Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 2 - "Disengage"
The main cast of Star Trek: Picard season 3, but there are several recurring TNG characters that could, and should, still appear. So far, Picard season 3 has reunited iral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) with Captain William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Meanwhile, on M'Talas Prime, Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) has returned to rescue Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) from the lair of a Ferengi gangster.
The rest of the TNG cast will soon be drawn into the plot involving Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer) and Jean-Luc Picard's son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speelers), though there are some notable absences. Both Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) aren't expected to appear in Picard season 3, as they had already appeared in season 2. Of course, both could still make surprise appearances. Meanwhile, they're not the only missing TNG characters that could still appear.
8 Lieutenant Reginald Barclay
Lieutenant Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) was a recurring character from TNG season 3 onward, and also appeared on Professor Moriarty returns in Picard season 3; Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis could be the key to Reg's return because Reg once inadvertently resurrected the sentient and malevolent Moriarty hologram.
Moriarty's return caused chaos for Picard, Barclay, and Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) when he trapped them in an incredibly life-like holodeck simulation of the Enterprise. Eventually, they convinced Moriarty that he was free by sending him and his lover Countess Regina Bartholomew (Stephanie Beacham) on a holographic trip across the stars. At the end of "Ship in a Bottle," Reg was entrusted with the holocube containing Moriarty and Regina, so Moriarty's Picard return could conceivably allow Barclay to the TNG reunion. Perhaps the cube was one of the items stolen from Daystrom, and Reg Barclay needs the help of Raffi and Worf to track Moriarty down before the criminal genius is let loose upon the 25th century.
7 Captain Shelby
Star Trek: Lower Decks. Given that Will has put his career at risk by commandeering the USS Titan-A for a rescue mission on the very fringes of Federation space, there could be a fun dynamic in sending Shelby to confront Will about his actions. Shelby was defined by her ambition, so it wouldn't be surprising if she had attained the role of iral before Will, and is now primed to punish him for putting the crew of the Titan at risk to save an old friend and her son.
When Riker and Picard returned from SS Eleos with both Jack and Beverly Crusher, the Titan's new Captain, Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) warned the Starfleet legends that they were in trouble. Captain Vadic and the Shrike intervened before the pending disciplinary actions could be discussed, so Picard and Riker still have a chance to prove themselves and avoid a reprimand from Shelby. That said, Shelby plays such an integral role in "The Best of Both Worlds" as Number One to Captain Will Riker that it would be disappointing if she wasn't acknowledged in the TNG reunion.
6 Thomas Riker
In Star Trek: Picard season 3's premiere, Will Riker was corrected by iral Jean-Luc Picard about the correct designation of the planet Rigel. It's possibly a gag about getting old and forgetting the difference between Rigel VI and VII, but it could also be a clue that it's Thomas, rather than Will Riker, who's with Jean-Luc aboard the Titan. The throwaway mention of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Defiant".
The whereabouts of Tom Riker, Will's transporter clone and former member of the Maquis, have been unknown since he willingly handed himself over to the Cardassian authorities. Despite actor Jonathan Frakes' attempts to involve Tom Riker in the Cardassian rebellion at the end of the Dominion War, the character has never been heard from again. As Tom Riker is a known terrorist with no loyalty to Starfleet, the ultimate Picard season 3 twist would be to reveal that it was Tom, rather than Will, who had intercepted Jean-Luc's message. Perhaps Tom Riker is even in league with the organization behind the devastating Red Lady attack.
5 Ensign Ro
Beverly Crusher has warned Jean-Luc to trust nobody, not even Starfleet, so it would make sense for Picard, Riker, and Crusher to reach out to an ex-officer like Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) for help as Picard season 3 continues. Picard has mostly been about the former Enterprise captain addressing his flaws by confronting them head-on as he approaches the end of his life. So it's strange that the TNG spinoff has never attempted to address Picard's relationship with Ro, and her decision to betray Jean-Luc for the Maquis.
