So, the finale. Very happy. Protip: Stay through the end credits, there is a mid-credits surprise (and big teaser for the spinoff).

Spoiler

Picard as a series has been a very mixed bag at best. Re: the prior cast and stories, I like Michael Chabon's work, I have tremendous love for Michelle Hurd going back decades and I am so glad this show has properly showcased her. I love Allison Pill; I even liked Elnor, everyone's favorite Romulan ninja twink. But I also think Picard S1 was a mess clearly micromanaged by CBS/Paramount and just doesn't hold together or really work at all (and don't get me started on S2). As I've mentioned before, the reality is that the audience for more of Rios, Soji/Dahj/etc., Elnor, etc. was meager at best. I think the past material on the show was ruined by too many cooks, outside interference, budgeting and other external factors.

This season isn't pure genius, but it's pretty damn solid. It didn't try to do everything at once and also reinvent the wheel poorly - something P+/CBS have repeatedly failed at when trying it on S1 and DSC, IMO because of upper management both stifling good ideas/creatives out of the gate (like Bryan Fuller) and then hiring deeply mediocre ones to replace them (everyone on DSC since Bryan Fuller - sorry, it has some good stories and characters but also a lot of mess).

By contrast, PIC S3 works for me because it had both a proper sendoff for the TNG crew, a smart story, some excellent, strong character beats for underserved characters like Beverly, and it wasn't just senior citizen fan service. - it showed the path to a new and progressive future for the 25th century with a mix of old and new characters who are fun. The Enterprise-G's captain and first officer are middle-aged bisexual messes who have shacked up together, for God's sake! (And who knows what Jack's gotten into.) I'm also very into Jack and Sidney. I can't say I had remotely that investment in anyone or anything with the crew from S1.

As to specific notes for tonight: Lovely surprise to hear Walter Koenig once more, with a nice nod to poor Anton Yelchin. 

I don't know where some people are getting the impression Jean-Luc and Beverly are together now though. I'd like nothing more and have ached for it since the '90s but I didn't see any real hint that they've reunited, or that Laris is rotting away alone somewhere. I also think it would've felt a bit forced, as while they both got a ton of material together there was no effort put forth this season towards rekindling their past relationship. I suppose you can read their proximity in the final segment both ways if you want to, but I assume they are just very close again. It doesn't really matter to me now, I'm just happy Beverly got so well served this season and that their past history and canonical romance is now very real and integral. Not going to complain about Titan getting renamed either - it's franchise branding for the spinoff (which is absolutely going to happen). I am going to assume sight unseen that they have beefed it up considerably during the one-year time jump.

Nice to get Deanna's navigation skills redemeed! I did laugh at the various Worf gags this week, including him immediately falling asleep when the fighting was over.

I do wish we'd gotten Janeway paid off. That's going to take some explaining - maybe the Nickelodeon lockdown on use of Janeway outside of Prodigy is real. I assume Matalas will be asked about it in his forthcoming Reddit AMA. Janeway really left the Borg completely crippled, it seems. The Queen was barely alive.

Overall this season was a very strong farewell to the TNG crew. Color me very happy and bring on Legacy.

Now trending: #StarTrekLegacy.

This has some wild reveals:

Quote

There were other characters Matalas originally included in the first script fo Picard's third season. “The fact that you saw what we saw was miraculous, and we pulled it off, but it nearly killed us all,” he said. “But there was a scene with Soji and Data that we couldn’t afford to do. Ro Laren [Michelle Forbes] — there was a scene in which they found Ro in the dungeons of the Intrepid with Tuvok [Tim Russ] and that she had survived. We couldn’t pull it off. There was Harry Kim [from Voyager, played by Garrett Wang] — we really wanted to bring him back [as a captain].

 

We wanted Kate Mulgrew [Janeway] to be part of Seven of Nine’s promotion [to captain].

Edited April 21, 20232 yr by Vee

Yeah, maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it last time, but after having some mixed feelings about the previous episode, I was a mess this whole time. Basically the best finale they could have come up with. Wild to think that TNG and Picard basically both ended with pitch perfect finales.

