Star Trek: Picard: the return of the captain our world needs
With Star Trek: Picard, Patrick Stewart celebrates the return of his portrayal of Jean-Luc Picard. The first episode doesn't offer much in the way of intrigue, but it does say a lot about a man whose ideals have been betrayed and who is now more necessary than ever.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a hero. He is what every man on earth should be in the 21st century. And every woman too. Picard is a man of principle and honour. He knows no racism, holds no grudges, deals openly with everyone and with the kindness that is due. When his principles are betrayed, he remains inflexible, but forgives after the conflict. He was made for Starfleet and sums up its principles:
The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based.
Jean-Luc Picard left his post more than ten years ago.
When a journalist addresses him as "Admiral", he interrupts. For a brief moment, the proud, good-natured man looks hurt, downcast and tired. "Retired", he clarifies.
This is the beginning of the Star Trek: Picard series. In the first episode, entitled "Remembrance", nothing happens, but it says a lot. I've tried not to spoil too much with this article, but I do reveal a little more content than the trailer. In short, beware.
A man at the end of his rope
"Remembrance" is short, too short. It is, however, a brilliant prelude to a series that nobody asked for and about which many were sceptical. Of course, first there's Jean-Luc Picard, who has gone from man to legend. But the sister series Star Trek: Discovery has come in for some harsh criticism. Too much action. And above all: since when is the Federation made up of a bunch of assholes? Isn't the organisation that Starfleet depends on supposed to be inherently good?
Historically, Starfleet is an inspiration. Federation starship officers are better than us, but not unapproachable. That's exactly what makes Jean-Luc Picard such a great character. Anyone can become like Picard, without too much effort. But now Starfleet suddenly has "Section 31", a kind of secret service dealing with sensitive cases, headed by Philippa Georgiu, a woman from a parallel universe populated by Nazis.
Is this still the Starfleet we grew up with?
Yes, because with the shift to the dark side, the Star Trek universe of the American network CBS fulfils an essential mission of science fiction. The genre reflects the society we live in and shows us what we should or could be. Spaceships roaming the universe and Klingons eating gagh are really just a pretext. Especially as times are changing in the TV series universe too. Since Archer's last Enterprise flight, there have been at least two new timelines that are, in one way or another, compatible with the original TOS and TNG series' time-space.
In short: times are changing, both in our reality and in the Star Trek universe.
Starfleet is no longer the fleet once hosted by James Tiberius Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard. Nor is it the fleet represented by Benjamin Sisko against the Dominion or that of Kathryn Janeway and Voyager, which was able to return after multiple encounters.
Picard is more of the old school of Starfleet supporters. He has turned his back on the new isolationist and sometimes vicious Starfleet. This reversal of fortune hurt him deeply and he did not retire in peace. He lives in France with his dog in a vineyard, but he is not satisfied. As a young woman with a very interesting link to the days of Picard and the USS Enterprise appears, old wounds open up again, new ones appear and the old idealist, betrayed by his life's mission, has to head back to the stars.
Picard wouldn't be Picard without the grandiose performance of Patrick Stewart. The actor is also executive producer of the Star Trek: Picard series and therefore enjoys a great deal of influence over the development and production of the series. For example, it was he who chose the dog that was to accompany Picard. It wasn't an easy choice: "Yes, a sort of telegenic, knee-high pooch", but behind this seemingly simple choice there were much bigger considerations. What kind of dog would Picard have? What should the dog's character traits be?
The choice fell on a pit bull named after De Niro and referred to as "Number One" in the series. Like Commander William Riker, who has always been loyal to Picard, Patrick Stewart explains in the interview that the pitbull is a breed that seeks to please its master more than any other. The mere presence of the pit bull is therefore a sign that Picard is seeking to confirm the existence of emotional dependencies and deep wounds.
Who wants to see some action?
The first episode of the series is remembered for moments, more than plot or action. Who wants to see action anyway? "Remembrance" feels more like an exposition of the characters than a story. We're more likely to remember Picard's answer to the question "Have you ever lost faith in Data?" during the interview with the visibly racist journalist who asks him about androids, which have since been banned, than the overly thorough action scenes.
These action scenes are neither fake nor uninteresting, but they are very well handled and perfectly timed to kick-start the plot when needed. But: Patrick Stewart dominates in the role of Picard. Just before a phaser fight and in the middle of a chase, he stops. Suddenly, the pursuers and their phasers, who appear seconds later, are irrelevant. Picard is particularly happy to welcome a young woman to a university. The blows may rain down, but Picard is not at home. They do, however, share compassion and joie de vivre.
Star Trek: Picard thus does justice to an essential mission of the science fiction genre. The series holds up a mirror to our society, politically dominated by US President Donald Trump's taboo words and impending impeachment, a controversial Brexit and Greta Thunberg's equally controversial fight against climate change. But this world is still home to people who are not inherently evil, have to celebrate small successes and live day by day on this earth. Picard's character is aware that we're all in the same boat, even if we sometimes fight over societal, political or personal issues. And Picard knows that we can only move forward together. He will defend this idea to the end.
Star Trek: Picard shows us not only the best of the man, but also the best of science fiction, the best of Patrick Stewart and brings us the less glorious return of a character the world needs.
You can see this in the interview Picard gives, the journalist talks to him about a rescue mission. She clearly doesn't understand the point of saving Romulans when Picard could have saved humans. Jean-Luc Picard interrupts her when she shows implicit racism by talking about "Romulan lives". He then said:
"No. Lives."
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
