“Star Trek: Picard” is a compelling addition to the Star Trek franchise that brings back one of its most beloved characters, Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart. The series, which premiered in 2020, is set in the 24th century, 20 years after the events of “Star Trek: Nemesis,” the last film featuring the Next Generation crew.
The series opens with Picard in retirement at his family vineyard in France, haunted by dreams of his deceased friend and former crew member, Data (Brent Spiner). The tranquility of his retirement is disrupted when a mysterious young woman, Dahj (Isa Briones), seeks his help. Picard learns that Dahj is an advanced synthetic being and, shockingly, a “daughter” of Data. This revelation pulls Picard back into space on a mission to protect Dahj’s twin sister, Soji, who is unaware of her synthetic nature and is working on a Romulan reclamation site located in a derelict Borg cube.
“Star Trek: Picard” delves into the aftermath of significant events in the Star Trek universe, such as the destruction of Romulus and the ban on synthetic life forms following a devastating attack on Mars. The series explores themes of regret, redemption, and mortality, offering a more introspective and character-driven narrative compared to other Star Trek series.
Throughout the first season, Picard assembles a new crew, including Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), a former Starfleet intelligence officer turned conspiracy theorist; Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera), a former Starfleet officer who now pilots his own ship; Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill), a leading researcher in synthetic life; and Elnor (Evan Evagora), a Romulan warrior raised by a sect of all-female Romulan nuns.
The series also sees the return of familiar faces from the Star Trek universe, including Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), a former Borg drone from “Star Trek: Voyager,” and Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Picard’s former colleagues from the USS Enterprise.
“Star Trek: Picard” is notable for its darker tone and its willingness to critique the institutions, like Starfleet, that were often idealized in previous series. The series also delves into the personal life of Picard in a way that “The Next Generation” rarely did, exploring his regrets, his sense of loss, and his struggle to make peace with his past.
Visually, “Star Trek: Picard” boasts high production values, with cinematic visuals and detailed world-building. The series also features a richly layered narrative that rewards long-time Star Trek fans with callbacks to previous series and movies, while also being accessible to new viewers.
In conclusion, “Star Trek: Picard” is a bold and thoughtful exploration of one of Star Trek’s most iconic characters. It offers a mature and nuanced narrative that grapples with the complexities of the future, the weight of the past, and the enduring capacity for hope and change.
The second season of the American television series Star Trek: Picard features the character Jean-Luc Picard in the year 2401. He and his companions are trapped in an alternate reality by the extra-dimensional being Q as part of the ultimate trial for Picard, and must travel back to 2024 Los Angeles to save the future of the galaxy. The season was produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout, Weed Road Pictures, and Roddenberry Entertainment, with Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas serving as showrunners.
Patrick Stewart stars as Picard, reprising his role from the series Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as other Star Trek media. Alison Pill, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Orla Brady, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Brent Spiner also star. A second season was in development for months before being officially announced in January 2020. Matalas and Goldsman replaced first-season showrunner Michael Chabon. The time travel story was conceived by Matalas and connects to Picard’s struggles with his own history. Matalas and new production designer Dave Blass returned to the visual style of the Next Generation and brought back key designers from that series. Delayed from a planned June 2020 production start by the COVID-19 pandemic, filming began in California in February 2021 and lasted until September, shooting back-to-back with the third season. Location shooting took place around Los Angeles. The second season features special guest stars returning from previous Star Trek media, including John de Lancie as Q and Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan.
The season premiered on the streaming service Paramount+ on March 3, 2022, and ran for 10 episodes until May 5. It was estimated to have high viewership and audience demand, and received positive reviews from critics. The season was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and several other awards.
The third and final season of the American television series Star Trek: Picard features the character Jean-Luc Picard in the year 2401 as he reunites with the former command crew of the USS Enterprise (Geordi La Forge, Worf, William Riker, Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi, and Data) while facing a mysterious enemy who is hunting Picard’s son. The season was produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout, Weed Road Pictures, and Roddenberry Entertainment, with Terry Matalas serving as showrunner.
Patrick Stewart stars as Picard, reprising his role from the series Star Trek: The Next Generation as well as other Star Trek media, with Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, and Ed Speleers also starring. The season features guest stars who also reprise their roles from previous Star Trek media, including Stewart’s Next Generation co-stars Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Gates McFadden (Crusher), LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Marina Sirtis (Troi), and Brent Spiner (Data). A third season of Picard was informally green-lighted by January 2020, allowing it to be filmed back-to-back with the second season. Some third-season scenes were filmed during production on the second, which began in California in February 2021, before filming segued fully to the third in September. Stewart officially announced the season soon after, and filming ended in March 2022. The return of the other Next Generation cast members was confirmed a month later. Matalas hoped to make the season a satisfying ending for Picard’s story and the whole Next Generation cast.
The season premiered on the streaming service Paramount+ on February 16, 2023, and ran for 10 episodes until April 20.
Recurring Cast
- Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
- Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker
- Brent Spiner as Data/Lore/Altan Soong
- Orla Brady as Laris
- Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker
1st Season
- Alison Pill as Dr. Agnes Jurati
- Santiago Cabrera as Cristóbal Ríos
- Isa Briones as Dahj, Soji Asha and Sutra
- Harry Treadaway as Narek
- Evan Evagora as Elnor
2nd season
- Alison Pill as Dr. Agnes Jurati
- Santiago Cabrera as Cristóbal Ríos
- Evan Evagora as Elnor
- John de Lancie as Q
- Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan
3rd season
- Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
- Michael Dorn as Worf
- LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
- Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
- Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
- Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw
- Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher
- Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge
- Mica Burton as Alandra La Forge
- Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren
- Tim Russ as “Tuvok”
- Amanda Plummer as Vadic