Star Trek: Picard - Season One - CBS All Access - starring Patrick Stewart (1 Viewer)

[Chris Will]

Hmm. My ATV 4K says it’s up to date with version 13.3.1

I was talking about the version of the CBS app, not the Apple TV OS. Are you watching through the CBS app or the "TV app CBS Channel". I looked yesterday on the CBS channel within the TV app and nothing was DV. Some stuff is though in the standalone CBS app.

 

[Tino]

I’m watching the cbs app on my atv4k.

 

[Tino]

He’s not wrong there - we see the supernova in the ‘09 movie when Spock Prime mind melds with Kirk. Spock was on a mission to create a black hole to absorb the supernova before it hit Romulus, but it expanded faster than expected and he was unable to arrive in time. He still created the black hole to stop the supernova from doing more damage but Romulus was gone by then. Nero had been Spock’s Romulan partner on that mission, and when it failed, Nero went after Spock, choosing to believe that Spock had intentionally allowed Romulus to be destroyed.

Spock and Nero wind up falling through the black hole, which leads to the creation of the ‘09 movie’s alternate universe. But the movie did actually (briefly) show how this problem in the prime universe in the 24th century led to the creation of a 23rd century alternate universe.

But unlike that review asserts, Picard wasn’t fired. It’s said during the TV interview - he resigned in protest.

Ahhh. I stand corrected.

 

[Chris Will]

I’m watching the cbs app on my atv4k.

That's weird, I don't know why we are seeing different things with the same app.


I'm glad everyone has been enjoying the show. I can't wait to watch it as I didn't have a chance last night.

I do wish Trek could get back to it's episodic roots though, that's when Trek has been at it's best IMO. It's also why the Short Treks feel more like Star Trek to me than all of "Discovery". There are so many character moments and great stories we would have missed if it was not for the episodic stories.

Over the years, every character got there own episodes to shine and that's how we really grew to know many of these characters. With the current format, I don't think we will ever get a memorable episode like "The Inner Light", "Yesterday's Enterprise", "Far Beyond the Stars", "Living Witness" and countless more. Do you think we will ever have a single episode of "Discovery" (or "Picard") remembered like those? After 2 seasons of "Discovery", there isn't a single episode that lingers in my mind. The overall story does to a degree but, not one single episode.

I know everyone is in love with these mutli-season long stories slowly playing out, and I'm not completely against that, I just think there is room for some traditional episodic Star Trek to find a home again. I'm thrilled "Picard" is getting great reactions and I'm excited to watch it but, at the same time, I'm growing tired of everything having to be a serial show these days.

Plus, it's harder to just drop in and watch an old episode of serials. With classic Trek, I go back and watch my favorites all the time. I haven't done that with "Discovery" yet. Maybe one day I'll be in the mood to do a complete re-watch but, I doubt I'll ever just pick a random episode to watch.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Stephen Colbert just tweeted a big spoiler:

Baby Worf.

https://twitter.com/StephenAtHome/status/1220728753703309312

Let's be realistic... it would be baby Spock.

I swear, with the way they've shoehorned Spock into everything since 2009, I think he's the only character the suits recognize.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I did a random Discovery with a couple episodes but I take your point, Chris.

I totally get where you’re coming from and I don’t disagree entirely. But I’m kinda glad to see a Trek where last week’s show impacts this week’s.

And with Picard in particular, at least in the first episode, I love that they’re taking it at a slower pace. For me, with TNG having been away so long, there’s no mission of the week I can imagine that I’d care more about than just the characters. I feel that if Picard was a more episodic show, all of the plot from the first episode would have been dished out in ten minutes and they’d resolve the season mystery in an episode or two. I find after them being away so long, I just want time with Jean-Luc Picard and his group. It’s absolutely different than what came before but it feels right.

I agree that Short Treks is awesome. I’d like to see them substantially up the number they make. That seems like the kind of thing where making ten or twenty a year shouldn’t be a hardship. I like that this year’s crop gave us a variety of stories in a variety of formats. More, please!

