Its been a rough 10 years for Star Trek. So much was lost in the horrible JJ Abrams experiment. Finally a product worth watching is out there. While still puzzling to a degree, Star Trek Picard is worth a few weeks of CBS Unlimited. As of episode 2 its shown some real Star Trek possibilities while also being one of the smoother pilots in franchise history.
The Picard Show DOES have one aspect of the Hated Kelvin Timeline. There was a Romulan Supernova in this timeline as well. That said, the repercussions seem to be confined to that. The Romulan’s lost their solar system and apparently their Empire collapsed too. They became refugees in a noble but highly unpopular rescue operation.
Romulans being Romulans this only went just so well. It tore at the fabric of Star Fleet and almost tore the Federation apart. And of course the Romulan’s were only just so grateful. Some love Picard, and some are ready to kill him. So the Romulan’s mostly still act like Romulan’s.
In some slightly worse news, it seems androids of all types are now banned and Picard is the one champion of the noble, but highly unpopular idea that the lives of certain androids are in fact equal to those of humans.
Now former Admiral Picard has left Star Fleet. He disagreed with its increasing militarism in the wake of a Pearl Harbor-like attack by ‘synthetics’ that destroys Utopia Planetia Shipyards and killed a lot of people. Could the nihilistic Romulan’s have had a hand in it? We don’t know yet, but seems likely to me.
In a nod to today’s atmosphere Picard is set up and slammed by a sort of intolerant Media operation in an interview gone wrong. Whether the interview was always an ambush or Picard really is just a bit too naive is left up to you. The truth seems somewhere in the middle.
The crux of the story revolves around some very Philip K Dick-like Replicant-type androids and what exactly being done with a half destroyed BORG Cube that’s still lingering , wherever it is, whats left of the Romulan’s have some access to it as well as regular Federation scientists.
Picard, a known humanitarian and something of a black sheep celebrity, naturally draws the competing forces to himself in a convincing and believable way. It’s not forced.Nothings been jammed in. The story lines unify nicely.
None of the stink of the JJ Abrams era really affects this show. We might need some explanation as to whether the Romulan’s now have acidic blood or the Romulan who we see doing this is simply using some kind of chemical weapon, but that was about the only problem.
The cast is up to it. With Patrick Stewart firmly in the center the show has no problems. Unlike terrible Star Trek Discovery this show has familiar warmth and people show concern for each other. Star Fleet C in C Admiral Clancy is well played by Ann Magnuson. While seemingly hostile to Picard, this character seems likely to warm up to the old Admiral. Right now though, Picard is officially NOT a Star Fleet officer of any kind.
He also only has just so much time left as we find out in effective and appropriately Picard-like style. He views his mortality as just one more fact, albeit unpleasant. It’s nowhere as important as finishing his life’s work before whatever it is catches up to him. It would seem to line up with what we saw of an elderly Picard in the final episode of Star Trek The Next Generation. So at least some continuity is being preserved so far.
The plot is increasingly complex but unfolding nicely and makes sense. We can see why Picard has all of these intense traits and how he would be so interested in the things that are driving him. Unlike EVERY other Star Trek show this project assumes the fans are fairly smart and doesnt try to re-invent Star Trek on the assumption its somehow bad in the first place. Roddenberry’s vision is more or less intact. This is the Star Trek you remember.
So with the make or break third date/ episode about to drop it seems that NOW is the time to pick up CBS Unlimited. If you wait until after Thursday you can see all the way up Episode 4 on your free trial.
Do yourself a favor and go with the “With Commercials” option. Its the way youre used to seeing this kind of TV anyway.
This show is good and it’s definitely time to try it out for a few episodes. Its seems to be trending up. As good as the Mandalorian. I approve.
