The showrunner of Star Trek: Picard, Terry Matalas, revealed that the return of Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren was always part of the plan for the show's third season. Forbes' character was brought back to warn Picard of the Changelings' threat to Starfleet, and her return was crucial to the story's level of distrust and drama. Matalas had to convince the studio and network that Forbes was the right choice for the role, but her appearance in the latest episode, "Imposters," was well worth it.
The latest episode of Star Trek: Picard features the surprise return of Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, now a commander in Starfleet investigating the events on Titan. The episode also sees Worf and Musiker confront Sneed's associate, Krinn, a Vulcan who believes that an organized criminal enterprise is logical. Meanwhile, Jack's true identity remains a mystery, and Shaw realizes he must become the thing he despises. The episode delivers great character work between Picard and Ro, but the ending of Ro's plot is clumsy. The TNG reunion hype continues, but the season is halfway through and we still haven't seen some of the cast.
Actress Michelle Forbes returns as Ro Laren in the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard, questioning Jean-Luc and Riker about the Titan's activities. However, there's a secret, more pressing reason why she's really there. Showrunner Terry Matalas says he really wanted to bring Ro Laren back, as it felt like a hanging chad from The Next Generation. The episode is a paranoia thriller, and the only way to be sure that the person you're talking to is actually the person you hope they are is by getting through a catharsis of trauma of the past of this relationship, which to Matalas felt like it could be really good television. The episode concludes with the death of Ro, who realizes too late that her own detail has been infiltrated by Changelings who plant a bomb on her shuttle.
"Star Trek: Picard" Season 3, episode 5 features the return and subsequent send-off of another "The Next Generation's" favorite B-character, Ro Laren, played once again by Michelle Forbes. The episode is directed by Dan Liu, who also directed an episode of "Strange New Worlds" and two episodes from Season 3 of "For All Mankind." Despite some clichés, the episode is well-written with good dialogue, character interplay, and effective pacing. The season remains entertaining and is a vast improvement on the previous two, but it is far from the very best of "Star Trek."
In the latest episode of "Star Trek: Picard," Jean-Luc encounters a familiar face in Ro Laren, a former traitor to the Federation who questions Starfleet's integrity. Despite their past, Jean-Luc trusts Ro when she reveals that changelings are infiltrating Starfleet. Ro sacrifices herself to save the crew and reunite Worf with Riker and Jean-Luc. The episode offers fresh takes on certain species and is turning out to be a strong season for "Picard."
