The View episode celebrated the return of the TNG cast for Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.
Whoopi Goldberg reprised her Star Trek character Guinan on The View this week, donning the costume from her franchise reentry on Star Trek: Picard to host the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) for a very special reunion episode on the talk show. With the set of The View transformed into Star Trek’s infamous Ten Forward lounge, Goldberg served drinks in the company of fellow TNG cast members Sir Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, and Gates McFadden. The Goldberg-centered panel talk show hosted TNG crew for a special celebration of their return together on Star Trek: Picard.
The Picard series, which streams on Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access), is now in its third season of revisiting the iconic Captain Jean-Luc Picard character (played by Stewart) that graced the first-run syndicated TNG series from 1987 and 1994. This season of Picard, however, is a significant one, as it announces not only the final installment of the TNG character’s storyline in a legend-concluding season but a reunion cast plot featuring the former Next Generation crew. Picard season 3 premiered the same day on Paramount+, coinciding with the special episode of ABC’s The View.
In her intro to the reunion episode, Goldberg described her work on TNG as “one of the best experiences of my life.” She later went on to explain that she was moved to join the fledgling syndicated series during a time of great career success for her in 80s Hollywood (as pointed out by Stewart) because the franchise had very early on depicted Black people in the future. Referring to original Star Trek series actress Nichelle Nichols, Goldberg professed her love of sci-fi and admiration for Star Trek’s depiction of a Black character on television at the time who was “fly,” not a typical ‘mammy’ character. Nichols almost left her pioneering television role as Lt. Uhura in the 60s for a Broadway role after one season with Star Trek but stayed because a fan, Dr. Martin Luther King, convinced her that her visibility on a major television show was important.
Equality and Camaraderie
Following Goldberg’s comments about her adult (and childhood) experiences of the franchise, cast members chimed in to express their gratitude for the equality and camaraderie that characterized their time on the set (This is a sentiment across Star Trek franchise series actors that TNG actor Will Weaton has commented on as well). Sir Patrick Steward mused on The View about what the late Queen (of England) would have said if he had asked her what impact Star Trek had on him receiving his knighthood. “Her response might have been interesting, may she rest in peace,” Stewart added. The Shakespearean stage actor received his English knighthood in 2010 for services to drama.
In addition to Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard will feature TNG costars Michael Dorn (as the Klingon Worf), Jonathan Frakes (as William Riker/ “Number One”), and Gates McFadden (as Dr. Beverly Crusher). Other returning actors from TNG for season 3 of Star Trek: Picard (but not present for The View reunion) include LeVar Burton (as Geordi La Forge) and Brent Spiner (as a surprise reincarnation of Data).
Goldberg also gave ‘Worf’ actor Michael Dorn a trophy for “Most Appearances in Star Trek History.”