Star Trek: Picard star reveals why they will never play their iconic Next Generation character again

Star Trek: Picard spoilers from season 1, episode 10 'Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2' follow.

One Star Trek: Picard cast member has vowed that they will never again play their iconic Next Generation character following the emotional season one finale.

The first season of the Next Generation sequel concluded on Friday (March 27) with a sprawling episode that finally brought Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) face-to-face with his old friend Data (Brent Spiner) once again.

All was not quite as it seemed – Picard met up with Data in a sort of after-life where he was finally able to reconcile with the former Starfleet Commander's brutal destruction in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Speaking to TV Guide, Brent Spiner spoke about why this Picard season one finale was likely his final opportunity to play Data.

"There was just a finite amount of time that I can actually play Data, no matter what anyone says," he explained. "So many people were like, 'Oh, you can do it. You're not too old', and then I do it and they go, 'You're too old. Why'd you do it?'

"I think we did it in such brief sequences that it was fine to do it, and I felt good about it. But I wouldn't really entertain the idea of doing it again because I just don't think it would be realistic.

"So it seemed right to me to give him this more gentle sendoff, and it seemed right to me in the context of the entire season of Picard and what Picard himself had been experiencing because of the loss of Data. I think it allows him to feel okay about it too. So it seemed like the right thing to do."

Yet, Spiner is "absolutely" willing to return in the second season as Altan Soong, the son of the human cyberneticist who created Data (both of whom were, of course, also played by the actor).

"I love working with all of the people on the show," he said. "The new cast is fantastic. Obviously, to still be working with Patrick is a dream. Now there's a character that could conceivably go on and continue, so of course I'd love to."

Star Trek: Picard airs on CBS All Access in the US and Amazon Prime internationally, including the UK.

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