Star Trek: Picard Is The Long Overdue Show We Desperately Need Right Now

Updated Jan 22, 2020 4:57 PM EST

It’s no secret , I am a huge Star Trek fan. It has been something that’s been with me nearly my entire life. To this day, when I just need a certain level of relaxation and familiarity, I will throw The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine on and let it rip. I have seen the episodes so many times, but I always walk away wowed, appreciative, and even excited about how good many of the stories were, even though they were produced on budgets that can be considered tiny compared to today’s mega television shows. You can learn a lot by watching Star Trek, including a lot about yourself and most importantly, who you aspire to be.

Star Trek: The Next Generation eventually redefined what Star Trek was. At its center was one of the most morally sound characters in the history of fiction, Captain Jean Luc Picard, played by the now mega movie star Patrick Stewart. Hence, when I heard that he was returning to the role after nearly two decades in a new series and re-launching the up-to-date prime Star Trek timeline so many of us are so heavily invested in, I couldn’t have been more excited. It was literally like receiving a tremendous gift, albeit one that was overdue.

A Galactic Detour Of Sorts

I have sat for the better part of 20 years watching the franchise go in directions I was far from thrilled about. Star Trek Enterprise was better than it gets credit for, but it doesn’t compare where it counts most with its predecessors—in its atmosphere, tone, texture, and most of all, impact. It was killed right when it was finally finding itself, but in all honestly, it wasn’t a massive loss.

Then J.J. Abrams took Star Trek into the glitzy action blockbuster realm. The best thing these films did was show what Star Trek could look like using cutting-edge special effects and a generous budget. Beyond that, they were at times mildly entertaining and at others, very frustrating. Overall the rebooted alternate “Kelvin” timeline films felt like a detour of sorts and they didn’t really represent what so many post- Next Generation fans came to love about the franchise. It was as if Star Trek The Original Series had mated with the latter Fast And The Furious films and this is what popped out nine months later.

In the last few years, Star Trek: Discovery was born. Relegated to CBS ‘s streaming service, it had some interesting ideas and many unbelievably poor ones (have you seen or heard the Klingons?), but like Abrams’ Star Trek films, it gave us a clear idea of how incredible Star Trek can look with the latest production capabilities and a healthy budget brought to bear. Also, like the latest movies, it returned to a time frame around when the original series was set.

Some really bizarre choices and the show’s premium on relentless action made it confusing at times and it lacked the really rich and slower storytelling of Star Trek past. Its second season was convoluted, but better than the first, with the highlight being Captain Pike played incredibly by Anson Mount, and the pre-Kirk USS Enterprise’s crew of characters that were far more interesting than Discovery ‘s. Simply put, Pike and company stole the show. In fact, I wish they literally stole Discovery ‘s budget and production crew. I would trade a Captain Pike spinoff over Discovery with glee. Hopefully, we will be getting one that can exist alongside Discovery, so that wouldn’t be necessary.

Now, in deep in the age of the streaming wars, CBS is betting huge on Trek. Discovery remains in production and a slew of other Star Treks shows , from animated to live-action, are also on their way to CBS All Access , the biggest of which is Star Trek: Picard.

Rejoining The Prime Timeline In The Present, Finally.

The big point to all this beyond a quick history of post- Nemesis Star Trek is that all of these properties have been set in the era of the original series or before. The characters that many of us grew up with and loved so much from The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager were abandoned in the hunt for reboots, prequels, and more soft reboots. While the studio somehow believed most people who actually wanted more Star Trek yearned for Kirk, Spock, and Bones, or even their forebears, I think it’s safe to say the vast majority of us wanted more from the era we had spent literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of our lives learning about.

Finally, and I mean finally, the powers that be have realized what should have been a blatant reality. I mean, how couldn’t they by now? There are far more people around that grew up watching Picard and Riker than Kirk and Spock. Since Netflix became a thing, a whole new generation got hooked on these shows. The highly serialized Deep Space Nine , in particular, is far more potent when binged than when having to chase around re-run listings like many of us did over the years. That show remains eerily ahead of its time in countless ways and is absolutely awesome, even by today’s high television standards. More on that here .

It’s amazing to think the Star Trek Nemesis happened 18 years ago. The movie wasn’t good and a break was needed, but one lasting nearly two decades?, Paramount

The truth is, as time has moved one, The Next Generation has become perceived in a way similar to how the original series was in decades past. It is a classic, groundbreaking, highly engaging, and at times a remarkable example of television and science fiction storytelling. With this in mind, for many fans, it was obvious when Star Trek: Picard was announced that it would draw massive attention and anticipation. It was more ‘what took you so long?’ than ‘what bold risk!’ Look no farther than Seth MacFarlane’s The

Orville to understand the pent up demand for a Next Generation -like era show. The fact that it is a totally off-brand and humorous take on many of The Next Generation’s themes and has still lasted three seasons, is significant. In fact, I would argue that The Orville is the best Star Trek in decades.

