Star Trek Picard Theory: The Shrike Can Shape Shift

"Star Trek: Picard" has presented viewers with a chance to revisit the legendary Starfleet admiral (Patrick Stewart) while also reintroducing a number of friends and adversaries from past series. Season 2, for example, welcomed Q (John de Lancie) back into the mix. As events have unfolded, audiences also learned that the big bad of Season 3 is none other than a rogue radical faction of the Changelings, an alien species that can shape-shift. 

Changelings played an infamous role in "Deep Space 9." Now that the bounty-hunting Vadic (Amanda Plummer) has revealed herself to be one, they are also looking to be a primary antagonist in "Picard" Season 3.

An enemy that can take any form it wants is a dangerous one. This has led some fans to wonder just how devious they might be. Over at the r/startrekpicard subreddit, u/socmedisevil wonders if even their ship might be more than it appears to be. They also bring up a rather terrifying prospect for Picard, Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and the crew aboard the Titan. 

"Am I the only one that thinks the [Shrike] can also shape shift?" u/socmedisevil asks, pointing out that when Vadic captures Riker and brings him onboard, the Shrike seems to come out of nowhere. 

If u/socmedisevil's theory is correct, then it wouldn't be the first time fans have seen a ship drastically change shape in the "Star Trek" universe. In Season 3 of "Star Trek: Discovery," Booker's (David Ajala) ship is capable of rearranging itself mid-flight. That, however, is in the year 3188, almost 800 years after the events of "Picard." 

What's more, it's one thing for pieces of a ship to shift around like Booker's, but it's another for a ship to be able to transform like Changelings do. Still, others on the thread agree it's possible. 

"Should be simple for a race who specializes in shape shifting," u/tebower81 posted. Meanwhile, another user, u/ReaperXHanzo, suggested that programmable matter should be able to achieve this; however, that is also something that is not yet achievable in this time period.  

A technological explanation wouldn't necessarily be out of the question either. After all, the Shrike has the capability to teleport itself and torpedoes from enemy ships. The crew of the Titan is utterly baffled by this technology too, meaning that Starfleet may not be familiar with Changeling tech. 

Having the Changelings as a major antagonist in "Picard" solidifies the series' connection specifically to "DS9" lore, broadening it out from "The Next Generation" connections. Easter eggs linking the events of the series to "DS9," as well as "Voyager," have been littered throughout, so there is a chance "Picard" could tie up some stories from these series, or at least expand the lore.