[9] "The Defector" also includes a reference to the Battle of Cheron, an incident in the 22nd century Earth-Romulan War that was previously mentioned in "Balance of Terror". Here’s the long answer: Famously — or infamously — the 2009 J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek is a film reboot insofar as it created a parallel universe in which Captain Kirk became blue-eyed Chris Pine, Spock became Zachary Quinto, and the architecture of the 23rd century looked like it had been designed by Steve Jobs. During its career, the Dauntless served as the flagship of the Seventh Fleet and earned four unit citations and was in service from 2372 to 2388. [7] In the third-season episode "The Enemy", written by David Kemper and Michael Piller and first screened in November 1989, the Enterprise-D is depicted rescuing a crashed Romulan ship. However, the implosion of the supernova caused by the red matter opened a rift in space-time that sent Spock and the Romulan mining ship Narada, along with its captain, Nero, and its crew, to go back in time more than 100 years, creating an alternate timeline. We have the answers. On the evening of November 11, 1572, twenty-six-year-old astronomer Tycho Brahe was about to make a discovery that would change his life and consequentially boost the scientific revolution significantly. [8] It also further established the idea of a significant enmity between the Romulans and the Klingons, with the Enterprise's Klingon officer, Worf (Michael Dorn), refusing to donate blood to save the life of an injured Romulan; the scriptwriters had debated whether to include this, with Dorn initially reticent. The Romulans were reused for the second-season episode "The Deadly Years" and the third-season episode "The Enterprise Incident". In 2387, the Hobus star was on the verge of supernova. So, far, this series has firmly established why Jean-Luc’s Romulan housekeepers in the new series — Laris and Zhaban — got involved with Picard in the first place. To stop the threat, Ambassador Spock planned to use red … read more: Short Treks — How Children of Mars Sets Up Picard, In fact, Kurtzman’s involvement could also explain why one bit of left-over Star Trek apocrypha from 2009 has resurfaced in a slightly different way for Picard. A supernova, no matter how big or powerful, would stand zero chance of threatening the entire galaxy. If the Hobus system was a binary system, that means the Romulan Supernova was a Star Trek explosion so good, they decided to make it a double. Though working as a largely independent party, a Qowat Milat member can bind themselves to what she feels is a lost cause, which is the main … The Hobus supernova wasn't a supernova. But what the heck was the Romulan Supernova and why is it so important not just to Jean-Luc Picard, but to the entire galaxy? In the new Star Trek movie, Spock says that a "supernova threatened the entire galaxy". They first appeared in the series Star Trek (1966–1969). How the Making (and Remaking)…, How Star Trek: Discovery Fulfills Spock's Franchise Legacy, Star Trek: New Captain Picard Series Deals With Destruction of Romulan Empire, Sci Fi Fidelity Podcast - Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Picard Episode 2 Review - Maps and Legends, Introducing A Brand New FREE Quarterly Magazine From Den of Geek, How EVE Online Is Changing Players' Lives for the Better. While the Romulan Supernova acts more as a catalyst for the events of 2009's Star Trek reboot than anything else, it's obviously going to be key to the story in Star Trek: Picard. [13] For these episodes, new Tal Shiar outfits were designed; Moore related that this was partly his decision, for he "hated, underline hated, the Romulan costumes [introduced in the first season of The Next Generation]. The Federation has abandoned its plans to rescue the Romulan population, resulting in only a few Romulans escaping before their planet is destroyed. Romulan society is secretive and xenophobic. ... and the planet was racked by seismic tremors as the damage permeated through the crust to cause a disruption in the planet's core. In the post-supernova chaos the Tal Shiar became one of several political groups vying for power and eventually broke away from the legitimate Imperial government now seated on Rator III . Back at Chateau Picard, Jean-Luc is preparing for a TV interview marking the anniversary of the “Romulan supernova.” (He orders a cup of his customary Earl Grey tea… but decaf this time!) The Romulan Question. He is the author of the forthcoming book PHASERS ON STUN! Before the 2009 reboot hit theaters, IDW published a four-part comic book miniseries (co-written by Kurtzman) called Star Trek: Countdown, in which it was revealed that the Narada was outfitted with reverse-engineered Borg technology. That, of course, made them natural enemies of other Romulan sects like the Zhat Vash and Tal Shiar, who prided secrecy. Yet in various TV episodes (notably ST:VOY - The Q and the Grey) only those ships and planets