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Star Trek: Picard Gag Reel Lets The Next Gen Crew Make All Kinds Of Dirty Jokes

You know, it's pretty refreshing to see the tireless and constantly put-together crew of the USS Enterprise let their hair down sometimes (so to speak) and blow off some steam while on the clock. Tales of the cast of "The Next Generation" goofing off between takes of the original show are practically the stuff of legend, all but driving directors mad with their unparalleled ability to flub lines, break props, and otherwise waste hours and hours of shooting days. So when "Star Trek: Picard" showrunner Terry Matalas gathered the cast together for one final swan song in season 3 of the reunion series, everyone involved simply had to know what they were in for this time around. Now, Trekkies are finally getting a sense of just how infectious their fun-loving and joyful chemistry truly was while on set.

The third and final season of "Star Trek: Picard" recently released on home media, giving fans the chance to absorb all sorts of special features from the Blu-ray set, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, previously-unseen deleted scenes, and, yes, an utterly delightful gag reel clocking in at over six glorious minutes. Led by the downright rebellious and childlike glee of Patrick Stewart himself, the clip comes loaded with impeccably-timed improvisations, completely filthy off-the-cuff remarks, and enough cursing to make Spock's ears burn. In fact, viewers could even turn this into a drinking game with how often Jonathan Frakes appears incapable of holding it together while acting opposite, well, anyone . Check out the footage below!

Watch the Star Trek: Picard gag reel

Now we know that every time the cast of "The Next Generation" sat down for one of their classic card games, it was all an act ... because, judging by this gag reel of "Star Trek: Picard" season 3, absolutely none of these actors have much in the way of a poker face. From Worf actor Michael Dorn's ill-timed moment where he boasts about his talent to "s**t phasers" to Gates McFadden dropping the bombshell that Beverly Crusher "slept with Riker" to Brent Spiner finally admitting just how much Data hates everybody, it's tough to pick a favorite moment from this collection of gags, missed line readings, and general silliness in between takes. One thing's absolutely for certain, however: Nobody had more fun in the entire galaxy than the cast and crew on set of "Picard."

According to Blu-ray.com , the home media release includes over two and a half hours of special features, including one about "The Making of the Last Generation," "Rebuilding the Enterprise-D," and the "Villainous Vadic," played by actor Amanda Plummer. There will also be audio commentary for select episodes, a special Q&A about the final season, and much more. Or, of course, you could just keep re-watching the gag reel over and over again while imagining what a hard day's work of shooting must have been like for members of this beloved cast of talent. For all the highs and lows of the overall show, footage like this makes it all feel worthwhile.

You can revisit every episode of "Star Trek: Picard" streaming on Paramount+.

EXCLUSIVE: Star Trek: Picard's Michelle Hurd, Jeri Ryan Are All Laughs in Season 2 Gag Reel

CBR presents an exclusive clip from Star Trek: Picard's Season 2 Blu-ray gag reel, featuring series stars Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan.

Star Trek: Picard stars Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan -- who play Rafaella "Raffi" Musiker and Seven of Nine, respectively -- are seen having a lively time on set in the official Season 2 gag reel.

CBR has the exclusive debut of a clip from the gag reel included as part of the home video release of Picard Season 2, which is set to drop on Blu-ray and DVD on Oct. 4. The clip features laugh-filled outtakes from the scene in which Raffi and Seven commandeer a police car, complete with Hurd attempting to shoot out the vehicle's window with a prop phaser.

RELATED: Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Breaks Down the Series' New 'Hero Ship'

The de facto sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation , which originally ran on first-run syndication from 1987 to 1994, Picard initially premiered on Paramount+ (then known as CBS All Access) in early 2020. Set 20 years after the events of 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis -- the final feature film of the Next Generation era -- the series rejoins Jean-Luc Picard, with Patrick Stewart reprising his role as the now-retired Starfleet captain.

Star Trek: Picard Closes the Book on Jean-Luc

Picard Season 1 ran for a total of 10 episodes from January 2020 to March 2020. The show's second and most recent season premiered earlier this year, running for ran additional 10 episodes from March to May. The third and final season is currently slated to premiere on Paramount+ on Feb. 16, 2023 . Notably, Picard Season 3 will not only end the series, but also mark Stewart's swan song as Captain Picard.

RELATED: Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Will Give Riker Fans What They Want

Of course, the former captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise hasn't taken this new journey alone. In addition to Stewart as Picard himself, Star Trek: Picard also stars the aforementioned Hurd and Ryan. Hurd's Raffi is a newcomer to the franchise, while Ryan reprises her role as Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager . Picard 's other main cast members include Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Harry Treadaway, Santiago Cabrera and Evan Evagora.

What's more, Picard Season 3 is shaping up to be a proper Next Generation reunion . In the upcoming season, Stewart will be joined by LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, Michael Dorn as Worf, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi and Jonathan Frakes as William Riker (who has appeared on Picard before). Denise Crosby has even teased that the long-dead Tasha Yar will factor into Picard Season 3 in some way.

