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News Brent Spiner Returned for "Picard" (and you could do the CGI better in 15 minutes, we get it)

Spiner could be involved for as little as a couple of scenes somewhere - and if that's the case, they could afford to make him look any way they want to.

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There's a character on the show, "Starton," described as an expert on positronic brains. Yeah, I know that the idea has a usage beyond being a descriptor of Data, but in Trek's milieu it's nearly as much of a call-out as using the term "logical" is regarding Vulcans.
 
WarpFactorZ said:
Don't be obtuse. You know that's not what I meant. We didn'tt have to see Jack Crusher to know the degree of impact that incident had on his life going forward.
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ergo, we don't have to see TNG gang either.

Beyond managed to have emotional impact for just a few seconds by showing that photo of the TOS crew. I admit, my eyes got a little watery in the theater.

And it's not that I don't care what's going on now with characters like Crusher or LaForge. The problem is, they've already shown it. It was done decades ago. Then it got done again. Yes, an alternate reality that clearly did not happen, but never has a show had so many curtain calls. We've said goodbye, had our awkward exchange of addresses and moved on. Then we did it again.
 
Jedman67 said:
Not really. The Picard/Crusher tension is barely more than a wikipedia entry in Picard's file. It's certainly been touched upon a few times a season, and came to a head in AGT, but honestly it had little impact aside from that.
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I felt the tension boiled down to "I wanted something to happen with Bev, but she was married to my best friend, and anyway his son looks more like Jake than me so that's a relief. And now she's friendzoned me AND she's a subordinate officer with the power to relieve me of command so I can't date her anyway. Merde!"
 
XCV330 said:
ergo, we don't have to see TNG gang either.

Beyond managed to have emotional impact for just a few seconds by showing that photo of the TOS crew. I admit, my eyes got a little watery in the theater.

And it's not that I don't care what's going on now with characters like Crusher or LaForge. The problem is, they've already shown it. It was done decades ago. Then it got done again. Yes, an alternate reality that clearly did not happen, but never has a show had so many curtain calls. We've said goodbye, had our awkward exchange of addresses and moved on. Then we did it again.
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Two things about this:

1. Did we though? I mean, there was a little bit in NEM but we really didn't get a comprehensive look at what the characters were doing. What we did see before that was in a timeline that we know was erased at the end of All Good Things.

2. This show, by its very definition, is a postscript. It is not unreasonable for TNG characters other than Picard to be a small part of that. I would even argue that to ignore them would be malfeasance toward the fanbase. Even a tiny tiny thing about or from them could be most satisfying and more than enough.
 
El Maestro said:
2. This show, by its very definition, is a postscript. It is not unreasonable for TNG characters other than Picard to be a small part of that. I would even argue that to ignore them would be malfeasance toward the fanbase. Even a tiny tiny thing about or from them could be most satisfying and more than enough.
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It would just turn into a checklist show. Every fan has an element they love and would want to see.
 
WarpFactorZ said:
No one cares about Soong or any other second rate character. It'll be Riker, Troi, and Crusher, most likely (maybe Data, but probably not). And they won't be stuck in their TNG careers and ranks. People move on in real life, especially after 25 years, and that's what we'll see with the characters in this show. Do you honestly not get that?

I'm personally very excited for this series, and I was anything but for the TNG movies. So, if others feel as I do, then the series will be quite successful.
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Yeah, but people move on during those 25 years and meet all-new people. I think I'd rather see ST: Picard be about Picard and a bunch of all-new characters -- along with a few callbacks of some of the old TNG characters. I'd be more excited to meet fresh new characters in Picard's life than have the whole series feature mainly existing characters whom we had 7+ years to get to know already.

Like I said, I think a few call-backs of the old TNG characters is fine, but they should not be the main supporting roles around the character of Picard. Would I like to know what Riker, Geordi, Troi, et al. have been doing for the past 20 years? Sure, but I don't want those characters driving the story that ST:Picard's producers and writers want to tell, a story that takes place in 80-year old Picard's here and now.

And if they did want to bring up Picard's past experiences since leaving the Enterprise as a reference point for a new story, I bet Picard has done a lot in the past 20+ years with people we've yet to meet rather than with the pre-existing TNG characters we already know. So they don't necessarily need to use a known TNG character for that.

Put it this way, I think the TNG actors will show up as their old TNG characters, but they will do so as episode guest stars, not as part of the main series cast.
 
