The third season of Star Trek: Picard did not want for nostalgia, as the final season saw the former Enterprise captain finally reunite with most of his original bridge crew. The high point of the nostalgic final season occurred in the penultimate episode “Vox,” when La Forge revealed a reconstructed and restored Enterprise-d. Amidst explanations about how he rebuilt the ship over 20 years (after its destruction on Veridian III in Star Trek Generations) Geordi drops this bit of information, “And obviously, we can’t use the Enterprise-e.”
The emotional reveries pause for a moment as everyone grows quiet and looks at Worf. “That was not my fault,” the former Enterprise-e captain declares and everyone moves on. It’s a fantastic gag, a reminder of Michael Dorn’s ability to sell a humorous one-liner by playing a humorless character. Yet, in initial drafts, Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas had more grandiose...
The emotional reveries pause for a moment as everyone grows quiet and looks at Worf. “That was not my fault,” the former Enterprise-e captain declares and everyone moves on. It’s a fantastic gag, a reminder of Michael Dorn’s ability to sell a humorous one-liner by playing a humorless character. Yet, in initial drafts, Picard season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas had more grandiose...
- 5/20/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
"Star Trek" was initially meant to be a portrait of a technological utopia set in a future when humanity had outgrown war, shed religion, and put money behind it. In the best of cases, the franchise revealed a world without want or starvation, having become so well-organized that resources could be freely shunted about the galaxy on miraculous faster-than-light starships. Most notably, starting with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Federation vessels were equipped with magical food replicators, which rearranged energy into edible matter. One could walk up to a food slot on the wall -- everyone's personal quarters had one -- and order anything from a glass of water to a six-course meal. Famously, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) would order "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."
Replicators are such a miraculous technology, that the writers of "Star Trek" had to begin inventing limitations merely for dramatic reasons. It's now been established repeatedly...
Replicators are such a miraculous technology, that the writers of "Star Trek" had to begin inventing limitations merely for dramatic reasons. It's now been established repeatedly...
- 5/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Identity Crisis", Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) discovers from an old friend named Lieutenant Commander Susanna Leijten (Maryann Plunkett) that they are the only two people still alive and accounted for from a mysterious away mission on the planet Tarchannen III, conducted years before. The other members of the team have all mysteriously fled to Tarchannen III -- sometimes stealing shuttlecrafts to do so -- and vanished without a trace. It won't be long before Leijten begins exhibiting strange, nervous symptoms of an unknown disease, causing her to become fearful and twitchy. She, too, it seems, is being irresistibly drawn back to Tarchannan III. Is Geordi next? Not to spoil anything, but yes he is.
It's eventually revealed that an undetectable spore on Tarchannen III infected the members of Geordi's old away mission, causing them to mutate. It seems the spores are...
It's eventually revealed that an undetectable spore on Tarchannen III infected the members of Geordi's old away mission, causing them to mutate. It seems the spores are...
- 4/15/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Identity Crisis", Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) meets an old friend, Lieutenant Commander Susanna Leijten (Maryann Plunkett), the only surviving member of a mission they both went on years before. It seems that their compatriots have gone missing or stolen shuttlecrafts to return to the planet Tarchannen III, where they were last united. Soon after her arrival, Leijten also begins exhibiting weird behavior, twitching nervously and demanding a visit to Tarchannen III. Her body begins to mutate. Her fingers fuse together and eerie blue veins appear on her skin. Her eyes turn yellow. It's all Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) can do to slow the mutations.
Geordi, while unattended, also suddenly begins to mutate. He eventually returns to Tarchannen III, having turned into a near-invisible creature that can only be seen under a special blacklight. Leijten has to overcome her own...
Geordi, while unattended, also suddenly begins to mutate. He eventually returns to Tarchannen III, having turned into a near-invisible creature that can only be seen under a special blacklight. Leijten has to overcome her own...
- 4/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This article is part of Collector’s Digest, an editorial series powered by:
As one of the longest-running sci-fi franchises of all time, Star Trek has generated more than its fair share of merchandise. Before Star Wars and before the MCU, the ruler of geeky ephemera is easily Star Trek.
In 2024, Star Trek is bigger than ever. Not only is it celebrating the 60th anniversary of the filming of the first episode ever — “The Cage” in 1964 — but this year is the 40th anniversary of one of the most pivotal films in the franchise ever, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. On TV, this spring will see the return of Star Trek: Discovery, which will host a premiere at the SXSW Film & TV festival, for its fifth and final season, while a new Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 film is actively filming and expected to drop late this year. Meanwhile, the...
As one of the longest-running sci-fi franchises of all time, Star Trek has generated more than its fair share of merchandise. Before Star Wars and before the MCU, the ruler of geeky ephemera is easily Star Trek.
In 2024, Star Trek is bigger than ever. Not only is it celebrating the 60th anniversary of the filming of the first episode ever — “The Cage” in 1964 — but this year is the 40th anniversary of one of the most pivotal films in the franchise ever, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. On TV, this spring will see the return of Star Trek: Discovery, which will host a premiere at the SXSW Film & TV festival, for its fifth and final season, while a new Michelle Yeoh-led Section 31 film is actively filming and expected to drop late this year. Meanwhile, the...
- 3/8/2024
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
At the start of "Star Trek: Picard," the title character (Patrick Stewart) is living in retirement on his generations-old family vineyard. Although one can replicate synthehol in the future, it's comforting to know that some vintners will still be making wine the old-fashioned way. The full range of wines made at Château Picard hasn't been listed in the official canon of "Star Trek," but sharp-eyed Trekkies have noted that characters have been seen drinking a Château Picard Bordeaux and bottles labeled Château La Barre. Thanks to enterprising booze-hounds, real-life bottles of Château Picard can be purchased online. The Klingon blood wine is actually just a cabernet sauvignon.
Given that the Picard family had been in the wine-making business for centuries, one might assume that Château Picard is very fine indeed, exploring and idly conquering the palate like Alexander the Great. Like Picard himself, I imagine Château Picard to be dry and complex,...
Given that the Picard family had been in the wine-making business for centuries, one might assume that Château Picard is very fine indeed, exploring and idly conquering the palate like Alexander the Great. Like Picard himself, I imagine Château Picard to be dry and complex,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
According to IMDb, "All Good Things..." -- the final episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" -- filmed on the Paramount lot and around Southern California from March 11, 1994, to April 5. The episode aired on May 23. The final episode made extensive use of the show's many sets, filming on the bridge, in Ten Forward, and throughout various corridors on the Enterprise-d. The series ended with a complex time-travel story, and the implication that the adventures of the Enterprise-d would continue, but that audiences simply wouldn't be allowed to watch them. Had "Star Trek" ended there, I think many Trekkies would have been perfectly content. Or, more likely, we would have happily shifted focus to "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" which debuted in January of 1993.
Paramount, it seems, wanted "Next Generation" to remain fresh in people's minds, however, and the production of the first "NextGen" feature film, "Star Trek: Generations," overlapped with "All Good Things.
Paramount, it seems, wanted "Next Generation" to remain fresh in people's minds, however, and the production of the first "NextGen" feature film, "Star Trek: Generations," overlapped with "All Good Things.
