Picard Season 3 Is A Direct Sequel To Star Trek’s Two Best Series
Patrick Stewart returns to helm the Enterprise this February in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard. The new season reunites the surviving crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but according to showrunner Terry Matalas, the show’s conclusion is much more than a TNG sequel. Per a report from Comicbook.com, fans can expect the upcoming season to continue the stories of Deep Space Nine and Voyager as well.
The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager are united by time, with each show taking place in the latter half of the 24th century. Picard takes the franchise to the dawn of the 25th century, and Matalas is keenly aware of the temporal connection between some of Star Trek’s most beloved characters. The third season is poised to be not only a finale for Captain Picard, but for an entire era of Star Trek.
The exact influence of Deep Space Nine and Voyager on the impending season of Picard is somewhat a mystery. The return of Seven of Nine is a link to Voyager, and Worf’s comeback ties to both TNG and DS9. What makes Worf’s return particularly interesting is Matalas’s hints that the Dominion War, an event from DS9, will have consequences for Picard and the crew of the Enterprise.
Whether or not there are more tie-ins to characters or plots from the beloved 90s shows remains a secret.
The show promises a triumphant return of classic characters and iconic music that are sure to make Trek fans smile. A new addition to the cast, however, is shrouded in darkness. Amanda Plummer takes on a villainous role whose origins are not yet known. Evidently, she is a character whose past is tied to 90s Trek, but how deep and wide that connection goes is something fans will have to wait for.
Season three of Picard is poised as a sendoff for a whole host of beloved characters. The cast, it seems, may have different plans; many of them remain open to more Trek stories down the line, including Patrick Stewart, who tossed out the idea of doing another movie. Alex Kurtzman, head producer of Star Trek, downplayed the cast’s zealous attitude, but didn’t close the door on the opportunity.
Whether or not there is more to come for the characters from 24th century Star Trek may depend largely on the outcome of Picard season three, both in terms of story and reception. The cast seems excited for more and, as Matalas noted, this era of Star Trek is rich. There is a lot left to explore for this expansive cast of characters, and as Trek has shown us since the 1960s, not even time is always as constraining as we might believe.
Just how exactly Picard will act as a sequel to Deep Space Nine and Voyager is something fans can explore themselves when the show premieres February 16th, 2023 on Paramount+. In the meantime, the streaming service is the home for 90s Star Trek, so fans can brush up before Picard brings an entire era of Starfleet to an epic end.
