“Star Trek: Picard” is back for a second season in 2022 on Paramount+ and a new trailer, which teases the possibility that time travel might play a role in the story, features the return of John de Lancie as the omnipotent Q.
de Lancie also confirmed his appearance in the upcoming season during Monday’s First Contact Day celebration — in “Star Trek” lore, April 5 is the day humanity launched its first warp-capable vessel, which led immediately to first contact with Vulcan, setting in motion the creation of the Federation 100 years later.
de Lancie first portrayed Q — a member of a society of omnipotent beings collectively known as the Q Continuum, who pesters Picard as part of what he claims is a trial of sorts to judge Humanity’s worthiness to be a galactic race — in the pilot episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Over the years Q seems to regard Picard as something of a friend though Picard sees Q as more of an annoyance — albeit a dangerous one — than an ally.
Q returned seven more times during the show’s run and his episodes, particularly Season 2’s “Q-Who?” which introduced The Borg, and Season 6’s “Tapestry,” are regarded as series highlights. He also played the character once during the first season of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” in three episodes of “Star Trek: Voyager,” and appeared in a cameo during the first season of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”
“The true final frontier is time,” Stewart’s Picard says in the trailer’s voiceover. “Time can turn even our most impulsive, even our most ill-considered actions, into history.”
Q has the ability to travel through time and space instantaneously, which may drive the plot in Season 2.
As the camera pans throughout Chateau Picard (where he retired), various memorabilia from Picard’s past can be seen: a painting of the U.S.S. Enterprise, an old Starfleet insignia badge, a copy of “Paradise Lost” and most surprisingly, a model of the U.S.S. Stargazer, his first commission.
One of the crewmembers of the Stargazer was Jack Crusher, the husband of Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and father of Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton). It remains to be seen if they will make cameo appearances in the show; Season 1 saw the return of Enterprise crewmembers Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Data (Brent Spiner).
Reprising their roles for Season 2 are Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady and Brent Spiner. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon, Doug Aarniokoski, Dylan Massin, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers; Aaron Baiers and Kirsten Beyer serve as co-executive producers. Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas serve as co-showrunners for Season 2.
Check out the “Star Trek: Picard” teaser above.