10 Worst Sequels In Star Trek
3. Star Trek: Picard S1
As a sequel to Star Trek: Nemesis, the first season of Star Trek: Picard ably moves the story forward, though is at its strongest when it offers the audience a true goodbye between Jean-Luc and Data. Though some plot elements are hand-waved away, such as the rapid acceptance of banning synths in the wake of the Mars assault, the season mostly manages to stand on its own.
The season slips when one considers the context of its inspiration - The Measure Of A Man. This seminal episode of Star Trek is one of the strongest episodes from the Trek universe, exploring not just what it means to be sentient, but what it means to treat others with respect. There, Data is the subject and the catalyst for much of the examination of artificial intelligence to follow, while Riker becomes the symbol of being forced into situations one would never wish to find themselves in.
Picard's first season seemingly undoes the powerful ending to that episode, arbitrarily banning all synthetic lifeforms in the Federation, thus condemning Thaddeus Riker to an early death. The message that it delivers fails to satisfy on The Measure Of A Man's premise, instead positioning itself as a darker future for all concerned, one where Starfleet has all but abandoned its principals.