The Star Gazer (episode)

Starfleet must once again call on legendary Jean-Luc Picard after members of his former crew – Cristóbal Rios, Seven of Nine, Raffi Musiker, and Dr. Agnes Jurati – discover an anomaly in space that threatens the galaxy. (Season premiere)
== Summary ==
=== Teaser ===
A group of Starfleet officers are making their way through the corridors of their ship, which has been boarded by hostile forces, taking the turbolift to the ship's bridge. Once there, they find Borg technology interfacing with the ship's systems and attacking the bridge crew. Jean-Luc Picard calls for the ship to activate its auto-destruct, and as it counts down to zero, he finds himself facing a mysterious cybernetic intruder…
=== Act One ===
Forty-eight hours earlier, at Château Picard on Earth, Picard goes through the vineyards with his dog to the tune of "Time Is on My Side" on a record player, as automated harvesters pick grapes. Laris, his Romulan housekeeper, oversees the boxing and labeling of fresh bottles. Picard looks at her longingly and then walks away. Laris then does the same.
Later that evening, the two toast in a number of Earth languages, and Picard remarks on how the day was easily his favorite of the year: the end of the season, "a confirmation of hard work well done". Laris concedes that was one way to look at it, and Picard asks for her way. Laris relies on a Romulan phrase, which Picard is able to translate as "seize today, for we know nothing of tomorrow". She concedes that the day was "glorious", but none of their tomorrows were ever certain. Picard offers a toast to Laris' late husband Zhaban, knowing how she must miss him, adding that he does as well. Laris admits she still did, even after a year and a half and mentions that they had been promised to one another at birth per Romulan custom, but they did grow to truly love each other. She points out how Romulans did not suffer loss as Humans; they loved deeply, and when they lost someone, they honored that love by loving again. She muses on when came to work for Picard, on how she first saw him, a man belonging to the stars, but now wonders: has he been seeking, or running? She apologizes for getting personal, but Picard encourages her to continue. She asks him point blank: "Why have you chosen to be alone?" He points out that he was hardly alone, but he knows that was not what Laris meant. Picard concedes he was a man who had reached for the stars, and with some pressing, admits that what he really wanted often had to stand in line behind his sense of duty, the need to keep moving. Leaning closer to him, Laris asks what his heart would do if he suddenly decided to stop, there and now. He leans forward as if to kiss her, but hesitates; she notes it was late, and he had a speech to give the following day, before rising to leave.
Alone with his thoughts, Picard finds himself in his mind's eye alternating between his younger self and his current self, entering the solarium of the house – broken at present, intact in his past – and hearing the voice of his mother Yvette behind him. She calls him her "little Magellan", and the young Jean-Luc comments that he could have sailed off the edge of the world. Yvette tells him that Paris was just a transport away, and while his father Maurice "rooted around in the dirt" and his brother Robert was at school, they could create their own world there, clearing out the vines and painting the windows. Jean-Luc asks if that means his parents would fight less here, and Yvette's face falls. 
In the present, Picard stands in the ruins of the solarium, holding up a piece of glass with a rose painted on it, and begins experiencing traumatic flashbacks for a moment, before turning to that memory. Yvette assures him that of course, they would fight less – but if he should hear them shouting, to remember how tiny their voices were from up there. "Look up at the stars, Jean-Luc," she tells him. "Look up. As the present Picard does so, the view pulls back some distance away from Earth, as the detects a strange spatial anomaly. 
Back in his home, Picard goes downstairs and looks up at his bookshelf, while Laris brings him a cup of Earl Grey tea, now cold. He is seeking a book with a green cover and gold lettering, a first edition; she finds it immediately and hands it to him. He tries to explain about what had occurred the previous evening, but Laris chalks it up to him merely being himself. He assures her nothing has to change, but Laris feels it is too late for that, that going forward things would only be awkward between them, and she felt too old for awkward. She then remarks on how even in the age of transporters, he somehow always manages to be late.
Picard gives an address at Starfleet Academy, referring to how space had always been considered "the final frontier", but as he grew older, he began to realize the true final frontier was time. In command, as in life, what one did in crisis often weighed less heavily than what one wished they had done, what could have been. Time offered many opportunities, but rarely second chances; and as steps forward went, he wanted to acknowledge the first fully Romulan cadet at the Academy: Elnor, sitting in the front row. "May you all go boldly into a future freed from the shackles of the past," he continues, as he claims to stand before them as "the last Picard". He notes how his ancestors had contributed to exploration on Earth and in the early solar system but chooses to leave them with the words of his mother, who had not been an explorer; as a boy, she would point up to the night sky and say, "Look up, Jean-Luc, and let's see what's out there."
