The arrival of Star Trek: Picard season 2 is getting closer, and today the powers that be are treating us to a new trailer that brings Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan back into the fold.
Goldberg famously became a Star Trek fan while watching Star Trek: The Original Series. Upon seeing Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in that classic incarnation of the franchise, Goldberg called out to her family, “Come quick, there’s a black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!”
Years later, Goldberg debuted in the role of Guinan, an El-Aurian bartender and dispenser of wise words, in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode 1, The Child, which first aired in 1988.
She went on to appear in 29 episodes of the Sir Patrick Stewart-starring series, as well as sharing the screen with Picard in the movies Star Trek: Generations (1994) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
In recent years, Goldberg has been co-hosting a daytime talkshow in the US called The View. It was on this show, in January 2020, that Sir Patrick Stewart invited Goldberg to rejoin him in the Star Trek universe. You can relive the heart-warming moment below.
.@SirPatStew officially invites @WhoopiGoldberg to join season two of #StarTrekPicard: “It was wonderful having you, and we cannot wait to have you with us again one more time.” https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/mxOtyJxF63
— The View (@TheView) January 22, 2020
The first 10-episode season of Star Trek: Picard debuted that same month, with Stewart’s iconic Starfleet captain – now retired – being pulled back into action by a conspiracy involving a new kind of synthetic beings.
That first season featured appearances from a bevvy of former Star Trek stars, including Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, Bret Spiner as Data, Jonathan Frakes as William Riker, and Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi. However, Goldberg’s Guinan was nowhere to be seen in that first batch of episodes.
That will definitely change in Star Trek: Picard season 2, though, with the new trailer for the show’s sophomore season showing Picard – once again – turning to Guinan in his time of need. Take a look below.
Picking up from the timeline-tampering events of the Star Trek: Picard season 1 finale, this trailer shows Picard struggling to understand a strange new reality he finds himself in. He seeks out “someone who can help us understand the change in time,” which turns out to be Guinan.
Picard finds Guinan in a bar that bears a big number 10 above its door, which is surely a nod to the Ten-Forward lounge from the USS Enterprise-D. Guinan remembers Picards order perfectly, saying, “I’m gonna need some tea. Earl Grey. Piping hot.”
She also remembers how to dish out words of wisdom, too, telling Picard: “Your answers are not in the stars, and the never have been.” This seems to imply that Picard’s current mystery will be solved on Earth, in what the trailer tells us is the year 2024.
“None of our futures are guaranteed,” Seven of Nine tells Picard, implying that there could be serious consequences for the timeline if this new conspiracy is not unravelled effectively. It brings to mind the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past, another vehicle for Sir Patrick Stewart, where Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine had to address matters in the past in order to avert an apocalyptic outcome in the future.
Finishing the trailer in style, Guinan delivers a killer line: “I believe you have one final frontier still to come.” Considering that a third season has already been ordered for Star Trek: Picard, her estimate might be a little bit conservative, but it’s still a great line.
Star Trek: Picard season 2 will air on Amazon Prime Video in the UK, premiering on 4th March 2022. Sign up for an Amazon Prime free trial.
For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.