Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Shares “Terrible” Reason Original Cast Was Cut From Season 3

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Terry Matalas discusses why some members of the original cast from Star Trek: Picard were not included in the show during its third season. The third season of Picard, along with Star Trek: Discovery, debuted on Paramount+ and saw Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard, former commander of the USS Enterprise. Michael Chabon served as showrunner for Season 1, while Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas shared showrunning duties in Season 2; Matalas took over for Season 3. Many fans have expressed their preference for Picard Season 3 due to the return of several co-stars from Star Trek: The Next Generation, which resulted in a number of characters from Picard’s first two seasons being absent.

In a chat for her podcast, The Sackhoff Show, Katee Sackhoff inquired about Terry Matalas’ role in Star Trek: Picard. It turns out that Matalas landed the job due to his successful adaptation of the film 12 Monkeys into a TV series. After Michael Chabon had to withdraw from Picard, Akiva Goldsman recruited Matalas as co-showrunner for Season 2 and sole showrunner for Season 3. Initially, Matalas aimed to bring back the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but his first task was convincing Patrick Stewart.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I found myself facing a challenging predicament: the ensemble cast from Seasons 1 and 2 was simply outstanding, but we didn’t have enough funds to keep them all on board. Consequently, difficult decisions had to be made. It was an agonizing position to be in, truly heart-wrenching.

He went on to say, “I had a lengthy conversation with Patrick [Stewart], during which I offered him a couple of bottles of wine. He was already beginning to soften up. Jonathan [Frakes] and Marina [Sirtis] joined us in Season 1, which put him in such a fantastic mood. We then welcomed back Whoopi Goldberg and John de Lancie. He expressed his desire for each of them to eventually be part of the show. I suggested, ‘What if this was the season for all of them?’ I shared my idea with him, explaining, ‘What if the final character we introduce is your old ship? We can bring it in via a museum. That way, when you do reunite, it’s a reunion reminiscent of where it all began.’ The Enterprise, as much as any other character, carries a rich legacy.

As the final moments unfolded on screen, I found myself nearly drained of two bottles of wine. With a confident glimmer in his eyes, he declared, “Alright, let’s make it happen. Let’s go for it.” The adrenaline coursed through me as if I had just walked away from a successful heist, and I exclaimed, “Absolutely! We’re going to pull this off, we’re going to do this!

As a dedicated Star Trek fan, I’ve been eagerly following the latest developments. Just like you, I was thrilled when Jeri Ryan, who played Seven of Nine, expressed her desire for “Star Trek: Legacy” to become a reality. You might recall that she left us on a cliffhanger with her return to “Star Trek: Voyager” back in 2001. Fast forward to the premiere of “Star Trek: Picard” on Paramount+, where Seven once again graced our screens. However, when “Picard” concluded its run, Seven was appointed Captain of the USS Enterprise-G, setting up an exciting continuation in another spinoff series titled “Star Trek: Legacy”. Unfortunately, as of now, this spinoff hasn’t materialized yet.

In a chat with Screen Rant concerning the third season of Leverage: Redemption, Jeri Ryan was inquired about any developments regarding Star Trek: Legacy. Unfortunately, Ryan had no recent updates to share. However, she did hint at optimism among fans when she recalled her surprise at reprising her role as Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard, a project that eventually came to fruition.

You realize, one lesson I’ve taken from the Star Trek journey is always to avoid saying ‘never’,” Ryan explained. “I thought for certain I had said farewell to this character and left the franchise behind years ago. Honestly, I couldn’t have imagined returning to play her on Picard. So, who knows? Perhaps it’s best not to rule anything out.

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2025-05-26 18:13