Star Trek: Picard actress Jeri Ryan explains where season 2 will find Seven of Nine and Raffi's romantic relationship. After a longer than expected wait, Paramount+'s Star Trek: Picard will finally return for its sophomore run in just over a week. The Patrick Stewart-led series last dropped new episodes in early 2020 and was expected to begin production on season 2 later that year, but filming was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. When Picard resumes next week, it will find Jean-Luc and the rest of his crew confronting a time-bending crisis that will force them to travel to the past to save their present.
One of the more surprising developments of Star Trek: Picard season 1 will still be around as the crew of La Sirena embark on this new adventure. The Picard season 1 finale revealed, in a very subtle way, that former Borg drone Seven of Nine (Ryan) and haunted Starfleet officer Raffi (Michelle Hurd) had forged a romantic connection. The two women were shown holding hands in a poignant moment, and going into Picard's new episodes, they will still be involved. According to Ryan, though, fans shouldn't expect to see much of the getting-to-know-you stage.
Speaking to SFX Magazine recently (via GamesRadar+), Ryan opened up about where Seven of Nine and Raffi are when Picard season 2 begins. There will have been a bit of a time jump between where things last left off and now, and in that time, the women have pressed on with their relationship and seen it grow. This, Ryan said, is a unique way to portray a romantic relationship, and it lends some extra intrigue to their development. She explained:
"It’s an unusual thing, in Star Trek, to pick up in the middle of a relationship. This is not the beginnings and the flirtation and all of that – you see that just for a glimmer in the finale of season one. Then there’s a time-cut, and we’re dropped into the middle of this relationship.
"We skip the whole honeymoon phase, and we are into the complexities of an adult relationship, in the trenches, you’re in the middle of it. How do you navigate a whirlwind romance that’s born from primarily adrenaline, and now you have to navigate the day to day while you’re also saving the world? It’s fun and we’re able to tell more inclusive stories that really reflect society."
Prior to their moment in the finale, Seven of Nine and Raffi didn't have many moments together in Star Trek: Picard season 1. Some fans were even taken aback by the change in their relationship and wondered if season 2 would help fill in some blanks. Based on Ryan's comments, Picard might not offer much insight into how the women first got together, but there's still plenty of development to go. Instead of spending time with their early courtship, audiences will just get to see how Seven of Nine and Raffi function as a true couple.
As Ryan hinted, that's bound to be difficult when dealing with time-travel and a potential totalitarian future. Action-packed shows like Star Trek: Picard don't always leave a lot of room for subtle romance, but they can also offer some very unique situations for bonds to grow. Raffi and Seven of Nine had an unconventional start, and it sounds like they might also have an unconventional development period. Nevertheless, it'll be quite interesting to see what Picard season 2 has in store for them both.
Star Trek: Picard season 2 premieres Thursday, March 3 on Paramount+.
Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar+)