YO. It’s been a very long time since the peak of my Star Trek fandom. Almost 10 years in fact. Boy were those days fun. I used to escape into that world so heavily, that I started to believe it was real. I bought this book which topic was the first 150 years of the UFOP (United Federation of Planets) which is commonly referred to as the federation in Star Trek lore. I remember reading this book and starting to believe it. It was written how a history textbook would be written, so it was easy for the dividing line between reality and fiction to become blurred.
There was something about it at the time that captivated me. I believe it was my younger brain looking for a reason to escape the dark truth of reality. Real life is boring. Real life is filled with sad things. Star Trek gave hope. A future of humanity that wasn’t so bleek. Also: StarFleet. They upheld all the best things people can believe/achieve. It truly is a wonderful franchise that needs more love.
Somewhere along the way, I fell out of love with it. I’ve gotten older and it’s hard to suspend my disbelief to that extent. It’s hard to find escape in works of fiction anymore. It’s something I wish I could find again. Having said all of this, I decided to check out season 3 of Picard. For a bit of context, Picard is a show about…well…Jean-Luc Picard. He is the captain in Star Trek: The Next Generation which aired from 1987 to 1994. This is one of — if not– the most popular Star Trek series that ever aired. Would I say it’s my most favorite? I’m unsure. I do hold it in the highest regard though!
I used to always believe Kirk was the best. I was die hard on this……………………….until I watched TNG. Picard is hands down the best captain to ever sit in the chair. My past self would be able to write a character study on why this is. At 35, I no longer remember all the small details. It doesn’t change my opinion though. Picard is — and always will be– the captain. This is what caused my excitement when they announced the Picard show. It re-ignited that spark! Wayyyy before they announced the show, I would have all these fantasies about the possibilities of new trek shows they could make. Number one on my list would undoubtedly be a TNG reunion while flying the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. The likely hood of this? Zero percent. It was fun to dream up. Then out of no-where, Picard is announced years later and I have a chance at seeing it happen! My number one dream as a trek fan! Could it be!?
Nope. I was only able to make it through 3 episodes before calling it. It wasn’t Trek. It wasn’t what I (or anyone) expected. It was an older Picard dealing with all new characters in a way that would make Roddenberry (Creator of Star Trek) turn in his grave! There was gore, foul language and StarFleet officers going into business for themselves. If this is a new direction they want to take Star Trek in, that’s absolutely fine. Just please don’t write characters to be the antithesis of what we watched them become for 7 seasons. Don’t take what people love and mutilate it. Sadly, this is what they did. Season 1 and 2 were bad. This isn’t just me talking, this is others as well. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t what ANYONE wanted.
Then comes Season 3. I somehow managed to see the banner for the Season 3 premier on Paramount Plus and I went “ooooOooOOoo what is this?”. In the banner, there were a few TNG characters and this really excited me. I decided to give it a chance. I didn’t expect anything. I figured it would be bad, but I could walk away happy from the nostalgia of seeing these characters I love. Could it at least deliver that?
Oh yes. So much yes. It was the Dominos of TV shows because it DELIVERED. Haha. It was NOTHING like the first 2 seasons. It had me HOOKED. The writing! The way they brought all of these characters back! It was like catching up with friends you haven’t seen in over a decade! It was fascinating to find out what they have been up to since TNG ended. All of this while an actual threatening plot is developing which could wipe out StarFleet as we know it. Trek done right! At one point they visit a ship museum. For a brief moment, I thought maybe. JUST MAYBE. We would see the Enterprise-D docked in a bay even though it wouldn’t make sense lore wise. In one of the movies, they have to ditch the saucer section onto a planet where it’s remained for years. It wouldn’t make sense to see it, so it was easy to accept when we didn’t.
Until the most recent episode. Good lord almighty. At one point in the story they need an ‘older’ ship to achieve something. They head back to the museum and a BIG door slowly slides open. I jumped up like a 5 year old and screamed “IS IT THE D? IS IT ENTERPRISE D!?”. Then, they show the saucer section as light slowly wipes across to reveal the NCC-1701-D designation. I popped so hard and almost jumped through my roof! I COULD’T BELIEVE IT. I still can’t! They did it! The managed to give me everything I wanted as a fan. I’ve watched all of my favorite most beloved franchises get ruined by NUMEROUS things:
- Laziness: Matrix 4
- Political Correctness Agenda: Saved by the Bell
- Bad ideas/execution: Terminator
- Being out of touch: Party Down
To get EVERYTHING I wanted was such a wonderful surprise. I get goosebumps just writing this.
The crew steps onto the bridge and it looks exactly how it did in 1987. Absolutely gorgeous! They did it. They did what all of the fans wanted without compromise. They put the cast of TNG back onto the bridge of the USS Enterprise. For a brief moment we all felt that feeling of seeing the bridge for the first time. We were home.
To everyone that had input in making this happen, you are unequivocally the best producers in the past 15 years. You made I, and many many others, extremely happy. I cannot wait for the final episode next week and take one last ride in the best ships to fly the stars! Here’s to ya!