WATCH: Star Trek announces the return of The Next Generation bridge crew for Picard season 3
The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner) will be back on screen together in Star Trek: Picard season three
APRIL 5, 2022 - The gang’s all here! Or at least it will be at some point during season three of Star Trek: Picard. In honor of First Contact Day, Paramount+ announced the return of Captain Picard’s crew for the show’s concluding season, including LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner.
Season three showrunner and executive producer Terry Matalas said in a press release, “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 honoring 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 honor. 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!”
A video featuring the cast announcement is also available on the Paramount+ YouTube channel. In the video, a bespectacled Picard is signing a note – with a fountain pen – while voices of his friends and former shipmates speak to him. He hears a chirp and goes to a trunk, which holds his old uniform and combadge, the latter of which he holds up fondly. One of those voices, that of William Riker, says, “Aren’t we a little overdue for a good old fashioned road trip?” Fade to Riker and Picard standing side by side brandishing their phasers.
Then over on Twitter, Picard Production Designer Dave Blass noted that season three will also feature design work from many who helped bring the “Star Trek: The Next Generation era to life.” Those include Ben Betts, Daren Dochterman, Doug Drexler, John Eaves, Monica Fedrick, Alan Kobyashi, Geoffrey Mandel, Larry Markart, Todd Marks, Jim Martin, Karl J. Martin, Mike Okuda, and Dan Curry.
Not only will there be many familiar faces in front of the camera, but behind the scenes, we have many of the visual artists who helped bring the Star Trek: The Next Generation to life back again. The final episodes of S2 and then S3... this is going to be Epic. #StarTRekPicard pic.twitter.com/vFtvzWJngX
— Dave Blass (@DaveBlass) April 5, 2022
Until the reunion, expected sometime next year, Star Trek: Picard seasons one and two are streaming now on Paramount+.
David is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. He is a librarian, baseball fan, and book and movie buff. He has also written for American Libraries and Skeptical Inquirer. David also enjoys diverse music, but leans toward classical and jazz. He plays a mean radio.