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They don't need to be regular cast - but they need to be in his life. I think that is the point of wanting others on the show. They were a close family - they need to still be in communication with each other if only a few moments here and there on screen. Plus nice to get updates on their future selves.
 
cbl1 said:
They don't need to be regular cast - but they need to be in his life. I think that is the point of wanting others on the show. They were a close family - they need to still be in communication with each other if only a few moments here and there on screen. Plus nice to get updates on their future selves.
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I just have no desire for any of this.
 
cbl1 said:
They don't need to be regular cast - but they need to be in his life. I think that is the point of wanting others on the show. They were a close family - they need to still be in communication with each other if only a few moments here and there on screen. Plus nice to get updates on their future selves.
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I didn’t really need an update about Picard’s life, but we’re getting it anyway. I really have no interest in knowing what Deanna Troi is doing these days.
 
Dukhat said:
I didn’t really need an update about Picard’s life, but we’re getting it anyway. I really have no interest in knowing what Deanna Troi is doing these days.
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After the character assassination that Picard underwent in the TNG movies I am eager for a chance to see the character in a medium (TV) that is better suited for the kind of character that he is.

IMO no one should be surprised that they are returning to a beloved character from one of the most popular parts of the franchise being played by a uniquely good actor.

Maybe the show will suck! But the ingredients are there and my whole argument is that 30 seconds here or there the expound upon some or all of the characters from one of the most popular series the franchise produced.
 
El Maestro said:
Some TNG cameos might happen* = It's going to be nothing but a reunion show!

* nothing is confirmed!
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What is confirmed is that Jonathan Frakes is directing an episode of Picard. Since he's going to be in studio anyway, it will be very easy to arrange a Riker cameo.

And let's be honest, we're going to see other TNG characters in this show. Nostalgia is very much a thing in Hollywood these days, and CBS has already proven with Disco how much they enjoy milking the shit out of nostalgia.
BillJ said:
How many times did we actually see Jack? Once, if my memory serves me. As a holographic message for Wesley.
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Three times. The holographic message to Wesley in Family, the flashback scene where Picard takes Beverly to see his corpse in Violations, and in Wesley's vision in Journey's End.
 
The Wormhole said:
What is confirmed is that Jonathan Frakes is directing an episode of Picard. Since he's going to be in studio anyway, it will be very easy to arrange a Riker cameo.

And let's be honest, we're going to see other TNG characters in this show. Nostalgia is very much a thing in Hollywood these days, and CBS has already proven with Disco how much they enjoy milking the shit out of nostalgia.
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Yeah, the first part of this is not a bad thing. It will probably be good, if done even close to correctly.

I do not hold Picard or the cast of TNG responsible for current trends in pop culture.
 
I like the idea of just having Brent Spiner, without any android makeup or de-aging techniques, appearing as an evolved Data/B-4, who has attained the full appearance and mannerisms of a human being. A real pinocchio story. It should be covered very briefly (mainly to cover how he returned from the grave), but otherwise, Data's just treated as a Professor and retired Starfleet officer.
 
El Maestro said:
After the character assassination that Picard underwent in the TNG movies I am eager for a chance to see the character in a medium (TV) that is better suited for the kind of character that he is.
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Action hero Picard was what really made the movies a lot different than the series. I can understand the need to do that in the movies (as the pace is much different than TV). However with reports that Patrick Stewart asked for some of the action scenes …. hopefully that doesn't mean that with the level of control he has over this series we see much of it in the new show.
 
El Maestro said:
I feel your pain, my dude(tte). This thread (and so many like it) are falling into the classic Internet discussion trap of automatically stating as fact the worst and most extreme version of something based on nothing other than someone's preconceived notions.

Some TNG cameos might happen* = It's going to be nothing but a reunion show!

* nothing is confirmed!
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It'll happen

They'll want to for the hashtags
 
If Data returns, it must look the same since androids don't age.

Unless its body was demolished and its CPU is stuck in a toaster. Picard, once getting done listening to the kids shrieking how they won't listen to anyone over the age of 30 (or 300), he can have much talk with the toaster on which flavor waffles he prefers... Then if they bring in Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, Kryten, and Cat, that would make the ensemble complete...
 
cbl1 said:
Action hero Picard was what really made the movies a lot different than the series. I can understand the need to do that in the movies (as the pace is much different than TV). However with reports that Patrick Stewart asked for some of the action scenes …. hopefully that doesn't mean that with the level of control he has over this series we see much of it in the new show.
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Even if the new show includes Patrick Stewart-mandated action scenes (and at 78 years old, God bless him if so), there's no way they can make up the totality of the show. So, we might have action but also more time to explore the totality of the three-dimensional character that was lost in the TNG movies.
 
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