Some thoughts-

Spoiler

Maybe it was the nostalgia or that it felt like the end of the era, but it got me. I spent various parts of the past ten weeks convinced Beverly, Riker, or Deanna was going to die so it was a relief to me personally that didn't happen lol. I thought the voice cameo at the beginning was a nice touch and the tribute to Anton Yelchin was lovely.

The character work here was aces. Everything with Data, Riker and Worf, Riker and Deanna, Beverly, and Seven and Raffi on the Titan- all great. I don't why they only used her voice, but Alice Krige is still great as the Borg Queen voice. Some of that was actually unsettling to me. I don’t care about the ships like that so I don’t have an issue with them changing the name lol. I have mixed feelings about the mid credits scene but can’t be mad at it. I could see the end credits scene coming a mile away but it got me.

I assume this is the end of the road for the TNG cast as main characters and if that's the case, I'm satisfied. I'm happy where we left them. Data is discovering what it means to be human finally, Riker and Deanna are happy again and have Kestra, Geordi has his family, Worf is in a better place in his life, Beverly and Picard are figuring things out. I can't argue with any of that. The season wasn't perfect, but I'm taking it as a win. As someone who left Nemesis annoyed as hell 20 years ago, I'm grateful they got a second chance at a goodbye and that this one was actually satisfying.

I’m not sure what we’re supposed to think about where Beverly and Picard are. I wouldn’t mind them in a relationship, but I also wouldn’t be upset if they’re just friends. I liked him with Laris a lot tbh and would have liked an answer there but I’m not losing sleep over it.

 

Janeway never showing up after all that talk was such a gag lol. I wonder if it really was Prodigy. It was great to see real Tuvok. I'm also happy with where Seven ended up as well. Raffi didn’t always do a lot for me, but I think she was well used this season and I'm happy with her ending as well. Her and Worf saying goodbye was sweet.

 

When things where focused on the changelings, I do wish they had gotten O’Brien, Kira, or Bashir in there for an episode since they have experience with that whole thing. As the season went on though, I’ve glad they left DS9 alone. Let someone else get back to them on another day on another show

The Picard stuff and the Beverly stuff was obviously great all season, but honestly, I was surprised how Riker and Deanna were low key the heart of the season for me and the MVPs. Their relationship definitely was. Riker at the beginning of the season when he was alone with Picard and then when he was with Worf. The stuff in that episode where he thought they were going to die and was leaving her a message and then talked to her over the comms to apologize. When they were kidnapped on the shrike together. Everything in this episode. When he said he'd see her soon but they both knew he was most likely going to die and then when he was saying goodbye/I love you and she heard it and found where they where- gut wrenching. When they reunited on the bridge. 😭 That was just some really great stuff from the two of them this whole time. I always enjoyed their relationship on the show and in the movies, even if it was a little goofy sometimes. The stuff with them across all the Picard seasons though has just been great and totally given that new depth. And they redeemed Deanna’s driving skills! I also loved everything with Worf. 

Anyway, I'm down for a 25th century show starring Seven, Raffi, and all the TNG kids. Jack and the La Forge daughters are already in Starfleet. Matalas said he'd use Kestra and lol Alexander in the show too. I would enjoy that. Maybe a little small world syndrome but whatever.

 

Edited April 20, 20232 yr by AdelaideCate007

1 hour ago, AdelaideCate007 said:

Yeah, maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it last time, but after having some mixed feelings about the previous episode, I was a mess this whole time. Basically the best finale they could have come up with. Wild to think that TNG and Picard basically both ended with pitch perfect finales.

Some thoughts-

  Hide contents

The character work here was aces. Everything with Data, Riker and Worf, Riker and Deanna, Beverly, and Seven and Raffi on the Titan- all great. I don't why they only used her voice, but Alice Krige is still great as the Borg Queen voice. 

Anyway, I'm down for a 25th century show starring Seven, Raffi, and all the TNG kids. Jack and the La Forge daughters are already in Starfleet. Matalas said he'd use Kestra and lol Alexander in the show too. I would enjoy that. Maybe a little small world syndrome but whatever.

I'm pretty sure it's bc Alice Krige was not about to put that makeup on again at age 68, lol.

I love Kestra and was amazed they got Lulu Wilson for that part, but Lulu stays very booked and busy these days and I would be surprised if they secure her long-term going fwd.

