The first series of Star Trek: Picard was met with much anticipation. Mostly because it was something Trek fans thought they would never see again. That’s Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Jean Luc Picard after twenty years. The first season received mixed reviews, and I’m still unsure whether I loved or hated it. But that aside, what can we expect from season two?

Here are nine things we can expect from season two.

1. It won’t be here for a while

Before the small matter of a global pandemic scuppered filming plans, season two would have been out by now. But like all releases, it’s been put back. The rumour is that filming will start in January. With that in mind, we can probably envisage that season two will hit our small screens by the end of 2021.

2. Who will be back with Picard?

We can expect most of the cast from season one to return with Jean-Luc. Evan Evagora is set to return as Romulan warrior Elnor, and Isa Briones as Data’s android daughter, Soji. We also know that Santiago Cabrera will return as Chris Rios, the pilot of the ship La Sirena, as will Michelle Hurd who plays Raffi. Jeri Ryan will also be back as Seven of Nine. Did you notice the relationship hint between Seven and Raffi at the end of season one? Surely that will now be explored in season two. Alison Pill will also return as scientist Agnes Jurati. Harry Tredaway is also confirmed to return as Narek, the Romulan spy. As pretty much the whole cast survived season one, we can be sure we’ll see most of them again for season two.

3. What about Brent Spiner?

One of the most touching and emotive scenes from season one was the final goodbye to Data. It was written and acted superbly and was a fitting way to send off one of Star Trek’s much-loved characters. Is that the end of Brent Spiner’s appearances on Picard? Maybe not. We know he also portrayed Dr Altan Soong in season one, so the door is left open for him to return. He has hinted they he may be back, so here’s hoping. Showrunner Michael Chabon has also said that he created the role for Spiner to possibly return in the future, so fingers crossed.

4. Back in the Director’s chair

Jonathan Frakes, aka William Riker, is more used to the director’s chair than being in front of the camera nowadays. Although, he did a sterling job of portraying Riker in season one. He did direct a couple of episodes too and it’s well known that he’s been behind the camera for episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. The good news is that he’s been confirmed to direct season two of Picard. Whether he reprises his role of Riker on-screen has yet-to-be confirmed, but his confirmation of director can only be a good thing.

5. Whoopi

You may have seen the clip that was trending across the internet last year from American TV show The View. If not, then it’s worth checking out. In a nutshell, one of the hosts is Whoopi Goldberg. She’s famous for her portrayal as bartender Guinan, in Next Generation. A role she also played in in the films Nemesis and Generations. Patrick Stewart appeared on The View last year and personally invited Whoopi to reprise her role as Guinan for season two. An offer which she gratefully accepted. Whoopi is a fantastic actor, so it’s exciting to see what writer Michael Chabon will do with her character in season two.

6. Next Generation

It was hugely exciting to see Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis reprise their roles as Riker and Counsellor Deanna Troi in season one. But will we see more of the Next Generation cast coming into season two? Well, nothing is one hundred per cent confirmed, but LeVar Burton who played Commander Geordi La Forge has hinted he would love to be part of it. The rumour mill has also mentioned that Michael Dorn could feature as Worf, which would be amazing. We will just have to wait and see if the rumours are true.

7. Patrick the Android

We know that Patrick Stewart portrayed a rather frailer and more reflective Jean-Luc Picard in season one. This caused quite a bit of discussion amongst Trek fans, but the good news is that Dr Soong resurrected his consciousness in android form. This could lead to a stronger and more assertive Jean-Luc in season two. This was hinted it in the final scene of season one. I certainly jumped for joy when Picard raised his finger and forcefully said, ‘Engage’.

8. The Doctor

One of my favourite characters from Star Trek: Voyager was the Doctor, played by the ever-excitable Robert Picardo. Now, I’m not sure how they would slot his character into the Picard universe, but it’s certainly an exciting prospect. Picardo has been very vocal about his love of the show and the work they have done on the characters. If the writers can bring back Seven of Nine from Voyager, then let’s hope that Picardo can make an appearance at some point.

9. The Plot

As I mentioned earlier, the finale of season one hinted at a blossoming relationship between Seven of Nine and Raffi. We can be sure that this will be explored further in season two. The relationship between Agnes and Chris will undoubtably grow in season two as well. The final scene with Picard uttering those immortal words ‘Engage’ no doubt signals a journey into the unknown. We also know that Soji has been saved and the synthetic ban lifted, so she may explore herself further. Star Trek has always reflected the society of the time and this year has certainly been different to any year in living memory. With that in mind, I’m confident that we’ll see conflict; drama and emotion woven into the new series.

Roll on 2021 for Star Trek: Picard Season Two.

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