that were in close proximity were destroyed by supernova explosions.. Romulus was the inhabited second planet of the Romulan system in Sector Z-6 of the Beta Quadrant. And, yes, it essentially because they had nowhere to go after the supernova, but also, because they left the Tal Shair (the Romulan secret service) in disgrace for helping Picard. (The rest of it, including Data as Captain of the future-Enterprise and Picard an ambassador to Vulcan, really doesn’t work, however.). [14] Instead, the decision was made to reboot the series by creating a film using the characters of the original Star Trek series but played by new actors. Until recently, the cause of the supernova was a mystery. I didn't make it! The aftermath of the Hobus supernova Edit. The Romulans have returned to their ancestral homeworld (since renamed Ni'Var) and reunified with their Vulcan cousins. The impact of Romulus' destruction forms a plot-theme in the series Star Trek: Picard. Among their key appearances have been: extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek franchise, A mannequin of a Romulan, as they appeared in the television series, "The Top 100 Star Trek Episodes Of All Time! Because J.J. Abrams movies move really fast, upon first viewing in 2009, we didn’t have a lot of time to ask why Old Spock was all on his own, and now we know; the Federation planned to help the Romulans, but then, after getting attacked by rogue Synths, decided to pull the plug on Picard’s plan. [3] In later episodes it is revealed that these colonies were destroyed by a previously unknown species, the Borg, whom the show's writers had devised as a new alien antagonist following dissatisfaction with their previous attempt, the Ferengi. With my opinions about the two main nitpicks out of the way, I liked: The cause of The Burn. They have appeared in most subsequent Star Trek releases, including The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise and Picard. Scientists have just discovered that the Romulan sun is in the process of going supernova, turning into a destructive force that will devastate the Romulan home system and have significant negative follow-on effects on the remaining planets within Romulan Space. Discover the cause of the Romulan supernova : Always the Scanner, Never the Scanned : Ghost Ship Scan the Scanners : You must scan the crates in the biggest room on the ship. But something that would threaten the galaxy and potentially the universe is the collapse of a false vacuum. But now, about 11 years after the reboot movie, we’re essentially rejoining the future that Old Spock left behind when he time traveled into the past. The newly designed Romulan ship that appeared in "The Neutral Zone" was built as a miniature model by Greg Jein. The Hobus star supernova that threatened all life in the galaxy was now reframed as the destruction of the Romulan sun, a much more realistic and pointed catastrophe. Villrillu are the Romulan’s versions of playing cards, and there are numerous games to be enjoyed with them. Under Captain Erica Dare, the ship soon came across a Romulan colony which the Empire had abandoned in … [19] At least two groups of Romulans survived: one group formed the Romulan Free State, while the other group was evacuated to the planet of Vashti. However, the following source says that a supernova 3000 light years away could dump a 1000 solar flares' worth of gamma radiation on Earth. However, the implosion of the supernova caused by the red matter opened a rift in space-time that sent Spock and the Romulan mining ship Narada, along with its captain, Nero, and its crew, to go back in time more than 100 years, creating an alternate timeline. Romulans Romulan Star Empire The Romulans from Balance of Terror, played by Mark Lenard (left) and Lawrence Montaigne Founded circa 5th century A.D Home world Romulus and Remus Capital They attempted to apprehend her, but she escaped through an Iconian gateway. A Romulan mining ship, the Narada, survives and travels back in … This hasn’t been confirmed in on-screen dialogue, but those double rings are pretty serious, right? [15] The film's writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, thought that it would feel backward to demonize the Klingons as villains again after they had been presented heroically in later Star Trek series; they also wanted to use Spock as a central character in the film and believed that the Romulan presence would continue Spock's story from his last chronological appearance in "Unification". Picard's reaction to the destruction of Romulus is the backstory and central premise of Star Trek: Picard. After all, the Romulan supernova is a natural phenomenon. The actors playing Romulans in this film wore three prosthetics applied to their ears and foreheads, while Bana had a fourth prosthetic for the bitemark on his ear that extends to the back of his character's head. ", "Star Trek Writers Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci", "FX artists create new