I do wish some of the mooted plans for Ro, etc. had come off. But they clearly had a tremendous uphill battle with budget and time as is.

Yeah, I realised it was probably a makeup thing after I posted it lol. I'm just glad they used her voice.

Oh yeah, I was always assuming they'd recast her for whatever spinoff plans they have if they used her long term. That actress was a gem though I thought.

I just saw the Ro plans and some of the other plans. I wish that had happened as well, but I get it with money constraints. I'm happy with what we got either way.

26 minutes ago, AdelaideCate007 said:

Oh yeah, I was always assuming they'd recast her for whatever spinoff plans they have if they used her long term. That actress was a gem though I thought.

I just saw the Ro plans and some of the other plans. I wish that had happened as well, but I get it with money constraints. I'm happy with what we got either way.

I think they should def bring Lulu Wilson back! I just doubt she'd commit long-term.

I am amazed if keeping Ro around was on the books. I was sure Forbes had asked to be killed off and will never return again. She'll now spend years alive again in the books just like poor Trip on Enterprise, I'm sure.

Matalas with Walter Koenig, who is his pal Todd Stashwick's (Shaw) neighbor.

An article with Variety which already covers a lot from Movieweb but has some new tidbits:

You’ve mentioned on social media that you’d like to continue this story with a “Star Trek: Legacy” spinoff. Have you heard from Paramount or Alex Kurtzman about the possibility of doing that?

Alex and I talk all the time. If it’s something that’s going to be done, we want to make sure we don’t rush into it. We want to make sure we do it right. That’s where we’re at with it, I say coyly. At the moment, there’s nothing developed on it. But we talk all the time.

Some discussion of Alice Krige's involvement:

 

@AdelaideCate007 Did you know they also had to cut Naomi Wildman?? A little of her went a long way for me lol.

Some interesting stuff from the Terry Matalas AMA, mostly spoiler-tagged:

In your mind was Shelby the permanent captain of the Ent-F or was that just ceremonial for Frontier Day?

Ceremonial. The Captain was probably a different TV canon version of Va’Kel Shon from [Star Trek Online].

Was the identity of Geordi's wife ever considered to be revealed as a known character?

We didn’t identify so that we could tell that story in a future Legacy tale. But LeVar did have a name in mind. But it is not a character you’ve seen before.
 

Spoiler

Does the photo in Jack's quarters at the end of the finale imply Picard and Crusher are now together as a couple?

It’s an older picture of the couple. But that is left up to the audience. It is certainly implied that they are a version of a family unit no matter what.

Where's Laris?

Being a badass on Chaltok IV.

Terry, with the crew of the Titan-A (especially the a-hole from Chicago) earning the respect of fans and critics alike, how hard was it to rename her during finale? I'd imagine you had a lot of back and forth with the writers.

Not hard. In our mind, we were writing the origin story of the next Enterprise and that the Titan name would live on in a proper new Luna Class ship. The Titan-B. Hopefully glimpsed in some future show.

Has Jack Crusher met Wesley yet?

By the time he’s met Q at the end, I’d like to think he has. But maybe not. I definitely want to see that happen.

HI Terry, what was the hardest story point to crack in this season?

All of it — at the speed of making television. Most people don’t understand the process of making television requires us writers to make story decisions impossibly fast because we have to feed the production beast scripts or they shut us down and fire us all. So, it’s: are we going to the fleet museum AND Daystrom in the same episode for a double dose of nostalgia and we lean into the easter egg episode and take our licks from agro fans, or go to Space Tortuga and have Seven get help from a pirate Fenris Ranger Naomi Wildman… “But can we build that set?” “What is that story?” “Quick! We need an answer!” “But don’t we want to see Geordi, it’s episode 6!” “Of course we do, you idiot!” It’s all high pressure.

Knowing there wasn’t really time for romance this season, I still felt Seven and Raffi ended on an optimistic note. In your mind, are they not only Captain and XO, but also two people who have finally figured out their stuff and are together as well?

I think Starfleet regulations have a lot to say about them being officially together which is why we had them apart to begin with. We knew we were ending here and that would be a big conflict of interest on the bridge. Are they together in secret? Will this ABSOLUTELY be a story you want to tell in the future? A story about a Captain who loves her First Officer and vice versa? Absolutely. Kirk literally stole the Enterprise to save Spock’s life. It cost him his son. The best Treks are stories about love and family.

