The reunion of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s cast makes Star Trek: Picard season 3 the franchise’s biggest event in 28 years since Star Trek Generations in 1994. There is fervent anticipation from Trekkers to see Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) back together with his entire crew from the USS Enterprise-D and E. True, Brent Spiner is playing Lore, not the late Commander Data, but every TNG fan is thankful that all of the actors are able to be part of this reunion. The complete TNG cast hasn’t been together since Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002, but Star Trek: Picard season 3 is bigger than any Star Trek movie.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 reuniting the entire TNG cast has instant pop culture cache beyond Star Trek’s fandom. TNG is beloved and has been consistently on television or streaming since its 1987 premiere. An entire generation considers The Next Generation to be the core Star Trek series, and Picard to be the greatest Captain, not just of the Enterprise but of the entire franchise. Plus even non-fans know who Captain Picard is and can name Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Data, Worf (Michael Dorn), and the Enterprise. Adding to the interest is the fact that Star Trek: Nemesis was not a fitting ending for this group of legends, which means Star Trek: Picard season 3 gets to right a 20-year-old wrong by giving TNG‘s icons one more adventure to save the galaxy together. It’s easily the biggest Star Trek event since Captain Picard met Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).
Kirk Meeting Picard In Generations Was Star Trek’s Last Mega-Event
Star Trek Generations was the last, true mega-event for the franchise. Although Generations was originally intended to have the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series meeting the cast of The Next Generation, Captain Picard and Captain Kirk teaming up for the first time was still the biggest moment of its era for Star Trek and pop culture on the whole. The fact that Captain Kirk died at the end of Star Trek Generations made the movie undeniably historic. Laudably, Star Trek has never resurrected Kirk, which enhances Generations‘ overall significance even if most fans found the film disappointing in general.
Further, the biggest Star Trek events in the 1990s revolved around Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek Generations was the culmination of TNG‘s apex in 1994, which was the year of its 7th and final season before taking over the movie franchise. TNG became the only Star Trek series to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in 1994, and the TNG series finale, “All Good Things,” is considered one of the finest final episodes in TV history. But while Star Trek has celebrated milestone anniversaries and several films since, including J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek in 2009, and the return of Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in 2020, bringing back the entire TNG cast in Picard season 3 is a colossal moment for the Star Trek franchise.
Will The TNG Cast Reunion Continue After Picard Season 3?
The big question that will follow Star Trek: Picard season 3 will be whether this really will be the end for the TNG cast. The actors have gone on the public record about how much they enjoyed working together again, and how Picard season 3 needn’t be their last ride. Patrick Stewart himself has stated he would return for another TNG movie, and his fellow castmates have cultivated public support for a new film, a fourth season of Picard, or a TNG-centric spinoff.
Star Trek: Picard season 3’s nostalgia overload of seeing Jean-Luc Picard, Will Riker, Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf, and Brent Spiner as Lore together again can’t be overestimated. It’s understandable why most of the cast from Star Trek: Picard season 1 were written out to make room for the TNG icons, but Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) remain to link the original incarnation of the series to the TNG-focused Picard season 3. For Star Trek fans and the franchise itself, there is no bigger event than TNG back together in Star Trek: Picard season 3. It’s a moment Star Trek has waited an entire generation for.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premieres February 16, 2023, on Paramount+.
