TELEVISION REVIEW: Star Trek - Picard (Pilot)
(Main Title/Locutus - Jerry Goldsmith)
Star Trek is kind of a big deal. It's a universe that spans over 50 years of television, movies, books, comics, games, conventions, toys, clothing, and just about any other medium you can think of. In that time, it's been intelligent, ground-breaking, boundary-crossing, heart-breaking, and a reminder that a better future is possible.
...Of course, it's also given us Herbert, so it certainly can't be accused of perfection.
Herberts aside, it's fair to suggest that for every dropped ball present in the Trek universe, there were three or four that weren't. As a television show, Star Trek was frequently more concerned with smart storytelling and intelligent content than it was with mindless action. It was thought-provoking, and urged people to hope for better things. It wasn't afraid to bluntly tackle complex topics and it often did so without being outright offensive in the process. For the most part, that kind of television doesn't exist anymore.
One might imagine, then, that droves of fans would be equal parts nervous and ecstatic to hear that one of the most beloved starship captains of all time was returning to television to try and bring some of that excellence back with him. When Sir Patrick Steward announced that he was bringing Jean-Luc Picard back at a Star Trek convention, everyone there lost their minds, and they did it screaming at the top of their lungs.
24 hours later, the buzz wore off, and the fear set in.
Star Trek has been visited several times since the 'classic' shows -- TNG, DS9, and VOY -- ended, and each visitation has met with mixed results at best. 'Enterprise' had promise, but would never reach the heights of its predecessors. The J.J. Abrams reboots were halfway decent movies, but were horrible examples of Star Trek -- except for that bit with Kirk and the Orion gal...that was pretty accurate. Discovery is an excellent dark sci-fi series, but it is also a very poor example of what made Star Trek so excellent back in the day.
And now, they wanted to try and trot Picard out again.
It's here now. 'Picard' has officially left space dock with its pilot episode. Has the word been given?
THE SHORT VERSION:
The word is given. Warp speed!
THE LONG VERSION:
I am wearing rose-tinted glasses on this one. There's no trying to get around that fact.
I love Star Trek. I am a gigantic fanboy of both the original show with Kirk and Co. as well as The Next Generation. I've watched all of the original series, all of TNG, most of Deep Space Nine, about half of Voyager, all of Enterprise, and the first season of Discovery. I've seen every Lens Flare-less Trek movie more times than I can count, and have made myself suffer through all three Abrams films out of sheer loyalty to the universe.
I could gibber on and on about how the shows each affected my life, but I won't. Suffice it to say, 'Picard' scared the hell out of me when it was announced. Apparently, it scared the hell out of Sir Patrick Stewart as well, because he turned it down several times before he finally agreed to consider it. And consider it he did, at some length. Stewart has long been known as one of the strongest defenders of the Star Trek principles that its most devout fans adhere to. Bringing the show back simply for a paycheck was never an option for him, nor was bringing it back wrapped in the flimsy tinsel of the brainless television that is so common today. When he finally relented, he set several hard terms, and the studio agreed to them all.
Every last scrap of that shows in 'Picard's pilot episode, and it's glorious. It is a visit to old friends done properly. I don't want to go into many details, because the show needs to be seen. I have no doubt that most of what makes this show so incredible for me thus far is the rich history that I've been witness to. It is very much a show for the fans, for the faithful that have loved the content for so long. It is not perfect, but its flaws are honest ones that do not detract from the overall excellence of the pilot. I absolutely CANNOT WAIT for the rest of the show.
A warning: People who are looking for an introduction to Star Trek probably shouldn't start with 'Picard'. There is a -LOT- of history involved in this show, and in order to get the most out of it, you'll need to be privy to that history. There are a few things you can bone up on before you watch 'Picard' in order to understand the show better, and I'll talk about them in the Spoiler-ish section. 'Picard' looks like it's going to be a GREAT show, but if you want to get the most out of it, you'll want to bathe deeply in the fountain of Star Trek goodness.
Make it so.
HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
As I mentioned above, 'Picard' touches on a lot of past knowledge in order to really mash that nostalgia button and create interest, and it does so well. That said, there are some episodes and movies that you'll want to check out if you want to really get the most out of this show's pilot:
- TNG S2E9 'The Measure Of A Man'
- TNG S3E16 'The Offspring'
- TNG S5E23 'I, Borg'
- TNG S3E26, S4E1 'The Best Of Both Worlds Pt1 and Pt2'
- TNG S7E12 'Pegasus'
- TNG S6E16 'Birthright'
- Star Trek First Contact
- Star Trek Insurrection
- Star Trek Nemesis
These are the really key episodes that the pilot touches on. They touch on Data's relationship with Picard, his own development as an artificial life-form, and his death. They also contain explanations to several call-backs and easter eggs found in the pilot.
