Seconds Out: Alliance: Dominion War Campaign Part II

Tired of replaying the original Alliance missions over and over again?

In that time honoured tradition the wait is finally over as Alliance 2 has broken cover and brought the Klingon Empire into the Dominion War.

For anyone just dropping on here for the first time, Alliance is a sort of Attack Wing version 2.0. Utilising the same movement and combat systems as that Wizkids tabletop game, this version pits players against a common foe through co-operative play.

Featuring familiar Attack Wing ships, the initial box saw the Akira and Excelsior Classes under player command across four linked missions. These could either be played singularly or as part of a campaign in which players could gradually upgrade their ships and skills.

Alliance 2 continues in the same manner however this is very firmly an expansion to the original rather than a whole new pack so having either the Attack Wing Starter Set OR the original Alliance box is essential as the core pieces such as dice, damage cards and movement templates are not included.

The first Alliance introduced the AI feature onto the Jem'Hadar fighters, three of which were in that pack. This sequel now adds the Cardassian Galor Class to the Dominion ranks and the hefty Jem'Hadar Battle Cruiser for good measure.

Wizkids seem to have learnt quite a bit from that first box as well as their lengthy history with Attack Wing itself. Inside the box there are lots of new bits to enhance the Alliance experience and actually add to the original set.

For example, there are additional cards and manoeuvre dials so that the Jem'Hadar ships from box one can be played in Attack Wing as well as generic Dominion captains. There are also some card markers which can be pulled into use if you require the fighters in this expansion but don't have any or enough available (say if you only have the Attack Wing starter pack). This makes Alliance 2 super easy to get into as long as you have those core gaming elements.

As recognition to anyone who did get that first box and wants to continue using their Federation captains, there are a series of new upgrades for those craft in here too. That's a brilliant pay off for those that have intentionally played it all through ready for Alliance 2 to continue the story.

For those wanting a new challenge or are more of a Klingon persuasion, Wizkids has packed in two player ships here in the form of the Vor'Cha Cruiser and a Bird of Prey. Both are ratified with the new points scores introduced over the faction packs, offering more scope on upgrades.

Not to coin a rather cliched phrase but (sigh) this pack is the best of both worlds. It doesn't rely on just having Alliance 1 plus it actually realises some of the pitfalls of that first box and works to rectify them. Add in another four missions to the overall Dominion War campaign and you have a very well rounded pack.

But of course the cards are one of the biggest draws here. Alliance 2 adds in four for Federation captains; Co-ordinated Assault to transfer an Evade, Battle Station or Scan token to another ship at close range, Battle Plan adds a Battle Stations token to your ship if another allied craft is in close range. Extend Shields provides a friendly ship with a shield fix and Engineering Officer allows for an Action to be conducted even if there is an auxiliary power token in play. 

On top of those new upgrades, there are 24 cards to start building that Klingon Fleet. That's six Crew, five(1) new Elite Actions for the captains, five for Weapons and seven Tech. The Crew options do tend to revolve around the utilisation of either the Target Lock or Battle Stations tokens to bolster attack or defence with only Helmsman providing a spin on movement. 

In the Elite Actions Reckless Assault offers repeat usage for head on combat alone. Evasive Maneuvers awards an Evade for use of an Evade while Strafing Run is reliant on overlapping bases to inflict more undefended damage.

Glory to the Empire! acts as an alternative Target Lock to reroll attack or defence. Fight with Honor teases better odds in taking on equal sized or bigger opponents. Eye for an Eye is a real diamond in the pack with the chance to inflict critical damage if you yourself suffer likewise with no chance to defend it.

The Weapon upgrades offer a series of ways to target multiple enemies, improve rolled results and in the case of Converging Fire, allow other friendly Negh'Var or Vor'Cha Class ships the use of the host ship's Target Lock. 

Equally as good is a unique chance to Target Lock two different opponents with the four point Targeting Array. Secondary Cloaking Coil provides a chance to do repairs and cloak in the same beat although as a discard it's a one off. Reinforced Hull also offers a surprising upgrade to any ships with a hull value of four and above. Nor do any of the Tech upgrades have any real deficits or negative impacts so they would be features I'd choose to get onto my ship first.

