Picard (series) did Elnor and Laris dirty!

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

It all boils down to priorities, and Laris and Elnor were not priorities in the TNG reunion season, despite being a part of the PIC from the beginning.

PIC S3, not TNG S8, it just felt like "These Are the Voyages..." all over again.

Keep in mind that the writers were able to explain why Guinan wasn’t with the crew in the finale scene. And that there was a deleted scene filmed that joked about Troi not being able to fly the ship. If they could find time for that, writing in a couple of lines about the whereabouts of Laris and Elnor one year later should not have been difficult at all.

They didn't need to explain Guinan. She's not chained to the bar. She could have simply been somewhere else doing something else when they all showed up.

He actually didn't want his season to be Star Trek: Picard season 3. He wanted it to be standalone and called Star Trek: The Last Generation. They ended up using it as an episode name, IIRC.

See, I just lose all respect for him as a TV producer. People hate on "These Are the Voyages," but not this? Now everything makes sense crybaby can't do PIC S3, so fired everyone to do TNG S8. While I loved seeing everyone back for PIC S3, I'd already moved on and was invested in new characters.

It was fascinating and immensely frustrating to see season 3 undo so many choices made in season 1. Riker and Troi living in that forest? Turns out they hated it. Daughter, what daughter? Data wanted to die? Forget that, here's another copy that doesn't. Ignore the prior one, this is the one that matters. Most shows, when similar changes in direction and showrunner happens just kind of ignore the bits the new guy doesn't like but Picard really wanted to point out and retcon everything it could.

Rant REALLY over this time.

Honestly, I liked PIC S1 more than S3.

 

[Alexander Corrino]

I remember Matalas claiming it was a "cost issue" and that this is why they couldn't have all the previous folks back in season 3. Guess it's fine to blow the entire budget to hire the TNG cast to take over a show that wasn't their series to begin with and to then say "oh sorry we don't have the budget for YOU folks anymore" to those who had been there from the start (and fairly popular, at least in Laris' case, she was brought back for the second season solely because the fans liked her so much)...

And yeah. It's pretty clear that Matalas felt the need to "fix" what the first two seasons had established. I would be a little less annoyed and put off by his fanboy season if it hadn't explictly and intentionally retconned some of the things from the previous seasons. I remember RMB cheering about how Matalas "fixes some major blunders of the first two seasons in the third season" in one of his "I know what happens in season 3 and I love it" videos. So catering to those who hated the first two seasons by not only bringing in the TNG crew but also undoing some of the things from the first two seasons was DEFINITELY Matalas' intention, and it did not go unnoticed by those it catered to.

 

[Admiral Jean-Luc Picard]

I remember Matalas claiming it was a "cost issue" and that this is why they couldn't have all the previous folks back in season 3. Guess it's fine to blow the entire budget to hire the TNG cast to take over a show that wasn't their series to begin with and to then say "oh sorry we don't have the budget for YOU folks anymore" to those who had been there from the start (and fairly popular, at least in Laris' case, she was brought back for the second season solely because the fans liked her so much)...

And yeah. It's pretty clear that Matalas felt the need to "fix" what the first two seasons had established. I would be a little less annoyed and put off by his fanboy season if it hadn't explictly and intentionally retconned some of the things from the previous seasons. I remember RMB cheering about how Matalas "fixes some major blunders of the first two seasons in the third season" in one of his "I know what happens in season 3 and I love it" videos. So catering to those who hated the first two seasons by not only bringing in the TNG crew but also undoing some of the things from the first two seasons was DEFINITELY Matalas' intention, and it did not go unnoticed by those it catered to.

Someone needed to say this, thank you.

 

[fireproof78]

I remember Matalas claiming it was a "cost issue" and that this is why they couldn't have all the previous folks back in season 3. Guess it's fine to blow the entire budget to hire the TNG cast to take over a show that wasn't their series to begin with and to then say "oh sorry we don't have the budget for YOU folks anymore" to those who had been there from the start (and fairly popular, at least in Laris' case, she was brought back for the second season solely because the fans liked her so much)...

Whenever I hear about costs and then see excesses like the Enterprise D bridge rebuilt I get very skeptical. The simple answer is that going off of what had happened in Season 1 or 2 wasn't the priority. The priority was to tell a story that Matalas had had for a long time.

Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of previously established characters and their development. For all the claims that Season 3 respects canon/continuity it deliberately excises its own previous continuity in favor of past characters. And that doesn't set well with me.

 

[The Wormhole]

Whenever I hear about costs and then see excesses like the Enterprise D bridge rebuilt I get very skeptical.

