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Season 3 – Star Trek: Picard

Where to watch, star trek: picard — season 3.

Watch Star Trek: Picard — Season 3 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Finally getting the band back together, Picard 's final season boldly goes where the previous generation had gone before -- and is all the better for it.

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Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Jean-Luc Picard

LeVar Burton

Geordi LaForge

Michael Dorn

Jonathan Frakes

Gates McFadden

Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

Deanna Troi

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Star trek picard season 3: release date, trailers, and where to stream.

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Patrick Stewart got to step back into one of his most iconic roles in 2020, with the release of Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access (now Paramount+ ). Now, the second season is complete, and Paramount has already announced the cast, a release date, and even an official trailer for season three. Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming season three of Picard.

Picard season 3: What to expect

The first season of Star Trek: Picard dealt with two events that were actually holdovers from different Star Trek films in the past: Data's death in 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis (Picard struggles with this throughout the first season), and the destruction of Romulus in 2009's Star Trek (which was used to introduce the synthetic humans that helped prevent the rescue of Romulan refugees and ultimately set the stage for Picard to resign from Star Fleet). The synths are subject to a ban, and Picard is pushed to help them because of two synthetic twins that are related to his old friend Data.

Spoiler alert: This all culminates in Picard finding the home of Data's original creator and himself becoming a synthetic at the end of season one to prevent his own death.

This brings us to where we last left Picard - blasting off on the ship La Sirena with a new makeshift crew, heading toward whatever new adventure awaits. The second season starts with Picard transported to the year 2024 along with some of his old friends from Star Trek: The Next Generation series (such as Jerri Ryan’s Seven of Nine and Michelle Hurd’s Raffi Musiker). Picard and friends must discover what the omnipotent Q (John De Lancie) has done to change the timeline that has created a xenophobic version of Starfleet - the Confederation of Earth - which is out to destroy all aliens.

The first teaser for season three sees him rummaging through his old Star Trek: The Next Generation gear, and then we see him and his old partner Riker (Jonathan Frakes), standing side by side, pointing phasers at someone. The teaser also promises more returning characters in season three such as Brent Spinner as Data and Levar Burton as Geordi La Forge. The official trailer for season three is also vague on plot details, but it does show a new ship: The USS Titan, commanded by Captain William T. Riker. We also see Dr. Crusher fighting off masked enemies with a rifle, and a Federation building exploding. 

Picard season 3: Release date

• Star Trek: Picard season three release date - 16 February 2023

A release date for Star Trek: Picard season three is set for 16 February 2023.

Keep in mind the production and filming of seasons two and three all began simultaneously in 2020. The second season of Star Trek: Picard premiered in March 2022 - two years after season one ended - while season three is releasing in early 2023.  Jonathan Frakes and Terry Matalas are directing the final season, with 12 Monkeys creator Terry Matalas stepping in as showrunner for the season.

Picard season 3: Cast and crew

LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner have been announced by Paramount to join Patrick Stewart in the cast of Star Trek: Picard season three.

For reference, below is the confirmed cast for season two of Picard:

• Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard
• Alison Pill as Agnes Jurati
• Isa Briones as Soji Asha
• Evan Evagora as Elnor
• Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker
• Santiago Cabrera as Cristobal "Chris" Rios
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Orla Brady as Laris
• Brent Spiner as Altan Inigo Soong
• Whoopi Golberg as Guinan
• John De Lancie as Q
• LeVar Burton as Geordi Le Forgee

Picard season 3: Where to stream

The third season isn't yet available. Below is where you'll likely be able to stream it when it does release.

The second season of Picard took Discovery's Thursday timeslot on Paramount+ . It premiered in March 2022 and is still airing. The third season hasn't yet premiered but will obviously be a Paramount+ exclusive.

Amazon Prime Video is Picard's home in the UK, with new episodes airing a day later starting on 4 March 2022. One has to assume season three will also come to Prime Video in the UK, but it's not confirmed.

In Canada, season two is available on Crave. We suspect season three will also be available via Crave once it premieres in early 2023. 

Picard season 3: Trailers

One official trailer is available for the new season -- below. It shows Patrick Stewart back for a final adventure, paired with his original crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation. We see LeVar Burton's Geordi La Forge, Michael Dorn’s Worf, Gates McFadden's Dr. Beverly Crusher, and Marina Sirti'’ Deanna Troi. Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner also return to the series, alongside Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd. 

Two other teaser trailers have been released for the third season. You can watch them both below, to get a look at a few returning cast members from The Next Generation.

The trailer above debuted at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, while the one below came out a little earlier in 2022.

Both confirm that we're going to see some familiar faces in the last season of Picard.

Picard season 3: How to catch up

In order to be fully prepared to watch season three, you really should watch seasons one and two. You can stream them on Paramount+. 

You can also buy season one on DVD:

Star Trek: Picard - Season One

Amazon Best Buy

What is the best streaming device for your TV? Our top recommendation is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max . Also excellent are the Google Chromecast with Google TV , the Roku Express 4K , the Apple TV 4K and the Amazon Fire TV Stick .

Want to know more?

Check out Pocket-lint's what to watch before Star Trek: Picard season one and our Star Trek watch order to see how all the films and shows slot in together.

PIC Season 3

Season 3 title card

Teaser art for Season 3

The third season of Star Trek: Picard was the final season, with ten episodes that premiered weekly on Thursdays starting 16 February 2023 on Paramount+ (USA and Latin America) and on CraveTV (Canada), with the rest of the world following on Prime Video the next day.

In the UK, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, season 3 episodes were also released on newly-launched Paramount+ foreign subsidiaries the day after their US premieres by the mother streaming service , alongside the Prime Video streamings, with all three seasons of Picard slated to be added to Paramount+ in South Korea later in 2023. [1] [2]

• 3 Background information
• 5.1.1 Special guest star(s)
• 7 External links

Episodes [ ]

Summary [ ].

After twenty years of silence, Doctor Beverly Crusher sends a mysterious distress call to Jean-Luc Picard : "trust no one." This time with help from Will Riker and Seven of Nine , (now first officer under Captain Liam Shaw of the USS Titan -A ,) Picard is put in the crosshairs of Vadic and the Shrike while being introduced to Beverly's son: Jack Crusher . Raffi Musiker , Worf , and other familiar faces reunite to investigate who's directing Vadic, and the threat they pose to the Federation 's Frontier Day .

Background information [ ]

Season 3 teaser art 2

• On 21 October 2020 , Production Weekly included a third season in its listing of upcoming productions, although no official announcement has been made. [3] [4] It was officially confirmed on 8 September 2021 during the Star Trek Day 2021 celebration.
• Season 3 was filmed back-to-back with season 2 in order to control costs and accommodate production schedules, [5] and principal photography, aka production, began at the start of September 2021, immediately after production on the second season had wrapped on 29 August. [6]
• On 3 January 2022 , production on this season was temporarily halted due to a COVID-19 outbreak on set. [7] [8] Production resumed four days later on 7 January 2022 . [9]
• On 8 March 2022 , production on this season had finished shooting. [10] It was also confirmed that this season will be the final one. [11]
• On "First Contact Day", 5 April 2022 , it was revealed that the original cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation – LeVar Burton , Michael Dorn , Jonathan Frakes , Gates McFadden , Marina Sirtis , and Brent Spiner – had joined the cast for the third season, as a means of finally giving their characters "a proper send-off". [12]
• On 2 May 2022 , Alison Pill confirmed that she would not be returning for Season 3. [13]
• On 5 May 2022 , Evan Evagora and Santiago Cabrera confirmed that they would not be returning for Season 3. [14]
• On 6 May 2022 , Isa Briones confirmed that she would not be returning for Season 3. [15]
• The third season being made available on Paramount+ foreign subsidiaries concurrently with Prime Video, making it no longer the exclusive series streamer outside the Americas, might, in the context of the increasingly vicious streaming wars , be construed as a harbinger that the series will be pulled from Prime Video the moment the season release schedule is completed. [16] It was in light of this that CraveTV did loose all its Star Trek content, Picard included with its very recent third season addition, on 1 August 2023, after the Star Trek franchise had revoked its streaming rights in favor of Paramount+ Canada. [17]

Reception [ ]

In 2023, the rating agency Nielsen started recording ratings for original streaming programming, which resulted in that both Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds making the Top 10 Streaming Chart for Original Programs (for overall series views, not specific episodes.) After season three debuted, Picard occupied Nielsens original streaming Top 10 listing on three separate weeks, with a ninth spot as it highest ranking. [18] [19] [20]

Credits [ ]

Starring [ ], special guest star(s) [ ], see also [ ].

• PIC Season 3 performers
• PIC directors
• PIC writers
• PIC Season 3 Blu-ray
• PIC Season 3 DVD

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Picard season 3 at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: Picard season 3 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: Picard season 3 at Ex Astris Scientia
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

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Star Trek: Picard ‘s Final Season Gets Premiere Date — See Jean-Luc Reunite With His Enterprise Pals in New Teaser

Dave nemetz, west coast bureau chief.

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Ah… it feels just like old times in a new sneak peek at Star Trek: Picard ‘s final season.

Paramount+ unveiled a new teaser for the upcoming third and final season, along with a premiere date: Season 3 will debut Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, with new episodes airing weekly. The announcements were made by series star Patrick Stewart himself at the annual “Star Trek Day” celebration on Thursday.

In the teaser, Jean-Luc gets a distress call from his old flame Dr. Beverly Crusher: “We need your help.” We see what looks like Starfleet headquarters crumbling into rubble (!) as Jean-Luc consults with his former right-hand man Will Riker. Jean-Luc doesn’t want to ask his old friends to put themselves in danger (“Since when?” Riker laughs), but his Enterprise crewmates Geordi La Forge, Worf, Crusher and Troi all assemble as Riker tells him: “Wherever you go, we go.”