- 1/16/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The final episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," called "All Good Things..." saw Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) becoming unstuck in time, very similar to what happened in Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Slaughterhouse-Five." Picard finds himself in his present, but frequently traveling uncontrollably to a point seven years in his past, just before the first episode of "Next Generation." Then, just as uncontrollably, Picard would be thrown several decades into his future, now a bearded old man wrestling with a brain ailment. Picard's time jumps, it seems, are a test of Q (John De Lancie), the trickster god intent on gauging humanity's moral worthiness for space travel.
The future sequences would likely be most fascinating to Trekkies. Where would the "NextGen" characters be in several decades? Would the Enterprise-d still be in use? Would their careers change? Would the show's main characters remain friends or drift apart? As it so happens,...
The future sequences would likely be most fascinating to Trekkies. Where would the "NextGen" characters be in several decades? Would the Enterprise-d still be in use? Would their careers change? Would the show's main characters remain friends or drift apart? As it so happens,...
- 1/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, prolific screenwriter Tracy Tormé has passed away at the age of 64. Tormé was a veteran of 1980s-era "Saturday Night Live" and wrote the TV movie "UFO Cover-Up?: Live!" in 1988, cementing his reputation among amateur ufologists everywhere. In the late '80s, Tormé was hand-picked by show creator Gene Roddenberry to contribute to the then-new "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Tormé became the show's executive story editor and creative consultant, a position he held for 24 of the show's early episodes. He is also the credited writer on 12 first-season episodes, including "Haven," "Skin of Evil," "The Arsenal of Freedom," and "The Big Goodbye."
That last episode, which aired on January 11, 1988, was notable in that it was the first holodeck-forward episode of the series. The holodeck was, of course, introduced in the show's pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint," which explained to audiences that the Enterprise-d was equipped with...
That last episode, which aired on January 11, 1988, was notable in that it was the first holodeck-forward episode of the series. The holodeck was, of course, introduced in the show's pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint," which explained to audiences that the Enterprise-d was equipped with...
- 1/13/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.
Do you remember how great it felt when Jean-Luc Picard stepped onto the bridge of the restored USS Enterprise-d, with all the members of his senior staff around him and ready for one last adventure? Remember how much better that was than watching Icheb from Voyager get mutilated or watching Picard ride dune buggies in Star Trek: Nemesis? Patrick Stewart does not.
In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stewart talked about an upcoming Star Trek movie centered on at least part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. “I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it,” Stewart told host Josh Horowitz. “And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so.”
That sounds exciting, right? After all, while...
Do you remember how great it felt when Jean-Luc Picard stepped onto the bridge of the restored USS Enterprise-d, with all the members of his senior staff around him and ready for one last adventure? Remember how much better that was than watching Icheb from Voyager get mutilated or watching Picard ride dune buggies in Star Trek: Nemesis? Patrick Stewart does not.
In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stewart talked about an upcoming Star Trek movie centered on at least part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. “I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it,” Stewart told host Josh Horowitz. “And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so.”
That sounds exciting, right? After all, while...
- 1/8/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Ensign Sonya Gomez (Lycia Naff) is probably best known to Trekkies as the character who spilled a cup of hot chocolate on Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) in the second season "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Q Who." In the episode's cold open, Ensign Gomez ordered a cup of her preferred beverage from a food replicator, and was careful to say "please." Lieutenant La Forge (LeVar Burton) pointed out that one needn't say "please" and "thank you" to computers. Gomez then, possessed of nervous chatter, began to tell Laforge about how excited she was to be on the Enterprise. As she exited to put her drink down, she bumped into the captain coming the other way, spilling chocolate all over them both.
Ensign Gomez only appeared on "Next Generation" one other time, in "Samaritan Snare," but was given less to do. Regardless, she stood out. Most Trekkies remember Gomez well...
Ensign Gomez only appeared on "Next Generation" one other time, in "Samaritan Snare," but was given less to do. Regardless, she stood out. Most Trekkies remember Gomez well...
- 12/21/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
We all know the story of Captain James Tiberius Kirk, who for many is Star Trek’s greatest captain. From a humble upbringing in Iowa, he distinguished himself at Starfleet Academy, even winning the Kobayashi Maru. After serving on the USS Farragut, Kirk took command of the Enterprise, the ship to which he returned time and again, even after being promoted to Admiral. After his presumed death aboard the Enterprise-b, Kirk spent time in the idyllic Nexus before returning with his successor Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who convinced him to come to Veridian III and stop the rogue El-Aurian Dr. Soren.
Kirk and Picard defeated Soren at the cost of the former’s life. “Oh my…” said the dying legend as he got a glimpse of the great beyond awaiting him, where no man had gone before.
Honestly, Star Trek: Generations offered a pretty ignoble end for the legendary character, especially...
Kirk and Picard defeated Soren at the cost of the former’s life. “Oh my…” said the dying legend as he got a glimpse of the great beyond awaiting him, where no man had gone before.
Honestly, Star Trek: Generations offered a pretty ignoble end for the legendary character, especially...
- 11/29/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Nichelle Nichols herself told the story in Roger Nygard's 1997 documentary film "Trekkies." It seems that a young Black girl, maybe 11 or 12, was watching "Star Trek" for the first time in the late 1960s. When that girl saw Nichols portraying the communications officer on the U.S.S. Enterprise, she leaped up and ran to her mother to share the good news. The girl yelled, "There's a Black woman on TV, and she ain't no maid!" That girl was Whoopi Goldberg.
Goldberg was a "Star Trek" fan ever since, and would eventually be given a role on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" some 21 years later. Goldberg, it seems, was friends with LeVar Burton, who played Geordi La Forge on the show, and requested that he do her a favor. Since Goldberg was a big movie star, the makers of NextGen were happy to have her on the show. According to...
Goldberg was a "Star Trek" fan ever since, and would eventually be given a role on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" some 21 years later. Goldberg, it seems, was friends with LeVar Burton, who played Geordi La Forge on the show, and requested that he do her a favor. Since Goldberg was a big movie star, the makers of NextGen were happy to have her on the show. According to...
- 10/28/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This Star Trek: Lower Decks article contains spoilers.
Okay, leaving aside the super-racist episode “Code of Honor,” we’re all agreed that “Shades of Gray” is the low point of Star Trek: The Next Generation, right? Sure, there’s still “Masks” and “Rascals” and I get why people don’t like “Sub Rosa” (I said what I said), but “Shades of Gray” is hardly an episode. Riker gets an alien infection, Dr. Pulaski sticks a doo-hickey on his head, and then he… rewatches highlights from the first two seasons. And that’s because “Shades of Gray” is that most dreaded product of 1980s syndicated television: a clip show.
Fortunately, clip shows have become a relic of the pop culture past rendered unnecessary in our always-on digital age. But Lower Decks never forgets, so it’s no surprise that the series would do its own version of a clip show. And...
Okay, leaving aside the super-racist episode “Code of Honor,” we’re all agreed that “Shades of Gray” is the low point of Star Trek: The Next Generation, right? Sure, there’s still “Masks” and “Rascals” and I get why people don’t like “Sub Rosa” (I said what I said), but “Shades of Gray” is hardly an episode. Riker gets an alien infection, Dr. Pulaski sticks a doo-hickey on his head, and then he… rewatches highlights from the first two seasons. And that’s because “Shades of Gray” is that most dreaded product of 1980s syndicated television: a clip show.
