Star Trek: Lower Decks Brings Back TNGNick Locarno in Penultimate Episode of Season 4

Character Nick Locarno, the antagonist behind a mysterious ship attacking vessels across the Alpha Quadrant, resurfaces in the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," marking his first canonical appearance since "The First Duty" episode of "Star Trek: TNG" – a potential nod to his behind-the-scenes history and controversy in the Star Trek franchise.

Character Nick Locarno, originally from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," reappears in the penultimate episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" Season 4 as the antagonist behind mysterious ship attacks in the Alpha Quadrant. This marks Locarno's first canonical return since his introduction in TNG's "The First Duty" episode.
Locarno was once a talented Starfleet Cadet and pilot, whose fleet, the Nova Squadron, was implicated in the death of a fellow cadet due to their attempt to perform an illegal stunt known as a 'Kolvoord Starburst'. Locarno's effort to cover up the incident led to his expulsion from Starfleet Academy.
Unlike his TNG counterpart, Tom Paris, who was also played by actor Robert Duncan McNeill and shares a similar backstory, Locarno does not undergo a redemption arc but instead continues his antagonistic role in "Lower Decks."
The character's return in "Lower Decks" could be perceived as addressing a long-standing controversy in the Star Trek community regarding the striking similarities between Tom Paris and Nick Locarno. It has been speculated that the creation of Paris was to evade paying royalties to TNG writers Ronald D. Moore and Naren Shankar for reusing the Locarno character in Voyager.
Further depth adds to the Lower Decks storyline as main character Beckett Mariner is revealed to have been friends with Sito Jaxa, a member of Nick Locarno’s Nova Squadron, linking the plot back to the original TNG episode "Lower Decks," from which the current series derives its concept. Sito's unceremonious departure from the series due to a dangerous mission is believed to be a primary source of Mariner's angst.