Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart says his “pride” nearly put an end to the recent Star Trek Picard season 3 before it had even begun. Picard became the first Star Trek series of the post-Enterprise era to come to an end when it concluded earlier this year with its triumphant third and final season.
After taking some big swings with seasons 1 and 2, Picard finally hit its stride in its final outing which acted as an extended TNG Star Trek movie, reuniting the Star Trek The Next Generation cast for one final time. Taking cues from previous franchise highs like The Wrath of Khan, it was generally embraced by Star Trek fans for its heart and ambition.
But, if Patrick Stewart had his way, Picard season 3 might never have happened at all. Speaking with Deadline, Stewart revealed how he initially firmly rejected the idea of a reunion season.
“I had felt strongly — largely based on my pride for what we had achieved with The Next Generation — that I didn’t want to mess up the work by making the show a series of sentimental reunion episodes,” said the Star Trek captain. “We’d done that, and we’d done it very well. Not all the time, but most of the time.”
Stewart’s instincts are certainly admirable. TNG is one of the best TV series of all time, and attempting to cash in on nostalgia for it could very well have lessened the series, in some way. However, thankfully for fans, the actor eventually changed his mind after realizing that the show could continue on the stories of the Star Trek characters without being tethered directly to TNG itself.
While Picard is now over and the adventures of Jean-Luc Picard and co. seem to have come to a definitive close, the wider Star Trek franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 2 has just begun its run, while Lower Decks will be back later in the year followed by Discovery in 2025.
Plenty of fans are hoping the roster of Star Trek shows could grow to include what’s been dubbed ‘Star Trek Legacy’. This would be a direct continuation of Picard season 3 focussing on Captain Seven of Nine and her command of the Enterprise-G with Picard’s son Jack as her close advisor.
Until a Star Trek Legacy release date gets confirmed, check out our Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 2 review and keep up to date with the show by learning all about Lanthanites and the Crossfield class. Or, if you’re not watching Strange New Worlds, here’s why you should if you loved Picard. You can also find out how we celebrated Captain Picard Day, which was only yesterday on June 16.