Meanwhile, aboard La Sirena, a band of pirates search the cargo hold for Seven of Nine, who is armed only with a wrench. Feeling movement nearby, she swings the wrench – only to go through one of Cristóbal Rios' holograms, Emmet, who tells her in Spanish that something was going on outside. Seven tells him she's "a little occupied at the moment", to which Emmet shrugs and moves off. One of the pirates calls for Seven to show them her "ugly Borg face". She manages to disarm and knock out the speaker, but finds herself under fire from another. Taking cover, Seven decides to try another tack, telling them that the medical supplies they were trying to steal belonged to the Fenris Rangers. Their answer is more gunfire, and Seven takes cover, asking Emmet for help. He proves to be something of a distraction (even dramatically yawning as one of the pirates shoots through his holographic body), and points out that he was "helpless". Seven, while pummeling another pirate, disengages the holographic safety protocols, allowing Emmet to tussle with the pirate shooting through him. As Emmet tosses the pirate to the deck, Seven charges at her and tackles her over the railing onto the lower deck. Seven thanks him for the help, and he acknowledges with a silly salute. 
Tying the pirates up, Seven beams them off the ship, and Emmet remarks on how Humans continued to act with fear at the sight of her Borg implants. Seven expresses regret at merging the holographic programs, and wonders if there was a way to disable the therapeutic plug-ins; Emmet assures her she won't hear it from him. She finds her phaser and holster still on the captain's chair and asks about what Emmet reported outside. He had detected a spatial distortion with tachyon fluctuations and a large spike in Hawking radiation, and brings it on screen. "What the hell is that?" Seven wonders, as she stares at the anomaly growing green on screen.
=== Act Two ===
On the planet Raritan IV in the Beta Quadrant, Dr. Soji Asha proposes a toast to a group of Deltans, in both Federation Standard and their own language. Since the ban on synthetics had been lifted, she had been traveling for more than a year, noting that trust could not be built through an interpreter, but through words spoken from the heart. "True connection can only be forged when the heart has spoken," she concludes in the local tongue, to the approval of the table. Nearby at the bar counter, a visibly drunk Dr. Agnes Jurati remarks on how Soji ran one subroutine on making toasts and was suddenly "the belle of the ball". A man approaches her and offers her his hand, and begins remarking on how hands could have created "such a wonder" (thinking perhaps Jurati was a synth, or being one himself). Jurati recognizes it as an attempt at flirting, and remarks on how her relationships lasted less than a year, including being cleared of murdering her previous boyfriend under alien-induced psychosis. Suddenly, her communicator goes off, much to her relief; Rios, on the other end, is confused, saying that "never speak to me again" was the last thing Jurati had said to him.
Soji walks along with Jurati, relieved to get a break, jokingly worried she'd have to break into a medley of Deltan folk songs. She was able to hear that Rios had called Jurati away, while Soji would remain to continue being "charmingly diplomatic". When Jurati clarifies that by "hear" she meant "eavesdrop with [her] super robot hearing", Soji points out that Jurati had asked her to monitor any potential drunk hailing incidents, so she applied that to drunk answering as well. Jurati thinks this is exploitation of a technicality and promises to call as soon as she knows they'll be back. Soji wonders if Jurati will be able to work with Rios, and Jurati admits that the idea made more sense when they were back on Earth. Soji admits she would never say "I told you so", but points out Rios' new job has a lot of pressure. 
Jurati asks how hard it could be, before beaming back up to the ship… a Starfleet ship, and Rios is in the uniform of a Starfleet captain. He orders helmsman Kemi to set course as quick as possible without flying into a sun, and orders Lieutenant Urtern to prepare an engagement plan. He then explains to Jurati that a subspace anomaly has been detected, and Starfleet is ordering them to investigate; he admits he needs Jurati's help, and she remarks that was "kind of kind" of him. Kemi reports the course is set. "Dale," Rios orders, Spanish for "make it so", as he lights a cigar. Jurati comments on keeping up the legacy, and points out it was his own fault, as no one expected him to accept a command with baggage. Rios' ship is the , a ship named for Picard's first command. The Stargazer then goes to warp.
