Star Trek: Picard was an unquestioned success for CBS All Access upon its release in January of this year. The show was able to blend the nostalgic charm of its Next Generation roots with a more modern form of storytelling that captured both the minds and hearts of audiences.
And one of the main reasons for the success of the first season was the plethora of familiar franchise faces returning to assist the titular starship captain in his adventures. Fan favorites such as Brent Spiner’s Data and William Riker (now a captain himself!), as played by Jonathan Frakes, came back into the Star Trek fold to great acclaim.
Their appearances were so well-received because it was more than mere fan service. Each of the roles served an important function within the show that not only honored the essence of their characters, but also provided a good amount of closure for their respective storylines within the overall franchise.
Moreover, it allowed Picard to have a more substantial link to the previous canon, which lets the show play in a wider, and more recognizable, sandbox. Now, fans are turning to the future of the series and wondering who might be the next to come back?
One character that’s been receiving a lot of attention lately is Dr. Beverly Crusher, the original love interest for Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation. During an appearance at a recent virtual convention, actress Gates McFadden was asked about the possibility of a return for the doctor and she commented to TrekMovie.com as so: “Well, I don’t know. There’s a good chance, let’s put it that way. But I have no contract signed.”
That’s far from a confirmation, though it does hint at the Trek alum being hopeful at the prospect of reprising her famed role, and she was quick to follow that assertion up, stating:
The character [had] become matron-like, and it was just weird. I was no longer really the love interest of Picard, and that was one of the primary things—I was hired by Gene [Roddenberry] himself as the love interest of Picard. That got changed. And that wasn’t changed by me. I think that Patrick made a decision at some point that he was opening it up to other relationships in our show, and in the movies, certainly. So, I can’t imagine that it’s suddenly going to be different, but it doesn’t mean that there’s not a relationship there. Obviously, from all of our scenes, there is a relationship, and that’s great. So, who knows? I have no clue, but it would it would be lovely.
While there’ve been no official confirmations of more past characters popping up in the next season, it’s clear that McFadden sees potential in a return for her character. But tell us, do you want to see Dr. Crusher return in Star Trek: Picard? Let us know in the comments below.
