Things Fans Want To See In Star Trek: Picard Season 2
In early 2020, for the first time since 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, Patrick Stewart returned to his beloved role of Jean-Luc Picard for season 1 of Star Trek: Picard. Along with the former captain of the Enterprise, fans were reunited with old friends like Star Trek: Voyager's Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as well as Picard's old shipmates Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Along the way we met some new friends as well as new enemies. A second season of Picard was greenlit before the first premiered, and in December 2020 Jeri Ryan confirmed production on the upcoming season was set to begin in February 2021.
There's no way to know exactly which way the story will head for Picard's second season. While there are still some big question marks about events of the show's premiere season, for the most part everything was resolved. So rather than make a bunch of predictions about what we will or won't see in season 2 of Picard, we thought we'd go ahead and give you a wish list for what we think fans want to see in this next chapter of Picard's life.
We need a real reason for this crew to stay together
The Star Trek mythos is turning into a much more diverse place in a lot of ways, including in the types of stories they tell. But there's one common thread that goes through most Trek series, past and present. Whether it's the original series, Star Trek: Discovery, or even the goofball animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, the main characters are all either part of Starfleet, or part of an organization or institution with strong ties to Starfleet. Picard is the sole exception. While plenty of La Sirena's crew were once in Starfleet, none of them are by the end of Picard's first season.
That creates a problem most Star Trek shows don't have to face. Assuming Picard's writers intend to keep the crew of La Sirena together — and we think most fans would scream bloody murder if they didn't — they have to figure out why they stay together. While certain characters seem to have paired off romantically by the end of season 1, that doesn't necessarily tie them to the ship. Dr. Jurati (Alison Pill) could be on her way to prison for killing Bruce Maddox, while Elnor (Evan Evagora) is obligated by the Qowat Milat to only tie himself to those devoted to lost causes.
So the first thing we're going to want to see is a believable reason for all these characters to stay together that doesn't feel contrived.
We want to find out more about Guinan
The day before Star Trek: Picard's first season premiered, Patrick Stewart made a lot of people happy. Stewart appeared as a guest on The View, and while there extended an official invitation to co-host Whoopi Goldberg to reprise the role of Guinan in Picard's second season. An openly weepy (in a good way) Goldberg said yes.
If Guinan is going to be around in season 2, we want to find out more about her. Guinan is one of the most interesting and mysterious recurring characters to appear in any Trek series. So much is hinted at about Guinan but so much more is still unknown. Guinan has been alive for centuries, being shown as a fully grown adult hanging out with Mark Twain in the 19th century in the two-part "Time's Arrow." She's apparently known the all-powerful Q (John de Lancie) a long time, and the first time we see them together she acts as if she actually might be able to threaten him. She's also gifted with a potent sixth sense that's never been fully explained.
We're not sure we want all of Guinan's mysteries unraveled, but a few here and there would be nice. How old is she? Could she actually hurt Q? And what exactly is the nature of her relationship with Picard? Some have theorized they were lovers at one point, while Goldberg herself has said she's always assumed Picard was a descendant of hers.
Fans have been waiting for the return of Q
Since Star Trek: The Next Generation's 1994 series finale, we've seen the crew of Picard's Enterprise struggle against the assimilation of the inhuman Borg in 1996's Star Trek: First Contact. We watched them lock horns once more with the Romulans in Star Trek: Nemesis. In 1994's Star Trek: Generations we even witnessed one final battle with the ruthless Klingon sisters Lursa and B'etor. But since TNG's ending we haven't seen the godlike Q reunited with the Starfleet captain he loves to call "Mon Capitaine."
John de Lancie has reprised his role as Q since TNG's ending on Star Trek: Voyager and, more recently, in a cameo on Star Trek: Lower Decks, but none of it truly matches the hilarious back-and-forth between Q and Picard. Not to mention that by the end of TNG it's clear Q's fascination with humanity is centered on the Enterprise's captain. Particularly since our lives are as short as the blink of an eye to him, why wouldn't he still be keeping tabs on Picard? How many jokes does he have ready about Jean-Luc's new synthetic body? Or, at the very least, we'd expect he'd have some good zingers ready about Elnor's hair.
It would be great to see some love for Deep Space Nine
There have been some cool Deep Space Nine Easter eggs in the current era of Star Trek series. For example, in Picard's "Stardust City Rag," eagle-eyed fans discovered that DS9's Quark (Armin Shimmerman) had opened a bar on the planet Freecloud. Likewise, Star Trek: Discovery's third season pays tribute to the late Aron Eisenberg by revealing one of Starfleet's 32nd century ships is named after Eisenberg's character — Nog, the first Ferengi to join Starfleet. But the one thing we have yet to see is one of DS9's regular or recurring actors return to their role on either Discovery or Picard, while we have seen similar returns from Voyager and TNG.
