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Star Trek: Picardgave fans a look at Jean Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) life after he left Starfleet. It also expanded on theStar Trekuniverse by showing different adventures that were possible outside Starfleet. The biggest thing it did, however, was bring back veteran cast members fromThe Next GenerationandVoyager, igniting interest in a possible spin-off series that showrunner Terry Matalas dubbedStar Trek: Legacy. The potential series would focus on the new Starfleet Captain Seven of Nine commanding the USS Enterprise-G as it explores strange new worlds, seeks out new life and civilizations, and boldly goes where no one has gone before.
Bringing the cast ofThe Next Generationback together inPicardsparked more interest in a spin-off than the Enterprise appearing inDiscovery’sfirst season finale. It’s the most talked about projectdespiteSection 31andStarfleet Academyreceiving a thumbs up from the powers that be. That leads fans to wonder if there will ever be aStar Trek: Legacy.
What Star Trek: Legacy Offers
The current run ofStar Trekshows has given fans a glimpse at the far future, thanks toDiscoverytaking place in the 32nd century.Strange New Worlds, on the other hand, gives fans a look at the time period ten years before Captain Kirk sat on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. What has sorely been missing from the gamut ofStar Trekmaterial has been anything in the franchise’s present time period.Picardwas the only live-action series that gave fans a look at what the galaxy was like inStar Trek’spresent.
The USS Enterprise hasn’t been the flagship starship of Starfleet since theNext GenerationfilmStar Trek: Nemesis. IfStar Trek: Legacyreceives a green light, it will followCaptain Annika Hansen/Seven of Nineas she leads the crew of the newly rechristened NCC-1701-G. As she does, she’ll have Commander Raffi Musiker as her First Officer and Admiral Jean Luc Picard’s son, Ensign Jack Crusher, as the ship’s counselor.Deep Space Ninemight have opened the doors for more serializedStar Trekstories likeDiscoveryandPicard,butStrange New Worldshas brought the franchise back to form with one-off episodes filling a season. Now, fans want to see the nextNext Generationin the same manner.
Star Trek: Legacycould tie up some loose ends left byPicard, such asthe Jurati Borg and the trans-warp conduitthey committed to overseeing at the end of the second season. With a former Borg drone as the new Enterprise’s captain, it could lead to some fascinating stories.Picardseason three ended with an after-credits scene revealing the return of John de Lancie as the omnipotent being Q. This opens the door for more Q shenanigans, and with a Picard being present on the starship, Q would likely test him often.
Star Trek: Legacy is in High Demand
Season three ofPicardsolidified the demand forLegacyfrom fans all across the world. An outpouring of support for the sequel series flooded social media with a hashtag and a petition. Then there’s the “Letters 4 Legacy” grassroots campaign, where fans write letters directly to the producers at the studio, pushing for them to green-lightLegacywithout delay. Such a campaign isn’t the first inStar Trek’shistory. When the original series was in danger of getting the axe after its second season, fans wrote letters to NBC to change their mind, and it worked.
Star Trek: Legacyisn’t only for fans ofThe Next Generationeither. Characters fromDeep Space NineandVoyagerhave a chance to appear in the potential series.Picardbrought inVoyageralum Tim Russ as the Vulcan Tuvok, but it could also serve as a vehicle tobring back Quarkor Jake Sisko fromDeep Space Nine. There’s no shortage of possibilities for a series likeLegacy. Jonathan Frakes already has his ideas for Riker’s return, according to an interview with Star Trek Magazine (viaTrekMovie):
Riker would be a captain and have his ship, or he would be promoted to admiral and be a liaison. It would be great for me if the show carries on and I’m like Charlie from ‘Charlie’s Angels.’ They’d have to come to my office one day a week for a meeting with Riker. That’d be perfect. Then I could direct a bunch of the episodes and be around the show.
Strike While the Iron is Hot
There is a bit of an urgency forStar Trek: Legacyto happen sooner rather than later if the show hopes to bring back characters fromStar Trek’spast. Patrick Stewart, while more capable than the majority of 83-year-olds out there, won’t be able to do as much as he accomplished inPicardifLegacytakes too long to get off the ground. Fans would love to see him do more than appear as a cameo. The primary cast, from Jeri Ryan to Ed Speelers, are successful actors with constant gigs lining up for them. IfLegacydoesn’t receive the go-ahead, scheduling conflicts could persist and prevent it from ever making it to the small screen.
The powers that be are heavily focused on projects likeSection 31andStarfleet Academy.These are promising, but they could lose fan interest if they take too long to green-lightLegacy. While there’s no shortage ofStar Trekprojects, the actors and fans are interested in it now. Waiting too long could prove catastrophic for the show’s success. With the SAG-Aftra strike over, there’s no time like the present.
