Paramount+ is starting to build up buzz for the upcoming second season of Star Trek: Picard following this week’s big announcement of a release date. The latest update is the first official image for the season, which has a bit of a story to tell, plus some commentary from the showrunners.
Admiral Picard
This new image from Picard season two comes via TV Insider as part of a preview of returning series for 2022. It shows Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard at his chateau holding a book and speaking to (likely) Laris, his Romulan housekeeper and confidant, played by Orla Brady (who is confirmed to be returning).
Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard season 2 (Paramount+ via TV Insider)
A few things stand out from this image, most notably Jean-Luc Picard’s outfit with a new uniform and Starfleet pin. This appears to confirm that following the events of season one, Picard returns to Starfleet and is reinstated as an admiral. Co-showrunner Terry Matalas confirmed on Twitter that Picard’s outfit is an “homage to the Kirk movie era pins and uniform.”
A closer look at Picard’s pin
While the previously released trailers have focused on how Picard and his crew will travel into a different timeline and also into the past, the above image could be from the calm before the storm with Picard back as an admiral in the Prime Timeline around 2399. There was also a shot from one of the previous trailers that indicated Picard had returned to Starfleet in the Prime Timeline, showing him in an Admiral uniform speaking at Starfleet Academy. Although with Q and alternate timelines as part of the season, the new image could possibly be from a different timeline.
Picard in Captain Picard Day 2021 trailer
Picard is also in a different uniform in the fascist timeline in a different trailer released later last year. So one thing is clear: Picard is getting a lot of new outfits in season two.
Picard in Star Trek Day 2021 trailer
The bookshelf also contains what looks like one of the gold Enterprise models from the USS Enterprise-E Observation lounge. It appears to be the Enterprise-C which is an interesting choice given that Picard commanded the Enterprise-D. Assuming this is an early scene, it could be a subtle clue to the time travel and parallel universes coming later in season two and Guinan’s connection to that, all part of the classic episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” which features the Enterprise-C. The interlocking cube sculpture could also be a clue to the multidimensional madness in store for Picard.
Picard’s gold ship
Showrunners talk Picard’s past
The TV Insider update also includes some brief comments about season two from co-showrunners Terry Matalas and Akiva Goldsman:
“Looking through Picard’s history we found [he’s had] an inability to sustain long-term romantic relationships,” says cocreator Akiva Goldsman. “That was our cue to understand how the past defines the present.” Adds co-showrunner/exec producer Terry Matalas, Season 2 “ties into another [part] of his past and a story that hasn’t been told.”
The article re-re-confirms Whoopi Goldberg’s return as Guinan and that the season will include “more traveling through space—and time,” as seen in previously released trailers.
ICYMI – New poster
Yesterday Paramount+ also released a new poster for the season, featuring Picard and Q (John de Lancie) looking very serious.
Season two of Star Trek: Picard arrives on Paramount+ on March 3rd.
Keep up with all the Star Trek: Picard news and analysis.
This season has me questioning a lot based on the trailers. I assumed that this photo was from an alternate timeline/time shifting that Q set in place. I didn’t even think that it could be from the prime timeline, as you all have interpreted. If that is the Enterprise-C model from the Enterprise-E conference lounge, it is a great callback. Dave Blass is having fun with this on his Twitter, too
I bet in this timeline the C wasn’t destroyed and that was Picard’s first command instead of Stargazer.
But if the C wasn’t destroyed wouldn’t there be another devastating war with the Klingons in Picard’s time?
I have to agree. Picard and the Federation would be destroyed by the Klingons had the Enterprise C not returned. Also the Federation would not be like dark fascistic like that Q made. It must been different event to change the culture into Nazi like.
I think you’re reading too much into the C being Picard’s command in the alternate timelines, the prop is more likely meant as a foreshadow of the time travel and alternate timeline that will come later in the episode or series rather than having anything to actually do with the plot of the episode. I highly doubt there will be any scene or dialogue stating that he commanded the Enterprise-C or any other Ambassador class starship. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. Nevertheless, I am very excited for Season 2 of Picard, it already looks like it will be much better than Season 1, in my personal opinion.
Holding thumbs it’s going to be a good season!
