With Star Trek: Picard almost set to officially release its third and final season, the upcoming return of the Star Trek: New Generation cast has some fans wondering: will Picard season 3 follow the same canon as Next Generation? And is this really the last time we’ll see this cast assemble to take on the final frontier? Showrunner Terry Matalas has the answers.
With the trailer for season 3 of Star Trek: Picard recently released at New York Comic-Con, the appearance of a bunch of familiar faces from Star Trek: Next Generation has fans questioning how the new season of Picard will tie into the established canon for Next Generation if it will at all, and in a recent interview with Den of Geek, Picard showrunner Terry Matalas stated that he intends for the new season to act as a Next Generation reunion for returning cast members like Michelle Hurd, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, and Wil Wheaton.
“In my mind, I would’ve called it ‘Star Trek Legacy,'” Matalas said. “I mean, it is truly a Picard story. He is the focus. But the spirit of it is different than seasons one and two, just because of what it is.”
Additionally, Matalas later stated that he felt like Picard season 3 “needed to feel like it fit into this universe,” meaning the one established by Next Generation. “It was very important to me, first and foremost, that it treads new ground, but [also feel] like a continuation of the stories and arcs set up 30 years ago.”
‘Picard’ Cast Discusses Season 3
One potential drawback to having Picard season 3 act as a Next Generation reunion is that it’s got a lot of fans worried that this would be the last time we’ll see this cast assemble and that season 3 will be the group’s “final mission” like the New York Comic Con trailer said.
When asked by fans if the end of Picard will see the end of the Next Generation crew, Gates McFadden – who stars as Dr. Beverly Crusher – reportedly responded that she would be happy for it to go on ‘forever,’ according to Comicbook.com, with Sir Patrick Stewart commenting that “we could still make a movie.” Stewart also expressed his willingness to do a Star Trek: Next Generation movie at San Diego Comic-Con, but nothing has been officially confirmed yet.
Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek’s head producer, did confirm that Picard season 3 will likely be the end of that series, but “of course, I mean, look, if [fans] love it, let’s see what happens.”
Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard will premiere on February 16th on Paramount+. Seasons 1 and 2 of Picard, along with Stark Trek: Next Generation, are currently available to stream.