Jean-Luc Picard’s Final Frontier

Sir Patrick Stewart is joined by the ‘Next Generation’ crew for the third and final season of ‘Star Trek: Picard’

For fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 30-years-later arrival of spinoff Picard has been an unexpected gift. Originally conceived as a limited series featuring Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role of Jean-Luc Picard, fans were delighted when the show returned for a second season, and now a third, which will be its last. 

CTV Sci-FiNot only is the series bringing closure to Picard’s story, it’s also reunited Stewart, now 82, with many of his TNG co-stars. Appearing this year are Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Michael Dorn as Worf, LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge and Brent Spiner not as Data, but Data’s evil twin, Lore. Of course, in seasons one and two, Picard was joined by Jeri Ryan, reviving Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager, and she too is back for this final mission. Michelle Hurd also returns as Raffi, while Amanda Plummer will play the season’s baddie, Vadic. 

Speaking at the recent Television Critics Association press tour, Stewart insisted he was adamant that Picard “should not just simply look like a three-series reunion, because that would just simply be stepping back… I had lived nearly 35 years since I first put on the captain’s uniform. And there is no doubt that in that time, the world has changed. But I have changed too. I’m not the same person that I was then… And I wanted the series to show the impact of those years that had passed and how much one might change and whether fears become greater or less.” 

CTV Sci-FiAs for whether this final season will be the final season, Stewart hinted that the possibility of yet another return remains. “If we can maintain the work that we did on season one, two and three of Picard, then absolutely, yes, because there is still enormous potential for narrative in what we’ve been doing,” he said. “And there are doors left open still. We didn’t close all of them, I think.”

Star Trek: Picard premieres Thursday, February 16 on CTV Sci-Fi