Patrick Stewart confirms Star Trek: Picard season 3, now in production, will be the Paramount+ show's last. The second live-action Star Trek show to be produced by Paramount+, Picard first premiered in early 2020. As it featured the triumphant return of Stewart as his fan favorite TNG character Jean-Luc Picard, it was easily one of the most anticipated Trek projects in recent memory. It debuted to generally positive reviews and gave a first season that redefined the character in new ways. A second season was already greenlit before Picard premiered.
Fast forward to today, and fans are counting down the final weeks before Star Trek: Picard season 2 premieres. The series experienced a bit of a delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Paramount+ recently gave Picard season 2 a March release date. The upcoming episodes will find Jean-Luc and his crew dealing with a broken reality, seemingly caused by Picard's frenemy Q (John de Lancie). To fix their present, they will need to travel to the past, thus allowing Picard to reunite with his old friend Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg).
Though the wait continues for Star Trek: Picard season 2, work is already well underway on season 3, which will also be the show's last. Stewart confirmed this himself in a recent feature for SFX Magazine (via Trek Central) along with executive producer Akiva Goldsman. It's said this was always the plan, and that series wrap is "imminent."
Save for The Animated Series and Paramount+'s Short Treks, Picard will be the first Star Trek show since The Original Series to end with just 3 seasons under its belt. Most of the shows that came after TOS made it to 7; Enterprise ended with just 4 seasons, and Paramount+'s Discovery is still ongoing. Picard ending so soon might come as a disappointment to some, but it makes sense. Even without knowing the story of season 3, it seems likely that Stewart didn't want to commit to another 7-season show.
The confirmation that Picard season 3 will be the last ensures fans can go into season 2 truly celebrating and appreciating what the show has to offer. In a way, this is the beginning of the end, and the seeds for the finale will likely be planted within season 2. With this much of an advanced warning, audiences can prepare their goodbyes. At the same time, there is always a chance the characters of Star Trek: Picard can go on to other projects. The show itself has already featured several familiar faces from past Trek shows, so there's no reason why everyone has to give their swan song now. Fans will have to stay tuned to see what the future holds for Picard and everyone else.
Star Trek: Picard season 2 premieres Thursday, March 3 on Paramount+.
Source: SFX Magazine (via Trek Central)