‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Review: Engaging the Action Is More Than a ‘Next Generation’ Reunion

Star Trek: Picard season 3 marks the third and final voyage for iconic captain Patrick Stewart, and I’m thrilled to see that it follows the main guideline of a Star Trek show: It’s Really Good. Manage!

Season 3 of Picard airs on Paramount More in the United States from February 16, with new episodes every Thursday (that’s the Amazon Prime Video around the globe). Even in just a few seasons, the show has fallen into something of a formula. Captain – sorry, Admiral – Picard is trying to enjoy his retirement in his vineyard when he is galvanized by a mysterious message for his eyes only. Along the way, he quickly encounters a former Trek star now transformed into a badass killing machine, for some reason. And a familiar villain emerges in a new and much scarier form.

After a few crowd-pleasing cameos in previous episodes, Season 3 completes the reunion of the classic cast of The Next Generation. Patrick Stewart is joined by the rest of the cast from the beloved 1990s Trek series in which we first met Picard and his crew, and it’s a joy to see them back in action. Who wouldn’t enjoy Stewart’s Picard and Jonathan Frakes’ Will Riker japes as they coexist on a rogue mission? And fans who were on the fence about the new Trek can bask in the nostalgia of the distinctive Next Generation font, or the resounding TNG theme over the Easter egg-filled closing credits.

On the other hand, the show refuses to take the easy road in imagining a future for beloved characters. You might wince at Gates McFadden’s Beverley Crusher John Wick aliens with a phaser rifle, and no one really needs Jean-Luc Picard wearing leather jackets and saying “fuck it.” But there is a real feeling that life has happened to these people. They weren’t just kept in a transporter pad for thirty years waiting to be teleported the same way we knew them. Seeing Will Riker’s arrogance tempered by tragedy, or Picard dealing with a mistake he didn’t know he had made, is heartbreaking – but, you know, in a fun way.

It’s not perfect, of course. Even though she kicks off the series, Beverley is quickly overshadowed by the new character she brings with her. And after watching the first half of the 10-episode season, some crew members still haven’t shown up. But judging by the episodes I’ve seen, I’m confident they’ll be treated in an interesting and respectful way. It’s especially great to see Worf kick ass and be funny without ever being the butt of the joke.

Familiar faces don’t just show up for fun, for a crowd-pleasing victory lap. There’s a particularly compelling cameo a few seasons that livens up the story and challenges Picard to face an ugly side of himself, with Stewart biting into his portrayal of a 30-year-old grudge. This particular cameo (no spoilers) also reminds us that old-school Trek did actually develop his characters and their flaws. Classic Trek was more than capable of complicating their lives and didn’t always deliver happy (or predictable) endings.

Picard presents a challenge to old school fans, but that’s fine. The show is not a comfort viewing or a nostalgic rehash. It truly justifies its existence, pushing the characters and the universe of Trek forward.

The season opens with Beverley Crusher up to no good, calling in Picard and Riker (and Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine, returning from previous seasons) for a less than legitimate deep space mission. Picard must confront both his personal demons and a horribly powerful new enemy (played with laughing intensity by Amanda Plummer) as his teammates old and new discover something far greater than they ever imagined.

This storyline is perhaps the most “Trek” the series has been to date, taking place on an actual Starfleet ship with characters wearing uniforms and all. It even features that fan-favorite TNG element: a goofy rival officer (you know, a Jellico type) who’s less than enamored with the adventurous spirit of the Enterprise family.

But it’s all updated from the vintage Trek mission-of-the-week format with ongoing storylines, character arcs throughout the season, and twists. It’s great to see that the cast and characters all have something to do rather than just waving tricorders and pressing buttons every week. That said, there East an element of fabricated drama, as in all next-gen Trek shows (Discovery and Strange new worlds). Much will depend on your tolerance for characters trapped in life or death situations stopping for a heart-to-heart conversation, or having a heated argument on deck when the red alert should focus their minds on the situation.

And why is everything so dark? Engineering, divert some energy to those fucking lights!

Overall, however, Picard turned out to be a very engaging Star Trek revival. It’s more than an exercise in nostalgia, more than a box of Playmates figures out of the attic with plastic phaser accessories returning to their hand. Season 3 doesn’t just reunite the beloved crew, it actually gives the cast something to do – perhaps facing more character development and emotion than they’ve ever had. in the original. Picard may not follow the cozy formula of vintage Star Trek, but we’ve got Strange New Worlds for that. Instead, for all his nostalgia, Picard boldly continues in the most important direction of all: forward.