They get a lift from Seven of Nine aboard the gleaming new starship the U.S.S. Titan — and they all zip off together to tackle their final mission. As first announced back in April , Next Generation alums LeVar Burton (Geordi), Michael Dorn (Worf) and Gates McFadden (Crusher) are joining the cast of Picard ‘s final season, with Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis also returning as Riker and Troi, following their Season 1 appearance.

Press PLAY above for a first look at Picard ‘s final season, and then beam down to the comments to share your first impressions.

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19 comments.

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I cannot wait for this.

Yes, please.

So they went with a new design on the Titan? I remember they had a design contest with the books for what the Titan would look like. Guess since they’re ignoring the books, might as well ignore that as well.

Lower Decks used the Luna Class Titan Design, so Probably a Titan-A situation. (maybe)

I would hope that’s the case.

I didn’t love the first two seasons, but I am exited for this.

Freakin’ goosebumps!!!

Make it so! YES!

I really hope we get to see them all together rather than one here and one there without any interaction. I know there were Covid protocols in place during filming, so those rules better not ruin it for the fans.

Your heart’s in the right place but boy did that sound entitled.

But what about Elnor and Rafi?

Raffi appears in the trailer at the 40-second mark.

Also, the only way they can really end this show is with Jean-Luc dying. Right?

It’s Sci-Fi, maybe he’ll bee digitally downloaded where no man has gone before…

Well he already died he’s an android now soo…..

Picard died already.

The producers stated months ago that the series is left open enough that if Patrick Stewart wants they can do more seasons.

I am so glad they kept Seven… I feared she was just a short term guest.

If they’re smart, after “Picard” ends in S3, they’ll keep a Modern Trek show going with Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, and possibly others, maybe Some Voyager/DS9 cast show up along the way.

Gdang it…Paramount is gonna make me pay just to watch this! LOL I got chills and I’m so excited!!

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Star Trek: Picard

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life. Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life. Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

• Kirsten Beyer
• Michael Chabon
• Akiva Goldsman
• Patrick Stewart
• Michelle Hurd
• 2.8K User reviews
• 80 Critic reviews
• 14 wins & 54 nominations total

Episodes 30

Top cast 99+

• Jean-Luc Picard

• Raffi Musiker

• Seven of Nine

• Dr. Agnes Jurati

• Cristóbal Rios …

• Adam Soong …

• La Sirena Computer

• Jack Crusher

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Captain Liam Shaw

• Ensign Sidney La Forge

• Ensign Esmar

• Titan Computer …
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia The first season is set in 2399, 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) (which was set in the year 2379). Using the Stardate format established in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) , this would place the start of the series just after Stardate 76000.
• Goofs Commodore Oh often wears sunglasses. Star Trek lore establishes that Vulcans have an inner eyelid to protect against harsh sunlight on their desert planet. Oh's shades are a fashion statement, not a protective measure.
• The first season features a Borg cube and the planet Romulus.
• The second season features a Borg ship, a wormhole and hourglass, and the Borg Queen's silhouette.
• The third season does not have an opening titles sequence.
• Connections Featured in Half in the Bag: Comic Con 2019, The Picard Trailer, Streaming Services, and Midsommar (2019)

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• January 23, 2020 (United States)
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• Runtime 46 minutes
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‘star trek: picard’ officially renewed for season 3 at paramount+.

The Patrick Stewart-led drama will return in February and film seasons back to back.

By Lesley Goldberg

Lesley Goldberg

Television Editor, West Coast

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Star Trek: Picard is officially returning for its third season on Paramount+.

Leading man Patrick Stewart announced the news Wednesday during the live-streamed Star Trek Day celebration, which included news that Picard would return for its second season in February.

Picard was technically renewed for its third season in January 2020 as part of a two-season pickup for the series. The plan at the time, which remains true today, is for production to film back-to-back on seasons two and three of the series from CBS Studios and showrunner Terry Matalas. Filming the seasons back-to-back is part of a bid to control costs and accommodate production schedules. The writers room for season three has been up and running for more than a year.

Related Stories

'picard' actor todd stashwick joins paul bettany in marvel's vision series (exclusive), 'star trek: picard' showrunner terry matalas tackling remake of 1980s sci-fi movie 'enemy mine' (exclusive).

Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady, John de Lancie, Annie Wersching and Brent Spiner star in Picard, which is produced by Star Trek franchise captain Alex Kurtzman. Akiva Goldsman serves as co-showrunner alongside Matalas. Stewart and Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout topper Heather Kadin exec produce alongside Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Doug Aarniokoski and Dylan Massin.

Matalas took over showrunning duties after Michael Chabon’s planned departure as he and wife and author Ayelet Waldman inked a deal with CBS Studios to adapt The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for Showtime.

Picard is one of a growing slate of Star Trek originals developed by Kurtzman as part of his nine-figure pact with CBS Studios. It joins flagship Discovery, animated comedy  Lower Decks,  kids-focused series  Prodigy  (for Nickelodeon) and the upcoming  Strange New Worlds.  Other spinoffs from the Star Trek franchise are also in development, including  Section 31  starring Michelle Yeoh.

Here’s the trailer for season two of Picard :

Here’s some other news from Star Trek Day:

• Star Trek: Discovery will return for its fourth season Nov. 18 on Paramount+.
• Star Trek: Prodigy will launch Oct. 28 with an hourlong premiere on Paramount+. The kids-focused animated series from Nickelodeon also debuted a new trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBE7d8sH5Rg

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Teaser Trailer | Star Trek: Picard - Season 3

The final voyage begins on February 16, 2023.

Star Trek: Picard features Sir Patrick Stewart reprising his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard, which he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation , and follows this iconic character into the next chapter of his life. LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd star alongside Stewart in the third and final season of the hit original series. Learn all about the new cast and returning cast members joining the highly-anticipated final season revealed during the Star Trek universe NYCC 2022 panel here !

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

How Picard Season 3 Finally Broke a Classic Star Trek “Mandate”

The New Next Generation is here.

It’s hard to believe, but 30 years ago, as The Next Generation began its seventh and final season, there were still vocal Trekkie haters who claimed the show wasn’t really Star Trek. How times change. What was once the “new” Star Trek — a 1987 sequel to a 1960s sci-fi series — is now retro.

In 2023, Picard Season 3 is the second coming of The Next Generation. But, according to the people who made it, this season isn’t just about looking back. The callbacks may be tied to the ‘90s, but for showrunner Terry Matalas, his cast, and crew, this season is all about pushing the franchise into a brave new style of Star Trek storytelling.

Launched in 2020 , Star Trek: Picard sought to tell ruminative down-to-Earth stories about the struggles and further adventures of a much older version of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Often called the Star Trek version of Logan , the tone of Picard has always been more earnest and darker than in The Next Generation. Despite its merits — including nuanced writing from Pulitzer-Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon — aspects of Season 1 rubbed fans the wrong way. And while most hardcore fans loved the new Stargazer in Season 2, there’s debate on whether or not that season stuck the landing.

But now, it seems with Picard , the third time’s the charm. The advance buzz for Season 3 is overwhelmingly positive, with all critics noting there’s a pretty big tonal shift here. But how did it happen?

A new Picard story

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and Jeri Ryan in 'Picard' Season 3.

“This season came to me very fast,” showrunner Terry Matalas tells Inverse . “I knew what all the big moves are and I had to sell it to Patrick [Stewart], to Secret Hideout, and to Paramount+ very quickly.” Matalas joined the Picard creative team after Season 1, and the tonal and aesthetic differences with Season 3 are all the result of his vision. Before joining Picard , and before helming the SyFy reboot of 12 Monkeys , Matalas was a production assistant on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise . His nerd street cred is clear.

Although series star Patrick Stewart had initially been resistant to bringing back too many TNG characters just for the sake of it, Matalas won him over with the overall pitch for the season. Johnathan Frakes, who returns as Riker, and directs two episodes this season, was there when Matalas outlined his vision to Captain Picard himself.

“Before we started, Terry had lunch with me and Patrick [Stewart], and was very upfront about what he wanted to do,” Frakes says. “He asked if Patrick was cool with it, and Patrick was all in.”

Conflict on the Bridge

LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: Picard Season 3

In Picard Season 3, the stakes are bigger, and the tone is closer to classic Star Trek feature films. “We wanted this season to be something monumental for this crew,” Matalas reveals. “It had to feel big, the same way The Undiscovered Country was for the original crew. The stakes have to be high because this is the last go at it.”

By now, most fans know that all seven cast members from The Next Generation are reunited in this season, along with a few secret surprises from the ‘90s Trek yet to be revealed. But, for the returning cast, there was a big difference between Picard Season 3, and the heyday of The Next Generation . In the ‘90s, the crew of the Enterprise didn’t argue with each other. In Picard Season 3, conflict is everywhere.

“In the original Next Gen the mandate was no conflict among the main bridge crew,” LeVar Burton says. “And that was tricky and unnatural. So, this was delicious to play, it was great fun.”

Because the show is still called Picard , you can easily guess which character Geordi La Forge (Burton) finds himself in conflict with. But he’s not the only one. Jean-Luc’s reunion with Beverly Crusher is also brimming with down-to-Earth conflict. For McFadden, the material in this season was bigger than anything she was ever able to do on TNG .

Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher in Picard Season 3.

“I wish we'd had more scenes like this earlier on,” she says. “It was fantastic because Patrick and I are both theatre actors. So, it’s wonderful to just have a scene where you can really go for it.”

Stewart agrees with McFadden and notes that part of why he even agreed to do Picard at all, was because of the tonal difference of the series. “Some experiences that these characters have had, some are good. Some are not so good,” Stewart reveals reflectively. “And that had a strong effect on me and made it possible for me to sometimes sink a bit low in mood and temperament. I think it’s closer to real life.”