Fortunately, clip shows have become a relic of the pop culture past rendered unnecessary in our always-on digital age. But Lower Decks never forgets, so it’s no surprise that the series would do its own version of a clip show. And...
- 10/19/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Sir Patrick Stewart is a legend of stage and screen. By the time he took the defining role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," he had spent decades on the stage as an esteemed member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He won the Laurence Olivier Award in 1979 for his performance in "Antony and Cleopatra," and by the time he stepped foot on the Starship Enterprise he had already appeared in films like John Boorman's "Excalibur," David Lynch's "Dune," and Tobe Hooper's "Lifeforce."
So, when you hear that this absolute madman, this revered actor's actor, approached his role in "The Next Generation" with anything but the full confidence he's always projected as a performer ... well, it makes you question everything you think you know to be true. That goes double when you find out the reason for his insecurities.
There was one member of the...
So, when you hear that this absolute madman, this revered actor's actor, approached his role in "The Next Generation" with anything but the full confidence he's always projected as a performer ... well, it makes you question everything you think you know to be true. That goes double when you find out the reason for his insecurities.
There was one member of the...
- 10/17/2023
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
Star Trek: Insurrection was a disappointing entry for the Next Generation crew – both creatively and at the box office. It made $117 million worldwide, which was only about $30 million less than Star Trek: First Contact, but the budget was pretty hefty, thanks mainly to salaries, with the film costing $70 million, making it the most expensive Trek movie to date. While the studio likely eeked out a profit once it hit home video, the margins were slim. Thus, Paramount, which still hoped the franchise could bounce back in another movie, opted to shake things up for the ambitious Star Trek Nemesis. Yet, all the pricey talent they went after, at the sacrifice of some of Tng’s key creative players, could save the movie from being an all-out disaster that ended the Next Generation crew’s adventures on the big screen for good.
Jump back to 1998. Star Trek: Insurrection wasn’t a hit,...
Jump back to 1998. Star Trek: Insurrection wasn’t a hit,...
- 10/15/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
When it comes to the "will-they-won't-they" romance, the "they won't" option is woefully underrated. For decades, TV fans have been trained to have an almost Pavlovian response to characters with good chemistry, expecting them to follow a pretty rigid narrative pathway towards endgame coupledom -- or, at least, a much-hyped hookup. The rom-com trope rulebook includes plenty of plot points designed to finally get the two fated characters together, from an "only one bed" situation to a love triangle to a fake dating scheme.
"Star Trek: Lower Decks" played around with the latter trope this week when besties Tendi (Noel Wells) and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) were tasked with going undercover as a married tourist couple on Ferenginar. Instead of kicking their relationship into high gear, though, the challenge proved both uncomfortable and hilariously high-stakes. At episode's end,...
When it comes to the "will-they-won't-they" romance, the "they won't" option is woefully underrated. For decades, TV fans have been trained to have an almost Pavlovian response to characters with good chemistry, expecting them to follow a pretty rigid narrative pathway towards endgame coupledom -- or, at least, a much-hyped hookup. The rom-com trope rulebook includes plenty of plot points designed to finally get the two fated characters together, from an "only one bed" situation to a love triangle to a fake dating scheme.
"Star Trek: Lower Decks" played around with the latter trope this week when besties Tendi (Noel Wells) and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) were tasked with going undercover as a married tourist couple on Ferenginar. Instead of kicking their relationship into high gear, though, the challenge proved both uncomfortable and hilariously high-stakes. At episode's end,...
- 10/5/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
By the end of the third season of "Star Trek: Picard," the title character had been through quite a lot. He died and was resurrected in an android body. He traveled to alternate universe and was thrown back in time several centuries. He witnessed the opening of a portal into robot Cthulhu's dimension. He saw the Borg evolve into something benevolent. He reunited with Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and discovered they had an adult son. So by the final scene of the series, when he and a group of old friends met in a bar for cocktails and a friendly round of poker, Picard had earned it.
Indeed, the scene of Picard, Crusher, Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Troi (Marina Sirtis), Worf (Michael Dorn), Data (Brent Spiner), and Geordi (LeVar Burton) all conversing, drinking, being friendly, and finally relaxing at the end of an adventure was more moving and exciting than...
Indeed, the scene of Picard, Crusher, Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Troi (Marina Sirtis), Worf (Michael Dorn), Data (Brent Spiner), and Geordi (LeVar Burton) all conversing, drinking, being friendly, and finally relaxing at the end of an adventure was more moving and exciting than...
- 10/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
At the conclusion of the third season of "Star Trek: Picard," after the villains had been defeated, showrunner Terry Matalas had properly and carefully set up another "Star Trek" spinoff series, should Paramount+ have wanted it. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) had received a posthumous recommendation for a captaincy from her late commanding officer Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) and was put in command of the U.S.S. Titan-a, now newly rechristened the U.S.S. Enterprise-g. One can perhaps assume that the rechristening was a special favor for the aging Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) now over 100 and happy to have a legacy.
Also serving on the Enterprise-g were a raft of characters seen throughout "Picard," most notably Seven's ex-girlfriend Raffi (Michelle Hurd), who would serve as her first officer. Picard's adult son Jack (Ed Speleers) was hastened through Starfleet Academy and was already serving as an ensign. Also...
Also serving on the Enterprise-g were a raft of characters seen throughout "Picard," most notably Seven's ex-girlfriend Raffi (Michelle Hurd), who would serve as her first officer. Picard's adult son Jack (Ed Speleers) was hastened through Starfleet Academy and was already serving as an ensign. Also...
- 10/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Yesterday was Star Trek day, marking the anniversary of Star Trek’s debut on tv in 1966. Since then, the series has spawned so much content that what’s considered the “best Trek” or “Worst Trek” is divisive. But, as far as the big screen movies go, one that remains divisive is 1998’s Star Trek: Insurrection. In 1996, Star Trek First Contact proved to be a sizeable hit for Paramount Pictures, with the action-packed addition to the franchise grossing a strong $92 million domestically and another $54 million abroad. Indeed, the franchise was set to continue, but as everyone who knows Trek is aware of, there’s a perceived curse on all the odd-numbered films in the series, and with this one being number nine, would Insurrection be the movie to break the pattern once and for all?
Nope.
Star Trek Insurrection is a curious follow-up to Star Trek: First Contact. While that movie was praised for being action-packed,...
Nope.
Star Trek Insurrection is a curious follow-up to Star Trek: First Contact. While that movie was praised for being action-packed,...
- 9/9/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
When Star Trek Generations came out in 1994, it did a lot better than anyone expected. In fact, it did just about as well at the box office as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country did, leading many to believe that the Next Generation crew seemed primed for a long run on the big screen. Up to this point, Paramount’s primary goal for making Star Trek movies was to keep the budgets as low as possible. After all, the series never did all that well internationally, so there was no reason to give them an A-budget. But, that thinking changed, for a while anyway, when Paramount went ahead and greenlit the most ambitious Star Trek movie since The Motion Picture: Star Trek First Contact.
None of the enemies the Next Generation crew faced on the Enterprise D were more feared – or iconic than the Borg. A hive collective of cyborgs that consisted of assimilated humans,...
