review star trek picard season 3

You are not prepared for the final season of Star Trek: Picard

The last season of Picard is truly wild, and while it’s filled with action, it never seems to lose that sense of wonder that makes Star Trek Star Trek.

By Alex Cranz , managing editor and co-host of The Vergecast. She oversaw consumer tech coverage at Gizmodo for five years. Her work has also appeared in the WSJ and Wired.

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Two old men stare at a younger blond woman. They are all dressed in Star Trek uniforms.

After two middling but slowly improving seasons of Star Trek: Picard , the show has returned for one last hurrah — and god damn, was it worth the rest. If you have ever considered yourself a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation (or even, to a lesser extent, Deep Space Nine or Voyager ), then get ready for the love letter coming your way on February 16th.

While this season puts its characters in terrible spots, and there are rumors a few will die by season’s end, this wild ride has a real genuine affection for all the players. It's the absolute most fun I’ve had watching Paramount Plus’ myriad of Star Trek shows. And part of my love of this final season comes from how excited the show is to take some of Star Trek ’s most flawless heroes and find the humanity in them. These characters are messy dumbasses, and it makes the adventure all the better.

Back in Deep Space Nine , Worf, new to the station and struggling with the many conflicting personalities of the crew, speaks fondly of the crew of the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. “We were like warriors from the ancient sagas,” he says wistfully, “there was nothing we could not do.” Which was true. The crew of TNG fought gods, survived wars, discovered new species, traveled through time, got turned into monsters and back to people again, and occasionally got busy with alien ghosts inhabiting antique candles (you had to be there).

An older woman points a phase rifle at someone off-screen.

But the problem with TNG was the characters seemed to be without significant flaws. Sure, Picard liked Shakespeare a bit too much, Riker had his love of the trombone, and Troi’s fatal flaw was her love of chocolate. But when put up against other crews, like the Deep Space Nine one (it had a terrorist on the team!) and Voyager (it had multiple terrorists on the team!), the TNG crew felt more sanitized. For many fans, this was the boring crew.

Yet, if you squinted, you could see where the show glossed over what might be some significant character issues. Picard’s love of adventure got him killed multiple times, while Crusher was so sure of herself she’d regularly ignore commands and once even was convinced the universe was the broken one. Riker cracked jokes and put his career first to avoid intimacy, and Geordi LaForge was so obsessed with engineering he fell in love with a hologram. These characters have always had flaws, but they rarely, if ever, drove the action.

Until Star Trek: Picard .

Twenty years after Nemesis , this crew’s last big adventure together, they’ve all returned, and they finally feel like messy humans instead of warriors from the ancient sagas. Picard and Riker race to save Crusher, Worf deals with a new threat to the Federation, and Troi, Geordi and whoever Brent Spiner is playing this time around get caught up in the action too. They all still feel like the characters of TNG — only pried out of the 1990s syndicated space adventure mold and put into the 2020s prestige streaming show mold.

A young Black woman dressed in a Starfleet uniform stares at something off screen with concern.

Watching the first six episodes of this season, I kept thinking this was what it must have felt like to be a fan of the original series and finally get great movies like Wrath of Kahn and The Voyage Home . These are still the same characters, played by the same actors, but we’re seeing them in a way the original show never could have allowed. And I don’t just mean that it’s more violent, although Worf does dismember some people. Sometimes the characters make bad decisions in Picard . They mess up. They fight.

But when you worry Picard is starting to feel like a too-edgy sequel, there will be little moments of wonder you can only get in Star Trek . New discoveries. Clever puzzles that get solved. Old villains reappear and feel more menacing thanks to the bigger budget and better special effects of Picard .

Picard and Riker flank Seven of Nine on the bridge of the Titan. They are all seated, with Seven seated in the center.

Like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, this feels like a proper Star Trek show in a way a lot of live-action Star Trek has failed to. But because these are characters we’ve known since 1987, there’s real emotional weight to these adventures. And some shockingly good acting. Jeri Ryan is back as Seven of Nine, and she continues to steal every scene she’s in by virtue of just being that good, but she’s not carrying the whole show on her back like she sometimes did the last two seasons. Patrick Stewart seems to sometimes doze his way through Picard , but there’s a scene with him and Gates McFadden’s Crusher that will have you sitting up straight — eyes glued to the screen. Michael Dorn and Michelle Hurd both have their own scene-stealing moments as Worf and Raffi, respectively, and in one scene, Brent Spiner reminds us of why he and his characters Data and Lore had such fervent followings in the ’90s. There’s something a little electric as all these characters come together.

There are still four episodes of Star Trek: Picard I haven’t seen, and the show could drop the ball spectacularly. The wildness of this show (you should really make an effort to avoid all spoilers) could veer into absolutely absurd territory. But in these first six episodes, you have a very goofy, very thrilling, and very fun sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Star Trek: Picard airs weekly on Paramount Plus beginning February 16 .

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Picard season 3 is great for me, less great for Star Trek

The Paramount Plus show is a little too good of a goodbye

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I should start by noting that I am probably, by most fans’ reckoning, a Star Trek Casual. I grew up at a time when there was a lot of Star Trek on TV — three shows at once! — and absorbed a lot of the stuff by both osmosis and by having family members that were super into the various adventures chronicled in The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager . Personally, I had a great time watching these shows, but I was mostly just along for the ride. That’s how I’d describe my level of investment in Star Trek: Along for the ride, and happy to be here.

From this standpoint, the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard was a wild success. While re-tooling the floundering series to be a full-on The Next Generation reunion read as an obvious Hail Mary play to go out with a bang (and maybe an apology for Star Trek: Nemesis ), it managed to do so while remaining earnest throughout, turning things around by not just bringing back the cast of The Next Generation , but by doing so in what turned out to be an ode to all of ’90s Trek .

Personally, I had a great time. My Trek knowledge is mostly built around major touchpoints; the big fan-favorite things that everyone knows about Trek in general and The Next Generation in particular. Q , The Borg, “make it so,” all that stuff. Picard is playing a tune just for me. It’s also, unfortunately, very much ending things in a narrative cul-de-sac: not just sending off its characters, but much of what they represented.

[ Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the end of Picard .]

Picard has ultimately made a mistake big franchises often make when their stewards’ primary interest is playing the hits: It makes its world smaller by making everything tie back to its legacy heroes. Its endgame literally makes nostalgia both the weapon that threatens to destroy the galaxy and the only thing that can save it: The Borg have, through Picard’s son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), found a way to splice themselves into the genome of every Starfleet member that’s used a teleporter. The few immune? Older folks. Namely, The Next Generation cast.

The cast of TNG on the deck of the Enterprise in the finale of Picard season 3

This is the broadest and funniest way that Picard has traded The Next Generation ’s legacy as a thought-provoking show that was foundational to a whole era of science fiction for spectacle and sentiment, the former spectacularly empty-headed, and the latter just genuine enough to endear those who aren’t sticklers for narrative cohesion. Picard is all over the place , waving around the most iconic foes of ’90s Star Trek in the Changelings and The Borg, while completely eschewing what made them interesting ideological foils to Jean-Luc Picard and the Federation he represents .

As Picard digs into its initial antagonists, the Changeling Vadic (Amanda Plummer) and the crew of her ship The Shrike , the series reveals that she and her cohort are different from the Changelings of the Deep Space Nine era , enhanced by cruel experimentation by Federation scientists that Picard was not aware of. It’s a huge moral crisis, especially for a character that’s positioned as the moral center of Starfleet, and it’s all rather quickly elided to dispose of Vadic in favor of the real threat: a resurgent Borg, this time almost entirely represented by the Borg Queen, as few drones exist anymore.

Not only is this far less complex than the Changeling dilemma, it’s also — to briefly stake a claim in a meaningless war that’s been waged since Star Trek: First Contact was released — even more antithetical to the Borg’s whole raison d’etre than they’ve ever been. The main reason I can abide this is simply due to the fact that Picard doesn’t dwell on any of it. It’s a pretty thoughtless show when it comes to thoughts that don’t revolve around the Next Generation cast members saying nice things to one another and saving everyone from certain disaster one last time.

In “The Last Generation,” Picard sets up a new crew that could carry the legacy of The Next Generation onward — a curious notion, given that Star Trek: Discovery ostensibly exists for that purpose, Strange New Worlds is here to provide a modern spin on Roddenberry’s first Star Trek , and Prodigy and Lower Decks refract the mission of Star Trek for younger audiences and comedy, respectively.

If the speculative “Star Trek: Legacy” — which may only exist in Picard ’s coda — were to be realized, it’s hard to feel particularly inspired about where it might go. In the end, Picard took us on a hell of a ride, but it too definitively asserted that Jean-Luc Picard and his friends were the be-all, end-all of this era of Trek. They played the hits big and loud, and even I, a Trek casual, could smile and sing along with them. I just wonder if anyone remembers what brought us here to begin with.

Picard is now streaming on Paramount Plus.

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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.

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.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

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'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3 Review: The 'Next Generation' Reunion We've Been Waiting For

Patrick Stewart brings the TNG crew back together for their most character-driven adventure.

Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 marks the third and final voyage for Patrick Stewart's iconic captain, and I'm pleased to log that it follows the prime directive for a Star Trek show: It's really good. Make it so!

Episode 1 of Picard season 3 is streaming now on Paramount Plus in the US, with new episodes following every Thursday (it's on Amazon Prime Video around the globe). Even in just a couple of seasons, the show has fallen into something of a formula: Captain -- sorry, Admiral -- Picard is trying to enjoy his retirement on his vineyard when he's galvanized into action by a mysterious message for his eyes only. Along the way, he quickly encounters a former Trek star now transformed into a badass killing machine, for some reason. And a familiar baddie emerges in a new and much scarier form.

Following a few crowd-pleasing cameos in previous instalments, season 3 completes the reunion of the classic cast of The Next Generation. Patrick Stewart is joined by the rest of the cast of the beloved 1990s Trek series in which we first met Picard and crew, and it's a joy to see them back in action. Who wouldn't enjoy the japes of Stewart's Picard and Jonathan Frakes' Will Riker bunking together on a rogue mission? And fans who were on the fence about new Trek can bathe in the nostalgia of the distinctive Next Generation font, or the TNG theme blaring over Easter egg-packed closing credits.

On the other hand, the show refuses to take the easy path imagining a future for the beloved characters. You might wince at Gates McFadden's Beverley Crusher John Wick-ing aliens with a phaser rifle, and nobody really needs Jean-Luc Picard wearing leather jackets and saying "fuck." But there's a genuine sense that life has happened to these people. They haven't just been preserved in a transporter buffer for 30 years waiting to be beamed down the same way we used to know them. Seeing Riker's cockiness tempered by tragedy, or Picard facing a mistake he never knew he made, is heartbreaking -- but, y'know, in a fun way.

It's not perfect, of course. Even though she kicks off the series, Crusher is quickly upstaged by the new character she brings with her. And having watched the first half of the 10-episode season, I noticed that some of the crew still haven't turned up at all. But judging from the episodes I have seen, I have faith they'll be treated in interesting and respectful ways. It's particularly great to see Worf kicking ass and being funny without ever being the butt of the joke.

