The first episode of Star Trek: Picard, the new CBS All Access series reviving several of the characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation, has produced an outcry from the franchise’s hardcore fanbase.
The pilot episode, “Remembrance,” only released this Thursday but already, the show has gained a varying and controversial response among viewers. On Rotten Tomatoes, Picard has a remarkable 93% rating from critics and an admirable 81% score from the rest of its audience. But despite this, fans remain fans and some dislike the new tone and direction of the series, pointing to the significant differences from TNG.
That being said, Sir Patrick Stewart had spoken on this very matter prior to the show’s premiere. In approval of the feel of the new project, he stated that the world of TNG was one that felt too benevolent and safeguarded and the universe is not quite so sugarcoated as we might have believed.
Furthermore, one of the personal drives for Stewart in updating the story from its TNG cosmic-view was political. He says Star Trek: Picard was a response to “the world of Brexit and Trump and feeling, ‘Why hasn’t the Federation changed? Why hasn’t Starfleet changed?’ Maybe they’re not as reliable and trustworthy as we all thought.”
So, as much of entertainment has done throughout history, Picard is an ode of social commentary. Even when we look back on Star Trek as a franchise in its entirety, countless plots are prompted by intergalactic politics and the intervention of the Federation. Regardless of Stewart’s caution in advance though, many viewers have already become disgruntled and a slew of fans have voiced their melancholy and distaste for the new series in concise reviews left smoldering at Rotten Tomatoes.
“This isn’t Star Trek, and the writing is really bad; too much being attempted at once (feels rushed and packed), stupidly implausible,” wrote one viewer.
Another commented: “Worse than Discovery, Kurtzman’s goal to destroy Star Trek is complete.”
“Sadly I was hyped for this and got disappointed again like with Star Trek Discovery… Picard is nothing like the TNG Version. The storyline is pretty much garbage and nothing of Star Trek is in here again… No good future for humanity, no positivity, just dumbed down show that carries a name it isn’t worth…” said someone else.
“Star Trek Picard is a jumbled nonsensical mess that violates Star Trek canon and the very notion of human intelligence. Star Trek Picard is a sequel not to Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Star Trek DISCOVERY! Very disappointed!” another user wrote.
“If you’re expecting to watch a Star Trek show, look elsewhere. The Picard premiere was full of lazy writing and tired tropes. Picard has continued the trend of gutting the very heart of what Star Trek is…or was,” concluded another user.
Of course, a further staple of the Star Trek saga has been its philosophical musings. We especially see this in conversations from characters such as Jean-Luc Picard or Mr. Spock. However, in this regard, too, some fans felt cheated.
“Nothing about it feels like Star Trek. If this was let’s say another science fiction show I might be more interested but this is not what I am looking for in a Star Trek series. There is no [deep] philosophical element to the first episode, I don’t like the darker tone, I was rolling my eyes during the dumb action scenes, and the pacing is totally off,” reads one of the reviews.
Despite the mixed feelings from viewers, Star Trek: Picard continues to stream and the second episode will air on January 30th.