New Star Trek: Picard season 2 trailer confirms the return of classic Trek villain

To commemorate National Captain Picard Day (yes, it's a real thing), Paramount Plus has dropped a new teaser for Star Trek: Picard season 2.

Unlike the first teaser, which relied heavily on Patrick Stewart's voiceover, this one implies themes, new adventures, and… well, some time travel chicanery.  

The first season premiered in 2020. To start, it focused on the quiet, humble life of almost-retired Starfleet Captain Picard. By the end, the show's ambitions soared. After ten episodes, the Federation's issues with artificial life came to a climax when the Captain underwent a somewhat epic life change.

This teaser steers clear of the big season 1 finale, opting to not reflect the Captain's subsequent shift from human to synthetic. It was an expected move, for Picard's newly-cybernetic existence to function largely the same as his previous one. But still would be nice to hear him say "I'll be back" or something. 

Instead, his supporting crew receives time in the spotlight with Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) making an appearance toward the end we can only chalk up to the timeline tomfoolery mentioned earlier. Picard's promise – “We can save the future" – an apt response to everyone's circumstances being considerably altered since the end of season one.

Also introduced in this trailer is the person likely responsible for said timeline changes; a recognizable baddie from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Teased for some time now, John de Lancie appears as classic Trek antagonist Q. "Mon Capitaine, how I've missed you," he jokingly says to Picard, establishing what's bound to be a season-long game of cat and mouse.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 is set to drop sometime in 2022, and will also feature the return of Brent Spiner, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, and Orla Brady.

Ahead of the season's release next year, learn more about how Star Trek: Picard relates to the Star Trek timeline.