RELATED: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Reveals Exciting First Season 2 Clip

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 releases on DVD and Blu-ray on Oct. 4. Season 3 premieres on Paramount+ on Feb. 16, 2023.

Source: Paramount+

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Preview Star Trek: Picard Gag Reel

With the home media release of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 , we’re looking at the bonus content. The series might be serious, with Sir Patrick Stewart back as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. However, we all know what happens on set. Season one had lots of laughs. Additionally, you know it will be funny with the return of Star Trek: The Next Generation cast for Season 3. Thanks to CBS, we’ve got a preview of the Star Trek: Picard Gag Reel.

Series stars Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd can’t keep a straight face. While filming for the second season, the pair share laughs on set. Watch below. Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is out now on DVD and Blu-ray . Additionally, a limited edition Steelbook is available. Special features include a conversation with John De Lancie and your typical gag reel. We’re also GIVING AWAY two copies of the Blu-Ray for Season 2. Additionally, we’re giving away ONE STEELBOOK of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 on Blu-Ray.

Picard Is A Laughing Matter

When we think about Star Trek: Picard , seriousness comes to mind. Even the character of Jean-Luc is all about being super serious. He’s chilled out a bit in the new series. However, the Star Trek: Picard Gag Reel for the second season proves the stars of the show love to laugh. As seen in the clip above, both Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd are playing around on set. They were both filming for their action sequences in the season 2 episode “Watcher”.

Seven of Nine has become a stand-out character recently. Star Trek fans love her so much they are requesting she gets her own series. Thankfully we’ve got more of Jeri Ryan in the upcoming Star Trek: Picard Season 3 . However, what about the future? Additionally, the character was featured in the recent comic book Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer .

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 (UK) Blu-Ray Giveaway

Teaming up with CBS Home Entertainment, Trek Central has a  Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Steelbook & Blu-Ray giveaway. We’re giving away TWO COPIES of the Blu-Ray for Season 2. Additionally, we’re giving away ONE STEELBOOK of Star Trek: Picard Season 2 on Blu-Ray. Therefore all you need to do is enter below via the Gleam.IO integration and follow the steps for a chance to win one copy for yourself. Winners will be drawn automatically and contacted via email.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2  streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories. Additionally, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada and streams on Crave. The upcoming  Star Trek: Picard Season 3  beams down on February 16th 2023.

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Star Trek: Picard

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life. Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life. Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

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Episodes 30

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• Trivia The Chateau Picard vineyard first appeared in Family (1990) . It was run by Jean-Luc Picard's brother Robert and his wife Marie, and their son René. Jean-Luc would learn in Star Trek: Generations (1994) that Robert and René had both burned to death in a fire, leaving Jean-Luc as the last in the Picard line.
• Goofs Commodore Oh often wears sunglasses. Star Trek lore establishes that Vulcans have an inner eyelid to protect against harsh sunlight on their desert planet. Oh's shades are a fashion statement, not a protective measure.
• The first season features a Borg cube and the planet Romulus.
• The second season features a Borg ship, a wormhole and hourglass, and the Borg Queen's silhouette.
• The third season does not have an opening titles sequence.
• Connections Featured in Half in the Bag: Comic Con 2019, The Picard Trailer, Streaming Services, and Midsommar (2019)

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How ‘star trek picard’ showrunner terry matalas captured the series finale’s most important scenes.

The writer-director talks the high stakes of the finale, the emotions that flowed on set, and his dreams of continuing the story with a new series.

By Phil Pirrello

Phil Pirrello

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[This story contains spoilers for Picard season three’s final episode.]

Star Trek Picard ’s third season finale takes the Next Generation crew back to where it all began — though showrunner Terry Matalas was too busy capturing its key scenes to take in the wonder of being on the bridge of the Enterprise-D nearly 30 years after TNG went off the air.

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During the heartstring-tugging climax, the Enterprise literally swoops in above Picard and Jack to save the day, and it was during post-production on the making of this cinematic moment where all the creative intentions and goals Matalas had hoped to achieve for season three coalesced into one frame. 

“I didn’t think we would pull it off,” Matalas tells The Hollywood Reporter. “But when the visual effects came in, and once Stephen Barton’s incredible score was added, seeing the Enterprise appear above the characters like that, that’s when I let myself consider the possibility that, ‘Hey, I think maybe we did it.’”

But getting to see the crew where they began, back on their Next Gen flagship – on a very expensive set for a brief amount of time – involved some logistic pressure. 

“The studio was all for it,” Matalas explains, “but it just came down to time and money. They were like: ‘You have to find a way to pay for it.’ But it was one of the first ideas I had; it was part of my initial pitch to Patrick. The appearance of the ship was part of the pitch to LeVar and to the rest of the cast, in that during the last two hours we would be on the Enterprise-D. So right from the moment that the season started, we were figuring out how to build that in time for the finale.”

