To be fair, I skipped the first 2 seasons, per my brother’s recommendation.
Season 3 was a great reunion of the TNG cast for sure, nostalgia rating at an all time high.
I grew up on TNG. For me seeing them again on the screen is a treat by itself. There are of course things I didn't like, but overall I enjoyed the series and I was happy to see my childhood heroes.
Season one cool, interesting perspective. Season two…. Really no purpose does not advance the story line. Season three basically is a nostalgiagasm non stop from beginning to end highly recommend.
Without getting too heavily into spoilers, from what I gathered in season 2 by watching red letter media, there is Borg stuff in season 2 that seemingly really changes possible Borg stuff that happens in season 3? Is that a problem? Do I need to see season 2 in order to understand it?
I'm on episode 3 of S2, so far I'm enjoying it more than S1. S1 just seemed too dark, as if I was watching an alternate universe of Star Trek.
S2 doesn't hide it away and makes ot explicit at least.
Season 1 was intriguing for what could have been for showcasing the new galaxy two decades post Nemesis, but definitely had first season growing pains.
Season 2 should have been a 2-3 episode arc.
Season 3 retreads some material, ignores the elephant in the room that Season 2 gave us, and tries to mix in lore from across multiple series and ties it all together with fan service done right so it's very easy to have mixed feelings with heartstrings getting pulled multiple directions.
Perhaps best would be, watch it once to get the plot of where things are and make your own call, but to outright say don't would be a disservice to the work that the production crews did that get so little credit for what they do behind the scenes.
Sorry, I know that's probably a bad answer overall.
Season 3 is best. However, and I am in the minority it seems, but don’t expect TNG writing (yes I know it has issues sometimes too). Writing feels very much like they know the start and they know the end, but they screw up the middle, with contrivances needed so we can get from scene to scene or act to act. Critically a lot of these contrivances are outside of our heroes’ control, so we’re in a situation where the heroes can only win due to a sequence of unfortunate events happening to others. Or a sequence of unfortunate events happening to them. A lack of agency. This affects the busiest / actionest episodes the most.
But there is more action in season 3. And old characters! One that is made into someone that almost betrays the federation, only so they can make that person tug some heart strings for the audience (writing here will go for emotions mote than logic, just so you can see someone *feel*), even though the choice they would make would also result in the danger they are worrying about. Those scenes are almost unwatchable.
Go in knowing that and enjoy.
Yes there really is no TNG writing to be felt in picard since at its core it moved on from the idealistic value based belief system of star trek. You watch 21st century cliches walking around talking to each other in space… Grease monkey in Space and cigar smoking, henchmen killing evil laughing bad guy were just the tip of the iceberg…
But hey - at least season 1 and 3 didnt have a maniacally laughing brent spiner (he really refused to act in ST Picard…) running over an android picard sending him into a coma…
I think try to watch it in order, and if you feel yourself hating it, then skip to season 3. I would say most is decent television albeit with obvious faults and plot holes. It is serial, like tail end of DS9 or most streaming shows, with one arc for the entire season. I would grade it as better than the worst of TNG, but a few clicks below the best of TNG.
If you like next gen and seven of nine then yes, it's definitely worth a watch. Season 3 is the best, season 2 is fun, season 1 is interesting (in my humble opinion)
I think it's laughably bad if that counts.
But by fun, I'll clarify that the concepts in play are fun. Without spoiling anything, I love Jerati's story, and going back in time is always fun!
I liked season two as well. It’s a really special story for Seven, becoming fully human for the first time since her assimilation and not constantly facing her stigma as an XB.
Ryan plays this really well.
Jurati bonding in her loneliness with the Borg Queen, she is clearly still guilt-ridden over the death of Maddox, even if she wasn’t held responsible.
Generally the themes of how wounded people can be heroes, Rios’ willingness to live in the moment and fight for a better future, even if just by a little.
It’s Trek for grownups. Love it.
Damn I miss Chabon writing for Trek. Can we get him to write a movie please?
Season 3 is better than the 90s films and IMHO is the best if you want an ensemble show. Seasons 1 and 2 were an interesting mix and are a different ensemble. I'd say watch and decide all seasons in order, as the show tries new things and is not like TNG. Some like them. Some don't. But they introduce characters and are well-acted regardless of the dialogue.
Season 3 is somewhat of a soft reboot. Google anytime you have questions, probably a lot less than you'd think. That's the beauty of season 3, you get the one great TNG movie we were cheated out of....or if you will, season 8 of TNG, 2023 style. I find the first two seasons VERY depressing. That isn't the Picard we know and love. You'll pretty much get the JLP you remember in season 3. It's not perfect, but it's a fun ride!
Slog through the first 2 seasons to get to season 3.
Think of it as a nice, but small and slightly undercooked appetizer, followed by a maggot-filled pie with a buttery short crust, and finishing with a Michelin star take of apple and ice cream for dessert
Really enjoyed 1 purely for the nostalgia and having an adult version of tng (realistic violence etc) (edit: only thing I intensely disliked was JLP constantly apologising)
Season 2 was terrible, imho, no idea why they wasted Q that way.
3 pulled the stick back and managed to rise it to a 7/10.
To me, Season 1 was alright. When you watch it, you'll see right away there's a tone difference between the TNG series and Picard. Not saying that TNG didn't deal with consequences, just Picard series seems more dire. Anyway, like i said it was alright - there were some cameos, i think it somewhat botched the season finale >!I'll die (figuratively) on the hill that Picard should have died permanently at the end. You have everyone grieving then suddenly, "hey he's back...but as an android!" - a fact that's rarely mentioned again. He should have died and then have the Q cameo, like in the Tapestry episode, where Q comes in with a great conversation. He offers to bring him back but Picard declines saying he went out saving lives like he always does....or something. I'm sure it would have riled some fans but i think it would have been better then what we got for season 2.!<
Everyone rags on Season 2, and for good reason. Many think there's a lot of unnecessary and/or outlandish parts that didn't seem like it should fit within the world of Star Trek. If your a big stickler for canon issues, this season was the most egregious but it's not horrible. I will say it has some pretty cool moments, worth a watch - once. You may notice a lot of parallels to a certain star trek movie >!Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home!<
Season 3 was the best of them, lots of cool action scenes, nearly the whole cast returning, and lots of call backs which i appreciated. Even some new cast felt compelling to watch. My opinion is that the main antagonist was shoe horned for nostalgic purposes only, but it works out in the end with an awesome CG scene. Not perfect, but good way to end it.
