Should I watch Picard?

[Taejang]

I loved TNG, DS9, Voyager, and enjoyed Enterprise. I never really got into TOS, but did enjoy the TOS movies (for the most part, anyway). I like the Kelvin universe, even though it has a very different "feel" to me, like a different take on the universe that is still respectful of the source material even as it shifted into less intelligent, more action, territory.

I refuse to touch Discovery and haven't tried (or even learned about) Strange New Worlds. I was very excited for Picard but felt massively disappointed; I made myself finish the first season and haven't returned to watch the rest. To me, the first season did to Picard what Star Wars Ep8 did to Luke: took a beloved character and broke him just to be different. I won't get into all the things I dislike about Picard (I suspect they've been discussed ad nauseum), except to say I disliked more than just the portrayal of Jean Luc himself. I have heard season 3 is better, but I'm afraid it will be like Star Wars Ep9, where the creators realized people were mad so they pretended the earlier stuff didn't happen, threw fanservice at us, and hoped we would forgive them.

Should I watch Picard seasons 2-3? Or from what you know of my opinions above, am I likely to hate it like I did season 1? Is it worth my limited free time, or would I be better off rewatching the TOS movies I haven't seen in 20 years?

 

[cal888]

Disclaimer: I'm biased in that I was a pre-existing fan of the season 3 showrunner...

To me, the first season did to Picard what Star Wars Ep8 did to Luke: took a beloved character and broke him just to be different.

Agreed...

I have heard season 3 is better, but I'm afraid it will be like Star Wars Ep9, where the creators realized people were mad so they pretended the earlier stuff didn't happen, threw fanservice at us, and hoped we would forgive them.

I mean, they do have to live with ending of season 1 vis a vis the body transfer. But season 3 is far better than NEM. The characters are served well. The continuity callbacks make sense in universe, and aren't just member-berry box checking.

TROS was doomed by TLJ no matter what they would have done. The toxicity of season 1 is there, just watered down as much as possible, and even occasionally lamp shaded.

Should I watch Picard seasons 2-3?

3? Yes. You'll have a much better feeling about the characters after finishing it than you would with NEM or season 1.

2? Uh probably not. I find it better than season 1, but it's still deeply flawed.

Or from what you know of my opinions above, am I likely to hate it like I did season 1?

I mean, I could see someone hating season 3 if they don't like a darker storyline, darker lighting, some character conflict, and serialization. But season 3 is much more an evolution of late season DS9 and ENT than on the level of season 1.

 

[USSCoriolis]

I'll be honest...you could but for now not watching it doesn't hurt because nothing depends on it or builds on it.

The acting and actors are great, most of the writing is great, but the overarching plot of each season is bad. Full of major and minor holes, villains that make no sense, and each season is completely disconnected and irrelevant to the next. Can't really say more without spoiling it.

 

[HotRod]

Sure, why not? It's fine.

I'm more curious about this:

I refuse to touch Discovery and haven't tried (or even learned about) Strange New Worlds.

Why a refusal to even touch Discovery? Why the avoidance of SNW?

I mean, I get watching and stopping after a few episodes because you don’t like it. But refusing to even give something a chance? Seems personal.


Just curious.

 

[DarKush]

I don't recommend Season 2, but if you got to look it, then look at the first three or so episodes and the finale and ignore the middle. I do recommend Season 3. I don't think it's as slapdash as Rise of Skywalker was. I didn't hate Rise of Skywalker, but I do feel that Abrams, etc., were trying to cram so much into it that it just didn't quite work (that said, I still like it best of the sequel trilogy). Season 3 Picard has a lot more hours to work with. I didn't agree with how all those hours were spent, but I do think Season 3 gave me more of what I wanted to see when it came to Picard after Nemesis than either of the first two seasons.

 

[fireproof78]

Should I watch Picard seasons 2-3? Or from what you know of my opinions above, am I likely to hate it like I did season 1? Is it worth my limited free time, or would I be better off rewatching the TOS movies I haven't seen in 20 years?

Watch it.

Only way you can know for yourself.