A new Star Trek ship, a new crew

While the final season of Picard creates an exciting story that allows The Next Generation cast to shine in bold new ways, it’s not only about the old gang. Raffi (Michelle Hurd) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) — who appeared in the two previous seasons of Picard — return here. And through these characters, the future of Star Trek beyond this moment might be glimpsed. Seven, of course, originated on Star Trek: Voyager , but her arc in Picard has turned her into a much more well-rounded character. And this time out, she’s finally in Starfleet, the first officer on the USS Titan , and constantly sparring with Captain Liam Shaw, played by Todd Stashwick, probably famous to sci-fi fans for his role in the TV version of 12 Monkeys.

Todd Stashwick as Captain Liam Shaw.

In the first episode, fans will notice that Shaw and Seven don’t get along. Like, at all . But Stashwick says this isn’t a mistake. It’s by design. “When choosing a first officer, you don't want someone who agrees with you,” he explains. “You want to have a dissenting opinion. You want to have someone who is the things you aren't.”

The Titan bridge is rounded out by several newcomers, too, perhaps most notably, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge, one of the daughters of Geordi La Forge, who is the helmsman of the new USS Titan . Chestnut tells Inverse she decided to create a consistent way to control the Titan , by repeating certain patterns with her hands. “There’s a method to my madness if you look closely at my hands!” she says with a laugh. Sidney’s journey is also bigger than it might seem. But, detailing too much about her character, or, for that matter, Ed Speleers' new role, might be a spoiler. For now, let’s just say, there are plenty of new Starfleet heroes in Picard Season 3.

The future of 25th-Century Star Trek

(Picard) Patrick Stewart, Seven (Jeri Ryan), and Riker (Jonathan Frakes) on the bridge of the USS Titan in the debut episode Picard Season 3, “The Next Generation.”

Whether or not Star Trek: Picard Season 3 leads to a new season of a different Star Trek series remains to be seen. For now, this is the ending of this series and the ending of the story of The Next Generation crew. And the feeling will remind fans of the 1987-2005 era of Star Trek. But, Picard Season 3 is also a contemporary television show, and that means massive twists are coming, and the drama won’t unfold in the style of ‘90s Trek.

“I’m really interested in telling human stories,” Matalas says. “In terms of television, one influence on me is very much Ron Moore’s Battlestar. I like those situations where everybody's right and everybody's wrong. It’s really great dramatic territory.” Matalas explains his views on how to write effective twists and mystery boxes slightly differently than other showrunners in the business: “There is a practice in some writers' rooms that, if the audience can guess what you're doing, don't do it. And I don't subscribe to that. You have to accept the fact that the audience may guess what's going on, but they have to like it, too.”

Matalas is quick to point out he didn’t write the season by himself. He reteamed with two of his 12 Monkeys collaborators, Sean Terretta and Chris Monfette, and sings the praises of the other Picard writers, Cindy Appel, Jane Maggs, and Matt Okumura. “I had a tremendously brilliant writing staff. They worked really hard under difficult time constraints and a lot of pressure. And they shined through it all.”

Will team Matalas continue to tell stories set in the 25th Century era of Star Trek? The showrunner reveals that when one fan told him that this felt like the “beginning of the Terry Matalas era of Star Trek,” at first, he “winced.” At first.

“But, then, after I thought about it, I understood what they meant,” he says. “There is a different kind of tone here that blends a lot of different kinds of storytelling. I just hope people respond to it.”

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 debuts on Paramount+ on February 16, 2023. It will consist of 10 episodes.

• Science Fiction

'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3: Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far

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Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation have been patiently waiting for the return of their favorite characters since the first season of Star Trek: Picard . It seems the promise (real or imagined) of finding out what happened to characters such as Beverly Crusher and Geordi La Forge has finally been realized. This time it seems that the old favorites are back and hopefully this time around they will be more than just some fan-service cameos.

Editor's Note: This article was last updated on December 31 with the latest clip from the season.

Related: 'Star Trek: Picard' to Auction Over 300 Props from Seasons 1 & 2

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 will release on Paramount+ on Thursday, February 16, 2023. This release date is an exclusive date for the residents of the United States. All ten episodes will be released weekly on Paramount+ without any scheduled disruptions. As of the time of this writing, there has been no official announcement on when or where the series will be released internationally. If Paramount+ continues its usual pattern there will be a day lag before it releases on Paramount+ in other countries and on companion streaming services such as Crave in Canada or Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom.

The first teaser trailer has been released in celebration of Star Trek Day. The trailer is a short one-minute trailer, but it contains some exciting tidbits for the show to come. The excitement is the fact that our favorite crew members are back. We get our first looks at Geordi, Worf, and Beverly but not so much about the plot. The main theme is that whenever you have a united crew, hope still survives.

An additional sneak peek was released revealing the names of the cast for the upcoming season. This sneak peek shows Picard looking through his old uniforms before suiting up beside Number One for one last “good old-fashioned road trip.” The question is where are they headed on this road trip?

The next trailer was a hefty two-minute and thirty-four-second teaser trailer that confirmed the presence of Lore, Vadic, and other long-term enemies of Picard's former crew. It seems like the villains of the Star Trek: The Next Generation series are coming together to form their own 'injustice league' against the now-reunited crew.

This was followed by a sneak peek into one of every Star Trek fan's greatest moments, the ship reveal. As of now, Seven of Nine is the commander of the USS Titan , one of the most powerful ships in all of Star Trek canon. This looks shows the old crew honoring their bond to Jean-Luc and coming together for one last adventure into the great unknown.

More recently, in an episode of The Ready Room , an aftershow for the whole Star Trek franchise hosted by Wil Wheaton , Paramount released a new clip from Season 3 . Here's the full episode (you can jump to 28:50 to directly watch the clip) and for international viewers, the same is available on the Star Trek website :

So far what we know of season 3 mostly revolves around the cast, and it is as much of an all-star Star Trek cast as could be asked for. We have veterans of Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: The Next Generation, and even returning characters from Star Trek: Picard. Sir Patrick Stewart will return as Jean Luc Picard, Michelle Hurd returns as Raffi Musiker, and Jeri Ryan will return as Seven of Nine. Star Trek: Picard veterans Alison Pill (Agnes Jurati), Santiago Cabrera (Cristobal Rios), and Isa Briones (Soji) will not be returning. This makes a distinct step away from some characters built up in the previous two seasons and a step backward in time.

This step backward in time takes Star Trek fans almost 20 years into the past, back almost to the cast of Star Trek: Nemesis . We this the crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) is back. Both Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis are coming back as William T. Riker and Deanna Troi. From there on out we have the confirmed return of new old faces such as Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher, Michael Dorn as Worf, LeVar Burton as Geordi LaForge, and even Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher. These are only the confirmed returns, and more have been rumored or wished upon.

Actress Denise Crosby has teased the return of Tasha Yar, the ill-fated security office in the first season of The Next Generation. She also has played the villain Sela, who was in both The Next Generation and Star Trek Online. We don’t know how she will be returning, but Crosby said that “You will see Tasha Yar, but I'm not going to tell you how.” Fans are also hoping that Colm Meaney will return as the veteran Miles O'Brien and give the fans of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine some well-deserved recognition.

Related: 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3 Introduces Mica Burton and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Geordi's Daughters

No official synopsis has been released to describe the upcoming season, but a few tidbits can be gleaned from the array of cast statements and sneak pieces as well as other parts of the continuity. There is supposed to be an entirely new (or perhaps best described as unknown) villain for season three. Some speculation was that Sela will be one of the primary villains. She was quite potent in her few Next Generation appearances and the games have entire lore built up with Sela as one of the primary antagonists. This is still just conjectured at the moment, however.

What is sure however are the events of the previous seasons (that's your last spoiler warning). In the first season, we came to know Soji as Data’s daughter and how the destruction of Romulus started a chain of events that ultimately caused the outlawing of all synthetic life. Picard found himself in the middle of that interdimensional kerfuffle and died in the process. Now Picard has a synthetic body and his old nemeses Q (played by John De Lancie ) and the Borg Queen (played by Annie Wersching ) returned. After a fun jaunt through time back to the 21st century, we see Picard come to terms with his past and how he came to be who he is. Dr. Jurati also joined with the Borg Queen and created a collective that is friendly to the Federation, once again uniting with Picard in the present. This leaves Picard missing a few key allies. Either way, we have seen some progress. Seven of Nine has returned a Starfleet uniform and Picard seems to be well again. It seems he is going back to his own crew’s roots.

Producers Rod Roddenberry and Alex Kurtzman are returning for the final season as well as writer and producer Terry Matalas .

Simply put there isn’t a future for Picard . This is the final season for Picard and there have not been any spin-offs announced. Between the aging of the actors and the large amount of content we already have in that period, this seems to be the last time we will see a lot of these characters.

• Star Trek: Picard (2020)
• Patrick Stewart

Star Trek: Picard Cast - Every Actor & Character in Season 3

Paramount+'s final season of star trek: picard is chock full of starfleet's finest, new and old..

The third and final season of Paramount+’s Star Trek: Picard pulled out all the stops and brought in a plethora of new and established characters from the Star Trek franchise.

The first two seasons of Picard , while decently well-rated among the general audience, were somewhat unpopular with longtime Trek fans. Initially, the show chose to focus on   Patrick Stewart 's Jean-Luc Picard as a retired Starfleet admiral surrounded by a cast of newcomers.

The results were mixed, to say the least. So when it was announced last year that the series’ third and final season would reunite essentially the entire main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation , most Trekkers were over the moon.

So, with not many episodes remaining in the series, here’s a look at each principal and supporting character in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, barring any surprise guests in the concluding installments.

Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 follow.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Cast and Character List

1.) patrick stewart as jean-luc picard.

Sir Patrick Stewart Leads the series as the venerable Admiral Jean-Luc Picard.

Upon receiving an encrypted distress call from Dr. Crusher at the top of the season, Jean-Luc launches back into action and follows the coordinates that Beverly left for him.

Roping in his old friend and colleague Will Riker, the pair wind up on the USS Titan-A where much of the season’s action has so far taken place.

2.) Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker

Captain William T. Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes), Jean-Luc’s Number One back in their days serving on the U.S.S. Enterprise, jumps at the chance to assist the admiral on his rescue mission.

It was established in Season 1 that Will and his wife Deanna Troi have had a daughter, Kestra, in the intervening years between the show and their appearance in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis. They also had a son named Thad who was tragically lost to a then-incurable disease long prior to the events of Picard . Riker is still having difficulty processing his grief when audiences pick up with him in the third season.

3.) Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher

Former chief Medical officer on board the Enteprise-D and Enterprise-E during the Next Gen -era of Star Trek, it’s quickly established in Picard that Gates McFadden's Dr. Beverly Crusher hasn’t seen or contacted any of her old friends in over 20 years, Jean-Luc included.

In the series, Dr. Crusher has been acting as a sort of spacefaring member of Doctors Without Borders, but she’s been harboring a huge secret from Admiral Picard: Their 23-year-old son Jack.

4.) Michael Dorn as Worf

Worf, son of Mogh, House of Martok, son of Sergei, House of Rozhenko, Bane to the Duras Family. The noble Klingon officer, portrayed by Micheal Dorn, is a man of many names.

In Star Trek: Picard , Worf has been acting on behalf of Starfleet Intelligence, as Raffi Musiker’s handler, as she infiltrates the criminal underworld in search of stolen secrets. Raffi and Worf are eventually forced to team up on their shared mission, which sets them on a collision course with their mutual friend and former commanding officer Jean-Luc Picard.

5.) LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge

In the time since Nemesis , LeVar Burton's Geordi La Forge settled down and become a family man with a wife and two daughters. Because of this, he’s initially unwilling to get dragged back into the adventure.  He has also risen to the rank of commodore and has been heading up the Fleet Museum, in orbit over Athan Prime.

When Jean-Luc and company arrive at his doorstep, they’re met with a slightly grouchier La Forge than fans are used to, but he quickly drops his guard to become his friendly, affable self again after being reminded how important his old Starfleet crew is to him.

6.) Brent Spiner as Data/Lore/Altan Soong

Brent Spiner gives one of his traditional multifaceted performances in the series as he portrays android brothers Data and Lore, who have both been uploaded into an advanced, flesh-and-blood positronic body. Lore, being Lore, is constantly trying to exert control over the good-natured Data in order to wreak havoc.

Spiner also portrays Altan Soong, son of Dr. Noonien Soong, in a holographic recording from Episode 6.

7.) Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi

The empathic, half-Betazoid Deanna Toi (brought to life by Marina Sirtis) hasn’t had a major role in the bulk of Season 3, but showrunner Terry Matalas has sung Sirtis’ praises on Twitter, indicating a larger part for the actress to play during the show’s final episodes.

8.) Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine

Jeri Ryan's Seven, now Commander Seven, is first officer of the USS Titan-A when the third season opens. Unlike most of the other characters in Season 3, Ryan has appeared as the ex-Borg and former Voyager crewmember in the previous two seasons as well.

9.) Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker

A longtime confidant to Jean-Luc, Michelle Hurd's Raffi Musiker starts the season as a deep-cover Starfleet intelligence officer, tasked with investigating the theft of highly dangerous items from the Daystrom Institute. When criminals use the stolen tech to commit a heinous crime, Raffi gets in over her head in pursuit.

10.) Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw

A self-described “dipsh*t from Chicago” , the captain of the Titan-A, Todd Stashwick's Liam Shaw, has a definite chip on his shoulder. Despite his somewhat mean-spirited nature, Shaw quickly became a fan favorite and has proven his worth as a valuable ally to Jean-Luc and co.

11.) Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher

The charming, roguish son of Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher, Jack Crusher (played by Ed Speleers) seems to have inherited all the best qualities from his legendary parents. One of the season’s most central mysteries is Jack’s mysterious affliction, which has drawn the villain Vadic to him. 

12.) Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge

One of Geordi La Forge’s two daughters, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut's Sidney La Forge sits at the helm of the Titan-A as the ship’s pilot. During her days at Starfleet Academy, she earned herself the nickname “Crash La Forge” due to her propensity for wrecking shuttles.

13.) Mica Burton as Alandra La Forge

Geordi’s other daughter Alandra La Forge (played by Mica Burton) hasn’t seen as much screen as her sister due to her not entering the series until Epsiode 6, but she holds the special distinction of being played by Le Var Burton’s real-life daughter. The elder Burton has spoken on how much of a privilege it was to work alongside his talented kid.

14.) Orla Brady as Laris

Orla Brady's Laris, aka Jean-Luc’s Romulan girlfriend and housekeeper back at his vineyard on Earth, is actually a former agent of the Tal Shiar. But one would never know it due to the character’s gentle, caring nature. Brady has only appeared in one episode this season as Laris but she also cropped up in Picard ’s first two seasons as well.

15.) Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren

Before guest starring on Star Trek: Picard , Michelle Forbes' Ro Laren was last seen joining up with the Maquis in The Next Generation ’s penultimate episode, “Preemptive Strike.” It’s revealed in Season 3 that Laren’s betrayal broke Jean-Luc’s heart, but the two were ultimately able to mend old wounds.

16.) Daniel Davis as Moriarty

Sherlock Holmes’ arch-enemy Moriarty (played by Daniel Davis in the series) was originally brought to life as a holodeck character on Next Gen when Geordi tasked the computer with creating an adversary capable of matching wits with Data for their reenactment of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Davis made a brief appearance in Picard Episode 6 as Daystrom Station’s security hologram.

17.) Tim Russ as “Tuvok”

Episode 7’s cold open brought back fan-favorite Star Trek: Voyager character, Tim Russ' Tuvok. It appeared that the Vulcan former chief of security was now a captain, but things were not as they seemed. This Tuvok was actually a Changeling in disguise, attempting to lure the crew of the Titan-A into a trap.

18.) Amanda Plummer as Vadic

The mysterious Changeling captain of a warship known as the Shrike, Vadic (played by Amanda Plummer) will stop at nothing to get what she wants. And what she wants, for some yet-to-be-revealed reason, is Jack Crusher. She’s also played by the daughter of late Hollywood veteran Christopher Plummer, who, among other roles, portrayed General Chang in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991.

It’s fitting that father and daughter would play the antagonists in the send-offs for both the crews of Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation .

A Generation’s Final Voyage?

Star Trek: Picard ’s third and final season is billed as a grand send-off to Jean-Luc Picard and his old crew, but the story doesn’t necessarily have to end here.

Patrick Stewart has gone on record as saying he might be interested in reprising his character in another Star Trek movie. And what’s more, executive producer Terry Matalas has been garnering interest in a follow-up series that he’d like to make.

In his words, that show would be called Star Trek: Legacy and would be set in the same early-25 century time period as Picard , even using certain characters from the soon-to-end show.

Whether or not Star Trek: Legacy gets made is another story but fan support helps a great deal. Matalas has stated that more viewers watching and discussing Picard and making noise about a follow-up will only help increase chances.

Star Trek: Picard drops new episodes on Thursdays only on Paramount+.

LATEST NEWS

• September 27, 2024 | Interview: Jonathan Del Arco Talks “Borg Spin-Off” That Became ‘Star Trek: Picard’ And Hugh’s Surprise Death
• September 26, 2024 | Bodum Bringing Back Classic Picard Tea Cups From ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’
• September 25, 2024 | ‘Star Trek Explorer’ Reveals Final Issue, Ending 30 Years Of Official Magazine
• September 25, 2024 | Interview: Jonathan Del Arco On What To Expect At The Celebrity-Packed ‘Trek The Vote’ Live Comedy Show
• September 24, 2024 | Star Trek Coffees Adds Janeway And Borg-Themed Blends Along With Line Of Collectible Mugs

Interview: Jonathan Del Arco Talks “Borg Spin-Off” That Became ‘Star Trek: Picard’ And Hugh’s Surprise Death

| September 27, 2024 | By: Laurie Ulster 59 comments so far

Jonathan Del Arco, who played Hugh on  Star Trek: The Next Generation  and  Star Trek: Picard  and Fantome on  Voyager , chatted with us about the Trek the Vote show on October 2, a fundraiser for Vote Save America . In part 1 of our interview with Del Arco, we asked him what to expect at this “comedy show that blends politics, games, and a healthy scoop of hot nerdery.” Now read part 2, where we talked about how he found himself on Picard , the surprise news that his character was going to die, and more.

(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

You turned up on season 1 of Picard ; were you given any kind of backstory on what Hugh had been up to and how he got to where he was?

I sure wasn’t! [laughs] We were lucky enough to have rehearsal for the first episode, we had some time because they were building sets and they were running way behind, they were rewriting a bunch of scripts and we sat around talking, and they were like, “I don’t know.” So I did come up with a lot in my own head of what I thought, and we did have one person who was more knowledgeable on this, Kirsten Beyer, so I did talk to her. She was helpful and helped me kind of hash out what might have been in that middle ground, which was very helpful. But initially, no, I was trying to piece together exactly—they kept saying to me, he’s really broken, and I didn’t understand what that was. A very weird note to me. I didn’t understand what that meant. And then once I got into him and into the scenes, I completely comprehended what they meant by broken… I eventually got there, but I use all kinds of things to motivate my mental state on the ship and to try to find a thread. What I didn’t want to happen, because it’d been so many years and I was in so much makeup the first time, for the fans to not recognize Hugh, that there needed to be some thread of recognition of who that young person might have become.