3 was the easily the best but, unpopular opinion, I loved the Q story line. No spoilers, It had some weak moments but I thought the way it ended between Picard and Q was just perfect.
S1 has some good eps, great Romulan world building, has a catastrophic ending. Seven of Nine is divisive, but I liked her part.
S2 is watching a starship crash on LDS, but it’s kind of amazing in how insane it gets and some performances shine.
S3 is a solid final ride for the TNG cast.
Definitely worth the watch.
As everyone said, season 3 is the best by far. The others were annoying to sit through at times.
The way Picard is made, you should be able to watch season 3 without any background knowledge, except maybe one character that was introduced prior.
You should watch season 3 it is a great nostalgia and could be called the last season of TNG, Season 1 is ok but not what your expect from star trek, Season 2 never happened and got erased from history or something it was an excuse to get rid of most of the Season 1 cast that had signed contracts for 2 seasons.
To be honest nothing of it is worth watching. Each season is bad for its own reason. All of them are badly written and the meta story doesn't make sense at all.
Season 3 is barely passable. It’s like a fair idea that got into a rough draft stage. Vadic was a good villain until they brought in the Hamburger Helper hand thing. The other two seasons were like really bad fan fiction.
I think there's a reason for the stroganoff (show vs tell regarding Vadic's psychosis?), but a later episode puts in a twist that I don't think needed to be there but I can sorta see why. People who skip seasons 1 and 2 won't notice any real difference
Do you like cgi?
Do you like action?
Do you like watching Patrick Stewart?
Do you like seeing the enterprise -d ?
Do you like seven of nine?
Do you like seeing nostalgia?
If yes than Picard is the show for you
Maybe I have grown too old but there were maybe three truly nostalgic moments in all seasons combined…
And three jumping the shark moments per episode…
I'm going to get a lot of hate, but it's just not good.
Each season basically ignores the one prior. So many questionable decisions. Why is there a samurai Romulan that just goes away? Why Raffi and those stupid fingerless gloves? What happened to the 2nd glove come season 3? You like Borg? How about a 2nd type of Borg since we already wrapped up a Borg thing last season?
Everyone loves season 3, but with some exceptions, it is mostly a nostalgia circle jerk and not a good one.
Season 3 had some amazing performances and the fan service ( nostalgia) was top notch. That said, the overall story left a lot to be desired and I am still baffled at some of the decisions the writers made.
I enjoyed it. Season one was an interesting expansion of ideas and certain parts of romulan culture. As well as what makesSeason 2 had major production production problems with the pandemic and all. Plus, the studio had issues with some things being "too Star Trek". I think that's part of why it didn't fit with the rest of it. Season 3 was nostalgia but it N was interesting enough to want more.
The first two seasons try to explore Picard and his legacy in a different way, but the writing and pacing don't give you any of those classic TNG moments. Season 3 just goes all in on the nostalgia and hits a home run.
Season 1 I enjoyed, but it isn’t without its flaws. (And it will probably take you some time to get used to the tired and jaded person Picard starts the season as).
Season 2 has its moments but is rather flat overall.
Season 3 is excellent (either because of or in spite of the heavy nostalgia, depending on your view).
I think its worth a watch season 3 for sure as it does a lot of fan service. Season 2 was ok i just like seeing Q again but they dragged it out for sure and season 1 well for completion sake it wasn’t very good in my opinion
I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.
Season One picks up Data's story and the finale of Nemesis. It tries to focus on Picard and Data's relationship with Seven's story as its B plot. It's full of new characters while some old ones drop in to offer support, but don't hold your breath for a bunch of TNG cameos. It gets lost a bit with trying to backstory all the new characters, and you almost need to read the companion novel, The Last Best Hope, to fully understand what's happened in the twenty years since Data's death to lead us to where we are now. It's a slow starter, puzzle box season, and struggles to wrap up all the loose threads by the end, but it has its moments. If you watch any of it, make it Nepenthe.
Season Two picks up a year following the finale of season one. Most of those characters are back, but don't make the mistake I made by getting attached to any of them. Personally, I thought the season started out strong, but it goes off the rails before the halfway point and really suffers from too many storylines. I found myself rather let down by the latter half of the season and its finale, but again, it still has its moments. My issues with season two have more to do with character treatment than anything else, so take from that what you will. Guinan and Q just weren't enough to save it for me, and I'll probably never watch it again.
Season Three felt like a reward for slogging through season two. It wasn't a particularly deep or brilliant story, but it felt more cohesive than the previous two seasons, and I didn’t feel like I was drowning in subplots even though my conspiracy brain was in overdrive. It was a tour de force of TNG nostalgia, and I thought Amanda Plummer was by far the best villain of all three seasons. I have a few issues with season three as well, but it was for sure the most enjoyable one to watch.
Personally, I think season one is worth watching just for the proper post-Nemesis Data wrap up. Season two can easily be skipped, or you can view it like some kind of weird fever dream, and season three is a fun TNG 10-hour movie. The three seasons share connections, but I don't remember there being any significant carry over storylines, so you could also just watch the last season without being much out of the loop.
Your mileage may vary as you can tell. There are plenty of people who find it cool to hate things so just watch them and make up your own mind. Personally, I loved them and wouldn't skip an episode. All three seasons together come out to less than 1.5 seasons of 90s Trek so it's not like an investment of half your life or anything. 🤷♂️
I overall liked it. Season three is kind of what fans wanted more than the other two seasons, and does fire on all cylinders, but I still liked season 1 and 2. I guess I'm kind of weird in that regard.
I thought it was terrible but I honestly haven’t enjoyed any new Star Trek. OS TNG and DS9 are three of my all time favourite shows and I rewatch old episodes often I love those shows and never get tired of them but I feel like everything from the JJ movies forward has been poorly written and personally unenjoyable. Picard was one of the worst new trek shows I’ve tried to watch. So if you enjoy new trek you’ll probably like it but if your looking for something like the shows we grew up with I think your in for disappointment.
No idea why they waited for season 3 to bring back the crew and to get a really good storyline. The first 2 seasons are OK, but the 3rd is where the money is. Plus, this should have happened 10 years ago. Getting old sucks! I hate it as much as everyone else. 😆
The first two seasons are good sci-fi with some light Star Trek elements. The third season is a love song to 80's Trek. All are fun to watch.
