STAR TREK PICARD: EPISODE 310: “The Last Generation”

Episode 310 of STAR TREK: PICARD, “The Last Generation,” brings the series to a close with Picard and his crew trying to rescue the Federation from the Borg Collective, which has taken control of all of the Federation spaceships and is threatening the people of Earth. STAR TREK: PICARD: “The Last Generation” provides a gripping, deeply moving conclusion to the NEXT GENERATION franchise led by Patrick Stewart, with a strong moral worldview that exposes the evils of utopian communist collectivism and celebrates family, friendship, service, and the individual, but the episode has some foul language and lots of action violence that’s sometimes scary, so MOVIEGUDIDE® advises caution for older children.

Working with an evil group of shapeshifters from the genocidal Dominion, the Borg Collective and its evil Queen have infiltrated the Federation’s transporter systems to automatically take control of the minds of all the young officers of Star Fleet. Now, all of Star Fleet’s ships are poised to attack the space station protecting Earth, kill the billions of people there, and rule the planet, then, eventually, the galaxy. Meanwhile, Picard’s son, Jack, infected with the corrupt Borg DNA from his father, has traveled to the Borg spaceship on Jupiter, where the Queen has assimilated him and is using him to direct the attack. So, the situation seems pretty grim.

However, Picard’s old Enterprise crew, never one to back down from bad odds, comes up with a plan. They’ve boarded their old ship, refurbished by Geordi. Picard, Riker and Worf beam down to the Borg ship, shaped like a cube, so Picard can retrieve Jack, while Geordi, Beverly, Deanna, and Data find and destroy the beacon that the Borg Queen is using to control the young, assimilated Star Fleet officers.

Meanwhile, Seven of Nine, Raffi and some other older officers have taken back control of the Titan. Using the ship’s cloaking device, Seven hopes to buy Picard and his crew some time by strategically attacking the Borg-controlled Star Fleet vessels.

On the Borg Cube, however, Picard finds a nightmare from the past waiting for him. Can he reach Jack through all the Borg wires connecting him to the Borg ship and the assimilated Star Feet officers attacking Earth? Can Data’s gut help him navigate the Enterprise through the bowels of the Borg ship to destroy the control beacon?

STAR TREK: PICARD: “The Last Generation” provides a gripping, deeply moving conclusion to the NEXT GENERATION franchise led by Patrick Stewart, who plays Picard. It’s a spectacular sendoff for Picard and THE NEXT GENERATION crew who starred in TNG for seven seasons from 1987 to 1993 and appeared in four movies. STAR TREK: PICARD started slowly and tentatively in its first two seasons. Also, the second season was a bit woke and politically correct. However, by reuniting the Picard cast, Season 3 of STAR TREK: PICARD has grown into a major event with an intriguing, well-conceived story, full of pulse-pounding intensity and nostalgia of the highest quality. The last episode, “The Last Generation,” is superlative.

STAR TREK: PICARD: “The Last Generation” has a strong morally uplifting worldview. It exposes the evils of utopian communist collectivism, which is represented by the Borg Collective and its satanic queen. The Borg operate as “a hive mind with a singular voice.” Like a nightmarish demon, the Borg Queen can take over the minds of other people and make them serve the Collective. When Picard confronts the Queen she compares the Collective as a family and considers herself Jack’s “mother.” As such, the Borg and their satanic Queen are a dark, demonic version of family.

In one scene, Picard tells his son, Jack, they are both alike. They like to connect with other people, but they always have to maintain their distance. He found a family in Star Fleet, he admits to Jack, but he’s found a deeper connection to another kind of human family in him. “You’ve changed my life,” he tells Jack. Thus, the episode brilliantly demonstrates the deep, biblical love of a father for his son. Through this, Jack overcomes the evil poisoning his mind and helps save the day.

In addition to these family themes and the idea that “No man is an island,” “The Last Generation” promotes the ideals of the individual, freedom and service. The service the people in Star Fleet do is not like the blind, unfeeling service of the Borg Collective. It’s a human service that celebrates human life and fellowship.

STAR TREK: PICARD: “The Last Generation” does have some foul language, however. There are also scenes of scary action violence. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.