Summary
- Star Trek: Picard neutralized three major enemies of the United Federation of Planets from three different quadrants, including the Romulans, the Changelings, and the Borg.
- The destruction of Romulus and the elimination of the Romulan threat made them temporary allies of the Federation in the Beta Quadrant.
- The final season of Picard saw the Federation defeating the Borg and the Changelings, effectively eliminating threats from the Delta and Gamma Quadrants, leaving room for new enemies in future Star Trek projects.
After the events of Star Trek: Picard, the United Federation of Planets no longer has to worry about three of its biggest enemies from 3 quadrants of Star Trek's galaxy. Over the course of Picard's three seasons, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) faced his past demons both literally and figuratively. Not only did he grapple with the traumas of his childhood, but he also faced off against some of the Federation's greatest enemies for the last time. The Romulans, the Changelings, and the Borg have been enemies of the Federation since their introductions, but by the end of Picard season 3, all of these threats have been neutralized.
The United Federation of Planets primarily governs over the Alpha Quadrant, while the Romulan Star Empire were a threat from the Beta Quadrant, the Borg hailed from the Delta Quadrant, and the Dominion ruled the Gamma Quadrant. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine saw the Federation engage in an all-out war with the villainous Dominion led by the Changelings. Since their introduction in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Borg have proven to be one of the most dangerous enemies the Federation has ever faced. All three of these enemies have caused numerous problems for Starfleet over the years, but Star Trek: Picard saw these threats from three different quadrants come to an end.
Star Trek: Picard Eliminated Starfleet’s Biggest Enemies From 3 Quadrants
Star Trek: Picard season 1 dealt with the fallout from the destruction of the planet Romulus from their sun going supernova as established by J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie. The supernova resulted in millions of Romulans killed or turned into refugees. Although Starfleet initially helped to evacuate the Romulans, after synths attacked Mars in 2285, Starfleet scaled back their aid with the evacuation. The destruction of Romulus effectively ended any threat the Romulans would pose to the Federation and even made them temporary allies. The Federation appears to be safe from any major enemy in the Beta Quadrant in Picard's early 25th century.
In Star Trek: Picard season 3, the Changelings from the Gamma Quadrant joined forces with the Borg from the Delta Quadrant to Borg Queen to assimilate Starfleet and destroy the Federation. The Borg/Changeling plot culminated with a devastating attack at Starfleet's Frontier Day celebration, but Admiral Picard and the USS Enterprise-D crew managed to stop it and save the galaxy yet again. With the destruction of the evil Borg Queen and her Borg Cube, the Borg Collective has effectively been eliminated as a threat. Starfleet also began rooting out the Changelings still hiding undercover, ending any lingering threat from the remnants of the Dominion. Starfleet's triumph at the end of Picard season 3 simultaneously put an end to the Federation's greatest threats from the Delta and Gamma Quadrants.
Star Trek Needs New Enemies For Legacy’s 25th Century
Since Star Trek: Picard put an end to most of the threats from Star Trek: The Next Generation and DS9, any future Star Trek projects should create new enemies. If the proposed Picard spin-off Star Trek: Legacy gets the green light, it will likely follow Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and her crew aboard the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G. As Starfleet continues to move into the 25th century, they will explore farther and farther out into the galaxy. This could lead to encounters with any number of previously unknown alien species, some of which are bound to be hostile.
Based on the post-credits scene in Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale, Q (John de Lancie) will also play a role in Star Trek: Legacy, as he seems to have taken a particular interest in Picard's son, Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). In TNG, Q was responsible for introducing the Federation to the Borg, so it's entirely plausible that he could introduce the Enterprise-G to an entirely new foe as a test for Jack and the rest of the crew. With modern technology and CGI, the creative team behind Star Trek: Legacy, if it happens, has the potential to create a new, truly alien enemy to take the place of the three classic Star Trek villains who were neutralized in Star Trek: Picard.