***This review contains minor spoilers***
Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube
“Star Trek: Picard” returns for its second season on a much more positive note than its dour debut season, and while overall it’s a much better outing, the clunky plot mostly grinds the show to a crawl.
The plot isn’t the most original concept and is something that we’ve seen in some fashion on other Trek shows. The difference here is that “Picard” takes ten episodes to tell a story that’s normally wrapped up in one episode, maybe two at the most. The trailers reveal the broad strokes, and the show whips through the setup quickly. After thankfully starting off back in Starfleet, things shift the mirror universe-like reality of the Confederation. There are a few interesting concepts here, but then things move back in time for the bulk of the story. This is where the show loses its way. The mission is too vague, and there’s a struggle to give the cast enough to do. This results in a bunch of side missions, rescues and other story points that don’t add much to the main plot. It’s only in the finale do we finally get a payoff to most of this, but this could’ve been done in half the episodes.
Most of cast is back from last season and have all moved on from the sad and broken characters we met in season one. As the star of the show, Picard himself is the focus of the main plot, and this includes some major character development that doesn’t quite stick the landing. As always, Patrick Stewart brings both a commanding presence and a warmth to the character that enhances almost every important scene he’s in. The rest of the cast is fine, with solid acting but nothing that really stands out. And for the most part, their character arcs are a little underwhelming despite some good concepts. The strongest moments from the main cast outside of Stewart come from Alison Pill’s Dr. Jurati. Not only does she have the biggest 180 from her character last season, she really gets a chance to cut loose here, not only in the dramatic moments, but also as comic relief. (Although she come off a bit too similar to “Discovery’s” Sylvia Tilly at time.) And in a strange twist, three returning cast members get most their screen time playing brand new characters.
The show looks amazing, with great special effects and some really cool looking starships, but unfortunately, the bulk of the show is spent in a bland present-day with only a few glimpses of the future tech we’re used to. (The show also plays a bit fast and loose with its time-travel rules.)
Overall, season two of “Star Trek: Picard” starts off strong, with our heroes back in the thick of Starfleet where most fans wanted to see them. But a story that could’ve been told in less episodes and with fewer characters is padded out to a full season with a full cast. While there’s some nice nods and easter eggs for Trek fans, inconsistent time travel rules mixed with a few retcons create a muddled project. And the big finale turns into a bit of a letdown as it’s all more of a set up for a future adventure and not a true ending for this one.
** out of *****