3 ways Star Trek: Picard could end up changing the franchise

Star Trek: Picard is promising to change the franchise with its final season.

Star Trek: Picard is hoping to close out its run with a bang in its third and final season. The series will see Jean-Luc Picard reunite with his former Enterprise crew members in one final adventure. It is serving not only as a spiritual sequel to the Next Generation series but may also serve as a spin-off idea with new characters on a new show.

Though we don’t know if that’s actually the case.

What we do know is that Picard showrunner Terry Matalas is promising that the third season will be a game-changer for the franchise. Matalas was quoted by SFX Magazine as saying;

"There is definitely a major event in the Star Trek universe. But not in a way that undoes it in any way. People hear game-changing like, oh god, we’re gonna undo some of Star Trek so it no longer feels like that. That’s certainly not what it is. But it will feel like an event in Star Trek history. For instance, in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, you know what I mean? That would be a moment in Star Trek history that everyone would remember. And that’s certainly true here."

So what could the game-changing moment be? We have three ideas.

Three things that could change Star Trek forever in Picard’s third season

Romulans join the Federation

The Picard series has been centered around various involvements with the Romulans since the show started. They’ve been a major player in the series across all three seasons and it stands to reason that they would end up being involved in the final season in a major way. Maybe that’s with Romulans and Vulcans once again rejoining their two species into one. Maybe, and more likely, it’s the Romulans joining Starfleet? After all, they’re now more vulnerable than ever before.

The Klingons join the Federation

This is just for kicks but how wild would it be if the Klingons joined the Federation? Perhaps the Romulans get the Federation on the ropes in one final, last-ditch attempt to regain power and in turn, the Federation gets unexpected help from the Klingons, leading to the Beta Quadrant power finally joining Starfleet in the aftermath.

Jean-Luc Picard dies and Patrick Stewart gets replaced as franchise stalwart

Patrick Stewart is likely done in Star Trek after Picard ends, so what if his character dies and gets replaced in the franchise by someone else? After all, Stewart has been the face of the franchise since William Shatner retired, so it is time for a new one. Could it be Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, or maybe even Anson Mount? We’ll likely know who Star Trek is set up as the new face of the franchise soon enough.