Back at Starfleet Academy, the cadets receive their assignments, as Picard walks with Commander Raffaela Musiker. He mentions he is considering an update to the Kobayashi Maru scenario, a test Musiker expresses her dislike of; Picard has been named chancellor of Starfleet Academy, which Musiker notes as being his way to focus on Starfleet instead of his private life. Picard retorts by asking about Seven, and Musiker acknowledges that she had to be out there helping people, wondering who could be more important than that. Picard can see that Musiker would like to be that important, and Musiker admits she had her hoping for something more. She comments on how both Picard and Seven were so "damn self-sufficient", she wondered if they even got lonely. Meanwhile, Elnor receives his assignment to the as Picard approaches, glad to see him before he left. He is excited about his future in Starfleet, but worries that his excitement may be affecting his studies. Picard offers him a quote from the book he had found, Spock's memoir The Many and the One, about the challenges he faced as one of the first Vulcans in Starfleet: "Exhilaration enhances the absorption of knowledge." In other words, Picard concludes, "live a little," as he hands Elnor the book. Elnor thanks him, as Musiker approaches to instruct him to report for departure. Musiker is also assigned to the Excelsior, commenting that Elnor's absolute candor "will get his ass kicked", so she is watching over him. The orders go out for officers and cadets to report to their ships, and Picard bids Musiker safe journeys. After she leaves, he looks over to a plaque honoring the old Stargazer. 
Meanwhile, the current Stargazer arrives at the anomaly, with Urtern reporting that it appeared stable; Jurati sarcastically comments that a rift in space-time did not constitute stability. Lieutenant at communications reports they are being hailed; it is Seven from La Sirena. Rios is dismayed at the damage done to his ship, to which Seven corrects it was hers now, and remarks on the violent nature of her work. Just then, a massive burst of static sounds through the comms; Sing runs it through the translator, but finds it inconclusive. Even intoxicated, Jurati is able to figure out the cause – it was not one language, but several, all pleading for help. They were all saying the same thing: "Help us, Picard."
=== Act Three ===
Picard with a bottle of wine in a net bag, beams into the Forward Avenue Historic District in Los Angeles, entering a bar at address number ten. Inside, Guinan is looking over her drinks, when she hears him enter, thinking she will need a hot cup of Earl Grey; Picard suggests something stronger. She addresses him as "Captain Picard", though he whispers that he's an admiral now; to her, however, he will always be "captain". He offers her the bottle of Château Picard for her private stock; Guinan comments that with him nearly a century old, and her several, keeping things in reserve should not be among their priorities. He points out that El-Aurians age slower than Humans, but Guinan clarifies that it was only if they chose to; given how most Humans felt about mortality, she tried to keep up, as it were. Guinan can see he is not here to reminisce about the old days, that it was the new ones troubling him now. She has been with him through countless disasters, and had not seen him look quite as he did now… then corrects herself and says she has, grabbing a bottle of Saurian brandy off her bar as the wine "wouldn't cut it".
Picard explains he has loved before, sometimes quite deeply, but Guinan thinks it was only with those with whom Picard knew it would be only temporary so that he would never have to fear any of them taking root. He asks if she takes him for the "fearful sort", and she acknowledges he has done many brave things "of a kind". Picard laments that "that particular ship has sailed", and he watched it leave. Guinan calls this ridiculous, saying that it was not too late. Time was not the problem; he himself was, as the only things he ever put out to break were his bones, the only thing he risked was his life. She reminds him there were worse things than being dead, and that the only thing she ever thought he was afraid to explore, whether flesh and blood or artificial, was his own heart. She asks him what happened that he never talked about with her. Picard finds himself unable to answer. Guinan understands: the answers he seeks were not in the stars, and never had been. But she also suggests that they drink, as there was "one final frontier yet to come". They toast to that.
Back at his home, Picard is visited by Fleet Admiral Sally Whitley, who apologizes for dropping in but has a sensitive matter on her hands. They had encountered something unique in space and wanted to get his eyes on it. Picard gently protests, thinking there were other more qualified people than he. Whitley explains the anomaly caused a large spike in Adler-Lasky temporal radiation, and then began to broadcast. She plays the initial distorted broadcast, then filters it out to "help us, Picard". Whitley explains the transmission fell under Article 15, an entreaty to join the Federation… and apparently only wishes to speak to Picard about it. She holds out a combadge for him, and he reluctantly accepts it. Moments later, Laris returns, just as the shuttle leaves. 
