Star Trek fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Picard Season 3, and while they may be whittling down their wait time by watching old episodes with their Paramount+ subscription, there’s a way for them to enjoy new Picard adventures right now. What’s more, the current Picard tie-in comic might’ve teased there’s an unexpected cameo happening in the final season, or at least, I’m hoping that’s the case.
Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer is a miniseries from IDW Publishing that bridges the gap between Seasons 2 and 3 of the show, and part of its story explains how Seven will become a Starfleet officer in Season 3. Without getting into heavy spoilers, Seven recently realized the value of Starfleet, but isn’t quite ready to commit. Soon after, she received a call from an old friend who might just appear in Season 3: Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway (via Comicbook.com).
If Janeway was instrumental in convincing Seven of Nine to leave the Fenris Rangers and enlist in Starfleet, one has to wonder if that means she’ll have a role to play in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. The series is already loaded with returning guest stars from that era, though most of them are from The Next Generation. Even so, it’s not like Kate Mulgrew’s character would be out of place if she appeared, especially with Seven there as another veteran from Voyager.
A comic book appearance isn’t exactly concrete evidence that Star Trek snuck Kate Mulgrew on set to reunite with Jeri Ryan during the filming of Picard Season 3, but it does feel like another hint something like that happened. Alex Kurtzman admitted he’s had discussions regarding bringing Janeway back to live-action, and Kate Mulgrew has stoked those flames with teases of secret projects she can’t talk about. Now we have this comic that confirms Janeway and Seven were in contact between the events of Seasons 2 and 3, so it’s all feeling a bit suspicious.
Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that while Star Trek fans have a knack for spoiling appearances ahead of any official reveals, Paramount+ has managed to keep some secrets during Picard’s run. One major example was Wil Wheaton reprising his role as Wesley Crusher in the Season 2 finale, which was a big deal. The show managed to film that without word getting out that Wheaton was on set, so is it wild to believe that Kate Mulgrew could also film a short scene and get in and out without any leaks reaching fans?
Jeri Ryan didn’t tease anything about shooting a scene with Mulgrew when she posted her wrap picture for Season 3, but I'd imagine that everybody behind the scenes would want to keep such a secret a surprise. This recent comic at least establishes it as a possibility, and that they were in communication ahead of her official joining of Starfleet.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, February 16. Right now, we can’t confirm that Janeway is a part of the fun, but we do know that classic characters like Moriarty and Lore will make an appearance. I’m definitely psyched to see them both and have a theory that at least one of them will get a redemptive arc in the final season.
