Jonathan Del Arco reveals Star Trek: Picard would have been a Borg spinoff show if Patrick Stewart didn't return as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard ran for 3 seasons on Paramount+ from 2020-2023. Picard had three different sets of showrunners, from Michael Chabon in season 1, to Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas in season 2, to Matalas running season 3 solo to great acclaim. Along with Jean-Luc, the Borg were part of every season of Star Trek: Picard.
The Borg originated in Star Trek: The Next Generation, with Jonathan Del Arco guest starring as Hugh in TNG's season 5 episode, "I, Borg." Del Arco reprised Hugh, a Borg drone separated from the Collective and adopting a personal identity, in TNG season 6 and 7's "Descent" two-parter. Jonathan returning as Hugh in Star Trek: Picard 27 years later was a welcome surprise. However, Hugh's story was underserved by Star Trek: Picard season 1, and abruptly ended when Hugh was unceremoniously killed by the Romulan Zhat Vash villain Narissa (Peyton List).
Star Trek: Picard Was Originally Designed As A Borg Show Without Patrick Stewart
A Borg Star Trek spinoff was in the works
In an interview with TrekMovie, Jonathan Del Arco explains that before Patrick Stewart agreed to return, and Star Trek: Picard was created as a series for him, Star Trek was developing a Borg spinoff series. Showrunner James Duff was working with Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman to develop a Borg spinoff, with Del Arco contacted to return as Hugh as well as Jeri Ryan in talks to reprise Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager. Read Del Arco's quote below:
James was the showrunner on The Closer and Major Crimes and a very dear friend of mine and Jeri [Ryan]’s, and he had been hired to come very early on, one of the early executive producers and writers of a spin-off of Star Trek. We didn’t know what it was. There was no Picard yet. It was a spin-off of Star Trek. Alex Kurtzman, James Duff, and I believe maybe one other writer was involved at the time, and James really wanted it to be a Borg spin-off. That’s why he talked to Jeri and I, and really started talking to them about it being this Borg storyline. And somewhere within that he discussed it with us maybe a year before it even happened. And they didn’t have Patrick yet. So I think then they went and made the pitch to Patrick. But had Patrick not done it, some kind of show about the Borg would have happened. It would not have been Picard , it would have been a show about the Borg. And you can even tell how heavily Borg-influenced it was. So the Borg was really the kernel, from what I understand of the beginning of that idea. And once Patrick became involved, the pieces began to fall into place, and we were set up and given deals to come be a part of the show.
At this point in 2018, Star Trek on CBS All-Access (about to rebrand as Paramount+) was beginning to expand following the success of Star Trek: Discovery. Star Trek: Picard was the next series announced that went into production, but Jonathan Del Arco clarifies that a Borg-centric project was in the works before Patrick Stewart signed on to play Jean-Luc Picard again. However, if Star Trek: Picard never happened, it's not clear if the Borg series would have gone ahead. It is obvious, however, that Borg ideas planned for the spinoff were incorporated into Star Trek: Picard since Jean-Luc has a long history with the Borg.
Killing Off Hugh Was A Big Star Trek: Picard Mistake
Star Trek lost a lot of potential opportunities by killing Hugh
Jonathan Del Arco is rightfully disappointed that Star Trek: Picard season 1 killed off Hugh, and he's correct that this decision denied Hugh and Star Trek fans moments they wanted to see. In Picard season 1, Hugh was the director of the Borg Reclamation Project on the Artifact. Hugh found himself caught trying to project the Borg from the Romulans, who were plotting against Dr. Soji Asha (Isa Briones). As Del Arco told TrekMovie, the choice to abruptly kill Hugh meant he couldn't share scenes with Jeri Ryan or LeVar Burton's Commodore Geordi La Forge:
The only thing I regret is I didn’t get to do stuff with a couple of people, Jeri Ryan and LeVar Burton. Those are the two people I wanted to really have an opportunity to connect with as characters. Creatively, those are the two relationships I really wish I’d gotten to do… I mean, not having to have a scene with Geordi, or to even ask about Geordi was completely misinformed to me. I kept asking, “Shouldn’t I ask about Geordi?” Nope…
Thankfully, Jonathan Del Arco did have a heartwarming on-screen reunion with Patrick Stewart. Hugh greeted Admiral Picard when he boarded the Artifact, and the two friends shared a hug. It was one of the most memorable moments of Star Trek: Picard season 1, and seeing Jean-Luc reunited with Hugh reflected the fans' desire to see more Star Trek: The Next Generation characters in Picard, which finally happened in season 3. Sadly, Hugh didn't get to meet Seven of Nine or reunite with his TNG friends like Geordi or Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
All 3 Seasons Of Star Trek: Picard Are About The Borg
The Borg is tied to Picard
The Borg were a major part of Star Trek: Picard season 1, which continued into seasons 2 and 3. Admiral Picard facing his past with the Borg was one of the through-lines of Star Trek: Picard season 1. The Borg Cube called the Artifact was central to Star Trek: Picard season 1, and both Admiral Picard and Seven of Nine's stories reflected the themes of Borg drones being reclaimed. Star Trek: Picard season 2 went all in again on the Borg, introducing a Borg Queen (Annie Wersching) from the alternate Confederation timeline who created a new, more benevolent Borg Collective with Dr. Agnes Jurati (Allison Pill).
Star Trek: Picard season 3 didn't appear to be a Borg story at the outset, but it ultimately turned out to be the final battle between Admiral Picard, the USS Enterprise-D, and the Borg Queen (Alice Krige). Picard season 3's Changeling villain, Vadic (Amanda Plummer), was revealed to be in league with the dying Borg Queen. The Borg's master plan was to assimilate Starfleet and evolve into a new kind of Borg that would conquer the United Federation of Planets, thanks to Admiral Picard's son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), who was born with organic Borg DNA.
Was Picard Season 3 Star Trek's Last Borg Story?
Star Trek will probably bring back the Borg
Star Trek: Picard season 3 appeared to be the end of the Borg. Or, at least, the malevolent version of the Borg that has been Jean-Luc Picard's enemy since Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Borg rank at the top among Star Trek's most popular villains, and the Borg has been pivotal to Star Trek: Voyager and the most successful TNG movie, Star Trek: First Contact. However, after over 30 years, the Borg look to be finished as Star Trek villains thanks to Picard season 3.
However, it's hard to believe Star Trek won't bring back the Borg somehow. Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Lower Decks, which are set 15-20 years before Star Trek: Picard, have incorporated the classic, villainous Borg. Further, Star Trek: Picard season 2's ending left behind a significant unanswered plot thread of the Agnes Jurati hybrid Borg Queen now allied with the Federation and guarding it against an unknown enemy. Any future Star Trek set in the 24th century could bring back the Borg, and Star Trek could also resurrect the Borg if Star Trek: Picard's spinoff led by Seven of Nine, Star Trek; Legacy, happens. Even Jonathan Del Arco could return as Hugh; all it takes is for Star Trek to have the will, and they would find a way.
