8 Reasons Reading 'The Last Best Hope' Is Essential To Understand Star Trek Picard

7. Admiral Clancy

Star Trek Picard
CBS

As depicted in Star Trek Picard, Admiral Kirsten Clancy comes across as a cold individual, openly swearing at the beloved Jean Luc Picard! But, as is usually the case in the Trek universe, there is far more to her than meets the eye.

Clancy is career soldier, rising through the ranks for years before she takes the top job. She is already working with the C and C by the time Picard takes over the rescue mission but, while he has to deal with the logistical side of the evacuation, she is tasked with dealing with the political side.

Every time that there is a victory in the mission, she champions it. Every time that there is a failure, she has to face the rest of the Federation council. She is also tasked with dealing with Federation member worlds who threaten to secede from the alliance if all of Starfleet's resources continue to be diverted toward to Romulan rescue.

She is worn down by years of this, especially as it seems that there are more failures than successes. Resettlement of the Romulans rarely goes smoothly. Vashti, the planet where Elnor grows up, is one of the very few initial successes. She also must face the fact that Picard arbitrarily relocated Romulans to a Federation world without clearing it with the council first.

Her reaction when Picard arrives in her office after years away from Starfleet is, admittedly, understandable - this man who caused her a lot of professional strife no longer gets to call the shots.

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"