But let's get it set right, this is a superb pack that offers so much to all players who have at least the ability to play at a base level. The option now to play as either Federation or Klingon will be wildly popular and the inclusion of two new ship classes under AI control opens up options for this and for straight Attack Wing single player scenarios. The cards themselves are top drawer with Helmsman seeming to be super popular. Thinking to add in Attack Wing cards was a bonus that pays dividends too.

News is that with Part III the Romulans will allow you to mix and match anything so you’ll be flying a Federation ship tooled up with anything you can select from any of the three packs.

A great addition if a long time coming and it’s not over yet!

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Taken Care: That Final Eaglemoss Special

First of all... this is a bit weird... but this will be the 1000th published post on this site. It feels somewhat crazy that after 10 and a half years I'm still here and still writing about Star Trek. Thank you to anyone who has followed since the beginning, to all those who read and comment along the way. You've helped keep me going and I've loved meeting and talking to every single one of you.  Here's to the next 1000....!!!!

We were excited, giddy even at the thought that Eaglemoss would be producing the Caretaker Array from Voyager’s pilot episode. 

Hurrah! Prepare the pre-orders! Donate that final irrelevant lung and stand by the post box!

A year later and the landscape is quite different yet somehow, models find a way. That Caretaker Array did finally ship but via Master Replicas who have bought a considerable chunk of Eaglemoss' remaining catalogue including several of their unreleased models (see also XL USS Stargazer).

What is perhaps most surprising is the size of this special. Certainly the smallest space station in the series, the Array is only just twice the length of the familiar black base. It’s virtually all plastic with the two central rings acting as metal ballast. To be honest I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting here nor am I sure what I actually got.

The detailing is pretty minimal and comparing what we have in the box to the item on screen is not the easiest of jobs. I’d even go as far as saying that this gives an air of being unfinished although it’s actually comparable to the station on screen.

Those antennae/sensor arrays are indeed skeletal if you watch the episode back so there is a decent level of accuracy when it comes to the station's extremities.  In fact they're fairly well detailed too in terms of surface greebling if not that strong. There's a fair bit of give in the larger ones in particular yet it is as screen accurate as you would hope.

Both the outer arms and that central core do have a level of grubbiness to them indicating the grand old age of the array. Problem is, it's just not that exciting as a station or as a product.

The top and bottom assemblies aren't that intricate but do at least bear some resemblance to their vaguely seen "real" versions in Caretaker. I guess this one is a bit of a kicker though thanks to its size and the mix of well detailed elements to that rather plain central core. Yes, there is hull panelling but the single tone colour scheme lies a bit flat and the station feels somewhat lifeless.

As to the stand fit, this one's pretty good, clipping right around the lower elements of the central core and holding the whole station very firmly in place. Nicely constructed and provides a stable base.

Ok, it is just a model but Eaglemoss managed to successfully convey signs of life on many of their other products however it falls a little flat here. The lack of an accompanying magazine is conspicuous too and would probably have helped answer a lot of questions about the resulting build however that's one thing that concretely never saw the light of day.

For now the Caretaker Array rests as a tantilising glimpse at some of the possibilities that might have emerged in 2023 but also represents that final crumbling moment in what was once a huge part of the merchandising market. 

Is it a "must have"? Yes if you're a completist or a Voyager fan but no in every other sense. It's only really gained notoriety because it's Eaglemoss' unreleased special. For me it might even rank below the stick that is Relay Station 47 and maybe as the weakest of the space station/stationary structures. Functional - absolutely but just super, super dull and a disappointing way to have closed down the specials series of models. Who knows what could have been next...

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The Prodigy Returns - We Hope

In a wave of cuts, Paramount has cancelled Star Trek: Prodigy after only one season has aired.

While that technically makes it the shortest Star Trek series aired at just 20 episodes to date, it's not the end of the story.

In a partnership with Nickleodeon, Prodigy was envisaged as the Star Trek series that would bring in a younger audience although it seems to have received a warmer welcome from established fans across the course of its initial airing. 

