“Star Trek: Picard” ends its run on April 20 after three seasons, and it’s ending on some of the best episodes of its entire run. Will it be rewarded for it by the Emmys? “Star Trek: The Next Generation” had to wait until its final season to finally be nominated for Best Drama Series, and “Picard” deserves the same consideration.
The comparison to “TNG” is especially apt this year. To celebrate “Picard’s” swan song after its short-but-sweet run on Paramount+, the story has incorporated the old cast of characters, including Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Data (Brent Spiner), and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). The plot also incorporates some familiar elements, including the Changelings from “Deep Space Nine” and, as was revealed in episode nine, the Borg.
Showrunner Terry Matalas and company could have coasted on the appeal of the legacy characters and let nostalgia do most of the heavy lifting this season, but instead he’s crafted the show’s most satisfying storyline, involving a plot against Starfleet and the mysteries surrounding Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the son of Beverly and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).
Gratefully, it’s not just fan service. The characters we remember have been woven naturally into the new story with fresh new additions (Captain Shaw, we stan), while the behind-the-scenes artists continue to take advantage of the advances in filmmaking and visual effects technology to make this universe as visually immersive as ever.
The techs and crafts have always been where “Star Trek” has enjoyed the most Emmy success. Consider that “TNG” only received that one Best Drama Series nom in 1994 and never contended for writing, directing, or acting, but it still managed to win 18 times in fields including costumes, hair, makeup, visual effects, and sound.
“Picard” has likewise been recognized below the line, earning nine nominations and one win for prosthetic makeup over the course of its first two season, but the time has come for more love in the marquee races. The TV academy isn’t as snobby around sci-fi as it used to be, but while they’ve backed the truck up to Disney+’s spinoffs from the “Star Wars” and Marvel universes, they have remained stingy to “Star Trek,” the franchise that actually started on television. Maybe reminding voters of “TNG” will be the key to getting “Trek” back to the forefront.
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