Review: Star Trek: Picard Season 1, Ep. 1

I'm not the biggest Star Trek fan in The Basement. That battle is fought between Shawn and Mike S. I did enjoy the original series and the movies, and I'm especially a fan of the Kelvin timeline, which divided fans due to its emphasis on action and adventure over an exploration of the human experience.

Guess why I enjoyed it. Haha!

But I was excited for Star Trek: Picard, which brings Patrick Stewart and his beloved character back into action after being absent from the franchise for almost two decades. He's almost as legendary a character as James T. Kirk. And I'm a fan of Stewarts, even though my wife wants to marry him.

Her and I just watched the first episode of Picard, and we both loved the hell out of it. This IS NOT Star Trek: The Next Generation. People wanting or expecting that will be disappointed. This is a whole new story that takes its cue from modern television, with an ongoing arc and a fast-paced style of storytelling that feels more in line with the recent movies.

Guess why I enjoyed it. Haha!

That's not to say Picard doesn't cater to Next Generation fans. We get an appearance by Data, once again played by Brent Spiner. The story has its origins in Star Trek: Nemesis, and elements from the TV series. There's also Romulans and, spoiler alert, a hint of the Borg.

It's great seeing Stewart back in action as Picard. Here he's a man coming to terms with his age, and a sense of betrayal by the organization he served loyal for so many years. At the episode's beginning he's a man "waiting to die." By show's end, he's ready to live again. I think that's something a lot of us older geeks can relate to.

I'm gonna stop here before Trekkies start yelling at me, but I definitely enjoyed this 42 minutes of television. It's fun, exciting and feels like Start Trek, but should appeal to fans and non-fans alike. It did to me, and I'm giving it a Good.

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