None of the enemies the Next Generation crew faced on the Enterprise D were more feared – or iconic than the Borg. A hive collective of cyborgs that consisted of assimilated humans,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Booby Trap", the Enterprise-D discovered -- floating in a vast asteroid field -- an ancient Promellian battle cruiser, a ship that had been built 1,000 years earlier. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) mentions that the cruiser was engaging in space battles when Earth was barely perfecting the crossbow and that he -- an archaeology buff -- used to build models of similar ships as a boy. The Promellians, he explains, were once engaged in a costly and prolonged war with a species called the Menthars. The Promellian/Menthar war entirely wiped out both species a millennium ago, and derelict ships from the conflict are quite rare indeed.
"Star Trek" typically espouses a pointed pacifist philosophy, but one might find that the franchise also contains numerous characters who are fascinated by the history of combat and antique weapons of war. It's telling, however, that...
"Star Trek" typically espouses a pointed pacifist philosophy, but one might find that the franchise also contains numerous characters who are fascinated by the history of combat and antique weapons of war. It's telling, however, that...
- 8/8/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds article contains spoilers.
When Strange New Worlds premiered last year, nobody expected the show to become a series of strange new genres. And yet, the most retro Star Trek series of the modern era has proved to be the most flexible. In a race to see which Star Trek show would have become a musical first, nobody could have guessed Snw would have beat Lower Decks to that particular punch. But here we are. The first official musical in the history of Star Trek has arrived, and like a lot of Snw season 2, “Subspace Rhapsody” contains multitudes.
Here’s every big easter egg from the Strange New Worlds musical and how some of the deeper cuts actually will change the way you think about Star Trek history…
“Triple the Speed of Subspace Communications”
Uhura and Spock are pumped about finding a “naturally occurring subspace...
When Strange New Worlds premiered last year, nobody expected the show to become a series of strange new genres. And yet, the most retro Star Trek series of the modern era has proved to be the most flexible. In a race to see which Star Trek show would have become a musical first, nobody could have guessed Snw would have beat Lower Decks to that particular punch. But here we are. The first official musical in the history of Star Trek has arrived, and like a lot of Snw season 2, “Subspace Rhapsody” contains multitudes.
Here’s every big easter egg from the Strange New Worlds musical and how some of the deeper cuts actually will change the way you think about Star Trek history…
“Triple the Speed of Subspace Communications”
Uhura and Spock are pumped about finding a “naturally occurring subspace...
- 8/3/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
The final scenes of "Star Trek: Picard" saw Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) commanding the newly christened Enterprise-g (previously the Titan-a), taking her ship out on a brand new exploratory mission, exhilaratingly adding to the "Star Trek" legacy. Her first officer was her ex-girlfriend Commander Musiker (Michelle Hurd), and the ship is being piloted by Ensign La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut) Geordi's daughter. Notably, Jean-Luc Picard's son Jack (Ed Speleers) sat at the captain's left hand serving as her special council.
Just before leaping to warp, the crew turns to their captain in expectation, wondering how she's going to give the order to activate the engines. Picard previously said "Engage" on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as well as "Make it so." Other captains have adopted other dramatic phrases such as "Let's punch it" (Pike in the 2009 "Star Trek" film) or "I would like the ship to go.
Just before leaping to warp, the crew turns to their captain in expectation, wondering how she's going to give the order to activate the engines. Picard previously said "Engage" on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as well as "Make it so." Other captains have adopted other dramatic phrases such as "Let's punch it" (Pike in the 2009 "Star Trek" film) or "I would like the ship to go.
- 6/4/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The bulk of the third season of "Star Trek: Picard" takes place on the U.S.S. Titan-a, a ship that was once commanded by Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes), but had since been entirely retrofitted and put under the charge of the embittered Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick). Although "Picard" followed the fate of its title character (Patrick Stewart) and his old compatriots from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," one could see an entirely new Titan-based "Star Trek" series going on in the background. With a new crew, a new captain, and all-new technology, the Titan could easily have gone on its own exciting TV treks, even if the people on board had never met Admiral Picard.
Sitting at the helm of the Titan-a was Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut), the estranged daughter of Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), once the chief engineer on the Enterprise-d. Sidney was merely an ensign,...
Sitting at the helm of the Titan-a was Sidney La Forge (Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut), the estranged daughter of Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), once the chief engineer on the Enterprise-d. Sidney was merely an ensign,...
- 5/29/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“It was not going to be this.”
Terry Matalas doesn’t mince words about the difficulty of getting the “Next Generation” band back together for Season 3 of “Star Trek: Picard.” In fact, when he came onboard as showrunner prior to the second season, there was no plan for a reunion of the beloved Enterprise-D crew (nor an appearance from the ship itself).
“Because that was not the show they had set out to make,” he added in a new interview with IndieWire, alongside production designer Dave Blass. “‘Picard’ was the deconstruction of Jean-Luc Picard, and it had a new cast, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Matalas knew, though, that bringing back the full “Next Generation” cast for one final adventure — after their voyages came to a thud of an end with 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis” — would be electric if it happened.
He made it so.
Fans greeted...
Terry Matalas doesn’t mince words about the difficulty of getting the “Next Generation” band back together for Season 3 of “Star Trek: Picard.” In fact, when he came onboard as showrunner prior to the second season, there was no plan for a reunion of the beloved Enterprise-D crew (nor an appearance from the ship itself).
“Because that was not the show they had set out to make,” he added in a new interview with IndieWire, alongside production designer Dave Blass. “‘Picard’ was the deconstruction of Jean-Luc Picard, and it had a new cast, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Matalas knew, though, that bringing back the full “Next Generation” cast for one final adventure — after their voyages came to a thud of an end with 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis” — would be electric if it happened.
He made it so.
Fans greeted...
- 5/25/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
[Spoiler alert! The below contains extensive details about the finales of both series.]
For the past few years, “Star Wars” definitively had the upper hand over “Star Trek” in the streaming wars. Times change, though: The viewership totals may still be on the side of “Star Wars,” but when it comes to quality there’s no question “Star Trek” has now moved ahead of its rival space franchise.
With the exception of “Andor,” Disney+’s takes on that galaxy far, far away have grown increasingly limp — from the candy-colored nonsense of “The Book of Boba Fett,” to the from nowhere-to-nowhere storytelling of “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” to the astonishingly incoherent Season 3 of “The Mandalorian.” I’ve written before about the creative vacuum that was “Picard” Seasons 1 and 2, but, by any standard, “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 4, the first season of “Strange New Worlds,” and the final season of “Picard” are outclassing everything Lucasfilm is producing that doesn’t star Diego Luna.
This past week, the divergence was particularly striking.
For the past few years, “Star Wars” definitively had the upper hand over “Star Trek” in the streaming wars. Times change, though: The viewership totals may still be on the side of “Star Wars,” but when it comes to quality there’s no question “Star Trek” has now moved ahead of its rival space franchise.
With the exception of “Andor,” Disney+’s takes on that galaxy far, far away have grown increasingly limp — from the candy-colored nonsense of “The Book of Boba Fett,” to the from nowhere-to-nowhere storytelling of “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” to the astonishingly incoherent Season 3 of “The Mandalorian.” I’ve written before about the creative vacuum that was “Picard” Seasons 1 and 2, but, by any standard, “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 4, the first season of “Strange New Worlds,” and the final season of “Picard” are outclassing everything Lucasfilm is producing that doesn’t star Diego Luna.
