Summary
Terry Matalas, the showrunner for Star Trek: Picard, shares his personal highlight from season 3. It centers around the remarkable scene where Deanna Troi takes charge and skillfully maneuvers the USS Enterprise-D to save her beloved husband and friends from an imminent catastrophe caused by an exploding Borg Cube.
Matalas, the director of the finale, had a specific visual tableau in mind – the Enterprise swooping in above Picard and Jack. This image had been visualized by Matalas for months, and he went so far as to draw it on the writer's room board.
What Matalas truly adores about this moment is its emotional aspect, specifically the way Deanna Troi locates them through her psychic connection with her husband. This creates a satisfying culmination of earlier story elements in Next Gen. The moment garnered resounding cheers when screened in an IMAX theater.
Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas reveals his favorite moment from season 3, a scene centering on Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Despite joining the action late in the season, Troi's Betazoid abilities played a crucial role in uncovering the truth about Jack Crusher's (Ed Speleers) Borg origins. In a heroic display, Troi piloted the USS Enterprise-D to save Jack, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and her husband, Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), from a detonating Borg Cube during the finale titled "The Last Generation."
During an appearance on The 7th Rule podcast, Terry Matalas was asked about his favorite moment in Star Trek: Picard season 3 by hosts Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk. To hear Matalas' response, watch The 7th Rule clip starting at the 31:28 time stamp below.
I directed the finale. In the conclusion, there is a crucial moment where the Enterprise finds itself inside the Borg Cube. They are unable to locate their friends who are trapped in the Cube, which is about to explode, and it appears as though it might be a final farewell. At this time, Jack, who has just been liberated from the Collective alongside his father, is present. I had pictured a specific image for this scene, where the Enterprise would spectacularly swoop in from above, with Picard and Jack looking up at the ship. I had envisioned this shot for months and even drew it on the dry erase board in the writer's room. I was aware that it would be a technically challenging visual effects shot, but I was determined to bring it to life because it evoked the grandeur of a movie shot.
What really resonates with me emotionally is the fact that Deanna Troi is able to locate them due to her deep emotional and psychic connection to her husband. At that moment, he is experiencing intense emotions regarding their shared experiences and the loss of their son. This connection allows her to sense exactly where they are, serving as a meaningful payoff to some earlier moments in Next Gen. Overall, I am incredibly proud of that particular moment, the shot itself, the accompanying music, and the overall feeling it conveys. When we had the opportunity to screen it in the IMAX theater, the cheers from the audience surpassed my expectations. So yes, I take great pride in that achievement.
Picard Season 3's Finale Was Redemption Troi Waited 29 Years For
In the finale, one of the standout moments was when Deanna Troi, piloting the USS Enterprise-D, swooped in to rescue her friends. Terry Matalas, a fan of Star Trek: Picard, particularly loved this scene. According to Matalas, this moment was crucial for Troi because it served as a satisfying resolution to years of fans claiming she didn't have enough significant roles and unfairly blaming her for crashing the ship in Star Trek Generations. Overall, it was an incredible moment for Troi.
Counselor Troi has been wrongly accused of causing the destruction of the Enterprise-D in Star Trek Generations as she was piloting the ship when it crashed into Veridian III. However, it was impossible for anyone, including the most skilled Starfleet pilots, to prevent the saucer section of the Enterprise from being lost in such a situation. In "The Last Generation" episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3, Terry Matalas ensured that Deanna Troi received the recognition she deserved, creating a memorable hero moment that is likely to be cherished by many fans.