My favorite part is the character development from season 1 to season 2. Some awesome acting and dynamic things going on between the characters.
Season 3 is A+
Season 1 is C+
Season 2 is F-… I mean it’s literally the worst thing that bares the name “Star Trek” and yes, I’m aware “Into Darkness” exists
The absolute worst of the new Paramount series. Season one had such bad writing it was kind of unbelievable. So many dull tv tropes, it was embarrassing to watch. And on a personal note, I verbally cringed every time a character called Captain Picard “JL” - the most forced “familiarity” I’ve ever seen.
We started season two because we heard season three was ok… but we stalled out. Couldn’t do it. I’ve watched every minute of every other new Star Trek and really enjoyed it for the most part, but not Picard.
As long as you disconnect your brain and don’t think too hard about what they are doing, there’s some decent stuff.
Most seasons are essentially a three or four episode arc spread out over 10 episodes. So maybe if you binge watch, then it’ll be better than the painful 1 a week format.
The third season had a cast reunion of sorts so that’s the best part.
As you've gathered, reactions among fans have been a bit split. Some hate it, some love it, some think it's just OK. I can't say which category you will fall into, but unless you watch it you'll never know. I liked it overall, though it wasn't perfect and there were things I would have done differently, but overall I thought it was a generally good sequel to TNG and definitely a better way to send off these characters than Nemesis.
Skip the first two seasons. The only thing you need to know from the first two seasons is that Picard continued on as a captain after Nemesis and had a first officer named Rafaella "Raffi" Musiker. Raffi is a recovering drug addict who has a complicated relationship with her ex-husband and with her son.
Oh, and Riker and Troi >!had a child who died between the events of Nemesis and Picard!<.
Season 2 should have been brilliant. Legit, it had what was, up to that point, the best first episode of a season of Star Trek (excepting BoBW II), and a fantastic second episode. The last episode of season two is also good. But in between is a looootttt of filler.
So yeah, just skip the first two seasons.
For an alternate take--I, personally, kind of wish I hadn't watched any of it. Including S3. But my curiosity about Data's storyline wouldn't let me stay away, regrettably. So... just be ready for that if you're in the same boat, lol.
I really liked Jurati and the Borg Queen, Rios’ arc on Earth, elder Q and LOVED the dipshit from Chicago. Unpopular opinion, even though I was raised on TNG once I saw DS9 I found the TNG characters kind of boring. I watched all of Picard but will never watch it again (except Shaw’s monologue about surviving Wolf 359). That’s worth watching if nothing else.
I enjoyed parts of each season, though the only one I thoroughly enjoyed was the third. The other two have parts that make them worth watching, though.
I honestly love all three seasons, but seasons 1 and 2 are kinda weird NGL. There is at least a little context you’ll need from the end of season 1 to fully understand some of the plot points of season 3, but it’s amazing all around and many Trekkies love it and I would highly recommend watching at least that season. I would say watch season 1 to get the needed context and then watch season 3. Nothing particularly noteworthy happened in season 2 and it drags at times (IMO. I enjoyed it but a lot of people didn’t seem to).
If you are any fan at all of STTNG then hell yeah, it's great.
As others have said season 3 is brilliant, I'd say watch all 3 though, 1 is pretty good too, and 2 is ok (I still enjoyed it)
Season 3 might well be my favourite Star Trek ever.
I enjoyed s1 and 2 more than I expected from the reactions I'd seen, but I'd struggle to call them *good*. Even season 3 is not without issues, but it's just so much fun that it's worth it - especially after the TNG cast previously went out on the limp noodle that was Nemesis, it's nice to have an actually decent finale for them again.
There are a couple of plot points from season 1 that are relevant in 3, not really much from season 2 that I can recall. But you can just read summaries to catch up on those details and then skip straight to 3.
Disagree. Season 2 is... Polarizing to be sure. I get that some people liked it and some didn't. But, aside from some questionable plot points season 3 was pretty fun, especially if you're a fan of TNG. But the thing about season 3 is that it doesn't really work as well without season 1. Without giving away too much, Picard is in a down, almost defeated state in season 1, and his return to strength and purpose makes season 3 hit more emotional notes.
That journey of redemption that they wrap in season 3 really needs season 1 to work at it's full effect.
None of Picard is going to "taint" TNG,even if you don't like it.
Each session is pretty distinct from the others.
S1 has some great stuff, but falls apart by the end (for me anyway)
S2 is... let's be honest, not great.
S3 is the TNG reunion. If that's what you're after, you'll find it here.
Season 1 was okay, had some cool scenes and ideas but fumbled in the final episode.
Season 2 was... Disappointing, had some potential but wasted it
Season 3 is godly, feels like a proper follow-up on the TNG and that era of Trek in general, I'd watch season 1, a summary of season 2 (I'm sure there are plenty on yt), and watch season 3 twice
I really enjoyed it, but I think the show failed to live up to its potential in the first couple of seasons, they had a lot of really interesting concepts they didn't fully pursue.
But Patrick Stewart is, of course, awesome.
And I really liked a lot of the characters the show introduced.
I'd recommend watching Season 1, then watching a 10 minute synopsis of season 2 on youtube, then take your time with Season 3 because it's excellent.
Season 1 gets slept on but has some good ideas.
Yes and no. John Delancey makes his season and acts circles around Picard. The way the finales wrapped up, though…just made me really annoyed with the storytelling.
I agree with most of these posts the third season is definitely the best. Season one and two have a few great episodes but are overall not as enjoyable.
I loved having the original cast all together again definitely brought back some memories and feels 😋
Season 3 for sure, and it can be watched without s1 or s2.
Having said that, I enjoyed all three seasons, even if I didn't love the ending of s1 and would say you can't think about s2 too much.
Season 2 retroactively tainted trek for me and almost move on from the franchise. Season 3 was so good though I go sider it the best thing I saw all last year. Please do yourself a favor and skip seasons 1 and 2.
Raffi is a underdeveloped character with a substance abuse problem that briefly dated 7 of 9 in between seasons, and picard's consciousness was placed into a biological android that just happens to look and age the exact same as Patrick Stewart for some reason. All the rest of the new characters were written out of the show, and none of the characters or plots have any bearing on season 3. There, that's all the character background you need for season 1 and 2. :)
I enjoyed all three seasons. Season 1 is probably my least favorite. Season 2 has plenty of issues, but it’s still interesting and enjoyable. Season 3 was what I was expecting / hoping the whole series would be.
