Star Trek Reveals New Borg Faction

Star Trek: Picard continues to expand the franchise mythos in some big ways with episode 2, “Maps and Legends”. In just this second episode of the series, we not only get a major retcon of Romulan history and culture, but also the next evolution of the Borg race, as well. It was hinted at in the Star Trek: Picard trailers and premiere, but in episode 2, we officially get the reveal of what this new faction of the Borg will be. Interestingly enough, what we get is a community of Borg drones that have been separated from the Collective at a Romulan Reclamation Site inside a Borg Cube. That clan of ex-Borg is now referred to as “The Nameless”.

Warning: Star Trek: Picard episode 2 SPOILERS Follow!

During episode 2 of Star Trek: Picard, we get a sequence set on the Romulan Borg Cube Reclamation site, where Data’s “daughter” Soji Asha, the perfected synthetic, is working as a doctor helping to separate the Borg drones from the collective without killing them. In a gruesome scene, a patient named “8923/3” is operated on after having been in regenestasis for 14 years.

Star Trek: Picard’s storyline has been circling thematic ideas about A.I. and its relationship to the rest of the galactic community – reflected on a personal level through Picard’s relationship with Data. The Romulans’ relationship to the Borg and the horrific synthetic uprising on Mars remains to be seen – as does this new role of the Borg “Nameless” community. Trailers have suggested that these freed Borg will remember Picard, and not in a fond way. Depending on how the larger Romulan community views Picard (as noble would-be savior or traitor), Jean-Luc could be stepping into much more trouble than he ever guessed.

Of course, beyond the obvious conflict, the introduction of The Nameless will create some deep emotional ties to not only Picard (who was himself freed from the Borg collective), and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), who should be making her return in Picard in upcoming episodes. It also creates an interesting Star Trek-brand rumination on what it means to be a living being versus a machine – and what it means to be a being who is lost somewhere in between those two worlds.

All in all, that’s a pretty interesting focus for a modern Star Trek series to explore – especially when it is so closely tied to some of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s most memorable story arcs.

Star Trek: Picard is now streaming on CBS All Access. New episodes are released every Thursday.

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