Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: gene roddenberry, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, saturn awards, star trek, Star Trek Picard, star trek: legacy, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Terry Matalas

Star Trek: Picard: Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis Discuss "Legacy" Future

Star Trek: Picard's Michael Dorn & Marina Sirtis on if they feel Season 3 was their best work as Worf & Troi, "Legacy" chances, and more.

Published Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:48:10 -0600

by Tom Chang

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Article Summary

Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis reflect on their roles in Star Trek's latest ventures.
Both actors share insights on the possible end and continuation of their characters.
Unexplored stories, such as Worf's fatherhood, were considered for Picard S3.
Star Trek Picard is available on Paramount+, featuring TNG cast reunions.

Having the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation reunite on Picard season is arguably the biggest highlight of the franchise in the Paramount+ era. As typical of the format of a streaming series, a season is 10 episodes or less compared to the traditional and syndicated eras of a 20+episode season. It's a testament to what showrunner and executive producer Terry Matalas was able to accomplish. One of the biggest difficulties is to convince the cast to return because most have gone on record as being interested in returning if it involves a meaningful story for their characters – as was the case with Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis, who reprised their roles as Worf and Deanna Troi. The two shared a Lifetime Achievement Award with their TNG castmates along with franchise creator Gene Roddenberry, who received the honor separately and spoke with TrekMovie.com about a variety of subjects from their characters in Picard season three, loose ends, and what they would want to see if Legacy ever becomes a reality.

Michael Dorn & Marina Sirtis Reflect on Their Star Trek Journey from The Next Generation to Picard and Beyond

When Sirtis was asked how she felt she did her best work in Picard season three compared to seven seasons of TNG, the four films, and the Paramount+ spinoff's season one, "I think Jonathan [Frakes] said that because he got to do stuff that he'd never done before. It was outside the box for him. I don't that it was my best work. I don't think I was in it enough for it to be my best work. But it was fun. It was definitely fun."

Things became less certain when asked about their characters' future in the franchise when Matalas called season three a "proper send-off," while cast members like Sir Patrick Stewart seemed more hopeful. "I don't think that people have a clue what's going to happen. I really don't. I think that they look at something, and they may have thought of a thought of it as a send-off for us, and then something happens, and they go, 'You know what, maybe we should continue.' But, you [Marina] don't believe so…" Dorn said.

"I don't believe it's going to continue," Sirtis responded. "I don't know either. I have no idea. I wouldn't say oh, we are going to do it or we're not going to do it. I just don't know," Dorn continued. "I think if we were going to continue, they would have ridden on the success of Picard," Sirtis explained. "Do you know what I mean? And then come on the back of that, and they didn't. So I'm not sure that it's going to continue."

One regret Matalas admitted he had to cut from Star Trek: Picard season three was expanding Worf's fractured relationship with his son Alexander, first introduced on TNG on top of several cameos from the syndicated series past, including the returns of Michelle Forbes' Ro Laren and Elizabeth Dennehy's Elizabeth Shelby. When the series last left Alexander, he found a way to serve the Klingon empire despite not having properly learned the ways growing up as a weapons officer. The bulk of his childhood found him raised by Worf's adoptive human parents in the Rozhenko's. "I think that Alexander—his son—is a good story because Worf has been a terrible father. I think it brings a sort of realism to it. But once again, his ideas are great. And I think it's a good idea. But you got to go to the higher-ups and see what they say," Dorn said.

For more, including Sirtis wishing Troi had more comedic moments, the Raffi-Worf bond, and their characters' journey since their casting on TNG, you can check out the interview here. Star Trek: Picard is available to stream on Paramount+

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