With Star Trek: Picard set to premiere in just a couple days, the series is already getting prepared for its second season. Among the familiar faces from Star Trek: The Next Generation we’ll see in the series will be Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan as Patrick Stewart formally invited her to join the second season.
Stewart was a guest on The View, the morning talk show Goldberg co-hosts, to promote Picard when he surprised her with the invitation. Goldberg gave an enthusiastic ‘yes’ to Stewart with the captain telling her It was wonderful having you and we cannot wait to have you with us one more time.”
.@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
Goldberg portrayed Guinan in a recurring role throughout The Next Generation. Guinan was the Enterprise’s bartender in their lounge Ten Forward where she would listen to the crew’s various problems and offer sage advice. She wasn’t just a regular bartender however as she was seemingly wise beyond her years, coming from a mysterious race in the galaxy that was nearly wiped out by the Borg. Of the crew, she and Picard shared quite a close friendship with her being his confidant. Goldberg also starred in two of the TNG feature films, Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis, the latter of which was in just a cameo while the other slightly explored her origins.
Star Trek: Picard sees franchise veterans Patrick Stewart (Picard), Brent Spiner (Data), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Marina Sirtis (Troi) and Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) joined in the cast by Santiago Cabera (Salvation), Michelle Hurd (Blindspot), Alison Pill (The Newsroom), Harry Treadaway (Mr. Mercedes), Isa Briones (Takers) and Evan Evagora (Fantasy Island). It is set to premiere on January 24th.