Warning: SPOILERS! PICARD SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ALL THE SPOILERS! IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN PICARD, DON’T READ THIS!!! Have I made myself clear? Okay, good. Big, huge, mothertruckin’ spoilers FROM THE BEGINNING comin’ right up!
Writer’s note: Back in 2012, when I was interviewing sci-fi stars (such as Brent Spiner, Danny John-Jules, Robert Llewellyn and Matt Berry), I also thought it was fun to amuse myself with this theory I originally cooked up at the time (not that it’s unique to me). Now, over 10 years on, and three seasons into ‘Picard’, I thought it deserved to be resurrected – at least, more so than Kirk’s corpse in ‘Picard’ season three.
Back when I originally wrote Picard’s Nexus Fantasy Theory, I never for one second assumed that 11 years down the line, we’d be on season three of Picard; a show dedicated to the much-beloved ship’s captain.
And, at the start of writing this piece, I feel a touch of overwhelm. Will my theory hold up? Can I stand to look into Picard seasons two and three (having given up in disgust after the end of season one)? Will I end up scrapping this entire thing before I even get to the end of writing it?
That’s yet to be seen (but if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance it’s managed to be published in some form or another).
So, let’s get this thing started. C’mon, humour me, just like Captain Girdseye has.
Picard’s Nexus Fantasy Theory – The REBOOT!
Let’s have an introduction to my theory that Picard never left the Nexus, and is still stuck there in a world of his own making.
Writer’s note: Ahhhh. I can feel the comfort already; returning to this place feels a bit like home. I mean, revisiting this theory certainly makes ME feel better about all of the events that I’ve so far seen in Picard (don’t know about you).
So, let’s switch our minds back to the Star Trek: TNG movie, Generations: How do Picard and Kirk leave the Nexus? Do you see the point where they leave? Is it ever explained quite HOW they leave? No? I didn’t sodding well think so!
Do they just decide to leave and there’s a big flashy exit sign? Again, I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be that easy, would it? I mean, sure, you could argue that it’s stated that you can leave the Nexus any time and be spat out any place.
Yes, but Picard wanted to get out and save the day, and that’s what the Nexus does! It gives you what you want. If it was that easy to get out then why was there such a big fuss and people getting dragged out looking like junkies on withdrawal?
The truth is, he never left
So imagine this; Picard never leaves the Nexus, and everything after those planets, plus the Enterprise blowing up is just Picard’s Nexus fantasy. First Contact, Insurrection, Nemesis and the rest? That’s right; all just Picard’s Nexus fantasy.
“But how, Bronwen?” I hear you ask. “What is your further basis for such an outrageous claim?”
Well, let’s look at First Contact. Yeah it’s a bit of action, maybe he was getting a bit bored. Lonely, even. He misses the Borg queen, and being part of a collective. He wants a bit of action.
Insurrection, he’s just having a bit of fun. Nemesis he’s just starting to get a bit creative, and THEN he becomes some form of God and decides to come up with a story so that he can go back to just near the good bit, and start from scratch! The entire Star Trek reboot? Guessed it: Picard’s Nexus fantasy!
Now, this is where things get a bit convoluted, but I wasn’t entirely wrong. Here’s what I originally wrote:
“So we have maybe a couple more movies, then maybe a series, JJ writes it, the plots get so ridiculous everything’s interchanged and intertwined, each character has a weird backstory that somehow corresponds with the rest of the plot, everyone gets confused, Star Trek gets more popular than ever, then one day… THWACK! Picard suddenly gets pulled out of the Nexus, the Enterprise crew have been saved and billions of kids who have grown up watching their favourite new Spock and Kirk characters are absolutely bloody outraged – it’s ALL BEEN A DREAM!”
Well, no, past Bronwen – it gets EVEN BETTER than that!
Picard seasons 1, 2 and 3
Picard eventually got bored of making up original Star Trek alternative timeline fantasies, and now he’s putting himself back at the helm, in a completely fucked up world which returns many unlikely characters, dark scenarios and unnecessary ST:TNG closure that if I wasn’t so convinced of my theory, I’d otherwise have dismissed as fan service.
Really, really bad fan service, 90% of the time. (I’m sorry to everyone who loves Picard, but I just can’t)
Now, let’s be completely fair; I haven’t watched seasons two and three of Picard. I can’t bring myself to. However, I have researched what happens (there may be gaps, so I welcome any corrections) and I just know this is all the doing of Picard’s friendship-starved, terribly bored brain at play.
In season three, he basically reunites his entire crew, because no matter how hard he tries, he just can’t properly get rid of Data (who he actually finds quite annoying). And he even decides to give himself a son. Beverley would never!
Here’s something else I wrote back in 2012:
“But surely Picard wouldn’t want to see Kirk die like that? Of course he did. He wanted to be the only Enterprise Captain in the village and wanted the glory for himself.” — ONLY NOW he has found Kirk’s corpse, so even THAT doesn’t get laid to rest!
Yes, that’s right; there may be the chance of resurrecting Kirk’s corpse in a future season/series/film/who knows. And I really fuckin’ hate that, too.
Yet more evidence of Picard being in the Nexus
Okay, you want more? I’ll give you more.
Déjà vu on a galactic scale
Picard experiences strikingly similar events and encounters, triggering a sense of déjà vu throughout his adventures. This eerie repetition suggests that time loops within the Nexus have ensnared him, blurring the boundaries between past and present. (Or maybe it’s just bad writing, who knows)
Impossible reunions
The reappearance of long-deceased characters, such as Data and Captain Kirk, raises eyebrows. How can these individuals exist within Picard’s reality if not for the Nexus’ manipulation? Their presence hints at a cosmic mirage designed to keep Picard locked within this timeless realm.
Paradoxical continuity
Inexplicable inconsistencies and contradictory events become more frequent. As Picard traverses various timelines and dimensions, the overlapping narratives create a web of confusion. These incongruities lend credence to the idea that he remains trapped within the Nexus’s illusionary grip.
Existential reflections
Picard’s introspection and philosophical musings throughout his journey indicate a sense of entrapment and a struggle to discern what is real. The Nexus feeds upon desires and fantasies, and Picard’s self-awareness of this predicament suggests he may never have truly escaped its allure.
YET MORE evidence (via Lore Reloaded as I’m not the only one to come up with this theory)
But I may have been one of the early pot stirrers, considering I first published a version of this blog on my own site back in 2012.
Here’s a video from 2021, by Lore Reloaded. They’ve picked apart every movie and the earlier seasons of Picard, and gone into quite a lot of detail about why he’s still totally in the Nexus (just in case you didn’t believe me and don’t want to connect the rest of the dots yourself).
They’ve also gone into a hecka lot more detail than I can be bothered to, but suffice to say, everything after Generations can be explained by Picard’s Nexus Fantasy Theory.
One last thing…
There’s reportedly no plans for Picard season 4, which means it leaves our beloved Captain still trapped in the Nexus, and many MANY deluded fans thinking everything that’s happened after Generations is perfect canon.
Oh, how wrong they are.
However, if you (like me) prefer the idea of Picard remaining in the Nexus, and everything after him entering this fantasy land – especially the events leading up to Picard and beyond – being a work of pure fiction and not actually happening to Picard and the rest of the characters, then THIS is the theory for you!
This is your happy place. Hell, this is MY happy place. Picard’s Nexus Fantasy theory makes it all okay.
Thanks for reading. If you’d like to have a healthy debate about Picard’s Nexus Fantasy theory rebooted, I’m up for it. But please don’t come at me too hard, bruh, because it’s just a bit of fun (and also my coping mechanism for all things Picard and ST:TNG-related).
