'Star Trek: Picard' won't lessen the schism that exists in the franchise's fandom

Since “Star Trek: Discovery” hit CBS All-Access (now Paramount+) back in 2017, “Trek” fandom has evolved into two factions – those who prefer “old Trek,” where “Star Trek: Enterprise” and all movies made up until 2002 (“Star Trek: Nemesis”) seem to be the cutoff point, and those who just like “Star Trek” in all its forms.

Yes, purists versus chaos agents.

It hasn’t helped that newer series such as “Discovery” and “Picard,” which has its third-season premiere Thursday on Paramount+, have been just a touch uneven with some decrying the former as being “too woke” and the latter, which features the new adventures of Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) in the twilight of his career, a retread.

“Picard” in its third season tries to continue the progress made by “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” last year and bring the two sides together. The difference being: “Picard” has a lot more history to toy with and takes full advantage of that fact by reuniting much of the cast from “Picard’s” direct ancestor: “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

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It’s a case of “hail, hail the gang’s all here” as Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Worf (Michael Dorn) and Geordi (LeVar Burton) commiserate with “Picard” characters such as Seven (Jeri Ryan), who beamed over from “Star Trek: Voyager” in the “Picard’s first season, and Raffi (Michelle Hurd).

It’s a regular family reunion as these characters and crews unite to do what they do – save the galaxy. In the process, what showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas pull off may actually unite warring fandoms – or not.

This season of “Picard” will feel very familiar for those who’ve been fans of the franchise from the original series on. It pays homage, as “Trek” has been known to do, to its history, and the scenarios will undoubtedly feel familiar in that respect with echoes of the “Star Trek” original movie trilogy, which ran from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” to “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”

Whether that’s a net positive depends upon where you land in the franchise’s fandom. Is it merely self-reverential or a sign of a franchise that’s run out of ideas. There’s little doubt there will be a heated debate among the “Trek” faithful. About the only facet of the franchise that can be agreed upon with “Trek” is “Strange New Worlds” is damn good television in its first season. Everything else since the launch of “Discovery” is subject to debate.

There’s little doubt, however, that for a certain segment of the audience – this writer included – there’s a certain warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from seeing the cast of “The Next Generation” together once again. The showrunners deserve credit for at least getting the tone of those characters correct as the vets mix with the likes of newcomers like Hurd.

To their credit, despite the save-the-galaxy stakes, there also exists a lighter tone in the episodes made available for review – even if “Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry’s view of a Utopian society shows the darker side of human nature, something that one legendary character would plainly consider a “logical” decision.

Is it good “Trek”? That is completely subjective, of course, but even if it’s for the sake of curiosity, “Star Trek: Picard” possesses its charms and is worth checking out.

Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'Picard' brings the nostalgia factor with 'Next Generation' reunion