Prodigy certainly developed its core of characters across the season and we know that a second batch of episodes are in post production with Paramount allowing them to be completed. This will then be shopped around for a new home as (you would presume) a bunch of 40 episodes, taking it over the 30 produced for Picard and also ahead of The Animated Series. Strange New Worlds sits at 20 with its second season in full swing.

It's definitely come as a shock to see Prodigy fall from grace so quickly. Will another home provide funding for a third season? Will it even find a new base from which to tell its story?

So far only the first half of the first season has made it to Blu-ray and DVD. The videogame, Supernova was quickly price-dropped and the range of Playmates action figures promoted in February 2022 has still not materialised. In fact fans have noted that the initial wave including Kirk, Picard, Burnham and others is now itself being discounted to clear.

Playmates website actually notes that the Prodigy figures would be launching in 2022 with additionals characters coming in early 2023. So it could be said that the writing has been on the wall with the wonders of hindsight.

The positive is that there is a confirmed second season in existence which, given circumstances, is most likely to be its last. Whether expense or interest were ultimately the reasons for calling time may not be fully revealed but it might even have been the point that as a joint production it was an easier option to cancel.

Paramount is apparently fully invested in the continuing voyages of the Star Trek franchise although with the ending of Picard, Discovery's upcoming final season in 2024 and now the demise of Prodigy it might be that they are reining in the costs and only going with what has truly captured the audience imagination and wallets.

Strange New Worlds is experiencing positive reviews, Academy is on the way, Lower Decks has a fourth season due and there's the Section 31 TV event to come. Maybe Paramount will invest in more of these one offs to test waters for future series before fully committing. That's my suspicion with the Michelle Yeoh vehicle and that the Oscar winner will only be onboard for the event before jumping and allowing a full (cheaper) cast to take over.

But back to Prodigy because it is set to disappear from Paramount+ in the next few days in line with its cancellation. There are petitions out there but in respect to its former home, that association looks to be over and done. Maybe it will continue beyond the 40 completed stories but I don't hold out much hope especially with the current world economics and the need to watch every penny.

At least the episodes we do have are of a high quality both in terms of visuals and storytelling. Super shame Eaglemoss never got to make a Protostar model but I can say it's a series that I will be revisiting and enjoying just as much on repeat viewings.

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Gaming Trek Back in Business

For years fans have been screaming for a new Star Trek console game that encapsulates the true spirit of the franchise.

In recent times we’ve had the Kelvin Universe back in 2014 as a prequel to Into Darkness, the VR reliant Bridge Command and only a matter of months ago, Prodigy’s Supernova. Yet nothing seems to have captured the imagination of the Trek gaming community as much as classics such as Bridge Commander and A Final Unity from the 1990's.

Resurgence was slated as the Next Big Thing. There’s been hype, trailers and much excitement around Dramatic Labs new addition to their catalogue. Could this be the game to revitalise Star Trek on consoles and PCs? Might this be the first real chance to bring in fans to the levels that Online has managed?

While Supernova was evidently aiming for the junior Star Trek fan market (and some could argue completely failed at that), Resurgence is the one most fans will have been waiting for. Taking a more adult and more conversational direction, it perhaps encapsulates the franchise's nature more absolutely.

Set during the Dominion War timeframe, Resurgence will go some way to appease fans of the 90’s generation of shows. The uniforms, the ships, the Starfleet environments; all are incredibly familiar and all tied into a heavily narrative driven adventure. Don't expect that "Dominion War" tag to pay off however as that seems to have been just for marketing purposes since there's not a Jem'Hadar in sight from beginning to end.

If you’re looking for lots of shooting and high octane kicks then it might be better to head over to STO or perhaps even the (somehow still going) Alien Domain. This is a game requiring much more attention and understanding of the overall plot. 

The USS Resolute has finally been put back into service following an "incident" which is unseen during the game itself but can be found by reading the prequel comic series. Taking on a new first officer, the ship is tasked with helping negotiate between the Hotari and Alyidans over dilithium mining rights. Now this might not seem super exciting to begin with but trust me it does get going although it does seem to take a while to switch into gear.

During the mission you get to play as both first officer Jada Rydek and Petty Officer 2nd Class Carter Diaz allowing for two different perspectives on the ship and adventure as time progresses. 

