While “Star Trek: Picard” Season 3 has been a reunion of sorts for the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” there is one new character that has a major impact on at least two Enterprise crewmen.
Enter Jack Crusher. The brash young man wasn’t even given a name in the season premiere, where he dramatically revealed he’s the son of Dr. Beverly Crusher.
Episode 2 revealed even more about Crusher and his lineage, which is confirmed in Episode 3. As the season unfolds, we’ll unravel the mystery of this newcomer.
Warning, major spoilers ahead.
Who is Jack Crusher?
Dr. Beverly Crusher and her son Jack make up the two-person crew of the S.S. Eleos, a medical aide vessel.
In Season 3, Episode 1, Beverly is critically injured in an alien attack. She sends a distress call out to her former captain and close friend, Jean-Luc Picard. Although she hasn’t been in contact with Picard or her Enterprise crewmates for over 20 years, they’re the only people she can trust.
Picard enlists the help of his former first officer, Will Riker, to stage a rescue mission. They hatch a plan to bring the U.S.S. Titan, Riker’s former command, to the Eleos. With the help of Seven of Nine, the Titan’s first officer, Picard and Riker steal a shuttle and board the Eleos.
There they discover Beverly in a medical stasis pod and a man who claims to be her son.
In Episode 2, the Eleos soon comes under attack from Vadic, the captain of the heavily armed warship Shrike. Vadic says that there’s a bounty on Jack and the Titan has one hour to turn him over or be destroyed.
Liam Shaw, the captain of the Titan, throws Jack in the brig while they debate what to do. They discover Jack has a checkered past; he’s a conman who has committed multiple crimes under several aliases. Is he really who he claims to be?
Shaw is inclined to turn over Jack; after all, one life isn’t worth the lives of 500, including Beverly’s. Jack escapes confinement and plans to transport himself over to the Shrike. Right before he does, Beverly appears and nods to Picard, confirming to him that Jack is his son.
Who are Jack Crusher’s parents?
Jack Crusher is the son of Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard.
He is named after Beverly’s first husband, Jack R. Crusher. Her husband served under Picard on the U.S.S. Stargazer and was killed on a mission. Beverly and Jack had a son, Wesley.
While serving aboard the Enterprise, Beverly and Picard had a close relationship that bordered on romance, but they never acted upon it.
At one point they were mentally linked via alien technology, and Beverly learned that Picard had romantic feelings for her while she was married to Jack, his friend and crewman. He never acted on them and tried to deny her application to the Enterprise. After the alien technology is removed, they shared a kiss, but that was it.
When was Jack Crusher conceived?
In Episode 3, Beverly and Picard finally have a one-on-one conversation about Jack.
It turns out Jack was conceived the old-fashioned way.
Two months before leaving the Enterprise, the on-again-off-again couple took shore leave to Casperia Prime, a vacation world known for its natural beauty.
Apparently, the couple was taken away by the beauty of a waterfall and then taken by each other.
Beverly became pregnant that night but decided not to tell Picard.
She tried several times, but Picard was involved in some dangerous situation or another. Beverly realized that she could protect her son, but not Picard’s son. So she hid his identity from birth on.
What is Jack Crusher’s relationship with his parents and crewmates?
Jack has a close relationship with his mother Beverly, who he says taught him everything he knows.
In Episode 2, when asked by Picard who his father is, Jack shouts, “I never knew my father!”
It takes Jack’s near-death in Episode 3 from verterium poisoning for fatherhood to sink in for Picard.
In Episode 4, with the Titan sinking further into a gravity well, Picard tries to make up for lost time for inviting Crusher to have a drink in Ten Forward. He tells Jack about his namesake and Beverly’s first husband, Jack R. Crusher. Picard and Jack R. were best friends on the U.S.S. Stargazer, and had to pilot a meteoroid shower in a damaged shuttle together.
Picard and Jack essentially recreate this at the end of the episode, with Crusher calling out navigational coordinates while Picard directs thrusters, allowing the Titan to escape the nebula.
At the very end of the episode, it’s revealed that Jack did meet his father once before, in a bar five years prior. After listening to Picard regale Starfleet cadets about his past adventures, Jack asked Picard about family. Picard replied that he considered Starfleet to be all the family he ever needed, crushing Jack.
Jack and Sidney La Forge strike a bond in Episode 6 with both feeling the pressure from their famous fathers. There seems to be a bit of a flirtation growing between the two. But Geordi quickly quashes it, telling Jack to “stay away from my daughter.”
He also bonds with Seven of Nine, with whom he shares a rebellious streak.
He has a love-hate relationship with Vadic, who teases him about his true identity and the red door he sees in his visions. He pleads with Vadic to tell him who he really is, but kills her before she can give him any answers.
