Star Trek, a show that has inspired countless themes and influenced pop culture in unfathomable ways. The first ever Star Trek show came up in the 1960s and saw the adventures of Captain Kirk with many beloved characters, including Spock. The show was the very first in the line of many other projects, which included both films and TV series. Now, the third season of Star Trek: Picard becomes the reason for old cast members to come back in touch with one another through showrunner Terry Matalas who is also overlooking the new show that began in 2020.
Matalas And The Third Season
The third season may as well be the very last season of the show, and for this one, Matalas wanted a very different fate than the previous two seasons. The third season just premiered on the 16th of February. The first two seasons were not received all that well by the fans. It’s obvious to Matalas that the name Star Trek has a history stay true to and quality that the fans deserve. Matalas being a fan himself, wanted a stronger, more worthy final season for the series that features greats like Sir Patrick Stewart. Here’s what he told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview before the premiere date.
“It was important to me to give these characters and the fans an adventure that felt not only like Star Trek, but also like the best Next Gen movie we never got to see. That they deserved to have,”
The premiere episode features Piccard working on getting his old team back together so they can face a new threat. This is when his old flame Dr. Beverly Crusher gets attacked by some alien, which forces Crusher to send a help signal to Piccard, letting him know that the Starfleet can no longer be trusted. This sets off Piccard’s journey alongside now captain William Riker to save the galaxy yet again.
Piccard is going to face the biggest foe he has so far in the series. Showrunner Matalas was inspired by the older films and versions of the story and wanted the final season to have bigger stakes so it could make bolder statements. Dr. Crusher is, of course, the key to all the action that ensues.
“I always had this idea to meet her in a way that felt totally unexpected,” Matalas said. “You’d see (Crusher) sort of waking up, popping into frame, but not being in a traditional Starfleet uniform,” he continued. “She would be on a kind of older, rundown ship — having to grab a phaser rifle and defend her property.”
Matalas wanted the character to have a more disconnected story from her Starfleet days but still remain true to her own self. Because, after all, she is a doctor. He wanted her to try and still help those who needed it in spite of not having the prior protection of her Starfleet crew. Out in the wild on her own, Dr. Crusher would be the beginning of the end.
The showrunner also had passionate plans regarding the old characters of the former cast members. The story lacked a strong ending that gave justice to the characters for a long time. Especially that of Dr. Crusher, who has not been explored all that much. So, Matias sat down with the lead of the show to have a good talk regarding the end.
“I had to sit down with Patrick, at his dining room table, and take him through the story I had in my head for the season. And I was lucky that he was one hundred percent onboard,” says the showrunner.
“And then, one by one, I met with everyone else and, once again, I was lucky enough to have them onboard to help shape this story together.”
Now, everyone looks forward to the vision Matalas has created for Star Trek: Picard.
