Why people are still talking about Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard wrapped its third and final season in April.

Star Trek: Picard ended in April, but there’s still a lot of chatter about the show. First, there’s the potential for a spin-off with Jeri Ryan as Captain Seven of Nine. That hasn’t even been given the thumbs-up yet, but fans are clamoring to make it happen.

But what might happen in the future isn’t all everyone is talking about. It’s how the season was made, the visual effects, the artistry of the episodes, the emotional drama, and the characterization. It’s because this season of Picard wasn’t only just a throwback to Star Trek: The Next Generation that allowed to go places The Next Generation wasn’t. This season was so much more than just fan service.

Star Trek: Picard delved into darker subject matters and embraced drama and grittiness.

While the visual effects and the stunts were truly creative, the actors who embodied the characters reached deeper to bring out an even better version of those characters. Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden had an emotional firestorm to create for Admiral Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher while Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis had to really showcase the pain of parents who’d lost a son.

Some of the scenes were so visceral and Emmy-worthy they needed a rewatch. Certainly Frakes is hoping the series, as well as some of the actors, will be honored with an Emmy for their work in bringing this season to life.

This third season took the characters down dark alleys, with Worf decapitating a villain in his first scene, Raffi having to injest drugs just to stay in character, and Captain Shaw calling out Admiral Picard for the atrocities of the Borg and Locutus in a particularly noteworthy scene.

Reviews, like the ones on Rotten Tomatoes, hail this season as all the better for bringing back the crew from The Next Generation, but I think it was so much more than just the return of the crew that made this season so incredible. It was showrunner Terry Matalas taking risks. It was the makeup artists’ incredible skills at showing a Borg Queen still suffering from the aftereffects of Star Trek: Voyager’s “Endgame.” It was the creativity of the production team like designer Dave Blass, Stephen Barton and Frederik Wiedmann’s score, and the hard work of everyone behind-the-scenes who brought a vision to life. It was a perfectly synchronized, united effort, and that’s why fans are still talking about this season.