Familiar faces don't just show up for the sake of it, for a crowd-pleasing back-slapping lap of honor. There's a particularly compelling cameo a few episodes in that drives the story and challenges Picard to face an ugly side of himself, Stewart sinking his teeth into his portrayal of a 30-year-old grudge. That particular cameo (no spoilers) also reminds us that old-school Trek did in fact develop its characters and their flaws. Classic Trek was more than capable of complicating their lives, and didn't always deliver happy (or predictable) endings.

Picard presents a challenge to old-school fans, but that's good. The show isn't comfort viewing, or a nostalgic rehash. It genuinely justifies its existence, moving forward the characters and the Trek universe.

The season starts with Crusher up to no good, calling in Picard and Riker (and Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine, returning from previous seasons) for a less-than-legit mission into deep space. Picard must face both his personal demons and a horrifyingly powerful new enemy (played with giggling intensity by Amanda Plummer) as his crewmates old and new uncover something far bigger than they ever imagined.

White-haired Klingon warrior Worf in grey armor faces Captain Picard in TV show Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: Picard is well Worf your time.

This storyline is possibly the most "Trek" the show has been so far, unfolding on an actual Starfleet starship with characters wearing uniforms and everything. It even features that fan-favorite TNG element: a dickhead rival officer (y'know, a Jellico type) who's less than enamored of the Enterprise fam's adventurous spirit.

But it's all brought up to date from vintage Trek's mission-of-the-week format with ongoing storylines, season-long character arcs and lashings of drama. It's great to see that the actors and characters all have something going on rather than just waving tricorders and pushing buttons each week. That said, there is an element of manufactured drama, as in all the new-generation Trek shows (Discovery and Strange New Worlds ). A lot will depend on your tolerance for characters trapped in life-or-death situations stopping for a heart-to-heart chat, or having a heated argument on the bridge when the red alert should be focusing their minds on the situation.

And why is everything so dark? Engineering, divert some power to the damn lights!

Overall, though, Picard has turned out to be a thoroughly engaging Star Trek revival. It's more than an exercise in nostalgia, more than a box of Playmates action figures pulled out of the attic with plastic phaser accessories popped back in their hands. Season 3 doesn't just reunite the much-loved crew, it actually gives the actors something to do -- possibly confronting more character development and emotion than they ever did in the original. Picard may not follow the cozy formula of vintage Star Trek, but we have Strange New Worlds for that. Instead, for all its nostalgia, Picard keeps boldly going in the most important direction of all: forward.

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'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3 Review: The End is Near, But 'The Next Generation’ Is Bright

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The final season of Star Trek: Picard is truly the epitome of the old adage about saving the best for last. It’s actually quite hard to believe that this is the beginning of the end when the first six episodes of Season 3 deliver a storyline that feels like the start of something new and exciting.

Picard ’s first two seasons proved to be rather divisive among Trekkies, but I found them to be the perfect blend of nostalgia-filled plots, amazing new characters ( yes, I’m talking about Rios ), and a really compelling journey through Jean-Luc Picard’s ( Patrick Stewart ) psyche. While the first two seasons have given Trekkies a lot to be excited about—particularly with them bringing back characters like Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ), Data ( Brent Spiner ) in various forms, and Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ), Deanna ( Marina Sirtis )—the final season brings everything back into focus. Building on many of the themes doled out in those seasons, Terry Matalas and the entire creative team behind Season 3 have taken things to the next level and penned a season that feels like a love letter to not only The Next Generation but to the entirety of Star Trek .

What Picard Season 3 does best is smartly weaving in the rich lore of Star Trek into a fresh, and frankly, nerve-wracking adventure. All the while making it very accessible to its audience, whether you’re a lifelong Trekkie who can list every episode title from The Next Generation or a casual friend who reengaged with the franchise under Paramount+’s stewardship. The premiere is riddled with clever clues that lay the groundwork for the twists and turns that unravel throughout the first half of the season, which makes each episode very rewatchable as new information is uncovered.

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

When it was first revealed that Star Trek: Picard would be bringing back most of the cast from The Next Generation , I had my reservations. With the Season 2 finale , most of my worries were put to bed after the series wisely closed out the storylines of their newcomers and made room for Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ), Geordi La Forge ( LeVar Burton ), and Worf ( Michael Dorn ) to reunite with Picard, Riker, and Deanna.

The first two seasons made it clear that life hasn’t been picture-perfect for the crew of the Enterprise following the events of Star Trek: Nemesis . Picard has put a significant amount of distance between himself and those he once considered his dearest friends, content to enjoy his retirement far away from Starfleet at Château Picard; while Riker and Deanna have had their fair share of marital problems after their son Thad’s death; and no one has seen or heard from Beverly in over 20 years. It’s refreshing to see an honest approach to what a reunion for the crew of the Enterprise would actually look like. Sure, they all became close friends and confidants—but they were also just co-workers. Time and distance will always test the bonds of the closest friends and put a strain on the strongest relationships.

As the plot starts to thicken, so too does the interpersonal drama between Picard and his former crew. While Riker is gung-ho to break rules and get thrown back into the chaos that seems to follow Picard across the galaxy, Geordi isn’t interested in ruining his reputation with the Fleet Museum, and Worf is caught up in his own dangerous mission—which conveniently intersects with Beverly’s dire situation. The convergence of The Next Generation crew is a beautiful thing to behold, especially because it doesn’t feel contrived or forced. Each of their paths since Nemesis neatly overlap, creating a broad avenue of potential. While the audience is distinctly aware of the fact that it has been over 20 years since this entire cast was together on-screen, the smart dialogue and even more clever storytelling make it feel as though only a few days have passed. There is a natural ease between each cast member, and those connections are only further strengthened by Season 3’s newcomers.

Seven of Nine has played a major role in the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard , but Season 3 sees her stepping into a new role—one that she seems reluctant to be in. Some time has passed since the Season 2 finale and now Seven of Nine finds herself aboard the U.S.S. Titan as Captain Shaw’s ( Todd Stashwick ) First Officer. He runs a tight ship, and he seems very reluctant to place his trust in someone who was once part of the Collective, as evidenced by the fact that he prefers that his First Officer go by Annika Hansen, rather than Seven. Across the first six episodes, the story makes it pretty clear that Seven is cut from the same cloth as Picard—she’s a rule breaker who is guided by her instincts. She may be part of Starfleet now, but she will always have the spirit of a Ranger.

Perhaps the most exciting newcomer to the Star Trek universe is a character who is shrouded in mystery and, for the sake of that mystery, he will only be briefly discussed in this review. But rest assured, there will be plenty of words penned about Ed Speleers ' introduction. First announced only a few days ago , Speleers fills a role that feels like it’s torn from the pages of the best Star Trek fanfic—a fever dream for longsuffering Trekkies. Billed as a character connected to Beverly Crusher’s far-reaching medical aid efforts (which have kept her busy over the past twenty-odd years) he is a roguish sort of character with a dash of the swashbuckler that could easily put Star Wars ’ Han Solo to shame. As a fan of Speleers’ who has been rooting for his career since he made his debut in Eragon 17 years ago, Picard gives him the opportunity to showcase his talent and go toe-to-toe with Sir Patrick Stewart with practiced ease.

In addition to Speleers, the next generation of The Next Generation is alive and well with Geordi La Forge’s daughters, who both make an appearance in Season 3. Alandra ( Mica Burton ) and Sidney La Forge ( Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut ) have both followed in their father’s footsteps with Starfleet, though one of them is a little more willing to get into trouble and break rules. With their introduction—and the rest of the cast— Star Trek: Picard takes on a tone that doesn’t feel like a long goodbye. Instead, it feels like the start of a beautiful beginning. The final season is fully aware of its own mortality, but it also knows that in order to boldly go forward, it has to strengthen the bonds of the crews that have always been at the core of the franchise. No matter how far beyond Federation Space those missions may take them or how dangerous those adventures may become, Star Trek thrives when it focuses on the human connections between its crew—no matter how flawed they may be.

The first six episodes of Star Trek: Picard ’s final season charts their own course through unknown territory. Rather than leaning into the natural impulse to create a picture-perfect reunion of a beloved cast of characters, the series leans into the perfection of imperfection. Picard and Riker are quick to dole out snark about their creaky joints, weak bladders, and the fact that they’ve fully stepped into “old fart” territory—and that’s okay! Season 3 thrives because it is innately aware that time has passed, mistakes have been made, and now the beloved crew of the Enterprise has been left to pick up the pieces and fight—together—to ensure that they leave a legacy behind in their wake.

As fun as Star Trek: Picard Season 1 and Season 2 were, Season 3 is an exceptional return to the world of The Next Generation , and a fitting send-off for a corner of the franchise that has held an important place in the hearts of audiences for well over 35 years.

The final season of Star Trek: Picard will premiere weekly on Paramount+ starting on February 16.

Star Trek: Picard

Picard Season 3 is Star Trek’s Biggest Comeback Yet, and Its Most Radical

For the latest Star Trek series, the stakes are bigger than you think.

Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher in 'Picard' Season 3

The future of Star Trek isn’t just nostalgia. Although the buzz around Picard season 3 focuses on the reunion of the Next Generation , and the season is replete with callbacks to the classic feature films, the most striking thing about this season is that it looks forward.

If you think Picard Season 3 will be a warm, fuzzy trip down memory lane, think again. What makes it work is that this is a sequel to the most famous era of Star Trek . And this time, everything is on the line.

What makes Picard Season 3 so compelling — and just plain watchable — is that none of this continuity matters as much as you might think. Back in 1982, The Wrath of Khan promised the return of Khan, a villain who had only appeared once in the 1967 TOS episode “Space Seed.” After the smash success of Wrath, the TOS canon and origin story of Khan felt less important than the events of the film. You didn’t need to have seen any of The Original Series (or the previous movie) to enjoy The Wrath of Khan , though, for longtime fans, that film felt like an old-school adventure, even if the film itself was risky and radical.

This is the feeling of Star Trek: Picard Season 3.

In the spirit of films like The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country , Picard Season 3 amps up the stakes of the Trek universe to tell a story that is paradoxically simple and intricate at the same time. You don’t need a flowchart to understand what’s going on in Picard Season 3, but if you do remember certain characters and situations from The Next Generation , the experience will be emotional on a completely different level. The show is endlessly geeky with its retro callbacks, but the story isn’t a vehicle for fan service.

This is a season in which things happen that cannot be undone. The stakes are high, and nobody should expect a smooth ride. Where Picard Season 2 existed in a kind of closed-loop time paradox, Season 3 takes this era of Trek into the future, without any do-overs.

Picard Season 3 introduces a massive new threat to Starfleet, but, crucially, this threat is not a generic, galaxy-ending doomsday explosion. The threat is a natural outgrowth of things that happened in the TNG/DS9/Voyager era. In other words, there are consequences for some of the things that Starfleet has done over the years. Starfleet has made mistakes, and a few of those mistakes have come back to haunt this venerable space navy.

But the mistakes of Starfleet are only dramatically interesting if we’re also talking about our beloved TNG characters facing their own personal flaws, too. What sets Star Trek apart from Star Wars is usually the fact that it acknowledges the failures of human nature (“the dark side”) along with the good stuff. In this way, Picard Season 3 returns both the inner light and inner darkness of the human soul. Yes, there’s a bit of “seeking new life” this season, but the tone is closer to the emotional character stakes of the movies. This character work also is what defined TNG , which, paradoxically, couldn't allow the crew to change too much week-to-week, because that really wasn’t how TV worked back then.