To be fair, it's tough to see a natural way for most of DS9's characters to become involved with Picard and his crew. Additionally, because of both real life circumstances and where different characters find themselves by the end of DS9, many of them wouldn't be available. But Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) might still be out there, hopefully still married to Alexander Siddig's Dr. Bashir. Heck, Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) served under Picard. And we bet the writers could find a reason for an old fan-favorite spy like Andrew Robinson's Garak to intrude on Picard's story.
We want to see the romance between Seven and Raffi develop
One reveal in Picard's first season doesn't happen until the finale's final moments. After stopping the summoning of the Synthetic Alliance and — with considerable help from Will Riker and a fleet of starships — effecting the retreat of the Zhat Vash forces, we get a quiet moment aboard La Sirena now that its crew can finally relax. Among other things, we see Seven and Raffi (Michelle Hurd) holding hands. As a nod to the series that first gave us Seven of Nine, the Vulcan game Kal-toh — introduced on Voyager — sits between them.
Giving us this moment when they did was a kind of deliciously cruel move on the part of the creative team. It's the first overtly romantic moment we get between the two and yet it's not only close to the end of the episode, but of the entire season. You can bet fans are eager to see exactly how the romance between these two heroes unfolds.
Some loose ends from season 1 need tying up
Among the threads from season 1 begging for resolution are the fates of two specific characters — Dr. Agnes Jurati and the Romulan Narek (Harry Treadaway).
Dr. Jurati's killing of Bruce Maddox (John Ales) gives us arguably the most shocking episode conclusion in Picard's first season. Once the rest of the La Sirena crew learns what she's done, most are ready to toss her out the airlock. By the end of the season, after learning more about the Zhat Vash's motives and methods, most seem to believe Dr. Jurati wasn't in control of her actions. Still, she killed a man. Asked by fans about Jurati's fate, season 1 showrunner Michael Chabon confirmed, "She will put herself in the hands of the law," so we'll need to find out exactly what that means. Hopefully she won't be taken away from her friends.
Then there's the Zhat Vash spy Narek. We never see what becomes of Narek in the season 1 finale. Responding to fans on Instagram (via ComicBook.com), Chabon said a scene was filmed that would have shown Narek being taken into Starfleet custody, but it was cut because of time. On one hand, it would be nice to at least get a mention of this happening in season 2. On the other, since it never made it to the screen, maybe it creates an opportunity? Narek is a charismatic and seductive villain, after all, and fans might not mind seeing him return.
We want to see more of the TNG crew
No Picard fan will ever say no to more visits from the crew of the Enterprise-D or E. Riker and Troi would be welcomed back with open arms. Brent Spiner has said he won't humor the possibility of playing Data again, though he would return to play one of the descendants of Data's creator, Dr. Noonien Soong.
But there's still plenty of TNG crew absent. What about Gates McFadden's Beverly Crusher, or her son Wesley (Wil Wheaton)? Some of the earliest rumors about Picard's season 2 revolved around LeVar Burton's possible return as genius engineer Geordi La Forge. Burton actually told ET he expects to show up, though he didn't indicate if that would be in season 2 or later. One TNG veteran lots of fans want to see come back is the Klingon warrior Worf played by Michael Dorn. Dorn himself seems eager to reprise the role, though not necessarily on Picard. Speaking to Horror Geek Life in January 2021, Dorn said he's campaigning to make either a solo Worf series, or a movie in the vein of 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
And then, of course, there are the characters who weren't always in the spotlight. How about a visit from the terminally phobic Reggie Barclay (Dwight Schultz)? Or the bad-tempered Bajoran officer Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes)? Heck, how about Riker's weird transporter clone brother, Thomas Riker?
We want to learn the fates of beloved characters
It seems likely that Picard's writers will be wary of overloading the series with too many reunions. Sure, nostalgia is great, but if Worf or Geordi or anyone else is going to return, it needs to serve the story. Fans know that, and they know they can't expect a return of every character from the late '80s to early '00s era of Trek. For example, exactly how many reasons could Voyager's Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) have to talk to Jean-Luc Picard?
But just because we're probably not going to be able to see everyone come back doesn't mean we can't find out what's happened to them. Especially since Seven of Nine is part of Picard, she might naturally have some of that info when it comes to the Voyager crew. Does she know if The Doctor (Robert Picardo) is still around and free of the holographic confines of Voyager? Has anyone heard from Neelix (Ethan Phillips) since Voyager dropped him off with the other Talaxians in the Delta Quadrant? Did Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) ever get promoted?