A key thing to remember is, aside from the Enterprise D bridge, there were no new sets built in S3. All other sets seen in the season were built for and used in the first two seasons. And there was no location shooting that season which saved a whole lot of money as well. Granted, that was likely a reaction to the second season being almost entirely location shooting.

 

[HotRod]

A key thing to remember is, aside from the Enterprise D bridge, there were no new sets built in S3. All other sets seen in the season were built for and used in the first two seasons. And there was no location shooting that season which saved a whole lot of money as well. Granted, that was likely a reaction to the second season being almost entirely location shooting.

Gotta wonder what the cost to screen time ratio looks like for that bridge. Was it worth it to spend so much on something that had maybe 10 minutes of screen time?

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

The real question is "Were they likely to spend it on anything better?" and I think the answer is no.

 

[Paul Weaver]

Was it worth it to spend so much on something that had maybe 10 minutes of screen time?

Yes

 

[fireproof78]

Gotta wonder what the cost to screen time ratio looks like for that bridge. Was it worth it to spend so much on something that had maybe 10 minutes of screen time?

Ultimately, that will be a subjective answer. For those who enjoyed it, money is no object because the value is in the recreation and getting things right.

I personally would say no but I don't have the same investment in that visual as others. I thought it slowed the story down.

 

[Tiran O'Saurus]

All other sets seen in the season were built for and used in the first two seasons.

This is a strong part of my dislike for season two, because it clearly exists to build stuff to use in season three rather than stand on its own. The Stargazer existed to become the Titan, and Confederation Earth appeared for a few seconds but was just M'Talas Prime with the lights turned on. I know true art is born of limitations, but this was avoiding making art to appease limitations.

 

[evilchumlee]

Elnor really wasn't needed. Even in S1, he was just kind of there.

Laris could have stood to have some sort of closure. Honestly the proto-romance at the beginning of S3 wasn't really necessary at all. Laris should have just been Picard's help/friend and left at that.

 

[StarTrek1701]

Gotta wonder what the cost to screen time ratio looks like for that bridge. Was it worth it to spend so much on something that had maybe 10 minutes of screen time?

Look up all the Trek fan channels on Youtube, visit other websites where they discuss Trek.
PIC S1/S2 might not even exist in those discussions, but S3 is raved about, specially 309/310 where the ENT-D is shown again in all it's wonderful glory.
Not even counting for nostalgia S3 was executed gloriously.
Lord Terry Matalas saved PIC by making S3 as memorable as it is, or it would have ended in a whimper like DISC.

 

[Tosk]

It's really hard sometimes to separate irony from sincerity in written form.

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

Or both. It's the future.

That would've been - sorry - extremely awesome to see. Jean-Luc comes home and sees Laris and Beverly sitting there gossiping over him. "Does he do that with you, too?" "Oh, Beverly, you have no idea!" ^^

 

[Tosk]

I hope Beverly and Picard did hook up again. She had a ghost, may as well add a robot to her list.

 

[evilchumlee]

I hope Beverly and Picard did hook up again. She had a ghost, may as well add a robot to her list.

Heh .Really though, I do hope that Picard and Crusher ended up back together. Laris was just kind of forced and sort of odd. Her husband just died and she's like, immediately moved on to Picard. Rubbed me the wrong way a bit.

I do agree that the ball was kind of dropped with Elnor, that could have been an interesting dynamic with him being essentially an adopted son for Picard and something of the family he never had. Instead he's just... there.

 

[fireproof78]

It's really hard sometimes to separate irony from sincerity in written form.

I find it hard to take that sincerely though I'm sure some hold it.

 

[James Cole]

The ostensible reported budget for season 3 was around $100 million (although I think a lot of this is budget overruns from seasons 1 and 2). The reported budget for recreating the Enterprise-D bridge was around $1.4 million. Is the key to a project's climax worth 1.4% of its budget?

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

The ostensible reported budget for season 3 was around $100 million (although I think a lot of this is budget overruns from seasons 1 and 2). The reported budget for recreating the Enterprise-D bridge was around $1.4 million. Is the key to a project's climax worth 1.4% of its budget?

Yup, Cal, it is.

 

[Paul Weaver]

The ostensible reported budget for season 3 was around $100 million (although I think a lot of this is budget overruns from seasons 1 and 2). The reported budget for recreating the Enterprise-D bridge was around $1.4 million. Is the key to a project's climax worth 1.4% of its budget?

You're right, they should have rebuilt the observation lounge set too.