Picard 2020 - Review

The new Star Trek series 'Picard' is what you would call a slow burn. The action is gradual, the formation of circumstances and reveals each building on the last to slowly reveal a picture of the whole. It's definitely not like the Star Trek The Next Generation of old where each story had to be completed in forty or so minutes.

To be honest, I don't miss the lingering dramatic close-ups of Picard's stoic unchanging expression when faced with a dramatic revelation two or three times an episode. This time the story from perhaps one TNG two-parter is spread over ten episodes and it's just nice and easy to watch without being earth-shattering or formulaic.

Picard himself as played by Patrick Stewart is initially a little doddery, in that his voice is strained and breaking, he is a little hunched, his walking slow and requiring visible effort. I believe he is meant to be 94 years old, which in 24th Century Terms probably means around 75. To add to this he has a brain abnormality which was alluded to in TNG and which he is told will most likely kill him before old age does. All this goes to create a Picard very different to the one from the TV series or even the films. He is vulnerable, weak and he is ignored and dismissed by those who would normally listen to him. In short he is made to feel like a has-been, his words, his oratory, no longer possessing their former weight.

Off-screen this is added to by the fact that Picard has suffered a personal failure which caused his resignation from Star Fleet and been disheartened by the fact that the Federation seem to have dismissed and turned away from many of its own lofty ideals out of inconvenience. As such Picard no longer feels that he is relevant and through the course of the series he is trying to find a cause to get behind, trying to re-ignite his passion and live again. This is evident by the fact that during the course of the series Picard's voice becomes stronger as his own confidence and strength returns. You could say it's about redemption, or finding purpose, or just a man who realises it is more important to matter to and believe in himself. It is through that belief that he comes full circle, inspiring others to follow him once more. In the end Picard convinces the other characters that his lofty ideals are worth it, and are just as relevant as they have ever been

But it's not all about Picard, there are many other players bouncing around, each with their own stories that are actually allowed to develop and flesh out their characters to varying effect. I found Raffi's arc of her family being destroyed by her conspiracy obsession to be a shadow of Picard's own journey. No-one took her seriously so she retreated into a bottle just as Picard retreated into old age. Seven of Nine and Hugh equally relate to Picard in their ex-borg status, each coping with it in a different way, Seven with righteous violence and Hugh with compassion and healing. Both are spiritually related to Picard as he sees himself in them as they see themselves in him, drawing strength from each other.

Reos was definitely the smouldering heartthrob of the story, catching the eye of shy Agnes rather too easily. To be honest I preferred his holograms whose various accents and personalities served to show that the actor could act and wasn't there simply for the ladies. As for Agnes herself, she is a genius but also a coward who does something horrible for reasons I can't get my head around and then regrets it later. The actor struggles with this, but she is good enough to keep going and make Agnes accessible by equally making her afraid but also capable of overcoming that fear through force of will.

There is Elnor whose initial resentment of Picard is born of love and he is both an innocent and killer in equal measure, vulnerable, strong and noble without really knowing what nobility is. Then there is Soji, whose existence drives the plot but exists as more than simply a mcguffin. She gets to fall in love, be betrayed, lose her identity and then find a new sense of self and a father figure in Picard. It's a quick progression but I would say the actor pulls it off so the audience can identify with her resentment and then her change of heart as Picard's actions allow her to trust again.

So there you go, lots to see and think about without me even going into the racist fears of the main antagonists or the return of TNG alumni. I enjoyed it also for the fact that it is an ongoing story, development stays developed and doesn't just reset to zero like the next episode of TNG. These are real evolving people and they play off each other very well. Looking forward to season 2.