Riker and Picard in 'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3.

Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) on the USS Titan in Picard Season 3.

Successful sequels are often called “different, but the same.” What makes Picard Season 3 the same is that it touches on aspects of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager canons. But, what makes it different is our beloved characters behave slightly more realistically than they did back in the 1990s. These people are a big space family, but that doesn’t mean they’re a happy family all the time. The action and the threats to Starfleet are exciting, but we only care because of the people. The show is still, ostensibly, about Jean-Luc Picard. But his relationships with his most important friends and family is the real focus of the show.

All of the new Trek series since 2017 (other than Picard ) have begun in a preexisting timeline. Strange New Worlds is a prequel. Discovery began as a prequel. Lower Decks and Prodigy technically take place a decade and change before Picard . So, if you’ve been looking for adventures that tell the continuing stories of Starfleet after Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Nemesis , the events of Star Trek: Picard have pretty much been the only game in town. And with Season 3, Picard is finally taking that aspect seriously.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, February 16, 2023. New episodes drop on Thursdays, for 10 weeks.

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Star Trek: Picard season 3 spoiler review: "Probably the most consistently brilliant season of Trek TV ever"

As picard bids farewell, we look back at one of the best trek seasons ever.

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Aside from its rushed, surprisingly consequence-free ending, the wonderfully engaging Star Trek: Picard season 3 rarely puts a foot wrong. Probably the most consistently brilliant season of Trek TV ever made.

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Warning: Spoilers for the Picard series finale follow. If you haven't seen the episode, look away now!

For over 40 years, Star Trek has been living in the long shadow of The Wrath of Khan. Still widely regarded as the long-running sci-fi franchise's finest two hours, Kirk and Spock's second big-screen outing remains the standard against which all subsequent Treks have been judged. But now, courtesy of Star Trek: Picard's thrilling third season, it has some serious competition.

Measuring a TV season against a movie is like comparing Romulan ale with Klingon blood wine, but there are plenty of reasons why this has become the first Trek outing to make an appearance in Nielsen's Top 10 streaming rankings . While the Next Generation spin-off's first two seasons were hit-and-miss affairs, Picard season 3 operates at maximum threshold from start to (almost) finish, and crams pretty much everything you could want from a TNG reunion into its near-perfect 10-episode arc.

Moments of humour and emotion mingle with big sci-fi ideas (it's great to see Geordi and Data chewing the scientific fat again), as old wounds are reopened in the midst of some jaw-droppingly cinematic space battles. There are also nods to The Wrath of Khan, of course – most notably the "in the 25th century" title card and the subtle echoes of James Horner's classic soundtrack – but mostly this is a story that exists on its own terms.

Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) sending a distress call to her former captain ( and old flame ) Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), is the catalyst for an adventure that spirals out in all sorts of exciting – and unexpected – directions. Within the first three episodes alone, Picard has teamed up with former Number One Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to commandeer a Starfleet vessel, learned he has a son (Jack Crusher, played by You's Ed Speleers), and taken the USS Titan into a lethal, nebula-based game of cat-and-mouse with an enemy vessel. But where many other TV shows might feel like they'd peaked too early, this is only the beginning. In fact, the pace rarely lets up as earth-shattering revelation follows earth-shattering revelation.

That the lead antagonists for most of the season should be Deep Space Nine bad guys the Changelings is only obvious in hindsight, a "why didn't I think of that before?" surprise that also makes perfect dramatic sense. In Trek canon the Dominion's feelings of vengeance ad resentment have been simmering for decades, yet for Picard and co – on screen, at least – they're an entirely new threat.

These genetically engineered, almost undetectable shapeshifters are smart, powerful and utterly ruthless, and their leader Vadic (played with relish by a cigar-chomping, scene-stealing Amanda Plummer) has genuine reasons to be aggrieved after her appalling treatment at the hands of Federation scientists.

But they're not even the season's biggest bad, as Picard saves the biggest rug-pull for its penultimate episode, 'Võx'. The Borg have felt like an increasingly spent force in Star Trek since their ’90s heyday, but Picard season 3 (albeit briefly) restores the Collective to full power, after the revelation they've been the ones pulling the Changelings' strings all along.

After Jack's superhuman psychic and physical abilities have been teased throughout the season, the explanation – that the Borg added something to Picard's DNA when he was assimilated as Locutus – makes ingenious, logical sense. And when the Borg Queen (Alice Krige, reprising the role she originated in First Contact ) uses Jack to turn the younger members of Starfleet into a new generation of drones, it not only restores the Borg's status as credible villains, but also turns the ageing Enterprise-D crew's advancing years into a strategic advantage. It's just a shame that defeating this new-look Collective essentially boils down to ‘blowing up a thing‘ – the season's rushed, consequence-free conclusion is arguably its only significant misstep.

If bringing together the Borg and the Changelings feels like a piece of unashamed fan service – Trek's answer to uniting the Daleks and Cybermen in Doctor Who's epic series two finale – that's because, well, it is. But – in contrast to many of the gratuitous Easter eggs in Star Wars TV shows – Picard season 3 justifies the nostalgia overload because every single callback feels earned. Cameos from TNG-era veterans Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Elizabeth Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) make total narrative sense, while the trip to the Federation Fleet Museum is a brilliant excuse to reminisce on some of Star Trek's most iconic vessels. Even the resurrection of the USS Enterprise-D – last seen crashing on the surface of Veridian III in Star Trek: Generations – seems justified, more or less.

As any Starfleet captain will tell you, however, all the guest stars and spectacular fireworks in the universe count for little if you don't surround yourself with a great crew. Luckily, with 10 hours of TV to play with, this story provides time for most of them to shine. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), both survivors from previous seasons of Picard, fit in seamlessly with the TNG vets, while new characters – such Geordi's pilot daughter Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) and the Titan's jaded commanding officer, Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) – soon become integral parts of Trek lore. Even the supporting crew feel like convincing and rounded individuals, to the point that it really hurts when Vadic executes Vulcan science officer Lt T'Veen (Stephanie Czajkowski) in very cold blood.

But the returning Next Generation crew are undoubtedly the main beneficiaries of the long-form storytelling. Showrunner Terry Matalas must have been tempted to reunite the shipmates in episode one, but the decision to drip-feed their hotly anticipated returns throughout the season pays massive dividends later on. The Next Generation was never a show purely about Picard, and the entire run is a poignant reminder that this is the greatest ensemble in Star Trek history.

The decades since their final voyage together in the unsatisfactory Star Trek: Nemesis haven't necessarily been plain sailing for the characters, but – with the possible exception of the underused Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) – each one has their fair share of meaningful moments. Indeed, when the Enterprise-D command crew are finally united around a ready room table in episode 8, it's a genuinely iconic moment – and if that's not enough to ensure TNG fans notice a little something in their eye, the final poker table scene in Guinan's Ten Forward bar definitely will be.

Just as The Wrath of Khan used space opera to explore themes of ageing, sacrifice and death, Picard season 3 leans into the importance of family, whether your bonds are biological or built around the people we work with. Across 10 memorable episodes, it sums up everything that's great about Star Trek, and who knows – in 40 years time, we may just be mentioning it in the same breath as The Wrath of Khan.

Every episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3 is now available on Paramount Plus in the US. Episode 10 streams on Prime Video in the UK from Friday, April 21.

Richard is a freelancer journalist and editor, and was once a physicist. Rich is the former editor of SFX Magazine, but has since gone freelance, writing for websites and publications including GamesRadar+, SFX, Total Film, and more. He also co-hosts the podcast, Robby the Robot's Waiting, which is focused on sci-fi and fantasy.

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Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Review: A Mix of Old Friends and New Blood Makes the Final Season the Best Yet

Dave nemetz, west coast bureau chief.

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It’s almost a total reboot from previous seasons of Picard — and frankly, that’s not a bad thing. The first two seasons had their moments, but too often, they got bogged down in convoluted stories and characters that didn’t grab us like the originals did. Season 3 fixes a lot of these issues, streamlining the story and politely jettisoning most of the original Picard cast. In fact, if you haven’t watched Picard at all, you could probably just jump in here with not much of a learning curve. Michelle Hurd is thankfully back as Raffi, though, and she and Worf make a great pair as they dig up the roots of the Starfleet conspiracy.

Showrunner Terry Matalas guides the Season 3 ship with great reverence and affection for Star Trek history, and it’s a pleasure to watch Jean-Luc and his friends back on the bridge again; there’s a giddy energy to the actors as they get the band back together. Their banter is laced with sly teases and inside jokes, and the scripts are packed with nods, references and deep-cut cameos that will delight TNG super fans. This is more than just a nostalgia tour, though. Jean-Luc and company have to confront age-old grudges and long-forgotten dreams as they face their mortality, leading to some highly emotional scenes three decades in the making. (There’s one big twist I can’t reveal that changes everything we know about Jean-Luc and rocks his very foundation.)

Season 3 moves along a lot more nimbly than the previous two as well, with plainspoken storytelling that doesn’t get lost in overly complicated twists. The season does follow a serialized story, but it still finds time for quiet character moments along the way. This is the rare revival that goes beyond just coasting off what we loved years ago; it actually deepens and enriches the characters and relationships we know so well. It’s kind of what Star Trek: Picard should’ve been from the very beginning — but hey, better late than never.

THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Picard ‘s final season brings back Next Generation favorites and introduces new wrinkles in what is easily the best season yet.

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31 comments.

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So excited for this, I can’t wait to see.

Been anticipating this for months. Can’t wait.

What about Laris/Orla Brady?

This is a binge-watch for sure!

This really says nothing as the first season was middle of the road ‘ehh’ and the second season was simply terrible.

I liked both seasons. :D

Good for you. The second season showed that no one writing it has ever actually watched TNG.

You missed the easter eggs?

Thought the same. I’m trying to be hopeful that this final season is at least middling once again because if Discovery is the trend line it could get even worse.

I just want to point out that the only reason it’s taken this long to get the revival we wanted is because Patrick Stewart was hard set against the concept of reviving the old crew and old style. He wanted something different. You can cast judgement on the first two seasons all you want but without them, this one would never have happened.

Is Jeri Ryan back for the whole season? Her imdb page only lists one episode for season 3.

Addition by subtraction if true

I just finished S2 recently, and I guess I’m in the minority, but I enjoyed it. But, I’m so ready for this!

I’m with you. I enjoyed both seasons of Picard and am so looking forward to Season 3.

“easily the best season yet…”

that’s a low bar. But definitely feel like this season is going to be different, mainly cause of Matalas

I have enjoyed it… hardly a low bar.

The lowest of bars. They couldn’t have the bar set any lower.

Nothing on 7?

Seven of Nine is in Picard 3.

You didn’t bother to watch the trailers?

Thanks, Dave. You’ve convinced me to give it a try again.

And if the Picard big plot twist is what I think it is (See Kirk in Wrath of Khan) I think my eyes will roll out of my head.

