Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Finale - "The Last Generation"Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas details how the shocking cameo by Q (John de Lancie) in the season 3 finale's end-credits scene came together. "The Last Generation," which Matalas wrote and directed, wonderfully wrapped up the saga of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But while Picard's series finale also set up the future of the 25th century, the return of Q in the Picard finale end-credits scene and his interest in Picard's son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), is a new version of a classic TNG paradigm.
Screen Rant joined a roundtable interview with Terry Matalas, who was asked about John de Lancie's comeback as Q. Matalas explained that he came up with the idea for Q to return while filming the end of Star Trek: Picard season 2. Terry, who is "dear friends" with John de Lancie, pitched his idea and the actor said, "Yes... I'll be back." Matalas then detailed how Q's cameo in the season 3 finale end-credits scene was filmed. Read his quotes below:
Terry Matalas: We only had 20 minutes to shoot the scene. So we literally got him in, got him in that amazing outfit, [and he] came in. I mean, he's phenomenal on his worst day. And we just banged it out. And so, I still get chills. I love that scene so much. It's one of my favorite scenes in the finale.
We literally shot it during the same scene in which Picard tells Jack he's a Borg [in episode 9]. It was early, we wrapped Patrick, and we quickly changed the lighting scheme, so it's warm. That's why it's still kind of foggy. And we went, "Go go go!" because we had no time. How cool does he look in that costume?
What Picard's Finale Q Cameo Means For Star Trek: Legacy
Amazingly, Q's cameo was filmed during the production of Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 9, "Vox," as Terry Matalas says, and it came together very quickly. Of course, Q died at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 2, but the omnipotent being quickly brushes off his apparent demise, disappointed that Jack Crusher thinks "so linearly." Just as he was fascinated by Jean-Luc Picard, it makes perfect sense that Q now fixates on his son, who has become a Starfleet Ensign. Q ominously promises Jack that while Picard's trials are over, Crusher's are "just beginning."
Q's return adds more fuel to the fire that Star Trek: Picard season 3 must continue as Star Trek: Legacy, Terry Matalas' proposed continuation series set in the 25th century. Picard's finale set up Jack's service as Special Counselor to Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) on the new USS Enterprise-G. But the Enterprise-G's new voyages would be disrupted by Q tormenting Jack, just like the all-powerful trickster regularly upended Captain Picard's Enterprise-D on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Q recurring in Jack Crusher's life is just one more great reason for Star Trek: Legacy to pick up where Star Trek: Picard season 3 left off.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+.