Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Review

The third and purportedly last season of the Picard spinoff leaves you in no doubt that it's firing on all cylinders from the start.

With the revelations that most of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast would be returning for this final run, there was an inherent danger of this run of 10 episodes being nothing more than a nostalgia lap.

But having seen six of the ten episodes, those involved have done more than that to ensure it doesn't lapse into some kind of fan service - and in doing so, have easily recovered from a faltering second season that lost its way very early on.

In this latest, Picard is content with life back at his chateau and at a chance with a relationship he'd longed for. But affairs of the heart have to be put on hold when he receives a coded distress call from Dr Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden, kicking ass from the very beginning) that hints of real danger both to her and the wider universe.

Lured into action and co-opting William Riker (Jonathan Frakes, in a sardonic turn), Picard soon finds himself at the centre of something he least expected - and potentially out of his depth with catastrophic consequences looming.

The thing with Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is that it knows exactly what it wants - and its confidence of execution comes through on every level.

But while there are epic sequences that feel very cinematic, for a large part, the story is still grounded and intimate for reasons a little too spoilery to reveal ahead of the premiere but are more obvious after episode 1 has aired.

Star Trek: Picard has always been about Jean-Luc Picard's mortality and reflections on life already gone, and this latest season builds on that even though the first season essentially took away his humanity and mortality to a degree. There are surprising moments in the story, and conflicts you'd not expect to occur do - but what comes through is the depth of history between these shared characters and the ease with which the actors still interact with each other.

There's no denying in parts that early on, the series feels a little like it's chopping and changing as it loops between narratives, and it's hard to shake a feeling the female characters are somewhat shunted to the side as the show goes on - and while there's a distinct feeling the show is divided into chapters of pockets of characters interacting with some cracks papered over dramatically, it's still superior sci-fi fare. (You will however feel some of the central mystery is overboiled, overwrought and a touch repetitive without necessary resolution over six episodes - and it's hard to shake a feeling that MacFadden who made such a memorable entry becomes more and more shunted as the season progresses.)

Among the newcomers to this season is Todd Stashwick's Captain Liam Shaw who makes a memorable entrance and then continues to build on an absolute pearl of an arc he's gifted by the writers. Having Jeri Ryan's Seven paired as his first officer proves to be a fruitful combination which leaves you wanting more of their previous adventures. Ryan also delivers an at times tortured and conflicted performance that soars.

It's no spoiler to say for the most part, you can see where the characters are going, but there are moments of reintroductions which surprise and later on, there is more than just a feeling of nostalgia as it's clear where the story has evolved the returnees and not just brought them in for the sake of it.

Much of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is about placing characters in impossible situations and seeing how they react - but not once is it done overdramatically, it's done in more of a grounded way that feels true to the characters and their past.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 represents a high point if this truly is the end. It's a series that delves deep into conspiracies, flourishes in its relationships and proves that good sci-fi doesn't have to always push the envelope, just deliver what it needs to.

Episodes 1-6 of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 were viewed for the purposes of this review.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 begins airing on Prime Video on Friday February 17.