A Star Trek: Picard Easter egg highlights the weirdness of Worf's absence throughout Jean-Luc's solo series so far. Since premiering in 2020, Star Trek: Picard has brought back a curated selection of favorites from Star Trek: The Next Generation. There's Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc himself, of course, as well as Brent Spiner's Data, Jonathan Frakes' Riker, Marina Sirtis' Troi, and in season 2, John de Lancie is back as the brilliantly infuriating (or infuriatingly brilliant?) Q.
Others have been conspicuous by their absence. In Star Trek: Picard season 1 - as Jean-Luc faced a near-insurmountable challenge against a secret Romulan cabal - Zhaban suggested recruiting some old friends, "Riker. Worf. LaForge." Ultimately, only Number One turned up for the occasion, making the whereabouts of Michael Dorn's Worf and LeVar Burton's Geordi something of an elephant in the ready room. Of all the Star Trek: The Next Generation alumni who haven't yet beamed into the sequel series, Geordi and Worf are by far the most notable absentees.
Following on from season 1's nod, Star Trek: Picard season 2 continues to reference Worf - this time in the distant past. "Fly Me To The Moon" introduces Brent Spiner's Adam Soong pitching his genetic research to a panel of doctors deciding his future. You might recognize the woman in the center as Marty McFly's mother (Lea Thompson is among the directors for Star Trek: Picard season 2), but to her left is a character whose name plaque reads "Dr. Vasiliy Rozhenko." In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Worf's adopted human parents were Sergey and Helena Rozhenko. The surname could represent nothing more than a simple Easter egg... but Dr. Vasiliy might also be an ancient ancestor of Worf's parents.
On one hand, this reference to the Rozhenko family drops a touching tribute to Worf's Star Trek history - a reminder of his roots to Earth. Inadvertently, Worf's connection to 2024 also shines a spotlight on his continued absence. Since dipping into the past, Star Trek: Picard season 2 has revealed Jean-Luc's great aunt, Renée. We've also met Adam Soong, who is effectively Data's ancestor. Stewart and Spiner have both been present, but if Vasiliy Rozhenko is a member of Worf's adopted familly, Star Trek is drawing the same connection... without an appearance from the Klingon himself. The Easter egg draws attention to the fact we know so little about Worf's status in Picard's present day.
Though seeing the Rozhenko name serves as a "Where's Worf?" reminder, that might actually be Star Trek: Picard's intention. Prior to season 2's premiere, rumors of a Worf appearance began circulating due to a Tweet from Michael Dorn. The actor later denied he'd been contacted for a return, but in the "Andrew Garfield" era, such claims mean as much as a distress call from the Borg Queen. Any future cameos from Star Trek: The Next Generation favorites would, of course, be dependent on Jean-Luc returning to his native time, but all while Star Trek: Picard keeps referencing Worf, the more likely everyone's favorite Klingon is to appear... eventually.
Star Trek: Picard continues Thursdays on Paramount+.