Star Trek: Picard exclusive clip takes you to casino planet Freecloud
Deep Space Nine fans, get ready to freak out a little.
Jean-Luc Picard and the motley crew of La Sirena are heading to a bold new planet that's filled with sci-fi visual references and tosses in a big nod to a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine favorite. If you'd rather not know until you see episode 5, Stardust City Rag, then turn away right now.
In a CBS All Access exclusive clip from episode 5, we zoom into the planet Freecloud, which looks like a cross between Blade Runner and Las Vegas. Rolling dice, bright signs and crowded streets greet ex-Starfleet officer Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) when he beams into the thick of it. (Disclosure: CNET is owned by ViacomCBS.)
The name "Freecloud" sure sounds like a reference to David Bowie's 1969 song Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud.
Rios ends up right by Quark's Bar, a direct callout to Deep Space Nine regular Quark. Quark, a Ferengi, ran the bar and gaming house on the space station. This version of the bar looks like a bigger, grander vision very much in keeping with Quark's commercial ambitions. Whether or not we will meet the Ferengi himself is unknown at this point, but it's a delicious teaser.
The rest of the clip involves the crew's plans for Freecloud, including a discussion of the flamboyant dress required to fit in.
Episode 5 of Star Trek: Picard debuts on Thursday on CBS All Access and on Amazon Prime Video in most other countries.
Originally published Feb. 19.