Watch List to Prep for ST: Picard

[Spot's Meow]

Based on what little we know about the Picard series at this point, what do you think should populate a good watch list to prepare for the series? This could be a list for someone totally new to Trek, or someone (like me) who has seen most of the content but maybe not for some time.

Obviously TNG should be on the list. I guess it's debatable whether someone really needs to watch the whole series to get a good sense of Picard and the other characters in his life, especially since we have limited time before Picard airs. But it’s hard to know what might be useful information, so my completist self says to watch it all!

Anyone want to venture a guess as to which movies will be most useful? I’m thinking that ST09 should be on the list. Any episodes of the other series that we need to include?

 

[WarpFactorZ]

Anyone want to venture a guess as to which movies will be most useful? I’m thinking that ST09 should be on the list. Any episodes of the other series that we need to include?

In the spirit of the show, go with the theme "Picard Trauma-Fest". I'm sure I'm missing some, so feel free to fill in the blanks.

Episodes:
* Encounter at Farpoint (just for where it all began)
* Q Who
* BoBW trilogy (i.e. BoBW pt. I and II + Family)
* The Inner Light
* Chain of Command
* Time's Arrow
* Yesterday's Enterprise
* Unification (Spock and Romulans -- surely relevant)
* All Good Things

Movies:
* Generations (Just the stuff about Picard's family)
* First Contact
* Nemesis (Just the beginning / wedding scene and the end)
* ST'09 Intro (because!) and Spock mindmeld scene

 

[BillJ]

"The Neutral Zone"
"The Enemy"
"The Defector"
"Sarek"
"The Mind's Eye"
"Redemption"
"Unification"
"Face of the Enemy"
"Journey's End"
"Preemptive Strike"
"All Good Things..."
Star Trek: Nemesis

 

[Cyrus]

TNG , TNG movies
DS9 final season (Dominion war)
ST09

I am not planning to rewatch anything, except maybe the part of ST09 that mentions destruction of Romulus.

 

[The Wormhole]

It's hard to say exactly since we still know precious little of the actual plot. But if you want a list of key Picard episodes:
Encounter at Farpoint
The Battle
The Measure of a Man
Sarek
The Best of Both Worlds
Family
Darmok
Unification
Chain of Command
Tapestry
Gambit
All Good Things

 

[Kor]

DS9 Emissary, for a different perspective on Picard.

Kor

 

[Spot's Meow]

These lists are very helpful. I haven't seen most of DS9, so I just have no clue whether any of it would be useful knowledge.

 

[BillJ]

These lists are very helpful. I haven't seen most of DS9, so I just have no clue whether any of it would be useful knowledge.

Maybe the few Romulan episodes they did?

 

[Turtletrekker]

I'm actually in S7 of a complete TNG rewatch that I was inspired to undertake with the announcement of Star Trek: Picard.

 

[MrPointy]

Logan.

 

[drt]

Here's my bare minimum list based on the scant details released so far:

• Encounter at Farpoint (introduction)
• Captain's Holiday (interest in archaeology, I get the sense part of STP will be some kind of interstellar treasure hunt)
• The Best of Both Worlds / Family (obviously)
• Unification (Romulan set-up)
• Chain of Command (additional PTSD triggers)
• Gambit (more archaeology, plus what seems like a similar premise, with the ragtag crew in a little ship)

• Generations (family stuff)
• First Contact (obviously)
• Insurrection (l go back and forth on this one, but it does show that Picard was willing to throw away his Starfleet career to stand up for something)
• Nemesis (last time on...)
• 2009 (Prime Spock bits)

 

[PT109]

+ ”The Chase” for the archeology angle.

 

[Noname Given]

Just watch TNG S1 - "Too Short A Season" and you'll get a glimpse of the entirety of what the new 'Picard' series will actually be.

(Just think of Patrick Stewart as "Admiral Jameson" in the episode and the rest will fall into place.)

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Think Gambit is one of the most important episodes to watch before Picard, because of seeing Picard (undercover) outside of a starfleet context and the connection to vulcan/romulan archaeological issues.

Picard hiding this identity from (parts of) his new crew is one of the things from the episode that i could also see happen in the show. At least at the beginning.

 

[BillJ]

Think Gambit is one of the most important episodes to watch...

Can I just stab myself in the eye with a fork, over and over, instead?

 

[Takeru]

Nothing should be needed, the show has to work on its own or it fails imo. But in the spirit of the thread here are my suggestions.


Balance of Terror
Unification
Gambit
Nemesis
Star Trek '09

I kept the list very short because if it's supposed to work for newcomers to the franchise I wouldn't want to overwhelm them with a ton of content.

Balance of Terror introduces newcomers to Spock and romulans as a related species, Unification picks up years later, introduces Picard and shows Spock involved in romulan affairs. Gambit has Picard working with mercenaries and shows his interest in archeology, Nemesis involves Picard in romulan politics, Star Trek '09 bri gs back Spock and shows Romulus' fate which leads into Star Trek Picard.
Having Spock in the majority of stories helps tie it together a bit better imo even if he doesn't feature in the Picard show.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

I kept the list very short because if it's supposed to work for newcomers to the franchise I wouldn't want to overwhelm them with a ton of content.

The list wasn't meant for newcomers.

 

[Qonundrum]

Here's my list:

None of the above.

Bear with me: This new series has already had its makers telling us it's going to be radically different to TNG, meaning it's not going to be more of the same as what was shown 30+ years ago. The show is also going to be luring in new fans. The new show conclusively takes place decades later and anything could have happened so here's why I say "none of the above", regardless if one is an existing fan of TNG and this character of Picard or not: Let the premiere of the new series do the story telling and expectation building and let it win viewers of its own accord.

Otherwise viewers might be in for a shock or massive disappointment after setting themselves up with a false expectation or mis-perception. Fans know enough of Picard already and want to see what's happening now and why. Newbies will or at least should get a proper setup in a premiere when it's relevant to establish that the eponymous figure has had a past, as that's what premieres are supposed to do: Set up the theme and feel for what's to follow. After all, ST09 had Spock and nobody new or old needed to sit through 7, 9, much less 79 TOS episodes, 6 movies, 2 TNG episodes, and so on to figure his importance out. (it's one of the flick's saving graces IMHO.)

But if I were to suggest anything, I'd say "Keep in mind that giving Trek heroes less-than-heroic endings started with the treatment of Spock and Scotty during TNG, Kirk in the TNG movie 'Generations', every TNG character in 'Nemesis', and so on. People think these new films and shows bringing back the old characters and doing something all Shakespeare-tragedy with them is new to this century when it clearly is not. After all, seeing Picard be and do more of the same would get boring and nobody wants to see that."

I suspect the Picard show will feature the 20- and 30-somethings more prominently anyway. Watching every last nanosecond of Jean-Luc Picard-related televised footage, outtakes, radio adverts, etc, etc, won't make a lick of difference then.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

This new series has already had its makers telling us it's going to be radically different to TNG, meaning it's not going to be more of the same as what was shown 30+ years ago.

No one is saying that it will be TNG2.0 (for the (N+1)th time). As I mentioned above, the watch list is for US to put into context Picard's story up to now. What events in his life are pivotal? What might be consequential to the destruction of Romulus?

Of course the show should stand on its own, but there's no denying that it's based on a character who has an established history. If there's no referencing any of that, why make it about Picard at all?

 

[Takeru]

The list wasn't meant for newcomers.

Read the OP.

This could be a list for someone totally new to Trek, or someone (like me) who has seen most of the content but maybe not for some time.