Plot: At the end of the 24th century, and 14 years after his retirement from Starfleet, Jean-Luc Picard is living a quiet life on his vineyard, Chateau Picard. When he is sought out by a mysterious young woman, Dahj, in need of his help, he soon realizes she may have personal connections to his own past.
Review: I grew up a fan of both Star Trek and Star Wars, but Trek always held a special place in my heart. I watch The Next Generation with my dad as he watch The Original Series with his. While I kept up with Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and all of the films, I never quite connected with any as much as I did with Jean-Luc Picard and his crew. While their films ended unceremoniously with the box office bomb that was STAR TREK: NEMESIS, the popularity of the J.J. Abrams' reboot films and CBS All Access series Discovery has led to the continuing adventures of Patrick Stewart's iconic captain in a series that is absolutely excellent. It is so unlike any other Trek property and deeply ensconced in the mythology of Gene Roddenberry's creation which makes it one of the most distinct Star Trek stories ever to be told on screen.
In order to best appreciate Star Trek: Picard, you should be familiar with both the Next Generation television show as well as the feature films. Star Trek: Discovery creator Alex Kurtzman worked with screenwriter Akiva Goldsman and novelist Michael Chabon to develop this series and the result is a ten episode story that has the scope of a TV show and the scale of a feature film. Not nearly as action-packed as Discovery, Picard truly is a character-based drama that happens to be set in the future. The production values make it feel far more tangible than any Star Trek that came before it as it deepens several storylines introduced in the three decades since The Next Generation premiered. It also means that there is not a lot of exposition to Picard and his original crew but there is a lot of time spent on what happened since the last film and the start of this story.
Without revealing any spoilers, Star Trek: Picard is a natural successor to STAR TREK: NEMESIS and shows us how the events of J.J. Abrams 2009 STAR TREK and the destruction of Romulus directly led to where we find Jean-Luc Picard at the start of this story. If you think you have any idea where the plot is going based on the trailers, trust me that you do not. So much of this series has been kept under wraps that multiple times over the first three episodes I was shocked and surprised at the narrative decisions the series takes. I also was clearly able to see what drew Patrick Stewart back to reprise his character as this is firmly his story and one that will eventually serve as a worthy conclusion to his tale once this series eventually wraps (a second season has already been ordered by CBS All Access). Where every Star Trek series or film has centered on a crew of a Starfleet ship, Picard takes more of a ROGUE ONE approach and shows us a different angle of Starfleet and the state of the galaxy in this fictional time period.
While the trailers make heavy use of the appearances by Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Jonathan Frakes, and Jeri Ryan, they are not primary characters on the show but their roles are vital in fleshing out Picard's story. Jonathan Frakes, who helmed two episodes of the series, even gets Riker's familiar nickname on the show as Picard's dog is named Number One. The new cast members including Allison Pill, Michelle Hurd, and Santiago Cabrera as Picard's new makeshift crew as he embarks to learn more about Dahj (newcomer Isa Briones) who connects this story with The Next Generation stories that came before it. By shifting Picard from overseeing a massive crew on Starfleet's flagship to a group more reminiscent of Joss Whedon's Firefly gives this series a much different dynamic that keeps it from seeming too familiar. The supporting roles by Spiner, Ryan, Frakes, and Sirtis also fit into the story and do not feel like fan service at all but help draw you back into the important roles they played in stories involving Data, The Borg, and Picard's past.
I was a little surprised to find the series tagged with a TV-MA rating but there is a decent amount of violence in the show and a peppering of f-bombs, something I never thought I would see in a Trek series. But, the maturity of this show never makes the profanity feel forced. In fact, Picard is the first new Star Trek series set in the future of the timeline since Star Trek Voyager ended in 2001 and STAR TREK: NEMESIS bombed in 2002. We have gotten so many prequels and alternate timelines that seeing where this universe goes next is a breath of fresh air. While STAR TREK has always been about hope and progress, Picard gives us a slightly darker and less positive look at the future. I would say this was a timely decision that reflects our current world but it is really just a wise decision to inject something new into the same Star Trek format we have seen for years.
Star Trek: Picard does not shy away from plot elements that are rarely seen in this fictional world including substance abuse, criminal ventures, and terrorism in a head on manner. By putting Patrick Stewart at the front of the cast, it imbues the series with familiarity that will draw you in while throwing you for a loop. I was not prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this show because it is so unlike Star Trek and yet remains faithful to Gene Roddenberry's vision. I highly recommend you rewatch STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT and STAR TREK: NEMESIS at a minimum to be prepared for this show. Patrick Stewart is great and this may be the best start to any Trek series ever. If you don't already have CBS All Access, make it so.
Picard premieres today on CBS All Access. New episodes debut every Thursday on the streaming service.