Spoilers Did Picard finally ''right the ship'' with Picard season 3?

[The Overlord]

Did Picard finally ''right the ship'' with Picard season 3?

I thought Picard season 1 started out well with the mysterious Romulan plot, but I think it became a jumbled mess at the end when they go to the android planet and have giant ''Mass Effect'' killer robots from another dimension almost got released on our dimension.

Season 2 started off decently, but quickly became terrible, it's among the worst of the Star Trek seasons:

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I liked the start of season 3, it may turn bad later on, but I like it so far.

 

[MrSpot]

It remains to be seen whether the ship has been righted - as you say, season 1 and particularly season 2 started off well but very soon went downhill.

That said, the media have been given access to the first six episodes for review purposes and those I'm aware of seem to be very positive. I'm hopeful that many lessons have been learned from all of the mistakes made during seasons 1 and 2 and that season 3 will actually be good. It helps that Terry Matalas is now the sole, main showrunner of season 3 as he seems to respect the Star Trek franchise.

 

[Danja]

There was nothing wrong with seasons 1 and 2.

There was nothing that needed to be "righted."

Different does not equal "bad." To say this is how Picard always "should have been" is to disrespect the cast and crew of the first two seasons and their intentions.

 

[MrSpot]

It's down to a matter of personal taste and opinion - some people don't like TOS, TNG, DS9, etc yet any constructive criticism should be allowed, because if it isn't then that equates to censorship and being unwilling to hear anyone's opinion other than your own. I'm fine with people liking Picard seasons 1 and 2, likewise those same people should be willing to hear the opinions of those who don't like those seasons.

 

[DaveyNY]

Then the thread title shouldn't be so specific by stating an opinion as an assumed fact.

 

[fireproof78]

There was nothing wrong with seasons 1 and 2.

There was nothing that needed to be "righted."

Different does not equal "bad." To say this is how Picard always "should have been" is to disrespect the cast and crew of the first two seasons and their intentions.

That's pretty much were we are at. Any positive feelings towards this new season must be weaponized against past seasons.

I'm fine with people liking Picard seasons 1 and 2, likewise those same people should be willing to hear the opinions of those who don't like those seasons.

With due respect those opinions I have been hearing them for the past several years. Now, Picard Season 2 is not my favorite by a long shot, but I thoroughly enjoyed Season 1 and this idea that the ship was "righted" when episode 1 shows me a lot of nostalgia makes me concerned at the surface level criteria of these opinions.

 

[MrSpot]

But isn't it reasonable to assume that people who didn't like seasons 1 and 2 are naturally going to compare them to season 3?
Isn't it a GOOD thing that many people are enjoying season 3 so far, even if that means they are saying "wow, this is so much better than seasons 1 and 2!". This is surely to be expected at first but will soon tail off if season 3 continues to be good.

I've not been excited by any new Star Trek shows for a long time but I'm genuinely looking forward to what the rest of the season holds. Again I ask you - isn't that a GOOD thing?

 

[Lord Garth]

I love Season 1. I still like Season 2, but I have issues with it.

So, yes, technically I think Season 3 "righted the ship". Just not the way some of these people think. I think PIC Season 3 righted the ship from Season 2, not the entire series in general.

 

[fireproof78]

But isn't it reasonable to assume that people who didn't like seasons 1 and 2 are naturally going to compare them to season 3?

This has been my experience with people yes. It is not my preference, no.

I've not been excited by any new Star Trek shows for a long time but I'm genuinely looking forward to what the rest of the season holds. Again I ask you - isn't that a GOOD thing?

Be excited. Go for it. Knock yourself out. Largely I see that but I grow tired of the "Season 1 was terrible and Season 2 the worst but Season 3 is God's gift to Trekkies" style attitude. I don't subscribe to it. I find it questionable at best.

 

[James Cole]

PICARD season 1 is by far the worst of any Star Trek season set in the 24th century. It elevates TNG season 1 in comparison. Michael Chabon gave Leonard Maizlish a good run for his money.

PICARD season 2 was an attempt to right the ship from season 1. If you cut it down to six episodes and did some ADR to smooth over plot holes, you'd probably have some good Star Trek there. At least "The Star Gazer" was a proof of concept that season 3 could be great.

In terms of positive reviews and the confidence shown in releasing episodes in advance, there are early positive signs that season 3 may very well right the ship, and lead to an exciting spin off.

 

[Gepard]

Impossible to know with only one episode out as of yet.

I thought "Remembrance" and "The Star Gazer" were both strong episodes; stronger in fact than "The Next Generation." The question is if they can maintain the quality or if it will dip (and dip, and dip....and nosedive) like seasons 1 & 2.

 

[fireproof78]

PICARD season 1 is by far the worst of any Star Trek season set in the 24th century. It elevates TNG season 1 in comparison. Michael Chabon gave Leonard Maizlish a good run for his money.

Oh, wait, you're serious.

signs that season 3 may very well right the ship,

In this instance "right the ship" means going back to the TNG well and playing the greatest hits. It feels like a nostalgia cover band. But, I am probably not the target audience. I hope that whatever TNG aficionados are craving is finally satisfied in Season 3 in Trek can move forward.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Long story short, we'll see in nine weeks. This is serial storytelling, so there's no way to truly opine on the quality of a season until we've really seen the whole thing.

