Last week I gathered with fans across the United States to watch the finale of Star Trek Picard in IMAX. Early Wednesday morning I started my journey towards Dallas, Texas where my particular viewing would take place. The seats were not guaranteed for this event, and it was first come first serve for seating. I arrived a little after 2:00 PM at the AMC theater and began to wait in line with other fans who had arrived early that morning. Much of the day was spent reminiscing about our favorite moments from the series and how we were hopeful for an announcement of Star Trek Legacy.
The IMAX screening was a perfect send off for what started as a shaky series in 2020. However, under the direction of show runner Terry Matalas, the series was invigorated and illustrated how to properly send off legacy characters.
While this is not a review of the season or the series as a whole it is important to notate that this season provided A storyline that was very unique while still respecting the source material. Yes it’s a story about the Borg but Picard’s story has always revolved around his time as Locutus and his relationship with the android Data. I believe some fans have been critical about the storyline and going yet again to the Borg but we have to remember exactly where his origin began to understand where he needed to go. As it was stated in the series finale Jack crusher, was the best part of Picard that he didn’t know existed.
The screening of the last two episodes was back-to-back without interruption. I had gone into this screening having already seen the penultimate episode several times; each better than the previous viewing. Seeing the Enterprise D on the IMAX screen was like seeing an old friend who returned from a long journey. There were tears and applause throughout the room during the reveal of this iconic legend.
At the conclusion of the episode was a Q&A session from the cast of season three including Terry Matalas and Alex Kurtzman. During this Q&A session the cast members reminisced about their time on Next Generation and filming the final season of Picard. I think this was a special moment for Patrick Stewart as this serves as his final farewell to the character that he played for so many years. It was reminiscent of his time at San Diego Comic Con whenever he thanked fans for the love and support throughout the many years because he might never have the opportunity to do so again.
Picard season 3 gave us the sendoff that we deserved as fans of the characters who shaped many of our lives. As a kid in the late 80s and early 90s watching Star Trek: TNG, it was so awesome to see these characters in action one more time. I’m very hopeful for what the future has in store as long as Star Trek continues down this line. There have been many arguments about how Discovery is not Star Trek but I don’t think we would be here without it’s role in the overall architecture of this franchise. Let’s remember that the adventure continues.
