Star Trek: Picard season 2 trailer teases the return of Q

Star Trek: Picard season 2 may have been delayed due to COVID-related complications, but that doesn't mean the series doesn't have a whole host of surprises in store for its return.

It's a heavier monologue from the infamous Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) but there's one heck of a surprise waiting at the very end of the newly released teaser trailer, which you can watch above.

"Time can turn even our most impulsive, our most ill-considered actions into history," Picard says. "What we do in a crisis often weighs on us less heavily than what we wish we had done. What could have been.”

The former Captain's monologue hints at quite the introspective season, but we'll get back to Picard's time talk in a minute. First, let's focus on Q's ominous cackle and "the trial never ends". Fans of the series will recall the numerous tests that the god-like Q (John de Lancie) put Captain Picard through back on Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the final episodes of the series, the entity forced Picard to jump through multiple timelines while putting the fate of humanity at stake during his own personal "trial".

Given Picard's time monologue throughout the rest of the teaser, it stands to reason that we'll be seeing a season-long game between one of Star Trek's best Captains and the nefarious (and hilarious) Q. Time travel isn't new for the franchise, but it'll be exciting to see what they do with modern resources and seasoned characters.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 will premiere sometime in 2022, and will feature the return of Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady, and John de Lancie.

Before we go boldly into the beyond, learn more about how Star Trek: Picard ties into the Star Trek timeline.

Amelia is now the Streaming Editor for IGN, but formerly worked for What To Watch, and GamesRadar. She writes about all things TV and movies.