The long-awaited return of the Star Trek spinoff series, Picard officially arrived on Thursday morning and along with the second season came quite a few friends, both old and new. Some of those friends, in fact, are quite old and go all the way back to the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This first episode appears to be a kind of reset of the series. There are certainly ties to the first season, but it appears that the show has decided to go in an entirely different direction. At least so far, it appears that was a very good decision.

The first season of Picard did also include some well-known characters from Star Trek shows of the past, however, it seemingly also wanted to chart a brand new path for itself. In trying to chart that path, the show forgot what made the many, many series that have to do with The Federation so popular. It also strayed from what made Captain Jean Luc Picard such a beloved character in the franchise. In Season 2's first episode, "The Star Gazer" the series really feels like it's trying to get back to its roots. And it's not just because one particular character returns from all the way back at the very beginning.

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Picard Brings The Nostalgia Hard

Picard Season 2 Episode 1 Jean Luc

The first season of Picard focused quite hard on the Borg and their effect on both the beloved captain and the universe in general. That certainly makes sense given that one of the most iconic storylines in all of TNG is when Jean Luc Picard actually becomes Locutus of Borg. It appears that at least to some degree, the Borg are going to play a part in Season 2 of Picard as well. There is of course, a question as to whether or not their presence is going to be more than a plot device in order to introduce the real story, or if they will in fact be central and important to the story as it unfolds this year.

What is obviously going to be playing a very big factor in this season is something that the Star Trek franchise has certainly done before and it usually does very well. Jean Luc Picard and the crew of the brand new Star Gazer are going to be pulling their best Marty McFly and going back in time. While this episode mostly just set up the rest of the season in that regard, viewers did get a taste of it with the arrival of the Borg Queen, which definitely boasted a different look than what fans are used to seeing. One reason she looks different is hinted at when The Federation experts talk about how she's flying a ship that seems to be able to manipulate both time and space. There is a stated reason for her appearance, but it's not clear if that was true or how it's going to fit into the larger plot.

Mixed into the action that is done quite well, mainly because it's a couple of quick hits, mixed in with nostalgia and humor, is the reintroduction of Picard's main characters. The show does a very good job of briefly touching on all of them, without spending too much time trying to show what everyone has been doing since the end of Season 1. It also does a good job of making sure that they all get back together without there being too much time spent on Jean Luc getting the gang back together. By handling "The Stargazer" this way, the show allows viewers to buckle up and get ready for what's coming next right away. There isn't a ton of time wasted on side plots or unimportant characters. That was a big problem with the show's first season and it's good, at least for now, that the showrunners have figured out that was a problem.

Picard, both in Season 1 and already in Season 2 has leaned heavily into fan service by bringing back characters that fans know and love. The season's first episode already covered those bases quite well. Fans have known for a while that Whoopi Goldberg's Guinan and John de Lancie's Q were joining the cast. The series wasted no time in their return, which also deserves some applause. Other shows might stagger their arrival and make fans wait a bit before that kind of fan service. It appears the people in charge of Picard Season 2 are not wanting to waste any time getting to the good stuff.

That doesn't mean that there was no time wasted in the storytelling. If there was one big strike against "The Stargazer" and that's the apparent interest in getting Jean Luc to find love. It's possible the goal is just to fill out the character a bit more, but that doesn't really seem like it needs to be done. Star Trek fans certainly know the man, as well as they need to know him. One of the things that has set him apart from James T. Kirk is that he's not someone who often got into romances. Apparently, the show is trying to explain why. That doesn't appear to be something that's needed, though maybe the showrunners have a reason for that divergence as the season goes on.

Unraveling The Mystery

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Any season premiere should, above all things, set up the rest of the season and show viewers why they should come back for another week. Picard certainly does that in spades, considering that it laid out a couple of different mysteries that will need to be solved over the course of this run. Mysteries in the Star Trek universe are often compelling. There are three big mysteries that Season 2 of Picard are going to try and solve. The first is just what the Borg want and why. The second is just what Q wants and why. And the third is just where is the show going with its allusions to Captain Picard's mother? If the first episode is any indication, it appears Star Trek fans could be in for a very fun ride towards those answers.

New episodes of Picard are available every Thursday on Paramount Plus.

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