10 Greatest Fleet Arrivals In Star Trek

3. The Classic Meets The New

Star Trek Picard Farewell Fleet
CBS Media Ventures

Star Trek: Picard's first season ended with a fleet arrival so unsatisfying that it enraged a fandom. Granted, it doesn't take much to do that these days, but this was particularly egregious. Hundreds of Inquiry class ships warp in, hover, and then leave—hardly the thing of dreams. However, when the second season dawned, some familiar faces reappeared on screen.

Both The Star Gazer and Farewell offered up a taste of what could have been in the first season. Facing a new Borg threat (or maybe something else), Starfleet sends an armada to investigate. We see Sovereign class ships, alongside Luna class, Akira class, Excelsior II class, Sagan class, Sutherland class, Gagarin class, Ross class, Inquiry class (with an updated deflector dish), Reliant class and of course the Kaplan class La Sirena. 

The fleet that warps into position in The Star Gazer is an impressive sight, though it is the final arrival, alongside the Borg ship, in Farewell that stands out here. A combined fleet of Starfleet and the Borg was something that, for decades, was unheard of. Here, it feels not just right, but also bittersweet.

The fleet shields raise, and the galactic event is prevented, but so too is the exploration as to what exactly happened. The third season of Picard largely ignores these events, with no mention of the Borg's ongoing status as the 'guardian at the gate.'

Perhaps a future story will expand on this, but for now, the audience must make do with an awesome spectacle and a dazzling array of ships. 

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"