The shuttle comes out of warp near the Stargazer, and Picard is pleasantly surprised to see Seven waiting for him outside the entrance to the shuttlebay. As they walk through the corridors, the crew come to attention, recognizing him at once. Picard is impressed with the new Stargazer, but Seven is reticent; it was based on research from the , the derelict Borg cube held by the Romulans, and many in Starfleet still feared the Borg. She felt her presence was increasing the old feelings of paranoia. They arrive on the bridge, where Rios calls "admiral on the bridge", and the crew rise to attention. Picard remarks that it was certainly sleeker than his Stargazer, and that the older the refits got, the younger they looked, unlike himself. Jurati jokes that he looks "positively positronic". Picard asks Rios for a status update, and Rios shows the tactical analysis. Picard decides to see what they had to say to him personally, and with Rios' permission, orders hailing frequencies, identifying himself and requesting communication. When there is no reply, he tries again, only for a legion of voices to speak his name. Energy spikes cause the consoles and viewscreen to stutter; something is coming through the rift. Rios calls for red alert and orders the helm to give them distance. A massive vessel comes through the rift, emitting a shock wave that rocks the ship. Picard and Seven stare at the ship, and both come to the same conclusion. Seven confirms it aloud: the ship is Borg.
=== Act Four ===
thumb|left|A fleet of ships prepared to face the emerging Borg vessel
A fleet of ships arrives to join the Stargazer, including Musiker on the Excelsior, who informs Rios they are ready to assist. Rios lays out the situation: they were the tip of the spear, Picard was ranking officer, "and the devil is calling your name" and asks what to do. Picard admits he doesn't know, thinking that what was out there could be the point that history turns. 
Seven reminds him that the Borg assimilate, not ask to be assimilated. Jurati thinks caution is warranted, but everything about the situation was unique. The Borg they know have been all but wiped out; Rios thinks it stands to reason that they would change tactics. Seven agrees, thinking they would resort to deception to achieve victory if it came to that. If they were wrong, Jurati warns, they could be depriving the Federation of an ally, something Picard concurs with. Seven is incredulous, pointing out how the Borg had wiped out entire species, and killed and assimilated billions, including her parents. If she's wrong, they destroy a Borg ship, but if she was right and they did nothing, that could spell the end for the Federation. Just then, Commander Moshe calls Rios to the bridge.
Sing reports the ship was hailing them. The Borg are adamant that "there is no more time", and seek to begin negotiations immediately with Picard, alone. Picard asks how they propose to do so, and they respond that they will send an emissary: their queen. Rios is adamant that he is not allowing the Borg onto his ship, and broadcasts to the fleet to raise shields. Moshe detects a single transport signal attempting to beam on board, but Rios orders fire held, as they couldn't get through the shields. Seven urges him to open fire. Rios opens a channel calling the Borg ship to cease its transport attempt, or it would be fired upon. The Borg activates its cutting beam in response, allowing the transport to penetrate their shields; Moshe reports it was headed directly for the bridge. Rios orders his bridge crew to arm themselves but admonishes Moshe not to fire prematurely. Throughout the ship, the crew arms themselves as Rios orders security teams to the bridge. 
At that moment, the Borg Queen materializes on the bridge, but in a strange new form. She tells them the Borg wish peace… but first, she requires power, as tentacles lash out and stab into the consoles at the front. Seven opens fire, followed by Moshe, but the Queen only absorbs their phaser blasts, before projecting the energy back at Moshe, throwing him to the deck. The rest of the bridge crew begin to fire, but with the same result. Rios calls for his crew to cease fire, as Seven checks on Moshe; the Queen was stunning the crew, not killing them. The computer reports isolinear fragmentation. Jurati checks at a nearby console, and reports that the Queen is accessing all the Borg modifications in the ship in order to seize control – not just of the Stargazer, but of the entire fleet, using the Stargazer as a hub to access the ships' command codes, and has nearly assimilated the entire ship in a matter of moments. Seven insists to Picard that she cannot be allowed to have an entire armada. With no options left, Picard activates the auto-destruct sequence. As the timer counts to zero, the Borg Queen tells him to "look up". He stares at her in shock as the Stargazer explodes.
Suddenly, Picard finds himself back in the broken solarium of his home on Earth, and sees he is wearing a very different uniform. He enters the main house, seeing more militaristic artifacts, including a portrait of himself in a black uniform. Walking into his kitchen, he shouts for Laris, only to find an A500 answering him instead, telling him how the solar shields were holding, and asking if he needed anything. Picard demands to know who he is, and he identifies himself as Harvey. Picard asks again about Laris, and Harvey identifies it as a Romulan name, asking if Picard wanted him to check the migrant rosters. Picard, visibly confused, asks what is happening.
