Seven of Nine becoming captain of the Enterprise was always endgame

Star Trek: Picard ended its final season with Seven of Nine, the former Borg drone, sitting in the captain's chair of the newly minted Enterprise. While that came as a surprise to many fans of the character and the series, it was something Picard showrunner, Terry Matalas, had planned from the beginning. In fact, according to Jeri Ryan at TrekTalks 3's Star Trek: Picard season 3 panel, [via Screenrant], he pitched the idea to her in their first meeting about the season.

The moderators of TrekTalks 3, Kayla Iacovino and Jonathan Del Arco, asked the actress why she thought Seven of Nine was going to be in Picard's final season, and that's when Ryan revealed the conversation she'd had with Matalas and his plans for her character's future.

"I think I can thank Terry for that. [In] the first meeting that I had with him pitching ideas for the season, he said, “Here’s what I’m thinking. She’s back in Starfleet, and we’re gonna end with her becoming Captain of the Enterprise.” (laughs) Wait, what? It was not anything that I saw coming or expected… Before we started shooting, that was always endgame in Terry’s mind. Which was pretty cool."

- Jeri Ryan

Though many fans wouldn't have seen Seven of Nine as a captain in Starfleet when she was still aboard Voyager, the character had exponential growth during the three seasons of Picard, and seeing her in the captain's chair didn't seem out of place at all. In fact, once she took her place aboard the Enterprise, viewers wanted to see more of what she could accomplish as a new captain. And that interest hasn't waned, which is why fans are still onboard for a Star Trek: Legacy series.

Matalas set up an excellent premise for a new chapter in the Star Trek franchise. Now, we're hoping Paramount (or whichever entity takes over the company) will see what they have in a Seven of Nine-centric series.