In Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 1, Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) is about to make big changes in his life when he receives a distress call. What does a retired admiral do when the past comes calling? He gets by with a little help from his friends.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 1: The Next Generation
Douglas Aarniokoski (director), Terry Matalas (writer)
Sir Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd (cast)
February 16, 2023
When we begin season 3’s The Next Generation, it’s been a few years since the events on The Stargazer and the introduction of the new Borg. Life has changed significantly for Picard, who’s now actually ready for retirement. Meanwhile Picard’s partner, Laris (Orla Brady), has found a new purpose for her fellow Romulans. But if there’s one thing that’s been consistent about Picard’s life in this series, it’s that the man can’t catch a break and won’t be allowed any rest.
On the verge of packing up Chateau Picard, the admiral receives a coded message from an old friend he hasn’t heard from in 20 years — Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). She’s in trouble and needs help, with one important caveat: no Starfleet.
From Season 1 of Picard, Starfleet and the Federation have been almost like enemies to the crews of our favourite Star Trek shows. Where once Starfleet idealized hope and friendship, attitudes have changed significantly in the Star Trek universe (and in our world). There’s something altogether colonialist about the way the Federation swoops in on unsuspecting planets with offers of resources and protection. We’ve seen in Star Trek: Discovery, which has travelled to the far future, the fatal consequences of relying too much on the Federation to the detriment of one’s own planetary needs. Picard himself fell out with Starfleet when they refused to aid the Romulans when their planet was destroyed. Not exactly the friendliest organization around.
So, it isn’t exactly surprising Crusher wants nothing to do with Starfleet. But there’s a bigger mystery involving Crusher and her erstwhile Enterprise crew in Picard season 3 that I can’t wait to find out more about. The future we all imagined for the family that was the Enterprise crew hasn’t panned out. But why? And are 10 episodes enough to get answers?
As has been the case throughout this series, Picard quickly realises that he can’t go it alone. Since Agnes Juratti is now the Borg Queen, Cristóbal Rios is living in 2024, and Elnor has become a true-blue Starfleet cadet, Picard turns to someone he already knows — Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).
And here’s yet another mystery in Picard’s season 3 opener. There’s some weirdness surrounding Riker’s personal life but we only get hints of it. Suffice to say, the man is more than happy to go on an adventure with his old captain. We also get to see what Raffi Mussiker (Michelle Hurd) is up to, as well as an update on Seven of Nine’s (Jeri Ryan) new life. None of which is what I expected so I’m intrigued and concerned about what’s going to happen with my favourite queer Star Trek couple.
It seems pointless to talk about the visual effects since this is Star Trek but I love how is just so lived-in looking. The planets, the streets, the ships. They seem real. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how Star Trek and Star Wars are currently bleeding into each other, at least visually. A recent Bad Batch episode was positively Star Trek-ish and the visuals in this episode look like they could be from Coruscant. Is that a bad thing? I don’t know. These two universes have lived in my mind and powered my imagination for the majority of my life. As much as I would like them to have a distinct visual aesthetic, I also know that the realities of the entertainment industry mean that the VFX folks are underpaid and overworked. As long as we don’t get janky CGI, I’m fine with it.
There’s a level of acting one has come to expect from the veteran Star Trek actors. Of course, Sir Patrick is in full-form in the season 3 opener, but I also don’t think he’s been challenged much in this episode. I hope we’ll get to see his full range in the rest of the season.
Hurd as Raffi is spectacular as a woman on a mission in desperate need of some help because she is at the end of her tether. I’ve loved Hurd’s work on this show, and she continues to ground this universe with her acting.
Ryan has so effortlessly stepped back into the shoes of Seven of Nine that it feels like I never stopped watching Star Trek: Voyager (okay, I’ve rewatched the show a lot since I first saw it, but you know what I mean). Yet, Ryan has also managed to continue imbuing Seven with the gravitas of a person completely at sea with a world she was told would welcome her with open arms. We learned in the previous season that Starfleet categorically rejected Seven for being ex-Borg (a rule they didn’t apply to Picard) but Seven has still stood by Captain Janeway’s belief in Starfleet principles. Whether Seven will be rewarded for her faith in an organization that has let so many people, including her, down remains to be seen.
But the absolute highlight of this episode has to be Frakes’ Riker. Where has he been? Why hasn’t he been headlining this series with Sir Patrick? Frakes is a delight! He’s so jolly and happy and so freaking funny. His chemistry with Sir Patrick is so palpable, it feels like they never stopped working together. Which is technically true since Frakes has been directing episodes of Picard. But it’s not just laughs with Riker. Frakes also knows when to dial up the pathos when the scene calls for it. I know it’s cliché, but he is such a breath of fresh air here and it’s definitely needed. Picard has been a heavy show and very dark. While Rios and his holograms added some levity in the first two seasons, with him gone, somebody needed to step in. It’s amusing that Riker has taken the place of the funny man because he was anything but in TNG. Well, I’m glad he’s here now.
There are some monumental revelations in this season opener I’m not sure what to make of yet. They’re fascinating but have left me wondering what happened with the Enterprise crew all those years ago. I can’t help but wonder if Data’s death sent everyone spiralling or if that’s just the connection I’m making because as a teenager, Data’s death in Nemesis was hard to deal with. Data has been quite a focal point in this series so I’m sure there’ll be some connection to him as the rest of the season plays out.
With Terry Matalas taking over as show runner in Season 2, we can expect more connections to his previous show 12 Monkeys. I’ve already spotted two but I assume we’ll see more actors and crew appear as the series closes out.
I enjoyed this episode and not just because of Riker. A lot happens and yet it takes its time to introduce or re-introduce characters, establish relationships, and forge connections to Star Trek lore. We’ve got hints to the big threat this season and how the main cast might get involved with it. I still miss the new characters we met in the first two seasons and wish we could have had more time with them. But I’m excited to revisit The Next Generation crew and learn what they’ve been up to. There’s so much to be excited for this season but it’s going to be tough to meet everyone’s expectations. I’m going to try and enjoy this final adventure, no matter what ship and crew it’s with.
