How one line from Star Trek: Picard set up its spinoff

Star Trek: Picard showrunner, Terry Matalas, knew what he was doing when bringing the series to an end.

If a series ends with a back door propped open, there’s a good chance the powers-that-be have hopes for a spin-off, and there’s no doubt that was Terry Matalas’ intention all along when he was wrapping up Star Trek: Picard. Matalas even admitted in an interview with Collider [via Slashfulm] that one line really excited him about the future of the series.

In the final episode of the series, Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) and Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) are standing on the bridge of the Enterprise-G, all a little amazed they are on their own ship. And Raffi sums up how they are all feeling by saying,

"“I still can’t believe Starfleet saw fit to give a thief, a pirate, and a spy their own ship.”"

Jack Crusher responded by saying “Bunch of ne’er-do-wells and rule-breakers, really.” And for Matalas, that set up the precedence for what will hopefully be Star Trek: Legacy.

Star Trek: Picard could establish James Bond in Starfleet according to Terry Matalas

That’s what Matalas calls the character of Jack Crusher, adding that Ed Speleers is “so charismatic as the legacy of Picard.”

"“He has all the qualities of Gates McFadden [and] Patrick Stewart, and then he’s entirely his own. He’s James Bond in Starfleet.”"

But a spinoff wouldn’t just be about Jack Crusher; it would be about how three individuals, who aren’t afraid of breaking rules, try to uphold the rules of Starfleet in a ship that has been entrusted to them. A legacy series would undoubtedly play to the strengths of these three characters, but it would also allow fans to get to know Commodore La Forge’s (LeVar Burton) daughters better.

The finale of Star Trek: Picard did everything but greenlight the new series. In fact, it’s so well-established that all Alex Kurtzman has to do is say yes. Of course there’s the matter of the budget and getting everyone onboard, and hopefully, choosing Matalas as the showrunner, none of which will occur while writers are on strike. But this certainly gives us something to look forward to in the Star Trek universe. Hopefully, Kurtzman will “make it so.”