Star Trek may have more iterations than most of the viewing public can keep up with, but the newest addition to the canon, Star Trek: Picard is something that hardcore trekkies won’t be missing out on, if only to see if previously unanswered questions are finally resolved. Star Trek: Picard is set to join Star Trek: Discovery as one of CBS’s flight of original programs only available through their All Access membership. Other shows in that offering include Jordan Peele’s anthology series The Twilight Zone, which is set to release its finale tonight but has already been renewed for a second season.
Star Trek: Picard will pick up nearly twenty years after where the finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation left off, but be warned, Picard is not the same man he used to be. According to Alex Kurtzman speaking to the Television Critics Association Press Tour, “Patrick was very clear to us in the beginning. He did not want to repeat what he had already done.” He continued by saying that there would have been “occurrences that force him to reckon with choices that he’s made” over the last couple of decades that would have fundamentally changed him as a person and would be further explored in the series.
For those wondering about the fate of other familiar faces, nothing has been said about appearances of former cast members. However, long-time viewers can rest assured knowing all the actors are alive and have expressed a willingness to reprise their roles. As to new cast members, other big names will be joining Stewart in the new series including Santiago Cabrera (Big Little Lies), Michelle Hurd (Blindspot), and Alison Pill (The Newsroom). The cast is also set to include Isa Briones of the successful Broadway play Hamilton and Harry Treadaway (The Crown). Unfortunately, there is no further information on what roles they will be playing, just that they will be there.
The series will also be breaking ground, or glass ceilings as it were, as the first Star Trek property to have a woman director at its helm. Individual episodes of series have been directed by women in the past, but this will be the first time a woman directs the pilot of a Star Trek series. Hanelle Culpepper has been selected to direct the first two episodes of the series. She has previously directed episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. All of the Star Trek films have been directed by men.
The series is slated to premiere in late 2019. CBS All Access is a service available in the United States and Canada, but for international trekkies, Amazon Prime will be carrying the program.