Star Trek: Picard concludes its debut run this Thursday with the second half of its two-part finale. Last week’s installment teased the galactic scale of the threat Jean-Luc and his allies have to deal with: Soji and the Synths are planning on wiping out the Romulans, bringing about the prophecy that they’ll destroy all organic life in the process. However, on top of this, it seems the last episode will feature a more personal threat for at least one of the characters, too.
While speaking on the official Picard podcast, EP and co-writer of the finale, Akiva Goldsman, teased what can be expected from the episode. Though he tried to be vague, he may still have dropped a major bombshell and hinted that one or more of the cast will be killed off.
“As hopefully is the case for all good beginnings, everything is in motion, all the critical players are on the board. And now we are going to see what we like to see, which is who wins, who loses, or in this case: who lives and who dies?”
Well, this probably shouldn’t shock us all that much – it’s right there in the title, after all. “Et in Arcadia Ego” is a Latin phrase that roughly translates to “Even in Arcadia, there am I.” And that I refers to the grim reaper himself. As Arcadia is another word for paradise, that term obviously refers to the Synths’ homeworld of Coppelius. So, who is about to have an appointment with Death?
Well, the first half already painted both Picard and Alton Soong (Brent Spiner) as two aging men well aware of their mortality. Jean-Luc himself has a terminal illness but is acting like nothing is wrong. Meanwhile, Alton is terrified of his own demise and plans to transfer his consciousness into an android body. With season 2 on the way, I think we can say that Picard will survive for now. But will Soong succeed in his goal? Surely there’ll be some twist in the tale.
Star Trek: Picard concludes, for now, this Thursday, March 26th on CBS All Access.
