“Star Trek: Picard” Represents the Evolution of Trek, Not it’s Continuation.
So I finished “Picard” last night and here’s what I think.
One of the things that makes Trek fans crazy is when an episode of Star Trek ranges just a bit too far away from “hard” sci-fi and more into space fantasy. Voyager is the worst offender at this, infamously inventing situations like a special kind of faster-than-light travel, but it turns people into horny newts for some reason. It can make for fun episodes sometimes (remember the transporter that turns people into the kid versions of themselves?), but it’s certainly never going to make for the cherished and thought-provoking material that creates a loyal, even rabid, fan-base.
Star Trek was never really Hard sci-fi. It always played fast and loose with not only real science but with its own rules as well, often ignoring established canon when convenient. Picard, I think, is what happens when a hard science fiction concept or two are dropped into the established Star Trek universe by an experienced and talented author.
In some ways that’s super thrilling to me. I was always bothered that they would open up interesting ideas such as artificial intelligence or the utility and rights of holograms but then they would rarely those ideas in a realistic or meaningful way. Picard does explore some of them and acknowledges others. It connects dots between the established rules of Star Trek and some of the biggest science questions we have today, and it only resorts to the ol’ “reverse the polarity” to magically fix problems when those problems are not plot-critical, which is a nice change for Trek (remember setting the shields to “higher frequencies” to make it possible to fight the borg?). However, it seems to try even less hard than its predecessors in setting “engineering rules” by skipping talk of jeffries tubes and conduits and frequencies altogether, and instead just placing what seems to me to be a literal magic wand in the hands of the good guys, telling them to think positive, and then granting their every wish with a swish and flick. That may sound pretty egregious, but since their engineering problems exist only to drive tension, it’s a minor complaint. Plus one might argue that “any sufficiently advanced technology, blah blah blah magic blah blah.”
Some ideas considered in the story include a combination of the big questions asked by Ghost in the Shell, Dune, and other sci-fi pillars, and it’s genuinely exciting for a nerd like me to see the Trek take on Frank Herbert’s ‘Butlerian Jihad.’ Think about this: Sci-fi “essentials” such as Foundation, Dune, Ghost in the Shell, I Robot, The Matrix, War of the Worlds, etc. have all influenced our future-thinking philosophy in different ways by asking tightly focused “what if” questions and considering what-might-be in an intelligent way. With a few minor exceptions, Star Trek’s only real substantial contribution to that discussion has been social — “What if nobody cares about race and gender?” but that message has always been watered down by the requirements of getting ratings. In Picard we finally see Trek confronting a “big” science question over the course of more than a single episode when it wonders “what really will happen when there’s no line between human life and artificial life?” or perhaps “what is it that makes a human?” This may alienate some viewers who might prefer family friendly romps with space crystals and robotic probes who can be talked into exploding, but I personally prefer this more grounded, more “real” feeling Trek experience.
Picard also brings back some characters from the past and makes use of them in interesting ways, especially Seven of Nine. Already there’s a clamor among fans for a stand-alone Seven series based on her new persona. While this does not excite me quite as much as the idea of a Michelle Yeoh led “Section 31” series, I would fully watch “Seven Versus the Universe” or whatever it would be called.
The problems Picard experiences, as far as I can see, rise from the fact that in a hard sci-fi book done well, the author will take two thirds of the book establishing the problem and the characters, shaping the universe to best fit the story to be told. (Jack McDevitt is great at this.) Then the big reveal is the answer to the science question, such as “if you had faster than light communication could a child genius remote control all the ships?” But in this “book” the universe and main character are already established. So the first part tends to drag a bit and you can’t help but notice the fan service whenever an old character is trotted out, even if they only come to die to raise the stakes. Characters seem mostly flat and uninteresting especially when compared to shows like Battlestar Galactica or Deep Space Nine. With only 10 episodes, character arcs are mostly weak or non-existent, and I found myself more interested in the cadre of holograms than the main crew.
There’s also the ever-present people-doing-what-the-plot-requires rather than what makes sense. Seven is the worst offender for this, showing up and being conflicted and acting in a way that seems more random and chaotic than her calculating and intelligent self from Voyager. Then when her plans fail to make sense you can’t help but wonder “why was that even necessary, except to maybe try and make her seem ‘cool’ to fans?” It’s frustrating, but that thought is quickly dismissed when the payoff is something delightful like a Borg cube rampaging out of a space-conduit at a critical moment. Unfortunately, characters make plays based on relationships that simply haven’t been earned, and forgiveness of betrayal is handed out like candy. This series could have been greatly helped by a Quark and a Garak, a Hoban Washburne or a Saul Tigh, but instead we got a whole cast of characters who fluctuate between generically likable and emotionally broken. When watched multiple episodes in one go, personal tragedy seems common in Picard than in any WB soap opera, yet the crew remains remarkably functional, lessening the emotional impact due to over-saturation of personal woe.
Picard himself comes off more as “Sir Patrick Stewart” than as the old stoic and stern Picard character most of the time. This is fine since everybody in the entire universe loves Sir Patrick, but it makes a few lines in the show fall flat. For example, when Picard is described as being deeply uncomfortable with both children and emotional displays (remember “Captain Picard day?”) but then acts with perfect charm and great affection with a child. No biggie, but annoying.
Importantly, the show confronts some of the challenges of aging, such as being used, dismissed, ignored, or considered irrelevant; with some of the captain’s efforts simply failing because people don’t listen to this old man any more. That’s powerful stuff.
Still, it’s pretty fun, easy to watch, and the last 3 episodes are not only exciting and have the best acting, but they also include a masterfully done hard sci-fi take on some important Star trek standards while wrapping in modern thought on some big questions about the universe, all expertly hidden under the relationship-driven story, which helps create appeal to a wider audience than only those who can recite the laws of robotics.
Summing up: Pacing and character arcs are a little weak. Writing in general, overall plot, quality of production, story are all good. Sci-fi power has been amplified, Star-Trek technobabble is reduced. People are more broken and affected by their pasts, but still Trekky enough that they are functional. If you are a Star Trek fan you will find yourself getting the tingles when Picard gives the captain’s seat the side-eye, or when you recognize minor characters returning to their roles in satisfying ways. You will also be angry and sad as you see formerly invincible characters you loved die abruptly when you are just aching to see them back in action for multiple episodes, not just a scene or two. This was the most difficult part for my wife to watch, as she simply didn’t want these wonderful characters to die. Sadist that I am, I appreciated that her experience of pain watching beloved characters die could only be earned by writing a story that takes place after literal decades of character development and emotional investment in a show. Right or wrong, if I had been handed the pen, I would have killed a few people too; and I think Joss Whedon is on my side.
This show is probably a 15-and-up kind of show, with more adult situations, violence, and language than Next Generation ever had. Combat is far more hand-to-hand and bloody than before, which may turn some folks off if they’re looking for family-friendly.
Having said all that, Picard is well worth a watch, in my opinion. I know this review sounds like a lot of negative stuff, but that’s only because I can’t talk about the great stuff without spoilers, and there’s lots and lots of great parts.
If you are looking for a continuation of Next Generation, this isn’t it. This is its evolution.