Man, was I disappointed with the first season. Started off well, a stellar first episode, but soon devolved in a steaming pile of… well you know what. I’m getting positive vibes though from the second season. I’ getting excited!
Going to be hard to top season one. Throwing Q, the Borg, and time travel — Trek’s most popular villains and gimmick — suggests the creative staff knew this going in. But that kind of pressure can bring out the best in people.
“Going to be hard to top season one.”
I envy you regarding either your enjoyment of season one or your witty sense of sarcasm. PIC S1 was easily the worst season of all Trek, including TAS. There were some great concepts hidden inbetween a non-existent context.
If one was asked to illustrate what the English idiom “all over the place” actually means, PIC S1 would be an impressive demonstration.
The context was regret, the whole season arc for Picard is a study of regret. Its essentially a for keeps version of Tapestry. He regrets his choice to quit starfleet and the man that he has become sitting on the side lines writing history books and then facing his own mortality. It colours so much of the character changes we see in him. He is given the chance to make a difference again and claim back much of what he was. Then he is literally reborn.
All the incestuous Tal Shiar agents and android rebellions are just window dressing around that core character arc.
Unfortunately the window dressing involved EVERYONE from Seven to Raffi to the Rikers to Data’s consciousness having regrets/terrible trauma, and it became punishing. The theme felt more like, “misery loves company.”
and so what if it was – clearly the Federation had come off a golden age of exploration since TNG, what with Borg invasions and Dominion Wars, Android rebellions. Why can’t a utopia ebb and flow like a the real world?
If they had said this series was going to be weekly morality plays and allegory like old trek, I’d agree with you, but this is not what Picard is, its literally a character study of Picard, its right there in the name.
I don’t care about preconceptions, it’s all about execution. Picard’s got ridiculous. Everyone was miserable and the tone was punishing, to the point of being hilarious. The Federation is suddenly isolationist to a fault. Picard is a disgruntled pariah no one listens to week in and week out. Raffi is a drug-addled pariah because of Picard. Rios is traumatized because of his convenient connection to the twins. Seven is a traumatized vigilante because of Icheb. Icheb is dead because he was graphically tortured. Riker and Troi seem happ… oh, nope – dead son. Yay, Data is still ali… Jesus Christ, his consciousness has wanted to die for 20 years.
The show could have been about Picard tending his vines and solving a mystery without ever leaving the planet – I wouldn’t have cared so long as it was well-executed. What we got was depressing masochism which ended up being predictable in how it just kept piling on. Add on villains with motivation that doesn’t make sense and that’s not good drama.
“The context was regret, the whole season arc for Picard is a study of regret.”
Well, that’s a theme! When I said context, I was refering to the plot, the narrative. And that was totally all over the place! Even the writers have admitted to that.
Thematically, PIC was an interesting take on the character and the universe.
But then, SW9 ROS would be an excellent movie because THEMATICALLY and EMOTIONALLY I could relate to each and every motive that was going on. But the plot didn’t make sense. Same with PIC S1.
Both products provide for an excellent thematic and emotional anchor but both have plots that just don’t add up well, right down to the out-of-thin-air copy-paste superfleets that pop up in the end. There are just far too many plotholes to love either of these two pivotal entries to either saga.
And that’s my whole issue. I’m the first one to embrace franchise stuff for the sake of it. I’m not a nitpicker in nature. But with those two entries, my willing suspension of disbelief utterly failed me. That and Icheb’s bloody demise…
Why do you continuously involve yourself in conversations about a show you hate, talking down to people that liked it? Does trolling get you off some how? I don’t like Babylon 5, so I don’t praise websites or news stories about it to talk down to people that do like it.
B5? Like it or don’t. It doesn’t matter unless you talk about the B5 franchise. But PIC is part of a larger franchise and I compare it to that very franchise as a whole and individual aspects of it.
Talking down to people who like it? Trolling? Sorry, I couldn’t care less!
All I care about is MY personal relation to the FRANCHISE and I truly envy someone who is either able to like that chapter or able to keep an ironic distance. I’m not capable of either emotion for I see the world as black and white, 1s and 0s… hit or miss, good or bad… no shades of grey…
Again, I don’t care whether you liked PIC S1 or not, I’m just trying to understand how you’re able to… No bad blood indended and certainly no “talking down”, whatever that means.
