In the last of our Star Trek Day interviews, we caught up with Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas, who took the captain’s chair on the third and final year of the series.
Along with the returning Star Trek: The Next Generation cast, the show will also see Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) formally join the ranks of Starfleet, and a new starship Titan will join the growing Federation fleet.
TREKCORE: What are your thoughts on the Season 3 trailer?
TERRY MATALAS: I think it really signals a call to adventure, going back out into space, and returning Picard to that Starfleet world we love to see him in — and with some friends, like Captain Riker and Commander Seven of Nine.
TREKCORE: And they have a starship!
MATALAS: They do have a starship, the USS Titan. It’s all very much from my heart and soul. It’s the kind of Star Trek I want to see.
TREKCORE: So this is a new Titan, right?
MATALAS: It’s the Titan-A, yeah. It’s kind of a refit; in the series we refer to it as a Neo-Constitution-class. It’s a revamped Constitution-class, but we honor the other Titan — Riker’s ship, that we’ve seen on Lower Decks and in the novels.
In the Titan-A observation lounge, there’s a gold model of that ship, so we acknowledge Riker commanded that ship, but this is the newest, latest, state-of-the-art underdog starship of the season.
TREKCORE: What did you bring into Season 3’s story from the first two seasons of Picard?
MATALAS: Picard Season 3 is, in some ways, kind of a whole new show. It’s in the spirit of kind of a final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie — that if they were to hand the keys to me to come up with my Next Gen movie, this was always the story I had in mind.
So in that way, we integrated some of Raffi’s story and Seven’s story the most, to arc and finish those previously-included characters; and we needed some room for some new characters that are coming in — they’re not announced yet — and of course, the Next Gen cast, who all have their own stories.
TREKCORE: Before you go, back in Las Vegas, Denise Crosby said fans will see Tasha Yar — somehow.
MATALAS: I will say… there is a nod to Tasha Yar in the season. You will SEE Tasha.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
While the series won’t be back on Paramount+ until next February, we’re certain to learn much more about the events of Season 3 when the Star Trek Universe beams down to New York Comic Con on October 8.
Star Trek: Picard is currently in post-production on its third and final season, set to debut in February 2023 on Paramount+ the United States, and on CTV Sci Fi Channel and Crave in Canada. Outside of North America, the series is available on Amazon’s Prime Video service in most international locations.