Paramount "The Next Generation" cast
The cast of the various “Star Trek” shows often describe each other as family, and the final season of “Picard” promises a family reunion of epic proportions.
At 56-Year Mission: Las Vegas, which took place at Bally’s Hotel and Casino from August 25 to 28, actress Denise Crosby confirmed that her “Next Generation” character would appear.
MovieWeb reported on August 29 that Crosby was speaking with fans at an event panel when she was asked by a fan if Tasha Yar would be coming back.
“I don’t want to give away too much,” she said.” But I’m going to tell you that you will see Tasha Yar, but I’m not going to tell you how. You’ve got to watch.”
Yar was the first security chief of the Enterprise-D, serving until her untimely death in the season 1 episode “Skin of Evil.” Following her exit from the series, Crosby returned several times, appearing as an alternate timeline version of Yar and then later as Sela, Yar’s half-Romulan daughter.
Other Familiar Faces
While the first two seasons of “Picard” introduced a host of new characters, fan favorites like Data, Seven of Nine, Troi and Q appeared alongside Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard. Jonathan Frakes returned onscreen as Will Riker and also directed several episodes.
Season 3, the final season for the series, will see Geordi La Forge, Beverly Crusher and Worf added into the mix. Michael Dorn, who played Worf on both “The Next Generation” and “Deep Space Nine,” was a surprise addition to the cast for some as the actor has long been vocal about his preference to see the character get his own show rather than a cameo on another show.
Dorn spoke to TrekMovie.com about his ideas for the show in January 2021, saying he had pitched it to Paramount executives but never got a firm commitment.
“There’s interest and then there’s not. Then there’s interest and then there’s not,” Dorn said. “And I guess it was two years ago I thought they would take it a little further. But that did not happen.”
Crosby Always Wanted More
Crosby has spoken over the years about her disappointment with how Tasha Yar was (or wasn’t) used during her time on “The Next Generation.” At 56-Year Mission, she elaborated on those sentiments.
“I think it would have been fun to explore Tasha’s origin story,” Crosby said. “We know she came from this failed Earth colony and war and she’s an orphan. Like, how did she get from there to Starfleet? That’s a story. That’s an inspirational story.”
Crosby said that by fleshing out her backstory, writers could have developed storylines for the character going forward into future seasons.
“I was really looking to explore her grappling with being a Starfleet officer,” she said. “Tasha earned her position as chief of security, rightfully so, but she had some doubts inside of her that she was grappling with. And what were her ongoing relationships over the years would have been the fellow crew members and things like that.”
Crosby also said she would have liked to see the character develop as a combatant and military strategist.
“I think it would have been fun to really see her kick ass,” she said. “Really get in there and really fight. Not just ‘Code of Honor’ kind of fight, but like organized battles.”
Season 3 of “Picard” is currently in post-production and episodes are expected to stream on Paramount+ in early 2023.