Star Trek fans are of course psyched to see Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard, but it's safe to say he's not the sole reprisal folks are ready to see in Star Trek: Picard. We've already seen glimpses of other characters from across the franchise's lore make cameos in trailers for the CBS All Access series, but few as radical as this latest look at the former Borg drone Hugh.
While Hugh was reformed of his assimilating ways, he aesthetically still looked like a Borg in his past appearances in Star Trek shows. Now, it appears that Hugh has successfully disassembled some of that bulky machinery on his face in Star Trek: Picard, and he's looking pretty good now!
Hugh has a little scarring and some leftover bits of metal on the side of his formerly covered face, but it's definitely an upgrade over what was there before. Judging from the looks of his eye that was formerly covered by the technology, though, it looks like there were some things that couldn't be restored after whatever process he went through to get all of that removed.
As TVLine reported, Hugh (who is still played by Jonathan Del Arco) is expected to remain Team Picard. Hugh and Picard worked a few times together collaboratively over Star Trek: The Next Generation and the movie Star Trek: Nemesis. With Nemesis having some strong ties to the narrative of Star Trek: Picard, it should come as no surprise that Hugh is set to appear.
Hugh, who was originally just a nameless Borg drone, received his name from Geordi La Forge after the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew nursed him back to health. Their efforts led Hugh to reject the principles of Borg assimilation, and he later became a close ally against the Borg down the stretch.
Hugh will join Seven of Nine as yet another former Borg in Star Trek: Picard. We learned earlier this year that Hugh is still leading a faction of freed Borgs, and it seems as though former Borgs will come into play in the season. With freed Borgs and a couple Romulans hanging around Picard, it's kind of crazy to see the former Starfleet captain surrounding himself with so many factions he once considered enemies.
Of course, a lot can change in 20 years. Patrick Stewart has confirmed that much, and told audiences to expect a different version of Jean-Luc when audiences next meet up with him. Will it be the breath of fresh air that finally sways classic fans into the new world of Star Trek, or will they treat this as another Star Trek: Discovery?
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Star Trek: Picard premieres on CBS All Access Thursday, January 23 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend as we get closer to the release for more on the show, and a look at what's next in the world of television and movies.