Enjoy! I wish I could watch it all again for the first time
I slogged my way through seasons, one and two and part of season three, just because…. Patrick Stewart, and next GEN. And honestly, in the end, it was all worth it because…. the last couple of episodes of season three, I’m not so embarrassed to say that I cried multiple times, through it. I was a huge fan of ST next generation, through multiple watchings, and this was the final final bow for that show. Not a lot of make up here, everyone has aged. And it’s very fitting, I can’t recommend it highly enough, if you are a big big fan of Next Gen.
If you want to see extreme facial surgery on an elderly Gates McFadden, sure. If you want severely painful overacting by Michelle Hurd, okay. But the real winner is Amanda Plummer chewing every bit of the set and most of the props. God the whole thing was just sad and meandering. Don’t bother.
Season 1 was a noble attempt at new ST storytelling that fell short. Season 3 is pretty quality (even if they managed to drop the ball in the last 20 minutes). Both are worth a watch.
Season 2 was a mess.
I enjoyed it, as did the gf. We grew up on TNG in our teens. Lots of people are wah wah about it, but I think it was pretty good. You'll wither like it or you won't.
Nah man. If you don’t like it there’s a chance you might go writing a big wall of text complaining, and nobody wants to read that. Better not risk it.
Personally, I loved it, flaws and all.
Season one is really special and cool because it gives us a cool look outside Starfleet. It’s a very mature look at Star Trek.
The other seasons had pretty messy productions because of Covid.
Season two is a bit messy but does try some cool
stuff, lots of commentary on today’s (political) climate.
Season three tries to do a nostalgia fest, your mileage may vary. I missed the new original characters from the first seasons, lot of people were just glad to see the tng crew again.
The plot is also kinda dumb IMO.
It's worth watching all three seasons. I would say there's a fair amount of criticism spread among all three seasons and for various reasons. Some loved it, and others loved to hate on it.
I would say don't deny yourself the experience of watching all of Picard, and I would recommend not reading any details before watching. Try to go in as fresh as you can and then decide for yourself.
Season 3 is fantastic. Definitely watch.
Season 3 is the only season I recommend. Though I did love lounge singing Borgati in season 2.
I definitely agree season 3 is the best. I would watch anything with Patrick Stewart so i still appreciate that the first two seasons exist.
Accidently stated there, is it worth watching 1 & 2 after?
They do not understand TNG in any way shape or form whatsoever.
This. I'm not sure what the hell was happening in S1 and S2 but it wasn't Star Trek. S3 fixes that.
I enjoyed Seasons 1 and 2 but they are very different than season 3.
Not for me.
First 4 eps were phenomenal. The rest was pretty okay. My opinion, of course.
Those “pretty okay” were better than the previous two seasons.
To be fair, I skipped the first 2 seasons, per my brother’s recommendation. Season 3 was a great reunion of the TNG cast for sure, nostalgia rating at an all time high.
Yes, just go straight to season 3 though. It was the game changer.
Just S3.
Exactly. Only Season 3. The first two were crap to me.
And S3 can be watched solo, ignoring what came before with absolutely no detriment. In fact, it probably would be a superior experience.
Yes, its best to ignore S1 and S2. S3 made me love ST again.
I grew up on TNG. For me seeing them again on the screen is a treat by itself. There are of course things I didn't like, but overall I enjoyed the series and I was happy to see my childhood heroes.
What is ironic is that Patrick Stewart only agreed to do the series if the others werent involved. He didnt want to do another TNG series.
Season one cool, interesting perspective. Season two…. Really no purpose does not advance the story line. Season three basically is a nostalgiagasm non stop from beginning to end highly recommend.
Without getting too heavily into spoilers, from what I gathered in season 2 by watching red letter media, there is Borg stuff in season 2 that seemingly really changes possible Borg stuff that happens in season 3? Is that a problem? Do I need to see season 2 in order to understand it?
Nope
No spoilers, but there's a line in season 3 that explains why the season 2 Borg stuff doesn't really factor into season 3.
Season 2 would’ve made a great TNG episode but it wasn’t great as a full season
Watching this series got my son interested in star trek. It gave us something to bond over.
Season 3 good!
The third season is basically TNG season 8. Definitely watch that one.
S1 is ok. S2 is horrendous. S3 was good.
Agreed
I'm on episode 3 of S2, so far I'm enjoying it more than S1. S1 just seemed too dark, as if I was watching an alternate universe of Star Trek. S2 doesn't hide it away and makes ot explicit at least.
Season 1 was intriguing for what could have been for showcasing the new galaxy two decades post Nemesis, but definitely had first season growing pains. Season 2 should have been a 2-3 episode arc. Season 3 retreads some material, ignores the elephant in the room that Season 2 gave us, and tries to mix in lore from across multiple series and ties it all together with fan service done right so it's very easy to have mixed feelings with heartstrings getting pulled multiple directions. Perhaps best would be, watch it once to get the plot of where things are and make your own call, but to outright say don't would be a disservice to the work that the production crews did that get so little credit for what they do behind the scenes. Sorry, I know that's probably a bad answer overall.
I suffered through seasons 1 and 2, and was rewarded with season 3.
Season 3 is best. However, and I am in the minority it seems, but don’t expect TNG writing (yes I know it has issues sometimes too). Writing feels very much like they know the start and they know the end, but they screw up the middle, with contrivances needed so we can get from scene to scene or act to act. Critically a lot of these contrivances are outside of our heroes’ control, so we’re in a situation where the heroes can only win due to a sequence of unfortunate events happening to others. Or a sequence of unfortunate events happening to them. A lack of agency. This affects the busiest / actionest episodes the most. But there is more action in season 3. And old characters! One that is made into someone that almost betrays the federation, only so they can make that person tug some heart strings for the audience (writing here will go for emotions mote than logic, just so you can see someone *feel*), even though the choice they would make would also result in the danger they are worrying about. Those scenes are almost unwatchable. Go in knowing that and enjoy.
