Photo Courtesy of Den of Geek

New Yorkers are no strangers to some of the oddest sights in the world, but to see hundreds of people, many dressed in elaborate alien costumes, lined up around the block of the 92nd Street Y theater in Manhattan on a Monday night might have been a little bit jarring. 

On Monday, Feb. 13, the theater hosted a historic sold out event for an advanced screening of Season 3 of the highly anticipated “Star Trek: Picard.” It is safe to say, “Star Trek” is back at its best in over twenty years. “Picard” premiered on the platform Paramount+ in 2020 to praise from critics and casual audience members alike, but the show has struggled to find its footing among the fans of the franchise and to bring “Star Trek” back to its roots of dramatic storytelling about the future of a better tomorrow. 

The show was heavily anticipated, with Patrick Stewart reprising his leading role of Jean-Luc Picard from the successfully acclaimed “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which ran for seven seasons from 1987-1994. Ultimately, “Picard” failed to live up to expectations until now.  

Season 3 was filmed back-to-back with Season 2, which premiered last spring, but it is clear there is a dramatic shift in the direction of the story and overall presentation of the narrative. 

Lifelong fan Terry Matalas served as the sole showrunner of this season, whereas past seasons have involved the work of Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, Michael Chabon and Akivia Goldsman. Matalas clearly understands the fundamentals of “Star Trek and has a genuine passion for the material,” having grown up with it at the height of its popularity. Under the creative direction of Chabon, Goldsman, Kurtzman and Orci, the franchise has seen some of the worst direction and development. 

Matalas has been heavily involved in the development of this final season, hoping to reunite the cast of “The Next Generation” one last time and give them the proper sendoff they were denied. Matalas pitched the third season to the reluctant “The Next Generation” cast with a story more akin to 1991’s “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” the grand send-off for the original cast from the first “Star Trek” series. 

The series finds Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) retired from Starfleet and living a tranquil life in the countryside of France. 

Picard receives a strange cryptic request for help from his former comrade and lover Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), who is secretly working on a project on the other side of the galaxy which has fallen under attack. Concerned for Beverly, Picard reaches out to his former first officer, now Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and together the two set off to discover the truth behind the mystery. 

Following the premiere, the cast sat down with MTV host Josh Horowtiz for a discussion with audience members in attendance about the development of the show as a whole, the return to the franchise and the importance of the message of “Star Trek” in the modern day.

Speaking about what fans can expect this season, Jonathan Frakes noted the development of the relationship between Riker and Picard, saying, “It was a pleasure. What the writers pitched to me and Patrick was ‘Butch and Sundance,’ but in conflict. I think what we got to do this season together was as interesting or exciting as the scenes we played prior. When you look into Patrick’s eyes and you play the scene with him, you know you are in good hands.” 

Ultimately, Season 3 of “Picard” is off to a terrific start, and there is plenty for longtime fans of the franchise to love in its premiere episode. 

From character interactions to world-building moments to this unsettling sense of dread lurking around the corner for our heroes, there is a clear amount of love poured into the plot. What’s more interesting to note is how unconnected this season feels to the preceding two as it starts with a clean slate right from the start. 

Despite being written by a fan, Matalas avoids unnecessary fan service to appease audience members. Matalas has set out to correct the mistakes made before him, all while bringing to life his vision of “Star Trek.” This iteration pays respect to what has come before while creating a compelling new story. 

“Picard” Season 3 serves as a love letter for longtime fans such as himself, the final tale of Jean-Luc Picard. While it took years for “Star Trek” to return to its ideas and themes of a brighter future where we put aside our differences for the betterment of tomorrow, for love, family and loyalty, a story we need now more than ever in the 21st century, this was well worth the wait. 

The rest of the third season will air weekly until April 28, when the final conclusion of the Starship’s Enterprise crew will, as Picard puts it so often, “Engage!”