After the destruction on Romulus, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is living his life in retirement. It is until he needs to find someone that is in grave danger.
Director: Various
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Alison Pil, Isa Briones, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Evan Evagora, various guest stars
TV Rating: TV-MA for sci-fi violence, language
Fun Fact: Patrick Stewart is the second actor to play the same character in two different Star Trek series. The first was Michael Dorn as Worf.
It’s finally here as my most anticipated show of 2020 has all the episodes up on CBS All Access. Growing up I would watch The Next Generation quite a bit as every Saturday night at 6 the show would air on syndicated television. The Next Generation is my favorite of all the series, and you should’ve seen how excited I was when I heard that this was in production. I mean there isn’t any high expectations coming from me on this one or anything. Why would a massive Star Trek fan like me expect some high-quality television from a sequel to a great television show before it?
Jokes aside, Star Trek: Picard obviously features Patrick Stewart in the role that made him a legend in the franchise. What can I say about this? With Stewart on board it’s nothing short of
awesome. It has a high production value to it, and it shows through the special effects, locations, and sets used to film the show. Star Trek is known for its unique settings and this is no exception. I loved being back in an adventure with these characters. In fact, it really isn’t Star Trek due to the fact that the Federation isn’t really apart of it. Picard has a new crew this time around and I agree with that decision. That’s because while the characters of The Next Generation are great, they’re already established and it’s best if they have guest appearances as it spices up the show that way. All of the series up to this obviously has Starfleet at the center while this doesn’t rely on that. It makes Picard fresh in that aspect.
The characters are what drives the show. The new cast has a lot to them, and we get to know about them through the ten episodes. Of course, the main focus is Patrick Stewart as Picard and it was great seeing him again in this role. He’s exactly how I remember him growing up and re-watching The Next Generation. Picard is on a mission and you want him to succeed in his quest. Other than Stewart, my favorite was Evan Evagora as the Romulan Elnor, who swears to protect Picard. Elnor has quite a few unique characteristics to him that I enjoyed. The guest appearances of Jonathon Frakes, Jerri Ryan, and Jonathon Del Arco really seal the deal as well. The reunion of Picard and Riker had a smile on my face the whole episode as Riker was my favorite character. Seeing him and Picard together was something I didn’t think I would see again. Seeing Jerri Ryan again was a big surprise as was Jonathon Del Arco. Just to let you know I’m a massive Borg fan so anything with Borg drones or ex-drones will keep me interested.
One thing I had to question is why the TV-MA rating? There are moments of higher levels of violence and language. I get with going in a different direction, but Star Trek is one of those shows you can get the family together and enjoy an hour show. While these moments are not dominate through the episodes, I can say that this can be viewed by the masses. The language is only a few words here and there and the higher level of violence is maybe one or two scenes in a few episodes. So, it’s more like a TV-14 rating in my books.
Overall, Star Trek: Picard was everything that I hoped for and the anticipation paid off. It has a different concept as it doesn’t rely on the formula of being based on a Federation ship. It makes the series fresh with new characters and awesome guest stars. When I saw Jerri Ryan on the first trailer I flipped out in excitement. The new cast of characters really shine, and you get to know them quite well through the episodes. Of course, seeing Patrick Stewart back as Picard was everything that I hoped for and more. After saying that he wouldn’t come back in this role, but doing it anyway makes it all worth the CBS All Access subscription. Seeing all of the different locations were unique and it felt like being back in Star Trek again. I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the second season.
Verdict: Hit
Wife’s Verdict: Middle Ground as it would’ve been better off as a two-and-a-half-hour movie. The material was stretched out too thin in ten episodes.
Henry's Movie Reviews 