Picard Will Take Star Trek Into A New Time Period
CBS All Access is bringing Star Trek: Picard to its platform in later in 2019 and with it, a fresh look at the life of revered Starfleet captain Jean-Luc Picard. Well, former captain, as the first-look teaser made clear when it was released in May. A lot will have changed in Picard's life when the series opens, meaning Picard is bringing its viewers into an entirely new time period.
What we know about Picard just months away from the series premiere, is slim. Specific plots details have been kept under wraps despite knowing the series follows an older Picard. Through one character's voiceover, it's confirmed that Picard begins 15 years after Jean-Luc has left Star Fleet, but the circumstances which led to his departure were unfortunate.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Start nowThat key detail, that it's been 15 years since Jean-Luc's departure, coupled with the knowledge that Star Trek: The Next Generation takes place between 2364 and 2370 means Picard will be set in the 25th century. What does it mean for Jean-Luc after Starfleet? What can audiences expect from Picard because it's set in the 25th century?
The Star Trek: Picard Teaser Trailer Shows An Older Picard
Perhaps the clearest evidence Picard is set in the 25th century is the most obvious: Picard is now an old man. Even though TNG ends in 2370, it doesn't mean Picard left Starfleet the very next year. It's reasonable to presume trouble came knocking at Picard's Starfleet door a few years later, setting into motion the events the eventually led to his exit. At minimum then, Picard opens in the very first years of the 25th century.
The Picard trailer is focused on the Picard vineyard, a place near and dear to the former captain's heart. It makes sense he would return there after Starfleet, ostensibly to find some peace and quiet. But it's possible the vineyard is more than just a safety blanket, a place Picard returned to and that led to him picking up the family trade. The vineyard could hold keys to Picard's past that he'll need to deal with and which will be explored on the show.
Star Trek: Picard's Teaser Trailer Hints At Picard's Past
It's also a safe bet the show is set in the 25th century because it's so intent on looking at the past - namely Picard's past. The voiceover in the trailer indicated a 15-year gap between Picard's time on Starfleet and the show's present day. Picard appears the be haunted by his past and could be forced to revisit the event of his past. In doing so, enough time needs to have elapsed to justify the show making such a fuss about the past. For the sake of story purposes, looking back after more than a decade and looking at a previous century feels like a satisfactory and justifiable narrative choice for Picard's plot.
Star Trek: Picard Will Offer An Earthly Look At A New Century
Picard will include scenes on the Picard family vineyard in some capacity. As such, timewill be taken to show what is going on on Earth in the 25th century and possibly go deeper into Picard's life there. Star Trek is no stranger to returning the action to Earth, but t begin there and take time there means fans will get a clearer idea of how life on Earth in the 25th century operates. This includes looking at the kinds of technology, social norms, government affairs, and so forth far away from the adventures of any given Starfleet crew. It's also possible that because Picard is a more inward-looking show, much like its protagonist, exploring the changing world in a new century and how Picard's old-school sensibilities work within it would offer some interesting routes for the story to go in.
Source: screenrant.com