This past week, the divergence was particularly striking.
- 4/22/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Prior to Season 3 of “Star Trek: Picard,” very little was known about what happened to Dr. Beverly Crusher after she left the U.S.S. Enterprise.
While previous seasons of “Picard” provided updates on Data, Will Riker and Deanna Troi, it had been over 20+ years since anyone — characters or viewers alike — had seen Crusher.
The third season of “Picard” filled in that two-decade gap: Beverly had a son, Jack Crusher. She chose not to tell his father, Jean-Luc Picard, out of fear Picard’s enemies would come after him. Eventually, they did, and Beverly was mortally injured, not before disintegrating a few aliens with a phaser rifle and sending out a distress call in the season opener.
Also Read:
Jeri Ryan on Seven of Nine’s Fate in the ‘Picard’ Series Finale: ‘It’s a Pretty Cool Moment’
She would be rescued by her former captain/lover, but in the series finale,...
While previous seasons of “Picard” provided updates on Data, Will Riker and Deanna Troi, it had been over 20+ years since anyone — characters or viewers alike — had seen Crusher.
The third season of “Picard” filled in that two-decade gap: Beverly had a son, Jack Crusher. She chose not to tell his father, Jean-Luc Picard, out of fear Picard’s enemies would come after him. Eventually, they did, and Beverly was mortally injured, not before disintegrating a few aliens with a phaser rifle and sending out a distress call in the season opener.
Also Read:
Jeri Ryan on Seven of Nine’s Fate in the ‘Picard’ Series Finale: ‘It’s a Pretty Cool Moment’
She would be rescued by her former captain/lover, but in the series finale,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot developments in “The Last Generation,” the series finale of “Star Trek: Picard,” currently streaming on Paramount+.
The last time the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast performed together on screen — in 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis” — it ended with a sour one-two punch: the sudden death of Data (Brent Spiner) and the financial failure of the film, which caused Paramount to stop making movies with the cast. Effectively, after a brilliantly successful seven-season run on TV, “The Next Generation” had been canceled from movie theaters.
Two decades later, when Terry Matalas was tapped to executive produce the final season of “Star Trek: Picard,” the lifelong “Trek” fan knew that he not only wanted to bring back the full “Tng” cast, but provide them with the swan song they had never received.
“I wanted it to feel like a proper send-off in the...
The last time the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast performed together on screen — in 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis” — it ended with a sour one-two punch: the sudden death of Data (Brent Spiner) and the financial failure of the film, which caused Paramount to stop making movies with the cast. Effectively, after a brilliantly successful seven-season run on TV, “The Next Generation” had been canceled from movie theaters.
Two decades later, when Terry Matalas was tapped to executive produce the final season of “Star Trek: Picard,” the lifelong “Trek” fan knew that he not only wanted to bring back the full “Tng” cast, but provide them with the swan song they had never received.
“I wanted it to feel like a proper send-off in the...
- 4/21/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.
In 1994, the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation was titled “All Good Things…” and now that ellipsis has been completed, with the inevitable phrase “…must come to an end.” In the series finale of Picard one era of the franchise very clearly comes to an end, while sneakily setting up a very hypothetical next next generation, too. Although the future of Star Trek in the 25th century remains unclear, and the franchise is once again expanding in other directions, it seems that for now, the story of the 1990s era has come to a close.
But the end of an era doesn’t mean the end of excellent callbacks to this golden age of Star Trek shows. Here are the biggest easter eggs, references, and shout-outs in “The Last Generation.”
Star Trek Intro Is Episode-Specific
After launching a boiler-plate Star Trek intro...
In 1994, the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation was titled “All Good Things…” and now that ellipsis has been completed, with the inevitable phrase “…must come to an end.” In the series finale of Picard one era of the franchise very clearly comes to an end, while sneakily setting up a very hypothetical next next generation, too. Although the future of Star Trek in the 25th century remains unclear, and the franchise is once again expanding in other directions, it seems that for now, the story of the 1990s era has come to a close.
But the end of an era doesn’t mean the end of excellent callbacks to this golden age of Star Trek shows. Here are the biggest easter eggs, references, and shout-outs in “The Last Generation.”
Star Trek Intro Is Episode-Specific
After launching a boiler-plate Star Trek intro...
- 4/20/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot developments in “The Last Generation,” the series finale of “Star Trek: Picard,” currently streaming on Paramount+.
When Patrick Stewart first met with producers Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman in 2017 to discuss the possibility of returning to play Jean-Luc Picard again on a new “Star Trek” series, Stewart famously did so as a courtesy to explain that he had absolutely no interest in revisiting the world of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
“I explained to them all those elements of ‘Next Generation’ which belong in ‘Next Generation,’ and why I didn’t want to go near them again,” Stewart told Variety in a January 2020 cover story. When the producers noted that the show could show a much different Picard, one who’d changed over the two decades since the events of the final “Tng” movie, 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis,” Stewart became intrigued, and signed...
When Patrick Stewart first met with producers Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman in 2017 to discuss the possibility of returning to play Jean-Luc Picard again on a new “Star Trek” series, Stewart famously did so as a courtesy to explain that he had absolutely no interest in revisiting the world of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
“I explained to them all those elements of ‘Next Generation’ which belong in ‘Next Generation,’ and why I didn’t want to go near them again,” Stewart told Variety in a January 2020 cover story. When the producers noted that the show could show a much different Picard, one who’d changed over the two decades since the events of the final “Tng” movie, 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis,” Stewart became intrigued, and signed...
- 4/20/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
This post contains spoilers for the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard."
For weeks now, the "one last ride" sentiment of the final season of "Star Trek: Picard" has been balanced out a bit by persistent murmurings from the show's cast and crew. "This is the end of the road for the crew from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,'" everyone essentially seems to be saying. "Unless...?" There's a whole world of speculation to be wrung from that meaningful ellipses, and at a press event attended by /Film, "Star Trek: Picard" showrunner Terry Matalas once again added his name to the growing list of people who would love to see the these beloved characters again.
/Film's Vanessa Armstrong attended a roundtable interview featuring Matalas in which the showrunner seemed eager to both focus on the present -- the series' finale just aired this week, after all -- and look to the future.
For weeks now, the "one last ride" sentiment of the final season of "Star Trek: Picard" has been balanced out a bit by persistent murmurings from the show's cast and crew. "This is the end of the road for the crew from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,'" everyone essentially seems to be saying. "Unless...?" There's a whole world of speculation to be wrung from that meaningful ellipses, and at a press event attended by /Film, "Star Trek: Picard" showrunner Terry Matalas once again added his name to the growing list of people who would love to see the these beloved characters again.
/Film's Vanessa Armstrong attended a roundtable interview featuring Matalas in which the showrunner seemed eager to both focus on the present -- the series' finale just aired this week, after all -- and look to the future.
