“Star Trek: Picard” is a television series within the “Star Trek” franchise, focusing on Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Patrick Stewart. Set 20 years after “Star Trek: Nemesis,” the series explores Picard’s life post-Starfleet.
The series begins with Picard living on his vineyard in France. His peace is disrupted when a young woman named Dahj seeks his help, leading Picard on a mission involving synthetic life forms, the Romulan Empire, and new galactic threats. Picard reunites with old friends and makes new allies as he confronts personal demons and complex political landscapes.
“Star Trek: Picard” explores themes of redemption, identity, and the ethics of artificial intelligence. It delves into Picard’s struggles with past decisions and broader political and social issues within the “Star Trek” universe.
“Star Trek: Picard” offers a deeper look into one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. While early seasons had mixed reviews, the third season garnered acclaim, solidifying the series’ place in the “Star Trek” legacy.
When did Star Trek: Picard air?
Start Trek: Picard ran for a total of three seasons in 2020-2023.
The first season ran on CBS All Access from January 23, 2020 to March 26, 2020.
The second season ran on Paramount+ from March 3, 2022 to May 5, 2022.
The third season ran on Paramount+ from February 16, 2023 to April 20, 2023.
Each season contained 10 episodes.
Starring
- Patrick Stewart
- Alison Pill
- Isa Briones
- Harry Treadaway
- Michelle Hurd
- Santiago Cabrera
- Evan Evagora
- Jeri Ryan
- Orla Brady
- Brent Spiner
- Ed Speleers
Characters
Main Characters
- Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart): Retired Starfleet admiral and former USS Enterprise captain.
- Dahj/Soji Asha (Isa Briones): A synthetic being with ties to Picard’s past.
- Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd): Former Starfleet officer and close associate of Picard.
- Cristóbal Rios (Santiago Cabrera): Skilled pilot and former Starfleet officer.
- Elnor (Evan Evagora): Romulan refugee trained by the Qowat Milat.
- Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill): Cyberneticist with a deep interest in synthetic life.
Supporting Characters
- William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis): Picard’s old friends from the USS Enterprise.
- Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan): Former Borg drone advocating for synthetic rights.
Basic facts
Genre: Science fiction
Country of origin: USA
Language: English
Number of seasons: 3
Number of episodes: 30
Episode lenght: 39-62 minutes
Creators: Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer, Alex Kurtzman
Showrunners: Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas
Music composers: Jeff Russo, Jerry Goldsmith, Stephen Barton, Frederik Wiedmann
Production
Executive producers:
- Eugene Roddenberry
- Trevor Roth
- James Duff
- Patrick Stewart
- Heather Kadin
- Akiva Goldsman
- Michael Chabon
- Alex Kurtzman
- Terry Matalas
- Doug Aarniokoski
- Dylan Massin
Production companies:
- Secret Hideout
- Weed Road Pictures
- Escapist Fare
- Roddenberry Entertainment
- CBS Studios
Production location:
Santa Claria, California
Budget: 8–9 million USD per episode
Fan reception
The first two seasons received a tepid reception from fans, who felt the series struggled with pacing, narrative coherence, and character development.
The third season was widely regarded as a significant improvement, praised for its tighter storytelling, better character arcs, and successful integration of nostalgic elements from earlier “Star Trek” series.
Background
In 2018 Alex Kurtzman, the showrunner for the series Star Trek: Discovery, signed a five-year contract with CBS to expand the StarTrek franchise.
As a part of this expansion, plans had been made for a tv-series that would star Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, and Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman (who had worked on the first season of Stark Trek: Discovery) were assigned to the project.
Stewart was initially not interested in reprising his role, but after a meeting with Kurtzman, Goldsman and the Star Trek: Discovery-writer Kirsten Beyer, he agreed to at least read a four-page document outlining the basics of the series.
After getting novelist Michael Chabon onboard, the team sent a new and longer (35-page) document to Stewart, who eventually relented and agreed to star in the show. In August 2018, he surprised the attendees of the annual Star Trek convention in Las Vegas by showing up and officially announcing the series – and confirm his role in it.