aesthetic for 'Star Trek' franchise", "Creature Designer Neville Page Talks Star Trek", "What Did Diane Duane Think Of Star Trek: Nemesis? So in terms of connecting the slightly confusing mythologies between the reboot films and the Prime timeline (which is where Picard happens, to be clear) Kurtzman was uniquely suited to juggle this complicated event. read more: Where Star Trek: Picard Fits in Federation History. Only now it’s the year 2399, and the Romulan Supernova is history — recent history — but still history. [9] The episode is the first in the franchise to include images of Romulus itself and introduced the design of a Romulan scout vessel. After the synthetic attack, Picard resigned in protest at Starfleet’s apathy, and Raffi was discharged along with him, presumably out of spite. This article contains massive Star Trek: Picard spoilers.. One of the most essential pieces of the Star Trek: Picard puzzle actually happens off-screen, and to fully understand it, you have to travel back in time about ten years. A supernova is the biggest explosion that humans have ever seen. The short answer is: the Romulan Supernova is J.J. Abrams. Physically, the Romulans were presented as humanoid, but the show's make-up department gave them pointed ears to distinguish them from humans. "[5] Costume designer Robert Blackman noted that his team created eight new Romulan uniforms, using the same fabric as the old ones but "dyed it down slightly, and we made them much sleeker and a little more menacing". In Deep Space 9 S3E21, the Romulan/Cardassian fleet realize they have been tricked when 150 Jem'Hadar ships appear from a nearby nebula. They attempted to apprehend her, but she escaped through an Iconian gateway. In the final moments of “Remembrance” it comes clear that the Romulans are in possession of a Borg cube, which suddenly makes this small non-canon detail from the original Countdown comic, true. If the Hobus system was a binary system, that means the Romulan Supernova was a Star Trek explosion so good, they decided to make it a double. The Rator system was part of the Romulan Star Empire since before 2151. This supernova was especially threatening because of its ability to transform anything it contacted into energy, which increased its power and allowed it expand. Shockingly or not, the producer of Star Trek: Picard, and one of the show’s co-creators is Alex Kurtzman, the co-writer of both Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). A Romulan mining ship, the Narada, survives and travels back in time to the 23rd century; its commander, Nero (Eric Bana), is committed to destroying the planet Vulcan to punish Spock for failing to save Romulus. Upon reaching the base's gateroom, the away team found Praetor Taris who had been missing since Sela 's take over of Romulan Star Empire. In the series Star Trek: Enterprise, Romulans without ridges are depicted as passing for Vulcans (who do not have ridges either). Their 20 ships are vastly outnumbered and they are annihilated in battle. The Romulan also enjoy Khariat, a game made up of pieces that are removed one at a time from the structure. In 2387, the Hobus star close to Romulus went supernova. Canonically, the last events in the prime timeline we know about are the Hobus Supernova and attempts to contain it, leading to Spock and Narada's displacement in time and forking the Star Trek (2009) timeline.. Starfleet Intelligence believed there were at least three major military bases on the planet. After the star of the Hobus system went supernova, the Constance was called out to Romulan space in order to investigate the cause of the supernova. The Romulans reveal that they have had colonies destroyed on their side of the border too, and the two species agree to share information on the issue in future. Right now, IDW has published two issues of a 3-part series called Star Trek: Picard: Countdown, which — you guessed it — outlines exactly what Picard was going to prep for the Romulan rescue before everything went to hell on Mars. It was the adopted homeworld of the Romulans following their exodus from Vulcan, and the capital planet of the Romulan Star Empire. In fact, the new CBS All-Access series' backstory is built around the Romulan supernova that was first introduced in J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek movie. Did Section 31 Cause the Romulan Supernova in Star Trek Picard - Duration: 5:48. When Surak's reforms of embracing logical principles and rejecting emotions spread rapidly across Vulcan in the 4th century, a minority rejected Surak's ideals. Romulan intellectuals thrive on deceit and subterfuge, and they favor more of a cunning approach to battle rather than sheer brute force, and this is reflected in the fact that most Romulan vessels have cloaking technology. They also appear in various other spin-off media, including books, comics, toys and games. [8], Three episodes later, in "The Defector", written by Ronald D. Moore and first screened in January 1990, a