As psyched as Star Trek fans are to see Picard Season 3 and their favorite actors from The Next Generation back together again, there have to be quite a few people who are amazed it’s even happening. Hell, it was a shock to the system back when Patrick Stewart agreed to return for a series at this stage of his career, so of course, it’s stunning the Paramount+ series reassembled the cast of one of Trek’s most celebrated shows. Believe it or not, there are members of the cast just as amazed that it happened, as the actress behind Deanna Troi, Marina Sirtis confirmed in a recent interview.
I had the honor of speaking to Marina Sirtis ahead of the release of the movie Crossing, which premieres on-demand on December 1. While talking about the movie, we also talked about her latest return to Star Trek, and if she felt Picard Season 3 was a fitting send-off to the TNG cast. Sirtis couldn’t say too much that would spoil what was to come, but did talk about the element of returning that has amazed her:
The wonderful thing about Picard, in total, is that the people who are making the show are fans of ours. They were fans of TNG so they come from a place of love, which is wonderful because that isn’t always the way in Hollywood. You’re dealing with people who want the best for you which is a lovely, comfy, blanket. They wanted to send us off. They felt we didn’t get a proper sendoff in Nemesis…And as an actor who just lucked into this amazing universe. I just find it amazing that people want to do that for us. I have to be honest, it just blows my mind a little bit…How amazing is that?
There is something pretty amazing about how Star Trek: Picard centered its final season around the cast of The Next Generation. While it did come at the expense of the series writing off a handful of characters in Season 2, there’s no denying that the prospect of a TNG reunion was a large part of what made this series sound so enticing at the start. Now, we’re all just waiting on the upcoming Trek series, and hoping it’s the fitting goodbye fans felt the cast was robbed of long ago.
Many fans, as well as stars like Marina Sirtis, have expressed disappointment about how Star Trek: Nemesis originally capped off the TNG run. It’s good to hear that she’s feeling much more positive about the experience she had on Picard Season 3, as this crew really does deserve praise and adoration for all they’ve given to Trek and the fans over the years.
We still don’t know everything happening in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, but we’ve gotten some breadcrumbs and teases that confirm this series respects the TNG cast. We know, for example, Geordi La Forge received a much-deserved promotion, and Deanna Troi will have a development that will presumably give her a bigger presence this season in comparison to previous projects. It all sounds very exciting, to the point that all Trek fans should ensure their Paramount+ subscription is up to date come February.
Those looking to see Marina Sirtis before that can check her out in Crossing, where she plays the mother of a man raised in the USSR struggling in America’s great recession in the late 2000s. It’s certainly a treat for anyone who appreciates Sirtis’ talent for accents, and for those who want to see her in a project where she’s not working on a starship.
Star Trek: Picard’s final season premieres on Paramount+ (opens in new tab) Thursday, February 16. Tune in for what will likely be the final ride for Picard and his crew, though I’m crossing my fingers and toes that somehow, this isn’t really the end.
