It is Star Trek: First Contact Day, and that means massive news for the Star Trek Universe,
as it has just been announced that The Entire Next Generation Cast
will be joining Picard for one last adventure around the universe in Season 3!
Welcome to Trek Central! I’m your host, Captain Jack, and let’s get into it!
Now, Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is nearly halfway through its release,
but that hasn't stopped a cast announcement of LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner from Joining Picard in its third and final season!
Let's break down this news and see what we can figure out for season 3, as well as what this means for the currently airing second season of the show!
Before we dive into the video, please consider hitting that subscribe button as we’re super excited to be on the road to 100K Subscribers here on the Trek Central channel!
Thanks a bunch! As always, please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, because if you’re talking about Star Trek, then we want to hear about it!
Okay, engage!
On the news, Terry Matalas, showrunner for seasons 2 and 3 of the show had this to say:
“I remember watching the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation almost 34 years ago with my father like it was yesterday. It was the spark that ignited my love for science fiction."
So, it’s most fitting that the story of Jean-Luc Picard ends honouring the beginning, with his dearest and most loyal friends from the U.S.S. Enterprise. It would be an understatement to say that giving these characters a proper send-off is an honour. "
"The entire Star Trek: Picard team and I can’t wait for fans to experience this final, high-stakes, starship-bound adventure in season three!”
Not only did we get this announcement, but a cast announcement video was also shown alongside this news, with scenes from the third season,
Including one that blew me away! Let’s break it down, here we go!
In this video we see Picard residing in Chateau Picard, writing a letter and signing his name. Unfortunately we can't make out what this letter says,
but it could be some sort of invitation as it looks like he is writing multiple letters.
Perhaps it could be Jean Luc himself who is reaching out to his old friends in order to get the gang together for some reason or another.
“I am not a man who needs a legacy” says Sir Patrick Stewart who obviously is Jean Luc Picard.
The Picard season has very much been a show about the legacy of this great captain, who stumbled in the first season, and now in the second season is very much thinking about times past.
He knows that there are fewer days ahead then there are behind, something which was very much at the forefront of his mind in the film Generations.
Perhaps this third season will be going into this more, and now that he has dealt with his past in multiple ways, in seasons one and two, he will be looking at the legacy he is going to leave behind.
In the chancellor's speech in season two he addresses the crowd as the Last Picard. And even if that is going to be the case, he is going to make sure that Picard’s Legacy is worth remembering far into the future.
“I think back on those days on the Enterprise, all that danger we rushed into” is said by Levar Burton who will be returning to Picard season 3 as Geordi La Forge.
Not only am I ecstatic that Levar is returning to Picard in front of the camera, but I really hope that he also takes up an episode to direct. Levar directed 29 episodes of Star Trek,
so to direct an episode of Picard, and his former cast mates would be amazing.
In beta canon, LaForge helped Picard during the Romulan Relocation mission, overseeing utopia planitia in the creation of the relocation fleet.
Fortunately he was offworld when the Synths attacked Mars, but he suffered from survivors guilt from being one of the people to survive the attack.
However he would also go on to help create the Jellyfish, the ship which Ambassador Spock would use to stop the Romulan Supernova, so perhaps Geordi will be some sort of ship designer and builder, and be enlisted to help whatever threat Picard will be dealing with.
Picard hears a combadge beep, and he gets out a case which contains his old Enterprise uniform from the Enterprise D. It seems someone is trying to contact him using the combadge of that uniform.
“Evolution is not an act of preservation, its addition” is said by Brent Spiner. Now the big factor with Brent Spiner coming back, is that Data is dead and had a really nice farewell in season 1.
I highly doubt they will go back on that and bring Data back, because I feel that would go against the messaging of season 1 and lessen that moment retrospectively.
So who else could Brent Spiner play? Well he obviously has Altan Inigo Soong to play, but I don’t think Picard overly liked him.
One idea which I think could be neat, and help to further explain some things from Season 1, is if Brent Spiner returns to play Lore, Data’s evil twin brother.
Lore was previously seen in starfleet custody after his borg hijinks in The Next Generation, however his body wasn't brought up in season 1 when they brought out B4s body.
Perhaps Lore managed to escape, and even though he is evil, he wants to honour his brother's memory?
It could be an interesting twist on the character, which I think would be nice, and go to explain why the scientists at the Daystrom Institute only had B4s body and not Lores as well.
“It is clear sacrifice is required again” is spoken by Michael Dorn reprising his role as Worf.
What this line might mean for the character in the series is not known, but I suppose sacrifice of the service perhaps, maybe ditching his current assignment to help Picard? Who knows!
Michael Dorn has been very vocal in wanting to return to star trek in his own series or just to come back as Worf for many years now, and this is a great way to bring him back.
Obviously we have not really seen Klingons in Picard, so it would be interesting to learn more about how the Klingon Empire is faring.
Beta canon goes into worf being captain of the Enterprise at this time, so whether they will stick to that or change some things up is unknown.
Last Year Michael Dorn did comment on what it would take for him to return to Picard, and that he wouldn’t return if it was just a cameo, and it has to be a role worth putting the makeup back on, so it seems like Worf’s role in the third season is substantial enough in the eyes of Michael Dorn.
