Star Trek: Picard season 3 release date, cast and teaser trailer

The Star Trek spin-off was first announced back in 2018, with season 1 being released in 2020.

While fans will no doubt be clamouring for more instalments, Paramount has confirmed the show will end after its third season.

The news was delivered by Seven of Nine actor Jeri Ryan back in March 2022, as she tweeted that filming on the series has now wrapped.

Ryan wrote: "And just like that, it’s done. That’s a series wrap on #StarTrekPicard. So surreal since season 2 has just started airing. I can’t wait for you all to see what’s to come in season 3! Huge love to our incredible cast and crew. What [a] journey this has been…"

When a fan asked whether this meant future seasons weren't in the works, Ryan confirmed: "Nope, it was always intended to be 3 and done."

So, without further ado, read on for everything we know so far about Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 release date

In the US, Star Trek: Picard returned for its third and final season with the first new episode being released on Paramount+ on Thursday 16th February 2023. New episodes arrive weekly.

In the UK, fans don't have to wait too long, as the episodes will arrive the following day – meaning Star Trek: Picard season 3 premiered on Prime Video in the UK on Friday 17th February 2023.

It's worth noting that there had been some uncertainty over whether the new season would still air on Prime Video in the UK, given that Paramount+ has now launched over here too.

However, new episodes will remain on Prime Video, it has been confirmed.

Production on seasons 2 and 3 took place back to back, with the third entry intended to be the last – although that decision could be reversed, according to executive producer Alex Kurtzman.

“When we started the series, Patrick and we all talked about really wanting it to just be three years, feeling like we could really tell a complete story with the season you’re now seeing as our endpoint,” he said (via TVLine).

“That being said, anything is possible. If a show blows the doors off the place, as we’re certainly hoping it will, and we’re very, very proud of season 3, who knows?”

On a potential return, Stewart added: “If we can maintain the work that we did on Seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Picard, then absolutely, yes. Because there is still enormous potential for narrative in what we’ve been doing, and there are doors left open, still.

"We didn’t close all of them."

Star Trek: Picard season 3 cast

The cast of Picard season 3 is sure to get fans excited, with no fewer than six familiar faces from The Next Generation preparing to return to the Star Trek universe, along with Patrick Stewart in the title role.

LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn will reprise their roles as Lt Commander Geordi La Forge and Worf respectively, while Gates McFadden is also set to return as Dr. Beverly Crusher.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner – who have all made brief appearances in the series so far – will also have roles in season 3. However, comments showrunner Terry Matalas has suggested it could be their final outing.

"I remember watching the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation almost 34 years ago with my father like it was yesterday. It was the spark that ignited my love for science fiction,” he began.

"So, it’s most fitting that the story of Jean-Luc Picard ends honouring the beginning, with his dearest and most loyal friends from the USS Enterprise. It would be an understatement to say that giving these characters a proper send-off is an honour."

In a surprise move, Daniel Davis is also confirmed to be returning as relatively obscure villain Professor Moriarty, who appeared in only two episodes of The Next Generation – in 1988 and 1993 respectively.

In a tantalising Twitter exchange last month, Matalas teased further "top secret" cameos in the upcoming episodes.

But, while the number of epic comebacks will be sure to delight fans, Sir Patrick Stewart insisted there had to be a good reason for all the returns.

"I didn’t want the show to be just sentimental: 'Oh, we all love one another, and here we are again, playing poker and raising our glasses and so forth'," he told Den of Geek.

"I mean, I love every single one of my comrades from that show. I can’t get enough of them or see enough of them. But what the writers and producers have done with Picard is to create this different individual living in a different world than the one that we had been so familiar with in The Next Generation."

In terms of new additions, we can expect to see Amanda Plummer (Ratched) as the Shrike's Captain Vadic, Ed Speelers (Outlander) as an assistant to Dr Beverly Crusher and Todd Stashwick (12 Monkeys) as Captain of the USS Titan.

A number of actors from the first two seasons have confirmed their absence from the final chapter, including Alison Pill, Santiago Cabrera, Evan Evagora, and Isa Briones, reflecting a general shift in focus to the legacy characters.

Meanwhile, a new trailer for the series revealed more cast members, including Outlander star Ed Speleers who will appear as a series regular "who aids Beverly Crusher's medical efforts on worlds Starfleet has forgotten".

Also joining the cast is Riches star Todd Stashwick, who will play Captain of the USS Titan.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 plot

The official synopsis for season 3 reads: “In the epic, thrilling conclusion of Star Trek: Picard, a desperate message from a long-lost friend draws Starfleet legend Admiral Jean-Luc Picard into the most daring mission of his life, forcing him to recruit allies spanning generations old and new.

"This final adventure sets him on a collision course with the legacy of his past and explosive, new revelations that will alter the fate of the Federation forever.”

On his character's noticeably improved mindset in season 3, Stewart told Den of Geek: "I’ve always felt that one of the things that Picard most appreciated about the job he had [on the Enterprise] was the number of times that the unexpected occurred. And I think that excited him very, very much.

"In Picard season 1, he realised quite early that he was still accessible to those who needed help or some kind of protection, which is what he was principally motivated by through the seven years of Next Generation."

One element of the season that has captured attention is the canon introduction of the Enterprise-F starship, which has been a favourite of die-hard fans since it first appeared in the Star Trek Online video game.

However, in an attempt to keep expectation at a reasonable level, Matalas later told Trek Central: “I would caution fans [that the] season does not take place on the Enterprise-F. It is important, I will say, but it’s not the focus of the season.”

Star Trek: Picard season 3 trailer

A teaser for the final season was released at the show's New York Comic Con panel in October 2022, revealing the return of old friends and an old enemy. Check it out below:

Another trailer landed in January 2023. Watch below:

One more trailer, which revealed new casting, dropped in February 2023. Have a look below:

Star Trek: Picard season 3 airs on Paramount Plus in the US, and on Amazon Prime Video in the UK – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.

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