The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Episode 7, “Monsters,” streaming now on Paramount+.
One of the biggest unsolved mysteries that came out of Star Trek: The Next Generation was the history between Guinan and the omnipotent Q. When the characters met in the TNG Season 2 episode “Q Who?,” it was clear that they had a fractious past, with the two ready to come to blows before they turned their attention to the Borg Collective. With both Q and Guinan playing prominent roles in Star Trek: Picard Season 2, more of the history between the Q Continuum and the El-Aurian civilization has been unveiled.
Season 2 sent Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of La Sirena back to Los Angeles 2024 to undo Q’s tampering with human history in another bid to change the species’ trajectory in the galaxy. As Picard worked to ensure the timeline progressed as intended, without Q’s interference, he realized that this trial was apparently as much for Q as it was for humanity. This revelation led Picard to reconnect with the Guinan of this timeline, who was in the midst of closing up her dive bar in the City of Angels.
When she finds out Picard is interested in summoning Q to put an end to the time-travel shenanigans and learn what exactly is troubling the omnipotent being, Guinan shares her civilization’s complicated history with the Q Continuum. Long ago, the El-Aurians and Q Continuum ratified a peace treaty, with the Continuum providing the El-Aurians means to summon them if they were ever needed. Since the El-Aurians favor cuisine as one of the most prestigious elements in their society, the Continuum can be summoned through a bottle of spirits present during the treaty agreement.
The existence of this treaty hints that relations between the El-Aurians and the Continuum are not as strained as Guinan and Q made them appear to be in TNG. There is still unseen history between 2024 Los Angeles and the TNG era three centuries later, during which the agreement could have crumbled, but Guinan appears more than willing to summon a Q in the 21st century. This also creates the question of what happened between the El-Aurians and the Borg.
“Q Who?” made it clear that both the Continuum and El-Aurians also have an unexplored history with the Borg Collective, with Q deciding to introduce humanity to the Borg early to give them time to better prepare for future conflict. Guinan and Q both hinted that their respective civilizations had harrowing encounters with the Borg, with Guinan implying in the iconic TNG Season 3 episode “The Best of Both Worlds” that the El-Aurians were nearly conquered by them. With the Borg Queen figuring prominently in Picard Season 2, this history may similarly be revealed in future episodes, especially with the Queen on the loose after taking control of Agnes Jurati’s body.
Guinan and Picard’s attempt to summon someone from the Continuum is unsuccessful, with the local police taking them both into custody instead. Q remains elusive, plotting with a new accomplice to carry out his plan to change the timeline, and what has been driving him is still a mystery. Picard Season 2 has begun to unveil more of the untold lore behind the Star Trek franchise and explain why this history is crucial in shaping the galaxy’s future.
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Picard releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.
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