And then there's our old friends from DS9. Is Rom (Max Grodénchik) still the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance? Did the Prophets ever return Ben Sisko (Avery Brooks) to DS9? Did Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) finally finish writing Anslem?
It would be nice to see Picard find love
Picard has a new synthetic body, but it's still going to follow the same kind of lifespan he would have had in his old body if he'd never suffered Irumodic Syndrome. While he still has time, it would be great to see Picard get embroiled in a romance. He's retired from Starfleet after all, and no longer has to worry about appearing to act "improper" with his crew.
While he wasn't the ladies' man James Kirk was, Picard has enjoyed some passionate romances on TNG – and in the accompanying movies — that could be rekindled. There's the rogue archaeologist Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) who Picard first meets while visiting Risa in "Captain's Holiday" and who we last saw heading for more adventure in DS9's "Q-Less." There's the lovely Ba'ku woman Anij (Donna Murphy) from 1998's Star Trek: Insurrection. Of course, there were always sparks between Picard and the Enterprise's doctor, Beverly Crusher.
Fans want answers about the Synthetic Alliance
We eventually learn that the clandestine Romulan organization the Zhat Vash is dedicated to stopping what they believe is a galactic apocalypse they call Ganmadan. This mythic event almost comes to pass when the synthetics of Coppelius try to summon the powerful Synthetic Alliance. Prior to Picard's premiere, the Big Bad of Star Trek: Discovery's second season eventually proved to be Control — a rogue artificial intelligence which, like the Synthetic Alliance, threatened to destroy all non-synthetic life in the galaxy.
While this might understandably make you think the various Trek shows need to come up with some different ideas, other fans think this is a sign there's a big connection between Control and the Synthetic Alliance and that in turn there's a larger story connecting Picard and Discovery. Those fans are probably going to be paying very close attention to any mention of artificial intelligence and/or synthetic life in Picard's second season to see if their suspicions are true.
We'd like to see connections to Discovery's future
Star Trek: Discovery's third season catapulted its crew 900 years into the future. The Federation of the 32nd century is a different place. Among other things, the number of Federation member planets has shrunk considerably, including the departure of the Trill, the Vulcans, and even Earth itself. One of the bigger changes — foretold in the TNG two-parter "Unification" — is that the Vulcans and Romulans have come together to become one people once more. In light of this, the name of the shared homeworld is changed from Vulcan to Ni'Var.
Picard still takes place in the late 24th century — far in the past compared to season 3 of Discovery. However, considering that Picard is still set further in the future than any Trek series so far beside Discovery, it would be interesting to see the very beginnings of the changes that come to full bloom in the 32nd century. Perhaps there are whispers here and there of the unification movement beginning to gain ground. Or we might see something close to the beginning of the Temporal Wars which are referenced often in Discovery's season 3.
We want more Number One!
Picard's pit bull seemed heavily involved in the lead-up to the Picard series premiere, and was even featured prominently on the first official poster for the series. Named Number One in the story — but with the real name of Dinero — Picard's pup then went on to show up a bit in the series premiere and then disappear for the most part. Unlike what Scott Bakula's Captain Archer did with his beagle Porthos on Star Trek: Enterprise, Picard chose to not bring Number One with him into space. Maybe he was just worried that if he ended up calling another person "Number One" during his new adventures, it would confuse the dog.
Fans responded well to Number One, and we're confident they want to see more of him in season 2. Especially considering adorable pets are winning big in other Trek series. One of the biggest new stars of Star Trek: Discovery's third season proved to be the floof-monster Grudge the cat, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) might knock you off a turbolift if you call her anything but a queen.
What's happened to the Enterprise?
There's one big question that wasn't answered in season 1 — is the Enterprise still around and, if so, who's flying it?
Enterprise-D — the ship Picard and his crew fly in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation — was destroyed toward the end of Star Trek: Generations. The Enterprise-E was introduced in Star Trek: First Contact and survived until the end of the final TNG-era film, Star Trek: Nemesis. Picard's first season takes place 20 years after the events of Nemesis and there's no mention of a current Enterprise. We don't know if the ship last seen in Nemesis is still in service, if it's been replaced with a newer Enterprise, or if that ship name has been retired for some reason.
The only clue can be found in the 2019-20 prequel comic book mini-series Star Trek: Picard — Countdown. Taking place during the evacuation of Romulus — before the Federation pulls out and Picard resigns – Star Trek: Picard — Countdown #1 includes a scene in which Picard and Geordi La Forge share a cryptic exchange about the Enterprise's new captain but, whoever it is, they're not mentioned by name during the conversation or for the rest of the series. Like most Trek comics, Countdown isn't considered canon. However, it seems strange to drop such a huge hint and fail to refer to it again unless it has some bearing on the show.