Star Trek: Picard is about to premiere in just a couple of days, finally bringing an end to the agonizing wait since the comeback of Jean-Luc Picard was announced in late 2018. Fans can’t wait to have Sir Patrick Stewart back in the captain’s chair, accompanied by many of his old co-stars from The Next Generation to boot. However, folks should be warned that Picard isn’t just a cosy reunion show that will coast by on nostalgia. Instead, it’ll move the world of the franchise forward in some bold new ways.
That’s what the cast and crew are keen to stress in this new featurette for the series. Titled “A New Chapter Begins,” the behind-the-scenes look includes interviews with Stewart, EP Alex Kurtzman and many others as they tease what’s in store for Jean-Luc, who’s much changed from when we last saw him almost 20 years ago.
As Stewart explains, the world is not the same as it was in TNG, as things have become more “complex” – and not necessarily in a good way.
“The show is called Star Trek: Picard. It’s not Next Generation. Almost 20 years have passed. Things have become more complex. The world of Starfleet, the world of the Federation is not quite what it was the last time Jean-Luc Picard was seen in that world. It’s different and it’s not all good.”
In terms of how he approached playing Picard after all this time, the actor was keen to bring his own experiences to the part to help him three-dimensionalize the character.
“What is so fascinating about playing this role now is that I can bring my aging, my experience, the way my life has continued to change and grow and allow all that to simply infiltrate the character of Jean-Luc.”
Kurtzman spoke about how it was Stewart himself who really wanted to push Picard in a new direction, leaving the writers with the challenging task of honoring the past but also creating something fresh.
“One of the first things that Patrick wanted to make sure of is that we were paying homage to and respecting what came before but doing something entirely different. Our mission was really to figure out how to build a show that did honor Next Gen and many other Trek shows, but that really had its own unique identity.”
The 10-episode first season of Star Trek: Picard kicks off this Thursday on CBS All Access. And the even better news is that a second season has already been confirmed.
