New 'Picard' teaser reveals return of a Star Trek: TNG fan favorite for Season 2

At first glance, the latest teaser trailer for the second season of Star Trek: Picard doesn’t reveal much. It doesn’t show any shots from the upcoming season. It doesn’t show any characters. Heck, it doesn’t even show Picard himself (though we do hear his voice). But despite not showing any scenes or cast members from the show’s sophomore season, it still sets the stage for what’s to come in a big way.

Introduced by series star Patrick Stewart at the top of today’s First Contact Day virtual global panels, the new teaser for Picard is a series of shots and pans through the former U.S.S. Enterprise’s unoccupied vineyard home while he provides a voiceover narration talking about how the final frontier is not space, but actually time, and how “time offers so many opportunities, but never second chances.” 

But then, the camera pans down to a playing card – the Queen of Hearts – before the card dissolves, leaving behind only one solitary letter. Then we hear another familiar voice, reciting a familiar line. Check it out below. 

That’s right; Season 2 of Picard not only promises the further adventures of Jean-Luc Picard, but also the return of the iconic Star Trek character Q, to be once again played by John de Lancie, who also made a surprise appearance on the panel to confirm that he will indeed appear in the show’s second season. 

Picard has Stewart reprising the role he played for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation and follows this character into the next chapter of his life. TNG opened and closed with Q, a trickster god, putting humanity on trial ... or more accurately, toying with, testing and pestering Picard and the crew of the Enterprise. He also introduced the starship to the Borg, another major adversary of the United Federation of Planets. 

In addition to Stewart, Picard stars Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady and Brent Spiner. Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas serve as co-showrunners for Season 2.

Production on the second season of Star Trek: PIcard has officially begun and will premiere in 2022 on Paramount+.