Imagine a story in which Seven has to make a call that could cost Raffi her life on a planet below… but it’s a call that would save the lives of countless others. Does Seven make the call? Does she step down and go try to save Raffi and transfer command to Jack in the meantime? The whole episode becomes a countdown. I kinda want to write that one right now.

You were quoted on ign.com on having “a rule in television that unless you see somebody gasp their last breath and eyes closed and flat-line for six minutes straight, they're not dead.” So can we possibly see Ro Laren come back?

We could! But that would be up to the amazing Michelle Forbes.

 

@Vee No I didn't lol. Funny though since I had thrown her and I think the Paris daughter out there a few weeks ago as kids that could appear on Legacy if they wanted to expand outside of TNG. She was kind of annoying on Voyager but I think that would be an interesting relationship to see between Seven and her as an adult. The idea of her being a space pirate is a fun idea. 

I know everyone is all in on Legacy being the TNG kids and the Titan/Enterprise crew of course. But I do wonder if they'd want to bring on anyone from DS9 or Voyager in the mix. Are there even any DS9 kids out there other than Jake? He's not even in Starfleet though.

Great stuff in the AMA. Poor Ro and Shelby really are going to live on forever in those books lol.

Also, since I was talking about it the other day, I've been running through the episodes again with my husband so he can watch the finale and I totally missed that they tossed out a few other Kestra references outside of the first episode and when Troi and Riker talk about her when they're kidnapped. I guess I totally skipped over him mentioning her to Jack or that Jack mentions her and Deanna to Picard when he wants to give himself up to Vadic. My bad lol!

I choose to hope Forbes or Dennehy could return on Legacy. I will cackle if he eventually gets to do Captain Harry Kim; Matalas has said he wanted to use a number of VOY and DS9 people including Kim and Kira.

I do think Molly or Kirayoshi O'Brien could easily be used. Ben's son with Kasidy should be old enough by now too, but I have my doubts she or they would want him in Starfleet.

Yeah I could see both of them popping up on there. I love Kira like everyone else and would have been excited to see her here. I do think though she's somebody that would be better served on something like Legacy thought where they could make her the focus and give her arc for an episode or two. I feel like any Picard appearance would have just been a drive by to talk to Worf or to pop up in battle. Captain Harry Kim has to happen at some point too lol. It's too good.

Molly and Kirayoshi are really good ideas. I'd love to see Molly, especially since she was technically born on TNG. Kirayoshi would read too since the Legacy kids are a little female heavy outside of Jack and I guess Alexander. I totally blanked on the second Sisko kid, but yeah, I don't think he'd in Starfleet either.

A great article about why they used Deanna and Riker to save the day in the end-

 

5 minutes ago, AdelaideCate007 said:

Yeah I could see both of them popping up on there. I love Kira like everyone else and would have been excited to see her here. I do think though she's somebody that would be better served on something like Legacy thought where they could make her the focus and give her arc for an episode or two. I feel like any Picard appearance would have just been a drive by to talk to Worf or to pop up in battle. Captain Harry Kim has to happen at some point too lol. It's too good.

Speaing of the kids, I am not super into Miral Paris bc I just found Paris terminally boring and B'Elanna not far behind most of the time sadly, but I am open to whatever. I do hope a Janeway live-action series can happen, as well as some sort of return series or TV movie for some of the DS9 gang. I adore DS9. And Kira is my fave.

As Matalas has said, if the show had been 13 eps I think there would've been room for Kira or others. I do think a Legacy spinoff is a show that could sustain 13-15 eps again, as could SNW. I know the trend in prestige TV these days is towards 8-10, it's been rapidly shrinking in the last decade, and I have zero interest in going back to 20-30 eps a season bc I think that is the death of quality. But I think a largely episodic show like SNW could sustain it and so could Legacy. DSC could not because they never understood how to properly plot serialization; they can barely make 10-12 hold together without becoming a grind. But SNW and Legacy, with serialized elements or not, I think deserve a longer episode order. I just don't think it's likely these days for many reasons, beginning with budget.