Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is coming this year, and fans are excited because it means the return of actor John de Lancie and his devious character, Q. Fans weren’t the only ones excited, though, as Jonathan Frakes is also happy to be reteaming with the de Lancie. Frakes recently talked to CinemaBlend about his longtime friendship with the actor, and teased an upcoming scene, which he called his favorite of the upcoming season.
I spoke to Jonathan Frakes ahead of his recent directorial return to Star Trek: Discovery and, inevitably, our conversation led to his work both in front of and behind the camera on Season 2 of Picard. I asked Frakes what it was like to reunite with John de Lancie yet again, and the actor shared his admiration for de Lancie both as a friend and as a fellow actor:
Well, de Lancie has always been one of my favorite friends, but also one of my favorite actors. He’s beautifully cast as Q, and Q is one of the most complicated villains, arguably, with the Borg Queen. It’s always a pleasure to work with John on and off the set. The day I know is going to be fascinating because he’s a fascinating man in terms of his worldview and his experience as a sailor. It’s always a good day in terms of the between shots.
Based on the star's positive comments, it appears Star Trek: Picard Season 2 was a good time for him. The new season will feature Q’s reunion with the titular character and highlight some trouble that results in the creation of an alternate reality. This is nothing new for Star Trek regarding, as altering reality is more or less his thing, especially when Picard is involved.
Fans already knew Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie would share some scenes within the new episodes,, but Jonathan Frakes revealed he’ll also share a scene with de Lancie. Frakes talked about the upcoming scene, which also features another actor from The Next Generation:
I have a scene with he and Soong, who Brent [Spiner] plays on Picard. And it’s one of my favorite scenes of the season.
It’s good to hear Star Trek: Picard got at least three actors from Next Generation in one scene, even if Brett Spiner (allegedly isn't playing) his original character from the series. I can only imagine how an older Riker will deal with Q and the hijinx that may ensue as a result. Fans will also see another familiar face in Whoopi Goldberg's Guinan.
John de Lancie is one of The Next Gengeration's most memorable supporting characters and made appearances across other past Trek shows like Voyager and Deep Space Nine. Jonathan Frakes spoke to de Lancie’s time on TNG and how his episodes acted as a “litmus test” of the show:
[John] de Lancie has always been a litmus test of–I don’t know how many Next Gens he did–but every time he did, he sort of took the temperature of the company and we all circled him in a way that we always felt he is a member of our core group.
With the actor and director so high on John de Lancie’s upcoming performance on the new season of Star Trek: Picard, which should get fans even more excited for the season premiere. Hopefully, his return lives up to fan expectations and maybe further expounds on some of the mysteries surrounding his cryptic character.
Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in February. That’s not too long of a wait for Trek fans, especially with new episodes of Prodigy and Discovery to keep them occupied in the meantime. In addition, be sure to check out CinemaBlend's 2022 winter and spring schedule for info on the other shows that will be returning this year.
