The cast turnover of Picard is proof the show never found its audience

Star Trek: Picard has never been fully embraced by the fandom.

Maybe even more so than Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard was always seen as the most divisive show on the Trek radar. Fans gave Discovery and Lower Decks grief, sure. Yet, it had more to do with what they saw as being “non-Star Trek”, which I can see that particular argument. The critics of Picard were always far more upset, however.

It felt like the show was the most hyped and hopeful heading into the first season of the series, but it ended up being dark, depressing, and distanced itself from the source material it was based on. Fans wanted this to be a reunion of sorts, and it ended up being an argument. That’s part of the reason why fans never embraced it wholly. Sure, it’s not universally hated, it has its fans, but it’s not a debate that many, maybe half, maybe most of the fandom never embraced it.

The turnover of the cast essentially proves that. The talent wasn’t the issue, it was the use of it that was. The folks at Picard made the show dark, made the characters hard to like, and took the characters we long knew in a vastly different direction than we last left them.

That was never going to win fans.

Star Trek: Picard is turning over the cast to the stars of The Next Generation

With the start of season two, the series took a focus on trying to recapture the essence of The Next Generation. They brought back Whoopi Goldberg, John de Lancie, Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, and of course Patrick Stewart to the series. Then it was announced, mid-season, that the cast of The Next Generation would be returning to the Star Trek franchise for season three.

Now, only three or four characters are returning for the franchise’s final season. The rest of the slots belong to The Next Generation cast. So why replace the cast? Why announce their return mid-season, all but confirming the turnover?

It’s simple, it never found its audience. It, and not Discovery, was the show fans most disliked. They had to do something to get fans interested in the show, and this was a last desperate attempt to justify the show’s bloated budget.

It’s part of the reason why the show shot back-to-back seasons. The show is an unmitigated failure, and Paramount agrees. If they didn’t, they would never go all the way back into the nostalgia well to try and goose the views.

If the plan all along was to do a reunion, it would’ve been for season three. Not the final season. Considering there are rumors about how the show never wanted the TNG crew back, it’s not hard to believe the edict to bring everyone back came from Paramount on down. That type of meddling only comes when the series is struggling.

Picard has seemingly never found its audience and they’re hoping nostalgia can carry them through a final season.