"An excellent question, Jean-Luc," a familiar voice responds. "Mon capitaine, how I've missed you." 
Picard looks up in disbelieving shock to find Q standing there, looking much as he had when they had last met, thirty-one years earlier. Q notes how much older Picard looked, and snaps his fingers to match himself, now with white hair and a beard. Picard is distinctly not happy to see him. Q reminds him of what he had said when they had met the last time: "The trial never ends." Picard demands to know what he's doing there. Q answers that Picard had talked a lot about second chances. 
"Well, my friend," he concludes, "welcome to the very end of the road not taken."
== Memorable quotes ==
"We often refer to space as the final frontier. But the older I get, the more I come to believe… that the true final frontier is time."
: - Picard, addressing Starfleet Academy cadets
"My longest lasting intimate relationship, including the one that I just ended, is less than a year. I was recently cleared of murdering my previous boyfriend, due to alien-induced temporary insanity, so I'm not exactly dating material, you know?"
: - Jurati
"You know Seven, there's always folks out there in trouble. What kind of asshole needs to be more important than that?"
"But you would like to be. To her."
: - Musiker and Picard
"I'm gonna need some tea. Earl Grey, piping hot."
"Perhaps something stronger."
: - Guinan, when Picard walks into her bar in Los Angeles
"I think your answers are not in the stars and they never have been. Also, I suggest that we drink. Because I think there's one final frontier yet to come."
: - Guinan, sharing Saurian brandy with Picard
"What is happening here?!"
"An excellent question, Jean-Luc."
: - Picard, finding himself in an alternate timeline when Q emerges
"Do you recall what I said to you when last we parted ways? The trial never ends."
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"You've been talking a lot about second chances. Well, my friend, welcome to the very end of the road not taken."
: - Q and Picard
== Background information ==
=== Title ===
* : Title publicly revealed via Paramount Press Express. 
=== Production ===
* The scene in which Picard addresses the Starfleet Academy cadets was filmed in the . Only days later, the location was transformed to become the dystopian setting of the Eradication Day rally in . ()
=== Story and script ===
* Jurati describes herself as "half in the bag", a slang term meaning "half drunk". "Half in the Bag" is also the name of a Red Letter Media series which was notably critical of PIC Season 1.
=== Cast and characters ===
* Orla Brady and Jeri Ryan have been added to the series' main cast starting with this episode. Brady previously appeared as a guest star in three episodes of season 1, while Ryan was credited as a special guest star in five episodes.
* Whoopi Goldberg reprises her role of Guinan and is credited as a Special Guest Star in the opening titles. Guinan was last seen in a brief appearance in .
* John de Lancie reprises his role of Q and is also credited as a Special Guest Star in the opening titles. Q last appeared in and was last seen in a live-action depiction in .
* Madeline Wise takes over the role of Yvette Picard, Jean-Luc Picard's mother. Yvette Picard was last seen in as an elderly woman, portrayed by Herta Ware, in an illusion experienced by Jean-Luc.
=== Depictions of starships ===
* This episode includes various old and new Starfleet starships in the depiction of its armada as well as on background props. Although the details of many of these ships are barely legible on screen, information on them was revealed on Twitter following the release of the episode by members of the art department of Star Trek: Picard, most notably art director Dave Blass. 
* The armada facing the spatial anomaly features 33 starships in total. All of the Starfleet vessels have dedicated names and registry numbers assigned to them. These names and registries were revealed by Dave Blass through a size chart, depicting the various starships. 
* Returning Starfleet starship classes in the armada include the , , , and the .
* New starship classes introduced in the armada include the , , , , , and the .
* Two additional ship classes are introduced in the background of this episode: The is seen as a gold model in the briefing room of the , while the is depicted on a memorial placard at Starfleet Academy. The Radiant was designed and its model built by artist and hobbyist Star Trek model builder Bill Krause. The Lancelot was based on a design sketch by John Eaves, originally created for Star Trek Online, precipitating the in Star Trek: Discovery.
* All in all, this episode introduces eight new Starfleet starship classes, similar to , which featured seven new classes. A larger number of new Starfleet vessels is possibly only seen in the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf 359 in , although most of these ships are depicted as wreckage.
=== Visual effects ===
* Four starship classes, the Gagarin, Reliant, Ross, and Sutherland, were originally created for Star Trek Online. Their models from the game were provided to the art department of Star Trek: Picard by STO starship designers Thomas Marrone and Hector Ortiz and used in this episode with only small changes. This marks the first time that starships originally designed for a Star Trek video game have made on-screen appearances. As a result, Star Trek Online received a special thanks in the end credits for the episode.
