Reuniting The Next Generation Cast Was A Make-Or-Break Move For Star Trek: Picard

It's a reunion that's been decades in the making. Most Trekkies naturally assumed that, once "Star Trek: Picard" was officially announced to continue the adventures of one Jean-Luc Picard, season 1 of the spin-off series would've been the one to bring the gang back together for one big, grand "The Next Generation" nostalgia tour. Granted, the first two seasons featured quite a few notable cameos and supporting appearances straight out of the good ol' days, from Jonathan Frakes' William T. Riker and Marina Sirtis' Deanna Troi to John de Lancie's Q to Brent Spiner in, well, a whole swath of various roles that also included a poignant send-off for the android Data. But viewers have had to wait until the third go-around to finally see Patrick Stewart's Admiral Picard rub shoulders with his beloved crew from the starship Enterprise.

But as much of a no-brainer as that might have seemed to the rest of us, the choice to bring back many of the familiar faces from "The Next Generation" (and perhaps a surprise or two, as well) didn't come without a serious sense of risk to the creative team. With longtime "Trek" nerd Terry Matalas stepping into showrunner duties for season 3 (you can read /Film's review by Witney Seibold here), his efforts to spearhead the returns of all the fan-favorite heroes might as well have resembled some of the more reckless actions that Picard himself undertakes throughout the course of the series.

According to Matalas, it was basically a do-or-die scenario for the third and final season. With no plan B, he put all his eggs in this one basket ... and, luckily, it seems to have paid off.

Imagine being a lifelong fan of a certain property, only to find yourself in the position of dictating how some of the most adored characters in all of fiction will bow out of the series. That's the potential no-win scenario that showrunner Terry Matalas dove headfirst into with season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard." In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the writer revealed that there was never a fallback option should the original "The Next Generation" actors prove either unable or unwilling to return. For better or worse, this was the one and only route to bring Picard's arc to a satisfying close. As Matalas put it:

"It was this or bust, so I had to go hard. The good news is I think everybody really wanted to do it. It was something that was in their hearts. The cast certainly wanted to return. They're all lifelong friends. And another chance for them to be reunited on a starship? Who wouldn't say yes to that? The pressure is really finding a story that's worthy of that."

Season 3 will see Picard come into contact with long-lost friends such as LeVar Burton's Geordi La Forge, Gates McFadden's Beverly Crusher, and many more in yet another epic and rather intense adventure that may come as a surprise to anyone expecting a "The Next Generation" redux. Only time will tell if Matalas and his writers' room succeeded in giving the classic crew a fitting sendoff, but at least it all came together the way it was originally meant to. Picard himself would have to respect the moxie of taking such a big leap of faith.

Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" premieres on Paramount+ on February 16, 2023.