As long as it ain’t wesley – i’ll be alright

The rumors say Picard season 3 is using the plots from Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country. Because Kirk was surprised with a son, I suspect Picard will be told about an unknown child of his in season 3. It’s funny that Q didn’t mention anything about a child in season 2.

Thanks for this review of season 3. I lost interest halfway through the first season but my husband has been loyal to Pickard. Given your advance review, I’ll give S3 a second chance. Because who doesn’t love Picard and Number 1!

Apparently you can’t have an opposing opinion towards the author. My previous comments were never posted

I believe it when I see it.

TNG season 3 all over again?

I need spoilers. I won’t watch until I know that Beverly won’t be tortured or killed off. She’s the only reason I’m vaguely interested in watching this, and hurting her would be the fastest way to hurt Picard.

She was woefully underused in TNG, and I’m glad she’s a bit more present, here, but I won’t watch until I see spoilers saying Beverly is safe, and actually has a good storyline she deserved.

Literally the only reason I paid for Paramount+ this month and next. I’m so excited and scared at the same time.

You liked the one about the whales, right? Or how about the one with the guy who used to be an (not-so) evil hologram? What about 1701A? Do the kids still think it’s cool? But, hey, we know you like the one about the whales. . .

In terms of touchbacks to Trek that’s gone before, this show stumbles over itself to remind us of the Golden Age of the 1980s-90s. I wish the first two seasons had been good enough that this sort of checklist of greatest hits wasn’t needed to draw people back in because I find this sort of thing distracting since it bogs down the pacing and obscures character motivations and actions with a huge assortment of fun dieus ex machin-ahs (auto-correct won’t let me spell that the way it should. The future doesn’t need to worry about a robot uprising on Mars, the evolved AI of the ghost of the Microsoft Paperclip is what’s going to get us first.) Also, the digging up of Kirk’s corpse and hiding it in the back rooms of Starfleet Air and Space Smithsonian is in poor taste besides being creepy. Why stop with him? What closet are those poor whales stuffed in?

You liked the one about the whales, right?

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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Review: A Highly Satisfying Final Adventure

The end is nigh, and the “Next Generation” gang is back together

Nic Cage, when asked if he would ever join the “Star Wars” franchise, emphatically responded: “I’m not in the ‘Star Wars’ family. I’m in the ‘Star Trek’ family.” This third and final season of the “Star Trek: Picard” is for the faithful, the sci-fi humanitarians who venture boldly from their couches, for folks like Cage.

The series once again rallies around Patrick Stewart’s Shakespearean now-retired Admiral Jean Luc Picard, reprising his role from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Loyal, egalitarian, lover of Earl Grey tea, and stuffed full of wisdom gleaned from his many travels on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Picard’s a born leader winding down. But the explorer isn’t quite ready to wrap himself in the robes of past accomplishments. There’s talk of relaxing with his books, brandy and penning a possible memoir beside the still thriving career of his Romulan love interest, Laris (Orla Brady).

But wait…what’s that sound? That S.O.S. from a distant ship under attack beyond the borders of Federation territory in the 25th Century? Could it really be the siren call of one-time love Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) – reaching out to Picard over the universe as the last possible hero to rescue her from a dire situation? Um, yes.

With a fond good-bye to Laris, Picard, his voice no longer as strong as it once was, begins a final, and unsanctioned, mission to find out if it really is Crusher on the other end of the line. And, in the process, he gets the band back together in a highly satisfying, and clearly final, adventure.

Enter Riker (Jonathan Frakes, who also directed two episodes), and Worf (Michael Dorn) and La Forge (LaVar Burton). Onward Lore, the android formerly known as Data (Brent Spiner), and Troi (Marina Sirtis), and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), and Raffi (Michelle Hurd).

Think of this as the reunion Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young would have had if their interpersonal squabbles hadn’t outlived the late David Crosby.

Picard gathers his team, starting with Riker (“old farts going boldly,” he wisecracks). The still-evolving plan is to go out and check the verisimilitude of the distress call. Untethered by Federation directives, Picard discovers that his kind of cowboy spontaneity in a vast untamed universal frontier has given way to bureaucracy and caution. But that never stopped him, no matter how properly he pronounced his vowels, and carefully he contained his anger.

Over 10 episodes, the Trek Expendables rescue Crusher and her first mate (“Downton Abbey’s” Ed Speleers), only to discover that there are much larger, more destructive forces at play with newly developed weapons of mass destruction that threaten the Federation down to its very shiny medals.

Stepping in as one of many antagonists is the ever-freaky Amanda Plummer as Vadic, captain of the superpowered starship Shrike. We won’t give away the scorched universe villain’s secret power, but she goes toe-to-toe with Picard on the Shakespearean asides. She’s a credit to her late father Christopher Plummer, a Trekkie who himself played villainous General Chang in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.”

The ships, the sky battles, the views of space all dazzle in a visionary series that once used handheld communicators long before the birth of the cell phone. The adventures meld visceral danger with the intimacy of familiar characters, struggling with love, loss, addiction, power and father issues.

Despite addressing the inevitability of aging, there’s nothing creaky in the third and final season of ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ It comforts, and challenges, the audience’s knowledge of these characters that were drawn over decades, and are drawn together one last time. When this band gets back together, it really sings.

“Star Trek: Picard, Season 3” debuted on Paramount + on Feb. 16

TV Series |

Star Trek: Picard – Season 3 Review

Streaming on: Prime Video

Episodes viewed: 6 of 10

All starships will, at some point, stray off course. They get lost in a nebula, sucked into a spatial anomaly, or waylaid by ornery Klingons. As far as inconvenient diversions go, though, Season 2 of Picard was a big one. While it began promisingly enough, the series rapidly fell down a wormhole of recycled ideas and daft plotting that strayed perilously close to the kind of fan fiction you might stumble across on Reddit while trying to find out if there’s a Klingon word for ‘colander’ (there is not). Season 3, however, marks a significant, and welcome, course correction. Instead of attempting another reheat of Star Trek ’s greatest hits, this final series is a genuine attempt to recapture the thrill of Trek in its prime.

Of course, the headline draw for this third and final season is the much-touted return of the Next Generation OGs. While Riker, Data and Troi all popped up in Season 1, here, we’re also treated to the return of Beverly, Geordie (LeVar Burton) and Worf (Michael Dorn), meaning that, save for Wesley Crusher (whose season 2 cameo is best consigned to the ice mines of Rura Penthe), all the Enterprise’s MVPs are now back on the bridge. It’s to the credit of now solo showrunner Terry Matalas that beaming in this many old school Next Gen -ers feels largely organic, each joining the ongoing mission at a different point, and furthering the plot — not stalling it — whilst doing so.

Picard’s latter-day relationships with Jurati, Rios, Soji et al, while well-intentioned, failed to truly sparkle across the first two seasons, the chemistry never quite there. However, with almost all of Picard ’s new characters now set aside, there’s room for Starfleet legends to take centre stage, and the effect is seismic. Each exchange and sideways glance carries the weight of seven seasons, four films, and countless tie-in novels, games and comics — the sheer volume of shared experience setting phasers to ‘feels’ with surprising potency. The relationships have heft and history, weaving a rich tapestry of human emotion against which to stage the obligatory sci-fi shenanigans. Hearing how the Enterprise crew drifted apart shortly after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis strikes home like a well-placed photon torpedo, and seeing the genuine hurt in Picard’s eyes when confronting Beverly Crusher (who apparently ghosted him after a shore leave shag two decades earlier) rings true in a way that his awkward dalliance with Romulan housekeeper Laris never did.

Picard ’s strongest season by far — one last trip to the final frontier with the men and women who charted it.

The story, meanwhile, hits all the beats you’d expect from classic Trek : a mysterious signal, a technologically superior foe (fronted by a superbly over-the-top Amanda Plummer, complete with evil cigar), and an assortment of unexplained and occasionally wondrous interstellar phenomena. While this is a tight, serialised story to fit the streaming age, time is even made for the ship to get stuck in an anomalous gravity well halfway through the season, neatly harking back to the show’s episodic, science-problem-of-the-week roots, while helpfully slowing down the action to allow the characterisation room to breathe.

There are new faces mixed in with the old — Ed Speleers’ Solo-esque space rogue is a welcome addition, as is Todd Stashwick’s delightfully salty Captain Shaw — but this is a show that, like its protagonist, defines itself primarily by things past. Nods and throwbacks to missions of yore dot scenes like distant stars on a viewscreen, ranging from the subtle (a familiar painting) to the very much not (important callbacks underscored by clunky use of archive footage). None prove too distracting from the overarching plot, however, enriching rather than detracting, and paying tribute to the long legacy of The Next Generation , as well as that of both Voyager and Deep Space Nine , in surprising and often delightful ways.

From the streamlined titles (complete with familiar cobalt typeface) to a score that unapologetically riffs on Jerry Goldsmith’s original theme, Season 3 finally feels of a piece with its Next Gen roots, shedding the chilly glaze of Kurtzman-era Trek for the good-natured warmth of its heyday. In doing so, it brings us Picard ’s strongest season by far — one last trip to the final frontier with the men and women who charted it. The tragedy is that it took until the show’s last hurrah to finally find its groove. All good things must come to an end, but it's hard not to feel that we’re bidding farewell to Picard at the very moment it got us to engage.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Review: The Best Next Generation Movie We Never Got

It's worth remembering, even with some of the franchise's better shows, that no "Star Trek" series started strong ("Strange New Worlds" perhaps notwithstanding). "Star Trek" might serve as the prime example of the old television criticism cliché "It doesn't get good until season three." Luckily, the characters and settings were typically strong enough to keep casual viewers interested until the shows improved.

As detailed in the documentary "Chaos on the Bridge," " Star Trek: The Next Generation " famously stumbled for two seasons as writers and producers jockeyed for power behind the scenes. It wasn't until the show underwent a massive restructuring at the start of its third year that it hit its stride. A new writing ethos dictated that "Next Generation" was going to be more character-focused, often centering individual episodes on a single member of its ensemble. Through such an approach, viewers saw how each character developed a unique working relationship with each other character. Cmdr. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) are going to have different conversations than Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Lt. Cmdr. Data (Brent Spiner).

The individualized approach also gave viewers a better sense of how the U.S.S. Enterprise worked, allowing them to reside extensively in each department. It's also important to note that Trekkies are massive vehicle fetishists, and exploring the technical operation of a starship is just as important to fans as getting to know the characters.

" Star Trek: Picard " may now also be said to follow the unspoken "Star Trek" rule of threes. After two utterly abysmal seasons — seasons marked by inappropriate violence, terrible writing, and the introduction of weird, dumb technologies (there is a magical bottle that can summon Q) — "Picard" seems to have finally hit its stride as well.

Familiar relationships in familiar settings

The third season of "Picard" wisely flees into the arms of comfort, putting its characters in more familiar settings, reiterating their relationships, and drawing the story to a more intimate level. This season has famously been advertised as starring most of the "Next Generation" cast, reuniting on screen for the first time since " Star Trek: Nemesis " in 2002. "Picard" will catch up with each NextGen character one by one, explain where they have been for the past 20 years, and reunite them very gradually and in an organic way. It won't be until the show's sixth episode that all the characters will finally appear in the same episode. That restraint is greatly admired.

