Star Trek: Picard spoilers follow.
Star Trek: Picard boss Terry Matalas has responded to a surprising cameo in episode 3 that saw the return of a Star Trek Generations actor.
Thomas Dekker appeared in episode 3 of Picard's current third season as Titus Rikker, a character who's later revealed to be a Changeling.
However, it's not the first time that Dekker has appeared in the Star Trek franchise. Way back in 1994 when he was a child, Dekker starred in Star Trek Generations as Jean-Luc Picard's (Sir Patrick Stewart) pretend son in a series of visions.
Related: Star Trek stars break down episode 3's emotional confrontation
Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, showrunner Terry Matalas opened up on the decision to bring Dekker back now — just as Picard's son has become so pivotal to the story.
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When asked if it was a deliberate choice to bring Dekker back, Matalas said: "No, he just auditioned for the role and he's fantastic."
According to Matalas, the cameo was a complete mistake, and he didn't even realise the connection until shooting had begun.
"It didn't actually dawn on us until we were shooting that that was the case, that [Dekker] had been [...] part of it before," Matalas said.
"But wow, is he good in that scene? Yeah. Like he's so good."
Related: Star Trek's Michael Dorn breaks down Worf's long-awaited return in Picard season 3
Dekker's cameo wasn't the only standout moment from the third episode of season 3, which also treated fans to a confrontation between Sir Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc and Gates McFadden's Dr Beverly Crusher.
Talking exclusively to Digital Spy about the scene, McFadden said: "Well, first of all, I'm glad it felt special to watch.
"For me, I was thrilled to have a scene that was filled with that kind of conflict because when you're working with people that you've worked with, you love their work and you know it's going to be fun, and I had a great day and we did it pretty quickly."
Star Trek: Picard airs on Paramount+, and UK viewers can also see the show on Prime Video.
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
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Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
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