I'll be very glad if there is ONE Trek show for which Starfleet is not the be-all, end-all.
What I like about Picard is that Starfleet isn't the main focus. Starfleet is "outside". In PIC, Starfleet is "them" not "us". It's a large part of what makes this series so distinctive and separates it from Discovery and Strange New Worlds. With so many Star Trek series going on at the same time, the more things that can make them different from each other, the better.
Indeed. And even on the "inside", there is probably more to explore (narratively) than just Starfleet.
And in-universe, it would make little sense for me if any of them wanted to return to SF.
If you think about it, Starfleet has always had its share of incompetent to corrupt administration. Is it really that different or did Picard give up too quickly in 2385, perhaps because the conspiracy idea really was so incredible? Also, Starfleet is not quite “them” — Picard praises Rios as being Starfleet at his core, contacts Starfleet for help getting onto the Artifact, and finally Riker saves the day with Zheng He and the copypaste fleet. Picard would’ve been totally fine with even more help immediately after the interview outburst.
Whatever his or SF's faults in the past or present, that doesn't mean he necessarily wants to be part of it anymore.
Rios now knows more about the circumstances that made him leave Starfleet in the first place, so would he remain a captain for hire even if Picard wanted to keep spending money?
Starfleet might possibly want him back. But I think he won't want to come back. Maybe he'll convince himself he wants to, which will add some potential conflict and drama from within and without, then he'll think better of it. But I think Picard's center of gravity is Ex-Starfleet/Non-Starfleet. And Patrick Stewart doesn't want to play Picard back in uniform.
I think Picard, Raffi, and Rios have moved on from SF. (And Jean-Luc is 94, he deserves soe form of retirement, whether that is on his vinyard or with a ragtag crew in space.) That doesn't mean they don't appreciate the values they once associated with it.
The money thing does bother me a bit - i.e. willhe really continue to "emply" the others?
Now, would it be interesting if one or two were conflicted about going back? Yes. Rios (maybe Raffi) would be the mosre likeley candidate(s) imho.
I even had this crackpot idea a while back that there is a SF ceremony where they are honored in some way (which could provide opportunity for some of those TNG vet returns they are so hell-bent on, but also lead to a new "case" to investigate for our crew, like intrigue or murder of a diplomat or something).
I'd like to see Orla Brady return in her role of Naris for season 2 I really liked her character alot.
Laris, but yes, definitely! I so wish they'd dump Jurati somewhere and take Laris onboard instead...
I vaguely remember a Chabon interview or Q&A where he mentioned they duly noted that Laris and Zhaban were well received, something along those lines. If they didn't have to juggle so many TNG crew returns, I'd be confident that they'd get prominent roles in s2 and s3.
Of course it's entirely possible that tptb disagree with me, and it will all be about their reintegration into Starfleet...