Previously, "Picard" has been a very violent show, with every single character regularly committing murder. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) previously on "Star Trek: Voyager" had transformed into a violent bounty hunter who says things like "Never again will I kill someone just because they deserve it." Raffi (Michelle Hurd) was a miserable drug addict. Capt. Rios (Santiago Cabera) was a drinker left marked by murders in his past. Even the mild-mannered Dr. Jurati (Alison Pill) poisons an old boyfriend. The characters had no reason to relate on a one-to-one basis, there were no episodes devoted to any one department or field of expertise. Importantly, the character didn't have a centralized workplace where they would regularly convene, often fanning out into the galaxy, separated by circumstance. The first two seasons were sprawling, violent messes that had none of the hallmarks that make Trek Trek.

Season 3 of "Picard" takes place largely on a Federation starship, and most characters are in uniform, behaving professionally. It's astonishing how refreshing that feels to an old Trekkie like me.

The ship in question is the U.S.S. Titan, Riker's old command, now captained by a new character named Capt. Shaw (Todd Stashwick). Shaw is a fascinating and wonderful new character, in that he's a rude, pushy jerk and self-described a-hole. His command style is curt, and he often berates his inferior officers. I wouldn't want to work for Capt. Shaw, but I admire a different look at starship command styles. One can tell that, once you are trusted, Shaw would soften a smidge.

The third season doesn't begin promisingly. Dr. Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) has been on board a tiny vessel of her own, living with a mysterious young man named Jack (Ed Speelers). She is being hunted by mysterious aliens in masks and has to kill off a few of them when they intrude on her ship. She sends a distress call to Picard (Patrick Stewart), asking for help. One might immediately assume that the showrunners have transformed her and perhaps all her returning co-stars into violent murderers. Luckily, that will only prove to be true for one other character. The third season of "Picard" will not be about how everyone has devolved into bitter, angry death machines.

The elderly admiral Picard reunites with his old first officer Capt. Riker on the eve of a massive Federation anniversary (they are both to make speeches at an upcoming gala) to discuss how they might rescue Dr. Crusher. Thanks to subterfuge, and the help of the Titan's new first officer Seven of Nine, they will attempt to commandeer the ship. When they arrive at Dr. Crusher's remote location, they find her beset by a mysterious new murderous supervillain named Vadic (Amanda Plummer) who will chase them into a nebula and engage in battle.

Wrath of First Contact

In a subplot, Raffi is working by herself to investigate the theft of a powerful, portal-based weapon that has been stolen from a Federation storehouse. Who she's working with and the true nature of the storehouse will be revealed later in the series. She will also discover the presence of an old "Star Trek" antagonist that hasn't been seen in any series for many years.

This season of "Picard," perhaps eager to prove how Trek-like it can be when compared to its previous seasons, cribs very, very heavily from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and "Star Trek: First Contact," the two most action-packed of the pre-Kelvin Trek films. In addition to the villain-who-wants-revenge trope (also used in "Nemesis," the 2009 Trek, " Star Trek Into Darkness " and "Star Trek Beyond"), there is an extended sequence inside of a space cloud where the two ships can't necessarily see each other. Additionally, a huge amount of Gerry Goldsmith's old scores are used, including his entire closing credits orchestration from "First Contact." "Picard" also employs a recognizable BWAAAM -like musical sting not heard in Trek since the 1980s.

Despite these obvious callbacks and familiar locales, however, "Picard" is not resting on its nostalgic laurels. It has, in its first six episodes, been quite ginger with its references and guest stars, meeting them out carefully and organically. This is not an Easter egg hunt like " Lower Decks ."

Fan service

Indeed, the fan-service Easter eggs might be this season's weakest element. In episode six — perhaps the show's most unabashedly embarrassing — the series will dive headlong into nostalgia, and attempt to milk emotions out of mere familiarity. There will be a sequence where some familiar vehicles make notable guest appearances, and several recognizable theme songs will play on the soundtrack. "Picard" has, until that point, not had many rib-poking "remember this??" moments. It seems that six hours into this "First Contact"-like movie, the showrunners couldn't help themselves. This episode also. has some references and background gags that will elicit more cynical eye-rolls than nostalgic exhilaration.

Luckily, it's only been a small moment in an otherwise striking solid season, full of great characters, good relationships, and blanket-like Trek comfort.

Additionally, the show knows Trekkies are ship fetishists, and spends a lot of time looking at ship exteriors, letting the audience memorize their lines and details. This is wise and also refreshing. After the first two seasons of "Picard," I still couldn't recall what the La Sirena looks like. Indeed, there is a scene early in the first episode of "Picard," called "The Next Generation," where Riker, sitting in a bar, notes that it is selling starship collectibles. The collectibles on screen are none other than the scale models currently being sold by the recently-shuttered collectible company Eaglemoss . It's rare that "Star Trek" will attempt to hawk its own merch.

Overall, the third season of "Picard" is a head and shoulders above its predecessors. It may be more predicated on action and mayhem than NextGen, but so was "First Contact," and, well, that film wasn't terrible. This is, essentially, the best NextGen movie that we never got. This old Trekkie is grateful for it.

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

Star Trek: Picards Michelle Hurd Says It Was 'Heartbreaking' to Lose Actors for Season 3

Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard received rave reviews as the original Next Generation Enterprise crew reunited.
Some cast members did not return for season 3, which was "heartbreaking" for Michelle Hurd.
Changes in the cast and storyline left some plot threads unresolved.

Season three of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard earned rave reviews from fans, as the original Next Generation Enterprise crew reunited for a final adventure. However, for cast member Michelle Hurd , the season was a bittersweet one, as cast members from previous seasons did not return with the shift in the Picard storyline . During an appearance on the D-Con Chamber Podcast , Hurd discussed how the changes affected her personally.

Actors Isa Briones (Soji) , Allison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Santiago Cabrera (Cristóbal Rios), and Evan Evagora (Elnor) did not return for season three, which Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker) called "heartbreaking." She said it became clear during the last month of filming season two that changes were coming:

We just started to sense or hear through the grapevine that there might not be everybody coming back It started getting kind of sad and emotional on our set. And then when we started finding out who was staying and who was going, it was really Its awful. It was awful.

Star Trek: Picard

Release Date January 23, 2020

Cast Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, Harry Treadaway

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Rating TV-MA

At the end of the 24th Century, and 14 years after his retirement from Starfleet, Jean-Luc Picard is living a quiet life on his vineyard, Chateau Picard. When he is sought out by a mysterious young woman, Dahj, in need of his help, he soon realizes she may have personal connections to his own past.

The abrupt changes in the cast and the shift in storyline meant that some of the plot threads from the first two Picard seasons were left unfulfilled , and it is not clear if there will ever be a resolution or if those characters will ever appear in future series.

What Does the Future of Star Trek Hold?

While the franchise is shifting to other series, we may not have seen the last of Jean-Luc Picard after all. Patrick Stewart appears to be rethinking plans to retire the character, and now says he would consider sitting in the captain's chair once more , for a film like Star Trek: Generations , which bridged the William Shatner Original Series with Stewart's Next Generation (TNG) Series.

Paramount learned a painful lesson with Picard , as Trekkers didn't fully embrace the series until it gave The Next Generation crew the proper sendoff it deserved. Stewart himself insisted that Picard take a different approach from the series and films, and despite a solid cast, an underwhelming season one led to showrunner Michael Chabon leaving before season two. Terry Matalas took over for season two, with slightly better results, but season three worked by returning to a familiar formula and the original cast, with some new twists. Still, Hurd wishes the original cast had stayed on. She said:

"Santiago Cabrera is one of the most amazing, brilliant actors. Allison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan EvagoraI loved being on that with Isa and Evan as their first TV series (as) regulars. To see them blossom. Theres a very sacred place in my heart for my first season motley crew."

Star Trek: The Next Generation Sequel Series Has Potential, Says Jonathan Frakes

Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes says there's a 'real opportunity' to make a Star Trek: The Next Generation sequel series.

Matalas is now working with Marvel and Disney's 20th Century Studios, and Paramount passed on a proposed Picard spinoff . Stewart has suggested a Star Trek: Legacy series, which could open the door for the Picard characters to return, but Paramount does not seem interested. The studio seems happy with series like Strange New Worlds , which embraces classic Trek settings and themes with modern storytelling.

All three seasons of Star Trek: Picard are now streaming on Paramount+ .

If you're a Star Trek fan, check out this video exploring the funniest episodes in the franchise.

Star Trek: Picards Michelle Hurd Says It Was 'Heartbreaking' to Lose Actors for Season 3

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Published Jun 21, 2024

How the Picard Season 3 Soundtrack Unlocks All of Star Trek

For World Music Day, let's look at how Picard's final score stretches across the entire final frontier, from familiar themes to deep sonic cuts.

Illustration of headphones attached to a music player, both adorned with Star Trek deltas

StarTrek.com

The music of the Final Frontier is one of the most grounding aspects of the entire Star Trek phenomenon. Rather than sounding overtly futuristic, the musical world Trek has always been the opposite — old-fashioned and classic. When Nicholas Meyer hired James Horner to compose the music for The Wrath of Khan , he asked for a score that was "nautical, but nice." This single phrase perhaps best describes a large swath of famous Star Trek scores; the music is rooted in an antique style, combined with a buoyant sense of optimism. The music of Trek looks forward, partly, by looking back. In real life, Star Trek scores have been played at the commissioning of space shuttles, at least one U.S. Presidential Inauguration , and on March 11, 2024, Jerry Goldsmith's themes from Star Trek: First Contact were played during a ceremony in which Sweden was inducted into NATO.

Sometimes, it seems the classical music of Star Trek is oddly more pervasive in everyday life than Star Trek itself. Yes, there have, of course, been examples of non-classical music in Star Trek ; from Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride," to Enterprise 's "Faith of the Heart," Kirk blasting The Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," and, in 2023, musical theater and pop stylings throughout " Subspace Rhapsody " in Strange New Worlds . But, for almost six decades, classical scores have been the sonic glue binding the Trek universe together. From Original Series composers like Alexander Courage and Sol Kaplan, to Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner in the classic films, to Dennis McCarthy in The Next Generation era, Michael Giacchino 's scores for the Kelvin Universe films, to Jeff Russo in Discovery and Chris Westlake in Lower Decks , Nami Melumad on Strange New Worlds and Prodigy , each Trek score often contains a piece of another. But, perhaps more than any orchestral Star Trek event to date, the soundtrack for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 bridges various eras simultaneously, but also created edgy, new directions for Trek scores that had never been tried before.

The Picard Season 3 score — composed by Stephen Barton and Frederik Wiedmann— is a rosetta stone of nearly all of Star Trek music, ever. Here's your guide to why this 2023 score is so unique, how it's the perfect place to start your Star Trek musical education, and why, if you haven't already, consider spinning this one on vinyl .

