Star Trek: Picard - 6 Ups & 3 Downs From Nepenthe

1. The Star Trek Of Old

However if there was one thing that was Star Trek, it was the entire feel of Nepenthe. Picard's vibe this far has been far bleaker, far less hopeful, than any Star Trek series before it, presenting the galaxy away from Starfleet as fractured, suspicious, and dark. For some, this is a fresh and intersting slant on the franchise, for others it's just not what they signed up for.

However this episode sees a return to that warm, positive Starfleet embrace, where every problem can be solved by simply getting around the Ready Room table and thrashing the situation out. This time with Pizza. It's a welcome return to the thematic heft of old, and if we are to make a narrative pitstop on our way to the conclusion, it's just about forgivable when it's as well executed as this.

I would, 1000%, watch an entire series where Picard and Riker just zip about the galaxy drinking wine like Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in The Trip. You can call it The Trek.