As noted, this isn't a phaser fight all the way and relies much more on decision making and attention to detail. Yes, there are some combat elements but these are far outweighed by the choices made along the way. 

The first few missions do allow you some time to adjust to what might be a slower pace of gaming as you're taken through the steps - how to use the tricorder, how to interact with objects, how to shoot... before the story really kicks in.

What becomes immediately obvious is the amount of replay there will be Resurgence. Each choice leads to another but perhaps not one you chose on the last run through. Each decision also influences the relationships that character has. For example Chief Engineer Chuvok (yep, he's a Vulcan) will have his opinion of Diaz changed dependant on which of three answers he gives at a chosen point. 

At first this may not seem to cause any major ripples but as you get further into the story, or replay to see other results, these paths become more obvious.

Resurgence isn't a totally new set of characters either with the already announced Captain William T Riker (voiced by Jonathan Frakes) appearing as well as legendary Vulcan ambassador Spock. Nicely voiced by Piotr Michael you'd swear it's Nimoy and his inclusion in the game is definitely one of its highlights. His inclusion might seem like a bit of a marketing ploy but his place in the story does help tie elements together.

As is the choice to bring back the Tkon Empire. Perhaps not referenced as much as the Ionians, the Tkon appeared in TNG's first season The Last Outpost and this game plays as a decent if long overdue sequel. In the game 16 years have passed since that encounter while in real time its 36! In fact the game even takes players back to the location of that very episode as part of the story itself, further integrating it into the fabric of the Star Trek universe.

Important to note is that given the price tag, don't expect this to be the next Skyrim or GTA for quality. It's a decent mid-range game that knows it has a somewhat niche gaming market and as such you can sort of tell that it's not quite pushing the boundaries for the PS5. There are an annoying amount of glitches. The AI walking ability is horrid at points and when characters are talking you can see pretty much into the back of their digital skulls. The audio is also out of sync with their lips which gets increasingly frustrating as does the odd sound echo or cut line. Hopefully these are issues that can get ironed out with future patches and it certainly needs them to really get that immersive Star Trek episode experience right.

Resurgence in that sense does need a chunk of work doing to it in the form of patches and upgrades to iron the bugs out and make this a much smoother gameplaying experience but I guess it's initial popularity on shelves coupled with how much replay value there is will determine what that will look like.

It does also offer the chance to expand into other episodes with these characters and take them and the Resolute into different areas of the Star Trek universe. A single play through of the game's 40 episodic slots doesn't really give it a fair shot if I'm honest and it may find its true value in subsequent run throughs to highlight the results of different choices  on the story as well as those characters around both Diaz and Rydek. It's also a long game in terms of payoff just in that first experience because there are little nuggets dropped in that don't seem to really have much effect. But don't despair because everything in here has a purpose.

While enjoyable it does feel that there's still much work to be done to bring this up to warp speed and I for one look forward to seeing how the developers expand this unique entry to the Star Trek gaming catalogue.

What's your experience of Resurgence been so far?

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Previously Unreleased: XL USS Stargazer

Gone and in an instant several long awaited models just didn’t arrive. 

It’s the oft repeated story of Eaglemoss and now, many months on we’re starting to see some of the ones that got away. 

Master Replicas secured a good chunk of the Eaglemoss back catalogue plus items that never made it to sale. The first of this bunch is the last XL model which was announced, the Constellation Class USS Stargazer NCC-2893.

Intended to be a Constitution Class a la the refit/1701-A USS Enterprise, the Stargazer morphed into a new class of ship for the TNG first season episode The Battle as well as a few other appearances later in the show under various different guises. She would also turn up at the Fleet Museum amongst other iconic vessels in Picard’s third season. 

The Stargazer was also one of the first 20 issues announced for the regular sized Starships Collection back in 2012 and certainly caused a few rumblings back then. Eaglemoss were notorious for producing screen accurate vessels which translated into ‘We Didn’t Check What We Made’ since errors fans couldn’t make out on screen were often copied straight to the ships. 

In many instances this was quite quirky as for example with the Stargazer the bottom registry was applied the wrong way round and was duplicated into its miniature version.

Not so it seems with the XLs. With the Equinox the grating spelling mistake (EQUINDX) was updated and in the quad-engined Stargazer we have the registry not updated but removed completely. 

