You know, it’s pretty refreshing to see the tireless and constantly put-together crew of the USS Enterprise let their hair down sometimes (so to speak) and blow off some steam while on the clock. Tales of the cast of “The Next Generation” goofing off between takes of the original show are practically the stuff of legend, all but driving directors mad with their unparalleled ability to flub lines, break props, and otherwise waste hours and hours of shooting days. So when “Star Trek: Picard” showrunner Terry Matalas gathered the cast together for one final swan song in season 3 of the reunion series, everyone involved simply had to know what they were in for this time around. Now, Trekkies are finally getting a sense of just how infectious their fun-loving and joyful chemistry truly was while on set.
The third and final season of “Star Trek: Picard” recently released on home media, giving fans the chance to absorb all sorts of special features from the Blu-ray set, including behind-the-scenes featurettes, previously-unseen deleted scenes, and, yes, an utterly delightful gag reel clocking in at over six glorious minutes. Led by the downright rebellious and childlike glee of Patrick Stewart himself, the clip comes loaded with impeccably-timed improvisations, completely filthy off-the-cuff remarks, and enough cursing to make Spock’s ears burn. In fact, viewers could even turn this into a drinking game with how often Jonathan Frakes appears incapable of holding it together while acting opposite, well, anyone. Check out the footage below!
Watch the Star Trek: Picard gag reel
Now we know that every time the cast of “The Next Generation” sat down for one of their classic card games, it was all an act … because, judging by this gag reel of “Star Trek: Picard” season 3, absolutely none of these actors have much in the way of a poker face. From Worf actor Michael Dorn’s ill-timed moment where he boasts about his talent to “s**t phasers” to Gates McFadden dropping the bombshell that Beverly Crusher “slept with Riker” to Brent Spiner finally admitting just how much Data hates everybody, it’s tough to pick a favorite moment from this collection of gags, missed line readings, and general silliness in between takes. One thing’s absolutely for certain, however: Nobody had more fun in the entire galaxy than the cast and crew on set of “Picard.”
According to Blu-ray.com, the home media release includes over two and a half hours of special features, including one about “The Making of the Last Generation,” “Rebuilding the Enterprise-D,” and the “Villainous Vadic,” played by actor Amanda Plummer. There will also be audio commentary for select episodes, a special Q&A about the final season, and much more. Or, of course, you could just keep re-watching the gag reel over and over again while imagining what a hard day’s work of shooting must have been like for members of this beloved cast of talent. For all the highs and lows of the overall show, footage like this makes it all feel worthwhile.
