The Next Generation crew is finally reuniting for Star Trek: Picard season 3, and it’s as much a welcome return for a whole lineup of memorable Starfleet characters as it is an ambitious sendoff for the beloved captain of the Enterprise.
Joining Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard on next year’s galactic adventure are Jonathan Frakes as William Riker, LeVar Burton as Geordi LaForge, Michael Dorn as a pacifist Worf, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, and Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi. Also returning are regular Picard cast members Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) and Michelle Hurd (Raffi). But that’s not all.
A new trailer released during the Star Trek Universe panel at this year’s New York Comic Con has revealed that there are even more characters from The Next Generation returning. If you haven’t watched it already, give the trailer a look below:
There’s plenty to point out in this trailer, which not only features the Enterprise-F zooming through space while the season’s new alien villain Vadic (Amanda Plummer) gives chase with her intimidating warship, the Shrike, but also confirmation that LeVar Burton’s real daughter, Mica Burton (Critical Role), is playing Geordi’s younger daughter Alandra and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Cruel Summer) is playing his eldest daughter. It seems they’ve followed in their father’s footsteps and joined Starfleet, both serving as ensigns in Picard season 3.
But it’s the reveals at the very end of the trailer that will likely have Star Trek fans jumping out of their seats. Two massive villains are making a comeback to have another go at Jean-Luc before the end…
Brent Spiner as Lore
It should come as no surprise that Brent Spiner is back once again after playing Data and two different Dr. Soongs in the first and second seasons of Picard. For season 3, Spiner returns in the most unexpected way of all, reprising his TNG role as Lore, who is basically Data’s evil sibling.
First introduced in the season 1 episode “Datalore” and as a recurring villain in three other episodes of The Next Generation, including the memorable season 7 two-parter “Descent,” Lore is a seriously unstable android with a major god complex. Lore believes himself to be superior to humanity and not only tried to replace Data on the Enterprise in order to sabotage the ship but also led a rogue Borg faction later in the series. In other words, Lore’s not a good dude.
In the trailer, we see that he’s donned what looks like a Starfleet uniform, which probably means he’s infiltrated the Federation’s ranks again for some nefarious reason. But note that Lore’s physique has changed. This android has…aged. We’ll likely learn what that’s all about in season 3.
Daniel Davis as Professor James Moriarty
Picard season 3, like past seasons, is digging up Data’s past, but it also seems to be putting an emphasis on Geordi La Forge’s history. Consider the return of Daniel Davis as Professor James Moriarty, the genius Sherlock Holmes villain who can challenge even Data’s intellect. A hologram created by Geordi as a rival for Data, Moriarty’s intelligence quickly grew way beyond the bounds of the Holodeck on The Next Generation, becoming self-aware and causing lots of trouble for the Enterprise-D. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of trouble he’ll cause the The Next Generation crew this time around.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 will premiere on Feb. 16, 2023.