That said, there was lots to like about the first two seasons, even if they were uneven overall. IMO it's a matter of whether the third season will make the previous ones look worse by comparison. There was lots to like about TNG's first two years too, but from the third season onwards things changed up and people tend to remember the initial years in a less positive light, even if ratings-wise the show was pretty well-regarded.

Mark

 

[James Cole]

Oh, wait, you're serious.

I finally watched season 1 for the first time in the last month and have like 15 pages of hand written notes. It would probably take me 3 hours to type them up into a cohesive post. Maybe I should just do a TL;dr of the season's greatest crimes?

In this instance "right the ship" means going back to the TNG well and playing the greatest hits. It feels like a nostalgia cover band. But, I am probably not the target audience. I hope that whatever TNG aficionados are craving is finally satisfied in Season 3 in Trek can move forward.

Honestly, I found "The Star Gazer" to be a better episode than "The Next Generation". Hopefully the "greatest hits" in 301 is just grounding the season in Star Trek vibes and establishing credibility for people considering coming back after getting burned by anything from NEM, ENT, or NuTrek before it can chart a new course. We already know there will be "conflict" among the legacy TNG characters so that'll need careful introduction in and of itself.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

There was nothing wrong with seasons 1 and 2.

There was nothing that needed to be "righted."

Different does not equal "bad." To say this is how Picard always "should have been" is to disrespect the cast and crew of the first two seasons and their intentions.

Agreed. I like S1 and S2 quite a lot.

Jean Luc Picard is more than just what we saw in TNG and it's movies. He did things of note before and after.

I have like 15 pages of hand written notes that would probably take me 3 hours to type up into a cohesive post. Maybe I should just do a TL;dr of the season's greatest crimes?

Please feel free to not do that.

 

[fireproof78]

I should just do a TL;dr of the season's greatest crimes?

The fact that they are called "crimes" makes me less inclined to take it seriously. Reminds me of all the "heresy" that Abrams was accused of back on the old ST DOT COM boards.

Hopefully the "greatest hits" in 301 is just grounding the season in Star Trek vibes and establishing credibility for people considering coming back after getting burned by anything from NEM, ENT, or NuTrek before it can chart a new course.

And ignoring fans who liked New Trek for what it is. Well, never let it be said that the scales of fandom are ever in balance.

 

[Lord Garth]

Be excited. Go for it. Knock yourself out. Largely I see that but I grow tired of the "Season 1 was terrible and Season 2 the worst but Season 3 is God's gift to Trekkies" style attitude. I don't subscribe to it. I find it questionable at best.

Yeah, the whole Season 3 Myth is ridiculous in general.

I think DS9 Season 3 is weaker than S2 and S4. We all know ENT Season 3 isn't my thing and I won't re-hash why. And Season 3 is the season I have the most issue with when it comes to DSC. With DSC S3, it boiled down to: So much ground to cover, so little time. But that's neither here nor there. I haven't seen Season 3 of Lower Decks, except for the DS9 episode, so I can't comment there.

So the only instances where I think Season 3 of a series was better than the first two seasons were TNG and VOY. I think PIC is going to join them, but people thought I was insane for predicting that this early.

And even when it comes to TNG, VOY, and PIC, there's no dramatic jump. VOY's quality was always like New England weather: If you don't like it, just wait a minute. I think I'll only like PIC Season 3 just a bit better than Season 1, because I love the TOS Movies and S3 feels like it's going to be less of a downer than S1 (just a guess).

Then there's TNG itself. I think Season 2 was as much of an improvement of Season 1 as Season 3 was over Season 2. The second season had "The Measure of a Man" and "Q Who?", both of which I'd stack up against any episode of Season 3 any day.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah, the whole Season 3 Myth is ridiculous in general.

It comes across as a bit of a brown nose for a specific segment. And I don't do well with brown nosing in general.

 

[James Cole]

The fact that they are called "crimes" makes me less inclined to take it seriously. Reminds me of all the "heresy" that Abrams was accused of back on the old ST DOT COM boards.

Think something tongue in cheek like Q putting humanity on trial with different degrees of severity. Otherwise fridging Hugh and Icheb would be on the same level as costume design by the outlet mall and furnishings by IKEA

And ignoring fans who liked New Trek for what it is. Well, never let it be said that the scales of fandom are ever in balance.

I guess for me this just seems to be restoring a tiny bit of balance. PICARD has multiple characters from TNG and VGR, so at the very least the TNG and VGR fans have shared jurisdiction...

 

[fireproof78]

Think something tongue in cheek like Q putting humanity on trial with different degrees of severity. Otherwise fridging Hugh and Icheb would be on the same level as costume design by the outlet mall and furnishings by IKEA

I'm good without it. No crimes were committed and thankfully none of us are Q.

I guess for me this just seems to be restoring a tiny bit of balance. PICARD has multiple characters from TNG and VGR, so at the very least the TNG and VGR fans have shared jurisdiction...

Then I will simply repeat what I have said before-I hope you get what you want.

As for me, thus far, it's nowhere close to a sure thing. And being told it's super popular with segments of the fandom inspires skepticism not interest.