Helping production designer Dave Blass and his crew ensure that the set would be completed on time were TNG veterans Michael and Denise Okuda. They and Blass’ team consulted the original TNG bridge’s blueprints to physically re-create the set. Once it was completed, there was very little time for anyone – including lifelong Trek fan Matalas – to bask in the glow of what would become a fan-favorite accomplishment. 

Also on Matalas’ mind was finding the best way to start the episode after episode nine, “Vox,” ended with the Enterprise warping off to once again save Earth. (Picard’s order in that scene – “Set a course for Earth, maximum warp” – is Matalas’ homage to the exact same line Stewart says in the 1996 feature Star Trek: First Contact ). “Last Generation” starts with the first few seconds of The Next Generation ’s famous opening title sequence: A brief flight through space, toward a bruise-colored streak of nebula, before a blinding star fills the frame with white. But the script originally had a different scene.

“What was scripted, actually, was to reprise the first shot of Picard from the TNG series premiere [‘Encounter at Farpoint’],” Matalas remembers. “It was going to be Picard walking up to the D’s observation lounge windows, stepping forward into the shot, and then we were going to transition from that to modern day Picard. But the cost of using that footage and up-resing it proved prohibitive. But I still wanted, by the time we were changing it all, to honor Next Gen . So we thought: ‘Well, what if we use that famous space shot from the titles, only we continue on with it and reveal the Enterprise?’ And it worked.”

“Initially, I wanted to have Walter on camera for that scene. We were going to see President Chekov on the viewscreen deliver that message,” Matalas says. Sadly, the production ran out of time for that. “But, later on, when we were in post, we agreed it would still be amazing and powerful to hear him.” 

Also powerful was seeing the Enterprise get its own “hero moment” on par with those of her crew: In order to rescue Picard and his son, Data pilots the Enterprise on a Death Star-esque trench run through the Borg cube’s vast, jagged interior. 

“That’s all CG. The ship looks like the model in some shots, especially like the smaller, more-detailed model [ TNG ] used after season three, but that’s a testament to our brilliant visual effects team led by Jason Zimmerman and Brian Tatosky.” 

The VFX team could not use ILM’s previous CG version of the Enterprise-D created for brief shots in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations feature film, so the production had to build a new one from scratch. While no models were used, the team did, however, get a chance to reference a physical piece of the Enterprise for their digital recreation: The saucer section model that famously crashes on the planet Veridian III in Generations. (Ironically, Geordi La Forge salvages that crashed saucer section for his friends’ “Last Generation” mission.)

“That was actually the most fun I had [shooting] on the bridge,” Matalas says. “Shooting Beverly at tactical, firing phasers, and seeing Geordi in the Captain’s chair, and Marina and Brent back at their usual stations – all of that was very exciting.”

It was another moment that proved stressful.

“Shooting the initial reunion, when they first walk on to the bridge, that I felt stressed. Because I knew if I had messed that up, it would have risked ruining it for fans,” says Matalas. “But that great emotional moment Marina has as Troi, when she can sense her husband is in danger, or Brent’s great performance asking the crew to trust his ‘gut’ for the first time – those were the moments that were most exciting for me.”

As exciting as the aforementioned action is, Matalas and his writing staff made sure the emotional drama was always fueling such scenes – never superseded by them. Especially a short but compelling beat aboard the soon-to-be-destroyed Borg cube, where Riker has a very “this is it” moment in the form of saying his goodbyes to his wife, Troi. It’s another powerful dramatic turn from Frakes this season, but according to Matalas, it was also a scene that the production raced the clock to get. 

Time and family – what we leave behind and how it shapes what lies ahead – are at the forefront of both “Last Generation” and season threeas a whole, with those thematic auspices culminating in one more final showdown between Picard and his nemesis, the Borg Queen. 

“It was always going to be the Borg Queen,” Matalas explains. “From the initial pitch, to the story break in the writers room, we had to have her because if the show is going to be about what you pass on, this idea of one’s legacy, then a key piece of Picard’s is the role she has had in it. And if we’re going to do a story about Picard as a father in that way, then it had to lead to the Borg Queen in another way, as in: ‘Hey, I’m a parent, a mother, too, aren’t I? I have a maternal stake in this as well.’ Only it’s one with an evil motivation to it. It’s also a generational story in that Jack is the key to the evolution of the Borg. Sort of an unintended consequence of what happened to Picard as Locutus.’”

As for what will happen to Picard, Jack, and the rest of the Enterprise crew in terms of more adventures featuring them on Paramount+ , that remains surprisingly ambiguous – especially given the critical and ratings success of Star Trek Picard season three. (Recently, Picard entered the Nielsen Top 10 Streaming Shows for the first time – a Trek first.)

“I am very, very grateful that the fans want to see more of this very special and talented cast – so do I. At the moment, Star Trek Legacy is just a pie-in-the-sky wish of mine. There is nothing like that in development, currently. But one day, I hope. It would be an amazing thing to do.”

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‘Picard’: The Most Violent ‘Star Trek’ Scene Ever, and Why Seven of Nine’s Story Needed It

Christian blauvelt.

