Star Trek: Picard Episode 1 Review: Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard is Back With the Same Moral Conscience and All Set for New Adventures 

Star Trek: Picard Episode 1 Review: It isn't easy to revive and upgrade a franchise that has had longstanding fan following and also introduce it in a way so as to pave way for new fans. That challenge has been taken by the new CBS All Access/ Amazon Prime show Star Trek: Picard. It is a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994 and also takes place 18 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, the final film which starred the crew of The Next Generation. The first episode of Picard starring Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard is finally out and I have to say, the much-awaited series has begun on a fairly interesting note. For those who have followed Star Trek since the beginning will find it easier to relate to the story and once again be thrilled by Picard's appeal, who has been one of the noblest, trustworthy father-figures of the television series. He's known to be the problem-solver and also the starship Enterprise’s wisest captains. I'd still say it will be a tad easier for those who watched Star Trek: Nemesis, to know how the follow-up leads here. Star Trek’s New TV Show on Picard to Stream Globally on Amazon Prime.

The series' first episode introduces us to Picard as a retired man living at his family vineyard in France. Being his usual pensive self, Jean-Luc's mundane routine consists of walking his dog No 1 and drinking his Esspresso from a fancy 3D printing device which works on the voice command (I gotta get myself one of these!). Although, his retirement days are not all that jolly given that it has been a result of the catastrophic disaster of Mars and his fall out with the Federation due to conflicting ideals. In the meantime, Picard is also seen going through a hard time as he often dreams of Commander Data (Brent Spiner) whose loss he hasn't been able to cope with. But soon, things may force Picard to move out of his retirement given that a mystery girl, Dahj (Isa Briones) who appears at his doorstep after being chased by unknown assassins has a task for him that could force him to make a comeback as space dad (how else can we describe him!).

The first episode does a good job of setting up its premise for the series and gives enough space for new fans to explore and understand what they are about to embark on. Even as Stewart and Spiner look aged, there's a sense of excitement the Star Trek fans will experience watching them together in scenes that are a part of Picard's dreams. Of course, it's a little weird seeing Spiner's aged version given that he plays a synthetic, man-made android who ideally wouldn't age. On disappointing notes, the whole mystery surrounding Dahj's character unfolds too quickly and could have been kept under the wraps for episode one. Sadly, the first episode also merely puts Picard's two Romulan servants in scenes revolving around his retirement life without really giving us any background to them. Unfortunately, there's little development shown about their characters and how they got here.Not to mention, the whole catching up on the Mars disaster takes place through a scene in an interview that Picard agrees to do and that doesn't seem like the best way to give us a quick flashback.

The first episode titled 'Remembrance' has been helmed by Hanelle Culpepper, who happens to be the first female director to launch a new Star Trek series in the franchise’s history and I'd say she does a good job. The first episode with its promising action sequences between Dahj and the assassins gives us faith that the special effects in new Star Trek show are going to be more than satisfactory and are also well-placed in the story.  The pilot episode's climax with Picard learning some crucial information makes for a good setup ensuring that viewers like me will come back to see what lays ahead. Donald Trump Gets Trolled for New US Space Force Logo That Looks Like Star Trek’s Starfleet Command Logo (View Pic).

Check Out the Trailer of Star Trek: Picard:

One of the key things that need to be seen in the coming episodes though is how the show will find its resonance in the current climate. The show has always served a good amount of social commentary and in the Trump era it could do so much more. Given that the refugee crisis has become a topic of significant discussion at this point, Jean-Luc Picard's statement on wanting to save lives, not “Romulan lives” whilst discussing the Mars destruction shows where the writers are headed. Stewart's Picard is seen openly calling out Starfleet that is putting its hands up in fulfilling its moral duties and has fallen prey to a world where integration is not their prime responsibility with the federation banning synthetic humans. This is a major move on the show's front to show why Picard has distanced himself from the Federation that is currently not in the right hands.

Yay!

-  Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard

- Star Trek: Picard is about to get more political

-  Picard and No 1 are the cutest duo

Nay!

-   No space calling for Picard as of yet

-  Dahj's mystery unfolded too quickly

Final Thoughts

The pilot episode of Star Trek: Picard does a good job at reviving the franchise without latching onto too much of the past to confuse new viewers and also packs enough nostalgia to make the older ones cheery. Patrick Stewart's Picard is one of the most-loved sci-fi heroes and his ageing Picard is still as admirable as the younger one. The setup for the second episode looks exciting and I'm surely up for it!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2020 01:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).