The added benefit that everyone from The Next Generation is still alive, as well as many from Deep Space Nine and Voyager, and engaged in the Star Trek community means that Star Trek: Picard could, and should, turn into a whole new tangent of content for the already reinvigorated franchise, one that will likely be its most popular. But while it’s exciting to catch up with some of our favorite characters from the rich era of Star Trek that ran from 1987 to 2002, it’s more exciting that after 18 long and frustrating years, we can actually pick back up on the most extensive science fiction timeline any screen has ever seen.

Jeri Ryan comes back as Seven Of Nine in Star Trek: Picard. After a controversial introduction, her character ended up being one of the biggest highlights of Voyager . , CBS

In other words, hopefully, more spinoffs will come from this that will incorporate characters from all three series. Judging by the fact that Star Trek: Picard hasn’t even aired yet, but it has already been renewed for a second season, I think it is more likely than not.

A Badly Needed Voice From A Past Next Generation

Beyond the chronically unanswered demands of a huge fan base finally being satisfied, Star Trek: Picard could and should be far more than just a long-awaited sequel series with a hugely popular leading man. Picard’s character in Star Trek: The Next Generation had the best and most confident moral compass of any character I have embraced in fiction. Not only were his convictions deeply grounded, but his logic was absolutely consistent and uncannily on point. Somehow, this was the case without making him unnecessarily preachy or even cheesy. Such an accomplishment was the result of a magic potion of fantastic writing and Patrick Stewart bringing Picard to life and evolving the character over time. The result was a pulp-culture icon that really is worth listening to carefully.

Picard was a quiet, reserved, powerful man that also had a few of his own demons and somewhat entertaining shortcomings. Above all else, he achieved huge respect of his peers and a sense of authority via his mind, not his muscles. He was a slight, not very tall, graying, but mostly bald man. Hardly the traditional swashbuckling science-fiction or fantasy hero we are accustomed to. His power came through intellect, and we believed it without question… Totally.

This is the exact voice we need in a turbulent time in the country’s and the world’s history. We need to ask ourselves “what would Picard do?” in regards to the outlandish moral excursions we find ourselves mired in politically, militarily, and sociologically.

I have no deep insight into what the new series will hold, but I can only hope that they take the Picard of the past and plunk him down in a far less certain world than the one portrayed in The Next Generation. We need a Picard operating in a broken system struggling to find its way again, not a perfect one. A system with faltering long-held institutions and decaying morality. That way our own struggles in these regards can be reflected back at us in a manner only great science fiction really can.

As such, Star Trek: Picard could be so much more than just a good new Star Trek story with some beloved characters. It can have a real impact and help us better come to terms with the decisions that face our very real society. Above all else, no other character can provide clarity even in the murkiest situations.

A retired Picard has a lot to think about in Star Trek: Picard, and that’s a positive sign., CBS

The worst thing that could happen is that Star Trek: Picard just turns into another over-paced, action-packed, largely senseless adventure that has to swing a sledgehammer to make a point. But there in lies the opportunity—if the writers and production team behind the series are able to keep the prevailing “never enough action” forces at bay, and settle in with a more balanced, character-driven, and cerebral tone, that alone will make the show unique for the genre in this day and age. For Star Trek alone, it could redefine the franchise and set the bar at a new height.

There are promising indications that the series may be heading in this direction, but we won’t know for sure until the show premieres this Thursday, January 23rd, on CBS All Access .

For the sake of the Federation, and maybe even ourselves, let’s hope it does.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

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更新于美国东部时间2020年1月22日下午4:57。

我是《星际迷航》的铁杆粉丝，这早已不是什么秘密。它几乎伴随了我整个人生。直到今天，每当我需要放松和寻求熟悉感的时候，我都会打开《下一代》或《深空九号》，尽情享受。这些剧集我看过无数遍，但每次看完都依然会被深深震撼、感激，甚至兴奋不已，因为很多故事都精彩绝伦，尽管它们的制作预算与如今的巨制电视剧相比简直微不足道。观看《星际迷航》能让你学到很多东西，包括很多关于你自己的信息，以及最重要的，你渴望成为什么样的人。

《星际迷航：下一代》最终重新定义了《星际迷航》的内涵。这部剧的核心人物是科幻史上最具道德感的角色之一——让-卢克·皮卡德舰长，由如今的巨星帕特里克·斯图尔特饰演。因此，当我听说他将在近二十年后回归，出演一部新剧，并重启我们许多人无比关注的《星际迷航》主时间线时，我简直欣喜若狂。这感觉就像收到了一份迟来的厚礼。

