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Jeri Ryan reveals why this 'Star Trek: Picard' scene was so tricky to do
Star Trek: Picard stars Ryan and Michelle Hurd share their experience shooting this memorable Season 2 scene.
Star Trek: Picard has covered a lot of ground in the first three episodes of Season 2. We’ve not only gotten time travel, but an alternative reality where Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) no longer has her Borg implants and is just a regular ol’ human.
SYFY WIRE had the chance to talk with Ryan and Michelle Hurd, who plays Raffi on the show, about their characters in Season 2, particularly a scene from the season's third episode where Seven tests out a new way of acting to others.
Read on for their insights, though be warned: Spoilers for “Assimilation,” the third episode of Picard’s second season, lie ahead.
When Seven and Raffi end up in 2024, one of their immediate goals is to get to the highest spot possible to scan for advanced technology. Getting to the highest point, however, requires getting a security guard in Los Angeles’ tallest building to let them into a closed-off area.
Seven assesses the problem and decides the most efficient way to solve it is to get chummy with the guard. She pretends that she and Raffi want to go to the roof of the building to take a photo of the place they supposedly got engaged. The scene is a lighthearted one, and lets us see a side of Seven we haven’t seen before.
“That was one of the more challenging scenes, honestly, because I was trying to find the line,” Ryan told SYFY WIRE. “It's supposed to be a playful scene, but it's a leap for Seven. So you know, I tried to walk that fine line without making it just so camp that it's ridiculous. It was a relief when I actually watched the finished product, because I think it was good.”
The scene is a delightful moment in the episode, but it also doesn’t have the characters act too out of the norm, something that Hurd appreciated.
“It still stayed true to who Seven and Raffi are, because Seven instantly was able to figure out a path forward,” Hurd said. “She's always trying to solve and rescue, and she was able to quickly analyze the situation and realize that she might be able to get more footing with him by being cheeky and smiling and all that kind of stuff.”
Ryan’s performance as a somewhat bubbly Seven is one of the highlights of the scene, but part of the sequence’s charm is because Raffi gets a bit flustered about what Seven is doing. “It's not so much the action that’s shocking — it's what's Seven is saying,” Hurd explained about her character's reaction. “She's like, ‘Girlfriend? Fiancée? Are we doing this? Or is this just for him?’”
You can watch Seven and Raffi further navigate their relationship and the 21st century when new episodes of Star Trek: Picard drop on Paramount+ every Thursday.