"All Good Things…Must Come To An End"

The original Enterprise-D crew (Deanna, Riker, Picard, Beverly, Worf, Geordi, and Data) sit around the poker table while raising a glass in 'The Last Generation'

"The Last Generation"

While it's somewhat obvious that Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is a direct follow-up to Picard Season 2, a huge thrust of the series is also a coda to the era of The Next Generation TV series and four feature films. So, throughout this score, there are various musical references to the hugely famous main theme from Star Trek: The Next Generation composed by Jerry Goldsmith. But, within this musical cue, there's an Easter egg to 1979. As many fans know, the immortal TNG main theme was actually first composed by Goldsmith for the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture . And while the bombastic march opens that film, and every episode of TNG, a slower more ballatic version of the theme was created for the classic track "The Enterprise ," in which Scotty and Kirk view the newly refitted ship for the first time.

'The Next Generation'

In Picard Season 3, this dreamy arrangement of the TNG/TMP theme is on full display in the back-to-back tracks "Hello, Beautiful" and "Leaving Spacedock," in which Picard and Riker take a shuttle to the U.S.S. Titan -A, and we hear the gentle strings of "The Enterprise " from 1979. However, as this musical moment continues, and Commander Seven takes the Titan out of spacedock, a new musical theme emerges, which showrunner Terry Matalas has called " The Titan Theme, " since it plays in many instances in the series that focus on the scrappy starship itself. And yet, by the end of Picard Season 3, the Titan becomes a new version of the Enterprise . So, when Riker and Picard roll-up on the Titan and hear the TNG/TMP main theme, it's not just a neat Easter egg, the music becomes a foreshadowing element that helps tell the story.

Deep Cuts Reveal Myriad Star Trek Legacies

"The Next Generation"

Just as Beverly Crusher sends Picard a transmission as a myriad codec, the Picard Season 3 soundtrack contains a myriad of references to all sorts of other Star Trek music. Some of these cues are somewhat obvious. The end-credits for the series borrows from the First Contact main themes, first introduced in 1996, while Jeff Russo's arrangement of the TNG main theme, crafted for Picard Season 1 and Season 2, still exists as part of the brief title card at the top of each episode. But, once you start digging into the episode-by-episode tracks, deeper cuts start to reveal themselves, ever so slowly.

In "Old Communicator," ominous woodwinds play as Picard riffles through his stuff, to find his TNG-era red uniform. These notes are reminiscent of Ron Jones' music for " The Best of Both Worlds " in The Next Generation , reminding us of that time Jean-Luc lost a uniform just like this when he was assimilated by the Borg. But, for composers Barton and Wiedmann, this is just the first of many musical cues from the past.

"The Bounty"

When the Titan arrives at the Fleet Museum in the sixth episode, " The Bounty ," we get a track called "Legacies," which has rapid-fire sonic Easter eggs like no other piece of Star Trek music before or since.

As Seven and Jack observe the various ships in the museum, each one gets his own theme; for the Defiant , we hear Dennis McCarthy's main theme for Deep Space Nine , for the movie-era Enterprise -A, an arrangement of the Alexander Courage TOS theme, and as Seven waxes nostalgic about the U.S.S. Voyager , a triumphant and bittersweet rendition of the Jerry Goldsmith main title from Star Trek: Voyager plays. Impressively, these musical cues are packed into three minutes and fifteen seconds, meaning "Legacies," tells the story of four starships, through music, in a very short amount of time.

Did we say four ships? Yes! Because in addition to the Defiant, Enterprise -A, and Voyager , the medley of "Legacies" eventually concludes with Leonard Rosenman's 1986 themes from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . And that's because Jack realizes that the captured Klingon Bird-of-Prey, which Bones christened the H.M.S. Bounty all those years ago, has a cloaking device that the crew of the Titan can use. And so, this wonderful nod to Rosenman's music not only references The Voyage Home , but also moves the present tense of the story forward.

That Cinematic Feeling

A Musical Legacy: Scoring the Final Season of Star Trek: Picard

On the liner notes to Picard Season 3, Terry Matalas specifies that the score for this season was designed to remind fans of the big, epic music from the films. Even though this was a season of a TV series, the sound of Picard Season 3 is cinematic. "I knew early on that Picard Season 3 needed to sound like the great Trek film scores that came before it," Matalas writes in the liner notes. "[When] I was five…the track 'The Enterprise ' was imprinted onto my brain."

And so, in collaboration with composers Barton and Wiedemann, Matalas steered the music of Picard Season 3 into a massive tribute to the entirety of previous Star Trek film scores. This was accomplished by the sonic Easter eggs we've just pointed out, but this feeling also exists more broadly throughout the entire soundtrack. The dark track "Dominion" isn't one that contains any sonic Easter eggs, but is unique to this soundtrack, as is the heroic hero theme for the Titan , heard in "Leaving Spacedock" and throughout the all ten episodes of the season.

Seven of Nine sits in the captain's chair of the Titan-A, renamed Enterprise-G, in 'The Last Generation'

But, the brilliance of the Picard Season 3 soundtrack isn't that it simply checks-off various Star Trek musical boxes. Instead, it seamlessly blends the old with the new. In "Legacy and the Future," longtime fans will be reminded of Denis McCarthy's tender music from 1994's Star Trek Generations , but as the track builds, we move from the immortal Alexander Courage fanfare, and into the new , future-facing music created for the Titan , which is destined to become Captain Seven's ship, the Enterprise-G , boldly headed into the future.

And so, the Picard Season 3 soundtrack isn't just a series of nostalgia hits. Its music allows us to revisit stories from across the whole timeline of Star Trek , but, also, imagine an unfolding new future, full of wonder, hope, and adventure.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

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.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , and Twitter .

Decorative banner in the style of a trading card featuring the U.S.S. Protostar crew from Star Trek: Prodigy including Rok-Tahk, Dal, Zero, Gwyn, Jankom Pog, Murf, and Hologram Janeway

Why Wasn't Admiral Janeway in Star Trek: Picard?

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Picard showrunner terry matalas wanted admiral janeway in picard season 3, admiral janeway is already appearing in star trek: prodigy, did star trek: picard suffer because admiral janeway didn't appear, could star trek make a janeway series like the one centered on picard.

The third wave of Star Trek series have tried to strike a balance between telling new stories with new characters and honoring the legacy figures from the universe originally created by Gene Roddenberry. Star Trek: Picard brought back characters from both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager , but Admiral Kathryn Janeway never appeared. She was mentioned a number of times, and the character appears in the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy . Still, while Picard producers wanted to bring Kate Mulgrew back as Janeway, a combination of real-world factors prevented it. Outside of her cameo appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis , Admiral Janeway and then-Captain Picard didn't have an established relationship.

Of all the past characters from Star Trek 's second wave to appear in Picard , Janeway wasn't originally one fans expected. However, the inclusion of Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine in all three seasons of Picard made it seem like only a matter of time before Seven's first captain showed up. Yet, it never happened. Instead, Janeway is mentioned a few times by characters in passing, establishing only that she's still alive and has a continued relationship with her former crew. Simply put, Janeway only gets mentioned because both time and budgetary limitations meant a cameo appearance wasn't possible. There is also the fact that Janeway was appearing on Star Trek: Prodigy , which was airing its first season when Picard Season 3 was filming. There was likely a sense that using Janeway in the 25th Century story in Picard might undercut the 24th Century adventure in Prodigy .

Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Joins Remake of 1980s Sci-Fi Film

Terry Matalas' next project will reimagine a sci-fi classic from 1985.

A veteran of the second-wave series, Terry Matalas helmed Picard Season 3 as both showrunner and fan. In the final episodes, Starfleet gathers all its ships near Earth to celebrate Frontier Day, the launch of the first warp-five ship as seen in Star Trek: Enterprise . Not only was Janeway considered for a cameo, but so was Garrett Wang's Harry Kim and other Star Trek legacy characters from other series.

"I would have had as many as we could get. I would have made that Star Trek Avengers: Endgame . I would have made Frontier Day with many ships… I would have Kira [Nerys from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ] there, even if all you get is a bridge shot. But all of that is very expensive. We were already way too ambitious," Matalas said via TrekMovie.com . In the same interview, he revealed Paramount was skeptical the show could pull off what was scripted based on the budget and schedule.

One of the best moments in Picard Season 3 is when Tim Russ's Tuvok denies Seven of Nine's resignation because she is being promoted to captain. Matalas originally wanted Admiral Janeway there to do it. They "couldn't afford Kate even if we wanted," he said, adding that making that scene Janeway's Picard debut could've made the scene more about her than Seven's journey from Starfleet outcast to captain of the USS Enterprise-G.

Why Wesley Crusher Left Star Trek, and Why He Came Back

Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher disappeared from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he came back for select episodes, movies, and Picard. Here's why.

While Star Trek: Picard offered fans a sequel story to Voyager for Seven of Nine, the universe's animated series for all ages does that, too. Star Trek: Prodigy is essentially a Voyager sequel , especially in Season 2, because the characters are traveling on the USS Voyager-A. Janeway appears both as a holographic training program on the (now destroyed) USS Protostar, and the very human Vice Admiral Janeway is also a regular character. In fact, that Prodigy introduced the next ship to bear the name "Voyager" helps explain why some of Picard 's returns didn't happen.

The inclusion of Harry Kim would've promoted Star Trek 's "forever ensign" to the captain of the USS Voyager-B, according to Matalas. Had this happened, it would've stepped on the toes of Prodigy 's toes by putting an expiration date on their new hero ship. Also, if Prodigy wanted to bring in Kim's character, they would be pigeon-holed into ensuring he ended up where Picard 's storytellers put him. While the mere mention of Janeway means she survives whatever Prodigy throws at her, that's really all fans know.

Janeway is alive and still a high-ranking admiral in Starfleet, but beyond that, anything is possible. She could be in the 25th Century version of one of those Christopher Pike life support units. While it would've warmed the hearts of all Star Trek fans to see Janeway and Seven (as well as Kate Mulgrew and Ryan) on screen together again, it limited what Prodigy could do with the character. Prodigy's showrunners want seven seasons of adventures (and then feature films). Keeping Janeway out of Picard gives them maximum freedom to tell their story and imperil Vice Admiral Janeway .

Every Episode of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Ranked

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 was a varied and emotionally heavy season, and here's how critics and fans ranked each episode in the time-travel saga.

On one hand, the lack of any appearance by Admiral Janeway feels like how Supergirl Season 1 treated Superman . The storytellers want to ensure audiences understand the character is around and has a close, important relationship with characters in the show. However, because the actor couldn't appear, that has to be done through dialogue exclusively. It has the unfortunate side effect of making Janeway feel distant or even uncaring. After all, Tuvok was kidnapped by Changelings, and Seven of Nine was on-the-run with her supposed friend and fellow admiral, Jean-Luc Picard.

Just as it stretched suspension of disbelief that Superman didn't fly over to help his cousin, Janeway was notable for her absence. However, a Star Trek captain who led a series is a powerful figure in the mythology of this universe. Matalas is correct that if Admiral Janeway showed up to promote Seven of Nine, her presence would've overtaken the scene . Just by nature, viewers would be more focused on the return of the beloved Voyager captain than the series regular who just helped save Earth from the Borg. Tuvok doesn't dominate the moment, in large part because he is unemotional. It allows all the feeling in that scene to come from Seven of Nine.