Romulan admiral is presented as seeking to defect to the Federation. Spock , who was still on Romulus, tried to stop the supernova using red matter but instead, he was sent back in time to the 23rd century, but also into the alternate Kelvin timeline created by the Romulan Nero's (Eric Bana) own time travel. Elnor was a male Romulan who lived during the late 24th century. OR he was trying to stop whatever effect (started by the one Supernova) that unchecked would cause OTHER Supernovas in other Stars including the Star of the Romulan Homeworld. The Romulans (/ˈrɒmjʊlənz, -jə-/) are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise Star Trek. The episode, which was written by Ira Steven Behr, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and Ronald D. Moore, featured the introduction of a new Starfleet ship, the USS Defiant; the scriptwriters included the idea that it had been equipped with a cloaking device by the Romulans in return for intelligence that the Federation gathered on another alien power, the Dominion. Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! It was a false vacuum collapse caused by Romulan experimentation into singularities. The Romulans were devised for the episode "Balance of Terror". 5:48. The Romulans (Rihannsu in Romulan, meaning "the Declared") are a humanoid race who have had many conflicts with the Federation until the late 24th century, after their homeworld, Romulus, was destroyed by a nearby stars' supernova in 2387.The Romulans are biological cousins of Vulcans, as they are descended from those who rejected Surak's reforms during the Time of Awakening. The first two issues have already been published, and the final issue is expected out on January 29. Major Grin 65,817 views. After the supernova, Federation aid is either welcomed or met with suspicion and even hostility, while the Klingon Empire seizes the opportunity to conquer Romulan territory. The USS Dauntless (NCC-71864) was a 24th century Federation Galaxy-class starship operated by Starfleet, under the command of Captain Sheryl Chandler. Which is why Old Spock was totally alone in his quest to stop the supernova with his tiny spaceship and goofy red matter. Two Romulan commanders however later assisted the USS Enterprise-E in thwarting Shinzon's attempt to destroy all life on Earth with his thalaron weapon, and Shinzon was killed during the destruction of his flagship, the Scimitar. Nonetheless, they did show of the cloaking device, which is a nice surprise and a show of the the ship can do now with a retrofit. The Hobus System is a system located in the Hobus Sector of the Beta Quadrant. [4], New costumes were designed for the actors playing Romulans, created by the show's costume designer William Theiss. The series begins with Picard in self-imposed exile at his French vineyard following his resignation in protest to Starfleet's handling of Romulans and androids. The planetary system consisted of the primary Romulus and two unnamed moons. The 2009 film Star Trek depicted the Romulan homeworld, Romulus, being destroyed by a supernova in the year 2387. Putting together a script for the new film, the director J. J. Abrams stated that he wanted Romulans to be the antagonists because they had featured less than the Klingons in the original Star Trek series. [8] The episode introduced the Romulan character Tomalak, played by Andreas Katsulas, who would reappear in three further Next Generation episodes. Only now it’s the year 2399, and the Romulan Supernova is history — recent history — but still history. The Romulan also enjoy Khariat, a game made up of pieces that are removed one at a time from the structure. Even before the attack on Mars in 2385, she was concerned about the potential secession of Federation member worlds over the continued Starfleet support of Romulan evacuation efforts, spearheaded by Admiral Jean-Luc Picard . Finally, the events of Picard are predicated upon two events that occurred in different Trek films: the Romulan supernova from Star Trek (2009) and Data's death from Star Trek: Nemesis. [2] In the episode, which is set in the year 2364, the Starfleet ship USS Enterprise-D—whose crew are the series' main protagonists—responds to the disappearance of Federation colonies along the Neutral Zone, fearing that it reflects growing Romulan activity in the region. Raffi was a Lieutenant-Commander working under Picard prior to the Romulan supernova. [4] The ship featured a newly designed Romulan crest, featuring a stylised bird of prey clutching two planets, Romulus and Remus, in its claws. On top of all that, Picard has also neatly fixed a plothole in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek, which has been lingering since 2009. The Romulans have been the focus of a number of non-canon books, and have appeared or been mentioned in other non-canon media. [2] The episode was written by Maurice Hurley, who later acknowledged rushing it, putting together a script in a day and a half. Confused about this