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[ Editor’s Note: The following interview contains spoilers for the “Star Trek: Picard ” episode “Stardust City Rag.”]

“Star Trek: Picard” has flipped the script. So often in genre storytelling a female supporting character’s death is used simply as a way of adding to the experience and personality of a male protagonist. In “Stardust City Rag,” the latest episode of “Picard,” the roles are reversed. Following an even more shocking earlier murder, Bruce Maddox (John Ales), the robotics expert everyone has been seeking for the first five episodes is killed by his lover and protégé, Agnes Jurati (Allison Pill).

“For a lot of reasons, it made sense that Bruce Maddox would not make it through this episode,” episode writer and supervising producer Kirsten Beyer said. “The most important part was Jurati’s relationship to him and what it says about how committed she is to the mission she’s been assigned.”

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Rather than just adding another new character in a show already packed with new characters to keep track of, Beyer realized when breaking the story for “Stardust City Rag” it would be more interesting to use this MacGuffin of a character as a way of enriching Jurati. She was visited by the head of Starfleet Intelligence, Commodore Oh, before leaving Earth, and says, while killing Maddox, “I wish you knew what I know… I wish they hadn’t shown me.” Whatever they showed her, likely some representation of how Data’s “daughter” Soji (Isa Briones) becoming “The Destroyer” who will wipe out all sentient life, it spooked her enough to kill one of the most important people in her life — someone committed to saving Soji.

“This is still only part of the story,” Beyer said, teasing that “a little more” information about Maddox will still be revealed. And she said that you can see hints at Jurati’s secret mission even earlier on.

“It’s easy to attribute her nervousness in that scene with Picard [in Episode Three] right before she gets on the shuttle to just the fact that she just killed a guy for the first time. But that’s also the first time we see her after her conversation with Commodore Oh, after her mission for Starfleet Intelligence became a thing. So I think that plays into her nervousness in that scene, as well.”

What’s fascinating is that “Stardust City Rag” doesn’t just use a male character’s death to enrich a female character’s story, it does so twice. While Maddox’s death ends the episode, Icheb’s murder opens it. Now played by Casey King, a dead-ringer for Manu Intiraymi who played the character for two seasons on “Star Trek: Voyager,” ex-Borg Icheb continued his career in Starfleet, serving as the science officer on a vessel lured into a trap. The gangster Bjayzl, seeking to sell his Borg parts on the black market, attacked his ship, captured him and had a chop doc butcher him alive. The most grisly moment, probably the most brutal moment ever in any incarnation of “Star Trek,” occurs when a drill whirs toward his eye-socket followed by an extraction device that pulls out his eyeball. The optic nerve connecting his eye is then severed.

This sounds like something out of a “Hostel” movie, not “Trek.” And Beyer herself said, “I’m curious about fan reaction to this.” But the justification makes sense: Seven of Nine considered Icheb practically a son — she calls him “my child” as she comes upon him, brutalized, and ends his misery with a phaser blast. It would take a trauma this extreme to precipitate Seven’s transformation into the kind of revenge-obsessed vigilante who murders her way to justice for Icheb at the end of “Stardust City Rag.”

Intriguingly, the scene was more brutal on set than Beyer had necessarily written it: “I was hearing the music [the chop doc] was listening to more than I was hearing Icheb’s screaming,” she said. “Like it was business as usual for this doctor, that this is something she’s done many times before. It’s another day at the office for her. But then once we got into production on set, it was really quite traumatic. Honestly, I’d never shot a scene like that before. And I thought what Jonathan [Frakes, the episode’s director] chose to do… I mean, he just went for it. I think for Seven to actually kill Bjayzl it was important that the audience feel the horror of what had happened to Icheb, and how that would impact Seven. I’m not sure the audience would accept that ending unless they really felt that visceral horror at the beginning. And because the Seven we have always seen was so in control of her emotions. She only experimented with them quite gingerly when she was part of Voyager’s crew. And 20 years later, clearly a lot has changed for her.”

If, like this writer, you’re looking for a little bit of solace about Icheb’s death, here’s this: that may not have been his actual eyeball that was yanked out. When people are assimilated into the Borg, they usually lose an eye that becomes an ocular implant instead — Beyer reminds us that an early Seven of Nine episode on “Voyager” actually features The Doctor (Robert Picardo) creating an artificial eye for Seven that will match her intact eye’s color. “So yeah, I don’t think it was his real eye” that was pulled out at the beginning of “Stardust City Rag,” Beyer said. “The thing I was hardcore about acknowledging was that the thing Bjayzl most wanted, his cortical implant, he didn’t have anymore. That was a callback to the ‘Voyager’ episode ‘Imperfection’ where Icheb chose to give up his cortical implant to Seven so that she could survive.”

