The Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion in the future Star Trek: Picard season 3 opens the possibilities for several Star Trek spinoffs. The return of the original Next Generation cast was announced to coincide with First Contact Day 2022. While Riker, Troi, Guinan, Q, and Data have already appeared, the returns of Worf, Geordi, and Dr. Crusher complete the comebacks for the core TNG crew.
Star Trek: Picard was always envisioned as three seasons, so an older Picard reuniting with his old friends to save the galaxy feels like a fitting finale. It was the plot of The Next Generation’s original finale “All Good Things,” after all. With Picard due to end, and as the Star Trek universe continues to expand, the return of these characters provides plenty of spinoff potential for continuing the TNG legacy.
In recent years, new Star Trek TV shows have shown a willingness to explore the universe in even more daring ways than the older shows and movies. With so many beloved characters returning, it presents an opportunity for audiences to see old characters in a new light. Here’s every character spinoff Star Trek: Picard season 3 can set up.
A Captain Worf Spinoff
The most obvious TNG spinoff is Michael Dorn’s Captain Worf show. Dorn has pitched a series about the Klingon Empire opening its ranks to other species. Worf would captain the first Klingon ship to have a hybrid crew as they travel across the Klingon Empire, dealing with the usual Star Trek-style problems, but with a uniquely Klingon perspective. His return in Picard’s third season would be the ideal backdoor pilot for it, especially if he’s captaining a Klingon ship when Jean-Luc reaches out to him.
A Will Riker Spinoff
Another of Picard’s potential spinoff successors is Will Riker. When he’s reintroduced in Star Trek: Picard season 1, Riker is semi-retired, living in relative seclusion with his wife Deanna and daughter Kestra. In the episode, Picard seeks out his old friends for counsel from Deanna, and pizza from Riker. As entertaining as a chat show/cookery program with the Troi-Rikers would be, a more likely spinoff would tackle his “reserve” status. It would focus on Riker, the former Titan Starfleet captain, living in reserved retirement, summoned to assist with various Federation issues. The plot device of Riker as a consulting Starfleet captain would be a means to tackle all sorts of Starfleet mysteries, complicated first contact encounters, and intergalactic skirmishes. He could even be enlisted by fellow TNG characters such as Captain Worf or even Captain La Forge.
A Geordi La Forge & Data Spinoff
The Star Trek: Voyager episode “Timeless” saw LeVar Burton reprise his role as Geordi La Forge, now a captain. In the alternate timeline experienced by Chakotay and Harry Kim, Geordi was the captain of the USS Challenger. The events that created this alternate reality shouldn’t impact Geordi’s career development so he too could lead his own show. More intriguingly, however, is the continued involvement of Brent Spiner, who has played Geordi’s best friend Data, and numerous roles across the past two seasons of Star Trek: Picard.
An Arik Soong Villain Spinoff
However, it’s unlikely that he’ll be playing the ageless android Data, especially given how Picard season 1 put his story to rest. So what role is he playing? Spiner’s one-man portrayal of the Soong family tree throws up interesting possibilities for a potential series. A Star Trek show from a villainous perspective hasn’t been attempted yet, so he could reprise his role as Arik Soong from Star Trek: Enterprise. That character was left to explore the potential for artificial life, a journey that eventually leads to the creation of Data by Soong’s descendant Noonian. It would be the perfect series for Spiner to maintain his links with Data and Picard‘s Soong legacy, while also charting the course of synthetic life across Star Trek history. Whatever the outcome, reuniting the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast on the next season of Star Trek: Picard, provides both a fitting conclusion to Jean-Luc’s story and creates new and exciting Star Trek story possibilities.
NEXT: Picard’s Worf Easter Egg Makes His Season 2 Absence Worse
New episodes of Star Trek: Picard air Thursdays on Paramount+.