 

[Josh Dial]

I loved the premiere episode. I think it's the best pilot of any Star Trek series (not a high bar, but still...).

While not as flashy as Discovery, the directing and camera work was what you would expect from a show centered around a man of Picard's (and Stewart's) stature: it was careful, a tad reserved, and at all times controlled. The outdoor scenes were shot gorgeously, and the camera caught a lot of great light and shadow play. I can never get enough of the golden California light...

I don't really need to comment on Stewart's performance. He's clearly a master and has lost a single step in the years since he last played Picard.

The tone of the show was very emotional--very melancholic. For my money, Star Trek: Picard's pilot better captured what I think Scorsese was trying to capture with The Irishman. There was a deliberateness to the pacing and the way the nostalgic elements (Data, the archives, and even the "this season" previews) were weaved into the story. It was the good side of manipulative. The good side of fan service. Underscored by great music, it was almost like the elements were meant to crash over you like waves. It all had a considerable emotional impact on me. I found it almost elegiac.

This version of 24th century (or are we 25th now?) Earth felt the most realistic of any previous portrayal (excepting out Discovery's handful of scenes). One of my personal gripes with the Star Trek franchise is that it never really got into what life was like on Earth, nor what life was really like in a post-scarcity society. I know the shows are about going boldly where no one has gone before, but the franchise frequently references humanity's growth and evolution and yet fails to ever show it. I would kill for a show about the Federation (not Star Fleet) set on Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and Tellar Prime.

I really liked the costuming. It, too, felt more real than ever. Though would it have killed them to show a nice cowboy shot of the new uniform?

I'll post more later once more members have seen the episode. Until then, here's my season arc theory, based on nothing more than episode one:

Spoiler

The Romulans, having their population drastically reduced, are using a combination of Borg maturation pod technology and Soong android tech to jumpstart their population.

 

[Nelson Au]

I agree with Chris about the season long stories. I noticed on the season long story arc about the Xindi attack on Star Trek Enterprise, I find I have to commit to watching most of the season. The forth season was nice as it was shorter story arcs over two or three episodes. But the actions of each episode are not forgotten.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I agree, the best Star Trek pilot.

What’s so great about it is that it doesn’t feel like a pilot. Despite the passing of time, it felt like the logical next chapter. I didn’t even feel like I was watching a different show. And then, watching a TNG episode afterwards felt more seamless than I expected.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I realize this is all sorts of redundant, but I just want to say it.

There is a new episode of Star Trek this week with Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard.

I haven’t been able to say that in over twenty five years.

Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.

 

[Sam Favate]

BTW I double-checked and Dahj does leave her necklace at Picard’s home.

Second viewing last night was very rewarding, I picked up much more detail.

After, I watched the court scene in The Measure of a Man. I think that scene will inform a lot of this season. “Sooner or later, this man or others like him will succeed in replicating Commander Data...”

I wonder if they will reference the episode with Data’s mother, the android who didn’t know she was an android.

 

[Sam Favate]

Numbers for the premiere. They’re very, very good.

United States TV audience demand for Star Trek: Picard


https://tv.parrotanalytics.com/US/star-trek-picard-cbs-all-access

 

[Nelson Au]

I rewatched Remembrance last night and I finally watched the Short Trek Children of Mars. Just a few thoughts and questions.

The mystery of why the synth attack on Mars was not clarified upon my second viewing nor did Children of Mars add anything. So this is obviously one of the big issues of the season. Also why are Romulans going after Dahj? Is it as revenge because the synth attacked Mars and caused the Federation of recall the aid to the Romulans. Maybe Dahj knows something. (By the way, Children of Mars was really well made! Great production, acting, etc. but who is the alien girl? What species?)

In the fight sequence with the Romulans and Dahj, it appears the Romulan spit acid on Dahj? That’s a new thing. And the Romulan weapon appears to have exploded from an overload? I don’t think she was beamed away before the explosion.

Is Dahj the daughter of Maddox?