“Jean-Luc, when the Galaxy comes calling you love it” is spoken by Gates McFadden who will reprise her role as Beverly Crusher.
Now a lot of fans are very interested in the relationship between Crusher and Picard, and were disappointed that they weren't together when Picard started, considering how flirtatious they were in the movies and being actually married in alternate future timelines and the litverse as well.
Season 2 has very much delved into Picard and why he hasn't been able to make long relationships work, so Beverly's return could be the start of something new, depending on what happens between Picard and Laris.
Though if anything, I just want to see Captain Beverly Crusher of a Hospital Ship helping those who need help, which would be an amazing way to see her character return.
“Aren’t we a little overdue for a good old fashioned road trip?” is spoken by Jonathan Frakes,
who has already reprised his role as William T Riker in the first season of Star Trek Picard, but will do so again in the third season.
Hopefully he also gets to direct an episode, as I am sure he would love to direct all his old friends again in one episode.
I assume that Will is still on active reserve, considering he came to Picard’s rescue at the end of season 1 because of it, so perhaps he is called up by Starfleet to assist Admiral Picard as a reservist.
And where would Riker be without his Imzadi,
“I promise, you will not be Alone?” with marina Siirtis also reprising her role as Deanna Troi.
And the final scene of the trailer is William Riker arming a phaser alongside Picard with a phaser, asking him if he is “Ready” with Picard saying “as ever”.
Just these two being side by side, facing off against whatever threat is in front of them is so sweet to see.
They have been through thick and thin together as Captain and First Officer and as Best friends, and to see these two one final time is going to be amazing and I don’t think any of us will be able to prepare for that scene.
What are they standing off against? Who knows, but I am sure they’ll be able to get through it together.
Now with the announcement that this group will be returning for season 3 of the show, what does that currently mean for the second season, and also what do we already know of the third season?
Well I think most of them will be sticking around, as we have numerous interviews with the cast talking about filming in season 3, but I hope they don’t get too overshadowed by the return of these titans in season 3.
Well currently in the second season we are dealing with fixing the timeline,
, so whether this continues into season 3 of the show, or is wrapped up by the end of the season we do not know, it could go either way. Seasons 2 and 3 were shot back to back, so the story arc continuing could make sense.
We do know that a lot of season 3 will take place on the USS Stargazer, which has only been seen in the first episode of season 2 so far.
Considering that they spent a lot of time, effort and budget making that set, it seems unfathomable that they would just use it for a single episode.
We also have Terry Matalas, the most prominent leaker on the set of Star Trek: Picard, who for the past year has been posting pictures of starfleet ship interiors, from weapon racks, hypospray racks, LCARs interfaces and everything in between.
So it is very likely we spend a significant portion of season 3 on the USS Stargazer.
But if our gang is predominantly on the USS Stargazer, what might the issue of season 3 be which warrants the return of our TNG crew and makes for a good send off for these characters?
Well one thing which has been said by showrunner Terry Matalas, in an interview with him by trekMovie, about season 3 of the show is this:
“It’s incredibly different from the two seasons before it and features quite possibly, one of the all-time great Star Trek villain performances we’ve seen to-date. But I don’t want to oversell it in the early stages!"
"There’s miles yet to go. But I think—I hope—we’re concluding Picard’s story in the best, most appropriate, most satisfying way. I can’t wait for fans to see what we have in store.”
So not only is it different from seasons 1 and 2, but it features a great villain performance. And it is a lot when someone says a great Trek Villain Performance, considering that we have previously had some of the best villains, from Khan to the Borg Queen and everyone in between.
So from this I think we can assume that season 3 is dealing with a new story arc separate from season 2,
This could be the issue with the Borg, with the Borg Legion ship coming to request membership of the Federation.
Perhaps they are fleeing from someone, or something, and this will be the great villain Picard Season 3 will contend with, a villain which even the Borg are afraid of.
Trek Central has previously broken the news of James Callis appearing in Star Trek: Picard Season 3!
IMDB updates, whie not confirmed, suggested that actor James Callis known for his performance of Gaius Baltar in Battlestar Galactica, would be appearing in the SECOND season of Picard,
as his Stunt Double was credited for him. However, this could now appear to be for season 3 if it is true.
Following our reporting on this development, the IMDB note was updated and removed. Given Terry Matalas’s comments about an all-time great Star Trek Villain performance,
I’d say James Callis certainly has the acting criteria to take on a role of that calibre.
His performances in many shows, as well as working alongside Picard cast member, Santiago Cabrera, speak for themselves.
If Star Trek Picard season 3 will be essentially wrapping up the Borg as a story arc, that would be incredibly interesting, considering it was the Next Generation which first brought them to our screens, and the main villain to which Picard and his crew has had to contend with again and again.
So what do you think of the latest news developments for Star Trek: Picard Season 3? Let us know what you think in the comment section below, because if you’re talking about Star Trek, then we want to hear about it!
If you want to keep up to date on all the latest Star Trek news, lore and more, then make sure to hit that subscribe button to never miss a video from the team here at Trek Central! You can also follow us on social media, or join our Community Discord Server!
For now, I’ve been Captain Jack, thanks for watching and we’ll see you next time! Live Long and prosper my friends!