Bringing a lost love back into the mix — and just as our hero is finding new love elsewhere — all but promises the beginnings of a soapy love triangle. Naturally, the heart’s gonna want what it wants, but it feels like a messy card to play this late in the game. Not saying that “Picard” shouldn’t go there (I, for one, love mess) but it won’t be the only thing complicating things for Jean-Luc this season. There’s also the matter of Crusher’s surprise son (Ed Speleers), with whom she’s been on the run for years.
In sending a distress signal to Picard, Crusher wasn’t trying to save herself from the shapeshifting aliens on her tail. She clearly wants her gruff, British offspring to fare better than she might. But why call Picard? Crusher had to have made some other allies in her 20 years post-Starfleet. She also doesn’t even trust Starfleet anymore. Why would she involve her old captain — who, despite a few recent spats with the organization, is Starfleet through and through — unless it was absolutely necessary? Unless her son was maybe… his son, too?
Of course, this is all just hopeful speculation. But even if “Picard” proves us right, will that be enough to reverse course and give the fans what they’ve been waiting for? It’s gonna take a bit more than a secret lovechild to fix over a decade of missed opportunities. In fact, I’m not sure there’s anything “Picard” can do now that could make up for all that wasted potential. Maybe Q was right in suggesting that they could only ever end up as amicable exes. It’s always been an issue of timing for Picard and Crusher — and as dismal as it sounds, there’s a chance that time’s already run out.