The answer was an immediate YES.
In the run-up to Jean-Luc Picard’s return to television, Patrick Stewart has been making the publicity rounds on entertainment shows, weekly magazines, and the like. Wednesday morning found him on long-running daytime talk show The View where, as it turned out, he had a VERY specific mission: Invite Whoopi Goldberg into Picard season 2 to reprise her role as Guinan.
.@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
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Whoopi Goldberg played the enigmatic Guinan, the ship’s El-Aurian barkeep and the captain’s conscience (except in one chilling instance that may have big implications in Star Trek: Picard). As it would turn out, Guinan was a long-lived adventurer who had run-ins with Mark Twain, The Borg, and near-omnipotent beings like Q well before the crew of the Enterprise even knew they existed. (Well, they knew Mark Twain existed but, okay, it’s a long story.)
It’s fantastic to see that Goldberg will fill that role onscreen once more, especially as Jean-Luc faces galaxy-spanning issues without the Enterprise crew constantly at his side.
The first season of Star Trek: Picard debuts on January 23 on CBS All Access and Netflix (non-U.S.). The show was renewed in early January for a second season.
We’re so curious to see where Jean-Luc’s going to end up running across Guinan.
