Warning: The Following Article Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 5 - "Imposters" Despite being at its halfway point, Star Trek: Picard season 3 is still missing several Star Trek: The Next Generation characters that have either been confirmed or rumored to appear. The news that Picard season 3 would act as a final outing for the main cast of TNG was greeted with great excitement when it was announced, and season 3 wasted no time in reintroducing characters like Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Picard season 3 has also been keeping audiences interested with surprise cameos, like Commander Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) who played a significant role in season 3, episode 5, "Imposters".
However, with Star Trek: Picard season 3 now at its halfway point, the audience has yet to see the return of several confirmed TNG characters, most notably Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Lore (Brent Spiner), and the full reappearance of Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Given that Picard season 3 was heavily marketed as a TNG cast reunion, the fact that this reunion hasn't happened yet is a bit surprising. The show is employing a slow-burn strategy, gradually reintroducing the cast to build to a big finish with all of them together. This is an effective way to keep Picard's audience coming back each week, but the characters that have yet to appear in season 3 still range from fully confirmed cast members to possible cameos.
1 Deanna Troi
Deanna Troi made two brief appearances but still has yet to make her full return in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Troi was a main character in all seven seasons of TNG, and previously guest-starred on Picard in the season 1 episode "Nepenthe". So far, season 3 has teased that Troi and her husband, Will Riker, are going through a rough patch, although the couple resolved some of their issues. There is almost no indication yet about what role Troi will play in the main plot involving Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew's fight against the Changeling faction acting as the season's main villain. With her appearance already teased in previous episodes, though, it's safe to say Troi will be joining the fight soon.
2 Geordi La Forge
One of the most highly anticipated character returns of Star Trek: Picard season 3 is Geordi La Forge, TNG's chief engineer, and a fan-favorite character. While Geordi's appearance in season 3 has been confirmed by multiple trailers, he still has yet to make his entrance. However, Geordi's older daughter Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) was introduced in the season premiere and has played an important role in the first five episodes as the USS Titan-A's helmsman. Given Sidney's presence, it is likely Geordi will be joining the main storyline very soon. From what has been revealed by previous trailers, it seems Geordi's storyline in Picard season 3 will center around his two daughters and Lore.
3 Alandra La Forge
Alandra La Forge (Mica Burton) will also appear soon in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Played by LeVar Burton's real-life daughter, Alandra is Geordi La Forge's youngest daughter and the younger sister of Sidney. It seems like Alandra's role will be closely tied to Geordi, although Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut has revealed that the audience will see an enjoyable sibling dynamic between Sidney and Alandra once the La Forge family is reunited. Since it's still mostly unclear how Geordi will fit into the main plot of Picard season 3, Alandra's role is also uncertain, but if Geordi's storyline is tied to Lore, Alandra will likely be involved in that as well.
4 Lore
Despite Data's official death in Star Trek: Picard season 1, the show has found ways to give Brent Spiner a role every season. In season 3, Spiner will be playing Lore, Data's evil android brother who hasn't been seen since season 7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Lore was always the villain of whatever TNG episode he appeared in, and while that will seemingly also be the case on Picard, it's unclear whether Lore will have his own villain subplot or be tied to Star Trek: Picard's Changelings. No TNG cast reunion would be complete without Spiner, and resurrecting a character like Lore provides the audience with a great callback to TNG and a chance to catch up with a classic villain.
5 Professor Moriarty
One of the biggest reveals in the first official trailer for Star Trek: Picard season 3 was the return of a surprising antagonist from Star Trek: The Next Generation: the holographic Professor James Moriarty (Daniel Davis). First introduced in the TNG episode "Elementary, Dear Data", Professor Moriarty was one of the series' more memorable short-term villains. Bringing the character back for Picard is an exciting callback, although, like Lore, it's unclear if Moriarty will be tied to the Changelings or simply included as a cameo appearance. Picard season 3 will also have to provide an explanation for Moriarty's return, since his last appearance in the franchise saw him trapped in a holographic memory module, unaware that he was still living inside a holodeck program.
6 Tasha Yar
Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) was a series regular on the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation until her death in the episode "Skin of Evil". In August 2022 however, Crosby stated that Tasha Yar would appear in Star Trek: Picard season 3, although showrunner Terry Matalas later clarified that Yar would only be referenced in the season and that Crosby would not appear herself. With these conflicting reports, it's hard to say what Yar or Crosby's role might be in season 3, but a return in any form would be a welcome addition to the TNG cast reunion. A reference to Tasha Yar or perhaps her half-Romulan daughter Sela is something that viewers should be sure to keep an eye out for in the later half of season 3.
7 Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) made a surprise cameo appearance in Star Trek: Picard's season 2 finale, and while there has been no word from either the showrunners or Wheaton himself about any more appearances, Wesley showing up again wouldn't be surprising given that season 3's plot has revolved heavily around the Crusher family. The Crushers' prominence in season 3, as well as the fact that Wheaton's last cameo was kept completely secret until it occurred, seems to suggest that another appearance by Wesley Crusher during Star Trek: Picard season 3 would make complete sense. It would also give the audience a chance to see the Crusher family reunited, creating a touching end to the series and solidifying season 3's status as the final outing for the full main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.