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Spoilers Star Trek: Picard 1x04 - "Absolute Candor"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
IMO, previous Trek knowledge isn't a hindrance, as DISCO offers rewards to those with such knowledge, but only to those who accept having that knowledge expanded on in new ways as Picard is in its own way. People with the most rigid views of what Trek should be allowed to be have demonstrated one can have a very rough time with what Discovery and what Picard offer to those lacking open minds regarding the franchise.
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Gonzo
Guest
Yeah, shows rise or fall on just how well the plot has been thought through by the show runners.I think you just managed to sum up what I wanted to say in just two sentences. Well done. Everybody just read your post instead of mine!
Indeed - PIC is obviously done by smart people. They're doing a hell of a good job of keeping people up to pace. Events that happened in TNG, the movies, VOY, or even ST09 are all re-introduced, multiple times, in flashbacks and in dialogue. My father didn't know Romulus blowing up in the backstory of ST09 was technically part of the TNG universe. He just watched TNG. For him, this is new information. And it's presented extremely well and easy to follow.
It's just that, overall, because of the amount of events referenced, this show is a) very dependant on info-dumps (there's a reason every single episode so far starts with a flashback), and b) very constrained by previous events (focusing so much on Romulans fells right, but the producers didn't really have another choice, if they don't want to disregard ST09).
For a sequel show, that's understandable. And this writing team is damn clever in re-introducing every single event so that it's easy to follow for newcomers, while at the same time introducing NEW events (attack on Mars, Borg reclamation side) for fans who do know all the backstory to not get bored. This series is super smart, it works on so many layers you don't think about most of them in the first place. Let's see where the main story goes, I still have no idea where this whole Romulan-agents-vs.-A.I.-plus-Borg-story will end up.
Those that are consistent and paced correctly are able to keep the audience engaged all the way through, even if filler is required in places.
No amount of fancy effects or stellar cast can cover for a plot that is all over the place and has not been thought through.
I agree. I like DSC for what it adds, and prior knowledge is an asset. Same with Abrams Trek.
And that's where what I said about Jurati being the most like the non-trekkie part of the audience in that she knows the least about Star Fleet.
Someone mentioned a few pages back that a familiarity with TNG is helpful in understanding some of the details of this show. That might be true, but I think the producers are also aiming the show at non-trek fans.
We trek fans may feel very comfortable with Star Fleet characters and with Picard and Seven, and the whole Star Fleet attitude of space exploration. However, to people who have only a passing familiarity with TNG and Star Trek, these things may seem strange to them.
So bring in Jurati, who (just like those people who maybe hadn't watched TNG) doesn't know Picard and doesn't have a familiarity with Star Fleet in space. As she learns about Picard, Star Fleet, and other Trek things, those non-trek audience members learn. The questions she asks are maybe the things those audience members might want to ask..
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Lucasfilm brought us Young Indiana Jones and Young Darth Vader, Young Obi-Wan, Younger Yoda. Disney has already brought us Young Han Solo, Grand Moff Tarkin raised from the dead and will be bring us slightly younger Obi-Wan shortly. I think we all can accept that Disney reveres Star Wars about much as CBS reveres Star Trek.
How very Star Wars
You are comparing Apples and Oranges. But yes, I would suggest as many people have seen a Star Trek episode as have a Star Wars movie not to mention have watched as many hours of Star Trek content vs Star Wars content. I will agree, however, that the simplicity of SW content makes for easier conversation making. I'm sure there's plenty of people with no awareness of scifi who can gush over baby Yoda and how cute he is once shown a meme.
FYI, These women cosplayers from 2017's Wondercon do not look over 40 to me.
Thing is with Baby Yoda, he is both old and new plus he can already do a pretty decent force choke.
Plus films 4,5 and 6 have been around for so long the majority of people have seen them at least once, even if they didnt intend to on the TV or when someone else has a VHS/DVD on.
I actually think that even the hardcore fans were open to having a new generation of characters come through with the baton being passed from the original generation, even the death of one of the main characters in 7 was accepted as a requirement to move the plot forward, they also accepted that all three of the original main characters would ultimately have to die (Luke especially) by the end of 8 or middle of 9 otherwise they would just be able to walk all over any enemy in the way including Palpatine.
Then they released 8 and the rest is history.
Just imagine if CBS decided to reboot the original Star Wars films with the same characters using a new cast like they did with Star Trek.
it also kicks 'canon' out of the window - why is the child cabable of summoning the force naturally?
what happened to 'much to learn you have'?
... but it certainly got the proper vibes
How very Star Wars
Sigh. I miss the Mary Sue talk.
It would also be nice for them to drop hints on th current state of the Federation. How’re relations with the Klingons, Domioniom, etc.
We talk about it in SW too.
And depressed or washed out ex-Starfleets (Picard, Raffi, and Rios).
Well, there is still quite a bit of trekkiness in ST:Picard.How very Star Wars
How dare they!!?Well, there is still quite a bit of trekkiness in ST:Picard.
SHUT YO MOUTH!
They say that Mary Sue is one bad MotherFu-
Just talkin' bout Mary Sue...
SHUT YO MOUTH!
Just talkin' bout Mary Sue...
Do you really need to remember these though? Or know more about them than is given in the show?
Picard himself is introduced and given fresh backstory. His history as Locutus hasn't really been relevant up to this point.
Data's sacrifice and the Romulan supernova are both explained to the needed extent in this show. Do you really need to see Data die to truly understand Picard's statement that his friend sacrificed himself? Or do you need to hear Spock's 30 seconds of exposition from Star Trek (2009) in order to understand the deeper exposition given here?
Hugh has barely been identified on screen. I know long-time fans who didn't realize it was him, and they didn't have any questions about the character until after they realized it. And we don't even know now how many of the Borg were defeated.
After all of these years, we know very little about the Tal Shiar other than that they're an intelligence agency and a secret police force, the key points of which I think Picard has established well.
Sure, knowing these things adds more layers to enjoying the show, but I'd venture people who know the backstory are likely to have more questions and confusion than people who don't. (Did the Borg fall entirely? Why the two-year gap between the evacuation (2385) and Spock's disappearance (2387)? What happened to Hugh in-between "Descent" and now? How did he end up working with the Romulans? Why did Picard leave the Enterprise? How did synths come into such common use, especially so soon after the hologram worker rights revolution? What happened to Seven of Nine? How does Picard know her? Did Marie give the vineyard to Picard? What happened to her? Etc. Mostly non-essential stuff to be sure, and you can make some reasonable guesses about a few of them, but the point is these are questions new viewers aren't likely to even consider.)
Just saying... Just because the backstory exists doesn't mean you need to know it coming in. Even if there were 12 novels about that doctor from the Stargazer, we wouldn't need them to understand what we saw on-screen.
Though I'm curious if anyone knows of new viewers who are coming in to this show. Are they confused? Or are they getting the important stuff? (Or do they only become confused when you start going "Oh, now this is Hugh, and Picard helped him to become an individual, but then he broke free from the collective and led a group of rogue Borg mercenaries...")
Marie set the old chateau on fire...she's currently residing in a penal colony.
I've run into quite a few people who are having a cow over the fact that Picard is not TNG S8.
Robert should have bought her that replicator.
Robert has always had problems with home and office decor.
