Star Trek Picard: Every Easter Egg & Hidden Reference From 'Nepenthe'

Kestra leads Picard and Soji to her house where Deanna Troi is just out there gardening and William T. Riker is in the kitchen listening to jazz.

Riker was a huge jazz fan and played the trombone. His love for jazz was established pre-beard in the first season TNG episode "11001001". Riker's jazz chops are demonstrated in that episode as well as "Future Imperfect", "The Next Phase", "Unification II", and "Second Chances" among others.

Troi – in case you could forget – is half Betazoid and possesses "empathic" abilities, she can sense emotions. She immediately recognizes that Picard is not well as established in "Maps and Legends", but can't read Soji at all because, you know, synth girl.

Not himself empathic, but still capable of sensing emotions (as you do), Riker knows that Picard is on the run and calls out "Shield up!" to his Nest or Alexa or something. Riker often gave this order aboard the Enterprise, but here he explains that the house is being protected from neighboring Kzinti.

The Kzinti were a felinoid race that appeared only in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episodes "The Slaver Weapon" and "The Time Trap".

This Troi-Riker house, by the way, is the same cabin from the 1988 John Candy movie "The Great Outdoors". It's located on the Universal Studios Backlot not far from the Mexican village where parts of "Absolute Candor" were filmed and near Universal Citywalk where parts of "Stardust City Rag" were shot.