Not every main character from LeVar Burton (Geordi LaForge) and Gates McFadden (Beverly Crusher) previous returnees Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Marina Sirtis (Troi) and Brent Spiner (Data) in Patrick Stewart's solo series. The reunion promises sorely needed insight into these beloved figures' lives post-Enterprise, and resolution to lingering plot threads from Star Trek: The Next Generation's era.
While the Star Trek: Picard season 3 payroll does name all the biggest hitters, it doesn't for the full complement of primary Star Trek: The Next Generation crew . A handful of major names are notable by their absence, and while there's still time to beam them aboard before departure, their omission from the initial announcement is not especially encouraging.
Mercifully, some of these absent favorites have appeared elsewhere in Star Trek lore, their stories continued via animation, spinoffs, or supplementary additions to the captain's log of Trek. Others we know considerably less about, while some actors have even addressed their Star Trek: Picard status publicly since Paramount's landmark season 3 unveiling. Here's what became of the Star Trek: The Next Generation main crew not invited to Jean-Luc's leaving party.
Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton)
Star Trek has come a considerable way since, "Shut up, Wesley!" Once renowned for playing the most maligned member of Star Trek: The Next Generation's crew, Wil Wheaton is now a beloved figure both within the Star Trek realm and wider entertainment culture. Unfortunately, he endured a long road getting there from there to here, and Wesley's Enterprise-D tenure made for a bumpy journey, triggering his departure in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4 after producers allegedly prevented the young Wheaton landing movie roles. Wesley Crusher would make guest appearances during seasons 5 and 7, before cameo-ing as an attendee at the Riker-Troi wedding in 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis.
Sadly, that's where Wesley Crusher's Star Trek canon stops. His final Star Trek: The Next Generation episode makes Wesley The Traveler's new multiverse apprentice circa 2370, but by the time Star Trek: Nemesis begins in 2379, the youngster has evidently returned to Starfleet and attained the rank of junior-grade lieutenant. Another two decades on in Star Trek: Picard's timeline, it's feasible (maybe even likely) that Wesley Crusher is now a Starfleet captain, perish the thought. With his mother confirmed for season 3, Wesley Crusher's fate will surely be addressed in a future episode but, unfortunately, Wil Wheaton himself won't be appearing. The actor acknowledged his sadness over the absence, but claims he's excited to continue hosting Star Trek: Picard post-show, The Ready Room.
Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney)
A bona fide Starfleet legend, O'Brien has racked up plenty of galactic miles through two-and-a-bit shows. Elevated to a more prominent role in Star Trek: The Next Generation seasons 2-4, Deep Space 9 career, Miles O'Brien forges an especially close friendship with Dr. Bashir, finds himself temporarily replaced by an identical impostor, and gets falsely sentenced to execution on bogus charges of weapons smuggling. Later seasons takes Miles into even wilder territory, receiving a Klingon makeover and protecting the one and only James T. Kirk from assassination - and that's all before his heroics in the Dominion War.
Deep Space 9's series finale sees Miles O'Brien leave the space-faring to a younger generation, moving his family to San Francisco, Earth, and accepting a role teaching engineering at Starfleet Academy. We can only assume the classroom is where Star Trek: Lower Decks may imply otherwise. In a tongue-in-cheek season 2 flashforward, a far-future classroom celebrates Miles O'Brien as the most important Starfleet officer in history. Is this legacy borne from his exploits on the Enterprise-D and Deep Space 9, or something that came later...?
Reg Barclay (Dwight Schultz)
Desperately unlucky holo-addict Reg Barclay traveled with Picard's Enterprise-D crew until Star Trek: The Next Generation's final season. Following the show's end, Barclay moves from Enterprise-D to Jupiter Station, where he puts that holodeck obsession to good use by developing new VR technology, receiving a promotion to "Lieutenant Barclay" for his troubles. Despite making a brief return to Enterprise-E for Star Trek: First , Barclay is shown working on Project Pathfinder during the Star Trek: Voyager era. Designed to finally bring the titular ship back home from the Delta Quadrant, Pathfinder triggers a relapse in Reg's holo obsession, prompting him to recreate Janeway's entire crew... complete with added Barclay-isms.
Quirkiness aside, Reg Barclay proves integral to Voyager's triumphant homecoming. Not only does his engineering genius play an instrumental role in creating a line of communication with the wayward ship, Barclay also works closely alongside Voyager's EMH Doctor program. Fittingly, Barclay is among the first to witness Captain Janeway's epic return to the Alpha Quadrant in Star Trek: Voyager's series finale.
Doctor Pulaski (Diana Muldaur)
Behind-the-scenes politics ahead of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 meant Gates McFadden's Dr. Beverly Crusher was abruptly written out of the show. Bridges were built, amends were made and, fortunately, McFadden returned for season 3 onward. During the single season Bev was absent, Diana Muldaur's Dr. Katherine Pulaski replaced her as a main cast member. Once the Enterprise-D's original chief medical officer came back, however, Pulaski was promptly forgotten. Indeed, forgotten is the operative word, since Muldaur has yet to reprise her role, and Star Trek is yet to confirm her fate - likely an attempt to erase the mistake of firing Gates McFadden in the first place. Several non-canon Star Trek stories place Pulaski aboard the USS Repulse following her brief Enterprise stint, and in the absence of any official information, that's the best available guess. It's safe to say Jean-Luc will not be upset by her absence in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes)
Appearing in only a handful of episodes (one of which actually named after her), Michelle Forbes' Ro Laren ed Star Trek: The Next Generation in season 5, the intention being to spin her off into Deep Space 9. Forbes herself wasn't so keen, turning down the offer to jump shows, and departing the Enterprise-D for Hollywood soon after. Forbes was eventually convinced to reprise her popular Starfleet lieutenant in Star Trek: The Next Generation's final season, which saw her shockingly switch allegiance to the Maquis. It's assumed Ro Laren remained among the resistance thereafter, since her future Star Trek activities remain unknown.
Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby)
She's dead, Jim. A main character throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, Denise Crosby's Tasha Yar met a controversial end courtesy of a sentient oil slick. Realizing a blunder had probably been made, producers found increasingly inventive ways to revive Tasha Yar across subsequent seasons. Star Trek: The Next Generation seasons 3 and 7 included alternate timeline Tasha Yars, both of whom managed to survive longer than their prime counterpart, while season 5 introduced her daughter, Sela - also portrayed by Denise Crosby. Though still rather unlikely, it's possible Tasha Yar's lineage continues to resemble her original actress, and a descendant played by Crosby could appear alongside the other legacy returnees in Star Trek: Picard season 3.