Summary

• Star Trek: Picard season 3 fixed the unsatisfying conclusion of Star Trek: Nemesis, ensuring that its events no longer matter.
• Data's resurrection in a synthetic form in Star Trek: Picard was a fitting and more satisfying conclusion for the character.
• The Romulan Supernova and Starfleet's response in Star Trek: Picard overshadowed the events of the Romulan Senate coup in Star Trek: Nemesis.

The recent Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reunion has ensured that the major events of their final movie, Star Trek: Nemesis no longer matter. Nemesis made some questionable decisions from the horrific sexual assault of Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) to the death of Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner). Instead of being a joyous celebration of the TNG era, it felt like a miserable and downbeat ending to a beloved era of Star Trek. While Nemesis was never intended as the final movie in the TNG era, its poor performance at the box office sealed its fate, and that of the TNG cast.

Thankfully, Star Trek: Picard gave the franchise a second chance to give the cast a satisfying send-off that respected their character arcs. ittedly, a 10-hour Star Trek: The Next Generation movie had the benefit of time over any potential fifth and final TNG movie. While Picard seasons 1 and 2 went some way to fixing the problems with Star Trek: Nemesis, it was season 3's considered approach to the entire TNG cast and their stories that made sure that the events of their derided final movie no longer matter.

7 Data Is Alive Again

The sacrifice of Data to save Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) at the climax of Star Trek: Nemesis never felt as if it was dramatically earned. Instead, it felt like it was placed in the script as a nod to the sacrifice of Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Thankfully, Star Trek: Picard season 3 finally fixed Data's unsatisfying conclusion, after a fumbled attempt to do so in the first season. Data is now alive and in a synthetic form which is practically indistinguishable from an organic human body. It's a far more fitting conclusion for the character because, after over 30 years, Data is finally human in Star Trek.

6 B-4 Is Now Part Of Data

One of the other major issues with Data's Star Trek: Nemesis ending was the introduction of B-4, who was an earlier Soong android without the sophistication of his younger "brother". The main problem with this was that it essentially threw away all of Data's progress, forcing him to start again. The final scene of B-4 singing Ella Fitzgeralds's "Blue Skies", hinted that Data had transferred his consciousness into the earlier prototype. Star Trek: Picard brilliantly reversed this idea by instead applying B-4 to Data, rather than the other way around. This respected Data's journey because making B-4 part of the new Data was progress, not the insulting regression that was hinted at in Nemesis.

5 The Romulan Supernova Made Shinzon Killing The Romulan Senate Not Matter

Star Trek: Nemesis depicted a military coup enacted by Picard's clone Shinzon (Tom Hardy) who, with the help of his Reman brothers, executed the entire Romulan Senate. It's funny, therefore, that the very next movie, Star Trek destroyed the Romulan home world with a supernova. There could have been no clearer break with the box office failure of Star Trek: Nemesis than blowing up the very planet that was at the center of it. The Romulan Supernova and Starfleet's apathetic response became a crucial part of Jean-Luc's Star Trek: Picard backstory, superseding anything that his clone may have done in Nemesis. Which is presumably why Shinzon has never been mentioned since, not even in discussion with Picard's Romulan girlfriend Laris (Orla Brady).

4 The USS Enterprise-E Is Gone By Star Trek: Picard

When Star Trek: Nemesis begins, Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) has finally accepted a promotion to Captain of the USS Titan. The senior staff of the USS Enterprise-E is, therefore, in the midst of a reshuffle, with Data due to succeed Riker as Picard's Number One. Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) is visiting the Enterprise for Riker's wedding to Troi, but it's likely that he went on to become Picard's Number One after Data's death. However, none of this truly matters, as Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that Worf became Captain of the Enterprise-E and lost the flagship in an incident that he ensures everyone was not his fault.

3 Picard Having A Clone Never Really Mattered

The idea of Shinzon as a younger and angrier version of Picard was a solid idea for a TNG version of Wrath of Khan. However, pitting Jean-Luc against his younger clone never paid off in a substantial way that changed the audience's understanding of Picard's character. Star Trek: Picard season 2 was more successful in allowing Jean-Luc to reconcile his traumatic childhood with the man that he became. Shinzon also had a deeply traumatic childhood, but it was so dark and baroque that it never felt like a suitable comparison with what was known about Picard's family from Star Trek at that point.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 was just as flawed, but it did at least add new layers of understanding to the character of Jean-Luc Picard in a way that his clone Shinzon never really did. Ultimately, clones aren't particularly good ideas for villains because the hero will generally anticipate their every move, and vice-versa, leading to a dramatic stalemate. A genetically engineered clone of Jean-Luc could have been a way to cure his Irumodic Syndrome in Star Trek: Picard, but after Shinzon it's easy to see why the writers went for a positronic Picard instead.

2 Troi & Riker’s Marriage Nearly Ended But Is Stronger Than Ever

The wedding of Will Riker and Deanna Troi is one of few moments of light in the darkness of Star Trek: Nemesis. Thankfully, it's one of the few things that hasn't been reversed in modern Trek's attempts to distance itself from the movie, but it hasn't been easy. Star Trek: Picard season 1 revealed that it wasn't a case of happily ever after, revealing that the couple had lost their son Thaddeus Riker. This tragedy was a real test of the couple's strength, exacerbated by Troi's empathic gifts. Thankfully, Star Trek: Picard season 3 gave the couple the time to resolve their grief, making them stronger than ever. It was a relief that one of the few s has been carried over into the modern franchise.

1 Wesley Crusher’s Wedding Cameo May Have Been Retconned

A deleted scene from Star Trek: Nemesis would have revealed that Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) was back in uniform and destined to Riker and Troi on the Titan. This didn't make sense, given that he had turned his back on Starfleet for a higher calling as one of the Travelers. As it's a deleted scene, it could easily be ignored in canon if it weren't for one shot that reveals him sitting at the head table at Troi and Riker's wedding. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in the finished movie, but it's jarring given how Wesley Crusher's Starfleet career ended.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 re-established Star Trek: The Next Generation canon, with a Wesley cameo that confirmed he was still a Traveler. Enlisting Kore Soong (Isa Briones), Wesley was clearly still working on a higher plain to make the universe a better place. This reveal could have retconned Wesley Crusher's Star Trek: Nemesis cameo, especially as Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) suggests she hasn't seen her son since he ed the Travelers. However, it is possible that Wesley did attend the wedding, but due to his powers as a Traveler was only visible to theater audiences.