Star Trek: Picard season 3 eventually revealed the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) to be the main orchestrator behind the Frontier Day attack, but some fans remain confused about her involvement with the Changeling Vadic (Amanda Plummer). Picard season 3 reunited Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) with his Star Trek: The Next Generation crew aboard the rebuilt USS Enterprise-D for one final galaxy-saving adventure. After receiving a distress call from Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Picard recruited his friend and former First Officer, Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), for an impromptu rescue mission.
Picard and Riker then commandeered the USS Titan-A — much to the annoyance of the Titan’s current captain, Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). After rescuing Dr. Crusher and her son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the Titan had a run-in with Vadic and her warship, the Shrike. Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 4, “No Win Scenario,” revealed Vadic to be a Changeling, as she received orders from a mysterious entity initially billed as The Face. As the rest of the season unfolds, The Face is revealed to have been the Borg Queen all along, as she had allied with the Changelings to take down the Federation.
Why Star Trek: Picard Fans Are Still Confused About Vadic & The Borg Queen
The Face Vadic Spoke To Was Always The Borg Queen
As the Titan sinks further into the gravity well in “No Win Scenario,” Vadic temporarily breaks off her pursuit. She contacts her “boss,” the Borg Queen, who appears as a grotesque face made from some of Vadic’s Changeling goo. The Borg Queen orders Vadic to pursue the Titan into the gravity well, despite Vadic’s insistence that the mission would be suicide. The Borg Queen replies that “it is suicide to refuse,” claiming that Vadic, as well as her ship and everyone on it, are expendable. The Borg Queen’s only concern is “the asset” (aka Jack Crusher).
Related
Every Borg Queen In Star Trek
The Borg Queen stands apart from the rest of the Collective, and there have been many incarnations since her Star Trek: First Contact introduction.
After revealing the Borg/Changeling alliance, Star Trek: Picard never explicitly states that the Borg Queen was The Face communicating with Vadic. While elements of the Changeling infiltration of Starfleet are sprinkled throughout Picard season 3, the revelation that the Borg are involved does not come until the penultimate episode, “Vox.” As Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) helps Jack dissect the visions he has been having, they discover that the Borg (specifically the Borg Queen) have been reaching out to him. From that point on, the story moves quickly, with one revelation after another, making it easy to miss some of the details.
The Borg Queen’s Alliance With Changelings In Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Explained
The Borg Queen & The Changelings Were Out For Revenge Against The Federation
After being nearly destroyed by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Star Trek: Voyager’s finale, the Borg Queen retreated to lick her wounds. To survive, the Queen cannibalized parts from the remaining Borg drones, eventually finding herself alone. The Borg Queen then heard the voice of Jack Crusher and began developing a plan to create a new evolution of Borg drones. She allied herself with a group of rogue Changelings, led by Vadic. The Borg and Changelings then stole Picard’s original organic body from Daystrom Station and used the Borg DNA in his brain to infect young Starfleet officers via the transporters.
During the Dominion War, Vadic had been taken prisoner and experimented on by the Federation, making her mission for revenge personal.
When Jack sought out the Borg Queen intending to kill her, he was assimilated. The Queen then used him like a transmitter to broadcast the signal that triggered assimilation in every Starfleet officer under the age of 25. Picard managed to reach his son, Jack, convincing him to reject the Borg, while the Enterprise-D attacked the Borg cube. With the Borg mostly destroyed and the remaining Changeling infiltrators uncovered, Star Trek: Picard season 3 ended on a high note, as Jack Crusher joined the crew of the USS Enterprise-G for more galactic adventures.