Beyer had written a series of “Voyager” novels that continued the story of the crew after the last episode aired in 2001. None of those stories are canon — as “Stardust City Rag” suggests, Starfleet has not continued to explore the Delta Quadrant, which did happen in Beyer’s books. But she certainly knew from that experience how to write for Seven. Although, to borrow from another franchise, she did have to unlearn a bit of what she had learned. “The first several drafts that I wrote of this, the notes that I kept getting back were that I was still writing Seven’s voice much too close to what it was on ‘Voyager.’ Because that’s just my default, you know what I mean? They really wanted to see a much clearer evolution for her. That took a while to get there.”

You can take the Borg out of the Collective, but it’s certainly harder to take the Collective out of the Borg.

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Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 10 Review – The Last Generation

The Star Trek: Picard series finale sticks the landing in every way that matters.

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This Star Trek: Picard review contains spoilers.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 10

All good things must come to an end. Even the things we might wish wouldn’t. Such is the case with Star Trek: Picard , a series that, to put it mildly, struggled to find a coherent identity and purpose during its first two seasons, but which blossomed in its third and did so by finally embracing the very legacy it at first tried so hard to run away from. I’m as surprised as anyone to find myself wishing this story could last just a little bit longer, that we could somehow spend a little bit more time with these people, that we didn’t have to say goodbye to this piece of Star Trek: The Next Generation , grown older alongside us in rich and fascinating ways. 

Look: If you, as a viewer, haven’t been enjoying the purposeful fan service of Picard season 3, you probably aren’t going to like this finale all that much, which aims itself like a laser directly at the heart of anyone who loved The Next Generation and its characters. Yes, there are some narrative hiccups and shortcuts, but if you ask me,  “The Last Generation” sticks the landing in nearly every way that matters. 

The final confrontation with the Borg and the assimilated Starfleet armada is pure spectacle, dotted with the sort of ’90s-style action movie hero moments that exist for no other purpose than simply to delight viewers. (Seven’s captain’s speech to her ragtag new Titan crew! Beverly Crusher’s surprising tactical skill with photon torpedoes! Worf refusing to fight with phasers because swords are just more fun!) Yet, as has been the case for most of the season, the hour’s best moments are its most emotional ones, each grounded in the decades-long relationships between the Enterprise’s legacy crew.

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From Picard’s choked-up inability to express what his Number One has meant to him over the course of their lives together, to Riker’s wordless telepathic goodbye to Deanna and Geordi’s wonder at Data’s enthusiastic embrace of the new emotions he’s only now finally experiencing, these are all moments that carry extra weight simply because these are relationships we’ve spent literal years watching grow. We love these people as much as they love each other, and the result is a climax that feels both utterly earned and deeply satisfying. 

Picard , of course, knows that the specifics of its conclusion aren’t all that important in light of these facts, but it does manage to (mostly) tie up its larger story in a generally solid way. (Certainly, it does a better job here than in either of its previous season finales.) Picard’s willingness to risk becoming Locutus again in order to save his son is the thematically rich stuff that Patrick Stewart lives to play, and seeing him face off with the Borg Queen one last time is probably where this series was always destined to end. Do the specifics of Jack Crusher’s assimilation and rescue—including his sudden ability to throw off Borg control—really work? Not entirely. But Picard leans fully into the cheesy heart of the moment, and Stewart and Ed Speleers sell the heck out of Jean-Luc’s decision to finally choose his son over everything he’s always put before things like family in the past. 

To the episode’s credit, “The Last Generation” also features some remarkably tense moments, despite all of us essentially knowing going into this that there was no way anything irrevocably awful would happen to any of our The Next Generation faves. Yet, at various moments I was genuinely nervous about the fates of several characters, particularly when both Riker and Picard got the whole “tell your loved one how much they mean to you just in case” treatment on the Borg cube. (Riker did it more than once!!) But, thankfully, this isn’t a bleak and gritty sci-fi drama, it’s a warm fuzzy affirmation that love is still humanity’s greatest achievement. (And a story in which its central romance just happens to share a telepathic bond that conveniently allows one to somehow emotionally track the other in a moment of great distress. We love love!) 

Picard Just Changed Star Trek Forever: Terry Matalas on Legacy and a Post-Credit Surprise

Picard Season 3 Finally Reveals the Future of a Beloved Original Series Character

Perhaps the most unexpected part of the Picard finale is how quickly the episode wraps up the threat of Borg invasion . “The Last Generation” clocks in at over an hour’s runtime, but the last quarter of the episode is basically devoted to giving us a last few moments of our faves together and determining what’s next for all of them. (And maybe setting up an unexpected spinoff in the process.) Geordi returns the Enterprise -D to the Fleet Museum, where she’s given pride of place among the other classic Starfleet ships and a proper goodbye from the three men who loved her best. (Which includes a callback to The Next Generation ’s very first episode.) Data’s talking out all his new Big Feelings extremely extensively during sessions with Deanna. The Troi-Rikers are planning what’s likely their first vacation together since their son’s illness forced them to retire to a planet it turns out they both actively hate. And, of course, everyone’s getting totally bombed together at 10 Forward, playing poker and quoting Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar just like the good old days and reminding us all that these are the sort of relationships that, once again, will keep going on long after the series’ final credits roll.

