I’ve been watching — and enjoying! — Picard, even with the most basic Star Trek knowledge.
Although fantasy is my go-to genre of choice, science fiction is a very close second. It’s a wonder, then, that I’ve somehow managed to miss one of the biggest franchises in sci-fi for most of my life.
My dad is a Trek fan (original or bust), but I never really had the opportunity to sit down and watch it. I’ll admit that its age is a marginal deterrent — it’s hard to go back when there are so many amazing television shows coming out right now.
But I love catching up on all the pop culture I managed to miss growing up. It certainly makes understanding memes easier, if nothing else. (That’s a joke. Sort of.) And Star Trek is a perfect candidate for a rewatch, given its enormous influence on everything that came after it.
I’m not a complete Trek noob. I’m sure this will be blasphemous to many hardcore fans out there, but I’ve seen all three of Chris Pine’s Star Trek films and utterly enjoyed them. The action, the humor, the emotion — it’s the perfect recipe for a good movie, and I’ve rewatched them many times since their debut.
Discovery piqued my interest when it came out, but despite all our amazing coverage telling me I definitely had to see it, I never got around to it. (Sorry, Brittany.)
Something was different about Picard, though. As I said, I’ve never seen any of the television series, including The Next Generation, but I do know Patrick Stewart is like everyone’s favorite grandpa. He’s Professor X! How could you not love him!
Maybe that’s why I cried the first time I saw the trailer for Picard. Maybe it’s Patrick Stewart. Maybe he’s just a damn fine actor. Or maybe the themes of Star Trek have a universal appeal, even for those who have not consumed every piece of media this franchise has produced.
I asked Brittany if you could be nostalgic for something you’ve never watched. She kindly said yes, and that I was definitely not a crazy person. I added that last part, but she and I are friends, so I’m allowed to take a little liberty here.
It’s true, though. I am nostalgic for Stewart’s original run. I’m nostalgic for Star Trek: The Original Series. Even though I haven’t seen any of it, this property has infiltrated pop culture in a way few others have. It has affected many of the movies and shows I consume, and, as a result, has impacted me as well.
Even without having seen The Next Generation, I know how big of a deal it is that Patrick Stewart agreed to reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard. I know how incredible it is that this actually got a full season order. And that it was already renewed for season 2.
In an era of reboots and remakes, maybe Picard is a dime a dozen for some people and the greatest thing to happen to others. I probably fall somewhere in the middle, but that trailer, and its impact on me, resonated on a level I wasn’t expecting.
In fact, the rest of the show has done something similar. After watching the pilot, I found myself immediately invested in the story, the mystery, and the characters. By the time the credits rolled on episode 1, I was already lamenting the fact that I’d have to wait another week for the next episode.
I know you don’t know me, but let me just tell you that’s a pretty big deal. I don’t really watch live television anymore (shout-out to Nancy Drew for keeping me accountable!), so I’m fairly selective about which series I choose to remember to watch every week.
While my faux-nostalgia plays a large part in my enjoyment, there are a lot of other elements that keep me enraptured. First of all, the cast is stunning. There are many incredible actors in this show aside from Stewart, including those from some of my favorite shows, like Into the Badlands and Teen Wolf.
Secondly, the world is expansive, as Trek fans will already know, and there’s so much to look at in each episode. I love the idea that the story begins on this little vineyard where Picard has shacked up in his retirement, only to explode across the universe to other planets and solar systems and galaxies.
Most of all, however, it’s the story that has intrigued me. The mystery holds a weight to it, and solving this riddle feels like it could blow open a thousand doors for everyone involved. The ramifications of what Bruce Maddox has done are immeasurable. But I can’t wait to find out what it all means.
And trust me — I have a lot of questions. I’m lucky enough to watch Picard with a friend who knows Star Trek inside and out. If I’m ever confused, there’s a walking encyclopedia sitting two couch cushions down from me. It helps, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary in order to enjoy the show.
Yes, if I had seen Star Trek: The Next Generation or any of the previous installments in this franchise, it certainly would help me understand the intricacies of Picard a little better. I’d get a lot more references, and I’m positive particular moments would hold a little more weight.
But Picard does a good job of letting me know the history between characters without bogging me down in exposition. It lets me know when a scene is heavy without pausing to analyze every second of it. I can tell when something is important, even if I don’t know why, and if I get lost, my friends (and Google!) are only a few keystrokes away.
Most importantly, however, Picard is full of those universal themes I was talking about earlier, and that makes it easy to watch. I understand Jean-Luc’s grief over his friend’s death, his apprehension that Starfleet is becoming a problematic institution, his disdain for racism and prejudice in any form.
Picard, like all of Star Trek that came before it, is about love, curiosity, and exploration into the unknown. And I have no problem grasping any of those concepts.