Does trolling get me off? I seriously doubt it. If I was able to, I would LOVE every single ep. of Trek and not even consider other people’s opinions. Perfect autistsic isolationism. However, I am still not able to fully dwell within my own self just yet.
I’m pretty much with you in your appraisal of Picard S1, alas, but why “including TAS”? TAS is remarkably good. The only thing wrong with either of its two seasons is that they’re so short, especially the second.
But yeah, Picard was such a disappointment in its first season. I will say that it had some individual moments and scenes that are good, even wonderful, but I don’t think there’s any whole episode I’d call good, and those wonderful moments are so often surrounded by terrible ones. The show is kind of a frustrating mess.
Yep. I was going to rewatch the first season in preparation for the second… I just can’t bring myself to do it. Just can’t stomach it. There’s a good chance I’ll never lay my eyes on the first season ever again. I don’t feel like torturing myself.
Is it the eye gouging?
Yes, that was my issue with PIC S1. It had , imo, the strongest cast and starting point of sny S1 Trek and largely squandered then in the name of nostalgia. And yet there were so many moments I absolutely loved, which made the lows and missteps were that much more disappointing. I’m going to be waiting for the reviews on S2 before I invest any more time or emotion in live action Trek.
“TAS is remarkably good.”
Well, the original version was decent enough but when I first watched it I had to settle for the ridiculed 15-minute-cut that was available on German TV. That kinda stuck with me. :-)
TAS had some good moments, but it was let down by poor writing, bad/non-existent guest stars, and some of the worst animation that’s ever been on television. It is easily the worst Trek series.
the worst season of Trek is STILL TOS Season Three,Space Hippies anyone?
Actually I love TOS S3 and also TNG S1. There are some real stinkers like the Space Hippies but most eps I love in both seasons!
If you want to talk about worst seasons ever I would argue that distinction belongs with Star Trek Discovery S1. And I honestly didn’t think TNG’s first season would ever lose that distinction. Not it’s not even in the bottom 5 any longer.
Nowhere to go but up from the lamentable first season, so I guess there’s that. I hope it’s great, and would settle for merely good.
If you can have an 80 year old president then why not have an 81 year old Admiral.
Isn’t Picard ninety-something?
Star Trek has already given us a 137-year-old admiral, so 80 or 90 in this future of extraordinary scientific advances is probably not a big deal.
When one retires one retains one’s final rank. I suppose unless it was a dishonorable discharge.
Patrick Stewart is 81. Picard is 94.
Please lord, let this be better than Season 1. Season 1 was a depressing mess.
I hope Fansets comes out with that pin. I want it.
I’m wondering if this isn’t going to be a situation where Picard, Q, and Co aren’t going to be jumping around from timeline to timeline and scenario to scenario; trying to determine where and how events get fixed in the timeline. Instead of one specific event, it may be multiple events…
Hopefully one of the fifty different series being thrown at the wall gets back to exploring and first contacts rather than this constant inward looking conflict drama in which the enemy always seems to be ourselves. It’s heavy handed.
How hard is it to put a Starfleet crew on a starship, point them in a direction and have them meet new civilizations? Without parallel universes or time travel that tell viewers consequences don’t matter at all.
Please, there is a demographic for this. No, none of the current shows offer this. No, there’s no evidence Strange New Worlds will be this as long as they same show runners are in play.
Lower Decks does exactly what you are describing. It’s entire mission is about making Second Contacts. Oddly it hasn’t had one episode that deals with time travel or parallel universes either. I know some people are put off by the broad humor, but when you take that away it’s actually a very straight forward Star Trek show with a lot of exploration involved. It’s why I’m enjoying it so much and much more than shows like Discovery and Picard.
And if you don’t like that show, I think we will get it in SNW. I mean the title is literally setting us up for it.
Besides Lower Decks, Prodigy has leaned pretty heavily into exploring strange new worlds. Of course, it is not told from a Starfleet point of view but it has featured lots of new planets, some of which have been quite breathtaking. And the crew is making first contact with species they’ve never met in many of the episodes.
Totally shows you don’t actually watch the shows