- 4/20/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
When "Star Trek" first began as a franchise in the 1960s, it was extremely episodic, relying heavily on the characters and their interactions to help keep viewers engaged from week to week. As television became more serialized and the storylines more complicated, the importance of these character moments became even more vital, serving as connective tissue between the classic "Trek" and the new. Sure, a series might have a two or three-parter each season that's extremely plot driven and relegates character development to the backseat, but a big part of what makes "Star Trek" so endearing is the idea of hanging out with these crews as they go on their adventures and solve intergalactic dilemmas. People become incredibly attached to the characters and hold them to higher scrutiny, making character continuity both a treat and a challenge for "Trek" writers.
It was especially important for the writers of the third...
It was especially important for the writers of the third...
- 4/20/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for the Picard series finale, “The Last Generation.”
When this third and final season of Picard debuted earlier this year, I wrote that while on the one hand it was shameless fan service, on the other this was exactly what Star Trek fans wanted and needed after the show’s first two years were so disappointing. Simply bringing back the entire crew of The Next Generation — and giving most of them much better and richer material than what they got to play back in the Eighties...
When this third and final season of Picard debuted earlier this year, I wrote that while on the one hand it was shameless fan service, on the other this was exactly what Star Trek fans wanted and needed after the show’s first two years were so disappointing. Simply bringing back the entire crew of The Next Generation — and giving most of them much better and richer material than what they got to play back in the Eighties...
- 4/20/2023
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Star Trek: Picard signed off after three seasons by giving Jean-Luc and his Next Generation pals the final mission they’ve always deserved… but maybe this story’s not over just yet.
Thursday’s series finale picks up where we left off, with Jean-Luc and company aboard a refurbished Enterprise-d and headed to Earth to stop the Borg’s impending attack. We learn from Federation President Anton Chekhov (that name sounds familiar…) that the Borg have assimilated all of Starfleet’s young cadets and taken over its fleet, and they’re about to destroy the only defense system protecting Earth.
Thursday’s series finale picks up where we left off, with Jean-Luc and company aboard a refurbished Enterprise-d and headed to Earth to stop the Borg’s impending attack. We learn from Federation President Anton Chekhov (that name sounds familiar…) that the Borg have assimilated all of Starfleet’s young cadets and taken over its fleet, and they’re about to destroy the only defense system protecting Earth.
- 4/20/2023
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
This post contains spoilers for the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard."
Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" was largely about legacy, so it's no surprise that showrunner Terry Matalas wants to create a spin-off series called, well, "Star Trek: Legacy!" The series isn't official and hasn't been confirmed, but Matalas has said it's within the realm of possibility if enough people tune into "Star Trek: Picard" to justify another series. It's all up in the air and a matter of conjecture, but there has been some fan desire for a spin-off featuring Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick), so who knows?
Matalas made sure to lay the groundwork for a potential spin-off in the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard," setting up a show that would follow the next crew of the shiny new Enterprise, the Enterprise-g. Helmed by Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), the...
Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" was largely about legacy, so it's no surprise that showrunner Terry Matalas wants to create a spin-off series called, well, "Star Trek: Legacy!" The series isn't official and hasn't been confirmed, but Matalas has said it's within the realm of possibility if enough people tune into "Star Trek: Picard" to justify another series. It's all up in the air and a matter of conjecture, but there has been some fan desire for a spin-off featuring Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Captain Shaw (Todd Stashwick), so who knows?
Matalas made sure to lay the groundwork for a potential spin-off in the series finale of "Star Trek: Picard," setting up a show that would follow the next crew of the shiny new Enterprise, the Enterprise-g. Helmed by Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), the...
- 4/20/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.
What started in 1987 has ended. Instead of its original tepid exit in 2002 film Nemesis, the saga of The Next Generation has gone out with a bang in the epic and warm-hearted series finale of Picard. While this series began in 2020 as a somewhat risky Star Trek spinoff, the third season has emerged as a kind of soft reboot, bringing back the tone, aesthetic, and countless elements from ‘90s Star Trek. Season 3 has also emerged as a bona fide hit — becoming the first Star Trek Paramount+ series to break into the Nielsen top 10 of most popular streaming shows — as well as receiving a ton of critical acclaim, even more so than Strange New Worlds last year. Clearly, showrunner Terry Matalas did something right.
The series finale of Picard completes the story of season 3 but also gives the Tng crew a beautiful send-off. And then some.
What started in 1987 has ended. Instead of its original tepid exit in 2002 film Nemesis, the saga of The Next Generation has gone out with a bang in the epic and warm-hearted series finale of Picard. While this series began in 2020 as a somewhat risky Star Trek spinoff, the third season has emerged as a kind of soft reboot, bringing back the tone, aesthetic, and countless elements from ‘90s Star Trek. Season 3 has also emerged as a bona fide hit — becoming the first Star Trek Paramount+ series to break into the Nielsen top 10 of most popular streaming shows — as well as receiving a ton of critical acclaim, even more so than Strange New Worlds last year. Clearly, showrunner Terry Matalas did something right.
The series finale of Picard completes the story of season 3 but also gives the Tng crew a beautiful send-off. And then some.
- 4/20/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
This post contains spoilers for the "Star Trek: Picard" series finale.
In the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode titled "Timeless", Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) found themselves lost in an alternate future after the destruction of their ship. It seems that 15 years before, the Voyager was tinkering with something called a quantum slipstream when the experiment went wrong and the entire starship crashed, killing almost everyone. Chakotay and Kim endeavor to steal a time-altering widget that would allow them to restore the past as it was. In stealing said widget, however, they are pursued by a Federation starship. The ship is the U.S.S. Challenger, a Galaxy-class vessel captained by ... look, Trekkies! It's LeVar Burton as Captain Geordi La Forge! He finally got that command that he always -- or at least once -- wanted.
Geordi's place in the captain's chair in the "Voyager" alternate future...
In the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode titled "Timeless", Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) found themselves lost in an alternate future after the destruction of their ship. It seems that 15 years before, the Voyager was tinkering with something called a quantum slipstream when the experiment went wrong and the entire starship crashed, killing almost everyone. Chakotay and Kim endeavor to steal a time-altering widget that would allow them to restore the past as it was. In stealing said widget, however, they are pursued by a Federation starship. The ship is the U.S.S. Challenger, a Galaxy-class vessel captained by ... look, Trekkies! It's LeVar Burton as Captain Geordi La Forge! He finally got that command that he always -- or at least once -- wanted.
Geordi's place in the captain's chair in the "Voyager" alternate future...
- 4/20/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
If we've learned anything from the Star Trek: Picard series, in general, and Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 10, specifically, it's that endings are never final.
And these last few episodes of Star Trek: Picard have taught us that showrunner Terry Matalas does not hesitate to provide us with many, many endings in a one-hour narrative.
There's a sense of checking off an itemized list of the different Trek fan clusters, all of whom have a Lot to say throughout this farewell season about plot, character, nostalgia, and canon.
The first grand conclusion settles the central conflict of this specific adventure and happens at about the forty-minute mark of the sixty-two-minute runtime, which says something about how much business Matalas needed to settle before the credits rolled.
Jean-Luc Picard's road to fatherhood spans a lifetime, including a bitter relationship with his father and traumatic events that ended with his mother's death,...
And these last few episodes of Star Trek: Picard have taught us that showrunner Terry Matalas does not hesitate to provide us with many, many endings in a one-hour narrative.
