Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Story Will Continue In Picard Season 3
Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas says the third season will tie in to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, although exact plot details aren't known.
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For 90s Star Trek fans eager for their beloved characters to return, Picard showrunner Terry Matalas has made it so. TrekMovie.com reports that Matalas thought the third and final season of Picard might be better titled Star Trek Legacy as it unites characters and elements from not only The Next Generation, but Voyager and Deep Space Nine as well. The Starfleet blasts from the past will band together to take on villains new and old, all of whom are said to have a connection to 90s-era Star Trek.
Deep Space Nine is a divisive topic among Trek fans. The first Star Trek series to not be developed under the overseeing eye of Gene Roddenberry, DS9 takes place primarily on a space station, subverting the prior prime directive of Star Trek structure which was to traverse the cosmos in a feat of exploration. DS9 never reached the heights of The Next Generation in terms of popularity, but its loyal fanbase can hope to feel validated by the successor of all 90s Trek, Picard.
Matalas stated in an interview that he wishes for fans of Deep Space Nine to feel represented in the third season of Picard. He acknowledged that the mythos of Star Trek expanded considerably during the runs of DS9 and Voyager, and it would be a mistake not to tap into that richness when telling a story as cumulative as the one he’s cooked up for Jean-Luc’s sendoff season. What that means, exactly, can only be speculated.
The most obvious connection to DS9 teased so far is the return of Worf. Michael Dorn is set to reprise his role as the cantankerous Klingon, who began his Star Fleet tenure on The Next Generation and joined Deep Space Nine in the show’s fourth season. Worf reunites with his Enterprise crew in season three of Picard, but the character’s experiences from Deep Space Nine, namely the Dominion War, are teased to be major factors in the upcoming story.
Worf’s inclusion suggests that Matalas and company are reaching deep into the canon to pull out all the stops for the finale season of Picard. In addition to Deep Space Nine, the continued inclusion of Seven of Nine, played by returning actress Jeri Ryan, connects Star Trek: Voyager to the story as well. With a host of TNG characters already set to make an appearance, one can only wonder what else Matalas has up his sleeve.
It has been a long time since Deep Space Nine has made an appearance in a Trek show. That is, until the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks featured the famed space station in an episode earlier this year. DS9 fans can take comfort knowing that the creatives behind the current era of Star Trek recognize them, and are taking efforts to honor the legacy of Captain Sisko and crew.
The future of Star Trek on the big screen is uncertain for now, but Starfleet adventures are alive and well on Paramount+. Patrick Stewart returns to helm his final adventure as Jean-Luc Picard on February 16, 2023. The streamer will release the third season’s ten episodes one at a time each Thursday in the United States.
