The Line From Star Trek: Picard That Sums Up Terry Matalas' Hopes For Legacy
"Star Trek: Picard" showrunner Terry Matalas has been crystal clear about his tactics. Very transparently, Matalas used the show's third and final season as a backdoor pilot for a brand new "Star Trek" series that he would like to call "Star Trek: Legacy." This new show — that had not been greenlit and is not currently in pre-production — would take place on board the U.S.S. Enterprise-G, the ship known as the U.S.S. Titan-A throughout "Picard." The captain would be Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), and her first officer would be Commander Musiker (Michelle Hurd), her ex-girlfriend. The captain's "special council" would be Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the son of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Also on board would be the two daughters of Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton). Sidney (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) would serve as the ship's pilot, while Alandra (Mica Burton, LeVar's actual daughter) would serve in an as-yet undefined capacity.
Also on the cast would be supporting players from "Picard" including Lieutenant Matthew Arliss Mura (Joseph Lee), Ensign Kova Rin Esmar (Jin Maley), and Dr. Ohk (Tiffany Shepis). Sadly, the Vulcan character of Lieutenant T'Veen (Stephanie Czajkowski) died during the events of "Picard," as did the curmudgeonly Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick).
With a ship, a crew, and a mission, it seems all the basics are in place for a proper "Star Trek" show. If it sounds good to you, do Matalas a favor and write enthused letters to Paramount. In a recent interview with Collider, Matalas even pointed out that the central ethos of the show was already stated on "Picard." "Legacy," it seems, would be the "outlaw" Trek series, featuring a crew made up mostly of former criminals, each one now trying to "make good."
Also spies. Gotta love spies!
James Bond in Starfleet
Of course, Matalas was effusive about his creation, feeling that he had effectively created "Star Trek: The Next Next Generation." In his words:
"I think I would want it right there with them. I think the idea of Captain Seven, Jack Crusher, Raffi as Number One, the La Forge sisters, and Esmar and Mira, I would love to see the crew of that Enterprise out there as the next generation, mixed in with a lot of these legacy characters again. I think that they've never been better and more interesting."
Many Trekkies certainly seem open to the idea of a "Star Trek: Legacy" series, although it remains to be seen if it will remain a mere pipe dream. Even if Matalas loses "Legacy" and moves over to the upcoming "Starfleet Academy" series, he'll likely bring good ideas with him. As it stands, though, his current ideas are intriguing. He was especially enamored of the outlaw nature of Seven, Musiker, and Jack. He said:
"The line, 'I can't believe Starfleet saw fit to give a thief, a pirate, and a spy their own ship.' That just really excites me so much. Ed is so charismatic as the legacy of Picard. He has all the qualities of Gates McFadden [and] Patrick Stewart, and then he's entirely his own. He's James Bond in Starfleet."
In "Picard," Musiker was a former Starfleet officer who fell to addiction. Jack was a wanted outlaw, having been pursued by a wicked villain named Vadic. Seven, after her stint on the U.S.S. Voyager, emerged as a violent vigilante. It seems that serving on the Enterprise-G will be a redemption for them all.
1001 Tales
Matalas is selling "Star Trek: Legacy" to anyone who will listen and was quick to express enthusiasm for his idea. "Tell me you don't want to see that show," he said. "I would love nothing more. I have 1,001 ideas as to what to do, so, hopefully, the television fates will allow it to happen." By "television fates," Matalas is likely referring to "Star Trek" head honcho Alex Kurtzman.
As of this writing, the second season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is about to begin, and a fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" will be coming in mid-2023. Additionally, Paramount is working on a second season of the animated show "Star Trek: Prodigy," due later in the year. In 2024, "Star Trek: Discovery" will return for its fifth and final season. There are also plans for a TV movie event surrounding the Starfleet version of the CIA called "Section 31," a film that will star Michelle Yeoh, playing the same character she did in "Discovery." "Starfleet Academy" is also now in production, although no details about the series, including its release date, have yet been revealed.
There were plans at one point to make a prequel "Star Trek" series about Khan, the title villain from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," but that series was eventually adapted into a radio drama.
That's certainly a lot of "Star Trek" on the docket. Whether or not Paramount+ has the wherewithal to give Matalas the show he wants remains to be seen. Five shows and a movie may be all the world can handle at the moment.