This post contains spoilers from Star Trek: Picard season three, episode 7 “Dominion.”
For the first time in over twenty years, Commodore Geordi La Forge and Lt. Commander Data reunited in Star Trek: Picard. It wasn’t exactly the way we hoped, but even seeing the two communicate briefly was emotional. LeVar Burton took this episode to a new level with his fear for his daughter after Lore took over control of the Titan, and, of course, Brent Spiner played Lore as gleefully evil. But it was the brief reunion between Data and La Forge that was a bright light in an otherwise dark episode. And, according to showrunner Terry Matalas, there is more to come between the characters.
In an interview with Collider, Matalas brought up Geordi’s lack of opportunity to mourn Data, but Burton brought that to the forefront when he was trying to break through to Data in order to elicit his help.
"“It was going back to The Next Generation, and also, going back to the end of Nemesis, and really never getting to see Geordi properly mourn that relationship. Certainly, we saw a lot of that with Picard in Season 1, but seeing what this must mean to Geordi and getting to play that, but using that as a way to get through to his old friend, that’s in there. And wow, is LeVar good. He’s so good.”"
Matalas teases things to come in Star Trek: Picard between Geordi and Data that are “really special.”
“Dominion” was just the tip of the iceberg for Geordi and Data as Matalas said he can’t wait for people to see the things that are coming, things that are really special.
"“And Brent and LeVar are just dear friends. I mean, Brent was LeVar’s best man at his wedding, and they bring something out in each other in these scenes. And [there are] things to come, too, that I cannot wait for people to see that is really special. It’s genuine. That’s really LeVar feeling those feelings you’re seeing there. So yeah, it’s a privilege to be able to get those two actors in a room, to be able to get them to emote and say how they feel about each other, and hopefully be able to tell a story that brings an outcome to it that is satisfying.”"
Though nothing has been revealed about what will happen with the Data/Lore combination, ultimately, I suspect there will be a time when Geordi and Data get to have the conversation they never had a chance to before Data died in Star Trek: Nemesis. Many fans were disappointed when Data died yet again in the first season of Star Trek: Picard without Geordi being given a chance to say goodbye.
Whether we’ll say goodbye to Data again is unknown, but I would be surprised if we don’t get to see the two characters working together just like they did on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Whatever special moments are ahead, fans are more than ready for it. This is one flashback to The Next Generation we’ve been waiting to see for a long time.