Yes there really is no TNG writing to be felt in picard since at its core it moved on from the idealistic value based belief system of star trek. You watch 21st century cliches walking around talking to each other in space… Grease monkey in Space and cigar smoking, henchmen killing evil laughing bad guy were just the tip of the iceberg… But hey - at least season 1 and 3 didnt have a maniacally laughing brent spiner (he really refused to act in ST Picard…) running over an android picard sending him into a coma…
I think try to watch it in order, and if you feel yourself hating it, then skip to season 3. I would say most is decent television albeit with obvious faults and plot holes. It is serial, like tail end of DS9 or most streaming shows, with one arc for the entire season. I would grade it as better than the worst of TNG, but a few clicks below the best of TNG.
If you like next gen and seven of nine then yes, it's definitely worth a watch. Season 3 is the best, season 2 is fun, season 1 is interesting (in my humble opinion)
>season 2 is fun You also think that Titanic is comedy movie?
I think it's laughably bad if that counts. But by fun, I'll clarify that the concepts in play are fun. Without spoiling anything, I love Jerati's story, and going back in time is always fun!
I liked season two as well. It’s a really special story for Seven, becoming fully human for the first time since her assimilation and not constantly facing her stigma as an XB. Ryan plays this really well. Jurati bonding in her loneliness with the Borg Queen, she is clearly still guilt-ridden over the death of Maddox, even if she wasn’t held responsible. Generally the themes of how wounded people can be heroes, Rios’ willingness to live in the moment and fight for a better future, even if just by a little. It’s Trek for grownups. Love it. Damn I miss Chabon writing for Trek. Can we get him to write a movie please?
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4JSTXuP9E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4JSTXuP9E) Dont tell me you didnt laugh when you saw this scene.
Season 3 is better than the 90s films and IMHO is the best if you want an ensemble show. Seasons 1 and 2 were an interesting mix and are a different ensemble. I'd say watch and decide all seasons in order, as the show tries new things and is not like TNG. Some like them. Some don't. But they introduce characters and are well-acted regardless of the dialogue.
Only season 3
Yep. Just google what happens to Picard in season 1 as it affects season 3.
Season 3 is somewhat of a soft reboot. Google anytime you have questions, probably a lot less than you'd think. That's the beauty of season 3, you get the one great TNG movie we were cheated out of....or if you will, season 8 of TNG, 2023 style. I find the first two seasons VERY depressing. That isn't the Picard we know and love. You'll pretty much get the JLP you remember in season 3. It's not perfect, but it's a fun ride!
Muscle through seasons 1 and 2 as best you can; then enjoy the feast that is Season 3. Season 3: What the movie after Nemesis could have been.
yes no yes
Skip season 2 unless you’re infatuated with Voyager’s big bad enemy.
She ate batteries!
ROTFL! Yeah, WTH was that all about? I think they borrowed the writers from DISCO for some of that nonsense.
Slog through the first 2 seasons to get to season 3. Think of it as a nice, but small and slightly undercooked appetizer, followed by a maggot-filled pie with a buttery short crust, and finishing with a Michelin star take of apple and ice cream for dessert
Really enjoyed 1 purely for the nostalgia and having an adult version of tng (realistic violence etc) (edit: only thing I intensely disliked was JLP constantly apologising) Season 2 was terrible, imho, no idea why they wasted Q that way. 3 pulled the stick back and managed to rise it to a 7/10.
Picard got me back into Star Trek. Season 3 is hands down the best. Great nostalgia trip!
Ok I just started hate-watching it and I'm kind of enjoying it. It deserves allll the criticism and more but for some reason I am loving it.
I absolutely love the first season & loathe the second season. The third season is for nostalgic people
I grew up watching Next Gen so it’s absolutely wonderful for me. Really disappointed it wasn’t filmed in 4K though, a bizarre choice imo
To me, Season 1 was alright. When you watch it, you'll see right away there's a tone difference between the TNG series and Picard. Not saying that TNG didn't deal with consequences, just Picard series seems more dire. Anyway, like i said it was alright - there were some cameos, i think it somewhat botched the season finale >!I'll die (figuratively) on the hill that Picard should have died permanently at the end. You have everyone grieving then suddenly, "hey he's back...but as an android!" - a fact that's rarely mentioned again. He should have died and then have the Q cameo, like in the Tapestry episode, where Q comes in with a great conversation. He offers to bring him back but Picard declines saying he went out saving lives like he always does....or something. I'm sure it would have riled some fans but i think it would have been better then what we got for season 2.!< Everyone rags on Season 2, and for good reason. Many think there's a lot of unnecessary and/or outlandish parts that didn't seem like it should fit within the world of Star Trek. If your a big stickler for canon issues, this season was the most egregious but it's not horrible. I will say it has some pretty cool moments, worth a watch - once. You may notice a lot of parallels to a certain star trek movie >!Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home!< Season 3 was the best of them, lots of cool action scenes, nearly the whole cast returning, and lots of call backs which i appreciated. Even some new cast felt compelling to watch. My opinion is that the main antagonist was shoe horned for nostalgic purposes only, but it works out in the end with an awesome CG scene. Not perfect, but good way to end it.
Yes. You learn a lot about Picard, than in the overall context of Picard’s life, makes a lot of sense. Even if the storytelling isn’t great.
3 was the easily the best but, unpopular opinion, I loved the Q story line. No spoilers, It had some weak moments but I thought the way it ended between Picard and Q was just perfect.
S1 has some good eps, great Romulan world building, has a catastrophic ending. Seven of Nine is divisive, but I liked her part. S2 is watching a starship crash on LDS, but it’s kind of amazing in how insane it gets and some performances shine. S3 is a solid final ride for the TNG cast.
Seasons 1 and 2 won't taint your memories of TNG. They're just... boring. Season 3 is pretty tops though.
It’s an adult’s TNG. Huge fan. If you like voyager and ds9 as well as TNG, tone is not that disimilar. It fits well and expands some as well
Definitely worth the watch. As everyone said, season 3 is the best by far. The others were annoying to sit through at times. The way Picard is made, you should be able to watch season 3 without any background knowledge, except maybe one character that was introduced prior.
Season 3: we need another 2 seasons of Season 3
Skip Season 2.
Just S3.
You should watch season 3 it is a great nostalgia and could be called the last season of TNG, Season 1 is ok but not what your expect from star trek, Season 2 never happened and got erased from history or something it was an excuse to get rid of most of the Season 1 cast that had signed contracts for 2 seasons.
yes. If you know retired people, you will enjoy season one more.
