Crippled, cornered, and out of options, Picard stages a gambit to trap Vadic and reveal her true motive.

With every player now on the board, this third season of Picard spends time getting into the meat of the story so that it can move into its endgame.

Hiding in the Chin’Toka Scrapyard, Seven desperately tries to find allies in Starfleet who haven’t been infiltrated by the Changelings, but even old friends aren’t immune from the Dominion offensive. It’s a stark reminder that they’re on their own, and with Frontier Day only hours away, the clock is ticking.

As with the best episodes of Trek, this episode shows a shifting in the dynamics of power, some misdirection, and a big moral discussion. Even if a way can be found to stop the enemy, can genocide be condoned… again?

A trap is sprung, but who truly is the captor? But more than this, just relish the time spent in the company of beloved characters that I genuinely thought I’d never experience again. It all builds up to a familiar cliffhanger, but I’m here for it.

Verdict: The Next Generation’s finest get bruised and second-guessed, but there’s no other crew I’d rather be trusting the fate of the universe to. 8/10

Nick Joy