Ro and Jean-Luc resolving their differences in the final season of Picard would provide closure for one of TNG's most fascinating arcs. The Cardassian occupation of Bajor was a shameful moment in the history of the Federation, and it was a political issue that divided opinion, most notably between Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and his father Sarek (Mark Lenard). As a Bajoran Starfleet officer, Ro decided that the Maquis was the place where she could make the biggest difference, and despite his bruised ego, hopefully, Jean-Luc has finally realized she made the right decision.
4 Chief Miles O'Brien
Another notable absence from the TNG reunion is Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) who, like Worf, spent a considerable amount on Deep Space Nine. Now that it's been established that Worf and Raffi are working for Starfleet Intelligence, it's tempting to ponder who else could be working alongside them. As O'Brien and his friend Doctor Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) worked together to expose the morally corrupt activities of Star Trek's Section 31, it would be no surprise if the three former DS9 colleagues were working with Raffi to track down the stolen weapons.
Miles O'Brien has a fascinating backstory, having served in both the Cardassian and Dominion wars. As Star Trek: Picard has always been a show about looking back at life and confronting regrets head-on, O'Brien's war stories feel like perfect dramatic fodder for season 3. However, because O'Brien truly came into his own during DS9, Star Trek could be saving the character for an appearance in a Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) spinoff or a DS9 continuation series. But O'Brien played a memorable role on the TNG Enterprise, so it would be hugely disappointing if he wasn't at least mentioned in some way.
3 Leah Brahms
Star Trek: Picard season 3 has already introduced Ensign Sidney "Crash" La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut), the daughter of Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), but Sidney's mother is unconfirmed. In "All Good Things", the original TNG finale, it was implied that Dr. Leah Brahms (Susan Gibney) was the mother of Geordi's children. Given the controversial nature of Geordi's courtship of Leah Brahms' holographic replica, Picard season 3 may avoid addressing the revelations from "All Good Things".
As an expert in warp-field theory, Picard and the crew of the Titan may need Leah Brahms' assistance to escape the Ryton nebula and Captain Vadic's Shrike. Putting Leah at the center of the Star Trek: Picard season 3's plot via a La Forge family connection would re-establish Brahms as a brilliant scientist, rather than a poorly realized love interest for Geordi.
2 Sela
Picard's relationship with the Romulan Star Empire has been at the heart of Star Trek: Picard since season 1. Jean-Luc's failure to turn the tide of centuries of anti-Romulan prejudice during the supernova disaster ultimately led to him turning his back on Starfleet. This, Picard's Romulan partner Laris (Orla Brady), and the Tal Shiar infiltration of Starfleet sets the stage for one final conflict between Picard and the Romulans. Perhaps Romulan intelligence agent Sela (Denise Crosby) is the architect of all Jean-Luc's recent struggles, having authorized the infiltration of Starfleet.
There have been rumors of Denise Crosby's Star Trek: Picard return and Lieutenant Tasha Yar's half-Romulan daughter would be an ideal way back into the Star Trek universe for Crosby. It's still not clear who was behind the Daystrom heist, but it could be the work of Sela, in league with Captain Vadic. During TNG, Sela attempted to destabilize the Klingon Empire and invade Vulcan, so the use of devastating portal technology to create fear and panic in the lead-up to Frontier Day and distract from a larger scheme would be on-brand for the Romulan intelligence officer.
1 Wesley Crusher
The reveal of Jack Crusher as Jean-Luc and Beverly's son has huge ramifications for TNG crew's next generation. The return of Wil Wheaton could answer Picard season 3's unanswered Wesley Crusher question by introducing Wes to his secret half-brother, Jack. As Wesley is one of the Travelers, and able to see all time and space, he is likely aware of Jack Crusher's existence, and what it means to Picard season 3's overall story. However, from an audience perspective, it's incredibly unsatisfying not to see the Crusher brothers united on-screen.
Wil Wheaton has said he's not part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion, but his surprise cameo in Picard's season 2 finale opens the possibility that he's protecting a similar surprise in season 3. Star Trek: Picard season 3 is said to be all about the next generation of TNG, and Wesley Crusher is a major part of that as the first offspring of a TNG main character introduced. The final adventure for Jean-Luc Picard, and the story of Jack Crusher is incomplete without Wesley, so it's hoped that he will make a surprise return later in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.