Star Trek: Picard – Return [SPOILER] from the next generation. It’s not the character we’re waiting for yet

WARNING: THE TEXT CONTAINS SPOILERS!

In the fifth episode of the 3rd season of the series Star Trek: Picard Ro Laren appeared, a character well known to fans of the production Star Trek: The Next Generation. Reprising her role Michelle Forbes once again portrayed the Bajoran woman working for Starfleet, whom we could watch in the last three seasons next generation as a crew member of the Enterprise-D. This return is surprising because many viewers expected that another of Jean-Luc Picard’s former subordinates, Geordi La Forge, would make his debut in the Amazon series sooner.

Ro Laren was an extremely problematic Starfleet employee for her superiors. Before she landed on the Enterprise-D, she was convicted of disobeying orders and contributing to the deaths of 8 other crew members of her first ship. However, she gained the respect of Captain Picard for believing in her principles and beliefs. We last saw her in Season 7 next generationwhen she was sent to infiltrate the resistance movement known as the Maquis. This mission ended in failure, and the heroine most likely went over to the side of the enemy, thus betraying Starfleet.

Star Trek: Picard and The Next Generation – Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren

However, according to the last episode PicardRo Laren was later caught and recruited by Starfleet Intelligence. Her career gained momentum, which allowed her to be promoted to the rank of commander – it was she who, on behalf of the organization, was to interrogate and judge Jean-Luc Picard and William Riker for their actions on the USS Titan, much to the surprise of the accused themselves. It also turned out that Ro Laren was fighting on her own against the Shapeshifters penetrating the structure of Starfleet, with the help of Worf.

Now showrunner Picard Terry Matalas decided to explain why on the screen it was decided to show this heroine again:

I wanted nothing more than to bring in Ro Laren. I wanted so badly to see their relationship end. I felt we had a kind of suspension on this one. And that’s why the new episode is so special to me. It fits perfectly into the idea of ​​​​creating a thriller with elements of paranoia.

Matalas referred to the events of the last episode Picard, in which it was shown that virtually any of the heroes can turn out to be a shapeshifter. The return of Ro Laren neatly ties into this plot element:

The only way to be sure that the person you’re talking to is actually the person you’re talking to is to catharsis and go through the past traumas that Picard and Ro Laren had in their relationship, which I figured would work in a good TV series.

In the episode finale Ro Laren loses his life – the shuttle he is on has been planted with explosives by the Shapeshifters. The heroine decides not to endanger the crew of the USS Titan and does not take advantage of the offer of help; beforehand, however, he gives Picard a Bajoran earring, which contains information about the infiltration of Starfleet by the Shapeshifters.

Source:
Entertainment Weekly