Comic-Con 2020: Captain is a synth, but will 'Star Trek Picard' take a darker storyline in Season 2?
January 2020 brought much joy to all 'Star Trek' fans, or rather the admirers of the eloquent Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). It had been a while since we saw him, around 20 years to be exact.
There were several reasons for this. He was disillusioned with the Federation after they re-evaluated the evacuation plan for the Romulans during the Supernova after the rogue Mars insurrection by Synths. Synth life had been banned. So, for almost two decades Picard led an uneasy life of disquiet in the vineyards of France, haunted by dreams of his best synthetic friend Data (Brent Spiner), who died after sacrificing himself during the events of 'Nemesis'. And then he encountered Data's 'daughter' Dahj, who was killed by Romulans. Turns out that she had a sister named Soji, who was living in a Borg cube. At the end of Season 1, after many grueling battles, the ban on synths was lifted. So, now, the synths can be created and move through the universe as freely as they wish.
But that's not all. Picard, who was suffering from a brain abnormality throughout the season, died in a heartbreaking scene. And then, he was brought back as a synth. Using Picard's engrams, which were taken at the moment of death and stored in the simulation where Data had been living, they were able to resurrect Picard. They brought him back healthy, minus the brain abnormality, and introduced an algorithm into his synthetic body that will allow Picard to age and die like a normal 94-year-old human. It is unknown whether Picard's secret is known to many. In Season 2, if this knowledge gets into the wrong hands, this could turn very dark for Picard, because they'll be more than eager to exploit such technology. And that could be dangerous.
Moreover, Picard being a human-robot hybrid could have more cons than pros, which might become the main storyline in Season 2. At this point, Picard is unique, but this technology is also an indication of what it means to be a human in mind-numbingly complicated ways.
In an earlier interview with Trekmovie.com, Picard had opened up about what impact the resurrection would have had on his body. "Brilliantly and wonderfully they were able to perform surgery on me in such a way that I survived and came back. But, now with an artificial life inside me – not a subservient cruel one like the Borg, but we shall see. We don’t know how Picard is going to live with this new condition which has become part of his life, which is going to extend his life," he said.
Season one showrunner Michael Chabon had said that the second season will not “pretend like these events never happened" and it will explore “whatever the implications are going to be for Picard having this new body, and essentially a new brain structure, too". So with these dark and tantalizing hints, Picard's new body might cause more problems for him and this might take on a dark storyline.
The 'Star Trek' panel will be held during Comic Con 2020. The opening remarks will be made by Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin followed by a table read of the Season 2 finale of 'Star Trek: Discovery' followed by a Q&A with the cast and also featuring the stars of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'; creator Mike McMahan and the voice cast of the upcoming animated 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'; and 'Star Trek: Picard' featuring Patrick Stewart and cast. It will be moderated by Dominic Patten.