Spoilers Star Trek: Picard General Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Tuskin38
- Start date
I still wave my hand in front of me like a Jedi before going through an automatic door. When we were first dating, after observing this a few times, she called me on it. "Are you actually doing the Jedi thing, pretending you're opening the door??" And then laughed as I shrugged and nodded. It's almost an involuntary body movement now.
Unless it's live, the idea of society watching in lock-step and doing everything at the same time is very 20th Century.
I get that. If the arc really is about the Maquis as some conjecture, Michael Eddington would be a nice choice, though the lack of any personal relationship with Picard would make it far inferior.
It's also already been confirmed by Jesse Gender that there's a big DS9 callback (or maybe even cameo) in the fourth episode though, so we might see Eddington there separately.
Another thought...what about Tom Riker? Could Frakes be playing both?
Tom Riker was on both TNG and DS9. Tom Riker joined the Maquis - and the plot of the season may be Maquis heavy. There's also been hints that an "imposter" plot is going to be important for the season, and Tom's right there.
Tom Riker was on both TNG and DS9. Tom Riker joined the Maquis - and the plot of the season may be Maquis heavy. There's also been hints that an "imposter" plot is going to be important for the season, and Tom's right there.
I still do. My wife just accepts it now. It ain't changing.
Eddington? I assume you're talking strictly about through flashback or reference to past events, because Eddington is dead.
Damn. I can't believe I forgot that.
It's probably more in line with where people should have their expectations though instead of the effusive second coming of Star Trek reviews.
In general, weren’t the Maquis all but wiped out? Makes appearances by Ro or Tom Riker not impossible but certainly questionable.
On top of that, what decision regarding the Maquis would Picard second guess? There were decisions he was forced into because of the situation and his duty but I’m not sure how that would play.
On top of that, what decision regarding the Maquis would Picard second guess? There were decisions he was forced into because of the situation and his duty but I’m not sure how that would play.
Bill Hunt of the Digital Bits has seen the first six episodes
"Though I’ve taken pains to keep an open mind, Discovery made my brain bleed, filled as it is with emotionally unstable characters that couldn’t pass a Starfleet psych exam much less get assigned to starship duty, most of them paralyzed by childhood trauma. And the first two seasons of Picard were painful, a mix of poignant moments and graphic violence, connected by recycled plots, and wrapped in wildly unnecessary retcons of the Trek canon. Far from optimistic and hopeful, its vision of the future was dreary, chaotic, and at times downright gruesome—a world that few of us would ever aspire to live in. It was, in a word, dreadful. But Strange New Worlds has shown real improvement. Frankly, it feels like what I expected more of after the 2009 film. Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck are terrific, and adding Babs Olusanmokun to the cast (from Dune) was a coup. The show is glossy, but it works. God help me, I like it."
"It’s the real deal—authentic, gripping, and deeply heartening. It respects the history of this franchise without simply feeling like an exercise in nostalgia. It’s been hand-crafted by people who love and understand classic Star Trek as well as anyone—people who have honored that legacy even as they’ve refreshed it for today’s serialized storytelling format."
"Season Three of Picard is wildly cinematic. It’s almost as if we’ve been given five more Next Generation feature films rather than a single ten-episode TV season. The production value is high indeed, but never feels as glossy or excessive as it does on other recent Trek series. The cast is fantastic—not just your Next Generation favorites (who all return here), but the newcomers too. Yet the crew of the Enterprise-D have changed a great deal since you’ve last seen them, and watching how they fall back into their old roles—in new and unexpected ways—is half the pleasure. The writing is smart, efficient, and note-perfect, yet age and experience means these characters aren’t afraid to say things to each other than they never would have in the past. The action is gripping and dynamically staged. And the plot twists are surprising and—most importantly—well-earned when they happen."