So did you have any specifics that you came up with in terms of, like, what he’d been doing?

Yes, he dedicated his life to the betterment of the little collective that followed him as they broke off from The Collective, as it were, and became their leader and their guide. And then when this opportunity came up to work on the on The Artifact . He took it because he felt, were he not there it, the situation, would have been even worse for the xBs , even though he wasn’t capable of protecting them fully. He did what he could within that job to keep things from going completely off the rails, right? Which eventually they did.

Jonathan Del Arco as Hugh in Star Trek: Picard.  Photo Cr: Trae Patton/CBS ©2019 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Was this a situation where they had written Hugh in and then called you, or was there someone on the production—I know you’d worked with [executive producer] James Duff, who was on the show at that point. Was that something he did? How did it all happen?

James was the showrunner on The Closer and Major Crimes and a very dear friend of mine and Jeri [Ryan]’s, and he had been hired to come very early on, one of the early executive producers and writers of a spin-off of Star Trek. We didn’t know what it was. There was no Picard yet. It was a spin-off of Star Trek. Alex Kurtzman, James Duff, and I believe maybe one other writer was involved at the time, and James really wanted it to be a Borg spin-off. That’s why he talked to Jeri and I, and really started talking to them about it being this Borg storyline. And somewhere within that he discussed it with us maybe a year before it even happened. And they didn’t have Patrick yet. So I think then they went and made the pitch to Patrick. But had Patrick not done it, some kind of show about the Borg would have happened. It would not have been Picard , it would have been a show about the Borg. And you can even tell how heavily Borg-influenced it was. So the Borg was really the the kernel, from what I understand of of the beginning of that idea. And once Patrick became involved, the pieces began to fall into place, and we were set up and given deals to come be a part of the show. What I was not told was that I was getting killed, because that was not James’s plan. And James left the show before they began filming. He had a creative differences and left, I think, weeks before I even began. I’d signed my contract, and the people that were left, I think, then made that decision without my being told or even knowing about it through gossip. I read it in a script. That was the first time I ever—

They didn’t tell you before they sent you the script?

That’s always fun for an actor.

It was not. [laughs]

Do you know why?

I have no idea what the creative reasoning for killing Hugh was. I was told they needed it to propel the story. And maybe they thought, that’s how they get Seven onto the cube. I just think they missed a lot of really great storytelling opportunities with Seven and Hugh… Had I stayed on the show, I wouldn’t have gotten to do these two movies that I did, one which premieres October 18 in theaters, The Grotto . I would have never gotten to do The Grotto , because I would have been filming Star Trek and so creatively, I don’t regret it. I don’t feel bad about it. The only thing I regret is I didn’t get to do stuff with a couple of people, Jeri Ryan and LeVar Burton. Those are the two people I wanted to really have an opportunity to connect with as characters. Creatively, those are the two relationships I really wish I’d gotten to do.

Given that season 3 of Picard was so Borg heavy, it seems like that would have been a great opportunity, especially because your original adventures were with that whole crew.

I mean, not having to have a scene with Geordi, or to even ask about Geordi was completely misinformed to me. I kept asking, “Shouldn’t I ask about Geordi?” Nope… But you know what? I’m fine with that, because I got to do these movies, and I’m excited that I did. People magazine just put the trailer out [for The Grotto ] today.

I just rewatched your first episode of Next Gen [“I, Borg”] and all over again, your performance blew me away. Did you have any thought back then that the episode and Hugh would have such an impact on viewers, not only to come back later in TNG, but decades later?

I think about it often. I wonder, what about the performance and the character hit people in such a primal way? And I think that character is a study in loneliness. And I just think that that’s something everyone can identify with at some point in their life, feeling alone. We come into the world alone, we leave the world alone. I think it’s a very scary thing for people, and it’s a very isolating thing for people to be disconnected from family and friends and being alone. There’s a ethos to that that I think really strikes at it. At the time when I played the role, I was going I was in grief, my partner had passed, so I was in a very particular space as a person that I think I put into the role that had a beautiful resonance to people. I think people just connected to that, to the truth of that person.

There was a vulnerability there.

Absolutely, yeah. So I think that that’s why. But it’s also a great character to come out of this sort of villainous—the idea that the villainous collective has this vulnerable, fragile creature amongst them.

You had a great scene with Whoopi… Do you remember anything about filming it? Had you worked with her before?

I had never worked with her. I was a fan, and I remembered her just being the loveliest person ever, and joyful and smiling—she was a fan of Star Trek. So she was really, really, really into it. I remember, because you film things in a certain order; when you’re a star, it’s called shooting you out, which is, let’s get all your stuff done so you could go home. I remember her insisting that they do all of MY stuff first, because I was in the uncomfortable costume. So then I could relax out of some of that makeup and do her stuff. I remember thinking that that was just amazing. And then she said, “Come back and say hi to me when you’re out of that makeup.” And so I did. I went back, and she goes, “Oh, you’re so cute!” So it was a really cute moment. She wanted to see what I looked like out of all my stuff. She was terrific.

And you also had great scenes with Patrick, with LeVar… there must have been something fun in that scene with Patrick in Picard , where you got to actually hug.

I will take full credit for the hug. It was not in the script. And I hear a lot of people talk about the hug being a moment for them, so that’s nice to hear… It was odd, the way it was written. We just had the conversation, there was no physical touching going on. And Patrick said, “I feel like we should at least shake hands or something.” And I said, “Would you mind if I hug you?” And he said, “No, let’s try it.” So we rehearsed it. And the director [Maja Vrvilo], she came up to us with tears in her eyes, and she goes, “Oh, we’re doing that. Everyone was crying, we’re definitely doing that.”

Picard and Hugh hug on Star Trek: Picard

Trek the Vote is happening on Oct. 2

Hosted by Trekkies Jon Lovett and Alice Wetterlund, guests so far include Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Wil Wheaton, Jeri Ryan, Rosalind Chao, Tawny Newsome, Eugene Cordero, Noël Wells, Mike McMahan, and of course, Del Arco himself. (Read part 1 of our interview for details about the event.)

Why is it so important to connect Trek to this? What’s the connective tissue?

The connective tissue to me, is, first of all, Trek is a family. Trek is an organized principle of fans that believe in certain principles—that are obvious, right? The Federation, the respect for humanity, not judging someone on what they look like or on what their physical capabilities are or aren’t, on their wealth…  There are many, many things that connect the vision of Star Trek to what is happening in in our politics right now, and the possibility of a future where we have different point of view of running the show. By that, I mean a woman in particular. It would be a very refreshing change to try to put that at the helm. Remember when Janeway became the first captain? It was a moment in Trekdom. I think this will be a moment in American history in the same way, and it’s very optimistic to me.

So there’s a lot of connective tissue with the future. For one, we believe in science. I dare say, you could definitely make an argument that the people running on the other side are not very big believers in science. I believe in healthcare, I believe in a person’s body autonomy… I dare say the other side doesn’t believe in body autonomy, because they have taken it away from women across the country. So we could go down the line of how it aligns. Sometimes I’m very surprised to talk to anyone that is a fan of Star Trek that doesn’t see the similarities between the kind of two ideologies of what America is… [And in terms of the event] What’s great about Star Trek is this sort of opportunity to have fun and also make a change.

Listen to full interview

The audio of the full interview with Jonathan Del Arco was released today on the All Access Star Trek podcast.

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Star Trek: Legacy , Star Trek: Picard

‘Star Trek: Picard’ Showrunner Terry Matalas Jumps To Marvel As Showrunner For New Vision Series

After reading this, I really want to see the plan for James Duff’s PIC season 1. It sounds so much better than Chabon’s, if only because it didn’t kill off Hugh just to “propel the story.” The season 1 of Picard we got certainly felt like a chaotic rush job, and this interview only confirms it. I’m still not over how they decided to pair Seven and Rafi up for the stated reason that they looked cute together during photoshoots at San Diego Comic Con… for a show they were at least halfway through shooting!

Given Season 1’s rather robust character introduction to death pipeline, the story we got must have needed a LOT of propelling.

‘Robust introduction to the death pipeline’, LOL. What a wonderful way of putting it!

Right? I really like the idea of them together, but we didn’t seen the beginning of their relationship. We saw them suddenly decide to hold hands after meeting at the very end of the season. It’s clear the creators thought about it so much they were used to it and it felt real to them… but they forgot to involve US the audience in that process, which is the whole point. By season 2, the No Man’s Land audio drama did for me what PIC season 1 didn’t regarding them, so I’m on board now (should they choose to further explore it).

EDIT: Now that I think about it, though, this IS the season that gave us a scene where Jurati bones Rios in response to killing her partner under mind control, so it had already set a precedent of weird and inexplicable pairings.

His recollections of not having backstory thought about and not being told he was being killed off definitely jibe with what Jeri Ryan was saying about how they handled Seven at first. The character was unrecognizable on the page, and she said she had to go through some pretty elaborate mental hoops to come up with a justification for why the character’s voice was so drastically changed. She said Frakes and del Arco helped her enormously with that. They had to, the writers were probably putting out so many brush fires they couldn’t have helped solve this if they tried.

Loved his story about Whoopi. That was a very special shoot.

I think there was certainly some sort of clash in that first season and Chabon kind of seems to be in the middle of it. They had two distinct ideas with the Borg and Picards involved and wanted to have a connectedness with those ideas and they probably brought in Chabon to connect those and he wanted to have his own ideas involved with the show and couldn’t really get those two concepts together. It seems like a clash of egos and ideas of the different producers.

