Michelle Forbes speaks on her return as Ro Laren in Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard brought back Michelle Forbes and her TNG character Ro Laren.

The showrunner of Star Trek: Picard, Terry Matalas, has been making it his own very personal goal to bring back every Star Trek: The Next Generation character possible. The show started off by bringing back Data, William Riker, Deana Troi, and of course Jean-Luc Picard.

We also got minor characters from The Next Generation, like Hugh and Bruce Maddox (the latter of which was played by a different actor). Then season two saw Guinan, Q, and Wesley Crusher return, alongside the Borg Queen as the seasonal villain.

Now season three has brought back Geordi La Forge, Worf, Beverly Crusher, Lore, Moriarty, and shockingly enough, a fan-favorite minor character in Ro Laren. Laren was supposed to be a huge piece with the launch of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but her actress, Michelle Forbes, didn’t want to be tied down to such a commitment. This is fair, even Patrick Stewart, during the height of the Next Generation’s run, thought about leaving the show due to the commitment needed.

Michelle Forbes talks about returning to Star Trek via Picard

Forbes was a bright-eyed up-and-comer for The Next Generation and did well under lead writer and series producer Ronald D. Moore. So much so that she ended up on his re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica.

So it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that much when she popped back up in Star Trek via Picard. After all, she didn’t leave on bad terms. Which is why it wasn’t surprising either that she talked about her return saying via her Instagram

"Thanks for all the v kind words. So v sweetRo taught me a lot. I’ve held those lessons close.She always stayed true to her word & beliefs.Always honest. Even if uncomfortable.Was very happy to be back in Patrick & Johnny F’s arms and eat breakfast and laugh together again!Much gratitude to Roddenberry for the original universe. Always seeking peace & unity through our human frailty.I will be forever grateful to Rick Berman & jeri Taylor for creating this character. It’s been sweet to carry and hold her for decades.She’s such a deep part of my heart and I love that we share that."

Matalas has made it his personal mission to bring back as many characters as possible into Picard, even throwing in several Star Trek: Voyager characters as well in Seven of Nine and Icheb, and while many of the returns aren’t well received, the fact that he’s trying is something to appreciate.

We’re glad Forbes got one more turn at Star Trek, even if we weren’t happy with how it went.