‘We are not the starched uniform-wearing crew of old’: a messier, more human ‘Star Trek’ in ‘Picard’

PASADENA, CALIF.—Hope. It’s a small word that carries a lot of weight in troubled times.

It was the first word out of Patrick Stewart’s mouth when he was asked during a Television Critics Association panel why the “Star Trek” franchise has endured for 50-plus years. And it kept coming up in interviews with producers and other cast members of “Star Trek: Picard,” the TV series that returns Stewart to the much loved role of Jean-Luc Picard.

“Star Trek,” said executive producer Alex Kurtzman, “has always been this beacon of hope that there’s gonna come a time where the petty things that divide us now are gonna go away, and we’re gonna actually be able to reach for the stars and find the better version of ourselves.”

Added fellow executive producer Akiva Goldsman: “We hope our ‘Star Trek’ gives people the opportunity to see what is common about those who sit across the table from us and to understand the difference is something to be cherished. We are sorely in need of empathy right now.”

When “Star Trek: The Original Series” debuted in September 1966 with its message of interracial harmony, the U.S. was embroiled in the Vietnam War; the nuclear arms race was in full swing; racial tension was boiling over in riots.

As “Star Trek: Picard” debuts, there are fears of a war between the U.S. and Iran; a new nuclear arms race is underway and racial unrest continues to simmer the world over.

“Picard” seizes on another set of issues that are top of mind: immigration and the worldwide refugee crisis.

As we catch up with Jean-Luc — a starship captain in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” now a retired admiral — he has broken with Starfleet, incensed at its response to a refugee crisis caused by the destruction of the planet Romulus, and at a ban on synthetic life forms like his late friend, starship officer Data.

Picard “took his toys and he went home,” explained Kurtzman, the current mastermind of the “Star Trek” universe. “And what he’s realizing in the pilot is what a huge mistake that was, because that was actually the time to stand up … And so now you’re into a story about one man who wants to make right the mistakes of the past. But he does not have an army behind him anymore … And to me, that’s a really interesting way to tell a ‘Star Trek’ story.”

Toronto-born actor Alison Pill, who plays android specialist Dr. Jurati in “Picard,” sees the appeal in Stewart’s character going it alone.

As wonderful as he was in “Next Generation,” she said, “watching the same man who’s no longer a captain, who’s no longer in uniform, who no longer has the authority of Starfleet behind him (makes it) just a different, more vital experience.”

It’s “a beautiful story of a man wrestling with his mortality and his lack of power.”

She added that all the characters are “just much more messier and human in this iteration of ‘Star Trek,’ which is really exciting … I love that we are not the starched uniform-wearing crew of old. We are a very different group of people all together for individual reasons.”

American actor Michelle Hurd, who’s had recurring roles in series like “The Glades,” “Ash vs Evil Dead” and “Blindspot,” plays former Starfleet intelligence officer Raffi Musiker. She describes the character as a sarcastic hacking genius who “is haunted by the choices that she’s made in the past. She has regrets and she has demons. And in order for her to get through the day, she has vices that she relies on as crutches.”

Venezuelan-born Santiago Cabrera, known for shows like “Heroes” and “Big Little Lies,” plays ex-Starfleet pilot Cristobal “Chris” Rios. “I love the complexity of him, the fact that he’s a very flawed human being,” Cabrera said. “He’s disillusioned and he’s searching for purpose.”

Which sounds like a perfect match for the show’s searching, disillusioned lead character.

Of course, the fact that Stewart resisted returning to Picard, whom he last played in the 2002 film “Star Trek: Nemesis,” has become part of “Star Trek” lore.

Kurtzman and his co-creators engaged in what Goldsman called a “seduction” to get Stewart on board for the new show. Stewart himself has talked about the 35-page statement they sent him that hooked him back into the “Star Trek” universe.

Showrunner Michael Chabon, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, admitted that nothing in those 35 pages actually made it into the series. It was more about letting Stewart know: “You could trust us. You’ll be in the hands of people who take the character seriously, take the material seriously, and are capable of taking that material and taking that character and putting them into a context that we haven’t seen them in before.”

It worked, obviously. Stewart, speaking to a small group of reporters after the TCA panel, said he was looking forward to getting started on Season 2.

Asked what’s been the best part of returning to Jean-Luc Picard, he responded: “the sense of camaraderie I have with our cast. These are remarkable people, each one of them, and we have quite a diverse cast as well, which is something that Alex and I were very passionate about.”

The admiration is mutual.

Pill, Cabrera, Hurd and co-star Evan Evagora were full of praise for Stewart, not only for his prodigious acting talent but for his attitude on set.

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“He creates one of the most supportive, nurturing, brave, inspiring, confident, ensemble-focused environments,” said Hurd.

“Being a man of the theatre, he’s all about the ensemble and has really nurtured that,” echoed Cabrera. “And it’s inspiring to be around him because of his background, because of who he is and the experience he brings.”

Australian actor Evagora, who plays Romulan refugee Elnor, went further: “He’s just everything you want in a leader. I’d say if I had to choose between Patrick Stewart or Jean-Luc Picard as my leader, I’d go with Patrick any day of the week.”

Source: www.thestar.com