The Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premiere will soon be available for anyone with a Paramount+ subscription to watch but, ahead of that, a handful of fans had a chance to see it alongside the cast at screenings in Los Angeles and New York City. We've already heard a touching story from Wil Wheaton about the premiere and, now, we have some thoughts from another Next Generation cast member, Denise Crosby. The actress got honest about being excluded from the proceedings and revealed that she's hoping to return to the franchise.
Denise Crosby is known for her roles of Tasha Yaar and Sela on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Tasha Yar and the character Sela, playing both characters over 31 episodes of the series. Unfortunately, she was not invited to reunite with the rest of the cast of TNG at the premieres, and she mentioned on Twitter that she was feeling "left out" as a result:
Feeling a little left out of all the @StarTrek hype for @StarTrekOnPPlus Picard. Not invited to the premiere, BUT, still, Tasha Yar, I will not forget her!February 14, 2023
The fact that Denise Crosby was excluded from the Season 3 premiere is surprising, especially considering that a few months ago, Crosby revealed that she is part of the upcoming season somehow. She only mentioned that fans would "see" Tasha Yar, but her involvement isn't among anything officially known about Picard's third season.
It's hard to say with certainty how heavily Denise Crosby is involved this time around. Tasha Yar was killed off in The Next Generation's Season 1 episode "Skin of Evil." It's possible that Sela, the half-human and half-Romulan daughter of an alternate version of Crosby's Yar could make an appearance in the season at some point via a flashback featuring the alternate Yar that gave birth to her. Given this plausible scenario and Crosby's seemingly confirmed involvement, it is strange that she didn't receive an invite for a screening event.
It's also possible that perhaps fans will "see" Tasha Yar via flashback or some photo, and the star's appearance is nothing more than that. Even so, if Picard Season 3 had the foresight to find some way to honor her time on the show, it would've been nice to see her included in the big celebrations where much of the cast was present.
It's unfortunate to think Denise Crosby might've been forgotten, though the actress is already making moves in an attempt to ensure that it won't happen again. After tweeting her thoughts about being left out, she switched gears and started prompting fans for ideas that she could pitch in order for her to return to the world of Star Trek:
Let’s explore, as best we can on this wacky platform, ideas, thoughts, strategies, snd I will try and get the attention of the powerbrokers. I’m open to story suggestions. #Yar https://t.co/fvRyjfHxxgFebruary 14, 2023
The chances of her being able to successfully pitch a standalone series for Tasha Yar or Sela do seem slim, but there are plenty of creative Trek showrunners out there with shows that could utilize the actress' talents. I could easily see Sela making an appearance on Star Trek: Prodigy or even having a one-off adventure on Lower Decks. There are also a number of upcoming Trek projects on the way that could include her, so let's hope she can find a way to hop into this new era.
Even if Denise Crosby doesn't appear in Star Trek: Picard Season 3 (which debuts on February 16), fans can still stream her best moments on The Next Generation using Paramount+. Also, keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule for info on other high-profile premieres.