Oh yeah, and...do yourself a favor. Look into the battle of Dunkirk.
Star Trek is kind of a big deal. It's a universe that spans over 50 years of television, movies, books, comics, games, conventions, toys, clothing, and just about any other medium you can think of. In that time, it's been intelligent, ground-breaking, boundary-crossing, heart-breaking, and a reminder that a better future is possible.
...Of course, it's also given us Herbert, so it certainly can't be accused of perfection.
Herberts aside, it's fair to suggest that for every dropped ball present in the Trek universe, there were three or four that weren't. As a television show, Star Trek was frequently more concerned with smart storytelling and intelligent content than it was with mindless action. It was thought-provoking, and urged people to hope for better things. It wasn't afraid to bluntly tackle complex topics and it often did so without being outright offensive in the process. For the most part, that kind of television doesn't exist anymore.
One might imagine, then, that droves of fans would be equal parts nervous and ecstatic to hear that one of the most beloved starship captains of all time was returning to television to try and bring some of that excellence back with him. When Sir Patrick Steward announced that he was bringing Jean-Luc Picard back at a Star Trek convention, everyone there lost their minds, and they did it screaming at the top of their lungs.
24 hours later, the buzz wore off, and the fear set in.
Star Trek has been visited several times since the 'classic' shows -- TNG, DS9, and VOY -- ended, and each visitation has met with mixed results at best. 'Enterprise' had promise, but would never reach the heights of its predecessors. The J.J. Abrams reboots were halfway decent movies, but were horrible examples of Star Trek -- except for that bit with Kirk and the Orion gal...that was pretty accurate. Discovery is an excellent dark sci-fi series, but it is also a very poor example of what made Star Trek so excellent back in the day.
And now, they wanted to try and trot Picard out again.
It's here now. 'Picard' has officially left space dock with its pilot episode. Has the word been given?
THE SHORT VERSION:
The word is given. Warp speed!
THE LONG VERSION:
I am wearing rose-tinted glasses on this one. There's no trying to get around that fact.
I love Star Trek. I am a gigantic fanboy of both the original show with Kirk and Co. as well as The Next Generation. I've watched all of the original series, all of TNG, most of Deep Space Nine, about half of Voyager, all of Enterprise, and the first season of Discovery. I've seen every Lens Flare-less Trek movie more times than I can count, and have made myself suffer through all three Abrams films out of sheer loyalty to the universe.
I could gibber on and on about how the shows each affected my life, but I won't. Suffice it to say, 'Picard' scared the hell out of me when it was announced. Apparently, it scared the hell out of Sir Patrick Stewart as well, because he turned it down several times before he finally agreed to consider it. And consider it he did, at some length. Stewart has long been known as one of the strongest defenders of the Star Trek principles that its most devout fans adhere to. Bringing the show back simply for a paycheck was never an option for him, nor was bringing it back wrapped in the flimsy tinsel of the brainless television that is so common today. When he finally relented, he set several hard terms, and the studio agreed to them all.
Every last scrap of that shows in 'Picard's pilot episode, and it's glorious. It is a visit to old friends done properly. I don't want to go into many details, because the show needs to be seen. I have no doubt that most of what makes this show so incredible for me thus far is the rich history that I've been witness to. It is very much a show for the fans, for the faithful that have loved the content for so long. It is not perfect, but its flaws are honest ones that do not detract from the overall excellence of the pilot. I absolutely CANNOT WAIT for the rest of the show.
A warning: People who are looking for an introduction to Star Trek probably shouldn't start with 'Picard'. There is a -LOT- of history involved in this show, and in order to get the most out of it, you'll need to be privy to that history. There are a few things you can bone up on before you watch 'Picard' in order to understand the show better, and I'll talk about them in the Spoiler-ish section. 'Picard' looks like it's going to be a GREAT show, but if you want to get the most out of it, you'll want to bathe deeply in the fountain of Star Trek goodness.
Make it so.
HERE THERE BE SPOILERS!
As I mentioned above, 'Picard' touches on a lot of past knowledge in order to really mash that nostalgia button and create interest, and it does so well. That said, there are some episodes and movies that you'll want to check out if you want to really get the most out of this show's pilot:
- TNG S2E9 'The Measure Of A Man'
- TNG S3E16 'The Offspring'
- TNG S5E23 'I, Borg'
- TNG S3E26, S4E1 'The Best Of Both Worlds Pt1 and Pt2'
- TNG S7E12 'Pegasus'
- TNG S6E16 'Birthright'
- Star Trek First Contact
- Star Trek Insurrection
- Star Trek Nemesis
These are the really key episodes that the pilot touches on. They touch on Data's relationship with Picard, his own development as an artificial life-form, and his death. They also contain explanations to several call-backs and easter eggs found in the pilot.
Oh yeah, and...do yourself a favor. Look into the battle of Dunkirk.
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