某种意义上的银河系绕道之旅

近二十年来，我眼睁睁地看着这个系列朝着我并不乐见的方向发展。《星际迷航：企业号》比人们评价的要好，但它在最重要的方面——氛围、基调、质感，以及最重要的——冲击力——都无法与前作相提并论。它刚刚找到自己的定位就被扼杀了，但说实话，这并非巨大的损失。

随后，J·J·艾布拉姆斯将《星际迷航》带入了炫目的动作大片领域。这些电影最大的亮点在于展现了运用尖端特效和雄厚预算，《星际迷航》能够呈现出怎样的视觉效果。除此之外，它们时而略显娱乐，时而又令人十分失望。总的来说，重启后的“凯尔文”平行宇宙电影感觉像是偏离了正轨，并没有真正代表众多《下一代》之后粉丝所钟爱的《星际迷航》系列的精髓。这就像是《星际迷航：初代》与后来的《速度与激情》系列电影结合，九个月后诞生了这样一部作品。

近几年，《星际迷航：发现号》诞生了。这部剧被安排在CBS的流媒体平台上播出，它有一些有趣的创意，但也有很多糟糕得令人难以置信（你见过或听过克林贡人吗？）。不过，就像艾布拉姆斯执导的《星际迷航》电影一样，它让我们清楚地看到，在最新的制作技术和充足的预算投入下，《星际迷航》可以呈现出多么惊艳的视觉效果。此外，和最近的电影一样，它的故事背景也回到了初代剧集的时代。

一些非常怪异的选择，以及该剧对无休止动作戏的过度追求，有时让人感到困惑，也缺乏以往《星际迷航》系列那种丰富而缓慢的叙事风格。第二季剧情虽然复杂，但比第一季要好，亮点在于安森·蒙特精彩演绎的派克舰长，以及柯克舰长之前的“企业号”船员们，他们比《发现号》中的船员们更有魅力。简而言之，派克和他的伙伴们抢尽了风头。事实上，我真希望他们能把《发现号》的预算和制作团队都偷走。我宁愿用一部以派克舰长为主角的衍生剧来换《发现号》。希望我们能看到一部可以与《发现号》并存的衍生剧，这样就不用纠结这个问题了。

如今，在流媒体大战白热化的时代，CBS 对《星际迷航》系列寄予厚望。《星际迷航：发现号》仍在制作中，此外，还有一大批其他《星际迷航》剧集，从动画到真人剧集，也即将登陆 CBS All Access，其中最受瞩目的当属《星际迷航：皮卡德》。

终于在现在重新融入主时间线。

除了简要回顾《星际迷航：复仇女神》之后的星际迷航发展史之外，本文的重点在于，所有这些作品都设定在初代系列或更早的时代。我们许多人从小就熟悉并深爱的《下一代》、《深空九号》和《航海家号》中的角色，在追求重启、前传以及更多软重启的过程中被抛弃了。尽管制片厂似乎认为，真正想看更多星际迷航作品的观众大多渴望看到柯克、斯波克和麦考伊，甚至是他们的前辈，但我认为，绝大多数人真正想要的，是那个我们花费了数百小时学习的时代。

终于，我是说终于，当权者们终于意识到了一个显而易见的现实。我的意思是，他们怎么可能到现在还没意识到呢？看着《星际迷航：皮卡德》和《星际迷航：莱克星爵》长大的人，远比看着《星际迷航：柯克星爵》和《星际迷航：斯波克星爵》长大的人多得多。自从Netflix出现以来，整整一代人都迷上了这些剧集。尤其是剧情跌宕起伏的《星际迷航：深空九号》，一口气看完比像我们这些年来一样到处找重播信息要精彩得多。这部剧在很多方面都超前于时代，即使以今天的电视标准来看，也绝对精彩绝伦。更多内容请点击这里。

难以置信，《星际迷航：复仇女神》竟然已经是18年前的事了。这部电影并不成功，也确实需要休息一段时间，但没想到竟然持续了近20年之久？派拉蒙影业

事实上，随着时间的推移，《星际迷航：下一代》的地位已经与几十年前初代剧集的地位相仿。它是一部经典之作，具有开创性，引人入胜，有时甚至堪称电视和科幻故事讲述的典范。正因如此，当《星际迷航：皮卡德》宣布制作时，许多粉丝都预料到它会引发巨大的关注和期待。他们更多的是惊叹“你们怎么拖了这么久？”，而不是“多么大胆的冒险！”。看看塞思·麦克法兰的《星际迷航：皮卡德》就知道了。

