Star Trek: The Next Generation casts’ return to Star Trek: Picard aren’t cameos

Star Trek: Picard is bringing back the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Since the announcement that the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast will appear in season three of Star Trek: Picard, questions have been flying across social media. There’s been some discussion as to how much time the former crew of the Enterprise would have in the series, considering it is only a ten-episode long season and Picard has other full-time stars. Fans want to know if we can only expect cameos from the TNG cast.

Executive Producer and showrunner, Terry Matalas, actually already answered this question in a tweet he made shortly after the announcement. “These aren’t just cameos.” So we can expect more than just a pop-in scene for each of the characters, but some fans are still concerned that the proper send-off Matalas wants to do has already been done, that the TNG crew already said their goodbyes in the series finale of TNG, “All Good Things…” which aired on May 23, 1994.

Star Trek: The Next Generation fans don’t want Star Trek: Picard to tarnish their memories.

While the teaser of Season three offers a promise of hope for the crew of TNG, there are plenty of fans of the former series who aren’t interested in seeing scenes written by the current slate of Star Trek writers. They want the crew back on their screens, but they don’t feel as though any writers for Star Trek: Picard are up to the task of bringing back the TNG crew realistically and without damaging the memories of the past.

Since season three of Picard has already wrapped, what’s done is done. And while there are so many ways this can end, let’s hope that we truly get an ending fully deserving of not only the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast but the Picard cast as well. It’s likely the last time we’ll see them all together on our screens. And, if anything, the third season of Picard will give us that opportunity to see these characters again even if some fans don’t like the storyline.