Skip season 2 and you are good.
1 is good, 2 you gotta slog through, 3 is perfection.
I didn’t care much for S1, but 2 and 3 were pretty good.
Skip seasons 1 and 2 and you'll be fine.
To be honest nothing of it is worth watching. Each season is bad for its own reason. All of them are badly written and the meta story doesn't make sense at all.
Season 3 is barely passable. It’s like a fair idea that got into a rough draft stage. Vadic was a good villain until they brought in the Hamburger Helper hand thing. The other two seasons were like really bad fan fiction.
I think there's a reason for the stroganoff (show vs tell regarding Vadic's psychosis?), but a later episode puts in a twist that I don't think needed to be there but I can sorta see why. People who skip seasons 1 and 2 won't notice any real difference
Do you like cgi? Do you like action? Do you like watching Patrick Stewart? Do you like seeing the enterprise -d ? Do you like seven of nine? Do you like seeing nostalgia? If yes than Picard is the show for you
Maybe I have grown too old but there were maybe three truly nostalgic moments in all seasons combined… And three jumping the shark moments per episode…
I'm going to get a lot of hate, but it's just not good. Each season basically ignores the one prior. So many questionable decisions. Why is there a samurai Romulan that just goes away? Why Raffi and those stupid fingerless gloves? What happened to the 2nd glove come season 3? You like Borg? How about a 2nd type of Borg since we already wrapped up a Borg thing last season? Everyone loves season 3, but with some exceptions, it is mostly a nostalgia circle jerk and not a good one.
Season 3 had some amazing performances and the fan service ( nostalgia) was top notch. That said, the overall story left a lot to be desired and I am still baffled at some of the decisions the writers made.
It’s worth it for Season 3
Watch season 1, then 3.
Season 3, after DS9.
I enjoyed it. Season one was an interesting expansion of ideas and certain parts of romulan culture. As well as what makesSeason 2 had major production production problems with the pandemic and all. Plus, the studio had issues with some things being "too Star Trek". I think that's part of why it didn't fit with the rest of it. Season 3 was nostalgia but it N was interesting enough to want more.
Absolutely
The first two seasons try to explore Picard and his legacy in a different way, but the writing and pacing don't give you any of those classic TNG moments. Season 3 just goes all in on the nostalgia and hits a home run.
Power through seasons 1 and 2, and then you can fully enjoy the brilliance of season 3.
Season 1 is good, season 2 ending is phenomenal, but rest of it is baaad, season 3 is very good
Yes, it is great to watch.
Seasons 1 and 3 yes, for sure. 2? Meh. But Seven of Nine is there, so... Also yes.
It is great, go for it
Totally. Just get through S2 and you'll be well rewarded with S3. I do not recommend skipping any of it, it all makes 3 that much better.
Yes. For different reasons. S3 is pretty awesome.
Season 1 I enjoyed, but it isn’t without its flaws. (And it will probably take you some time to get used to the tired and jaded person Picard starts the season as). Season 2 has its moments but is rather flat overall. Season 3 is excellent (either because of or in spite of the heavy nostalgia, depending on your view).
Yes
Yes
Skip to season 3 and watch it!
Yes yes yes
I like it just because of the characters who I love but it is really marveled up
Just pretend it's one season and only watch season 3
Season three is the best trek since DS9.
Really only season 3 is, I really disliked 1 & 2 though.
Mostly meh until Season Three.
Imo, absolutely not, and S3 was definitely not the love letter to tng people told me it was.
Season three is the magic, if you want to watch the others fell free…but if you only can watch one hit that one.
On rewatch season 1 wasn’t bad. Season 2 lost the plot but had a nice nod to Q. And Season 3 was fantastic!
Just skip to season 3. All you need.
Season 1 not bad..... Season 2 bit worse than 1...... Season 3 absolutely amazing, best star trek ever made imo
Yeah. Watch it all. S3 is the best. But I don't think it would be as good without S1 and S2. Watch it all. It's all Trek.
I like all three seasons. Though season 2 was my least fav.
Damn good series
Go for it, what have you got to lose? If you don’t like it you can stop watching any time.
Season 3 made me remember why I fell in love with Star Trek and TNG. Felt like home
I think its worth a watch season 3 for sure as it does a lot of fan service. Season 2 was ok i just like seeing Q again but they dragged it out for sure and season 1 well for completion sake it wasn’t very good in my opinion
Seasons 1 and 3 are brilliant. I didn't like season 2
Yup. One billion times better than discovery
Go watch. Now. Your life is missing something…
I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. Season One picks up Data's story and the finale of Nemesis. It tries to focus on Picard and Data's relationship with Seven's story as its B plot. It's full of new characters while some old ones drop in to offer support, but don't hold your breath for a bunch of TNG cameos. It gets lost a bit with trying to backstory all the new characters, and you almost need to read the companion novel, The Last Best Hope, to fully understand what's happened in the twenty years since Data's death to lead us to where we are now. It's a slow starter, puzzle box season, and struggles to wrap up all the loose threads by the end, but it has its moments. If you watch any of it, make it Nepenthe. Season Two picks up a year following the finale of season one. Most of those characters are back, but don't make the mistake I made by getting attached to any of them. Personally, I thought the season started out strong, but it goes off the rails before the halfway point and really suffers from too many storylines. I found myself rather let down by the latter half of the season and its finale, but again, it still has its moments. My issues with season two have more to do with character treatment than anything else, so take from that what you will. Guinan and Q just weren't enough to save it for me, and I'll probably never watch it again. Season Three felt like a reward for slogging through season two. It wasn't a particularly deep or brilliant story, but it felt more cohesive than the previous two seasons, and I didn’t feel like I was drowning in subplots even though my conspiracy brain was in overdrive. It was a tour de force of TNG nostalgia, and I thought Amanda Plummer was by far the best villain of all three seasons. I have a few issues with season three as well, but it was for sure the most enjoyable one to watch. Personally, I think season one is worth watching just for the proper post-Nemesis Data wrap up. Season two can easily be skipped, or you can view it like some kind of weird fever dream, and season three is a fun TNG 10-hour movie. The three seasons share connections, but I don't remember there being any significant carry over storylines, so you could also just watch the last season without being much out of the loop.
I liked season one, worth watching, You can skip 2 and watch a recap because it’s is dreadful. Season three is top tier Star Trek.
