Reassured by Episode 1 of Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard

When the surprise announcement came that Patrick Stewart was returning to Star Trek in a live action streaming show, almost immediately the audience was assured that Star Trek: Picard was not going to be a simple reunion show. It would not be Star Trek: The Next Generation season 8.

This suited me just fine. I like TNG as much as the next person, but after seven seasons and four movies, the formula had seemed thoroughly tested. I was very much looking forward to seeing the character of Jean-Luc Picard, older and perhaps wiser and seeing Stewart and the writers give a updated take on a character we’d gotten used to over so many hours of media.

Subsequently I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 of Star Trek: Picard, while acknowledging that the show wasn’t without problems (particularly in pacing). The new characters and situations they introduced were intriguing to me and I was not particularly bothered by seeing the future history of the Star Trek universe change and evolve. I did not find it too dark or dystopian as others have complained.

So when the announcement of season three let us know that all of the original characters of TNG (minus Tasha Yar) were returning and that season two of Picard was winding down and seemingly getting rid of several of the new characters I’d started to enjoy, I was initially skeptical.

So far, albeit only one episode in, I’m not as concerned as I had been during the season break. They haven’t thrown away the universe they’ve built up in seasons 1 and 2. A few of the characters are still here. The style remains. The cinematography has a similar feel (not that I expected the return of TNG’s 1980s/1990s flat lighting). The introduction of the main TNG crew into this pocket of the Star Trek universe is happening slowly and deliberately.

When Nick Meyer came back to Star Trek to direct the farewell movie for the TOS cast, there was a desire for Star Trek VI to open with a long sequence of each member of the original crew being brought out of their current lives for one final mission — the old “getting the band back together” trope. Budget constraints meant that was not to be, so it’s nice to see something similar to that finally happen, albeit with a different Star Trek crew. (Of course, given the “trust no one” aspect so prominent in the trailers and the first episode, it won’t be a huge surprise if an old friend we meet — or have already met — isn’t the person we think they are.)

Speaking of the TOS movies, I knew the producers had wanted to capture the feeling of that era of films, but I wasn’t expecting so many musical pastiches and outright quotes of Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner’s scores. They worked very well and I suspect they’ll be even better on repeat viewings where their subtle differences will become more apparent.

So, episode one alleviated some of my fears about what approach this season will take. Can’t wait for episode two.