We’re boldly going where no man has gone before and talking Star Trek! Returning guest, Allison Arcos, joins me to talk about the CBS All Access show, Star Trek: Picard.
We had so much to say that I split our conversation into two parts.
In part one we talk about the world of Picard and the setup for the series. We include some details about the show, but this episode is generally spoiler free.
In part two we get more in-depth, digging into the characters from the series and the complex Star Trek universe.
A note: You can easily shop for the books mentioned in this episode at the bookshop collection right here. As a heads up, that’s an affiliate link/collection, which means if you happen to buy a book there I’ll make a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
About Star Trek: Picard
At the end of the 24th Century, and 14 years after his retirement from Starfleet, Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) is living a quiet life on his vineyard, Chateau Picard. When he is sought out by a mysterious young woman, Dahj (Isa Briones), in need of his help, he soon realizes she may have personal connections to his own past.
Part One: Don’t Buy Into Your Own Hype
A Few Things We Discuss In The Episode:
- Being tourists to the universe of Star Trek
- Picard reckoning with his past
- Who gets to have an opinion?
- What makes someone a ‘fan’?
- The smart people at CBS All Access
Mentioned In This Episode:
- The Kavalier & Clay television show
- Star Trek: Discovery (co-created by Bryan Fuller, creator of Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Pushing Daisies)
- Logan
- Star Trek: Lower Decks
Part Two: Space Battles and Gaslighting
A Few Things We Discuss In The Episode:
- Building the ship of fandom while you’re flying it
- Romulans: from mustache twirling villains to sympathetic antagonists?
- The effects of forming cultures and personalities around fear and trauma
- Romulans & Vulcans — same scary eyebrows, different cultural context
- Is brooding a personality?
- Don’t gaslight people!
Mentioned In This Episode:
For Fans of Star Trek: Picard
Allison Recommends
- Captain Marvel (for the space battles and Annette Benning)
- Game of Thrones (for the political motivations and pacing)
Chelsee Recommends
- Battlestar Galactica (for the space battles and the synthetic life)
- Orphan Black (for questions of “what makes someone human?”)
- Dune by Frank Herbert (It’s a classic space epic!)
- Mirage by Sumaiya Daud (for space that’s grounded in the characters)
- Logan (Patrick Stewart revisiting a much beloved character)
- Watchmen, the graphic novel from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (for tight plotting and reckoning with the past)
- Saga from Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Spaces (a space romp!)
Other Things On the Internet
- A Pre-Picard Watching Guide
- Michael Chabon’s interview with Rolling Stone
- Patrick Stewart on ‘Logan’ and returning to ‘Star Trek’
The next episode of the podcast comes out on December 7th. Be sure to subscribe to Casually Obsessed on your podcast app of choice to make sure you never miss an episode.
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