New Star Trek Picard trailer drops at New York Comic Con, along with an official release date

The Star Trek Picard panel at New York Comic Con was nothing short of explosive, as attendees were treated to an exclusive, brand new trailer featuring some familiar faces and an official release date. The new series, which picks up years after we last saw Jean-Luc Picard, will debut on CBS All Access on January 23, 2020.

The trailer begins with a shot of Picard walking along his bucolic estate with his dog (which looks a lot like Sir Patrick Stewart's foster pitbull, Ella). He walks up to a painter, who turns and reveals that it's Data. "Would you like to finish it?" he asks Picard, referencing the painting. "I don't know how," Picard answers. This show's version of Jean-Luc Picard is no longer a member of the federation, until a young woman shows up on his doorstep begging for help.

Cut to Picard returning to Federation Starfleet headquarters, where he hilariously has to give his name at the front desk. He spells it out slowly for the receptionist, who responds with, "It's nice to see you up and around again." It's clear that Picard has long been out of the fold (and probably enjoying his retirement) until this problem fell in his lap.

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And so, Picard must rally the troops, including Commander William T. Riker, whose debut in the trailer almost tore the roof off the MSG's Hulu Theater. "You really want to go out into the cold?" Riker asks Picard. "More than ever," he responds. Joining Riker and Picard are a mix of new and familiar faces, from Jeri Ryan's iconic Seven of Nine and Data, to Raffi Musker (played by Michelle Hurd), a figure from Picard's past that we've never met, and Allison Pill's Dr. Agnes Jurati. Also joining the cast are Harry Treadaway playing a Romulan agent, Evan Evagora (as another, far different Romulan), and Isa Briones as Dahj, the mysterious young woman who begs for Picard's help.

"We only brought people back if their story really mattered to the story we were writing," Executive Producer Heather Kadin said when asked about which ensemble characters from the Star Trek universe to bring to Picard. Even Sir Patrick Stewart himself was hesitant to join the show, but did so after some convincing - showrunner Michael Chabon sent him over 30 pages of information to convince him.

Here's why Jean-Luc Picard is the definitive Star Trek captain.

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.