Star Trek: Picard season 1 finally explained why the Romulans looked so different when they re-emerged on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Romulans are one of the oldest adversaries of the Federation, having debuted in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Balance Of Terror." In that episode and in all other TOS stories that featured them, the Romulans looked physically identical to the Vulcans.
The Romulans made their return in the TNG season 1 finale "The Neutral Zone." It was established that Starfleet had no direct contact with the Romulans for over 50 years before their encounter in "The Neutral Zone," and their re-emergence marked a turning point in the affairs of the Federation. Yet there was something different about these 24th-century Romulans - much like had happened previously with the different versions of the Klingons, they had undergone a redesign, now featuring pronounced head ridges.
Picard's Explanation For TOS & TNG Romulan Differences
Notably, Star Trek: Picard season 1 featured both TOS style and TNG style Romulans side by side for the first time onscreen. Retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) maintained his family vineyard primarily with the assistance of the Romulans Laris (Orla Brady) and Zhaban (Jamie McShane). Laris appeared like a TOS Romulan, while Zhaban had the pronounced head ridges of the TNG Romulans.
After foiling an attempt on Picard's life by clandestine Romulan operatives, Laris and Zhaban interrogate the one surviving attacker who features the TNG Romulan design. When the attacker refuses to cooperate, Laris refers to him as a "stubborn northerner" just like Zhaban. This simple remark solved a 30-year mystery, confirming the difference in Romulan appearance was due to a regional variant: northerners looked like TNG Romulans and southerners looked like TOS Romulans.
Why Romulans Are So Important In Star Trek: Picard
While the Romulans have been a consistent presence for most of Star Trek's history, they were perhaps never more narratively important than in Picard season 1. In the wake of a devastating attack on Federation shipyards located on Mars, Starfleet pulled out of their planned efforts to rescue the inhabitants of the Romulan homeworld from an approaching supernova. Disgusted with Starfleet's inaction, Admiral Picard resigned in protest. The supernova obliterated Romulus, killing billions and creating a refugee crisis across the galaxy.
While the majority of the Romulan people were left in squalor, a secret Romulan organization known as the Zhat Vash had managed to infiltrate Starfleet in their efforts to wipe out synthetic life. The dichotomy of the spiritually broken Romulans on refugee worlds like Vashti and the Zhat Vash Romulans who doubled down on their inherent paranoia and suspicion is one of Picard season 1's more intriguing threads. Star Trek: Picard season 1 ultimately chooses not to pass judgment on the Romulans, conceding that a more positive path on the galactic stage or a return to their worst impulses are both possible outcomes.