Emmys 2020: Here's why 'Star Trek: Picard' deserves the five nominations and a lot more
'Star Trek' entered the world back in the 1960s. It is what Gene Roddenberry envisioned for humanity in the future. It was a utopia, where racism was eradicated and there was a strong desire to work towards the need for the betterment of humanity.
The show touched upon war and eugenics with much sensitivity. Since it's inception, the franchise has taken iconic proportions and spanned over five decades — with five live-action series, one animated one, several films, comics and an astounding fandom that continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The franchise does come across as rather intimidating due to its elaborate plot threads, character arcs and layered intricacies. Characters came and went, and several welded themselves deeply into our memories, such as Spock, Captain Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.
This year, we had the pleasure of watching Patrick Stewart return to his role as the polished Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a little different from what we remember him. The show has been nominated for five Emmys for its intricate makeup styling as well as background scores, making it more successful than the other franchises. The music brought forth the intensity of the show as well. The five nominations are the best showing for the franchise since 2001 when 'Star Trek: Voyager' picked up eight nominations for its final season. Last year, 'Star Trek: Discovery' picked up four nominations and it had two in 2018. If only the acting and screenplay could have been nominated as well for 'Picard'. Stewart's gentle yet powerful touch radiated through the show, along with the storylines of destructive governments and sinister agendas.
It has been two decades since we last saw Picard and for the first few episodes of 'Star Trek: Picard' he was as far as possible from any sort of intergalactic action. He was hidden away in his beloved French vineyards, with his faithful dog Number 1 and a pot of Earl Grey tea to help him survive the day. At night, he had nightmares about his old friend Data (Brent Spiner), who sacrificed himself in the forgettable film 'Nemesis'. Picard wants nothing to do with the Federation, as they were willing to sacrifice Romulan lives during the Supernova, something that went against his moral compass. At first, Picard has no intention of returning to Starfleet - a place that he would have once died for. As he mentioned in the first episode, "Starfleet wasn't Starfleet anymore." It felt tainted and corrupted.
This sentiment of corrupted governments and hidden agendas was the premise of 'Star Trek: Picard', and it was a far cry from the golden utopian vision of 'Star Trek' in the 1960s. The world of 'Picard' was meant to be a mirror to the grueling politics we are witnessing in today's day and age. In an earlier interview with Variety, Stewart had said, "In a way, the world of ‘Next Generation’ had been too perfect and too protected. It was the Enterprise. It was a safe world of respect and communication and care and, sometimes, fun. In 'Picard', the Federation has taken an isolationist turn." The new show, Stewart said, “Was me responding to the world of Brexit and Trump and feeling, ‘Why hasn’t the Federation changed? Why hasn’t Starfleet changed?’ Maybe they’re not as reliable and trustworthy as we all thought."
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards airs on September 20 at 8 pm ET.