"But what’s most surprising about this season is the simple feeling of “Oh my god, this is Star Trek!” I’m talking about the real McCoy here, not the pale imitation we’ve been getting for years now. The shock of that realization is so strong that you don’t trust it at first. But as the minutes pass, everything is exactly right. Starfleet is depicted as a professional organization once again! The vibe is as it should be, the technical details are spot on. And the score—I can’t wait to own the soundtrack for this season! It’s filled with little theme quotes and cues from the entire history of this franchise. All too soon, you realize that you’ve just watched multiple episodes and that joy of recognition simply never goes away. And it’s overwhelming! At the end of one of these episodes, I actually found myself welling up in tears. A couple of friends (who’ve seen the entire season) warned me that it would happen, and when it did, it was just… well, it was wonderful. Longtime fans will understand what I mean: You know real Star Trek when you see it. And I’m here to tell you, from the very first seconds to the very last… this is it."
"If I had any reservations here, it’s that I’m afraid the current Star Trek overlords will dismiss the overwhelmingly positive reaction that longtime fans are going to have to this season as a simple exercise in nostalgia. Nostalgia plays a role to be sure, but the most important thing here is the authenticity—the care and attention to detail that’s so obvious in every frame. Picard: Season Three feels familiar and fresh all at once. It’s proof that TV Star Trek can be truly great again, and it points the way to making that happen. I truly hope that Alex Kurtzman, his team at Secret Hideout, and the decision makers at Paramount+ actually recognize this, and take the right message from it."
https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/021523-1300
"Though I’ve taken pains to keep an open mind, Discovery made my brain bleed, filled as it is with emotionally unstable characters that couldn’t pass a Starfleet psych exam much less get assigned to starship duty, most of them paralyzed by childhood trauma. And the first two seasons of Picard were painful, a mix of poignant moments and graphic violence, connected by recycled plots, and wrapped in wildly unnecessary retcons of the Trek canon. Far from optimistic and hopeful, its vision of the future was dreary, chaotic, and at times downright gruesome—a world that few of us would ever aspire to live in. It was, in a word, dreadful. But Strange New Worlds has shown real improvement. Frankly, it feels like what I expected more of after the 2009 film. Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck are terrific, and adding Babs Olusanmokun to the cast (from Dune) was a coup. The show is glossy, but it works. God help me, I like it."
"It’s the real deal—authentic, gripping, and deeply heartening. It respects the history of this franchise without simply feeling like an exercise in nostalgia. It’s been hand-crafted by people who love and understand classic Star Trek as well as anyone—people who have honored that legacy even as they’ve refreshed it for today’s serialized storytelling format."
"Season Three of Picard is wildly cinematic. It’s almost as if we’ve been given five more Next Generation feature films rather than a single ten-episode TV season. The production value is high indeed, but never feels as glossy or excessive as it does on other recent Trek series. The cast is fantastic—not just your Next Generation favorites (who all return here), but the newcomers too. Yet the crew of the Enterprise-D have changed a great deal since you’ve last seen them, and watching how they fall back into their old roles—in new and unexpected ways—is half the pleasure. The writing is smart, efficient, and note-perfect, yet age and experience means these characters aren’t afraid to say things to each other than they never would have in the past. The action is gripping and dynamically staged. And the plot twists are surprising and—most importantly—well-earned when they happen."
"But what’s most surprising about this season is the simple feeling of “Oh my god, this is Star Trek!” I’m talking about the real McCoy here, not the pale imitation we’ve been getting for years now. The shock of that realization is so strong that you don’t trust it at first. But as the minutes pass, everything is exactly right. Starfleet is depicted as a professional organization once again! The vibe is as it should be, the technical details are spot on. And the score—I can’t wait to own the soundtrack for this season! It’s filled with little theme quotes and cues from the entire history of this franchise. All too soon, you realize that you’ve just watched multiple episodes and that joy of recognition simply never goes away. And it’s overwhelming! At the end of one of these episodes, I actually found myself welling up in tears. A couple of friends (who’ve seen the entire season) warned me that it would happen, and when it did, it was just… well, it was wonderful. Longtime fans will understand what I mean: You know real Star Trek when you see it. And I’m here to tell you, from the very first seconds to the very last… this is it."
"If I had any reservations here, it’s that I’m afraid the current Star Trek overlords will dismiss the overwhelmingly positive reaction that longtime fans are going to have to this season as a simple exercise in nostalgia. Nostalgia plays a role to be sure, but the most important thing here is the authenticity—the care and attention to detail that’s so obvious in every frame. Picard: Season Three feels familiar and fresh all at once. It’s proof that TV Star Trek can be truly great again, and it points the way to making that happen. I truly hope that Alex Kurtzman, his team at Secret Hideout, and the decision makers at Paramount+ actually recognize this, and take the right message from it."
https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/021523-1300
Nope. Kurtzman isn't allowed to be successful. Only Terry must be successful. All hail, Terry, all hail, Terry.
