Over the course of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) experienced many of the biggest tropes from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Introduced in the first episode of Picard season 3, Jack Crusher became a central figure in the season's main Borg storyline. As the son of iral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Jack Crusher has a lot to live up to. In the ten episodes of Picard season 3, Jack met his father, flirted with a La Forge, was assimilated by the Borg, and encountered the omnipotent being known as Q (John de Lancie).
With so many call-backs to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jack has been set up as the perfect character to carry on the legacy of the Starfleet greats who came before him. At the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Jack lands a position on the newly-christened USS Enterprise-G as the Special Counselor to Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). With a place on the Enterprise and connections to several Star Trek legends, Jack Crusher has become the perfect character to carry on the legacy of Star Trek: TNG. He is poised to usher in a new era of Star Trek and become one of the franchise's most important new characters.
How Jack Crusher Is A One-Man Star Trek TNG’s Greatest Hits
With Starfleet legends as parents, connections to other Star Trek icons, a Borg assimilation, and an encounter with Q, Jack Crusher experienced several classic tropes from Star Trek: The Next Generation. TNG often focused on the relationships between family, and Star Trek: Picard definitely leaned into that. Jack clearly had a close relationship with his mom, and by the end of Picard season 3, he had begun to develop a closer relationship with his father as well. Jack also had a connection with Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut), daughter of the former engineer of the USS Enterprise-D, Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). Though their potential romantic relationship was in its earliest stages, their story will likely continue if Star Trek: Legacy gets made.
In addition to having connections with several Star Trek icons, Jack Crusher also played a part in many stories that felt reminiscent of the TNG days. Just like his father before him, Jack was assimilated by the Borg and given his own Borg name, Vox. He unwillingly played a central role in the Borg/Changeling plot to take over the Federation, but was able to help defeat them in the end. In the short scene after the credits of the final episode, Jack encountered one of Picard's greatest headaches, Q. The ominipotent (and newly resurrected) Q tells Jack that his story has just begun and that Jack has much ahead of him. With Q playing a role in his cosmic destiny, Jack must be bound for something big.
Jack Crusher Is Set Up As One Of 25th Century Star Trek’s Most Important Characters
Star Trek: Picard season 3 set Jack Crusher up to be one of the most important Star Trek characters moving forward. When Q appeared to Jack in the Picard season 3 finale, he just confirmed what the season had already suggested: that Jack has a very important destiny. With his position on the newly-christened USS Enterprise-G, Jack has a seat on one of the most important ships in Starfleet. The new Enterprise will surely embark on extraordinary missions that Jack will undoubtedly be a part of. This could even include traveling in time, one of the few TNG tropes that Jack has yet to experience.
With his adventurous and roguish personality, Jack will likely find himself in interesting situations whether as part of an official mission or not. He seems to have a knack for getting into trouble and risking his own life, and there is usually no shortage of dangerous adventures on ships named Enterprise. Considering he went through several seasons' worth of TNG stories over the course of one season of Star Trek: Picard, Jack Crusher's importance has already been established, and he's the perfect character to help continue Star Trek's journey into the 25th century.