Unveiling the Secret: How Strange New Worlds Shakes the Foundations of Picard's Romulan History

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 3 - "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"

The time travel adventure in Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, titled "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow," appears to contradict a controversial change in the storyline of the Romulans in Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard. In this episode, Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh is unexpectedly sent on a mission to restore her timeline and prevent a mysterious attack, accompanied by an alternate reality version of Captain James T. Kirk. The episode is hailed as an instant classic, largely due to Christina Chong's impressive and dynamic performance as La'an, as she confronts her past in unexpected ways.

In a bid to alter humanity's history, following their thwarted attempt to destroy a cold fusion reactor that could have sparked a devastating war between humans and Romulans, a desperate Romulan time agent named Sera tries to assassinate a young Khan Noonien-Singh. La'an manages to prevent Sera's plan and save Khan, but at the cost of Kirk's life. Just before Sera's death, she reveals the Romulan method of utilizing time travel, which appears to conflict with a plot point introduced in Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard.

Strange New Worlds Contradicts Picard's Romulan Retcon

Just prior to her demise, Romulan Sera disclosed to La'an that the Romulans utilized sophisticated computer simulations to navigate significant moments in time, offering suggestions on altering history in their favor. This would seemingly align with a form of artificial intelligence. However, this presents a quandary as Star Trek: Picard season 1 explicitly establishes that Romulan culture despised and prohibited any form of synthetic or artificial life.

Incorporating Romulan history into the vast Star Trek universe has perpetually posed challenges of rectifying inconsistencies. This particular instance presents an arduous task in reconciling these contradictions. The inclusion of an image portraying a Romulan Bird-of-Prey in the early stages of "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow" suggests that Sera and her colleagues hailed from a similar timeframe as La'an - the mid-23rd century. According to Star Trek: Picard season 1, it is evident that this era of Romulans retained an inherent abhorrence towards artificial intelligence.

Picard's Romulan Retcon Never Made Much Sense

Star Trek: Picard season 1 had its flaws, but it did offer notable aspects. Patrick Stewart delivered one of his best performances as the aging Jean-Luc Picard, and the new supporting cast was largely likable. However, the season also had significant issues, with the biggest being the questionable reinvention of the Romulans as a quasi-religious, anti-technology society. This interpretation diverged from the classic Romulans seen in Star Trek: The Original Series and even clashed with Star Trek: The Next Generation's portrayal of these foes.

In contrast, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds does not significantly deviate from established Star Trek canon, especially when compared to the liberties taken in Star Trek: Discovery season 1. Instead, the show focuses on incorporating elements of canon that work, such as the classic Klingon design showcased in the season 2 premiere "The Broken Circle." While there may be inconsistencies with Star Trek: Picard's portrayal of the Romulans, the retcon itself was flawed and lacked coherence.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.