What does that mean though? What makes it authentic? it's an interesting debate around makes Trek, Trek, and this past week has probably been the biggest and most interesting exercise in discovering what Star Trek means to people. Apparently, authenticity means different things to different people because to me Star Trek is about exploration-human first, emotional second, outer space third. To me, that's the authenticity, is exploring human facets, even in the extreme discomfort of those experiences, i.e. death, transhumanism, acceptance of new life, or even managing trauma. To me, that's just as important as the uniforms and ships.
I listened to the latest Mission Log Live last night, where Doug Drexler was interviewed. He made a pretty big deal about how he believed that Discovery was a alternate universe because designs were different than were used to and that Picard was the first show to take place in the Trek timeline we know and love since Enterprise.
Sigh.
I get that that people don’t like Discovery. I get that people don’t like what the current regime has done. And if it helps people sleep at night to make them think that the timeline is fractured, so be it. But, bringing it back to the concept of authenticity, who honestly gets to make the decision on what authentic Trek is? It’s not me. It ain’t Bill Hunt. And as much as I appreciate the work Drexler has done on Trek, it sure isn’t him either.
Sigh.
I get that that people don’t like Discovery. I get that people don’t like what the current regime has done. And if it helps people sleep at night to make them think that the timeline is fractured, so be it. But, bringing it back to the concept of authenticity, who honestly gets to make the decision on what authentic Trek is? It’s not me. It ain’t Bill Hunt. And as much as I appreciate the work Drexler has done on Trek, it sure isn’t him either.
Maybe they're part of the "but".
Found it. And that seems like a good compromise.
A critical mass of the fanbase applying the same standards that everything pre-2005 held to the Bad Robot / Secret Hideout stuff. And as someone who has worked on the franchise for decades, Drexler can offer a more than informed opinion on this.
This is bullshit. Not the reviews of Picard Season 3. The bashing of Discovery and saying that it's not "real" Star Trek.
Furthermore, if you have to constantly bash something else to build up what you're building up, then you're not building up what you're trying to support on its own merits.
I've been patient, I've been understanding, I've been accommodating, but now this is starting to be too much. I'm a bigger fan of TOS than you'll ever be, and I'm fine with what DSC did. Why am I fine with it? Because it's just a TV show.
Furthermore, if you have to constantly bash something else to build up what you're building up, then you're not building up what you're trying to support on its own merits.
I've been patient, I've been understanding, I've been accommodating, but now this is starting to be too much. I'm a bigger fan of TOS than you'll ever be, and I'm fine with what DSC did. Why am I fine with it? Because it's just a TV show.
Last edited:
That's laughable. Star Trek in the Bad Robot/Secret Hideout era did the same things as pre-2005 Trek, just in a different way. The same themes, the same ideas, but different execution. It's not 2005 anymore. Pretending it is is just leading to more pain.
That Trek has continued under Alex Kurtzman and will continue until at least 2026 suggests otherwise. Fans can vote with their wallet and they’ve yet to reach any critical mass to end what they’re doing with Trek, which is honestly, a little bit of something for everyone. You have Discovery in the far future, it’s spin off Strange New Worlds doing the 23rd century, a parody and true love letter to the entire franchise with Lower Decks, a great starting point for Trek for fans new and old with Prodigy and yeah, a return to the Berman era with Picard, particularly season 3.
Maybe post Picard season 3, that will look different. But we aren’t there yet. I would bet we will continue to see this spread of differing ideas. Because it’s far more interesting than 5 TNG clones. Which if you ask some of the group you called out their suggestions, their Trek would be just that.
He can offer an opinion. You can offer an opinion. I can offer an opinion. I’ve been a Trek fan for almost 40 years. But at the end of the day, none of us are in charge. Hate to break it to you, but the only people who can decide what authentic Trek is are the people in charge, those who own the IP — Paramount.
Similar threads
- Poll