 

[The Wormhole]

No, don't watch it. If you had any serious intention of doing so, you'd have gone ahead and done so rather than asking the internet to make the decision for you.

 

[Tuskin38]

To me, the first season did to Picard what Star Wars Ep8 did to Luke: took a beloved character and broke him just to be different.

Man, this is completely wrong. Neither character was broken.

 

[NCC-73515]

Watch the trailers

 

[Lord Garth]

I loved TNG, DS9, Voyager, and enjoyed Enterprise. I never really got into TOS, but did enjoy the TOS movies (for the most part, anyway). I like the Kelvin universe, even though it has a very different "feel" to me, like a different take on the universe that is still respectful of the source material even as it shifted into less intelligent, more action, territory.

I refuse to touch Discovery and haven't tried (or even learned about) Strange New Worlds. I was very excited for Picard but felt massively disappointed; I made myself finish the first season and haven't returned to watch the rest. To me, the first season did to Picard what Star Wars Ep8 did to Luke: took a beloved character and broke him just to be different. I won't get into all the things I dislike about Picard (I suspect they've been discussed ad nauseum), except to say I disliked more than just the portrayal of Jean Luc himself. I have heard season 3 is better, but I'm afraid it will be like Star Wars Ep9, where the creators realized people were mad so they pretended the earlier stuff didn't happen, threw fanservice at us, and hoped we would forgive them.

Should I watch Picard seasons 2-3? Or from what you know of my opinions above, am I likely to hate it like I did season 1? Is it worth my limited free time, or would I be better off rewatching the TOS movies I haven't seen in 20 years?

Picard is under a different Showrunner during Season 2-3, so watch it. If you only have time for one, go with Season 3. They don't pretend Season 1 didn't happen, but they do go about to change things. There's a difference.

Re-watch the TOS Movies regardless. I re-watched them all the time when I was a kid, and have re-watched them every few years since. PIC Season 3 is basically a TNG Movie done as if it were a TOS Movie. If you like the TOS Movies, and ever wanted to see TNG done in that style, you'll like PIC Season 3.

"Oh, but fan-service!" Don't be one of those. You either enjoy what you're watching or you don't. Personally, if it makes sense to be there, I don't mind. If it doesn't make sense, and seems out of place, that's when I'll question it. What I won't do is just throw up my hands and dismiss it automatically. Rejecting it automatically, even if it makes sense to be there, comes across as just looking for any reason to pounce on the season. If you honestly don't like the season, you'll have other reasons to dislike it besides this. If you honestly do like it, you'll have other reasons to like it besides this. Never once have I exclaimed, "Oh my God! They have XYZ! I didn't like this show before but now I do!" "Oh my God! They have SPOILER! I'm a fan of it now!" No one ever does that. You're either hooked or you're turned off long before that.

EDITED TO ADD: I vastly prefer Picard Season 3 as an ending for TNG than Nemesis.

 

[fireproof78]

EDITED TO ADD: I vastly prefer Picard Season 3 as an ending for TNG than Nemesis.

If nothing else this is certainly my opinion as well.

 

[tomalak301]

I don't recommend Season 2, but if you got to look it, then look at the first three or so episodes and the finale and ignore the middle. I do recommend Season 3. I don't think it's as slapdash as Rise of Skywalker was. I didn't hate Rise of Skywalker, but I do feel that Abrams, etc., were trying to cram so much into it that it just didn't quite work (that said, I still like it best of the sequel trilogy). Season 3 Picard has a lot more hours to work with. I didn't agree with how all those hours were spent, but I do think Season 3 gave me more of what I wanted to see when it came to Picard after Nemesis than either of the first two seasons.

One of these days I will revisit season 2 and see if it works better as a binge. I really did not like that season, mainly because it was a season that started so strong and then turned into a bit of a mess.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I loved TNG, DS9, Voyager, and enjoyed Enterprise. I never really got into TOS, but did enjoy the TOS movies (for the most part, anyway). I like the Kelvin universe, even though it has a very different "feel" to me, like a different take on the universe that is still respectful of the source material even as it shifted into less intelligent, more action, territory.