In fact this ship, while actually pretty impressive, is something of a conundrum. Is it accurate because it certainly isn’t screen accurate so what is this final piece actually based on? Given it’s production history and lack of accompanying magazine you might have to wonder if it was actually completely finished before they boxed it up and shipped.

Yet Jean-Luc Picard’s first command and the first starship to complete the Picard Maneuver is a worthy purchase for any ship collector (if you can find one now).

From the top there have certainly been improvements to the finish. The RCS thrusters feature that little more detail (and relevant placing) with the grille work on the surface is far more prominent in a larger scale (and completely recoloured from the grey). The hull benefits from much stronger grid lines that aren't swallowed into the paintwork with the striping around the bridge also being a much crisper alignment and colour. Indeed, the whole bridge module itself has more finesse to its finish with the dome and levels much more recognisable. Even the striping is more in line with the classic movie style of grey edged in red rather than blotchy blue.

The issue for me comes in the alignment of the registry decals which tend to slip into the valleys of the surface and aren't that well aligned to the hull itself, following their own path rather than the curve of the saucer. Randomly this was something that the original version actually got right however the more screen accurate font and edging.

Moving towards the rear, the structure in front of the engine mount has received a total rehash with the recessed elements now raised above the hull and leading more naturally into the propulsion units. In fact this is where a lot of the visual upgrades really start to kick in. Detailing here makes it much clearer how these two strut leading to the engine platforms are reused necks from Constitution Class vessels due to their angles and also the inclusion of the photon torpedo launchers. Eaglemoss even managed to add more decal striping in here and window detail adding to the feel of scale.

While they have also updated the painting of the circular vents (four on this ship!!!), they're only in grey blocks rather than having a blue inset to really make it kick. But that's not to take away from the greater level of surface greebling and painting. Nor from the excellent paintwork on the two side located warp field generators where the lining is particularly ramrod straight.

Other XLs were known for just being upscaled versions of the originals with simply bigger parts using the same construction techniques. Noticeably on the engines of the Stargazer instead of having the cross-pylon as a piece and then the engines themselves being two halves with that all glued together, the model designers have simply adapted it into an "upper" and "lower" engine assembly. By virtue this adds a lot of strength and stability to the core of the model and reduces six parts for each engine pair down to just two.

Whether as a benefit from this or another detailing upgrade, the warp engines have much more small level touches with the tips split in grey and white rather than just a grey paint mess and again a smoother application of the Starfleet pennant along the exterior edge (in most cases!!!). To the rear the impulse engines are now painted in red rather than being just plain and simple base grey.

The forward shuttlebay door too is disappointing. There's no definition to its surface, only recessed and then painted grey, missing out on the horizontally ridged version that should be there and the same goes for the rest of the cargo doors around that saucer edge. Indeed the two which butt onto the warp field generators aren't even painted up.

Now here's a thing. I couldn't work out if this was an amalgamation of the original studio model and the one built for the Picard Archive in Remembrance for Picard itself. Looking at the shots of that ship there are certain similarities although it doesn't have some of the surface grille work present and has some very distinct painting differences. However, it actual in-line surface details do line up for the most part.

But then we flip her over and take a look at the work on the ventral side. Immediately that lack of registry (even the wrong way round) hits you straight in the face. As does the point that the forward two surface lump have been massively downsized and the greeble surface work in front of the pylon support is now gone. What DID confuse me and led to some heavy internet research is the placement of the sensor probe/aerial structure that sits next to that engine support. Again the platform that it its on has had some subtle revisions however the aerial itself (at least on mine) has switched sides. Now, on the Picard model and pretty much everything I could find it's on the starboard side if you're viewing from the front so why it's moved is absolutely inexplicable.

Stand fitting is pretty decent too with the clips sliding neatly around the rear of the primary hull and providing a decent mid-point balance that won't have it suffering from Warbird Syndrome.

There's something still brilliantly satisfying in just seeing this ship actually make it out of the warehouse and into the hands of collectors after such a long time. Bizarrely its arrival after the end of Picard seems equally fitting since that show included (at a distance) the Stargazer docked at the Fleet Museum. Indeed, this could be the last unreleased starship XL ever if not for a long time so definitely one to enjoy. But then, who knows? Maybe the licence will see a revival...one day.

