Paramount+ obviously had confidence in its upcoming third season of “Star Trek: Picard” when members of the press were sent six episodes of the new season to screen, a big increase over the first two seasons where three episodes each were shown off beforehand.
Indeed both of those seasons arguably started with their best foot forward, the opening episodes of S1 setting up Picard on a new ship and with a new mission whilst the second season offered a wild ride through an alternate timeline and Picard’s regret before only just kicking off the 21st-century storyline that would dominate the season.
In both cases, the main thrust of the seasons to come wasn’t revealed and in both cases, it could be easily argued things went downhill after that point with each of the season’s final few episodes a distinct downgrade from their openers.
New solo showrunner Terry Matalas, who has been very active on social media and wants to make it clear this new season is different, is aiming to change that narrative this time showcasing just over half the season which offered a solid look into where the season is going overall.
That has resulted in some very strong reviews for the new run, even from those who have been highly critical of the first two seasons. On Rotten Tomatoes the new season is coming in at 100% (8.7/10) compared to the 85% the first few episodes of the first two seasons scored. Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“Star Trek: Picard’s decision to finally embrace the audience’s affection for The Next Generation that helps it soar. From the use of archival clips of that show to music queues, callback characters, and visual references, this is a Picard that at long last lets itself savor the legacy of being a Star Trek series” – Lauren Coates, The AV Club
“A rip-roaring, crowd-pleasing return to form that finally gives us what we’ve wanted all along, bringing back all our Next Generation favorites for a beautiful and emotional reunion. A-” – Dave Nemetz, TV Line
“As fun as Star Trek: Picard Season 1 and Season 2 were, Season 3 is an exceptional return to the world of The Next Generation, and a fitting send-off for a corner of the franchise.” – Maggie Lovitt, Collider
“The end result is a story that feels very fan-service filled with callbacks and inside jokes, while remaining captivating through its character-driven plots and intriguing storylines that are easy to follow along for fans of Picard, even for those who aren’t the most Trek-enthused.” – Laura Sirikul, The Daily Beast
“It’s a compelling adventure so far, but it also feels like a movie-sized adventure stretched a bit thin… Still, it gets the important things right, staying true to cherished characters and making it a pleasure to see them together again. 7.3/10” – TV Guide
“This is, essentially, the best NextGen movie that we never got.” – Witney Seibold, Slashfilm
“Star Trek: Picard delivers one of the best final seasons of television storytelling and my favorite Star Trek season ever. This is fan service at its finest and all-around great science fiction” – Alex Maidy, JoBlo’s Movie Network
“The first two seasons of Picard were not great television, but it is sad to see how enthusiastically the third season rushes to distance itself from what came before in the pursuit of something much more generic and even more nostalgic. Everything in the third season of Picard is geared towards nostalgia, down to the editing…it’s Star Trek’s Rise of Skywalker” – Darren Mooney, The Escapist
The third season of “Star Trek: Picard” is set to premiere on February 16th and will run for ten episodes through until April 20th.
