Hey there, Captain Mutant here.

I was introduced to the Star Trek original series in reruns. Mesmerised by this show which had no equal on TV back then.

An Impactful Series

A sci-fi show with an optimistic view of the future, and used as an allegory to discuss matters that affected modern society. Yes the special effects could’ve been better, but there was something about the chemistry between the crew which made most episodes a joy to watch.

Then the series was rebooted with The Next Generation in the late 80s. Set about one hundreds years further into the future, it shows a less Wild West-like galactic political map, with more established nations, and a more mature, disciplined and diplomatic protagonist in the form of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, brilliantly played by Patrick Stewart.

Other shows were produced during the Star Trek heydays of the 80s and 90s, Deep Space Nine, set on a space station, and Voyager, a ship lost in space trying to get home, both took place during the same time period as The Next Generation.

Finally we had Enterprise, which tried something different, exploring the universe about 100 years before the original series, and showed how Earth evolved into the people and the technology we enjoyed in the latter series.

Of course not every episode was great, nor every series. I have my favourites, as everybody does, but there was something about this vision of the future which endured, and considering how most futures are dystopian, having something positive was, well, positive. It showed humanity could overcome its problems, preserve the best of itself, and not collapse in a nightmare conjured up by the likes of George Orwell or Aldous Huxley.

No Substance

More recent ventures in Star Trek have not abided by that philosophy. The JJ Abrams Star Trek we were given on the silver screen, are a flashy version, full of spectacle and looking wonderful, but hollow inside.

On the smaller screen we were given Discovery, a show set 10 years before the original series, which although has its moments, doesn’t feel like it respects the chronology of the universe it’s inserted itself in. I personally feel had they put that series 100 years after the Next Generation, most of the issues – not all, but most – would’ve been resolved. But then again, we wouldn’t have been given an improved second season, that depended on its place in the chronology to happen. Discovery is a tricky show for me.

The fact it comes at a time when reboots and re-imaginings have been terribly disappointing with the rewriting of a universe’s core canon in order to squeeze in modern political agenda hasn’t helped matters. It’s messed up the third Star Wars trilogy, and is wrecking Doctor Who for instance.

Now reboots and re-imaginings are perfectly possible. Lost in Space on Netflix bears no relation to the awful 60s series that bears its name. Yes the characters and their relationships to one another are the same, and so is the initial premise, but everything else is sharper, edgier, better written, acted and produced.

And it’s in this environment that we have Star Trek Picard, and is why I’ve gone into it with a mixture of excitement, and trepidation. How are they going to deal with characters we have grown up with, loved and cherished, and haven’t seen for nearly 20 years?

You can’t help but hear all the negative stuff online and you’re filled with dread. Will this go down the route of Star Wars and Doctor Who, or will it surprise, and do a Lost in Space on us?

The Good

The pacing of this episode was slow, but this was deliberate, giving us the time to reacclimatise ourselves with the main protagonist, living in seclusion on his family’s estate. There’s shades of Luke Skywalker there, but thankfully, Picard won’t have to die before he decides to take action! A stranger needs his help, and he doesn’t turn them away.

Patrick Stewart is great. He portrays a much older Picard – he’s supposed to be 94 – but his mind, his values, his sense of ethics have remained the same, even when the organisation he’s spent his life defending hasn’t.

Now there was a lot of talk online about the Federation having changed for the worse. The first episode doesn’t show that. The Federation made a decision 10 years prior to this episode which Picard vehemently disagreed with. This also isn’t the first time Picard went against the Federation, fighting for the very essence of what Starfleet should represent, so it’s quite believable he would’ve walked away in protest.

I like the mystery they’re weaving, and was genuinely shocked by a few twists in the narrative which I didn’t see coming.

The special effects are top notch and I love how they blend old architecture with more futuristic buildings, as you’d expect in any kind of city that’s been around for centuries. I also love how the technology has progressed in the last 20 years, which is great to see and is a far change from looking at shows like Discovery while trying to ignore all the tech they use which past shows based on that one’s future didn’t have.

I absolutely adored the attention to detail, the callbacks to previous events and people, the casual mentions, the brief glimpses of objects. For a nerd and a fan of the show, it’s a wonderful and gentle form of fan service. They don’t detract from the story but if you know, you greatly appreciate and value the nod.

I also like how they’re filling us in on the 20 years we’ve missed in the Star Trek universe.

On the flip side, the episode relies very heavily on that show’s history. For the better I might add, and that’s one thing I really like about the show: it’s incredibly respectful of what came before. Yes things change, but that’s life. The important thing is that the past isn’t altered to fit a new narrative, and they haven’t done that here – except maybe on one point which we’ll talk about soon.

The Bad

I’m puzzled as to why Picard now dreams of premonitions that conveniently further the plot. They’re mysterious, pretty spooky, well done, and a great way to see Data again, but they’re inconsistent with Picard’s past abilities. It could be that someone’s manipulating him. Guess we’ll find that out in time.

Also, it’s hard to put myself in the shoes of someone new to the whole galaxy of history that’s part and parcel of Star Trek. This universe has been part of my life for so long, I’m well acquainted with many details casual observers would be oblivious to. So it’s pretty much impossible to know if newcomers will get lost in this world.

There isn’t that much hand holding. Sure, the writers do offer glimpses of what the audience needs to know to understand the story as the episode progresses, but is it enough? I guess newbies will have to tell me in the comments.

Personally, I feel if you don’t know enough about The Next Generation, you’ll get confused by this episode, and perhaps the whole series. That’s a problem if you want to draw in a new audience.

The Ugly

There are also few pretty glaring inconsistencies.

The biggest ones in my mind are as follows – hopefully this list won’t be too spoilery:

If the bad guys can beam down to try and abduct this mysterious woman, why couldn’t they beam her up to their ship and control her from there?

Data, the android from The Next Generation is mentioned a lot. They also bring up B4, a previous model we were introduced to in Star Trek Nemesis, the last motion picture released 18 years ago, but why no mention of Lore, Data’s psychopathic brother? I’m hoping it’s because he might appear somewhere in the series, but for now, it’s an odd thing to not mention.

There’s also the really nonsensical notion that the essence of a person can be preserved in a single digital neurone – and that that essence could be transferred.

But maybe they’ll explain that further as the series progresses.

Final Verdict

For now I’m very impressed and am breathing a sigh of relief: I was entertained, I was intrigued, the mystery is compelling, the story is engaging.

From the trailer we know Picard will be dealing with androids, Romulans and the Borg – perhaps the most frightening species ever created in Star Trek. Plus a whole mystery to solve. So there’s a lot to deal with in just 10 episodes.

It’s easy to lay out the pieces of a mystery, and that’s what this episode does. What’s harder is weaving those pieces into a satisfying and coherent tapestry. Just as JJ.

But that’s for the future. Right now, I’m gladly awarding this first episode, 3 tentacles.

Now don’t let us down, Jean-Luc.

That’s all I have time for today.

Let me know what you think in the comments, and I’ll speak to you next time.