The return of Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: Picard” sparked hope among trekkies who were disappointed with the previous “Star Trek: Discovery” seasons, which relied heavily on Deus Ex Machina and lacked intelligent problem-solving. The first two seasons of “Picard” also fell short, but the third season seems to have turned the corner with the first five episodes suggesting a compelling storyline. However, the season borrows heavily from previous Star Trek series and films, which may not be a detractor if done well. The writers have also improved in creating compelling characters, interesting problems, and solving them as a team.
In the third to fifth episodes of “Star Trek: Picard,” some events don’t make much sense, such as seasoned Starfleet officers forgetting that their phasers have stun settings and instead opting to kill unnecessarily. Characters’ motivations also do not live up to their TNG portrayal in some scenes. For instance, Picard suddenly wants to go to war against an overpowering enemy, whereas Riker seems fed up. The reason for this conflict could have been skillfully built up. Additionally, some scenes are lazy, including the use of a Kardassian regeneration bucket that looks exactly like Odo’s bucket, which doesn’t make sense since Odo improvised this kind of regeneration independently.
In conclusion, “Star Trek: Picard” seems to have improved in its third season by focusing on compelling characters, interesting problems, and solving them as a team. However, some events don’t make sense, and the series borrows heavily from previous Star Trek series and films. Nevertheless, if done well, borrowing from previous storylines isn’t a detractor, and the series has improved by avoiding the reliance on Deus Ex Machina and focusing on more intelligent problem-solving.