* Additionally, the Akira and Sovereign-class ships seen in this episode also utilized models from Star Trek Online.
=== Continuity ===
* This episode is set in the year 2401, as indicated by the labels on the new vintage of Château Picard wine. This marks the first Star Trek production set entirely within the 25th century. Previously, and featured depictions of alternate realities set in this century. 
* Over a year and a half has passed since the events of the previous episode, . As much time has passed since the passing of Zhaban, as stated by Laris. This marks the longest timespan skipped between episodes of the same Star Trek series without involving time travel.
* Most main characters have moved to new positions since the end of the previous season:
** Jean-Luc Picard, Cristóbal Rios, and Raffaela Musiker have been reinstated in Starfleet. Picard serves as Chancellor of Starfleet Academy, Rios is the captain of the , and Musiker is a commander serving aboard the .
** Soji Asha and Agnes Jurati have embarked on a diplomatic goodwill tour, introducing the no-longer secretive synthetics to other species. 
** Elnor has joined Starfleet Academy and is lauded as the first full Romulan Starfleet cadet. 
** Seven of Nine has taken over command of La Sirena, which is now part of the Fenris Rangers.
* The inhabitants of Raritan IV were implied to be Deltans, which would make this their first appearance since .
* The 25th century 's registration number is NCC-82893, a nod to the . ( et al.) Several images and references were also made with regards to the former Stargazer, including the date in which it entered service: 2326.
* Through brief flashbacks it is revealed that Jean-Luc Picard had a close relationship with his mother Yvette, while his brother Robert was closer to their father Maurice. Yvette also encouraged Jean-Luc to be curious about the world and the stars in the night sky. It is hinted at that the relationship between Yvette and Maurice was abusive, likely adding to the estrangement of Jean-Luc and the rest of his family, as seen in .
* Picard refers to himself as "the last Picard", alluding to the death of his brother Robert and his nephew René in 2371. Even soon after both perished in a fire at Château Picard, Jean-Luc lamented that he never started a family of his own and had always been comforted knowing that his family's legacy would continue through his brother and René. ()
* The memorial placards seen at Starfleet Academy feature historic Starfleet vessels , , , , , , and , as well as the Phoenix. Although many of the details are not legible on screen, the actual images and descriptions were shared by Dave Blass. Through the placards, the fate of a number of historic Starfleet ships is revealed for the first time: 
** The original was decommisioned in 2320.
** The saucer section of the was lifted off Veridian III after its crash landing and is now part of the Starfleet Museum.
** was decomissioned shortly after its homecoming in 2378.
* One of the placards features the , commanded by Captain Nyota Uhura. Previously, the Leondegrance was mentioned on a certificate seen in the Starfleet Museum Quantum Archives of Jean-Luc Picard, indicating that Picard served on the ship as a cadet. This connection might be a nod to the origins of Star Trek: Picard itself, which started out as a episode in which an elderly Picard, portrayed by Patrick Stewart, muses on a time during which he was mentored as a young Starfleet officer by Uhura, portrayed by Nichelle Nichols. Although the production of the Short Treks episode ultimately did not come to pass, it led to the development of Picard. 
* Notable names for ships cadets were assigned to include the (the third Starfleet ship to bear the name), the , named for the helmsman and original Excelsior captain, and the ().
* Eight vessels can be seen in this episode, marking the class's first actual appearance in a Star Trek series. Previously, the was last seen in , while only background graphics and models of the class appeared in several episodes. 
* Additionally, the makes its first appearance since and the makes the first transition from to live-action Star Trek. 
* Besides La Sirena, two other previously known ships were part of the armada: The participated in the Battle of Sector 001 (), while the was commanded by Captain William T. Riker during the battle against Oh's Romulan forces ().
* Unlike most other encounters after his assimilation, the Borg in this episode refer to Picard by his name, instead of "Locutus". It also appears that only Seven senses the arrival of the Borg through the anomaly, although Picard was previously also shown to be sensitive to a Borg presence (). This may allude to the fact that Picard's synthetic body has technically never been assimilated by the Borg.
* The shortened auto-destruct sequence Picard activates uses the code "000-Destruct-0" was an homage to that of the original . (; )
* Guinan now runs a bar located in 10 Forward Avenue in Los Angeles, in a nod to Ten Forward as seen on . Her older appearance is described as another power of El-Aurians, who have the ability to willfully age, especially to comfort the more short-lived species with whom they engage.