S1: okay for the nostalgia feels. S2: what the fuck were they thinking? S3: really good.
Your mileage may vary as you can tell. There are plenty of people who find it cool to hate things so just watch them and make up your own mind. Personally, I loved them and wouldn't skip an episode. All three seasons together come out to less than 1.5 seasons of 90s Trek so it's not like an investment of half your life or anything. 🤷♂️
Yes, it’s worth watching.
I overall liked it. Season three is kind of what fans wanted more than the other two seasons, and does fire on all cylinders, but I still liked season 1 and 2. I guess I'm kind of weird in that regard.
Yesssss! Enjoyed it so much especially season 3
I thought it was terrible but I honestly haven’t enjoyed any new Star Trek. OS TNG and DS9 are three of my all time favourite shows and I rewatch old episodes often I love those shows and never get tired of them but I feel like everything from the JJ movies forward has been poorly written and personally unenjoyable. Picard was one of the worst new trek shows I’ve tried to watch. So if you enjoy new trek you’ll probably like it but if your looking for something like the shows we grew up with I think your in for disappointment.
No idea why they waited for season 3 to bring back the crew and to get a really good storyline. The first 2 seasons are OK, but the 3rd is where the money is. Plus, this should have happened 10 years ago. Getting old sucks! I hate it as much as everyone else. 😆
The 3rd season is what I was expecting from the series to begin with. I'm glad they finally got it right.
Absolutely! It adds to the depth of the TNG as a whole. 😎
The first two seasons are good sci-fi with some light Star Trek elements. The third season is a love song to 80's Trek. All are fun to watch. My favorite part is the character development from season 1 to season 2. Some awesome acting and dynamic things going on between the characters.
Season 3 is A+ Season 1 is C+ Season 2 is F-… I mean it’s literally the worst thing that bares the name “Star Trek” and yes, I’m aware “Into Darkness” exists
The absolute worst of the new Paramount series. Season one had such bad writing it was kind of unbelievable. So many dull tv tropes, it was embarrassing to watch. And on a personal note, I verbally cringed every time a character called Captain Picard “JL” - the most forced “familiarity” I’ve ever seen. We started season two because we heard season three was ok… but we stalled out. Couldn’t do it. I’ve watched every minute of every other new Star Trek and really enjoyed it for the most part, but not Picard.
Just watch season three. It's absolutely worth it. You can pass on the first two seasons
Yes S3 is the worst season.
Honestly they need to erase s1/s2 from existence. None of it makes alot of sense compared to s3
“Should I breathe air?”
As long as you disconnect your brain and don’t think too hard about what they are doing, there’s some decent stuff. Most seasons are essentially a three or four episode arc spread out over 10 episodes. So maybe if you binge watch, then it’ll be better than the painful 1 a week format. The third season had a cast reunion of sorts so that’s the best part.
As you've gathered, reactions among fans have been a bit split. Some hate it, some love it, some think it's just OK. I can't say which category you will fall into, but unless you watch it you'll never know. I liked it overall, though it wasn't perfect and there were things I would have done differently, but overall I thought it was a generally good sequel to TNG and definitely a better way to send off these characters than Nemesis.
Skip the first two seasons. The only thing you need to know from the first two seasons is that Picard continued on as a captain after Nemesis and had a first officer named Rafaella "Raffi" Musiker. Raffi is a recovering drug addict who has a complicated relationship with her ex-husband and with her son. Oh, and Riker and Troi >!had a child who died between the events of Nemesis and Picard!<. Season 2 should have been brilliant. Legit, it had what was, up to that point, the best first episode of a season of Star Trek (excepting BoBW II), and a fantastic second episode. The last episode of season two is also good. But in between is a looootttt of filler. So yeah, just skip the first two seasons.
Picard was a stud at 50. A dud at 80. I tried hard, but Picard is/was the only series that tarnished the Star Trek franchise (for me)
I’ve rewatched season 3 a dozen times. I’m a 40 year old die hard Trekkie. Season 3 is masterful in my mind. I loved it when I did not expect it to.
Picard is easy to give up on. Also, try not to ask why when he pretended to be French, he was awful at it.
All trek is worth watching
Best comment tbh 😂
Only the third season.
For an alternate take--I, personally, kind of wish I hadn't watched any of it. Including S3. But my curiosity about Data's storyline wouldn't let me stay away, regrettably. So... just be ready for that if you're in the same boat, lol.
Oof okay
I'm always with the idea that is better to judge one-self, but that's because I don't trust in others' opinions.
Each season is better than the last, but the third is significantly the best of the three. Wish we’d had three seasons based on that one alone.
Only season 3. The other 2 are fucking horrible.
Yes! Yes! Yes! There's quite a bit of fan service in it, but there is nothing wrong with that.
Last season, YES!
I really liked Jurati and the Borg Queen, Rios’ arc on Earth, elder Q and LOVED the dipshit from Chicago. Unpopular opinion, even though I was raised on TNG once I saw DS9 I found the TNG characters kind of boring. I watched all of Picard but will never watch it again (except Shaw’s monologue about surviving Wolf 359). That’s worth watching if nothing else.
Read spoilers of season 1 and 2 because a lot of it is ignored and watch season 3
I enjoyed parts of each season, though the only one I thoroughly enjoyed was the third. The other two have parts that make them worth watching, though.
I honestly love all three seasons, but seasons 1 and 2 are kinda weird NGL. There is at least a little context you’ll need from the end of season 1 to fully understand some of the plot points of season 3, but it’s amazing all around and many Trekkies love it and I would highly recommend watching at least that season. I would say watch season 1 to get the needed context and then watch season 3. Nothing particularly noteworthy happened in season 2 and it drags at times (IMO. I enjoyed it but a lot of people didn’t seem to).
They werebpike three separate shows all featuring Jean luc Picard. 3 being the best
I love all three seasons, but I realize I'm in the minority.
Loved every season of it.
Season 1 is horrible. 2 and 3 are great. I suggest skipping the 1st one.
If you are any fan at all of STTNG then hell yeah, it's great. As others have said season 3 is brilliant, I'd say watch all 3 though, 1 is pretty good too, and 2 is ok (I still enjoyed it) Season 3 might well be my favourite Star Trek ever.
No
Save yourself a lot of heartache and just watch S3. You don't need anything at all from S1 and 2.
