Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas has revealed that fans will receive "a healthy dose of Riker" in the upcoming season.
In an interview with TrekMovie, Matalas explained how Jonathan Frakes' William Riker will essentially serve as one of the core characters of Picard Season 3. "Picard is very much foremost and at the center of everything in this. But Riker I would say, Riker and Beverly I would say, are very close number twos," Matalas said. "But there is a lot of Riker, so if you are a fan of Will Riker, you are going to get a healthy dose of Riker. And some Riker you have never seen before. Some Riker you always wanted to see before. You are going to get a lot of things you always wanted for Christmas."
Frakes' first appearance as Will Riker was in Star Trek: The Next Generation, where the character served as the first officer on the USS Enterprise-D. The actor returned as Riker in all four TNG films as well as in guest appearances on Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Frakes also previously reprised his role as Riker in two episodes of Picard Season 1, which revealed that he was now married to Deanna Troi and was on "active reserve" at Starfleet. He was later reinstated to active duty in the Season 1 finale and temporarily commanded the USS Zheng He.
Picard Reunites The Next Generation
Frakes is one of several iconic The Next Generation characters slated to appear in Picard's third and final season. Other actors confirmed to be returning for at least one episode include LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar, Michael Dorn as Worf, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi and Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher. Picard Season 3 will mark the first time the TNG cast has reunited on screen since the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis. Matalas has promised fans that the upcoming season will conclude unresolved storylines from TNG and reveal what the characters have been up to since the TNG series finale.
Patrick Stewart, who portrays the titular character in the Paramount+ series, has however teased fans that the third season will have an "unexpected and questionable" finale that will leave "a question mark hanging over [their heads]."
The first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard are available to stream on Paramount+. The third season will premiere on Feb. 16, 2023.
Source: TrekMovie