Their shared history on Voyager is nonetheless relevant, and it's still meaningful her promotion comes from a member of that family. Yet, Tuvok and Seven were peers on the ship, despite Seven holding no actual rank. The dynamic between Seven and Janeway was too big for just one scene. Even if Mulgrew was able to deliver a performance that kept Seven's experience in the spotlight, it simply wouldn't be enough to do justice to that reunion. A reunion could still happen in Prodigy , or it could happen if Star Trek: Legacy ever happens at Paramount . Picard wasn't the right venue for it, at least not if the Janeway appearance was a cameo.

'Keep Being Noisy': Picard Star Provides Star Trek: Legacy Update

Star Trek: Picard's Ed Speleers shares how fans can help get Paramount to greenlight the proposed sequel spinoff series, Star Trek: Legacy.

Despite shows like Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks ending, the universe still spins on. Starfleet Academy is the next series coming to Paramount+, and Strange New Worlds is still going, too. If Prodigy does well for Netflix, the streamer could order a third season of the show (or more). In fact, for those who want a Janeway series, Star Trek: Prodigy is a must-watch show. Vice Admiral Janeway is a central figure in Season 2, and her guidance is crucial to shaping the new cast of characters into bona fide Star Trek heroes. However, when it comes to this universe, fans should learn to never say "never."

There were apparently already talks for a Janeway spinoff series , according to Kate Mulgrew . As Paramount deals with economic realities, there is a limit on how many ongoing projects the studio can support. Yet, given the success of Picard , it is not inconceivable that a series centered on Admiral Kathryn Janeway could happen in the future. However, with a mini- Voyager reunion already happening on Prodigy , a live action series might not be what fans expect. After all, despite the near-universal praise for Picard Season 3, its first two seasons were less warmly received as actor Patrick Stewart wanted to do something new. Mulgrew might similarly want a live-action return to look forward for the character rather than backwards .

Still, Star Trek: Prodigy is an excellent series to tide Janeway fans over, because the character appears (in one form or another) in every single episode. Robert Beltran reprised his role as Chakotay for Season 1, and he returns along with Robert Picardo's holographic Doctor in Season 2 . While the target audience for Prodigy is younger viewers and their families, the story serves all Star Trek fans, especially those who want more Kathryn Janeway.

Star Trek: Picard streams on Paramount+, while Star Trek: Prodigy Seasons 1 and 2 stream in their entirety on Netflix as of July 1, 2024.

Star Trek: Picard

Retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard is drawn back into action when a mysterious young woman seeks his help, triggering a journey that leads him to confront the ghosts of his past. As he assembles a new crew to uncover the truth behind a dangerous conspiracy, Picard navigates a galaxy that has changed significantly since his days aboard the Enterprise.

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The star trek: tng episode that predicted ds9 & voyager.

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How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order

I think picard should have given riker kirk’s star trek generations advice, i am more baffled about ncis: hawai'i's cancelation after cbs' new procedural show revival.

Star Trek: TNG's "The Price" introduced a wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant, which is one of the concepts key to Deep Space Nine.
The wormhole turns out to be an unstable passage to the Delta Quadrant. which is a plot device in Star Trek: Voyager's premiere.
"False Profits" in Star Trek: Voyager served as a sequel to "The Price," connecting the Ferengi officers' storylines across series.

One episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation predicted main plot points of both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG ushered in a golden era for the Star Trek franchise. Captain Picard and his crew soon became almost as popular as the characters of Star Trek: The Original Series, and TNG laid the groundwork for much of what came after. Many elements (and characters) introduced on TNG would play a role on DS9 and Voyager, including two important references in the same episode.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 8, "The Price," the Enterprise hosts several delegates who wish to bid on rights to a supposedly stable wormhole. Discovered by the Barzan people, this wormhole could provide a stable way to travel vast distances across the galaxy. The negotiator representing the Chrysalians, Devinoni Ral (Matt McCoy), finds himself drawn to Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and she shares his feelings. The two embark on a passionate romance, which takes up much of the episode's runtime, as the negotiations continue in the background. The wormhole itself serves as a precursor to DS9, and a Ferengi shuttle connects to Voyager.

Commander Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) in Star Trek: Discovery is a member of the Barzan species introduced by Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Star Trek TV franchise has existed for 57 years and consists of 12 shows (and counting). Here's how to watch them all in timeline order.

Star Trek: TNG's "The Price" Features A Wormhole To The Gamma Quadrant

The bajoran wormhole in star trek: deep space nine remains the only truly stable wormhole in the milky way galaxy..

The wormhole at the center of the negotiations in "The Price" connects the Alpha Quadrant to the Gamma Quadrant , just like the Bajoran wormhole in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Since the Barzans do not have the means to control the wormhole and the space traffic that would use it, they have decided to auction it off to the highest bidder. The Federation bids for the right to control the wormhole, as do the Caldonians and the Chrysalians. When the Ferengi learn of the wormhole's existence, they insert themselves into the bidding as well.

Officially discovered by Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) in DS9's premiere episode, the Bajoran wormhole completely changed politics in both quadrants. Space Station Deep Space 9 set up at the entrance to the wormhole, making it one of the Federation's most important outposts.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, the wormhole turns out to be a "proverbial lemon," just as Captain Picard feared. While the Alpha Quadrant side of the wormhole seems stable, the other end moves locations. When Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) travel through the wormhole to investigate, they end up in the Delta Quadrant, not the Gamma Quadrant. They determine that the Alpha Quadrant side of the wormhole will eventually become unstable as well, rendering the wormhole basically useless.

Star Trek: TNG's "The Price" Also Features A Ship That Gets Lost In The Delta Quadrant

Star trek: voyager season 3, episode 5, "false profits" serves as a sequel to "the price.".

When Data and Geordi take a shuttle into the wormhole, they offer to share any information they find with the other delegates. The Ferengi, however, insist on investigating for themselves, and Ferengi officers Arridor (Dan Shor) and Kol (J.R. Quinonez) take their own shuttle into the wormhole. Data and Geordi soon detect strange readings, and they urge the Ferengi to return with them back to the Alpha Quadrant. The Ferengi refuse to listen and find themselves stranded in the Delta Quadrant when the wormhole moves to a new location.

The USS Voyager will find itself in a similar predicament in the premiere of Star Trek: Voyager , when the powerful Caretaker sends the ship to the Delta Quadrant. Later, in Voyager's "False Profits," Voyager encounters Ferengi officers Arridor and Kol (Leslie Jordan), who have declared themselves gods on a primitive planet. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her crew stop the Ferengi, and Arridor and Kol travel back through the unstable wormhole to the Alpha Quadrant. It will take Voyager a few more years to find its way home, but "False Profits" serves as a nice callback to Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before.

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June 26, 2024 | Check Out 14 Preview Images From ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2

Check Out 14 Preview Images From ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2

| June 26, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 15 comments so far

The second season of Star Trek: Prodigy arrives next week. We now have image previews for the season.

Prodigy season 2 pix

All 20 episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy land on Netflix on Monday, July 1st. Here again is the season synopsis:

In Season 2, these six young outcasts who make up the Prodigy crew are assigned a new mission aboard the USS Voyager-A to rescue Captain Chakotay (voiced by Robert Beltran) and bring peace to Gwyn’s (voiced by Ella Purnell) home world. However, when their plan goes astray, it creates a time paradox that jeopardizes both their future and past.

We have 14 images spanning the whole season (so SPOILERS ahead).

From episode 1 (CBS Studios)

From episode 2 (CBS Studios)

From episode 4 (CBS Studios)

From episode 5 (CBS Studios)

From episode 6 (CBS Studios)

From episode 9 (CBS Studios)

From episode 10 (CBS Studios)

From episode 11 (CBS Studios)

From episode 12 (CBS Studios)

From episode 14 (CBS Studios)

From episode 15 (CBS Studios)

From episode 17 (CBS Studios)

From episode 18 (CBS Studios)

From episode 20 (CBS Studios)

ICYMI: Trailer

A trailer for the season was released last week. Check it out…

Season 2 of Prodigy will stream on Netflix globally (excluding Canada, Nordics, CEE, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Mainland China) and season one is currently available on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe with season two coming soon. Season two has launched in France on France Televisions channels and Okoo. TrekMovie is trying to confirm details on a release of season 2 in Canada.

Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe .

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All Access Star Trek podcast episode 188 - TrekMovie - Laurence Luckinbill

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Celebrity , Interview , Star Trek: Prodigy , Starfleet Academy , Strange New Worlds

Podcast: All Access Shares Its Pain With Laurence Luckinbill From ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’

Can.not.wait!!!

I’m rewatching season 1 again (currently on episode 7) with a bit of Voyager thrown in for good measure mainly focusing on Janeway and The Doctor episodes and it all feels like visiting old friends each and every time.

This show just gives me all the great Trek feels I have had since the 70s. It’s a little bit of VOY, TOS, TNG and ENT all rolled into one for me. In other words, it’s pure Star Trek. And I have missed the 24th century.

July 1st can’t get here fast enough.

I would have to say, I really liked Prodigy S1. Even though it is animated, it has a live action feel to the show and the story has been good. And the opening theme is great, perhaps the best music of NuTrek, not counting the Picard S3 closing credits haha!

I see nothing yet scheduled for Canada. Too bad, because I did re-sign back up to Netflix for the first time in about 10 years to watch their take on the Three Body Problem. Hope they announce something soon for us fans north of the border.

Wait, you guys still don’t know when the show will air in Canada yet? That’s crazy. I assumed it would just be on the same cable channel as the others. I hope it gets rectified soon but as you know there are other options in the mean time.

But of course you know my feelings about Prodigy very very well. And I would say if this WAS a live action show it would be a huge hit IMO. Maybe not as big as Picard or SNW, but definitely bigger than Discovery. Hopefully season 2 will be as good as season one but all indication is it is.

As for The Three Body Problem I liked the show so much I started reading the original novels. I’m on the second book right now in fact. They are really good so far. The audiobook of the first book is narrated by Rosalind Chao. :)

Please please please let this be a hit on Netflix. I so want seasons 3,4 ,5 …

Thanks for adding the episode numbers! Y’all are the best!

A lot of these do a great job of showing how beautiful its art style is IMO, and give a great taste of what’s to come in season 2 (even if a lot of them do come from the trailer). I’m just so ready for it to come already.

Subscribing to Netflix for one month just for this!

Cetacean ops, yeah baby!

Season 1 of Prodigy is on the CTV app in Canada. For which a cable subscription is required, and I think, (can’t confirm because I don’t HAVE cable) you need to have access to the CTV SciFi channel. Which is so stupid. Honestly considering a VPN at this point. I want to support the show, but I literally can’t here.

VPN Netflix is the way.

It honestly looks really good! The second half of the first season was really quite good because it was way more Starfleet oriented so this season should be a real treat. Also these serialized shows are in my opinion much more enjoyable when you can watch the episodes at will. If the first season was more like that I think more people would have stayed tune. Also I think Netflix has a higher bit rate which should make watching such a beautifully computer animated show that much more enjoyable.

I am very much looking forward to this season. With the exception of Picard season 3, so much of NuTrek has been mostly a miss for me since 2009. So much of the writing has been subpar. There is very little depth in the stories and just doesn’t have the same glow in the story telling and the themes you got in the golden age of Trek from 1966-2005. With a few exceptions here and there very little of it hasn’t come close to what made those classic shows and movies so special for me.