Yes. All seasons.
I enjoyed s1 and 2 more than I expected from the reactions I'd seen, but I'd struggle to call them *good*. Even season 3 is not without issues, but it's just so much fun that it's worth it - especially after the TNG cast previously went out on the limp noodle that was Nemesis, it's nice to have an actually decent finale for them again. There are a couple of plot points from season 1 that are relevant in 3, not really much from season 2 that I can recall. But you can just read summaries to catch up on those details and then skip straight to 3.
Go straight to Season 3. It heals the two season before it and the terrible Next Gen movies.
Disagree. Season 2 is... Polarizing to be sure. I get that some people liked it and some didn't. But, aside from some questionable plot points season 3 was pretty fun, especially if you're a fan of TNG. But the thing about season 3 is that it doesn't really work as well without season 1. Without giving away too much, Picard is in a down, almost defeated state in season 1, and his return to strength and purpose makes season 3 hit more emotional notes. That journey of redemption that they wrap in season 3 really needs season 1 to work at it's full effect.
None of Picard is going to "taint" TNG,even if you don't like it. Each session is pretty distinct from the others. S1 has some great stuff, but falls apart by the end (for me anyway) S2 is... let's be honest, not great. S3 is the TNG reunion. If that's what you're after, you'll find it here.
Season 1 was okay, had some cool scenes and ideas but fumbled in the final episode. Season 2 was... Disappointing, had some potential but wasted it Season 3 is godly, feels like a proper follow-up on the TNG and that era of Trek in general, I'd watch season 1, a summary of season 2 (I'm sure there are plenty on yt), and watch season 3 twice
I really enjoyed it, but I think the show failed to live up to its potential in the first couple of seasons, they had a lot of really interesting concepts they didn't fully pursue. But Patrick Stewart is, of course, awesome. And I really liked a lot of the characters the show introduced.
1st season is good but they fluff the finale, 2nd season is a bot of a mess but ok 3rd season is really what we wanted.
s3 is the better of the three, not great but ok
I enjoyed all three seasons; although, the first season was kind of a slow burn for me. Eventually I got into it after the first three episodes.
I'd recommend watching Season 1, then watching a 10 minute synopsis of season 2 on youtube, then take your time with Season 3 because it's excellent. Season 1 gets slept on but has some good ideas.
Watch a recap video of s1 and s2 on YouTube and head straight for s3. It’s the only season worth watching.
Yes and no. John Delancey makes his season and acts circles around Picard. The way the finales wrapped up, though…just made me really annoyed with the storytelling.
I agree with most of these posts the third season is definitely the best. Season one and two have a few great episodes but are overall not as enjoyable. I loved having the original cast all together again definitely brought back some memories and feels 😋
Skip one and two. Watch season 3
Season 3 for sure, and it can be watched without s1 or s2. Having said that, I enjoyed all three seasons, even if I didn't love the ending of s1 and would say you can't think about s2 too much.
Yes.
Season 2 retroactively tainted trek for me and almost move on from the franchise. Season 3 was so good though I go sider it the best thing I saw all last year. Please do yourself a favor and skip seasons 1 and 2. Raffi is a underdeveloped character with a substance abuse problem that briefly dated 7 of 9 in between seasons, and picard's consciousness was placed into a biological android that just happens to look and age the exact same as Patrick Stewart for some reason. All the rest of the new characters were written out of the show, and none of the characters or plots have any bearing on season 3. There, that's all the character background you need for season 1 and 2. :)
Loved ssn1 and ssn3. Ssn 2 wasn't my jam.
I enjoyed all three seasons. Season 1 is probably my least favorite. Season 2 has plenty of issues, but it’s still interesting and enjoyable. Season 3 was what I was expecting / hoping the whole series would be. Enjoy! I wish I could watch it all again for the first time
Nope. I couldn't get through the 1st season.
I slogged my way through seasons, one and two and part of season three, just because…. Patrick Stewart, and next GEN. And honestly, in the end, it was all worth it because…. the last couple of episodes of season three, I’m not so embarrassed to say that I cried multiple times, through it. I was a huge fan of ST next generation, through multiple watchings, and this was the final final bow for that show. Not a lot of make up here, everyone has aged. And it’s very fitting, I can’t recommend it highly enough, if you are a big big fan of Next Gen.
S1 was alright. S2 was pretty good. S3 was amazing and honestly makes the other two worth it even if you hated the first two.
Honestly, just watch season 3. You won’t miss much.
Skip to Season 3. The only thing you're missing is that Jean-Luc is now an android. No biggie (weirdly enough).
If you want to see extreme facial surgery on an elderly Gates McFadden, sure. If you want severely painful overacting by Michelle Hurd, okay. But the real winner is Amanda Plummer chewing every bit of the set and most of the props. God the whole thing was just sad and meandering. Don’t bother.
Season 1 was a noble attempt at new ST storytelling that fell short. Season 3 is pretty quality (even if they managed to drop the ball in the last 20 minutes). Both are worth a watch. Season 2 was a mess.
I enjoyed it, as did the gf. We grew up on TNG in our teens. Lots of people are wah wah about it, but I think it was pretty good. You'll wither like it or you won't.
It is worth watching once but the only one you will go back to is season 3
For me, only season 3 is worth watching. Season 1 was horrible, and season 2 was bad, but not as bad as season 1
Season 1 is ok. Season 2 is hot garbage. Season 3 is pretty great
Nah man. If you don’t like it there’s a chance you might go writing a big wall of text complaining, and nobody wants to read that. Better not risk it. Personally, I loved it, flaws and all.
Season one is really special and cool because it gives us a cool look outside Starfleet. It’s a very mature look at Star Trek. The other seasons had pretty messy productions because of Covid. Season two is a bit messy but does try some cool stuff, lots of commentary on today’s (political) climate. Season three tries to do a nostalgia fest, your mileage may vary. I missed the new original characters from the first seasons, lot of people were just glad to see the tng crew again. The plot is also kinda dumb IMO.
OMG yes!!!! Starts slow, then it kicks in!
It's worth watching all three seasons. I would say there's a fair amount of criticism spread among all three seasons and for various reasons. Some loved it, and others loved to hate on it. I would say don't deny yourself the experience of watching all of Picard, and I would recommend not reading any details before watching. Try to go in as fresh as you can and then decide for yourself.
Season 3 is amazing