and thin, saving the galaxy one more time.
• When Jack is unpacking his belongings during the mid-credits scene, he pulls out a model of the Enterprise-D, proving the bartender from the season premiere wrong — someone appreciates "the fat one".

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