Summary
WithStar Trek: Picardseason 3’s finale, showrunner Terry Matalas madeStar Trekhistory in more ways than one.Picardseason 3 sawthe originalStar Trek: The Next Generationcrew reunite for one final adventure aboard the newly rebuilt USS Enterprise-D.What began as a mission to rescue Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) quickly turned into a battle to save the galaxy from a Borg/Changeling takeover.Along the way, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sought out his old crew members and friends, getting the band back together.
Terry Matalas joinedStar Trek: Picardseason 2as a co-showrunner and served as the only showrunner forPicard’s third and final season. Matalas not only helped craft an incredibly compelling, nostalgia-filled season, buthe also became the second person inStar Trekhistory to write and direct aStar Trekepisode.The only other episode written and directed by the same person wasStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 3, episode 13, “Elaan of Troyius,” written and directed by John Meredyth Lucas. Lucas worked on 11 total episodes ofTOS,as either a writer, producer, and/or director.
Terry Matalas had previously worked onStar Trek: VoyagerandStar Trek: Enterprise, and developed the excellent Syfy series12 Monkeyswith Travis Fickett.
Why I Think Star Trek: Picard’s Terry Matalas Is Perfect For Marvel’s Vision
As a huge fan of Star Trek: Picard season 3, I can’t wait to see what showrunner Terry Matalas does with Marvel Television’s upcoming Vision series.
How Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Terry Matalas Made Star Trek History
Matalas wrote and directed Picard’s season 3 finale, “The Last Generation.”
Star Trek: Picardseason 3 became a resounding success, receiving mostly positive reviews and performing better than any previous season of the show. As showrunner, Terry Matalas wrote or helped write several episodes ofPicardseason 3, including the premiere, “The Next Generation,” the Jonathan Frakes-directed “No Win Scenario,” and theStar Trek: Picardseason 3’s finale, “The Last Generation.“With “The Last Generation,” Matalas became the second person inStar Trekhistory to write and direct an episode.As a lifelongStar Trekfan, Matalas had the knowledge to write aStar Trekstory, and the directing background to direct the episode as well.
Star Trek: Picard’s season 3 finale was screened in IMAX.
While many people had a hand in the success ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3, Terry Matalas’s love for theStar Trekfranchise andStar Trek: The Next Generation,in particular, shines through. Many of the show’s actors have praised Matalas, and he worked with all of the mainTNGcast members to craft their character’s storylines.With the obvious work he put intoPicardseason 3, it’s not surprising that Matalas would want to both write and direct the finale.After a lackluster send-off inStar Trek: Nemesis,Picardseason 3 provided Picard and his crew with a perfect farewell that harkened back toTNG’sexcellent series finale.
Although “The Last Generation” provided the perfect setup for a spin-off following the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G,Star Trek: Legacywill likely not happen for several years, if at all.
Why Star Trek Writer-Directors Are So Rare
It takes a very specific kind of person to write and direct an episode of Star Trek.
While it might be more common for someone to serve as a writer and director for a small, independent production, writing and directing require two completely different skill sets. From film school onward, writers and directors follow different career paths and make different connections within the entertainment industry.The showrunner of a television show has more creative freedom and ultimately oversees many elements of production, but even they don’t sit in the director’s chair all that often. When taking thecomplicatedStar Trektimelineinto consideration, doing both the writing and the directing becomes even more difficult.
While a director could step in with little knowledge ofStar Trekand work with the script as written,a writer needs to have a working knowledge of the franchise to craft a goodStar Trekepisode.John Meredyth Lucas had worked onStar Trek: The Original Seriesand served as a producer for the show’s second season before he took on the task of writing and directing an episode. Terry Matalas, too, had years of experience in the television industry and working onStar Trekproductions before becoming a showrunner. Regardless,Star Trek: Picardseason 3 worked wonderfully, thanks to Terry Matalas and his stellar cast and crew.