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A New Start to Finish: Picard Season 3

Ten weeks have passed by and fans have experienced what may be the single greatest season of the Kurtzman era and potentially one of the most spectacular runs in Star Trek history.

We are (of course!!!) talking about the recently concluded Picard third season so be warned if you've not finished it yet, there are SPOILERS ahead.

Very evident even from episode one was the seismic shift. There seemed to be more direction, a better focus and a real understanding of the core characters which had evaded the show during its earlier seasons. That could might have something to do with this final year being a 10 part long TNG movie. Maybe.

With a severe cast cull that only retained Patrick Stewart, Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan, season three looked to be doing everything that its star and exec-producer had said would be avoided from day one. Uniforms, an Enterprise (or five) and the full TNG cast reunion which has made Picard essential viewing each and every week.

From scouring the socials it's clear that fans couldn't wait to see the next episode in what may be one of the most drastic about-turns in the fortunes of a Star Trek series since the Jem'Hadar rammed the USS Odyssey.

Season three seems to have become something of a revelation and, monumentally, one that has lived up to the hype and as such it's well worth just reflecting back on what has been and potentially what's to come.

Opening with the moniker "In the 25th Century", the feel of the season seemed to be coming straight out of The Wrath of Khan. Not just in the hinted revenge of the trailers but in the more military sense that the second through sixth movies insinuated.

With the wonders of hindsight, the trailers really didn't give much away and in some respects managed the perfect magic trick by showing us one thing and yet actually presenting us with something else by the end of Seventeen Seconds.

And my god doesn't having the episode titles back make a difference?

Terry Matalas promised that each character would have their time to shine and that's been proven every week. Rather than opening on Jean-Luc himself, The Next Generation led with Beverly on the Eleos and opened up the apparent mystery of the season before returning us to ore familiar surroundings at Chateau Picard.

Time-jumping from 2399 to 2405, the opening episode insisted to trust no-one with Jean-Luc and Riker getting themselves aboard the brand new USS Titan-A with the hopes of rescuing Dr Crusher.

But this season has been much more than just a rescue plot. The introduction of a memorable foe in Amanda Plummer's Vadic really upped the game and while she wasn't, ultimately, the super-evil behind the overall arc, her tussling with the Titan was exquisite and supremely memorable. Character has indeed reigned supreme with some of the best moments in the entire franchise history for many of the seasoned players. If you need any proof, flip to the last fifteen minutes of No Win Scenario and say they isn't some of this era's best written and impactful scenes. In fact, scrap that, just watch the whole season and then make that judgement.

Riker has been in his element with Frakes at the very pinnacle of his game. Commanding the Titan while tackling Vadic or trapped in the gravity well, he has never been in better form, even leading to dismissing Admiral Picard from the bridge. There seems to be a greater depth to William T Riker here. A man who is back out in the galaxy to avoid the struggles in his homelife but facing threats that are just as significant, the retired, pizza cooking captain of Nepenthe seems a million miles way.

Seven too has been provided with a meatier role as the Titan's less than conformist first  officer. Oppressed thanks to Captain Shaw's decision to use her human name of Annika Hansen, Seven seems to be fighting the system initially but becomes much more the team player as we have gone along. But let's deal with that in a second.

The Worf and Raffi pairing is something that no fan could have expected or realised that they were missing until it came to pass in Disengage. Dorn has grown that little older but Worf seems to be even more compelling and I'm actually preferring this version to some of his younger years on TNG and DS9. Their mission on M'Talas Prime allowed Raffi a world of room to stretch before teaming the pair up with the main cast and taking her off to Daystrom Station alongside Worf and Riker.

The Picard/Crusher element is something that has been long overlooked and perhaps intentionally ignored even though it's been brought up again and again and even prodded on several occasions within TNG. But, if it hadn't then we wouldn't have received some of the outstanding pieces of this season. For one Beverly's arrival on the bridge of the Titan and the following series of looks and reactions between her and Picard confirm everything the viewer needed to know without a single word being uttered. Magical is an understatement but this, coupled with any point McFadden and Stewart are on screen together is Star Trek gold. Finally after over 30 years there's some expansion of this relationship which feels natural. That said, the reveal that the couple had a son is maybe the season's hardest pill to swallow.