《奥维尔号》展现了人们对类似《下一代》时代剧集的强烈渴望。它完全颠覆了《下一代》的风格，以幽默的方式诠释了许多经典主题，却依然播出了三季，这本身就意义非凡。事实上，我认为《奥维尔号》是近几十年来最好的《星际迷航》剧集。

《星际迷航：下一代》的所有演员都还健在，《星际迷航：深空九号》和《星际迷航：航海家号》的许多演员也依然活跃在星际迷航社群中，这无疑是一大优势。这意味着《星际迷航：皮卡德》完全可以，也应该为这个已经重获新生、焕发活力的系列开辟一个全新的内容领域，而且很可能成为其中最受欢迎的一部。虽然能够再次见到一些我们最喜爱的角色，重温1987年至2002年星际迷航黄金时代的精彩故事令人兴奋，但更令人兴奋的是，在经历了漫长而令人沮丧的18年之后，我们终于能够重新回到荧幕上呈现的最为宏大的科幻时间线。

杰瑞·瑞安回归《星际迷航：皮卡德》饰演七之九。尽管她的角色初次登场时颇具争议，但最终却成为《星际迷航：航海家号》中最令人印象深刻的角色之一。（CBS）

换句话说，希望这能衍生出更多剧集，并将三部剧集中的角色融合在一起。考虑到《星际迷航：皮卡德》甚至还没播出就已经续订了第二季，我认为这种可能性很大。

来自过去与下一代的迫切需要的声音

除了满足了庞大粉丝群体长期以来未得到回应的呼声之外，《星际迷航：皮卡德》远不止是一部由人气爆棚的男主角领衔主演、万众期待的续集剧集。在《星际迷航：下一代》中，皮卡德这个角色拥有我所喜爱的所有虚构人物中最优秀、最坚定的道德准则。他的信念不仅根基深厚，而且逻辑严密、一针见血。更难能可贵的是，这一切都没有让他显得说教或矫揉造作。这要归功于精彩的剧本和帕特里克·斯图尔特赋予皮卡德的生命力，以及他随着剧情发展不断塑造这个角色。最终，皮卡德成为了一个值得我们认真聆听的通俗文化偶像。

皮卡德是个沉稳内敛、实力强大的人，但他也有自己的心魔和一些颇具趣味的缺点。最重要的是，他凭借智慧而非蛮力赢得了同僚的尊重和权威。他身材瘦削，个子不高，头发花白，而且几乎秃顶。这与我们习以为常的科幻或奇幻小说中那种英勇无畏的英雄形象截然不同。他的力量源于智慧，而我们对此深信不疑……绝对如此。

在国家和世界历史动荡的当下，这正是我们需要的呼声。面对我们在政治、军事和社会层面深陷的种种荒谬的道德困境，我们需要扪心自问：“如果是皮卡德舰长，他会怎么做？”

我对新剧集的剧情走向并没有什么深入的了解，但我只希望他们能把过去的皮卡德放到一个远比《下一代》所描绘的更加动荡不安的世界中。我们需要的是一个身处破碎体系、努力重回正轨的皮卡德，而不是一个完美无缺的体系。一个根深蒂固的制度摇摇欲坠、道德沦丧的体系。这样，我们自身在这些方面的挣扎才能以只有伟大的科幻作品才能做到的方式，反映在我们自身。

因此，《星际迷航：皮卡德》的意义远不止于讲述一个精彩的全新星际迷航故事，以及塑造一些深受喜爱的角色。它能够产生真正的影响，帮助我们更好地应对现实社会面临的种种抉择。最重要的是，即使在最迷雾重重的境地，也没有其他角色能够像他一样带来清晰的指引。

在《星际迷航：皮卡德》中，退休的皮卡德有很多事情需要思考，这是一个积极的信号。（CBS）

最糟糕的情况莫过于《星际迷航：皮卡德》沦为又一部节奏过快、动作场面堆砌、剧情大多毫无意义的冒险剧，为了表达观点而大肆渲染。但这其中也蕴藏着机遇——如果该剧的编剧和制作团队能够遏制住“动作戏永远不够”的弊端，转而采用更加平衡、以人物为中心、更具思考性的基调，仅此一点就足以让这部剧在当今的同类型剧集中脱颖而出。就《星际迷航》系列而言，它甚至有可能重新定义整个系列，并将标准提升到一个新的高度。

种种迹象表明，该剧可能会朝着这个方向发展，但要等到本周四（1月23日）该剧在CBS All Access首播后，我们才能确定。

为了联邦的利益，或许也为了我们自己，让我们祈祷它能实现吧。

联系作者：Tyler@thedrive.com

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