fabled supernova that destroyed the Romulans referenced in Star Trek: Picard? The Hobus System is a system located in the Hobus Sector of the Beta Quadrant. [6] "Contagion" was the first episode in the Star Trek franchise in which the Romulan ship was given a name, in this case the Haakona. This film featured Romulans without the head ridges. As a basis, he considered what the ancient Roman Empire might have looked like had it developed to the point of spaceflight. The one to draw the piece that causes the structure to fall is the loser. However, the nascent Romulan Republic, our new ally, has shared information with us that Taris, former Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, may have been responsible for the Hobus supernova. So essentially not only did the Romulan Supernova create the backstory to the Kelvin Universe of the reboot films, it’s also the prologue to everything that happens in Picard. This supernova was especially threatening because of its ability to transform anything it contacted into energy, which increased its power and allowed it expand. However, the nascent Romulan Republic, our new ally, has shared information with us that Taris, former Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, may have been responsible for the Hobus supernova. What causes a supernova? However, the nascent Romulan Republic, our new ally, has shared information with us that Taris, former Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, may have been responsible for the Hobus supernova. [4] Later in the series, this ship type would be explicitly referred to as a "warbird". Each blast is the extremely bright, super-powerful explosion of a star. To stop the threat, Ambassador Spock planned to use red … [5] [4], The Romulans were re-used for the second-season episode "Contagion", written by Steve Gerber and Beth Woods and first aired in March 1989. The subsequent blast destroyed Romulus and Remus, among other planets, killing billions of Romulans and Remans and sending the Romulan Star Empire into a death spiral. After the launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, the show's writers introduced the Romulans in the final episode of the first season, "The Neutral Zone", which aired in the U.S. in May 1988. Well, yes and no. [9], For "The Search", the opening two-part episode of the third season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a Romulan link was introduced. Though working as a largely independent party, a Qowat Milat member can bind themselves to what she feels is a lost cause, which is the main … If the Romulan supernova was stopped by Spock, Romulus wouldn't have a sun and would quickly freeze. It is revealed during the course of Star Trek Online itself that the supernova was not a natural occurrence: the supernova and the unusual behavior of its shockwave were caused by an Iconian-designed doomsday weapon deployed by rogue members of the Tal Shiar. On stardate 64333.4, the Romulan mining ship Narada observed unusual behaviour from its magnetic field, forcing it to abandon its mining operations on Hobus I. Realising the threat a potential supernova could cause, Ambassador Spock tried to convince the Romulan Senate and Starfleet that … Hobus is the name of a star that went supernova in 2387, threatening the rest of the galaxy. OR he was trying to stop whatever effect (started by the one Supernova) that unchecked would cause OTHER Supernovas in other Stars including the Star of the Romulan Homeworld. In the reboot film, titled Star Trek and released in 2009, the planet Romulus is destroyed by a supernova in the year 2387. Taris revealed she had given the order to detonate the device (which was Iconian in origin) in the Hobus star, causing the supernova. In 2387, the Hobus star close to Romulus went supernova. Star Trek: Picard dealt with the aftermath of the supernova, explaining the United Federation of Planets' aborted attempt to rescue the Romulan people in the 2380s, and how that failure ruined the life and Starfleet career of Admiral Picard. 0 XP #1 11 years ago Ok after having watched the new movie I would say that thoughs of us who want to continue telling stoies in the Prime ST universe have a bit of a problem to fix and it is highly unlikely that an further tv shows or movies will provide more on this subject. In the 2380s, Clancy supported a firm stance of the Federation towards the Romulan Star Empire in the face of the looming threat of the Romulan supernova. One thing you may have forgotten is exactly where and when Nero and his Romulans came from when they popped out of that time vortex. The Romulan Star Empire (or simply, Romulan Empire) was a major galactic Beta Quadrant power from the 22nd through 24th century, encompassing the Romulan people and their subject worlds and species. In this episode, the Enterprise-D entered the Neutral Zone to answer a distress call and ends up in conflict with a Romulan vessel, with both spaceships being disabled by an alien computer virus.