Star Trek Picard: Third Time’s the Charm
By John Kirk
Rating: A-
In life there are always things we wish we could go back and see changed.
Take Star Trek: Picard
Sadly, the first two seasons of this series really didn’t live up to the hype it hoped to generate. While Season 2 showed more promise with the return of Q (John DeLancie), fans still had their complaints. Of course, Star Trek fans are notorious for the critical way in which they guard their fandom and the anticipation of this season is tinged with an attitude of “once-bitten, twice-shy.”
However, Star Trek: Picard S3 might have more to offer than fans may realize. In fact, Todd Stashwick a.k.a. Captain Liam Shaw tells me that “the first frame reassuringly says to the audience: we got you.” Watch for the upcoming interview with him.
Season 3 doesn’t begin with anything complicated or forced, just a simple premise of a former USS Enterprise crew member in trouble and needing help. As all Star Trek fans know, the best stories come out of the simplest plot lines. As we saw in the trailer, the Federation is in danger and it’s up to Picard and crew to rescue it.
Simple and completely traditional Star Trek.
If anything, that’s a hallmark of Season 3 of this series that fans will recognize and breathe a sigh of relief. Showrunner Terry Matalas is a keen Star Trek fan, but while many television producers could lay that claim, Matalas definitely has his finger on the pulse of what the most dedicated of fans want to see. At the same time, he realizes that television has evolved since the golden days of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This isn’t TNG – it’s its own series. But it brings back many features that devoted Trek fans have wanted to see in the new iterations of the series, one of these being familiar faces.
One of the bright points in Season 2 was the return of Will Riker and his wife, Deanna Troi. Of course, in this series, Admiral (ret.) Jean-Luc Picard connects with his former first officer, Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and as they address the current situation with Dr. Crusher they also reminisce about the “good old days.”
But there’s also an awareness of the fact that they’ve aged. And in doing so, they pick up some of the familiar banter that they had developed by the last few seasons and into the movies. Matalas captures the spirt of that banter and reminds fans of how their relationship grew into a friendship that was eagerly embraced and became canonical. Jean-Luc had to have his Number One at his side, just like Kirk needed his triumvirate of Spock and McCoy.
I can’t give much away of the season. I can only talk about how it made me feel. To be frank, as a lifelong fan of Star Trek, I’ve felt shortchanged with some of the new Treks that have come out. While the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks has provided some comedy relief, it’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that has provided some respite to the weathering storm that a good number of fans have lamented in the newest incarnations of Gene Roddenberry’s universe.
While Season 1 and to an extent, Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard may have fallen into this miasma, Season 3 is a wholly different creature and makes fans not only remember the good times of TNG but brings them back to a time of adventure with the people who they new. In short, it’s how fans will feel when they see this season.
It also boasts many throwbacks to the films that fans will also gratefully recognize. Not only the familiar sensory bits (look for a bosun’s whistle) but also fan-favourite name-drops, familiar vessels and a multitude of story references from previous Trek iterations. This shows that Matalas remembers his Trek and revels in bringing it into the fray with which for cast and fans alike to have fun.
However, there are new features in the series as well in terms of new cast and crew. We’ve already seen the new Bridge Crew members on social media: Ensign Sydney LaForge (yes, THAT LaForge) at the Helm, Science Officer, Lt. T’Veen, Communications Officer, Ensign Kova Rin Esmar, and Lieutenant Matthew Arliss Mura at the Tactical station. Commanded by Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), who is a new breed of Starship Captain, a type we haven’t seen before. There is also a new character played by Ed Speleers whose identity is still under wraps. However, he will be welcomed by fans when they learn more about him.
We have a new ship, the USS Titan, NCC-80102A. Fans will remember that whenever there is a new generation of a starship with the same name, it is customary to attach a letter to the registry number, just as in the case with Captain Kirk’s USS Enterprise, NCC-1701A after Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The Titan is Captain Riker’s old ship that is under the command of Captain Shaw. But this version will be a delight to fans of classic Trek. We got a glimpse of her in the trailer. She’s a Neo-Constitution class starship and to my grateful fanboy eyes, she’s the Enterprise for this generation.
The biggest thrill though will be the reunion of the TNG cast and how seamlessly they pick up on their camaraderie and relationships. While they have aged and are in new situations, their relationships to each other are still as close as they were while serving on board the Enterprise. Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd reprise their roles as Seven of Nine/Annika Hansen and Raffi Musiker reminding us that this isn’t the first season of Star Trek: Picard – even though it should have been.
There’s enough classic Star Trek in this season that fans will definitely be relieved to see traditions and tropes honoured. There’s also enough attention, though fleeting, to unpopular aspects that still account for the continuity and change in recent Star Trek.
While change has not been recently well-received in Star Trek, in this case, it’s a change back and one that will be gratefully welcomed by the fans.
For these changes? Yeah, I’m grateful.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3. Directed by Doug Aarniokoski, Jonathan Frakes, Terry Matalas, Dan Liu, and Deborah Kampmeier. Starring Sir Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Ed Speleers and Todd Stashwick. Available Paramount Plus and CTV’s Sci-Fi Channel on February 16.