Summary

• Altan Soong's act of giving Jean-Luc Picard a synthetic golem body is surprisingly generous for a member of the Soong family known for their questionable morals.
• Altan Soong's lineage of scientists with mixed morals is redeemed by his willingness to atone for his mistakes and help Picard, as well as provide him with a new synthetic body.
• With Altan Soong's death, Data becomes the last bearer of the Soong family legacy, embodying the best parts of their lineage and carrying their legacy forward.

Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner) provides the dying iral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) with a synthetic golem body in Star Trek: Picard, which is an uncharacteristically kind act for a Soong. In Star Trek: Picard season 1, Jean-Luc begins suffering ill effects from what, at the time, was believed to be Irumodic Syndrome, an incurable neurological disorder. Picard knew this disease would eventually kill him, and he finally succumbs to his illness in the Picard season 1 finale. However, Picard is soon resurrected thanks to one of Altan Soong's creations.

With help from Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill), Dr. Soong is able to transfer Jean-Luc's consciousness into a new synthetic body he called his golem at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 1. Although this does not make Picard immortal, it does give him the opportunity to live out the life he would have had if not for his terminal brain disease. Throughout their history in several Star Trek series, many of the Soongs have become ionate scientists with questionable morals. Although Data (Brent Spiner) remains the greatest and best accomplishment of any Soong, Picard's golem body marks another positive contribution to the world.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed Jean-Luc's season 1 death was caused by residual organic Borg DNA left in his brain from his time as Locutus of Borg, not Irumodic Syndrome.

Altan Giving Picard His Android Golem Body Is Uncharacteristically Generous For A Soong

Altan only had one synthetic golem.

Over the course of their family's history in Star Trek, the Soongs have done a lot of terrible things. At the end of Star Trek: Picard season 1, Altan Soong himself had planned to let the androids he created the alliance of synthetic life, even if it meant they would wage a war against organic life. Unlike some of his ancestors, however, Altan realized his mistakes before it was too late, and he tried to atone for them. Not only did he help Picard and his friends stop the androids, but Dr. Soong also gave Jean-Luc the synthetic body he had built for himself.

Altan Soong might have gotten his streak of generosity from his father, Dr. Noonian Soong, who created Data and his android brothers.

Although Noonian made some mistakes over the course of his life, he was arguably the best of the Soongs that have been seen so far in Star Trek. All of Noonian's mistakes, including the creation and neglect of Lore, eventually led to Data. Since his introduction in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, Data has helped save the galaxy numerous times, and the heroic android eventually sacrificed himself so that his friends could live. Noonian thought of Data like a son, and he cared less about achieving fame and power than the earlier Soongs.

Atlan’s Picard Death Means Data Is The Last Soong

The Soong family dynasty seems to die with Dr. Altan Inigo Soong.

Despite his death in Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Picard season 3. When Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Worf (Michael Dorn), and Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) infiltrate Daystrom Station, they find an android resembling Data. They later discover that Altan Soong had been working to incorporate Data's consciousness — along with that of Lore, B-4, Data's daughter Lal (Hallie Todd), and Altan's own — into a newly upgraded golem body like Picard's. Although Altan had successfully ed these various identities into the golem, he ed away before he could successfully integrate them.

After Riker, Worf, and Raffi rescued the android body, Data's consciousness eventually becomes dominant. Still, this newly upgraded Data acknowledged that he carries memories from all of the above-mentioned identities within him. Star Trek: Picard never gave any indication that Altan had any children, meaning Data became the sole bearer of the Soong family legacy after Altan's death. While it's possible a future Star Trek project could reveal another Soong, Data embodies all of the best parts of the Soongs, making him the perfect person to carry on their legacy.

Star Trek: Picard is available to stream on Paramount+.