Recently CBS announced a new TV series for the Star Trek franchise; the very title peaked my attention since it features Captain Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by the very same, yet slightly older, Patrick Stewart. I did not watch the trailer or read about the premises of the show – this is mainly due to the fact that anticipations can be misleading and in part because I am hesitant. In an era in which reboots and remakes are common demeanors and the focus of the cinematic industry emphasizes making money over making a good quality product, even counting on the nostalgia of older viewers seems to be a useful strategy. This to say that Star Trek: The next generation was a series that really made an impact when I was younger and I don’t want that memory to be influenced by a different product.
I don’t want to be a pessimist and say that the new Star Trek: Picard will be a fiasco or will follow the lines of other preexisting shows, in fact I would rather hope the contrary. This article will not be a rant on the work they will do with the new series; I will rather focus on the nostalgic elements and say a couple of things on why I liked the show so much.
First off, I would like to say that as much as I would have liked to like the original Star Trek series (the one that featured William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy), in my humble opinion, unlike a good wine, it did not age very well. Admittedly, the ideas behind the episodes were fantastic, but considering the fact that we are speaking about the end of the sixties, the acting was very over-the-top (in the sense that it was exaggerated) and special effects were…well they were sixties-quality. I am however mentioning the original series to underline that it was created by Gene Roddenberry who in fact also direct the first four seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Therefore a special thanks goes to him for the universe of Star Trek and I would like to add one simple thing about the greatness of the series: Make it so.
After this entire boring prologue (that will quite possibly be longer than what I am about to say) the following lines are some personal considerations on Star Trek: TNG and why it was import to me from a personal point of view.
The first thing that comes in to mind is technology and I am not only talking about some of the visionary things the series foretold like e-pads, google glasses or Bluetooth headsets (and all the meme material). I am also talking about the philosophy that lied behind the show, one that I would like to call scientific positivism, one of progress. I concede to the fact that the motto emphasized adventure rather than science or progress, but To boldly go where no man has gone before would not have been possible without a spaceship. Star Trek takes place in a future where peace has been established (global, not galactic peace – for it seems that there will always be a war) and where the only thing left to do is explore the unknown universe. In many instances, the key role of progress, leaves ample room to morals and important lessons; in a way it shows what human kind can achieve and the greatness that we are capable of while also emphasizing the importance of relating with the other.
Another interesting element that the series explored, from what I remember, was personal and cultural identity. While it is true that races were somewhat stereotyped, they did not come off as being offensive; they merely pertained to a precise cultural dimension. For instance, Klingons were always hotheaded and eager to fight, but that made up for interesting counterpoints on honor and virtues. Another race that I always liked were the Ferengi; in a world where there is no longer need for money, a mercantile race that deals only with material or earthly possessions is highly interesting – probably that is why they were characteristically ‘slimy’. I will just mention in name the Vulcans and the Romulans since they would deserve a whole article for themselves. And speaking about alien races, it is impossible for me not to quote the Q and the Borg. The Q was a superior all-powerful being that toyed around with the crew of the Enterprise, more childish than all knowing, and this in turn created some brilliant conversations. On the other side of the spectrum are the Borg, a single collective consciousness, an artificial life form that had the only objective of perfecting itself by engulfing all other life – while it is one of the most dehumanized of the ‘races’, it was quite possibly one of harshest realities the Enterprise ever faced.
Previously I mentioned personal identity. This brief article would be incomplete if I were not to speak of Lieutenant Commander Data, a synthetic life form with artificial intelligence. Being self-aware and sentient, Data is driven by rationality (much like what Spock stood for in the original series) but he is still a machine. Some of his most interesting queries revolve around identity and on the philosophical conundrums that have been with human kind since the dawn of time: who are we. This character and his conversations with Picard on life, literature and everything have been some of the most fascinating I have ever seen in a TV series.
The last thing to add before wrapping up (I do have many other things to say but it’s best to keep it short) is a personal thank you to the cast. One of the best things that Star Trek: TNG had to offer was the cast, each member of the crew portrayed beautifully by remarkable actors each with personal quirks and fantastic stories. And of course, my greatest respects to Patrick Stewart, an actor who brought to the series an adventurous starship pilot that quoted Shakespeare and drank tea. Earl gray. Hot.
Many are the things that I haven’t even mentioned, and I have hardly rendered justice to a series that in many ways was so important to me, but I also do not wish to become tedious. So here’s a toast, to hoping that Star Trek: Picard will render honor to Gene Roddenberry.
Engage!