I’d agree that the series has very high production values. The original series was always a stylized look at the future in costume design and set design, partly from the 1960’s sensibilities. The films carried that too with sometimes iffy designs for the costumes. The Next Generation’s limits in budgets and technology also showed a similar limitation of some costumes designs and limits to what could be constructed for sets. So it’s very interesting that from what we see on Earth in Picard is very much down to earth. Picard’s civilian clothes are very much contemporary with a clean style one might think as futuristic but modern. The other characters similarly are wearing clothes that are similarly modern and contemporary. And the buildings and sets are very much based on real buildings and architecture. The look into Starfleet in San Francisco are of the modernist design with a flair for the imaginative works of so many great futurism artists. So the show looks very modern and relatable and futuristic without being too stylistic.

I was struck by how Brent Spiner was able to go back and portray Data exactly as he did. He may look different, but he’s the same. I like how Patrick Stewart is playing Picard as an older man, but with the same passion as his younger self.

Funny I just watched Requiem for Methuselah. This theme of creating androids that are so real, they are like real humans is a long standing Star Trek theme.

The music is very low key. I had a hard time listening to it as I was following the story. So it was like background sounds. For me I don’t always hear the music until after several viewings. I did catch the occasional Star Trek themes that snuck in there. It’s interesting they chose to avoid the more bombastic type of music so traditional in Star Trek TOS and sometimes during TNG. So this is its own entity. Separating this show from past shows. I’m not sure I like any of the music in Picard or Discovery. I don’t hate it, just need to hear it more. Oh yeah, I did hear Fred Steiner’s Romulan theme at the end of the episode. It was very subtly reworked.

Also I can see why Picard is having a good reception, it’s comforting to see a familiar face in a new Star Trek. Discovery has a harder time winning fans with so many new characters.

This is a cool thing. After so many decades of Star Trek shows and films, I’m not sure I’d like this Picard series after TNG in my youth, but as a long time fan, this is refreshing.

 

[Sam Favate]

In the fight sequence with the Romulans and Dahj, it appears the Romulan spit acid on Dahj? That’s a new thing. And the Romulan weapon appears to have exploded from an overload? I don’t think she was beamed away before the explosion.

Is Dahj the daughter of Maddox?

The Romulan appears to bite down on a tablet of some kind before he spits the acid. The acid also seemed to cover the weapon, which is what causes it to explode. Her skin was definitely covered with acid, but then the wall of flame from the explosion covered her so we can't see what happened to her. Picard said there were no bodies found, so all of the Romulans were beamed away, as was presumably any trace of Dahj. (How can they get away with this on Earth? Are planetary defenses so weak that assassins can beam in and out, whether from orbit or another location?)

I guess she could be Maddox's daughter in a matter of speaking (is he the botanist father they reference? Doubtful) but if she carries Data's memory engrams, she is his "descendant" as well.

 

[Nelson Au]

Sam, that’s right, I did see the acid on the Romulan weapon and wondered if that caused the explosion as well. I did not see him bite a capsule though of acid, I’ll have to look for that, thanks! I didn’t think Romulans had Xenomorph blood.

If she and the Romulans were beamed away before the explosion, that will be interesting to see if that is true. I hope so. We saw the other Romulans beamed out.

I was thinking of the comment about the music I made above. I think I know what it is that I haven’t heard yet, I have not heard yet, a strong theme. Speaking of which, after hearing the Romulan Agitato theme at the end of Remberance, I want to watch Balance of Terror.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I just finished watching "All Good Things..." and was struck by the attention to detail of the " Picard" team. The final shot of TNG pulls out from the back of the Enterprise, preceded immediately by a game of poker. The first shot of "Picard" pushes in on the front of the Enterprise, followed immediately by a game of poker.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

The way it pushes in through three windows made me think a little of “Cause and Effect”.

 

[Tino]

Times Square today.

 

[Tino]

And another one. Is this Hollywood Blvd or NYC?

 

[dpippel]

Enjoyed it, although I initially had a bit of difficulty not noticing how frail Patrick Stewart looks. He IS 79 years old, after all. LOVE the name of the dog!