The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation made a celebrated return for the final season of Star Trek: Picard in 2023. Fans loved seeing their favorite characters from the USS Enterprise-D back together on screen. But for Marina Sirtis, who plays Deanna Troi, the experience of reuniting with her old co-stars was not what she hoped. The actor recently explained how modern technology changed the friendly atmosphere she remembered from the original show’s seven-year run.
Sirtis spoke openly about her disappointment during a conversation on The Show People Podcast. She revealed that the reunion felt different because of how people now use smartphones on set. This shift in behavior made what should have been a joyful homecoming feel isolating and sad.
Why the Set Atmosphere Felt So Different
The actor shared her honest feelings about returning to work with the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. She explained that one of her favorite things about filming the original series was the constant laughter. The cast spent seven years joking around and building real friendships. This time around, Sirtis noticed that most of her co-stars spent their free time looking at their phones.
Sirtis described her frustration in simple terms. She had traveled a long distance from England to be on set. When she arrived, she found that many people were stuck behind their screens instead of talking to each other. She felt that the sense of community, which was so strong during the TNG days, had disappeared because no one was having real conversations.
The actor did not hold back her feelings, calling the whole experience “quite depressing.” She had looked forward to the reunion for a long time, only to find that the fun, talkative environment of the past was replaced by silence and digital distractions.
The Fun-Filled Days of ‘The Next Generation’
To understand why Sirtis felt this way, it helps to look back at the cast’s history. The Star Trek: The Next Generation cast is known for having a close bond. Over the years, they have shared many funny and personal stories about their time working together. For example, during a Blu-ray commentary for the movie Star Trek: Insurrection, Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes (Riker) spent the entire time joking and laughing. They teased each other and their co-stars, showing the easy friendship they had developed.
Similarly, at fan conventions over the years, the cast has often displayed great chemistry. During a 2014 reunion panel moderated by William Shatner, Sirtis made sharp jokes about her character being “the bike of the Enterprise” and openly mocked the uncomfortable costumes they had to wear. These moments showed a group of people who were comfortable teasing each other and having fun. The change Sirtis described on the Picard set suggests that the dynamic had shifted significantly.
The Reunion That Almost Wasn’t and Hopes for More
The Picard season three reunion brought back Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, and Sirtis. It was designed as a final send-off for the characters. While Sirtis admitted that she did not get as much screen time as she would have liked, she still called the experience “fun” in other interviews, though her recent comments show a more complicated side to the experience.
There has been much talk among fans about a potential spin-off series called Star Trek: Legacy. This show would continue the story of the Picard season three characters. However, Sirtis has been direct about the chances of this happening. She stated that a show with a cast mostly over 70 years old is not likely to get made by any major studio. Despite this, she and Michael Dorn have both said they are open to returning if the opportunity arises, noting that the chemistry between Worf and Raffi was a highlight of the season.
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What Sirtis Really Misses
The core of Sirtis’s frustration appears to be the loss of personal connection. During the original TNG run, the cast famously spent time together off-camera. Stories from conventions reveal that they often sang together and shared meals. For Sirtis, the smartphone culture on the Picard set felt like a barrier to reconnecting with her old friends in the way she had hoped.
Her comments serve as a honest reflection on how work environments change over time. What was once a talkative, joke-filled set became a quieter place where personal interaction was replaced by digital engagement. For an actor who values human connection, this shift was deeply disappointing.
“I’ve come all the way from bloody England, and you can’t come out from behind your scenes to freakin’ talk to me? So yeah, it really changed the whole atmosphere on set.” – Marina Sirtis
While fans loved seeing the TNG crew back together on screen, Sirtis’s experience reminds us that the magic of a show often comes from the real-life relationships behind the camera. For her, the reunion in Star Trek: Picard was not the joyful homecoming she had dreamed of, but a reminder of how times have changed.
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