Many issues audiences had with Star Trek: Picard season 2 were explained by co-showrunner Terry Matalas, who broke down the behind-the-scenes changes.

Showrunner Terry Matalas revealed Star Trek: Picard season 2’s behind-the-scenes issues, and the elements that were deemed “too sci-fi” by Paramount. Picard season 2 saw Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his friends travel back in time to the 21st century after the omnipotent Q (John de Lancie) manipulated history. Not only did Picard season 2 have a smaller budget than the first season, but it also began filming during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both of these restrictions impacted the show’s production, somewhat limiting the stories Star Trek: Picard season 2 was able to tell.

As reported by TrekMovie, Star Trek: Picard season 2 co-showrunner Terry Matalas joined the Master Replicas Collectors Club for a Zoom chat. Matalas discussed the various production hurdles Star Trek: Picard season 2 encountered, and the changes that were made due to Paramount+ calling the initial plans for Picard season 2 “too in-Star Trek.” Read his quotes below:

There’s actually many, many different versions of season 2. I think you can kind of feel when you watch season 2 that there’s a lot of different ideas here… We wrote nine episodes at one point and the network was like, ‘No, we don’t really understand this, it’s a bit too sci-fi, it’s a bit too in-Star Trek.’

There were Romulans—there was a whole thing. The idea was that Guinan’s bar was presented as a normal bar in Los Angeles, but if you knew the right thing to do, you could go into the back through the telephone phone booth and that was Rick’s Café and it was a stopping point for all these different species that were actually there on Earth with a ‘Do not interfere’ thing happening. So you had a lot more Star Trek happening in the backdrop of it. Ultimately, the powers that be at that time were like, ‘This is too much.’ But there were some really good ideas there that were pretty cool.

Q’s plans for Jean-Luc in Picard season 2 may have been illogical, but they don’t detract from some great Star Trek moments for the La Sirena crew.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 Wasn’t As Popular As Season 3

The return of the TNG crew helped make Picard season 3 a resounding success.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 suffered due to significant rewrites and behind-the-scenes complications, and the season received mixed reviews from critics and fans. Picard season 3, on the other hand, became the show’s most popular and well-received season, perhaps because it felt more like classic Star Trek than the others. Picard season 3 embraced nostalgia, bringing the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation back together on the rebuilt USS Enterprise-D. Not only did the iconic Enterprise-D and its crew return, but Picard season 3 also built on storylines that began thirty years ago on TNG.

While Picard seasons 1 and 2 explored the backstory of Jean-Luc Picard with somewhat confusing plotlines, season 3 told a more streamlined story that connected to the past but looked toward the future. Picard season 3 also introduced compelling new characters, such as Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) and Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), with connections to Star Trek‘s legacy characters and events. After the success of Picard season 3, fans began clamoring for a spin-off featuring Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and the adventures of the USS Enterprise-G. Despite the perfect setup, however, Paramount has not greenlit Star Trek: Legacy. Whether or not a spin-off ever happens, Star Trek: Picard season 3 remains a high point for the series.