Maybe Admiral Nechayev? She might be slightly less inclined to curse Picard out than Fleet Admiral Clancy...
Well, after the main cast, and in the interview it seems as if he rules O'Brien out, I think Sela or Pulaski make the most sense. Though, in terms of folks near & dear to Picard, I am not sure Pulaski, nor Sela qualifies, though Tasha surely did. Ro certainly would. When she choose to leave that really hurt Picard in TNG. And we never knew her fate. Then there would be ex-lovers/love interests. Vash. Anij. Nella Daren. Kamala. Older lovers he already met again (Jenice Manheim, Marta Banatides, Phillipa Louvois) don't make as much sense. I hope it isn't Barclay. We know enough about Barclay from VOY.
I don't think it will be any of Picard's old flames (Sadly the actress who played Nella Darren passed away a few years ago). If there is any exploration of Picard's past love life it'll be with Beverly most likely. My money is on Ro. Given that Matalas hinted this character's return would shock fans, Ro makes the most sense. Although Pulaski popping up would totally be out of left field and kind of cool. Though I don't think Diana Muldaur works anymore (rumor is she isn't in the best of health) and given she's openly stated she did not enjoy her time on TNG, I can't see her coming back.
I don't think Muldaur has acted in thirty years. I wouldn't count on it. Assuming we're not being lied to about Meaney and Crosby, and I don't believe we are, there's only so many recurring characters to pick from. Q, Guinan and Hugh are checked off already. Majel has passed. Robin Lefler would be kind of cool. Daimon Bok? Vash? Now we're just spit balling.
I'm so glad you guys are talking about this. I stopped watching Picard as I don't like it but yet still as a diehard TNG fan I am curious to who this is. And I just came from a Pulaski thread. I like the idea of Pulaski. I don't know how it'd make sense, but the fact she didn't have the best time almost makes me want it more as some kind of redemption. "I really want THIS character to come back. And when they did [agree to return], that was weirdly more thrilling than everything else in totality.” I mean every actor has to agree to return, but there is a sense of someone reasonably important here. But who relates to Picard story wise? Vash would tie in with the love stuff. Tasha would make sense from still feeling very pivotal in TNG. But I can't help but feel there's someone else.
Robert Meyer Burnett who is a "hater" of Discovery and Picard apparently got a chance to see some of Picard S3 and he is gushing on Twitter about how great it is.
"Celebration of TNG's legacy." What a nonsensical phrase. Comes across like a clip show or an anniversary special tag line.
What does that mean? "Do by right by?" By whose standards? What will that look like and who's legacy is being upheld? I call it nonsensical because it states something very broad that actually says very little. "Respect" directed towards a fictional franchise is a concept I struggle with because a lot of fictional franchises showcase a variety of items, characters, themes and topics. Which one is being done right? I'm sure this sounds needlessly pedantic but it is a concept I really don't grasp, at least the way people state it online. But, I have a very different view of fiction and its characters and feel that terms like doing right by, doing justice to and showing respect don't really fit.
Aside from reviving Hugh, Ro is the TNG character I'd most like to see followed up on. I always liked her, she'd be an excellent way to catch up on what happened to Bajor post-DS9, and she wouldn't be too hard to bring in. After the Marquis were wiped out, I could easy see her having gone to the Rangers. She and Seven might know each other.