* Los Angeles is seen for the first time outside of the 20th century. In it was stated that a large part of the city sank beyond the sea during the Hermosa Quake. The memorial plaque for Forward Avenue mentions that this part of the city was one of the few locations spared by the earthquake. 
* In his brief talk with Picard, Q alludes to the continuation of Humanity's trial, which bookended in the pilot and the series finale . Q's initial younger appearance also resembles his look from the latter episode.
* Some of the camera angles and shots in the final scene recall techniques from the penultimate scene of .
* The line "Let's see what's out there" was previously said by Picard himself, as the final line of dialogue in the series premiere of .
== Links and references ==
=== Starring ===
* Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
* Alison Pill as Agnes Jurati
* Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
* Michelle Hurd as Raffaela Musiker
* Evan Evagora as Elnor
* Orla Brady as Laris
* Isa Briones as Soji Asha
;And
* Santiago Cabrera as
** Cristóbal Rios
** Emmet
=== Special guest star ===
* Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan
* John de Lancie as Q
=== Guest starring ===
* Madeline Wise as Yvette Picard
* Menik Gooneratne as Alien Emissary
* April Grace as Sally Whitley
* Rich Ceraulo Ko as Handsome Deltan
=== Co-starring ===
* Kay Bess as La Sirena Computer
* Alex Diehl as Harvey
* Dylan Von Halle as Young Picard
* Richard Jin as Moshe
* Floyd Anthony Johns Jr. as Pirate #1
* Swati Kapila as Decorated Officer
* Geri-Nikole Love as Urtern
* Adele Pomerenke as Kemi
* Anushka Rani as 
=== Uncredited co-stars ===
* James Callis as Maurice Picard
* Jimmy Chhiu as Pirate #3
* Bethany Michelle Curry as Stargazer officer
* Dinero as 
* Alyma Dorsey as Stargazer security officer 
* Quinn Early as Stargazer bridge officer
* Aaron Ford as Stargazer bridge officer
* Lonnie Henderson as Deltan dinner guest
* Brian Jansa as Vulcan Stargazer security officer
* Bryan McCoy as Stargazer security officer
* Taylor Piña as Stargazer bridge officer
* Mike Russell as Fesoj cadet
* Desarée Rutledge as Deltan dinner guest
* Amy Sturdivant as Pirate #2
* Unknown performers as
** Borg Queen
** 
** Maxwell Nagata
** Bri'onn Raul
** Stargazer computer 
** Avalon captain 
=== Stunt doubles ===
* Katelyn Brooke as stunt double for Jeri Ryan
=== Stand-ins ===
* Margot Muraszkiewicz as stand-in for Jeri Ryan
* Thadeus Welch as stand-in for Patrick Stewart
=== References ===
10 Forward Avenue; 17th century; 2047; 2400; 2401; A500; absolute candor; Adler-Lasky temporal radiation; admiral; ; age of transporters; alien-induced temporary insanity; ally; Alpha Team; ambassador; ancestor; Andorian; android; Arcanis Lager; armada; Article 15; "as you were"; assimilation; auto-destruct sequence; Bajoran; ban; bat'leth; "belle of the ball"; beaming; Beta Quadrant; Beta Team; beverage; birth; biting; ; ; boatswain's whistle; book; Bordeaux; Borg; boyfriend; brain; bravery; bridge; ; bullet; Bunker Hill; cadet; captain; ; caution; Chancellor of Starfleet Academy; Château Picard (location); (wine); ; cigar; classmate; ; clock; cocktail; command code; commander; communicator (combadge); computer; conference room; Coppelius android; course; cup; cutting beam; d'k tahg; day; deception; dedication plaque; Deltan; diplomacy; dirt; doctor; drunk answering; drunk hailing; ear; Earl Grey tea; Earth (aka Sol III); eavesdropping; El-Aurian; Emergency Tactical Hologram; emissary; English; ensign; entity; event horizon; exploitation; explorer; eye; face; farm implement; fear; Federation; Fenris Rangers; Fesoj; first edition; Fleet Museum; flirting; folk song; Forward Avenue Historic District; France; French language; friend; friendship; "full circle"; future; globe; "goddamn"; ; Golden Gate Bridge; Grand Cru Classic; grape; great-great-cousin; green; Greenwich Pensioner; "Guilty As Charged"; hailing frequency; Haliian; hand; ; ; Hawking radiation; ; Hebrew; ; Hermosa Quake; holos; hooch; hour; Human; inertial dampner; interpreter; intimate relationship; intruder alert; Irish language; Jupiter; ; Koje-E; Kurlan naiskos; lieutenant; ; "live