From the very start of the premiere episode of Star Trek: Picard, it’s clear this series is a marriage of the old and the new. The initial visuals are both fresh and familiar at the same time. The rest of “Remembrance” is a nuanced continuation of this theme.
Star Trek: Picard is Star Trek at its very best. Don’t just take my word for it. The show dropped less than 12 hours ago and it already has an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score.
The episode starts off in familiar territory. In a matter of speaking, the new series begins where Star Trek: The Next Generation left off. The narrative gently unfolds to bring the viewer into Picard’s world in the year 2399, about 20 years after the events of the feature film Star Trek: Nemesis. The new series draws heavily on plot threads from Nemesis, TNG, as well as the Star Trek: Short Treks episode “Children of Mars.”
The episode moves quickly from wistful nostalgia to action to confirm that Picard is not just a trip down memory lane for Gen Xers who grew up watching TNG. [No hate mail, please. I’m a fellow member of the Forgotten Generation.] The action is both modern and futuristic – a far cry from the old Trek episodes featuring widely-thrown punches. Picard gives us movie-level quality action sequences.
PICARD, THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS (OLD AND NEW)
The constant in the confluence of the old and new is Picard. As the episode progresses, the former Starfleet officer follows a mysterious thread that involves plot points from multiple Trek series and films. Including one from a TNG episode that aired more than 30 years ago. [P.S. The episode reveals why Picard left Starfleet.]
At the heart of it, Picard is the same character we met more than three decades ago in the Encounter at Farpoint. He’s just as principled, intelligent, caring, and brave in 2399. Yet, he is an old man in a new strange galaxy that has experienced profound changes since the end of TNG and the other older Trek series. The world Picard lives in now tracks rather closely with our own time period with asymmetric warfare and refugee crises.
All this can be felt by watching the title sequence for Star Trek: Picard. It is both visually stunning and bittersweet. A promise of something new and, at the same time, a promise of unknown dangers. It reminds me of the title sequence for The Expanse, but more symbolic and personal.
Sir Patrick Stewart’s acting is superb as always. He brings additional complexity to a character we know so well already. Stewart has created an updated version of Picard. One that has seen too much negative change in the galaxy. The Next Generation gave us the hope for peaceful coexistence. Picard the series, like Picard the man, lives in a future that is, perhaps, not as hopeful, but has the potential for greatness.
Speaking of excellent acting, Brent Spiner offers the best version of Data. The character (and actor) has been a favorite of mine since his first appearance on TNG. In Picard, Spiner is more Data than he’s ever been. Like Stewart, Spiner’s craft has aged well with time.
ALEX KURTZMAN
Picard Producer Alex Kurtzman honed his skills in the movie and TV trade, writing and producing memorable stories over the past two decades. Starting all the way back with Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess through Star Trek: Discovery, Kurtzman knows how to tell a good story. He also knows a lot about Star Trek with his involvement in the Star Trek film reboots Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.
For these reasons, CBS Television Studios gave Kurtzman a five-year contract to expand the Star Trek franchise. Instead of focusing on blockbuster films, Kurtzman is taking us back to the medium where Star Trek works best. He’s showing us Star Trek’s continuing potential with Discovery and now Picard.
With Discovery in production for Season 3, and Picard already renewed for a second season, and a slew of new Trek shows in production, it is a good time to be a Trekkie.
WHERE TO WATCH ‘PICARD’
If you live in the United States, the streaming service CBS All Access is your option. At just $5.99 (with limited ads) or $9.99 (no ads), the cost is reasonable, especially considering the upcoming HBO Max’s price tag of $15 per month. Some fans have complained of having to pay to watch Trek instead of getting it for free. Not sure who’s getting anything for free anymore, but for the complete Star Trek library and an expanding docket of new Trek shows (Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Section 31, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Short Treks) the cost is minimal.
If you live in Canada, Star Trek: Picard airs on CTV Sci-Fi and the French-language channel Z at 8 p.m. ET on the day of each episode’s release.
For the rest of world, your option is Amazon Prime. The streaming channel for Amazon partnered with CBS Studios International to bring Star Trek: Picard to more than 200 countries and territories outside of the U.S. and Canada. But you have to wait one day to watch Picard after each episode drops on CBS All Access.