Ed Speleers Jack Crusher is a startlingly good addition and the relationship between him and his long-distant father has been interesting to watch. In the back of the mind though there is that niggle of him being shoved into the pages of canon without much care and a good deal of the season does rely on his very existence. Was it ultimately a surprise that he was linked in to the Borg? Probably not given that viewers were reminded numerous times about Locutus. The concept of the receiver/transmitter abilities was a cool inclusion harking back to earlier episodes of Picard and more significantly to the opening battle of Star Trek First Contact in 1996. While Jean-Luc can "hear" the Borg, Jack is able to project his thoughts and get others to do his bidding. This all seemed a bit weird and X-Men until it was explained just how this was possible.

But, it's Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) that seems to be the revelation of the season. brutally honest with a disregard for seniority, Shaw's only priority is the safety of his whole crew and, as we discover, this all stems back to his time aboard the USS Constance and its part at Wolf 359. In comparison Sisko was positively diplomatic when it came to facing Locutus of Borg in Emissary but Shaw doesn't hold back. Shaw's increasing realisation that he needs to work as part of a team to save the Titan does come to illustrate the ability for him to change although much to his chagrin. For some reason through the season I've suspected that someone in the ensemble wouldn't make it to the closing credits of episode ten and, well, I was right. It's a fitting redemption and mirror to how Shaw himself survived Wolf 359 although it does appear fans would have wanted him to stick around for future outings.

What we did anticipate from the trailer was that Amanda Plummer's Vadic would be the main villain of the season, hell bent on some form of revenge against Picard however within a matter of episodes that assumption has been overturned with her objective more a disruption and distraction.

And why? Because Picard chose to bring back one of the franchise's most important opponents ever; Changelings.

Note they're not called Founders at any point since this bunch of shapeshifters are a breakaway faction following the Dominion's crushing defeat at the conclusion of DS9. Bringing chaos and disorder was their forte for many years of the space station series but at this stage in Picard we are none the wiser to their ultimate goal. However, just having them back in the series has changed perceptions and definitely reignited the interest of many a Niner. Combine them with the Borg threat and it's like Doctor Who slamming the Daleks and Cybermen together for Doomsday.

Admittedly the back end of the season is ridiculously heavy on the fan service and while we can look at it in an overview it's difficult not to discuss some key elements so beware that there are not just SPOILERS but SUPER SPOILERS after this point.

So let's first touch on some returning characters because that's where the nostalgia really kicks in this final handful of episodes. The out-of-nowhere return of Commander Ro Laren is nothing if not emotional and ties up the dangled threads of TNG's Pre-Emptive Strike while proving that Michelle Forbes was horribly underused for two seasons in the 90s. It's an appearance that gives everything and the scenes of her and Stewart are just golden. I mean how could you better the season after that... let me hold your blood wine.

Just in fan service we have Captain/Shapeshifter Tuvok for two episodes, Admiral Elizabeth Shelby (for about four minutes), the voice of Walter Koenig as Federation President Anton Chekov (with a speech similar to that of the UFP in The Voyage Home) and then there's the rest of the TNG cast. There's one more but we'll get to that...

Fans have to wait until deep into the season for the return of LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner and Marina Sirtis and each is well worth it. Geordi's position as head of the Fleet Museum allows for an overload of 90s Trek adoration with just Spacedock alone before getting into the array of exhibits on show. The refit Constitution Class makes its first live action appearance since The Undiscovered Country, Voyager, Defiant and the NX-01 refit tick a whole series of fan boxes as does the inclusion of one stolen Klingon Bird of Prey named HMS Bounty. 

It's easy to be swallowed up in these episodes by all the nods to the past of the franchise and forget that there's actually a plot somewhere buried in the background! Geordi has aged and matured as a character and a father here, becoming a whole lot more than he ever was in TNG. There's more depth and believability to the role and his stance on family is, while not fitting the desire of the crew, probably very on point.

