Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 7 - "Dominion"Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) may be hiding the key to Star Trek: Picard season 3's end game inside his Starfleet Museum. Geordi made his much anticipated return in season 3, episode 6 "The Bounty," his first appearance since Star Trek Nemesis, the final film featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Now a Commodore, Geordi oversees the Fleet Museum alongside his daughter Alandra (Mica Burton), which features a stunning collection of some of the most legendary vessels in Starfleet history.
When iral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) realizes the scope of the Changelings' infiltration of Starfleet, he turns to Geordi, one of the few people he feels he can still trust. Now a devoted family man, Geordi is initially reluctant to put his daughters in danger. For her part, Alandra suggests they help Picard with something they have stored in Hangar Bay 12, which Geordi quickly shoots down. It's a near-certainty that whatever is in that hangar will eventually be revealed, and it could be the key to defeating the Changeling plot.
What Starship Is Geordi Hiding At The Fleet Museum?
Hangar Bay 12 almost certainly houses a starship, since that's the Fleet Museum's stock-in-trade. It would likely not be connected to other active Starfleet vessels, which has gotten the USS Titan-A into some hot water since it's been on the run. The Changeling plot likely involves exploiting that connectivity when the fleet comes together for Frontier Day.
There are a few plausible options for which ship Geordi could be hiding. The USS Enterprise-E is certainly an option, as its ultimate fate is currently unknown. It could also potentially be the USS Challenger, a Galaxy-class ship that Geordi commanded himself in an alternate future in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Timeless." However, the most likely vessel to be housed in Hangar Bay 12 is the USS Enterprise-D, the iconic starship that featured in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Why The Enterprise-D Needs To Return In Star Trek Picard Season 3
The USS Enterprise-D ostensibly met its end in Star Trek Generations, with the drive section exploding due to a warp core breach and the saucer section crash landing on Veridian III. A plaque in Star Trek: Picard season 2 confirmed that the saucer section was recovered from Veridian III, refurbished, and put on display in the Fleet Museum. Attaching the drive section from another, less legendary Galaxy-class ship would probably be easy enough.
The USS Enterprise-D needs to make one final appearance in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Not only has the season been hinting at the ship's importance from the very first episode, but the Enterprise-D is as much a character in the Star Trek: The Next Generation mythos as the crew that inhabited it. If Star Trek: Picard season 3 truly is the end of the road for the TNG cast, one more ride on the Enterprise-D is necessary.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.