I distinctly remember while watching Picard Season 1 I thought, “oh my goodness. I know a lot more about this world and these characters than the writers do.” It was not a good feeling.

season 1 of picard was a missed opportunity. i feel like braga and moore could have made a better season long story arc. all the pieces were there, they just didn’t come together well. then season 2 happened and things got worse. but we will always have season 3 as one last hurrah for TNG and i feel content with TNG ending there (but i would love a STL series with the G, 7 and that new crew / cast)

Yes thank God for season three. It was nice to finally have some semblance of old Trek back and the characters were given proper roles again.

Season one had such great potential but ended up being a big failure. Not as bad as Discovery’s first season but close enough IMO..

And Hugh should have lived. Another big mistake. I was so excited for this show since I was so tired of going backwards and wax so excited to have some of the TNG characters back, but lots of problems there.

Nepenthe was definitely the standout that season along with the first few episodes. But it’s mostly a mess overall.

I think S1 of PIC would have flowed more smoothly if we had twelve episodes instead of ten. You have a three-part series premiere and basically a two-part season finale; so you’re left with only five episodes in the middle to flesh out the story and new characters.

I think you’re right. The season felt like hardly anything happened before it was over. It felt so rushed in the end and so much still left unresolved. We never heard about the XBs again.

Good interview. It is so sad they killed off Hugh. How does it propel the story? When Ro Laren dies in season 3, it directly affected not only the plot, but also the characters in a deep way. Her death meant something. When Hugh dies, it’s pointless. And yes, Hugh should have had a scene with Geordi.

When people ask me about the Picard series, I tell them to just skip the first two seasons.

Problem with S1 of PIC was that there were too many elements to make a cohesive season. They should have scaled it back a bit, because you could have has two seasons of PIC with the amount of material there were. Plus, I felt that the “edginess” that the producers were trying to go for was “forced”. Storytelling should always be an organic process, resulting in both a penultimate and conclusive episode.

I really disliked how the PIC showrunners made the BRP xB faction into another minority metaphor just to slaughter them all and not even resolve their story at the end. I recall Chabon being surprised that anyone cared when asked about it and it’s just…ffs, if we’re not supposed to care about the parts of the story specifically calculated to get an emotion reaction, why waste our time by putting it on screen? If Hugh’s death had, for example, been used as explicit character development for Elnor (who sorely needed it) that would have shown some thought was put into the whole thing, but nope. Complete waste of the character.

Well said, on all points!

And again, totally unnecessary to kill Hugh and Ro Laren.

And Bruce Maddox, Icheb, B4, Shelby. Probably several others I can’t recall because I’ve done my best to forget the nihilistic and terrible parts and remember the good things. All good things, hehe.

Even Picard!

Good point! I totally forgot about that.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Picard have literally no rewatch value for me. I’ll never see them again. And when I did see them ‘off’ Hugh for no good reason, I was heartily disappointed.

Per usual, totally agree with you. I was the biggest proponent for this show when it was announced. I didn’t object to a single idea or rumor about it. I was just so excited to get some of TNG cast back and to finally go forward again I didn’t even care what it was. I just trusted if Patrick Stewart agreed to come back then obviously it was going to be good and something very special.

Sadly couldn’t have been more wrong the first two seasons. Season 3 turned it around for me (but yes, I understand not for everyone though) but it was basically another show completely by then. Matalas obviously wanted a TNG reunion but he knew the show wasn’t really working and finally just gave what most fans wanted to see anyway. But if season one was just better received, my guess is they probably would’ve stuck to that direction of the show and brought in the TNG casts as part of that original direction instead of scrapping it completely and doing whatever he wanted.

I will never understand why didn’t they just make it a full on TNG show from the beginning? It sound like Stewart ego got in the way but fans wanted to see them all back.

I love Picard as a character but seeing him with new characters at this point of his life just felt strange. If he was on a starship at least that would’ve felt more realistic like Admiral Janeway in Prodigy.

Season 3 worked because he was with his family again and not with mostly random strangers. I never bought it even if I liked some of the characters.

I did understand Stewart’s thinking about it at the time. He didn’t want to be back on another Enterprise barking orders at Worf or Geordi when he had done that for 15 years and 20 years ago. I think in all reality he really did move on from Star Trek by then and it was going to have to be something major (besides money ;)) to get him back. He said in other interviews he was being pitched to return to the role on some level for years, as far back as 2012. So it sounds like SOMEONE wanted to try and bring TNG back for a long time; we just don’t know in what form (another show? TV movie?) but he turned them all down…until Kurtzman called him and came up with a radical departure.

And we got it for better or for worse.

And I did like the original Picard cast. And even now I felt bad most of them got the shaft in the third season. Hell most of them got the shaft in the second season lol. But I also agree it felt a bit forced. And I remember saying after season one ended how would they find a way to keep bringing them together? Because for Star Trek, it’s being in Starfleet or a part of it somehow that naturally creates that cohesion. And sure enough they basically put them all in Starfleet in season 2 lol.

If Stewart had said no to the idea of bringing back the TNG cast, they would’ve came up with something for season 3 but in all honesty they needed something to change the narrative or a reset after the first two seasons. Even if others liked them, they do have to admit most fans didn’t. And I think because the show had such a limited run, they had to go out with a bang to justify even having it because after season 2 I think most people just didn’t care anymore. I certainly didn’t. And that’s kind of sad seeing how much fanfare Stewart had returning. It would’ve royally sucked if the show had been considered a complete failure. Again, I know not everyone loves season 3 either but it did what many were hoping the first two seasons did and got fans excited about seeing these characters and era again. It’s a huge hit and the show went out with that bang. Maybe it went out a little too well because now people won’t stop talking about Legacy lol.

The bigger irony is Matalas had to talk Stewart into doing a TNG reunion season but now he keeps hinting he wants to do more with them, either more seasons or a movie. I guess the nostalgia of them all working together again had the same effect as old fans watching it.

I don’t know if we’ll ever see them together again, but it’s still Star Trek, so who knows?

Yes, per usual you laid out your thoughts well Tiger2! 🙂

And I understand Stewart wanted to do something different in the role but sorry how it was done was too lackluster for me. I liked most of the cast as well but it didn’t gel for me. They didn’t feel like a real team. First season was OK I guess because they gave them a reason to be there. But second season just felt like everything was done by convenience only. For starters. why were those people specifically sent to the past? Why did Q bring them specifically? We wouldn’t need to ask this if it was the other TNG characters because he knows all of them and their relationship to each other. But here it felt so random because it was.

And there is hardly any chemistry between them. Seven and Raffi relationship just felt forced. Elnor is a nice kid but I have no idea why he’s even there? What was his purpose? Jurati belonged in prison for killing her boyfriend and just felt ridiculous it was dropped so easily. Rios was great though and the only one I wish stayed longer besides Seven of course. There didn’t felt like any reason they were there together other than they are stars of the show. But they had little to no connection to each other. Not to mention the story was even worse that season one.

Now take season 3 and how those characters came together. Of course Picard and Riker were going to save Beverly and it went on from there. They were all given a reason to be there. And because they all deeply care about each other it wasn’t hard to figure out why they would join the mission. It was great to see them come together because they been coming together for over 30 years. That’s why I absolutely loved season 3.

And they certainly needed to swing direction after season 2. Picard overall is just a bad show. I still believe Discovery is easily worst but not by much. Season 3 fundamentally felt like a different show. It certainly wasn’t perfect either and still pales to some of the Golden age of 1966-2005. It would fall somewhere in the upper middle in terms of quality. For 700 episodes that is high IMO.

But for NuTrek, it might as well be considered a masterpiece haha.

I don/t know if you did this on purpose or not, but you left out Soji in season 2! But don’t feel bad, so did the show. ;)

As for Elnor, sadly I think that’s why they essentially just killed off his character in season 2 until the end. They would find ways to bring him back like that weird hologram scene and some flash back with Raffi, but basically sidelined. And having the Soji actress play a Soong clone in the past also was an odd choice. Again, just so strange. They couldn’t even find enough reason to use those characters fully in season 2; but you can say that for most of them. And what was the point of using the same actress who played Laris to also play a Traveler in the past?

The only thing I can think of is they were all contracted for the first two seasons and had to use them all in some way.

And I think maybe what would’ve been a better idea in the first two seasons if you didn’t want the complete TNG cast, but use one of those characters as another main character. Bring in Worf or Geordi and they are part of the mission too and that way you at least have one other long time character and someone Picard is really connected to and trusts. Raffi was basically suppose to be that character but she was still a stranger to the audience. And of course she could’ve still been there. I don’t think that addition would’ve made the seasons any better but it would’ve made sense for Picard to have one long time friend by his side.

I still say I’d be on board a Picard show where he stays on Earth and solves crimes from his chateau. Different is wonderful, but it’s always all about the writing.

Ha, ‘Inspector Picard’ sounds wonderful.

And I probably would’ve watched that with bells on lol

Oh and I’m still upset we didn’t get Janeway in season 3 even though they dropped her name a dozen times in it lol, but that’s life. Tuvok was a nice substitute as well! :)

Now that really bugged me. They teased and teased and teased Janeway throughout the entire season and she never showed up. I was waiting for the scene her and Seven reunited. It would’ve been such an emotional moment to see Janeway reaction to Seven becoming a Starfleet Captain. I knw she was proud to see Chakotay and Tuvok become Captains but Seven would’ve met so much to see how far she came.

Very disappointing but I hold out hope we will see our beautiful ladies together again! ❤️

Yep, fingers crossed!

I… like Season 2 in all its messy, incoherent glory. It’s an explosion of ideas that don’t really pay off in many ways but I am always entertained.

End of the day that’s all that matters. Someone got something out of a piece of entertainment then it did its job.