There's a sense of checking off an itemized list of the different Trek fan clusters, all of whom have a Lot to say throughout this farewell season about plot, character, nostalgia, and canon.
The first grand conclusion settles the central conflict of this specific adventure and happens at about the forty-minute mark of the sixty-two-minute runtime, which says something about how much business Matalas needed to settle before the credits rolled.
Jean-Luc Picard's road to fatherhood spans a lifetime, including a bitter relationship with his father and traumatic events that ended with his mother's death,...
- 4/20/2023
- by Diana Keng
- TVfanatic
This Star Trek: Picard review contains spoilers.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 10
All good things must come to an end. Even the things we might wish wouldn’t. Such is the case with Star Trek: Picard, a series that, to put it mildly, struggled to find a coherent identity and purpose during its first two seasons, but which blossomed in its third and did so by finally embracing the very legacy it at first tried so hard to run away from. I’m as surprised as anyone to find myself wishing this story could last just a little bit longer, that we could somehow spend a little bit more time with these people, that we didn’t have to say goodbye to this piece of Star Trek: The Next Generation, grown older alongside us in rich and fascinating ways.
Look: If you, as a viewer, haven’t been enjoying the...
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 10
All good things must come to an end. Even the things we might wish wouldn’t. Such is the case with Star Trek: Picard, a series that, to put it mildly, struggled to find a coherent identity and purpose during its first two seasons, but which blossomed in its third and did so by finally embracing the very legacy it at first tried so hard to run away from. I’m as surprised as anyone to find myself wishing this story could last just a little bit longer, that we could somehow spend a little bit more time with these people, that we didn’t have to say goodbye to this piece of Star Trek: The Next Generation, grown older alongside us in rich and fascinating ways.
Look: If you, as a viewer, haven’t been enjoying the...
- 4/20/2023
- by Lacy Baugher
- Den of Geek
This post contains heavy spoilers for Star Trek: Picard
The first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard had an admirable, if not altogether successful, goal. Rather than just play on nostalgia, the series caught up with Jean-Luc Picard 20 years after Star Trek: Nemesis and teamed him with a new crew. While the adventures in both seasons certainly had their feet in classic The Next Generation storylines — as Data, the Borg Queen, and Q all played major roles — the series wanted to take Picard into a new, undiscovered country.
But for its third and likely last season, Picard has pulled out all of the stops, bringing back the cast from Tng. The result has been a rousing adventure in the mold of The Original Series movies, in which an aged crew find themselves on the run from Starfleet to face a threat only they can stop. Layered in with compelling new...
The first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard had an admirable, if not altogether successful, goal. Rather than just play on nostalgia, the series caught up with Jean-Luc Picard 20 years after Star Trek: Nemesis and teamed him with a new crew. While the adventures in both seasons certainly had their feet in classic The Next Generation storylines — as Data, the Borg Queen, and Q all played major roles — the series wanted to take Picard into a new, undiscovered country.
But for its third and likely last season, Picard has pulled out all of the stops, bringing back the cast from Tng. The result has been a rousing adventure in the mold of The Original Series movies, in which an aged crew find themselves on the run from Starfleet to face a threat only they can stop. Layered in with compelling new...
- 4/18/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
This article contains spoilers for season 3, episode 9 of "Star Trek: Picard."
In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Inheritance", the writers tossed in a quick, throw-away line of dialogue that explained away an ever-widening continuity problem of the show. In "Inheritance," the android Data (Brent Spiner) is introduced to a character name Julianna O'Donnell (Fionnula Flanagan), a long-lost wife of his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong. Effectively, Julianna is Data's mother. Later in the episode, when Julianna is injured, it's revealed that she, too, is an android, modeled after Soong's actual wife, who perished years before.
While examining the android Julianna, Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) explains how she operates and how her positronic brain was constructed. Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) notes that she gives off a false signal designed to throw off medical scans and trick doctors into thinking she's human. Geordi then also mentions that the signal is part of her program.
In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Inheritance", the writers tossed in a quick, throw-away line of dialogue that explained away an ever-widening continuity problem of the show. In "Inheritance," the android Data (Brent Spiner) is introduced to a character name Julianna O'Donnell (Fionnula Flanagan), a long-lost wife of his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong. Effectively, Julianna is Data's mother. Later in the episode, when Julianna is injured, it's revealed that she, too, is an android, modeled after Soong's actual wife, who perished years before.
While examining the android Julianna, Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) explains how she operates and how her positronic brain was constructed. Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) notes that she gives off a false signal designed to throw off medical scans and trick doctors into thinking she's human. Geordi then also mentions that the signal is part of her program.
- 4/14/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Thursday’s Star Trek: Picard.
The Star Trek: Picard crew is gearing up for next week’s series finale… and they have a nice ride to get them there.
More from TVLineDid Succession Crisis Feel Like a Ruse? Is Heir to the Empire Movie Ahead? Was Picard Twist Conveeenient? More Qs!Western Drama Joe Pickett (Finally) Gets a Season 2 Release Date, Now on Paramount+ -- Watch TrailerGrease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Includes Surprise Appearances From Og Favorites -- Grade the Premiere!
But first, Thursday’s penultimate episode answers a big question about Jack Crusher’s origins.
The Star Trek: Picard crew is gearing up for next week’s series finale… and they have a nice ride to get them there.
More from TVLineDid Succession Crisis Feel Like a Ruse? Is Heir to the Empire Movie Ahead? Was Picard Twist Conveeenient? More Qs!Western Drama Joe Pickett (Finally) Gets a Season 2 Release Date, Now on Paramount+ -- Watch TrailerGrease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Includes Surprise Appearances From Og Favorites -- Grade the Premiere!
But first, Thursday’s penultimate episode answers a big question about Jack Crusher’s origins.
- 4/13/2023
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
This article contains spoilers for season 3, episode 9 of "Star Trek: Picard."
It's all been leading to this. The penultimate episode of "Star Trek: Picard" finally explained what's up with Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the son of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), who has been plagued with voices and visions. It turns out that the next generation of the Picard family is tainted by Jean-Luc's time as Locutus of Borg, and poor Jack is some kind of SuperBorg who can assimilate people with this mind. Vadic (Amanda Plummer) is gone, but the Borg are an even greater threat, and Jack's psychic ties to them make things even worse. Things seem hopeless, except that there's one advantage the crew from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has over Jack and the Borg: age and wisdom.
"Picard" has sought to give "The Next Generation" a proper send-off, and it's...
It's all been leading to this. The penultimate episode of "Star Trek: Picard" finally explained what's up with Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the son of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), who has been plagued with voices and visions. It turns out that the next generation of the Picard family is tainted by Jean-Luc's time as Locutus of Borg, and poor Jack is some kind of SuperBorg who can assimilate people with this mind. Vadic (Amanda Plummer) is gone, but the Borg are an even greater threat, and Jack's psychic ties to them make things even worse. Things seem hopeless, except that there's one advantage the crew from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has over Jack and the Borg: age and wisdom.
"Picard" has sought to give "The Next Generation" a proper send-off, and it's...
- 4/13/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.
As Picard season 3 heads toward its conclusion, Star Trek fans are simply not prepared for how hard these episodes go in the nostalgia department. More than any other science fiction franchise, Star Trek’s history is so rich and varied, that it’s always possible to do something new with old material. For this reason, Picard’s penultimate episode, “Vox,” is still pretty shocking, even if you predicted some of these twists.
