Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 5 - "Imposters"The Changelings are escalating their plot against the United Federation Of Planets in Star Trek: Picard season 3, though their ultimate goal remains a mystery. The Changelings originated on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where they were known as the Founders of the Dominion, a sort of anti-Federation that sought to overthrow the Federation during the catastrophic Dominion War. The Dominion was eventually defeated, though the cost was high on both sides.
In Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 3 "Seventeen Seconds," it was revealed a splinter faction of the Changelings have returned, seeking vengeance against the Federation. This version of the Changelings is fundamentally different from the DS9 variety, as they're now able to evade Starfleet blood tests and hold solid forms much longer. They remain one of the Federation's most lethal enemies, and the time is running out for Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the USS Titan-A to discover their plan and stop them from destroying Starfleet from the inside.
5 The Changelings Infiltrated Starfleet
In Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 5 "Imposters," Picard is confronted by Commander Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), his former Bajoran protégé on the USS Enterprise-D. Ro betrayed Picard by defecting to the Maquis in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7 episode "Preemptive Strike," an incident Picard still harbors deep resentment over. After Picard and Ro confirm they're both not Changelings and have something of a personal reconciliation, Ro reveals she's been investigating a potential Changeling conspiracy within Starfleet and now believes the organization has been compromised at the highest levels.
Ro's suspicions were ultimately confirmed when her security detail turned out to be Changelings who planted a bomb on her shuttle, killing her as the shuttle rammed into one of the nacelles of the USS Intrepid, a Starfleet vessel now under Changeling control. Picard is devastated by her death, and he vows to take up the mission in her honor. It remains to be seen just how deeply the Changelings have penetrated Starfleet, but by the end of "Imposters" the situation seems dire.
4 The Changelings Stole Weapons From Daystrom Station
In the Star Trek: Picard season 3 premiere "The Next Generation," Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) is seen working for Starfleet Intelligence on the planet M'talas Prime. Raffi is investigating the theft of experimental weapons from Daystrom Station, a highly secured Starfleet research facility. One of the stolen items was an advanced portal weapon, which was used by the Changelings to destroy a Starfleet recruitment center on M'talas Prime.
That same portal weapon was used by the Changeling operative Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer) when her vessel, the Shrike, took on the USS Titan-A in "Seventeen Seconds." Aided in her investigation by the legendary Klingon Worf (Micheal Dorn), Raffi is led to believe the portal weapon and attack on the recruitment center was a distraction from the real Changeling plot involving something else they stole. It remains to be seen what the Changelings really wanted from Daystrom Station.
3 The Changelings Want Jack Crusher (But Why?)
Star Trek: Picard season 3 began with Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and her newly revealed adult son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) on the run from unknown assailants that were eventually revealed to be the Changelings. In season 3, episode 2 "Disengage," Vadic claims to be a bounty hunter who's looking to cash in by capturing Jack, who has a record of somewhat minor criminal offenses. Vadic eventually drops that pretense, but she's still determined to capture Jack on behalf of her Changeling superiors.
Jack is eventually revealed to be Picard's son, making the young man's safety a deeply personal mission for the Admiral. It's still not clear why the Changelings want Jack, but it's becoming clear something is not quite right with him. Jack has begun experiencing disturbing, violent visions, and he was able to kill four Changelings with relative ease. His waking nightmares and extraordinary physical abilities likely have a connection to the reason the Changelings want him.
2 The Changelings Are Targeting Frontier Day
Star Trek: Picard season 3 has introduced the concept of Frontier Day, the anniversary of the formation of Starfleet. The holiday is soon approaching as the season begins, with Picard mentioning he's scheduled to deliver a speech during the festivities. Frontier Day is also slated to feature the entire collection of Starfleet vessels, headlined by the USS Enterprise-F's final flight before it's due to be decommissioned.
Before her death, Ro told Picard she believed the Changeling's ultimate plot revolved around Frontier Day celebrations. The entire fleet being in one location seems like a prime opportunity for the Changelings to deal Starfleet a devastating blow. Picard and the crew of the USS Titan-A must unravel the mystery of the Frontier Day plot while dodging the Changeling agents that have seemingly taken control of a large chunk of Starfleet.
1 What We Still Don't Know About The Changelings' Plan In Picard
Much of the ultimate Changeling plot remains a mystery. The actual motivation for their scheming hasn't been made explicit yet, but it seems likely it's tied to the Federation's actions in the final days of the Dominion War, when the amoral Section 31 unleashed a morphogenic virus on the Changelings that very nearly wiped them out. DS9's benevolent Changeling Odo (René Auberjonois) eventually returned to the Great Link and healed his people, but the utilization of the virus in the first place was essentially a war crime. It remains a black mark on Starfleet, and the sort of traumatic event that could largely justify the Changelings' hostility.
Perhaps the biggest unknown aspect of the Changeling plot is what they stole from Daystrom Station. The portal weapon dealt the USS Titan-A a devastating blow, but it was clearly not the primary goal. How the deteriorating Jack Crusher figures into all of this also remains a crucial unanswered question. Star Trek: Picard may not have revealed everything about the Changeling plot yet, but it's clear their plot is one of the biggest threats the Federation has ever faced.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.