In many ways, Picard’s finale doesn’t feel as much like a definitive ending as it does a “to be continued,” the conclusion of one adventure in the lives of these characters and the start of many others, whether we ultimately see them play out onscreen or not. It’s incredibly heartfelt and lovely, and maybe the best thing any of us could have asked for from this series’ conclusion. If that is, in fact, what it is. Star Trek: Picard may be over, but if the finale’s credits sequence is anything to go by, there’s plenty of story to tell in this corner of the Star Trek universe. 

Jack Crusher, as we all likely expected, ends up in Starfleet, and is assigned to the newly rechristened Titan —now the Enterprise -G, in honor of Picard—under her new captain, Seven of Nine. (Sorry, Enterprise-F, at least that one shot of you last week was a banger!) Raffi’s her First Officer and while there’s no direct confirmation that the two are back together, if hope springs eternal anywhere, it’s probably going to be on this show. But what will inevitably leave everyone talking is the incredibly welcome reappearance of John de Lancie as Q (with predictably incredible outerwear), a twist that not only wipes out his season 2 death but appears to have extended his original obsession with Picard to his son. And I…surprisingly don’t hate it. 

Yes, the one-year time jump to what appears to be happy families between Jean-Luc, Jack, and Beverly speeds us past all the difficult and necessary emotional work it surely must have taken the group to reach this point. (And, personally, I’m taking the utter lack of any mention of Laris as a hopeful sign on the Picard/Crusher romance front, do not judge me.) But it’s such a natural extension of the Picard universe that I’m eager to see where it all might go next. 

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Fandom’s clamoring for a Star Trek: Legacy series, after all. And even if I’d personally rather see Jonathan Frakes get his shot at the captain’s chair—No, Star Trek: Lower Decks doesn’t count—I’m definitely not averse to the idea of a series in which Jack’s established relationships with his father’s former crewmates and BFFs are part of the larger world of his story either. After all, Picard Season 3 has taught me nothing so much that sometimes, impossible things can happen if you want them bad enough. But if this is the true end of an era, and our time with The Next Generation crew is over, I’m grateful this is how they got to go out, and that we all got the chance to be part of it.

Lacy Baugher

Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…

• You are not prepared for the final season of Star Trek: Picard

The last season of Picard is truly wild, and while it’s filled with action, it never seems to lose that sense of wonder that makes Star Trek Star Trek.

By Alex Cranz , managing editor and co-host of The Vergecast. She oversaw consumer tech coverage at Gizmodo for five years. Her work has also appeared in the WSJ and Wired.

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After two middling but slowly improving seasons of Star Trek: Picard , the show has returned for one last hurrah — and god damn, was it worth the rest. If you have ever considered yourself a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation (or even, to a lesser extent, Deep Space Nine or Voyager ), then get ready for the love letter coming your way on February 16th.

While this season puts its characters in terrible spots, and there are rumors a few will die by season’s end, this wild ride has a real genuine affection for all the players. It's the absolute most fun I’ve had watching Paramount Plus’ myriad of Star Trek shows. And part of my love of this final season comes from how excited the show is to take some of Star Trek ’s most flawless heroes and find the humanity in them. These characters are messy dumbasses, and it makes the adventure all the better.

Back in Deep Space Nine , Worf, new to the station and struggling with the many conflicting personalities of the crew, speaks fondly of the crew of the Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. “We were like warriors from the ancient sagas,” he says wistfully, “there was nothing we could not do.” Which was true. The crew of TNG fought gods, survived wars, discovered new species, traveled through time, got turned into monsters and back to people again, and occasionally got busy with alien ghosts inhabiting antique candles (you had to be there).

But the problem with TNG was the characters seemed to be without significant flaws. Sure, Picard liked Shakespeare a bit too much, Riker had his love of the trombone, and Troi’s fatal flaw was her love of chocolate. But when put up against other crews, like the Deep Space Nine one (it had a terrorist on the team!) and Voyager (it had multiple terrorists on the team!), the TNG crew felt more sanitized. For many fans, this was the boring crew.

Yet, if you squinted, you could see where the show glossed over what might be some significant character issues. Picard’s love of adventure got him killed multiple times, while Crusher was so sure of herself she’d regularly ignore commands and once even was convinced the universe was the broken one. Riker cracked jokes and put his career first to avoid intimacy, and Geordi LaForge was so obsessed with engineering he fell in love with a hologram. These characters have always had flaws, but they rarely, if ever, drove the action.

Until Star Trek: Picard .

Twenty years after Nemesis , this crew’s last big adventure together, they’ve all returned, and they finally feel like messy humans instead of warriors from the ancient sagas. Picard and Riker race to save Crusher, Worf deals with a new threat to the Federation, and Troi, Geordi and whoever Brent Spiner is playing this time around get caught up in the action too. They all still feel like the characters of TNG — only pried out of the 1990s syndicated space adventure mold and put into the 2020s prestige streaming show mold.