The easter eggs and callbacks here are there for the fan service, of course. But these are also storytelling moments, payoffs that are decades in the making. Here are all the biggest and most and best references and easter eggs in “Vox,” the next-to-last episode of Picard ever.
The Crimson Arboretum on Raritan IV
As Jack and Deanna try to get that red door opened, Jack remembers visiting the “crimson arboretum” on Raritan IV.
As Picard season 3 heads toward its conclusion, Star Trek fans are simply not prepared for how hard these episodes go in the nostalgia department. More than any other science fiction franchise, Star Trek’s history is so rich and varied, that it’s always possible to do something new with old material. For this reason, Picard’s penultimate episode, “Vox,” is still pretty shocking, even if you predicted some of these twists.
The easter eggs and callbacks here are there for the fan service, of course. But these are also storytelling moments, payoffs that are decades in the making. Here are all the biggest and most and best references and easter eggs in “Vox,” the next-to-last episode of Picard ever.
The Crimson Arboretum on Raritan IV
As Jack and Deanna try to get that red door opened, Jack remembers visiting the “crimson arboretum” on Raritan IV.
- 4/13/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.
“My god, Bones. What have I done?”
When Kirk asks that question at the end of The Search for Spock, it carries incredible weight. He’s chosen to destroy the USS Enterprise, the ship he commanded for years on not just the three seasons of The Original Series and the animated series, but also three feature films. The same could not be said of the destruction of the Enterprise-d in Star Trek: Generations. Sure, it had an even longer run, with seven seasons of The Next Generation in service.
But the crashing of the saucer in Generations had much less impact. Like the rather lackluster death of Kirk in that same movie, the crashing of the D seemed less like a monumental sacrifice and more like a closing of one era and setting up another — at the expense of poor Deanna Troi. The...
“My god, Bones. What have I done?”
When Kirk asks that question at the end of The Search for Spock, it carries incredible weight. He’s chosen to destroy the USS Enterprise, the ship he commanded for years on not just the three seasons of The Original Series and the animated series, but also three feature films. The same could not be said of the destruction of the Enterprise-d in Star Trek: Generations. Sure, it had an even longer run, with seven seasons of The Next Generation in service.
But the crashing of the saucer in Generations had much less impact. Like the rather lackluster death of Kirk in that same movie, the crashing of the D seemed less like a monumental sacrifice and more like a closing of one era and setting up another — at the expense of poor Deanna Troi. The...
- 4/13/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
In the episode of "The Ren & Stimpy Show" called "Space Madness", the feckless young space cadet Stimpy (Billy West) is charged with guarding a mysterious button called the History Eraser Button. No one knows what the History Eraser Button does, but Stimpy is immediately intrigued. He paces, looking at the button, sweating nervously. He wants to push the button. An announcer begins to dictate Stimpy's temptation. Will he push the beautiful, shiny button? The button that, even now, beckons him ever closer? Stimpy breaks down, wails that he cannot help himself, and pushes the button. History is erased and all the characters immediately cease to be. The end.
"Star Trek: Picard" has been pacing similarly around its own History Eraser Button for eight episodes. The "Picard" button, however, is a nostalgia button. A History Indulging Button, if you will. Showrunner Terry Matalas has been eyeballing his button for eight episodes,...
"Star Trek: Picard" has been pacing similarly around its own History Eraser Button for eight episodes. The "Picard" button, however, is a nostalgia button. A History Indulging Button, if you will. Showrunner Terry Matalas has been eyeballing his button for eight episodes,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.
The easter egg game is afoot! As was true with Picard’s easter egg bonanza from a few weeks ago, episode 8, “Surrender,” uses callbacks and references in such a way that you can’t actually figure out how the plot would work without this stuff. We know that the final two episodes of Picard season 3 will surely be packed beyond belief with references and Trekkie surprises, but for now, in “Surrender,” the references pack a punch because they make the plot happen.
Here are the best easter eggs and references in episode 8:
Vadic Smoking on the Bridge
Although it’s possible this isn’t an intentional reference, Vadic smoking one of her dusty shapeshifter cigarettes on the bridge of the Titan might be a shout-out to The Wrath of Khan. In that movie, at the very start, there are signs on the...
The easter egg game is afoot! As was true with Picard’s easter egg bonanza from a few weeks ago, episode 8, “Surrender,” uses callbacks and references in such a way that you can’t actually figure out how the plot would work without this stuff. We know that the final two episodes of Picard season 3 will surely be packed beyond belief with references and Trekkie surprises, but for now, in “Surrender,” the references pack a punch because they make the plot happen.
Here are the best easter eggs and references in episode 8:
Vadic Smoking on the Bridge
Although it’s possible this isn’t an intentional reference, Vadic smoking one of her dusty shapeshifter cigarettes on the bridge of the Titan might be a shout-out to The Wrath of Khan. In that movie, at the very start, there are signs on the...
- 4/6/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 8 “Surrender.”] Star Trek: Picard brought back Patrick Stewart’s Next Generation costars for its final season, and so far, it’s been one reunion after another. But it’s the eighth episode in which we see everyone together again — Picard (Stewart), Crusher (Gates McFadden), Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Geordi (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), Deanna (Marina Sirtis), and Data (Brent Spiner). McFadden talks about filming that scene and Crusher’s arc this season. When you first signed on to come back to Star Trek, how much had you known about Crusher’s arc? Gates McFadden: Nothing. I was contacted by [showrunner] Terry Matalas and he said, “Would you be interested? We have a really great storyline.” I said, “I’m interested. Tell me the storyline.” I think it was clear to the producers that the reason it was interesting for us to come back was if they...
- 4/6/2023
- TV Insider
“Star Trek: Picard” Season 3 is finally here and boy, is it a trip down memory lane.
This season, touted as the “final voyage,” reunites Jean-Luc Picard with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Their adventures were chronicled in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which ran for seven seasons from 1987 to 1994. The last time the cast shared the screen was in the 2002 feature film “Star Trek: Nemesis.”
The newest season of “Picard” picks up some 20+ years later, with Picard (Patrick Stewart) assembling his old crew to save one of their own.
Also Read:
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Cast and Character Guide (Photos)
Each week, we’ll break down the easter eggs and “Trek” reference from the latest episode. Of course, spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution.
“Star Trek: Picard” Season 3, Episode 1 Easter Eggs
Warning: spoilers ahead.
The very title of this episode, “The Next Generation,” is an homage to...
This season, touted as the “final voyage,” reunites Jean-Luc Picard with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Their adventures were chronicled in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which ran for seven seasons from 1987 to 1994. The last time the cast shared the screen was in the 2002 feature film “Star Trek: Nemesis.”
The newest season of “Picard” picks up some 20+ years later, with Picard (Patrick Stewart) assembling his old crew to save one of their own.
Also Read:
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3 Cast and Character Guide (Photos)
Each week, we’ll break down the easter eggs and “Trek” reference from the latest episode. Of course, spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution.
“Star Trek: Picard” Season 3, Episode 1 Easter Eggs
Warning: spoilers ahead.
The very title of this episode, “The Next Generation,” is an homage to...
- 4/6/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.