Season three of the Paramount+ seriesStar Trek: Picardearned rave reviews from fans, as the originalNext GenerationEnterprise crew reunited for a final adventure. However, for cast memberMichelle Hurd, the season was a bittersweet one, ascast members from previous seasons did not return with the shift in thePicardstoryline. During an appearance on theD-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… It’s awful. It was awful.
Star Trek: Picard
The abrupt changes in the cast and the shift in storyline meant that some of the plot threads from the first twoPicardseasons 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 considersitting in the captain’s chair once more, for a film likeStar Trek: Generations, which bridged the William Shatner Original Series with Stewart’s Next Generation (TNG) Series.
Paramount learned a painful lesson withPicard, as Trekkers didn’t fully embrace the seriesuntil it gaveThe Next Generationcrew the proper sendoff it deserved. Stewart himself insisted thatPicardtake 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 Evagora…I loved being on that with Isa and Evan as their first TV series (as) regulars. To see them blossom. There’s a very sacred place in my heart for my first season motley crew.”
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Matalas is now working with Marvel and Disney’s 20th Century Studios, andParamount passed on a proposedPicardspinoff. Stewart has suggested aStar Trek: Legacyseries, which could open the door for thePicardcharacters to return, but Paramount does not seem interested. The studio seems happy with series likeStrange New Worlds, which embraces classicTreksettings and themes with modern storytelling.
All three seasons ofStar Trek: Picardare now streaming onParamount+.
If you’re a Star Trek fan, check out this video exploring the funniest episodes in the franchise.
