Picard – 10 Past Clues To What Could Happen Next (& Where To Find Them)

Picard may be faced with a terrible choice, with implications which echo across the galaxy. This is Star Trek we’re talking about, it’s not all space adventure and awesome cool fighting; we might have to do some thinking too.

In the TNG episode Hugh, the Enterprise rescues a single Borg and as they nurse him back to health, he begins to become an individual. Hugh is one of the most memorable and sympatric characters in TNG. His naivety and vulnerability juxtaposed with the danger he poses, make him a captivating character. Through Hugh, the Enterprise crew discover a way to destroy the Borg. What ensues is a moral struggle around exploitation, the rites of the Borg as a species and the definition of genocide.

Picard has the chance to rid The Federation of its most lethal enemy but to do that he must act immorally. In the end, despite pressure from Starfleet, Picard chooses the higher path and does not use Hugh as a weapon against the Borg. This was a decision based on high morality but was also a decision that doubtlessly cost millions or billions of lives which would have been sparred if the Borg had been destroyed.

Was it moral?

This was one of those superb Star Trek episodes where science fiction is a vehicle to explore the philosophy of righteousness. With the return of Hugh in Picard, the Admiral may well be faced with a similarly impossible decision. If he is, that would be good Star Trek.