Agree with others here, Picard had lots of promise in the beginning in season one but it fell very short in the end. So much of that season just feels so confusing and anti-climatic. There are so many decisions they made that were questionable to say the least, one of the biggest was indeed killing off Hugh. A character we haven’t seen for three decades and the minute we get to see him back he’s gone just as fast. And I remember thinking that he was going to be around the rest of the series when I assumed that story line was going to continue in season two and we would see him eventually reunite with Geordi; which is what many people wanted to see. Not only did that not happen, they then threw out this idea he and Seven had became close friends but like so much of that season, we were never shown it, just told since they couldn’t be bothered to put them in a scene together before he was killed off. Season one ultimately felt like a huge misfire in the end. Not as bad as season two lol but for all the hype going in, it turned out deeply disappointing minus a few stand out episodes. A season I don’t know if I will ever watch again frankly.

But it is interesting that they were already coming up with a very different show before Stewart agreed to come back and with Hugh and Seven. I always assumed there was only the idea of a TNG inspired show and nothing beyond that. I think a Borg show would’ve been very interesting because I always want Star Trek to try and think outside the box a little. And not just always another show of Starfleet officers on a starship which ironically every show in NuTrek has ultimately become including Picard.

But it also proves that there are probably so many ideas they are pitching for these shows that we probably never even hear about.

Still bummed we never got a proper send off for Laris. Liked her. Sloppy writing, no shock there. In my head canon Picard went and met her at the bar she mentioned in the first episode of S3.

It’s absolutely crazy what they did with Laris as a character. I loved her too and was hoping to see more of her in season 3. But I remember a former poster here said she only worked one day in season 3 and that’s when I knew she was being discarded like the rest of them.

First season she was in the first three episodes and then disappeared once Picard left. In season two, I was hoping she got a much bigger role. They threw them together in this shot gun relationship after killing off her husband and built an entire story line of them being together just to dismiss it completely in season three. And technically she was only in the first and last episode of season 2. Why not just have her be part of the main story line and develop their relationship more instead of bringing in Talinn?

And yeah why even bother to give that line in season 3 that they would meet at the bar if they were going to have Picard just brush her off completely? I don’t think he even mentioned her name again once she left lol. It’s just tells you just how disjointed the writing was. The character deserved so much better.

Also it’s interesting that he brought up people like James Duff and Kirsten Beyer. I remember when Duff was hired because they made an article about it here and I don’t think we heard anything else about him since, now I know why lol. But I completely forgot Beyer herself is still making these shows. She had such a big presence at the beginning of Discovery and then Picard. But lately I don’t remember hearing much about her so I went on her IMDB page and discovered she’s still a part of the franchise and completely forgot she wrote an episode of SNW last season; sadly my least favorite one, “Among the Lotus Eaters”. But still nice she’s active. Just funny how some people gets so much attention in the media and then just disappears. Apparently she was a producer on Picard for all three seasons but I don’t remember her name even mentioned in season two or three and especially when the final season basically turned into the Terry Matalas show.

And speaking of people disappearing, it’s still crazy to me how much fanfare Michael Chabon got when he joined the franchise and thought he was going to be around for quite a while. I have never heard of him until he joined Star Trek. I think his time on that show was super rocky considering how the season turned out and he left before the show before the season even aired. He was around when it was airing but disappeared completely after that and cut ties never to speak about Star Trek again. I think there is a huge rift we’re not hearing about for him to come and go so fast.

I think you are completely correct about Chabon. There seems to be some serious conflict that happened in the background as Chabon really doesn’t even want to talk about Trek at all anymore. And the sad part this is probably why we will never get another literary figure to write or produce for Trek ever again.

Even during season 1 it became clear from interviews by Chabon that the show we got was kind of a hodgepodge of ideas from different producers and that he wasn’t necessarily happen with all of them even though he was officially the showrunner. Based on Del Arco’s remarks here, it sounds like the Borg storyline came from James Duff. If I remember correctly, the strange Romulan love/spy triangle came from Akiva Goldsman. It is noteworthy that basically all open plot points from season 1 were dropped in season 2, and season 3 went on to actively undo stuff from season 1 (and season 2). So if he wasn’t happy with his time on season 1, and then basically everything he did got erased as soon as he left, I could understand that he may feel a bit bitter or sad and not want to talk about it anymore. Especially if he was a big fan and doing Trek was his life’s dream, this could have been be a very disappointing experience for him.

The Narek/Narissa thing was my least favourite part of S1, so it tracks Goldsman was responsible for it. The man is a disaster when it comes to Star Trek.

Oh the Romulan sibling incest thing was definitely Goldsman idea. He talked about it explicitly in one interview and said not only was it his idea, he wanted them to have a sexual relationship but was (not surprisingly) overruled. But he still had enough clout to imply there was at least something going on.

And I also think they greatly changed a lot of things because I remember originally at least the story in season one was suppose to carry on in the next season and probably through the entire show like the Dominion War on DS9. But that was obviously dropped. And like you said, it wasn’t just dropped, but they didn’t even reference any of the plot points from season one in season two outside of Picard being an android. Again, who knows, but if true, I can see how that would bother Chabon if he had fleshed out this bigger story and all of it was changed or side lined. I can see him not being happy about that obviously.

Either way, it’s very obvious that season had too many cooks or just constantly change things because it did feel really disjointed. It’s still crazy we spent 9 episodes on a Borg cube and that story line went nowhere in the end.

It’s strange for someone who said they not only loved Star Trek but said getting the job was a career high for him to basically just walk away and not look back. AFAIK, he was the one who decided to leave as well after just one season. I do remember something about his novel being adapted to a show and that was supposedly why he left. But that obviously never happened and he looks like he had no desire to return to Star Trek.

And I can imagine being your first time running a TV show and one with so much hype there must’ve been a lot of craziness behind the scenes. I think just like what happened with Bob Orci and the third Kelvin movie, we’ll probably never know the true reasons why he left.

but the season was easily the best picard season

If you’re talking about season one qe definitely disagree but happy you enjoyed it more than I did.

Chabon is a wonderful novelist and a big Star Trek fan. He’s written essays/short stories about Trek. Not in universe, of course. Knowing this I was really excited. I feel sorry for him. Probably had to sign an NDA

Picard was such a shitty, hapazard series. A complete mess from begining to to slightly better end. I glad it ended before it destroyed star Trek. Somany characters and plots deserved so much better writing and execution than they got.

It was never going to destroy Star Trek. Stop being dramatic.

‘fridging’ icheb was way worse.

As a motivation for a one-off episode that didn’t even shape the character in the rest of the series? Yeah, absolutely disgraceful.

Indeed. And needlessly grotesque.

That was a Frakes episode.

Interesting. I still have an overall positive opinion about Frakes as a director, just not for that episode.

Yeah, I was sitting in a hospital, eating lunch and waiting for my son to get out of surgery, when I saw that eyeball being pulled out. That, I did NOT need that day…

There was no point in it being so grisly. You can give Seven of Nine the same unoriginal arc and not have to show the gore and torture. Imagine being a kid watching Voyager and getting attached to Icheb, then finding out there’s a sequel show with Seven in it…

Oof, that’s rough. How’s your son doing?

There was no creative reasoning behind killing Hugh. You have to be a capable and creative writer and Chabon and Goldsman are neither of those things.

Unfortunately, he strikes to the heart of the matter- there was NO point in killing Hugh; it was needless and gratuitous. Getting Seven there could be so simple- she just stays with Picard and crew and stays with Elnor. Or the command functions ‘will only respond to a female drone’ because they’re keyed to the Queen.

That was the major problem with season 1 of Picard- Icheb, Hugh, Bruce Maddox… all the legacy character deaths were totally narratively unnecessary, and just there for cheap shock value. It really tainted what could have been a decent season, because it turned into this weird mix of nostalgic reunions and gratuitous slasher film.

Season 1 of Picard was all build-up and no pay off. Soji saves the day by literally waving her hands about. The writers admitted they had no idea how the story was going to end and they were making it up as they went along. It’s probably one of my least favourite seasons of Trek ever produced. Just awful.

Screen Rant

Star trek’s next show has the franchise’s most exciting villain since picard.

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Where You've Seen Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's Cast Before

Star trek’s next show will finally explain discovery’s controversial detached nacelles , dr. bashir should have ended star trek: ds9’s dominion war, but he was a liability.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy boasts the franchise's most exciting new villain since Star Trek: Picard season 3 introduced Amanda Plummer as Captain Vadic. Starfleet Academy, executive produced by co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, is currently in production at the Star Trek Stage in Toronto, Canada. Targeting a 2026 premiere on Paramount+, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is headlined by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter and Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti, who plays the show's recurring villain .

Star Trek boasts a cavalcade of legendary villains like Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) and the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), but it's not often Star Trek TV series announce their villains beforehand . Star Trek on Paramount+'s shows like to keep as much under wraps as possible to avoid spoilers. A recent exception is Star Trek: Picard season 3, which revealed from the outset that Amanda Plummer was playing the villainous Vadic . Not only is Plummer Star Trek royalty as the daughter of Christopher Plummer, who played Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 's heavy, General Chang, but Amanda left fans breathless with her villainous turn as Vadic in Picard season 3.

Paul Giamatti Is Star Trek’s Most Exciting New Villain

Move over, captain vadic.

Casting Paul Giamatti in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a major coup, and setting the Emmy and Golden Globe winner up as the next Star Trek show's villain is ideal. Giamatti is a highly respected actor and an A-list star who has delivered multiple barnburner performances in films like Sideways and The Holdovers, and TV series like John Adams and Billions. Giamatti is also a lifelong Star Trek fan who is now living his dream of being part of the franchise. Certainly, Paul Giamatti will garner curious audiences to take a look at Starfleet Academ y, as he's among the most unexpected actors cast in Star Trek .

