Star Trek: Picard Season 3 remains one of the most-acclaimed seasons of the modern revival of the franchise, thanks in part to it reuniting the cast of The Next Generation. I was excited to see the iconic sci-fi ensemble together again, but now I'm a little bummed Marina Sirtis found the experience "depressing."
While fans continue to cross their fingers and hope for a Star Trek: Legacy follow-up, Sirtis got brutally honest on The Show People Podcast about how the reunion wasn't what she hoped. She was asked what it was like getting back together with all her co-stars once again on the set of Picard, and said the following:
I have to be honest. I was so looking forward to it, I really was. Because we laughed for seven years on TNG. Absolutely laughed. But what’s happened since then? Mobile phones. Everyone is stuck behind their screens. I’ve come all the way from bloody England, and you can’t come out from behind your scenes to freakin’ talk to me? So yeah, it really changed the whole atmosphere on set. Very, very different. No one talks. Everyone’s looking at their screens. The sense of community is gone because you’re not talking. I found it quite depressing, actually.
While Sirtis has been on the record in saying she thinks Star Trek: Picard was her best work in the franchise, and that she's grateful for it, she's upset that the vibe wasn't the same as it was on The Next Generation. It's in no small part due to smartphones, which weren't around during TNG.
The Season 3 reunion was, perhaps, of more consequence for Marina Sirtis than others. She had moved away from Los Angeles and was living in the UK full-time following the death of her husband, Michael Lamper, in 2019. His passing came just before the series premiere of Picard, in which she reprised her role as Deanna Troi in Season 1. The rest of the core cast wouldn't return until Season 3, the planned final season of the streaming series.
While people have hoped that a follow-up series would be announced during the 2026 TV schedule or beyond, Sirtis and others have shot down the idea of that ever happening. The actress specifically dashed fan hopes during a recent panel on the fan cruise, noting that no studio would want to take on a cast who is mostly north of 70 (via Den Of Geek).
It is worth noting, however, that Picard star Jeri Ryan was reportedly offered a pitch by Paramount that would be a continuation of the series, but turned it down. Ryan explained that the show's vision didn't align with what fans wanted, which was why she declined. For now, no formal announcements are planned for a new Star Trek series, and Alex Kurtzman confirmed it may be a while before that happens due to Paramount Skydance's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
For the time being, Star Trek: Picard is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. We'll keep an ear to the ground about any follow-ups to Picard, but as mentioned, it may be a long time before we hear anything new with Trek period.
