With season 2 of Star Trek: Picard now in our rearview mirror the cast and crew have been out speaking to the press in post-finale interviews. Patrick Stewart has been speaking with Variety and The Hollywood Reporter who were both keen to ask about certain additions to the cast for the series third (and final) season.
Spoilers ahead for the Star Trek: Picard season 2 finale.
Last week’s finale saw the series make its final goodbyes to Jurati (Alison Pill), Rios (Santiago Cabrera) and Soji/Kore (Isa Briones). With Michelle Hurd (Raffi) and Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) confirmed to return for season 3, the press were keen to ask how the announcement of Stewart’s former TNG cast mates joining the season would impact on the show.
“That is a question I can’t answer…” said Stewart to Variety. “But every single one of my leading colleagues from Next Generation will be in Season 3 at different times.”
Stewarts wording would suggest the crew would be reuniting to all go out in to space on one final mission. Could the final season of Picard instead be a victory lap for the veteran Starfleet admiral?
In the past Stewart has discussed his reluctance to include too many of his former cast mates in order to avoid Picard becoming a pure nostalgia trip. Variety reminded him of this during their interview.
“It was something which initially, I had my doubts about. It would seem to me that it would be paying too much attention to the fan appreciations of what Next Generation had meant to them. I know how intense the social reconnections can be. But when we talked about it, when I talk to Akiva [Goldsman] about it and my fellow producers and the other writers, I could see that it could be done without rewinding the clock. There was no reason for us to walk down memory lane in every scene. Not at all. And the brilliant thing the writers did in Season 3, is that they engaged the cast of Next Generation. But that’s as much as I’m allowed to say.”
In a later interview with THR Stewart went on to discuss his working relationship with his TNG family:
“We have been bonded together for years and years in different ways and for different reasons. I adore them, and I love them all deeply. What they brought into my life in 1987 was rich and complex. They all are as committed as any group of actors I’ve ever worked with. And yes, we had a lot of fun, and we joked. But nevertheless, we were a serious group of actors, and I was so proud of the work that we did.”
Star Trek: Picard season two cast members include Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Orla Brady, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera and Brent Spiner. This season’s cast also includes Annie Wersching and special guest stars Whoopi Goldberg, and John de Lancie.
Stream both seasons of Star Trek: Picard now in the UK via Prime Video.