I refuse to touch Discovery and haven't tried (or even learned about) Strange New Worlds. I was very excited for Picard but felt massively disappointed; I made myself finish the first season and haven't returned to watch the rest. To me, the first season did to Picard what Star Wars Ep8 did to Luke: took a beloved character and broke him just to be different. I won't get into all the things I dislike about Picard (I suspect they've been discussed ad nauseum), except to say I disliked more than just the portrayal of Jean Luc himself. I have heard season 3 is better, but I'm afraid it will be like Star Wars Ep9, where the creators realized people were mad so they pretended the earlier stuff didn't happen, threw fanservice at us, and hoped we would forgive them.

Should I watch Picard seasons 2-3? Or from what you know of my opinions above, am I likely to hate it like I did season 1? Is it worth my limited free time, or would I be better off rewatching the TOS movies I haven't seen in 20 years?

Don't bother, watching something that'll upset you is a huge waste of precious life.

 

[Mage]

No, don't watch it. If you had any serious intention of doing so, you'd have gone ahead and done so rather than asking the internet to make the decision for you.

I suppose that I can understand that people like to hear the thoughts of like-minded fans to see if they did watch something and enjoyed it. But mostly, yeah.... I'm with this. Watch and form your own opinion. If you don't like it after two episodes, stop watching. It's as simple as that.
OP stated that he forced himself to finish season 1. Why? Why on Earth would you force yourself to sacrifice time on something you dislike? I will never understand this.

Man, this is completely wrong. Neither character was broken.

High five! I will not go into my entire train of thought on why I think that Luke's road as a character made a lot of sense. This is the Picard section of the forum, so I'll leave it at that.
People change. This happens in real life. Fictional characters SHOULD change as well. If they remain static, they are boring. We saw Picard bcome a different person through the course of TNG, and he changed somewhat more during the movies. This is called development as a human. And in fiction we call it character development. Now, here's the kicker....
People don't always only have positive experiences. So the things that happen to them can also alter them to become a person we as fans do not like, because we wanted something else. Real life will be disappointing like that, and unfortunately so will fictional life.

And, honestly.... Fundamentally Picard did not change at all. His core was still the same. He became more grumpy, yes. A shorter fuse, also. Returned a bit towards the man that kept people at bay. But his core principals, his moral center, his sense of duty to what was right.... All of that was still there.

So no, any fan saying this was a different person all together is quite wrong in my opinion. Changes in his demenour? Oh yes. That is quite normal after 20 years. Non of use act and behave exactly as we did 20 years ago. But his core? Still Jean Luc Picard.

 

[somebuddyX]

I haven't watched Picard but my thought is always in these scenarios is just go in with an open mind and try one episode. If you're not sure now, just wait and see. There's plenty of time to come back. I did that with Enterprise recently, watching season 1 and 2 twenty years later.

 

[arch101]

If you loved TNG, you have to see Picard to see the complete story. It's basically Season 8.

 

[Danlav05]

One of these days I will revisit season 2 and see if it works better as a binge. I really did not like that season, mainly because it was a season that started so strong and then turned into a bit of a mess.

I liked the first episode of Season 2.

I championed Picard from Day 1 as it was a continuation of TNG, but in hindsight Seasons 1 and 2 weren't what I wanted. Season 3 was a return to TNG and absolutely a better ending to the saga than Nemesis!!

 

[DonIago]

One of these days I will revisit season 2 and see if it works better as a binge. I really did not like that season, mainly because it was a season that started so strong and then turned into a bit of a mess.

Spoiler Alert from someone who binged S2: It may work better as a binge, but it doesn't work well.

 

[Reanok]

I like the series I enjoyed watching all 3 seasons of the show.

 

[cal888]

One other thing... the differences between seasons 1 and 3 are massive. You'd have to go back to the 1990s to find a genre show with such a swing in direction, say SLIDERS or SEAQUEST.

Season 3 is very much the pallet cleanser you're likely looking for after season 1.

As to season 2? Maybe watch 201, 202, and 210. If you like those, fill in the gaps.