Star Trek Picard Season 3 Episode 2 Recap, Who Plays Sneed On Picard Star Trek?
by Aishwarya R | Updated Feb 27, 2023
Star Trek Picard
Star Trek: Picard is an American television show that debuted in 2020 on CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It was created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer, and Alex Kurtzman, and is the eighth Star Trek series. The series revolves around the retired Starfleet admiral Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, and takes place 20 years after his last appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). The show explores different aspects of Picard's character in his old age throughout each season.
The first season of the show stars Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Harry Treadaway, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, and Evan Evagora alongside Stewart. Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady, and Brent Spiner join the cast for the second season, while LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Spiner make special guest appearances in the third. The series was created to be slower and more character-focused than previous Star Trek shows and is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout, Weed Road Pictures, and Roddenberry Entertainment.
Rumors about the show began in June 2018 and it was officially announced in August of that year. Filming took place in California, which provided significant tax credits for the show's production. Chabon served as showrunner for the first season, while Goldsman and Terry Matalas took over for the second and third, which were filmed back-to-back. The third season was designed to be a conclusion to the stories of Picard and the other Next Generation cast members.
The first season of Star Trek: Picard ran for 10 episodes from January 23 to March 26, 2020. The second season was released from March 3 to May 5, 2022, and the third and final season is being released from February 16 to April 20, 2023. The show has received positive reviews from critics and has won awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award for its prosthetic makeup. There have been several tie-in projects based on the show, including an episode of the companion series Star Trek: Short Treks. The cast and crew have expressed interest in a spin-off or continuation of the show after the third season.
Star Trek Picard Season 3 Episode 2 Recap
The second episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 wastes no time in addressing the question of Jack Crusher's relationship with Jean-Luc Picard. The opening scene features a flashback to two weeks prior, in which Jack violates an airspace quarantine zone and is boarded by the Fenris Rangers. The contrast between Jack's rock n' roll personality and Picard's classical demeanor is quickly established, as the upbeat tune of Baby's "Starchild" plays in the background.
The flashback provides exposition on Jack's personality and his mission with his mother Beverly (Gates McFadden) to deliver medical supplies to a planet suffering from a deadly fever. Jack suggests the fever may be part of an engineered pandemic used by warlords to clear out refugees. The Rangers are skeptical and search their ship, finding mostly medical supplies and Romulan ale used for medicinal purposes. However, they also discover weapons aboard the ship, which Jack explains are used for bartering and bribing. Unbeknownst to Jack, the Rangers are on a reconnaissance mission and report back to someone that they have found him.
The second episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 wastes no time answering questions from the premiere, as it opens with a flashback to Jack Crusher's recent run-in with the Fenris Rangers. Jack and his mother Beverly are trying to deliver medical supplies to a planet suffering from a deadly fever, but the Rangers are skeptical and find weapons aboard the ship. However, the Rangers are also on a reconnaissance mission and report back to someone that they have found Jack.
In the present, Jack and Beverly are being hunted by different groups, including the Rangers and Romulans. Picard and Riker are trying to help them, but they're targeted by an enemy ship that blows up their shuttle. Seven and Captain Shaw on the U.S.S. Titan disagree on whether to offer assistance, but Seven tries to appeal to Shaw's sense of honor to save Picard and Riker. Ultimately, the Titan arrives to disrupt the enemy ship's tractor beam and rescue Picard, Riker, and the Crushers.
On Jack's ship, the enemy is after him specifically, and Picard installs transport inhibitors to prevent them from beaming Jack away. However, they still board the vessel and capture everyone in a tractor beam. The ship is low on power and defenses, so their only hope is the arrival of the Titan. Shaw rescues them, but he makes a sarcastic comment about the Titan being a hotel.
The crew of the Titan is confronted by a group of bounty hunters led by Vadic, who are after Jack due to his numerous crimes across the galaxy. Despite the fact that Starfleet does not negotiate with bounty hunters, Vadic reminds the crew that they are outside of Federation space and are thus exempt from Federation rules. The crew discovers that Vadic's ship is heavily armed and outnumbers the Titan, leaving them at a significant disadvantage. In a show of force, Vadic gives the crew one hour to turn over Jack before using a tractor beam to sling Crusher's ship at the Titan, an unexpected move that catches the crew off guard.
After discovering that Vadic's claims about Jack being a conman are true, Shaw locks him up and relieves Seven of her duties for insubordination. Despite Riker's criticism, Shaw is unwilling to negotiate with the bounty hunters and refuses to give Jack a fair trial. While Picard is hesitant to believe that Jack may be his son, Riker is convinced that he is, as everything about him reminds him of both Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard.
When Picard questions Jack in the brig, he discovers that Jack learned everything he knows about medical aid from his mother, which includes his criminal activities. However, Picard is skeptical because he cannot believe that Beverly Crusher would get into trouble. Jack points out that Picard has not seen Beverly in over twenty years, and thus cannot know who she is now. When Picard finally asks who Jack's father is, Jack's answer is not straightforward, but Picard knows the truth, as does the audience.