a little"; ; love; Luna; ; ; ; Mariposas; mek'leth; migrant rosters; Milky Way Galaxy; mister; ; model; morning; mortality; mother; murdering; name; navigation; NCC; negotiation; night; "Nocturne No. 1 in B Major, Op. 32"; "Non, je ne regrette rien"; organic-synthetic components; Orion; painting; parent; Paris; past; peace; ; ; ; Picard family album; ; Polish language; power grid; prejudice; private comms link; ; question; races; Raritan IV; Reckoning Tablet; record player; red alert; Ressikan flute; road; robot; Romulan; Romulan language; rose; Royal Flush Ransack sailing; San Francisco; Saturn; Saurian brandy; school; security team; sextant; shackles; shields; shuttle pad; sir; sister; sky; Sol; Sol system; solar shields; space; spacetime; space-time continuum; Spanish language; spatial anomaly; Spock; stability; star (aka sun); Starfleet; Starfleet Academy; Starfleet Command; Starfleet Medical Supply Command; ; stealing; ; ; strength; sub-routine; subspace anomaly; subspace distortion; synthetics; tachyon; tactics; ; technicality; ; ; ; Tiger and Snake; time; "Time Is on My Side"; toast; top shelf; town; transport signal; transporter (transport berth); ; trial; Trill; United Federation of Planets; universal translator; universe; veranda; victory; vine; vinyl record; voice; Vulcan; warp core; warp field; Westminster Quarters; window; year; Zhaban
====Spacecraft references====
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; La Sirena; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Promellian battle cruiser; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Starbase 375; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Type 14 shuttlecraft; ; ; ; ; ; 
====Stargazer dedication plaque references====
; ; Admiralty Board; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Research and Development; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Starfleet Operations; ; ; ; ; Technical Operations; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; 
==== "Ships of the Line" plaque references ====
2063; 2161; 2245; 2263; 2264; 2267; 2285; 2287; 2288; 2301; 2305; 2317; 2320; 2326; 2333; 2336; 2355; 2363; 2371; 2373; 2376; 2378; antiproton beam; ; Bozeman; Cardassian Wars; Ceti Alpha V; Ceti Alpha VI; ; ; ; ; Delta Quadrant; Earth Station McKinley; ; Emergency Medical Hologram; ; Enterprise-D, USS; ; ; Ferengi; five-year mission; Galaxy-class; Genesis Device; ; ; Klingon; Lesser Magellanic Cloud; Maxia Zeta system; Montana; Mutara Nebula; Pathfinder Project; Phoenix; Picard Maneuver; planet killer; Praxis; Project Genesis; ; ; Smithsonian Air and Space Museum; Space Academy; Spacedock; Starfleet Command School; Starfleet Flight School; Starfleet Medical Academy; Starfleet Museum; Starfleet Tactical School; ; ; survey team; System L-374; ; Titan II; transwarp drive; ; United Earth; Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards; Veridian III; ; 
==== USS Stargazer (NCC-2893) dedication plaque ====
Federation Space Systems Division; San Francisco Fleet Yards
==== Los Angeles County locations ====
2Cal; 400 South Hope Street; 550 South Hope; 600 Wilshire; 611 Place; 717 Olympic; 777 Tower; 8th and Hope; 825 South Hill; 1200 West 7th Street; Apex Tower; Atelier; ; Brockman Building; Bullocks Building; Carrier Center; Circa Complex; E-Central Hotel; Eight and Grand Apartments; Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising; Federal Courthouse; Federal Reserve; Figueroa at Wilshire; FourFortyFour South Flower; Garfield Building; Gas Company Lofts; Gas Company Tower; Giannini Place; Hotel Figueroa; International Tower; Level DTLA; ; Markridge Industrial Tower; MCI Center; ; Met Lofts; Packard Lofts; Renaissance Tower; Reserve Lofts; Residence Inn by Marriott; Ritz Milner Hotel; Sky Lofts; Standard Oil Building; Stanley Mosk Courthouse; Stillwell Hotel; TCW Tower; Ten50; Title Guarantee and Trust Company Building; Trinity Auditorium; US Bank Tower; USC Tower; Wedbush Center; Wells Fargo Center
====Meta references====
intertitle
=== External links ===
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Category:PIC episodes
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es:The Star Gazer