Watching the first six episodes of this season, I kept thinking this was what it must have felt like to be a fan of the original series and finally get great movies like Wrath of Kahn and The Voyage Home . These are still the same characters, played by the same actors, but we’re seeing them in a way the original show never could have allowed. And I don’t just mean that it’s more violent, although Worf does dismember some people. Sometimes the characters make bad decisions in Picard . They mess up. They fight.

But when you worry Picard is starting to feel like a too-edgy sequel, there will be little moments of wonder you can only get in Star Trek . New discoveries. Clever puzzles that get solved. Old villains reappear and feel more menacing thanks to the bigger budget and better special effects of Picard .

Like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, this feels like a proper Star Trek show in a way a lot of live-action Star Trek has failed to. But because these are characters we’ve known since 1987, there’s real emotional weight to these adventures. And some shockingly good acting. Jeri Ryan is back as Seven of Nine, and she continues to steal every scene she’s in by virtue of just being that good, but she’s not carrying the whole show on her back like she sometimes did the last two seasons. Patrick Stewart seems to sometimes doze his way through Picard , but there’s a scene with him and Gates McFadden’s Crusher that will have you sitting up straight — eyes glued to the screen. Michael Dorn and Michelle Hurd both have their own scene-stealing moments as Worf and Raffi, respectively, and in one scene, Brent Spiner reminds us of why he and his characters Data and Lore had such fervent followings in the ’90s. There’s something a little electric as all these characters come together.

There are still four episodes of Star Trek: Picard I haven’t seen, and the show could drop the ball spectacularly. The wildness of this show (you should really make an effort to avoid all spoilers) could veer into absolutely absurd territory. But in these first six episodes, you have a very goofy, very thrilling, and very fun sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Star Trek: Picard airs weekly on Paramount Plus beginning February 16 .

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Star trek: discovery introduced a better vacation spot for picard than risa.

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Every Star Trek Series, Ranked Worst To Best

Is book the last kwejian in star trek: discovery, star trek: discovery's rhys is starfleet's next great captain.

Warning: This Article Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 8 - "Labyrinths"

• Captain Picard would have preferred vacationing at the Eternal Gallery and Archive over Risa.
• Captain Burnham found the final clue to the Progenitors' treasure in the Archive, which 24th century Starfleet didn't know about.
• The Eternal Gallery and Archive would have been a haven for Picard, a lover of books and archaeology.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) would have loved to vacation at a spot just visited by the crew of the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery . As Captain of the USS Enterprise-D, Picard did not take many vacations in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but he still managed to get away occasionally. Like many Starfleet officers, Picard spent some of his leave time on Risa, a tropical vacation destination often referred to as the "pleasure planet." Risa, however, wasn't exactly the perfect vacation spot for Picard, as he often sought a quieter holiday than many of the other visiting tourists.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8 , "Labyrinths," written by Lauren Wilkinson and Eric J. Robbins and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, the USS Discovery visits the Eternal Gallery and Archive, a massive library that moves locations about every fifty years. The continued search for the Progenitors' technology takes Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Discovery to the volatile area of space known as the Badlands, where the Archive is currently located. Once there, Burnham has to solve the last clue before Moll (Eve Harlow) and the Breen catch up to Discovery. Not only is the Archive a fascinating place in and of itself, but it seems like the perfect vacation destination for someone like Jean-Luc Picard.

There are 11 Star Trek TV series (and counting) over 58 years. From The Original Series to TNG to Strange New Worlds and Prodigy, we rank them all.

Captain Picard In TNG Would Have Preferred To Holiday In Star Trek: Discovery’s Eternal Gallery & Archive Than Risa

The archive would be heaven for someone like jean-luc picard..

Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , Captain Picard can be seen reading physical books, a form of entertainment that has become mostly obsolete by the 24th century. With the USS Enterprise-D's computer database likely containing every book ever written and a holodeck that can recreate any story, it says a lot about Picard that he still chooses to read real books. In addition to his love of the written word, Picard also has an interest in archeology. Between the endless shelves of ancient texts and the collection of artifacts from all over the galaxy, Picard could happily spend years wandering the Eternal Gallery and Archive's halls.

The scenes in the Eternal Gallery and Archive were filmed at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto.

Known for its resorts and beautiful beaches, Risa makes a perfect vacation spot for many in Star Trek, but Jean-Luc Picard isn't like most people. Picard did not want to take any time off from commanding the USS Enterprise-D, and even after he retires in Star Trek: Picard , he gets pulled back into galaxy-saving adventures on multiple occasions. The Eternal Gallery and Archive would provide a place where Picard could truly relax and spend time reading and learning. But if Jean-Luc's history is any indication, he would probably find some way to get caught up in a grand adventure based on a book or artifact he found in the Archive.

Why Captain Picard Vacationed On Risa In Star Trek: TNG

"is the entire crew aware of this little scheme to send me off on holiday".

