Although the current TV standard-bearers of "Star Wars" are alleged to have sometimes been referred to as "fan service", it is hard to imagine a more brazen businesswoman than "Star Trek: Picard", a A show that primarily exists to rekindle nostalgia. "Star Trek: The Next Generation." It's not all bad, but season two once again finds the Paramount+ series moving forward on the warp factor of slow motion.
The first season of the series kicked off with the title character getting a new lease on life, which felt more than a little manipulative, but never mind. Patrick Stewart remains grand company in the title role even in his changed state, following a finale that essentially trades one for another in a major death.
Season two reunites Jean-Luc Picard with familiar faces, including Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan and John de Lancy as the cue (before the letter indicated something else entirely). , with later setting the plot in motion. They are joined by holdover Jerry Ryan, among others, to embody "Next Generation" roots.
Nevertheless, the narrative unfolds at a very leisurely pace through the first three episodes, and involves Picard and his unpredictable crew traveling back in time to thwart an existential threat in the 21st century. . While it has a long history, including past migrations into "Trek" mythology, tinkering with the timeline "Terminator" genre is one of those science-fiction wrinkles that runs the risk of missing out on head-exploding territory. .
"Picard" nonetheless remains perhaps the most marketable title under the "Star Trek" banner, which Paramount, in its eagerness to provide essential content for its streaming service, has inevitably taken over. The roster, spearheaded by producer Alex Kurtzman (involved in most by Akiva Goldsman), already includes the "Star Trek"-branded "Discovery," "Short Treks" and the animated series "Prodigy" and "Lower Deck." Another live-action entry contained in the original series, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," is due out in May.
It's going so boldly for an AARP-worthy franchise, ahead of Paramount's recently announced plans to try to revive the theatrical films Chris Pine and company manage to bridge.
"Picard"'s latest mission—returning to the past in an effort to build a brighter future—is thus inadvertently representative of the place where the "Trek" franchise currently finds itself. And while watching Stewart over the top is reward enough in some ways, producers rely heavily on that goodwill, with a season, at three hours, that feels like it's barely come off the drydock.