Credit: Paramount
As the Star Trek universe continues to expand at Paramount Plus, everyone’s favorite Starfleet Captain is back. Star Trek: Picard season two takes off early in the new year. Many familiar faces are joining Picard, and a few new ones are joining the adventure too.
With time travel shenanigans, the return of old foes and allies, and the continuation of storylines kicked off in season one, Picard season two already looks like a lot of fun.
So, read on for everything we know about the sophomore season of the show. From release date, to cast members, to a new trailer, to rumors and Easter eggs, and more, we’ve got you covered.
And if you’re not a Paramount Plus subscriber, you can click the link below to sign up now.
Where we left off
Ahead of Picard season two, it’s worth looking back at what happened in season one.
With Starfleet captain Jean-Luc Picard now retired and living his life quietly at his French vineyard, he has plenty of time to dwell on the death of his friend and colleague, the cyborg Data, and his failure to prevent the destruction of Romulus. Now disillusioned with Starfleet over its refusal to protect Romulus, he spends his time in near isolation at his chateau.
But when a young woman claiming to be Data’s daughter tracks Picard down, he’s thrust back into the action, putting together a team of outcasts to track down Data’s other daughter and get some answers.
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The season explored themes surrounding genetic experimentation, artificial intelligence, and military intervention, questioning many of the underlying principles of Starfleet seen in previous Star Trek titles.
Picard was very well received by critics, who frequently noted Patrick Stewart’s continued excellence in the title role, as well as the series’ overall good fit in ongoing Star Trek lore.
What is Picard season two about?
Paramount hasn’t released a detailed synopsis of Picard season two yet, but a first trailer reveals a lot.
The trailer opens with Picard seemingly remembering events from his childhood, which suggests the series will cover some background on the storied captain before he joined Starfleet.
But the central plotline appears to focus on a time travel–centric mission. We see the return of Q, testing Picard and setting off a crisis.
Q causes a change in the past, affecting the series’ present day and turning the world into a “totalitarian nightmare.” Suddenly Starfleet insignia take on an aesthetic reminiscent of Nazi Germany and adaptations of George Orwell’s 1984.
With this new, unacceptable status quo, Picard and his new team travel back in time to the 21st century, seemingly using the Borg Queen and her technology to do so, in an attempt to fix the future and set things right.
When and where can you watch it?
Picard season two will premiere on Paramount Plus in February 2022 in the US.
The network has not revealed the precise premiere date, but the series will likely continue to roll out weekly as with season one and other ongoing Star Trek shows like Discovery and Lower Decks.
Check out: Lower Decks keeps hitting the mark in season 2
Amazon Prime Video has been the official carrier of Star Trek series in over 200 countries outside the US and will continue to be home to Picard for season two. In Canada, Bell Media handles distribution via the CTV Sci-Fi Channel and the streaming service Crave.
Star Trek: Lower Decks is currently streaming on Paramount Plus. Picard season two will be preceded by the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery, premiering November 18. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is expected to also bow in 2022, though likely after Picard season two.
Star Trek: Picard has additionally been renewed for a third season, though no word on when that will be filming or airing yet.
Who’s involved?
Many actors are returning for Picard season 2, including the titular Starfleet Captain himself, Patrick Stewart.
Also returning are the following members of the season one main cast:
- Alison Pill as Agnes Jurati
- Isa Briones as Sji/Sutra/Dahj
- Evan Evagora as Elnor
- Michelle Hurd as Rafaella “Raffi” Musiker
- Santiago Cabrera as Cristóbal Rios
- Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
- Orla Brady as Laris
- Brent Spiner as Data
New to the cast is John de Lancie, who reprises his role as Q from previous Star Trek series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Lower Decks. Q is both a character and the name of his entire race of god-like beings. In The Next Generation, de Lancie portrayed him frequently as a trickster figure, often a thorn in Picard’s side. Generally, though, the Q seemed to always have humanity’s best interests at heart`.
The season two trailer also features the Borg Queen. Paramount has not listed Alice Krige or Susanna Thompson among the cast. Krige and Thompson played the Borg Queen in previous Star Trek series and films. According to IMDB, Annie Wersching will take their place in the role.
Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Doug Aarniokoski, and Dylan Massin serve as executive producers on season two, with Kirsten Beyer co-executive producing.
Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas serve as co-showrunners.
What to expect in Picard season two
We still have a lot of questions about Picard. But the trailer is chock full of hints and teases as to what we can expect. Below are a few open questions about where season two might take us:
- Picard season one ended with Raffi and Seven holding hands, and season two looks to be exploring their developing relationship as a couple. The trailer shows them bickering while working together as the two fiercely independent women find their shared rhythm. The romance between Raffi and Seven is in keeping with Recent Star Trek series including explicitly queer characters, most notably in Star Trek: Discovery.
- Picard season one saw the return of The Next Generation stars Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis as William T. Riker and Deanna Troi, respectively. Other series stars like LeVar Burton and Gates McFadden have hinted that they may be involved, though it’s unclear who might appear and when. It seems reasonable to assume we’ll see some familiar faces from Star Treks of yesteryear.
- Where’s Whoopi Goldberg? In 2020, Patrick Steward formally invited Goldberg to join the cast of season two in a touching exchange on The View. Goldberg previously played Guinan, a bartender on the Starship Enterprise and frequent confidant to members of Starfleet. Goldberg and Akiva Goldsman have teased her involvement while conspicuously providing almost no details. This could mean they’re saving a major reveal for Guinan.
- Will the Department of Temporal Investigations appear? In past Star Trek series, the Department of Temporal Investigations was called in whenever Starfleet members tampered with the timeline. It looks as though a lot of contamination of the timeline will occur in Picard season two.
- Could the Borg Queen restore the Borg collective? In season one, we learn that the Borg have largely been defeated. Former members of the Borg are now being reintegrated into society. But the Borg Queen appears to retain some of her power. And using her to travel through time may lead to some complications for Picard and company.
So, that’s what we know about Star Trek: Picard season two — and a handful of things we’re still wondering about.
You can in it in February or catch up with season one now on Paramount Plus.