When the crew of the USS Enterprise-D insists that Captain Picard take a vacation in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 19, "Captain's Holiday," Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) suggests that he visit Risa, which happens to be nearby. Although Picard asserts he "loathes vacations," he eventually gives in to the nagging of his crew and heads to Risa. While there, he spends much of his time lying in a lounge chair trying to read his book, but he keeps getting interrupted by the resort's employees and other tourists. Eventually, Picard meets a woman named Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) who pulls him into an archeological adventure.

Starfleet didn't know about the existence of the Eternal Gallery and Archive in the 24th century.

Despite Vash's questionable ethics and reckless attitude, Picard finds himself drawn to her. This romance was part of the real-world reason for Picard's storyline in "Captain's Holiday." According to Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , Patrick Stewart wanted Picard to have more "sex and shooting." The Captain's visit to Risa gave him both, as he embarked on an Indiana Jones-style adventure and a whirlwind romance with Vash. While Jean-Luc Picard clearly had a good time on Risa, the Eternal Gallery and Archive introduced in Star Trek: Discovery seems like his true perfect vacation spot.

Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Discovery are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

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Season 2 Blu-ray Blooper Reel

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 Blu-ray Blooper Reel

Picard's Enterprise Tried To Save Chief O'Brien After Star Trek: TNG's Finale

• Picard and the USS Enterprise-D tried to save Chief O'Brien after TNG's finale in a bold mission against the Cardassians.
• DS9 provided updates on Enterprise crew post-TNG finale, impacting Dominion War effort and Worf's new home.
• USS Enterprise-D underwent upgrades between TNG finale and Star Trek Generations, leading to a crash on Veridian III.

Just a short time after the events of the Star Trek: The Next Generation season finale, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D embarked on a mission to save Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney). The TNG finale aired on 23rd May 1994, wrapping up the TV adventures for the crew of the USS Enterprise-D until Patrick Stewart returned for Star Trek: Picard in 2020. In November, the TNG crew would relaunch the Star Trek movies as William Shatner literally handed the franchise over to Patrick Stewart in Star Trek Generations .

However, fans didn't have to wait until November to find out what happened next to the Star Trek: The Next Generation characters , as an Easter egg in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine updated viewers on the whereabouts of the USS Enterprise-D. DS9 would occasionally provide updates on the movie exploits of the Enterprise crew, with the events of Star Trek: First Contact heavily impacting the Dominion War effort, and Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) finding a new home on DS9 after the destruction of the Enterprise-D. DS9 's first such Enterprise update occurred just two weeks after the TNG finale in 1994.

Picard Playing Poker In TNG's Finale - What It Really Means

TNGs finale All Good Things saw Captain Picard finally join his senior staff for a hand of poker, a gesture that meant more than it might seem.

Star Trek: DS9 Revealed USS Enterprise-D Tried To Save O'Brien After TNG's Finale

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 25, "Tribunal", Chief O'Brien is arrested by the Cardassians and put on trial for supplying weapons to the Maquis. Outraged at the Cardassians arresting a Federation citizen without prior extradition negotiations, Starfleet decided to put pressure on the Cardassian Union. Picard's Enterprise was part of a small group of starships sent to the Federation-Cardassian border to demonstrate force and pressure the government into releasing O'Brien from prison . As O'Brien was Chief Petty Officer aboard the Enterprise, Picard and the crew had a personal stake in their assignment.

Due to Miles O'Brien being a background character in early episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , he had various ranks, including Ensign and Lieutenant. He was finally confirmed to be a Chief Petty Officer in TNG season 4, episode 2, "Family".

Unfortunately, the presence of the USS Enterprise-D, USS Prokofiev, and the USS Valdemar wasn't enough to dissuade the Cardassian Union from their plan to execute Chief O'Brien and discredit the Federation . It was therefore up to the combined efforts of a mysterious Maquis informer and the crew of Deep Space Nine to expose the Cardassians' elaborate deception. Unmasking O'Brien's former colleague Raymond Boone (John Beck) as a Cardassian impersonator, Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) brought "Boone" to the tribunal, which swiftly brought the sham trial to a close.

What Happened To USS Enterprise-D Between TNG And Star Trek Generations?

The gap between the broadcast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 25, "Tribunal" and the theatrical release of Star Trek Generations is reflected in the time that passes in-universe. When audiences next see the crew of the USS Enterprise-D, they're celebrating Worf's promotion to Lieutenant Commander in an elaborate holodeck hazing ritual. Beyond their attempts to pressure the Cardassian government to release Chief O'Brien, not much is known about what the Enterprise-D crew were up to between "All Good Things" and Star Trek Generations .

The Star Trek Generations version of the starship Enterprise has had several upgrades since the events of "All Good Things", suggesting a refit took place some time after the O'Brien situation. A refit would allow time for some much-needed downtime for the crew after the Star Trek: The Next Generation finale. Among the upgrades seen in Generations are additional science stations on the bridge, a chair for Worf at the tactical station, and new lighting was also fitted. It's just a shame that the upgrades to the Enterprise were so short-lived, as the ship crashed on Veridian III a few short months later.

Star Trek Generations is currently streaming on Max.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, Ren Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.