The latest episode of "Star Trek: Picard" is an emotional rollercoaster as Jack, the son of Picard and Beverly Crusher, finds himself in danger. With Vadic and his men hot on his trail, Jack offers to turn himself in to ensure his mother's safety. Picard leaves Jack in the brig to weigh his options, but Jack is determined to take matters into his own hands. He convinces the officer guarding him to reveal the voltage of the force field and manages to escape using a blaster. Meanwhile, Riker wakes Beverly up to get to the bottom of Jack's claims, and they arrive just in time to stop Jack from turning himself over to Vadic. Picard claims Jack as his son, revealing a shocking family secret.
Meanwhile, Raffi is struggling with guilt after failing to prevent a terrorist attack. Starfleet ends their investigation, believing a Romulan named Lurak T'Luco was responsible, but Raffi is unconvinced. She decides to continue her own investigation and follows a lead to her estranged ex-husband Jae's bar. She hopes he can help her find Sneed, the Ferengi who sold the weapon used in the attack. Jae presents Raffi with a cruel ultimatum: he will help her find Sneed or help her reconnect with their son Gabe, but not both. Driven by duty, Raffi chooses to pursue her mission, potentially risking her already-strained relationship with her son.
In the second episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 3, tensions run high as Jack Crusher's true identity as the son of Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard is revealed. Jack offers to turn himself over to Vadic in exchange for his mother's safety, but Picard leaves him in the brig to weigh their options. However, Jack escapes and heads to the transporter bay to surrender himself to Vadic. Fortunately, Beverly arrives on the bridge to confirm Picard's suspicions and the crew stops Jack from leaving. Picard then declares that Jack is his son, a stunning revelation that leaves the crew reeling.
Meanwhile, Raffi is wracked with guilt over her failure to stop a terrorist attack and decides to continue investigating the matter, despite Starfleet terminating the investigation. She visits her estranged husband Jae, hoping to use him as a lead to find the weapon's supplier, but Jae gives her an ultimatum. Raffi chooses her mission over reconnecting with her son, leading her to track down the weapon's supplier, Sneed. However, Sneed accuses her of being part of Section 31 and forces her to take a hallucinogenic drug. Luckily, her mysterious handler, who is revealed to be Worf, arrives to save her.
With Jack's identity revealed, the series explores Picard's tangible legacy and how it will eventually be remembered beyond his fame and legend. As the crew grapples with this revelation, they also face parallel journeys of grief and loss, such as Riker's exploration of his own grief after losing his son. The episode raises the stakes and leaves viewers eagerly anticipating how the characters will navigate these new developments.
Who Plays Sneed On Picard Star Trek?
Aaron Stanford played Sneed on Picard Star Trek. In Season 3, Episode 2 of Star Trek: Picard, viewers were introduced to Sneed, a Ferengi drug dealer played by Aaron Stanford, who is known for his role as Pyro in the X-Men movies franchise. Sneed made a strong impression despite his brief appearance. In the episode, Raffi, played by Michelle Hurd, tracks down Sneed in search of information about a deadly weapon used in a terrorist attack against Starfleet. Sneed reveals that he was responsible for the attack and had killed the person who had been framed for it. Raffi is forced to take a hallucinogenic drug called Splinter, but luckily her handler, who is later revealed to be Worf, saves her.
Stanford's performance as Sneed was outstanding, making a significant impact in a single scene. Moreover, Sneed was the first Ferengi to appear in live-action in the streaming era of Star Trek, apart from their background appearances in Star Trek: Discovery's far future. Sneed was interesting because he operated by the same values as past Ferengi characters but came across as much more ruthless without reverting to the poor first impression the Ferengi made on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 also features another 12 Monkeys alum, Todd Stashwick, who plays the captain of the Titan-A, Liam Shaw. Stashwick and Stanford worked together on 12 Monkeys, which was co-created by Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas.
Star Trek Picard Season 3 Episode 2 Recap - FAQs
Sneed is a Ferengi drug lord who is believed to have supplied the weapon used in a terrorist attack against Starfleet. Raffi, a former Starfleet Intelligence officer, tries to extract information from him to find out who his supplier is, but things don't go as planned.
Sneed was played by Aaron Stanford, an actor known for his role as Pyro in the X-Men movie franchise and as the lead in the television series 12 Monkeys.
The drug is called Splinter, and it causes hallucinations and other mental effects.
Raffi's handler is revealed to be Worf, a fan-favorite character from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. He intervenes when Sneed forces Raffi to take the Splinter drug, saving her from its dangerous effects.
In this episode, it is confirmed that Jack Crusher, a character who was mentioned in previous Star Trek series, was the son of Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher. This revelation sets up a new storyline for Picard, who must now come to terms with the fact that he has a son out there in the galaxy.