That was until I finally watched Prodigy and it brought me back to the thoughtful and clever stories pre-2009. The characters felt like real characters and not just archtypes or caricatures. They actually care about canon snd nothing feels out of place like it does in Discovery and SNW. They use fan service but once again when it feels appropriate and lot less of it compared to awkwardly throwing in Kirk on SNW or their strange use of the Gorn. You don’t have new characters related to legacy characters as a feeble attempt to make fans care more about those characters like they did on Picard, SNW and Discovery. It just makes the universe feel infinitely smaller when someone is Spock’s sister, Data’s daughter or Khan’s whatever. 🙄

Prodigy feels like its own thing on one hand but a loose sequel to Voyager on the other to draw older fans like me in but without having to know anything about that show for younger and newer fans. But it captures the spirit of classic Star Trek that frankly I wasn’t sure we would ever get again. I do realize SNW has tried to capture it again and it feels closer to the older shows for sure but it just feels too surface level with subpar writing and making the characters feel like they are in high school. And it doesn’t have to feel like a silly sitcom in most of the episodes. That’s a big reason why I can’t even force myself to watch LDS and I know how popular that show is too.

The irony about Prodigy is a lot of the characters are literally high school age and feels more well rounded and mature at times. I didn’t expect that at all.

I know a lot of old fans have been divided on NuTrek the last 15 years and just feel it’s mostly been a turnoff for many just as much as I’m aware others have truly enjoyed all the new shows and films which I applaud. I’m certainly not suggesting everyone hates this new era of Trek (nor should) but sadly I was in the former camp until the last year or so.

So it’s very surprising for me a show designed for preteens have captured my heart and attention again I haven’t felt since Enterprise went off the air.

And it truly feels wonderful!

“The characters felt like real characters and not just archtypes or caricatures. They actually care about canon and nothing feels out of place like it does in Discovery and SNW. They use fan service but once again when it feels appropriate and lot less of it compared to awkwardly throwing in Kirk on SNW or their strange use of the Gorn.” […] “Prodigy feels like its own thing on one hand but a loose sequel to Voyager on the other to draw older fans like me in but without having to know anything about that show for younger and newer fans. But it captures the spirit of classic Star Trek that frankly I wasn’t sure we would ever get again.”

All very well stated, and I wholeheartedly agree about the irony that this “preteen/teen” show feels more grown-up, well written and overall well rounded than any of the other recent shows! 👏😎 (Just imagine if they could’ve made it an actual live-action show! 👍👍)

“So it’s very surprising for me a show designed for preteens have captured my heart and attention again I haven’t felt since Enterprise went off the air.”

I think a lot of people agrees with you! :)

And I know I said this before but I am happy you have finally loved something in the modern era out of the gate.

“There is very little depth in the stories and just doesn’t have the same glow in the story telling and the themes you got in the golden age of Trek from 1966-2005. With a few exceptions here and there very little of it hasn’t come close to what made those classic shows and movies so special for me.”

It’s very funny reading statements like this, because there were people who said the exact same things about the old spin offs shows back in the day when they compared them to TOS. A great example came from this very board from an article written by Mark A. Altman (which I’m sure you and everyone knows) who literally wrote a piece called “Star Trek Lives” back in 2006. I always love reading past Trek articles and reviews and found that one a few weeks ago.

Annnyway, I bring it up because in the article, he was very busy praising JJ Abrams and how the first Kelvin movie was going to redefine Star Trek as we know it (apparently) and he literally called all the spin offs at the time including TNG and DS9 as ‘outdated’, ‘bland’ and would be forgotten in a few years time. He literally called them ‘unwatchable’…in 2006. He was convinced the spin off shows just didn’t live up to what TOS was at the time and no one was going to even care about those shows anymore once this brave new world of the JJ Abrams brand of Star Trek started lol.

It’s pretty comical today considering he wrote that nearly 20 years ago and YET not only does he himself talk about those same old shows with much higher esteem and praise today, he talks about them more than any of the new shows (not counting Picard season 3 since it brings back the type of Star Trek he was denouncing back then) and including the Kelvin movies.

But it really does prove that as fans A. nostalgia always has a way of catching up to everything eventually (which is how many looked at TOS itself 20-30 years ago of course) and that B. views can just change in time (and the old shows, ironically, have all aged very well and why they are still so popular). But the same way you talk about all the old shows today and how modern Trek can’t hold a candle to them I will guarantee you many will be saying the same thing about Picard, Lower Decks, Discovery and etc in 20 years time when whatever is next in the iteration will be seen as grossly inferior. And I know others in fact do like those shows now but of course many of us still loved the old shows back then too.

But of course that’s after fans hail the next thing as the ‘savior’ of the franchise as many did believe the Kelvin movies and even Discovery would do before they start dumping on it when it doesn’t reach that height, ie, Disney Star Wars lol. Yes that too will have just as many gushers in time as well. Time truly is a flat circle in fandom. ;)

Now all that said, you know I don’t disagree with some of your issues. I like SNW more than you but as I have always stated the canon issues and the forced fan service does it no favors, but it does really feel like Star Trek. I love LDS but get why others hate it too.

But I will say even though there is certainly a division in the fandom it’s not as bad as it was just a few years ago when it was just Discovery and Picard or the dreaded days of STID lol. And no matter what, say what you will about Star Trek fandom, it’s nowhere close to the vitriol of where Star Wars fandom is these days. I mean you see what is happening over The Acolyte, yikes!!!! Discovery almost feels like TNG in popularity compared to how that’s being treated lol.

eww Chakotay

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Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 7 Review – Dominion

Vadic's attempt to take over the U.S.S. Titan doesn't provide as many answers as we might have hoped on Star Trek: Picard

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Jean-Luc and Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: Picard Season 3

This Star Trek: Picard review contains spoilers.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 7

Given that “The Bounty” was the easily best episode of Star Trek: Picard to date, it was probably always inevitable that whatever came after would feel like a letdown. Such is the case with “Dominion,” an hour that purports to finally offer viewers some answers about Vadic , the Changelings , and their larger plans, but where very little actually happens. This is not to say the episode is bad , per se. (And it’s certainly far from the worse episode of Picard we’ve ever seen!) There are a handful of solid subplots at work throughout—the stuff with Geordi, Data, and Lore is especially emotionally compelling—and while they don’t all come together in an entirely satisfying way, they certainly set the table for an explosive follow-up next week.

The episode starts off incredibly strong, with a surprise guest appearance from Star Trek: Voyager ’s Tim Russ as Tuvok and a ridiculously tense and satisfying sequence in which Seven of Nine must attempt to figure out whether or not the man she’s talking to is her old friend or a Changeling imposter. It turns out that he’s the latter, but watching the deft way that Seven susses out the truth—and her righteous anger when she realizes the real Tuvok has been taken prisoner is a shining example of how much Jeri Ryan can do with the smallest of onscreen moments.

And to its credit, “Dominion” does attempt to maintain this level of emotional heft, with several major revelations about both the Dominion War and Starfleet’s past spread over the course of the hour. Unfortunately, none of it is as interesting onscreen as Picard clearly wants it to be, particularly when the episode poses so many more questions than it answers. Yes, the fact that Starfleet committed clear atrocities during the Dominion War is horrific and goes against everything that the Federation has told themselves that they are and want to be. Our ideal version of Starfleet would obviously never withhold a cure to a genocidal virus that its very own Section 31 created in the first place, or attempt to use another species’ suffering to its own benefit.

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Yet, it somehow appears that Section 31’s secret experiments on Changeling prisoners of war (called Project Proteus) are precisely what seems to have helped them evolve into beings that can mimic human genetic material in new and undetectable ways in the first place, the same abilities that are now essentially fueling Vadic’s plans for revenge. (And given how important Section 31 has been in both this series and in season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery , surely that Michelle Yeoh-led Emperor Georgiou spin-off has to be confirmed soon, right? Right? )

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 7 Easter Eggs

Picard Season 3 Episode 7 Easter Eggs: Star Trek Reveals Truth About the Changelings

The Museum in Star Trek: Picard Season 3

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Owes a Debt to One of the Best Original Series Movies

As the U.S.S. Titan continues to search for the missing William Riker and attempts to evade capture by the Shrike , the group eventually decides to allow Vadic and her goons to board the ship in the hopes of setting a trap and capturing them by surprise. This is obviously an extremely stupid and doomed plan—and particularly if you watched season 3’s earlier episodes where every time Picard had an idea it turned out to be objectively terrible—but at least it finally gives us a proper face-off between Vadic, Picard, and Crusher, an excellent attempt at a good cop/bad cop interrogation in which all sides involved are essentially guilty (directly or indirectly) of terrible things.

Amanda Plummer remains delightfully creepy as she chomps on all the scenery in sight and dances around to a symphony only she can hear. That said, it might be time for us to admit that, as villains, go, Vadic isn’t particularly interesting. Her character has become more a revenge-obsessed middleman and less an entertainingly fearless space marauder. Her crazy-sounding pronouncement about how Jack “was never for” his parents is just one of many heavy-handed hints pointing toward the idea that the son of Jean-Luc Picard is not who he seems. Yet, the hour does little but introduce more questions about both his identity and what the Changelings want from him in the first place. I mean…I guess it’s cool that Jack can read minds now? And is also somehow a badass fighter despite most likely having little to no training in weapons or hand-to-hand combat? At least he and Sidney La Forge are cute together. (I’m here for the prospect of Geordi and Jean-Luc being cranky, reluctant in-laws, is what I’m saying.)

Part of the problem is the question of Jack Crusher’s true identity just isn’t that intriguing on its own. Yes, I think we’re all pretty invested in the character as he relates to Picard, Crusher, and whatever the relationship is between them now, but we barely know him in his own right as a character beyond that. The sudden revelation that he’s always felt deep down as though something is wrong with him doesn’t completely track with the swaggery bravado we’ve seen him display throughout this season to date and it’s hard to believe he’s been hearing voices telling him to do things all this time without ever feeling the need to tell anyone else about before in his life. And can anyone tell me why Jack’s suddenly decided that his life isn’t worth risking the safety of others when that’s exactly what he’s been doing with his mother for months before Picard found them?

This is no slam on Ed Speelers, who is certainly doing his best to infuse Jack’s frequently nonsensical and/or confusing dialogue with genuine emotion and weight. But at this point, keeping the secret of whatever’s truly going on with him feels as though it’s becoming increasingly dictated by where we are in the season episode order than whether it makes sense for the story we’re watching. Per Vadic’s pronouncement at the end of the hour, we might find out who he “really is” next week, but is it going to be too little too late?

Throughout the hour, we also hear more discussion and speculation about the supposed planned Changeling attack on the Frontier Day celebrations but are once again given no real information about what the group intends to do or why they somehow need Picard’s dead human body and Jack’s living one in order to pull it off. Now that I’ve read it I’m partial to the theory that they’re trying to somehow resurrect or recreate Locutus of Borg because even if that doesn’t entirely make sense, it’d be fun as heck to watch.

3.5 out of 5

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

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The last season of Picard is truly wild, and while it’s filled with action, it never seems to lose that sense of wonder that makes Star Trek Star Trek.

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