In a huge surprise for fans at Star Trek Las Vegas, it was announced by Alex Kurtzman and Patrick Stewart that “Jean-Luc Picard is Back.”
So far, details are slim. He know that, per Stewart, “There are no scripts, we are just talking about stories,” and that nearly after 20 years from Picard’s last appearance that he may have been changed by his experiences. “He may be a different person. He may not be a captain. He may not be the person you remember.”
When Stewart took the stage he explained calmly to the crowd why he had been dead set on not returning to the franchise. He had been typecast in the industry, and as the power of Star Trek began to wane, he decided to put it behind him. It was the past. Then, about six months ago he received an email arrived, “interesting and charming, but one which I had to turn down.” He, however,took a meeting. “I spent 20 minutes explaining why I was going to say no.”
He said he began rewatching The Next Generation, including episodes he’d never seen before. He then shared stories about how TNG had touched people, and changed people’s lives. Sentiments he’d always appreciated. He then told the story of a police officer that after hard days, where he doubting the very future of humanity, he would turn to his shelf and put on an episode. It was in that moment Stewart turned to the crowd and said, “Jean-Luc Picard is back.” The crowd lost it. It was a veritable explosion of humanity, and Stewart began to cry, the audience cried, this reporter cried.
“Whatever happens the next few years,” Stewart began, “What you just did makes it worth it.”
There is currently no date for when this series is ready, but it’s clear that there is a passion break a story with the same level of quality and passion that TNG was known for.
UPDATE: Here’s a shortened version of the announcement:
I’m not crying, you’re crying!About Author
Also published on Medium.