How old is Jack Crusher?
Beverly was in her fifties by the events of “Star Trek: Nemesis,” the last time her character was last seen on screen.
“Picard” Season 3 takes place approximately 23 years later, but Jack Crusher appears to be a bit older than that (actor Ed Speleers is 34 years old).
Twitter users had some theories that Jack was actually born when Beverly left the Enterprise in Season 2 (Gates McFadden was written out of the show and later brought back). That would make Jack in his early 30s — which he appears to be — rather than his early 20s.
However, that theory was debunked in Episode 3. Jack Crusher is just a hard-looking (but handsome) 23-year-old. Living with your mom full-time and running rescue missions apparently ages you prematurely.
Episode 4 confirms Jack’s age when Picard asks him if he’s about 23 or 24 years old. This ends up being a major plot point towards the end of the season.
Jack Crusher’s visions — what lies behind the red door?
While exposed to toxic verterium gas, Jack has visions of a woman (in the form of Seven of Nine) who beckons to him “Find me!”
At the end of Episode 4, Jack has a similar vision in his quarters, with a female voice once again calling out, “Find me!” He also has visions of roots growing on the walls and a glowing red door.
Episode 5 opens with a disturbing vision of Jack on the Titan bridge, massacring all of the bridge crew. Fortunately, it’s just a vision and Jack snaps back to reality inside his quarters. He drops the phaser and his eyes glow red.
At the end of the episode, he has another vision and kills four Changelings disguised as humans with ease.
One leading theory is that Jack is possessed by the Pah Wraiths, non-corporeal beings and enemies of the Bajoran Prophets from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” Since the Changelings were also introduced in “Deep Space Nine,” the two species may have some connection.
In Episode 6, it’s revealed that Jack inherited irumodic syndrome from Picard, a neurological disorder that causes hallucinations.
Warning, major spoilers ahead
In Episode 9, Troi and Jack open the red door in his mind. Behind they find a Borg Cube. The female voice calling out to Jack is the Borg Queen (Alice Krige).
Troi runs and tells Beverly and Picard what she sees. Picard talks to Jack, who deduces it’s the Borg and then flees the Titan in a shuttle. He is drawn to the source of the voices — the Queen.
This is where it gets slightly complicated/technical. 35 years ago, the Borg assimilated Picard and introduced dormant code into his DNA — code that was passed on to Jack.
Whereas all assimilated Borg “receive” commands from the collective/Queen, Jack’s unique DNA makes him a “transmitter.”
What are Jack Crusher’s special abilities and powers?
In Episode 7, Jack taps into several new powers.
While flirting with Sidney in the turbolift, he is able to read her mind telepathically, proving this is no case of irumodic syndrome. Later, when Changelings board the Titan, Jack “possesses” Sidney’s body, allowing her to take down her attacker.
In Episode 8, he “possesses” Mura in an attempt to regain control of the bridge, which Vadic has commandeered.
In Episode 9, we learn that due to his Borg code, he is able to “transmit” to anyone who has Borg code in their system.
How does Jack Crusher fit in with Frontier Day?
The Borg and Changelings have secretly been infiltrating Starfleet, adding Borg code to the transporter system. Anyone who uses the transporter has the code spliced into their system, becoming a “receiver.” This only works on younger crewmembers before their brains stop developing.
The code lies dormant until activated via a transmitter. Jack is that transmitter.
When the Borg Queen captures Jack, she uses him to transmit to all the ships gathered at Frontier Day. Any crewmember under 25, including the La Forge sisters and Mura, is immediately assimilated and activated as Borg drones.
The Queen is able to take command of all of Starfleet without even having a ship nearby.
Jack is assimilated and is hesitant to separate himself from the collective despite his father’s pleas. Eventually, Picard is successful, averting the destruction of Earth by the assimilated fleet.
Where is Jack at the end of the series?
In a proud send-him-off-to-college moment, Beverly and Jean Luc travel with Jack to his first Starfleet posting aboard the U.S.S. Titan, which has been renamed the U.S.S. Enterprise.
His new commanding officer? Captain Seven of Nine, who appoints the ensign as special counselor.
Later, as he’s unpacking his belongings in his quarters, he is visited by Q. We break down the post-credit scene between Jack and Q here.
Who plays Jack Crusher?
As previously mentioned, British actor Ed Speleers plays Jack Crusher.
Speleers is best known for playing Jimmy the footman on “Downton Abbey,” Stephen Bonnet on “Outlander” and Rhys Montrose on “You.”
His big break came in 2006 when he played the title role in the fantasy feature film “Eragon.”
New episodes of “Star Trek: Picard” air Thursdays on Paramount+.