Star Trek's next series, Starfleet Academy, counts Academy Award-caliber actors and a crew of new faces in its growing cast.

The details of who Paul Giamatti is playing in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy are being kept under wraps. Giamatti has always wanted to play a Klingon, but it's unknown what form Paul's Starfleet Academy villain will take. Giamatti is also only recurring in Starfleet Academy, but there's no doubt Paul will maximize his time on screen to be impactful and memorable. Giamatti dreamed of joining Star Trek for his entire career, and Starfleet Academy is bound to unleash something special with Paul Giamatti that could rank among the greatest Star Trek villains.

What We Know About Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Star trek's future is in production now.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set after the end of Star Trek: Discovery , and it continues Star Trek 's 32nd-century era. Set in space and in San Francisco, Starfleet Academy introduces a new young cast of fresh faces pursuing their dreams of becoming Starfleet Officers. However, a new threat to the United Federation of Planets - which is likely Paul Giamatti's Star Trek villain - and the cadets learning of the Federation's sins complicate their lives as they grow, pursue love, and learn what it takes to be a part of Starfleet.

Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti lead Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 's cast of young actors, and they will also be joined by a handful of Star Trek legacy characters . Mary Wiseman as Lt. Sylvia Tilly, Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno, Oded Fehr as Admiral Charles Vance will all return from Star Trek: Discovery . In addition, The Doctor (Robert Picardo) from Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Prodigy will also be part of Starfleet Academy, which is filming on the biggest set ever constructed for Star Trek . What kind of havoc Paul Giamatti's villain will wreak on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy remains to be seen, but it should be nothing less than epic.

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

10 Favorite Star Trek Musical Pieces

😲 Comment below (without indignation, if possible), or post your personal list. The Star Trek franchise has brought forth numerous great pieces of music. Here are excerpts from the ten I personally find most memorable, so much that I occasionally find myself humming some of them.

10 Ilia's Theme

Ilia's theme is the first of three pieces from the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" on my list. It is the arguably most emotional one of my favorite tunes. And while I admit it may be a bit too prominent in the movie itself, it works very well in the context of the soundtrack CD.

9 Star Trek Title Theme

The TOS title music by Alexander Courage is the most recognizable Star Trek sound still today. It consists of the ten-note opening fanfare during Shatner's narration, followed by the theme that is accompanied by Loulie Jean Norman's high-pitched voice since season 2. Gene Roddenberry famously wrote very corny and practically unsingable lyrics for the theme so he could claim 50% of the royalties. The only one who knows how to perform the song seems to be Jack Black . I hope he paid the royalties...

8 Klingon Battle

The "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" soundtrack is marked by single pieces that serve very distinct purposes and are anything but generic background music. In this regard, "Klingon Battle" is the probably most successful piece, as it has become a signature tune for the Klingons. It was re-used in TNG: "Heart of Glory" and in "Star Trek: First Contact", for instance.

7 "Star Trek (2009)" End Credits

Michael Giacchino composed the soundtracks for "Star Trek (2009)" and the two subsequent Abramsverse movies, including a very recognizable common main theme. This aptly sets apart the more bombastic new movie universe from classic Star Trek. In his end credits we can hear an updated TOS theme, and Giacchino does something ingenious by gradually blending in the Abramsverse theme so the two become one.

6 "Star Trek: First Contact" Title Theme

The "First Contact" theme is another masterpiece by Jerry Goldsmith, both in terms of the melody and the instrumentation. In the opening of the movie, its optimistic mood abruptly and shockingly makes way for the Picard's creepy assimilation scene. It gives me goosebumps even when I only listen to it.

5 Star Trek: Voyager Title Theme

Jerry Goldsmith composed a powerful yet very optimistic title theme for Star Trek: Voyager. This music got me hooked immediately when I first watched the series. Ahead of the DS9 theme with its similar style and way ahead of most of the recent Trek music, this is the best instrumental series theme in my view.

4 Faith of the Heart

The Enterprise title theme, composed by Diane Warren and performed by Russell Watson, is, without a doubt, the most controversial music ever produced for Star Trek. There were vocal protests and petitions to replace the song. It is ultimately a matter of taste. Besides liking the song, I think that its lyrics as well as the modesty of its sound perfectly fit the idea of the series. It really doesn't always have to be fanfares!

3 "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" Title Theme

Jerry Goldsmith composed the title theme for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", which was re-used for "Star Trek: The Final Frontier" and, in a somewhat more "tinny" sounding variation for Star Trek: The Next Generation. The optimistic, catchy and often played theme has earned the status of something like a "national anthem" of Star Trek. I often find myself whistling it, so it clearly deserves a top rank in this list.

2 "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" Title Theme

As soon as in the ominous first few seconds of the "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" title theme, we know that we are up for an extraordinary soundtrack (and an exciting movie). James Horner is known for his prominent brass sounds and humming violins, and I recognized them in unrelated movies too, without knowing it was Horner's music. A top rank for this very stirring piece of Trek music.

1 Battle in the Mutara Nebula

"Battle in the Mutara Nebula" is the one piece in "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" that beats even the title theme. It has a dramaturgy that, of course, follows the events on screen. But even when I listen to the soundtrack without visuals, the score is much like a symphony. There are some more silent parts in the music that are hardly noticeable in the movie and that tie everything together to an uninterrupted experience. A masterpiece!

Honorable mentions: "Archer's Theme" from the Enterprise end credits and the bass guitar riff from TOS known as "Spock's Theme" narrowly didn't make this list. Kudos also to Lower Decks for bringing back the catchy title music from the 80's and 90's.

Classical Music in Star Trek - identification of the various pieces and their composers, complete with sound files

https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/rankings/ten-favorite-themes.htm

Last modified: 27 Sep 2024

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Fleet Yards

Why Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Avery Brooks Changed His Benjamin Sisko Look

Most "Star Trek" captains have a signature look. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) both have truly fabulous hair, while Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is known for being clean-shaven and bald. But "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" captain Benjamin Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, went through a bit more change than the average leader on the series. It makes sense in the show;  Sisko is arguably the best and most complex "Star Trek" captain , and he goes through the stresses of commanding a space station during a terrible war. Anyone who grows and changes as much as he does is bound to alter their appearance a bit, but the real-life reasons for Sisko's changing looks between the seasons were a little more frustrating.

Throughout most of the first three seasons of "Deep Space Nine," Brooks is clean-shaven, growing a goatee toward the end of season 3. In the season 4 premiere, though, he's kept the beard and shaved his head, and the change is enormous. Not only does he look different, but the entire vibe is different, and it helps take Sisko to another level as a character. He also finally gets a promotion from commander to captain, and it seems like the power dynamics shifted behind-the-scenes a bit, too.

Why Avery Brooks changed his look

The writers of "Deep Space Nine" clearly had a hard time figuring out how to write Sisko to begin with, with writer Ira Steven Behr initially believing the character was a mistake for the series. Behr would eventually change his tune, however, and help fight for a change in the character's appearance that would help make Brooks more comfortable in the role. Initially, executives believed that it would be a problem for Brooks to have the same goatee and shaved head as Sisko that he had playing enforcer Hawk on the TV shows "Spenser for Hire" and "A Man Called Hawk." Their reasoning? According to studio executive Kerry McCluggage in the documentary "What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," they "thought it would be a mistake to go, for lack of a better term, 'street.'"

Eventually, Behr and executive producer/writer Rick Berman teamed up to convince McCluggage to let Brooks have a look he was more comfortable with — a rare team-up between the pair, who usually couldn't agree on much of anything . McCluggage thankfully backed off of his (honestly pretty racist) reasoning and Brooks was able to appear as his most authentic self, which had a major impact on his performance. 

Some slightly racist reasoning

In "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years" by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, screenwriter Robert Hewitt Wolfe questioned the initial logic, asking "Why shouldn't you let the guy look like himself?" Meanwhile, Terry Farrell, who played science officer Jadzia Dax, was a bit more blunt about it:

"Avery wanted that look from day one. For us, the notion of the white man 'holding us down' is not a thing, but for Avery it was. I can't even imagine what the poor man went through with those guys. With Rick Berman. It's like they stripped him of his power. But then as soon as he got to be his physical image and he stopped looking like a Black Ken doll — I'm sorry, it's true! — and got to look like his vision of Sisko, it was like night and day."

Farrell is right on the money (about the Ken doll thing too), because it's clear that Brooks is much more comfortable in the Starfleet uniform once he has a look he identifies with, and Sisko becomes a much more powerful figure in the process. Strong Black men in heroic positions were incredibly rare on television in the mid-1990s, so Sisko was groundbreaking in many ways. Initially, the show tried to make him a bit too "Middle American," in the words of actor J.G. Hertzler, who played the Klingon commander Martok, but the right move was to let Brooks actually draw on his Blackness and who he really was. 

Let Sisko be sexy

Sisko doesn't just feel restrained in those early episodes, but he also feels a bit neutered, too. In "What We Left Behind," Penny Johnson Jerald, who played Sisko's love interest, freighter captain Kasidy Yates, explained it simply, saying, "When the bald came, and that goatee, that had some strength, like you can't even communicate. It was terribly sexy." Their onscreen chemistry changed too, as the pair's relationship deepened. Unlike Kirk and Picard , Sisko actually raised his son, Jakes (Cirroc Lofton), and his relationship with Kasidy was occasionally fraught but deeply romantic. From season 4 onward, Benjamin Sisko is a bonafide Daddy in more ways than one. Sexiness in "Star Trek" is important , after all, and the franchise's first Black captain should get to be a part of that legacy.

It's worth noting that the change in appearance also comes with Sisko's promotion, and Brooks started directing more episodes as well, including the season 6 masterpiece "Far Beyond the Stars." All of this led to Brooks taking a real position of power onscreen, cementing himself as one of the greatest television characters of all time.