Star Trek: Picard Season 3 was meant to give a proper send-off to The Next Generation cast, and I think most fans would agree that it succeeded. The actors were happy to be back together once again, but apparently, not everyone would call it their best performance. Marina Sirtis confirmed that as she explained why she felt her latest appearance as Deanna Troi was not her best.
As the fans wait for more information on upcoming Trek shows, Marina Sirtis was asked how she felt about her performance in Picard by TrekMovie after receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award alongside the rest of The Next Generation cast at the Saturn Awards. It was mentioned that Jonathan Frakes, who we at CinemaBlend thought deserved awards for his performance in Season 3, called his return as Riker his best. Sirtis didn't feel the same about her latest run as Troi and shared why:
I think Jonathan said that because he got to do stuff that he'd never done before. It was outside of the box for him. I don't think that it was my best work. I don't think I was in it enough for it to be my best work. But it was fun. It was definitely fun.
While Sirtis was given a part that ensured she wasn't playing "the same old Troi" as she had in past Star Trek adventures, her screentime was limited. Showrunner Terry Matalas did acknowledge the lack of the ship counselor in Season 3 on X, and noted that Sirtis living in London made it difficult to schedule more scenes for her.
The actor shared the reality of what's holding up a Picard spinoff.
While Marina Sirtis wouldn't call it her best performance, she had fun and has confirmed she was amazed and grateful for Season 3.
Given the context of the conversation, I can also see why she'd give that response, considering Jonathan Frakes really did step outside the box of what he'd done previously as Riker in Star Trek. Troi was interwoven into the story in an interesting way, but I would say that her role wasn't quite on the same level as some of the other returning cast members in Season 3.
The world is still waiting to hear if this is the final adventure for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and are getting mixed messages. While the odds of a Picard spinoff happening seem slim, Patrick Stewart revealed a script was being written for a Jean-Luc Picard movie. The assumption is we'd see Marina Sirtis and the rest of The Next Generation crew in that movie if it gets made, but we can only wait and see. If it does happen, perhaps she'll get a chance to give her best performance as the character.
Until we know more about a TNG follow-up, Trekkies can stream all sorts of Star Trek content from the 2024 TV schedule and beyond with a Paramount+ subscription. There's no shortage of good Troi moments available in past episodes for those willing to make the jump and find out.
