Star Trek: Picard season 1 teased the possibility of Seven of Nine (portrayed by Jeri Ryan) stepping into the role of the Borg Queen. However, the title was acquired by another character tied to Picard’s narrative. A significant location featured in this season is the Artifact—a decommissioned Borg Cube taken under Romulan control, serving as the backdrop for the Borg Reclamation Project. This initiative assists former Borg drones in their journey of de-assimilation. Notably, in this setting, Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco) from Star Trek: The Next Generation utilizes a long-range transporter within the Queencell, a secretive chamber typical of all Borg Cubes, to facilitate Picard’s escape, while Elnor (Evan Evagora) chooses to remain behind.
Seven of Nine’s Potential as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard Season 1
Temporary Ascension: Seven of Nine as Queen of the Mini Borg Collective
In episode 8, titled “Broken Pieces,”Seven of Nine temporarily accepts the mantle of the Borg Queen over a mini-Collective within the Artifact. Despite her previous struggles to reclaim her humanity in Star Trek: Voyager, Seven finds herself faced with a difficult choice: the only feasible method to reactivate the dormant drones in stasis is to assimilate herself into the Collective. Although Elnor reassures her that these reactivated drones can become new xBs, Seven grapples with the fear that they may prefer remaining in the Collective rather than reclaiming their individuality.
Given Seven’s tumultuous history, her potential rise as the Borg Queen is intriguing. She was first introduced as a representative of the Borg in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Scorpion, Part 2″and was courted by the Borg Queen in “Dark Frontier.”This precedent hints at a deeper connection, suggesting that Seven might have been groomed for leadership. However, in Star Trek: Picard, the Collective ominously remarks that “Annika still has work to do,”indicating that she is not yet ready to take the throne.
Dr. Agnes Jurati’s Ascent as the Borg Queen in Season 2
A Symbiotic Relationship: Agnes Jurati and the Borg Queen
In Star Trek: Picard season 2, Dr. Agnes Jurati (played by Alison Pill) transforms into the new Borg Queen. This occurs when she merges with an alternate universe’s Borg Queen (portrayed by Annie Wersching) within a dystopian timeline. The crew of La Sirena salvages this version of the Borg Queen, the last of her kind, from being killed by an oppressive humanity and utilizes her computational abilities to leap back to 2024 to preserve the Star Trek timeline. During this time, the Borg Queen attempts to entice Jurati into assimilating, presenting the allure of unity and belonging that the Collective claims offers total acceptance.
Initially, Jurati finds the allure of assimilation attractive, partly due to her own troubled past, including her involvement in her mentor’s murder, which left her isolated. However, over time, she ultimately persuades the Borg Queen to merge into a new entity entirely, which redefines what it means to belong to the Borg.
The Fate of Agnes Jurati’s Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard
Why Agnes Jurati Represents a Superior Choice for Borg Queen
In her role as the Borg Queen, Dr. Agnes Jurati reimagines the Collective, positioning it as a union of organic and synthetic beings that individuals can choose to join. After several centuries of ethical refinement regarding assimilation, Jurati’s Borg Cooperative receives provisional membership from the Federation in a surprising yet logical twist by the end of season 2. The last remnants of Jurati’s Borg are found safeguarding a transwarp conduit from an unidentified threat, leaving their future hanging in uncertainty.
While season 3 of Star Trek: Picard briefly references Jurati’s Borg Collective as a contrast to the remaining traditional Borg, it suggests a continued evolution in the narrative. In light of this transformation, Jurati emerges as a more fitting candidate for the role of Borg Queen than Seven of Nine. Her prior actions, including the assassination of Dr. Maddox, indicate her complex relationship with life and death, making her engagement with the Borg’s mission believable. Unlike Seven, who staunchly defends individuality, Jurati embraces the Borg ethos and seeks to redefine their Collective, making it accessible and ethical.