Patrick Stewart's desire to create a Picard film after the third season of Star Trek: Picard may not be ideal for several reasons. In a recent interview with IndieWire, Stewart expressed his interest in producing another movie as a final farewell to the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. Although it is a heartfelt sentiment, the TNG cast already had a perfect conclusion in Picard season 3. Introducing another chapter to their story seems unnecessary and could potentially diminish the greatness of Picard's third season. Despite Stewart's enthusiasm, a Star Trek: Picard film would likely create conflict among the TNG crew and make the conclusion of Picard less satisfying. All TNG original cast members not only survived until the end of Star Trek: Picard but also concluded the show happily and united. While it was enjoyable to see the TNG cast back on the ISS Enterprise-D, their story feels complete. They could still make appearances as guest stars or recurring characters in other Star Trek projects, but it is time to pass the torch to newer Trek characters in upcoming shows like the anticipated Star Trek: Legacy.
Why Another Star Trek TNG Movie After Picard Season 3 Isn't A Great Idea
Star Trek: The Next Generation had an exceptional finale called "All Good Things...." that surpassed Star Trek: Picard season 3. Despite the notable moments in the TNG movies that followed, they often lacked the sentiment and intellectual depth of the television series. Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), the Enterprise's resident android, had a captivating character arc in TNG as he explored his own humanity. Unfortunately, Star Trek Generations diminished the emotional journey by reintroducing the emotion chip storyline. Furthermore, the films disregarded the romantic connection between Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer. Throughout TNG, their unspoken feelings for each other created tension, but the movies introduced new love interests for Picard, transforming him into more of an action-movie hero.
Even the writers of Star Trek: Picard seemed to recognize the flaws of the films, as Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), the captain of the USS Titan, openly criticizes the past escapades of Picard and Will Riker (Johnathan Frakes), primarily referencing events from the TNG movies rather than the television show. Perhaps a new TNG movie with the current writing team could present something entirely distinctive from any previous Star Trek film. However, considering the exceptional farewell in Picard season 3, why alter a successful formula?
Star Trek Works Best On TV, Despite Movie Successes
The Star Trek franchise has produced impressive sci-fi action movies, but often loses an essential element of Trek when transitioning to the big screen. The television format, whether through weekly episodic adventures or season-long story arcs, captures a vital aspect of Star Trek storytelling. In its ten episodes, Star Trek: Picard season 3 effectively developed new characters and revealed changes in familiar ones. Additionally, it laid the groundwork for compelling new stories and characters that deserve further exploration in their own television series.
Enter Star Trek: Legacy, a series that can carry on the legacy of previous Star Trek successes while embracing the future with intriguing new characters and narratives. While standalone stories can work in film format, like the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 film, the most impactful Star Trek tales thrive on television. Although Star Trek movies have enjoyed past success and will likely continue to do so, the characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation already received a satisfying conclusion in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
