While Star Trek: Picard may be over, fans have already started clamoring for a new spinoff in the Star Trek canon: the proposed Star Trek: Legacy series, which not only has a petition lobbying for its creation, but has garnered the vocal support of Trek cast and creatives alike.
He’s dead, Jim: After three seasons of reunions, callbacks, and new adventures for old friends, Star Trek: Picard came to a thrilling conclusion with last week’s series finale. Garnering glowing praise from the likes of Doctor Who showrunner Russell T, Davies, Picard‘s explosive series finale reignited fan fervor for franchise returnees like Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), as well as new faces including Jack Crusher (Ed Speelers), Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), and Sidney LaForge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut).
But just was is this proposed spinoff about, and is Star Trek: Legacy a fan-made pipe dream or a legit series heading into production?
What is Star Trek: Legacy?
This much-discussed Star Trek: Legacy is a proposed spinoff series that would take place directly after and in correlation with the end of the events of Star Trek: Picard season 3, which saw Seven of Nine inherit command of the USS Titan, with Raffi as first officer, Jack as special counsel, and Sidney at the helm. It’s a pretty cut-and-dried sort of backdoor pilot for a possible spinoff that would follow the crew of the Titan in their ongoing adventures.
The promise of this series is particularly attractive to those with shipping goggles on: If it were to come to fruition, Star Trek: Legacy would be the first series with a (canon) romantic relationship between a captain and first officer—breaking from a longtime Trek tradition. Picard showrunner Terry Matalas has commented on the potential for future exploration of the Raffi/Seven romance in a possible spinoff, emphasizing the opportunity for conflicts of interest on the bridge.
“Imagine a story in which Seven has to make a call that could cost Raffi her life on a planet below … but it’s a call that would save the lives of countless others. Does Seven make the call? Does she step down and go try to save Raffi and transfer command to Jack in the meantime? The whole episode becomes a countdown. I kinda want to write that one right now,” Matalas said in a Reddit AMA.
Raffi/Seven isn’t the only romance on the bridge of the Titan, either—Picard introduced a second (next generation legacy) ship between Sidney, the daughter of Geordi LaForge, and Jack Crusher, the son of Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard. Though they didn’t end the series with a full-on romance, there was certainly some tension and romantic possibility, even if Jack has a boatload of issues to work through regarding his history with the Borg.
What is the Star Trek: Legacy petition?
A Change.org petition popped up a few months ago asking for a Star Trek: Legacy spinoff to happen, and it’s now close to its 50,000-signature goal. The fan-fueled petition has seen several updates in the time since it was posted, with those behind the petition seemingly confident that such a series is on the horizon, whether or not it takes the exact shape fans currently envision—which would include Picard showrunner Terry Matalas returning for the spinoff, as specified by the petition.
There are plenty of reasons fans are rallying behind this petition and idea. In addition to the existing relationships and Picard characters that would come built-in with the premise of Star Trek: Legacy, the concept is appealing to many fans (including yours truly) for another reason—the possibility of returning characters. Though initially reluctant to bring back too many familiar faces, Picard eventually leaned into the cherished legacy of the Trek franchise, plucking characters like Ro Laren, Tuvok, and the rosters of fan favorites across not just The Next Generation, but Star Trek: Voyager (Seven of Nine’s original show), as well.
With how seamlessly these franchise veterans slot in with a new set of characters, the sky’s the limit when it comes to imagining which franchise legacy characters (hence the apt title, Star Trek: Legacy) might pop up on this proposed spinoff. It’s worth noting that of the three shows that take place along the Next Generation timeline, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the only series not to have cast members appear on Picard—that is, of course, if you don’t count Worf, who appeared in the later seasons of DS9 but was originally a character on The Next Generation.
Especially considering that Star Trek: Picard sets the stage for changelings lurking out in the universe—a villain that featured prominently on Deep Space Nine—the door seems more open than ever for players like Kira Nerys, Julian Bashir, Ezri Dask, Quark, Jake Sisko, or TNG‘s Miles O’Brien to pop up on Legacy. With some time travel hijinks (Trek is no stranger to time travel crossovers, like DS9′s “Trials and Tribble-ations”), the spinoff could even feature a cameo or two from the cast of Enterprise, which takes place closer in the Trek timeline to Discovery and Strange New Worlds.
Is Star Trek: Legacy Happening?
Fan ideas are one thing, but confirmation from cast and crew about whether or not a series exists is another thing entirely. Unfortunately, as of right now, there aren’t any rock-solid plans for Star Trek: Legacy, nor has the show gone into any kind of official pre-production (to our knowledge). Just because nothing’s moving yet, though, doesn’t mean that conversations aren’t happening: according to a recent interview, Star Trek writer and producerAlex Kurtzman (who has overseen development of every new Trek show since Discovery in some capacity) commented on the murmurs of a Star Trek: Legacy series:
“Anything is possible. We’ve heard the fans loud and clear. There’s obviously more story to tell. So, we’ll see,” Kurtzman told Fox LA
Picard showrunner Terry Matalas has also commented on the prospect of another spinoff, telling Variety, “[Kurtzman] and I talk all the time. If it’s something that’s going to be done, we want to make sure we don’t rush into it. We want to make sure we do it right. That’s where we’re at with it, I say coyly. At the moment, there’s nothing developed on it. But we talk all the time”
From Matalas’ lips to our ears—nothing developed on it. Realistically, that probably means that Star Trek: Legacy is only in the blue sky phase right now, but that certainly doesn’t mean the idea is dead in the water. With the wealth of characters, actors, and beloved stories to pick from, as well as an ever-growing roster of new properties in the Trek franchise, the possibility of Star Trek: Legacy beaming to a streamer near you is never entirely out of the question.
(featured image: Paramount+)
Published: May 1, 2023 10:53 am