Now that the first season has ended, here are my thoughts on Star Trek: Picard, and I will say right off the bat that I liked it. I don’t consider myself a hardcore Star Trek fan but I do have a strong appreciation for the franchise since it did leave its mark; it has been at least ten years since I watched both the original series as well as Next Generation, so my recollection on the main plot points may be a bit fuzzy.
From thematic to plot-dependent episodes: one of the first things that comes to mind is a change of format. Although the first seasons of Star Trek had plot nodes and recurring characters, an episode used to be a whole; it had a theme, eventually even a special guest stars, but if you would have missed seeing one it would not have mattered that much. The only exception was when, even in different seasons, some of the more formidable antagonists returned on the stage, such as the Borg, Q, or even the Romulans, but even then it was only for one or two episodes. On the other hand Star Trek: Picard, according to most recent series, creates a storyline and follows it through; there are no stand-alone episodes and it. This is by no means a negative aspect, it’s just a noticeable difference.
The new “crew”: the series useless a classical trope where Picard assembles his new team of misfits. While the plot explains that Admiral Picard had fallen in disagreement with Star Fleet, thus creating the perfect excuse to search for a new crew (mainly formed by outcasts), in my opinion it feels a bit off. Throughout the seven seasons of Next Generations, we see a captain that is almost renowned throughout the galaxy; his diplomatic missions, alliances and the influent people he meet all see forgotten. This is mainly to have a fresh start with a new cast and is perfectly understandable from a narrative point of view. It just feels a bit shaky.
Nostalgia: the key element that appeals to any Star Trek appreciator. The series brilliantly constructs the sceneries, conversations and characters in a way that everything feels familiar. The return of old protagonists such as William Riker, Deanna Troi, Data, alongside elements like the Picard maneuver and the mind-melding, the catchphrases, the tricorders, the Shakespearean quotes; all these details add up and give the viewer that heartwarming feeling of nostalgia.
Implications: the series depicts how a decision to ban synthetics was made by Star Fleet after a grave incident. I am not sure on how this stance may influence further iterations of the franchise or what this will imply for it. It however might just be my take since I don’t know the story of the other series or what is considered canon and what not; on the other hand, I don’t care that much about such things, so it works for me.
About today’s society
As I had stated in a previous article, the series used to make these interesting comparisons between reality and fiction. Many of the stand-alone episodes used the plot to give fictional examples of what was either happening or might have happen in our own society and had a moralistic intent behind them. Star Trek always put a special emphasis on the concept of diversity and acceptance. I am overjoyed to see that this tradition has been kept in Star Trek: Picard.
The policy of Star Fleet seems to have a different agenda based on personal interest rather than the noble and altruistic one Picard remembers – this is partially the reason why they fall into disagreement. Society seems far from peace and prosperity as there are still between the Federation and the Romulans and many are the dynamics hint at great strife on the different planets and the intolerance towards certain races. In a certain sense this is an interesting depiction of our society today.
A quality that the character of Picard displays is self-sacrifice; he is willing to sacrifice himself or his personal gain for the sake of others. This is also recalled in a touching moment, towards the end of the series, also by hinting at the events of Star Trek: Nemesis – this was the movie where Data, a synthetic (beings that in the current series are either banned or destroyed) who wanted to learn to be human, gives up his artificial existence to save his captain. As a character, Data is an android that is capable of a humanity beyond that of any other human being.
The last episode features the possibility of humanity being annihilated by an external force (almost an echo of today’s events) and the fact that a synthetic must choose. I will not spoil what happens, but I will quote Picard’s words regarding this choice:
“Fear is an incompetent teacher. Yes, they have life, but no one is teaching them what it’s for. To be alive is a responsibility as well as a wright.”
I understand that possibly the creators did not even imagine what would have happened in the near future when writing this, but it hits close to home nonetheless. Moreover, in my personal opinion, that is the gravest threat that humanity will have to face: fear. I am about to commit something that a hardcore Star Trek fan might consider a cardinal sin and quote something different; luckily I am of the strong belief that appreciating one franchise does not preclude you from appreciating another. I hereby quote another Star:
“Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
Star Trek: Picard, as well as previous instalments, teaches us the importance of going beyond, where no man has gone before. That is not referred to a place. That is referred to a future. A future where fear will not plague society. A future where humanity will have evolved up to the potential I am convinced we have as a species.
I would rate this series 8 Earl-Grey hot teas out of 10. For nostalgia’s sake.