Three new photos have been released ahead of the arrival of the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard. The photos come from Den of Geek, where a feature is being run on the series. They, along with the accompanying interviews, give a little glimpse into what Star Trek fans will be seeing when the series returns to Paramount+ on February 16, 2023.
The Doctor
Doctor Crusher (Gates McFadden) makes a return in season three of Picard. In fact, she is the first former crew member of the Enterprise D to be seen in the series. As the season starts, she appears to no longer be in Starfleet. Instead, she is working as a doctor helping those in need aboard a science vessel that isn’t a Starfleet ship. Think Doctors Without Borders. Her jacket is reminiscent of what was worn in Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn. In the first scene, her ship comes under attack. Gates McFadden says, “I loved the very first scene. I mean, to me, that was so much fun to get to do that. To be active and fighting. I loved it!”
Crusher isn’t just fighting in this series, however. She also is reunited with Picard. How that will play out and what that exactly looks like isn’t known. It also isn’t known if she will be reuniting with Starfleet or not either. McFadden did talk about returning to the role and also to working with both Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes again.
“As an actor, you can’t help but bring the changes in you into that performance,” McFadden explains. “We have all become closer over the years, and so to have a chance to act again together in the same roles…it was extraordinary to me that it could even happen. It was really quite wonderful to be looking into Patrick’s eyes or Jonathan’s and know that there’s so much love, as well as laughter and bonding, between all of us.”
A Captain and an Admiral
Captain Riker and Admiral Picard will be back at it again as they try to save the galaxy. This time it needs saving from a new bad guy. In this photo, Riker and Picard are seeing discussion something serious in a bar. There are plenty of references to Starfleet and also Star Trek Easter Eggs found in the scene.
The duo’s return to Star Trek is a welcome one. It came to be during filming of the second season when show runner Terry Matalas caught Frakes off guard by asking the question, “Are you ready to play Riker?” Always ready to play Riker, Frakes has made cameos in the first season of Star Trek: Picard and also provided his voice for the character in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Matalas was talking about more than this, however. “I didn’t know what he was talking about. I told him I’d be happy to,” Frakes told Den of Geek magazine. “But then, Terry said, ‘No, are you really, really ready to play Riker? Are you ready to bring Riker back?’”
Bringing back Riker, and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise, doesn’t mean it is just a happy family reunion though. In this series, the stakes are high and there is also conflict. “Terry wrote Riker in conflict with Picard, which I thought was quite exciting.”
Frakes, who directed two episodes of the season, shared about the addition of conflict to the cast. “Roddenberry was, for some reason, opposed to conflict,” Frakes recalls.“It was a peculiar ask back in the day, but he wanted everyone to get along. Not so much with Terry. He’s really stirred the pot. Conflict, which, as we know, is an absolute necessity in drama.”
Back on the Ship
At some point, Riker and Picard will end up back on the ship. Of what ship is this, though? It appears to be on the U.S.S. Titan, the previous command that Riker once held. It is unknown at this point who is in command of the Titan. Both Captain Riker and Admiral Picard are back in uniform and apparently are on a new mission.
Season three Picard show runner Matalas shared that season three of the show isn’t solely about Jean-Luc Picard. Instead, this really is a continuation of the entire Enterprise D crew’s story. “In my mind, I would’ve called it ‘Star Trek Legacy,’” Matalas says. “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.”
How this season plays out and concludes is very much still a mystery. There has been a few things revealed in the most recent trailer. However, it also has been said that this season could lead to several new series with the characters from this season. Frakes teased the future saying, “As you’ll see by the end of the season, it’s ripe for a continuation of some version of what we’ve established in the show. Not more Picard, but certainly, Next Gen is alive and well.”
Matalas also said there is a possibility for the future with some of the characters seen in Picard. Some fans have speculated that there could be a future series with Seven and Raffi. “I would love nothing more,” Matalas says. “Please send your letters to Paramount+ and Secret Hideout.”
Are you excited about season three of Star Trek: Picard? What character are you most looking forward to seeing return? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