What makes The Bounty an even greater hour of Star Trek is the choice to split the crew with half on the Titan while Riker, Worf and Raffi tackle Daystrom Station.

Thought that the Fleet Museum was packed with references then think again because this place is rammed. Filled to the bulkheads with items from multiple series, the station is a treasure trove that has delivered some downright gobsmacking secrets; Project Phoenix anyone? Spare Genesis Device? Attack Tribble? All in there plus a load more that the production team just chucked in for good measure and to see if fans were really paying attention.

Now, given that he was teased in the trailers, the appearance of Daniel Davis' Moriarty isn't quite what one might have expected but it's still a glorious sequence that leads into a bigger reveal that restores some balance to the Trek universe.

Actually, The Bounty settles a few points that have been left sort of unanswered; what happened to Lore? B-4? Picard's real body? All answered right in one episode and somehow it doesn't feel rushed. The overarching conspiracy still weaves through the episode although it feels a little distant when faced with so much fan service. The resolution of that internal Soong conflict is satisfying and true Star Trek. How could this be a full reunion without Spiner playing Data in some capacity? It also aligns with the development of the android in the novel series of the last decade in which Data has super evolved. Naturally it means that Spiner doesn't have the excuse of being too old to play his iconic character but all the traits are there plus a few new ones that make him much, much more human.

It's at this point that it starts to feel that both Raffi and Seven are sort of superfluous to requirements. Reassembling the TNG cast was always the big prize and while it takes another episode to truly get to that point you can see their roles a little downsized the more of the classic cast are on screen. Perhaps their last big hurrah of the season comes from Vadic's takeover of the USS Titan in her attempts to secure Jack Crusher. No, actually, tell a lie. It's not. Seven has an incredibly sweeping character arc in this season which is a far cry from stepping out of an alcove in Scorpion as a full Borg. Shaw really did think she was awesome as we see from his evaluation and the promotion to captain and subsequent command of a starship proves that there is justice in the universe.

Ok... it seems we can't dance around it anymore. Let's just finish this piece out with some simple admiration, written sobbing and general appreciation for the last two episodes of the season and of the show as a whole.

With Vadic vanquished following her takeover of the Titan, the crew finally make it to Earth to witness the celebrations of Frontier Day. Cue the arrival (finally) of the Enterprise-F with Shelby sitting in the captain's chair only for it all to go proper bad as the Borg's clever little plan swings into action and assimilates everyone under the age of 25. Thanks for the DNA Jean-Luc, you've wiped out Starfleet.

Fine, that's a harsh line but without it we wouldn't have a finale which is the most fan servicey hour of Star Trek that has ever been. Go on, I dare you to find another that punches this high and this hard. I'll be a little critical in that some of the elements do feel as though they were borrowed from Battlestar Galactica (interconnected ships) and Star Wars (the run through the Borg Cube) but I didn't care by this point because it was just so stupidly good.

Of course Geordi was hiding the D in Hanger 12, of course it had to be the way this crew would see out their final adventure together. Was it everything fans could have hoped for? YES and in spades. The bridge was lovingly recreated from scratch (with the dedication plaque that had been on the original set from seasons five to seven), the grotesque return of the Borg Queen was stunning and voiced by Alice Krige which spins not just First Contact but Voyager's Endgame into play. Jack all Borged up as Vox was a startling echo back to Stewart's Locutus of The Best of Both Worlds and I'm sure that on subsequent viewings there will be even more to uncover and fully digest.

The closing poker game was filmed for a full 45 minutes and unscripted, meaning everything you hear and see is just the cast having fun in a scene that nods directly to All Good Things... All the feels you might say and just soaking up everything that happens in this episode and potentially the whole ten episodes is going to take a while.

Is the renaming of the Titan to the Enterprise-G a surprise? Apparently not if you listen back to all the musical cues as far back as episode one which all carry traces of themes that suggest nothing less. The Constitution III Class makes perfect sense in a neck aching nod to just about everything classic Trek. Plus, how can you not say that those last five minutes are a stamped, signed, sealed and very public announcement that Terry Matalas (who wrote and directed the finale) is looking to take the Enterprise-G right out there for its own series.

I mean, as someone puts it right in the closing seconds... the trial has just begun.