PICARD Season 3 Episode 8 BREAKDOWN: Every Star Trek Easter Egg

Our Picard Season 3 Episode 8 breakdown is here! The TNG crew are finally reunited, setting us up for s Star Trek showdown of Changleings vs. OG Enterprise crew.

Edited by Harriet Lengel-Enright, Randolf Nombrado, and Brianna McLarty

#StarTrek #Picard #EasterEggs

Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 8 is getting serious as the mystery of Jack Crusher gets stranger. But, in addition to all the phaser fire and mayhem, the big news about this episode is that this is the first time since 2002, that all The Next Generation crew have been together in the same room.

That’s right, it’s been over 20 years since we’ve seen this beautiful sight…

[CLIP]

Welcome back to ScreenCrush, I’m Ryan Arey, and this is all of the Easter eggs, references, and things you missed in Star Trek: Picard, Season 3, Episode 8, “Surrender.”

The episode opens with a first for Star Trek cinematography, as we pull back from a reflection in the window on top of the bridge. Vadic is lighting one of her cigarettes, even though, in The Wrath of Khan, we learned there was really, really no smoking on the bridge of a starship.

[CLIP]

Early in the episode, Jack uses his body-jumping abilities, which is a relatively uncommon super-power in the Star Trek canon, though we did see some similar body surfing in the Voyager episode “Vis-a-Vis,” not to mention the evil Rejac alien spirit jumping people’s bodies in the TOS classic “Wolf in the Fold.”

That said, Jack’s ability to jump into other people’s bodies is a bit like what happens in every episode of Quantum Leap.

[CLIP]

Doug: Hey, what would happen if Sam leaped into the body of Captain Archer in Enterprise?

Well, that can’t happen, just because they’re both Scott Bakula, that’s a different show.

Doug: Would that leap be like…a long way, getting from there to here…

[CLIP]

Okay high-five.

As Vadic holds the Titan hostage, we get a good dose of classic TOS bridge sound effects, which is appropriate because Vadic’s threats to the crew are very reminiscent of Khan…

Doug: Oh great, more Wrath of Khan references

Nope! These Khan references feel much closer to Khan’s first appearance in the TOS episode “Space Seed.”

Here, Vadic threatens to deprive the crew of oxygen or gravity, with a tap of her finger. Which, is a lot like Khan threatening the crew of the Enterprise with the same kind of environmental manipulation when he took over the ship in “Space Seed,”

[CLIP]

Vadic also threatens to make it snow in the crew mess. [clip] This kind of thing has happened before in Star Trek, specifically in the Animated Series episode “The Practical Joker,” in which the Enterprise computer went haywire and made it snow in the recreation room.

Over on the Shrike, Will and Deanna are talking about Betazoid words, and Will calls her [“Imzadi,”] which means “beloved” in the Betazoid language, which we learned about back in TNG.

Troi and Riker talk about the death of their son, Thad, which happened in the years before Picard Season 1, and was referenced earlier in the season in the episode “Seventeen Seconds.”

Troi says the Changelings came to the Riker home on Nepenthe, pretending to be Will and she jokes that the Changeling was [“good in bed, bad at pizza.” ]

The pizza remark references Riker making pizza for his family, and Picard and Soji in the Season 1 episode “Nepenthe.”

As Troi wonders if they should have really given the Changelings a “compromised code,”and Riker says, confidently:

[wahn]

Vadic's worst nightmare came true: When she was blown into the void of space, she truly became a solid. A f**king solid.

[trinajackson]

@2:49 Spock also said something similar to Uhura in star trek 6 the undiscovered country when he said "if I know the captain, he is already planning his escape" [from Rura Penthe, the Klingon Prison Planet]" and then the camera cuts to Kirk getting beat up by a big alien and NOT planning his escape.

[SimonLeicester]

Another superb episode. Brent Spiner really nails the subtle differences between Data and Lore, the smallest inflections and mannerisms.

[MusicOverMyHead]

I can not lie. I teared up when they showed Spot.

[elphiegleason]

I really liked Data’s line about “friendly pissed off operating system

[Nitero_]

Word/Riker/Troi with the banter i've been waiting 30 years for...best part.

[ApforThat]

Im glad im not the only one who instantly thought "BECAUSE HE's HOLDING A THERMAL DETONATOR!!"

[jasonpiggot]

Did you notice how bright it was in the conference room when the whole crew was back together the lighting got brighter

[seanclay]

Fucking great episode! They really are giving the TNG cast some of the best writing they ever had to work with. And they seem determined to give each their own time to shine their best light. The old connections are hitting right in the heart too. The scenes between Jordy and Data and Deana and Will were perfect. Loving this show.

[mathewfranco]

This was a f…ing solid episode (reference to the end)

[jackyrulez]

I cried when seeing Spot with Data. I can't wait to see the last 2 eps! Love the channel and videos keep up the good work!

[darren]

In the scene between Vadic and Jack, Jack says I'm all ears.

Vadic says ears... Yes as she grabs his earlobe.

That VERY MUCH reminds me of how Kais and Vedeks check for a person's pagh! 😊

[sadie]

Wesley Crusher is behind the red door looking for his role back, Jack

[henrysmiley]

Good video! I think Riker's comments about Picard setting a trap for Vadic is an allusion to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, when Spock says, "If I know the Captain, he is already deep into his plans to escape, " followed by a shot of Kirk losing a fight to a larger, stronger alien. So in both cases, first officers are very wrong about what their captains are doing. Subtle indeed!

[thomholbrook]

With all the Easter Eggs you point out, I can't believe you missed one that I actually missed. Amanda Plummer is the big Changeling baddie and her dad Christopher Plummer was the Klingon Chang in Star Trek VI which also features the first appearance of a Changeling in Trek.

[georgescully]

"Star Trek Picard" season 3 is a MUST SEE. It is a love letter to the Next Generation and to the totality of Star Trek, itself. Also, I am always floored by your turnaround! You ROCK, ScreenCrush, and that is a true story. ...High-Five!

[gronkdamage]

I once again say that if they had just done this for Season 1 and 2; I would have been MUCH MUCH happier. This season was brilliant compared to the rest....

[lordkayx]

I teared up a bit when they sat down at the table. You don't realize how long a glimmer of happiness has been missing until it shines so bright in the darkness. And it wasn't nostalgia, it is the lack of shows that explore what Tng, Voy, Ds9, Tos, and even Ent.

[TheToonMonkey]

When Vadic was sucked out in to space, it was through a hatch that opened in the view screen. In TWOK, Kirk walked onto the simulator version of the Enterprise after the failed Kobayashi Maru test - via a hatch that opened in the view screen.

[Roddykat]

So, Nepenthe also showed up in this week's Star Wars: The Mandalorian! It was the oil/booze served in the Droid bar. In this, the planet that Will and Deanna lived on and apparently hated. Also, I shouted out loud "Because he's holding a Thermal Detonator!" like C3-PO in Return of the Jedi when Jack pulled the shield out!
Oh! The Geordi /Picard exchange also reminded me of Cyclops and Wolverine's similar exchange in the original X-Men movie ( Sir Patrick Stewart also in that)!