The CBSHE separate October 4, 2022 steelbook Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD releases of the recently concluded second season of the Paramount Plus series "Picard" is an integral part of the Blocktober sets that hit real and virtual shelves on that date.
This embarrassment of neo-modern classics riches include the (reviewed) DVD and BD CS sets of "Dexter" OS and "New Blood" and the (reviewed) CS DVD set of the Jordan Peele "Twilight Zone" reboot. The massive CS DVD set of "Melrose Place" is scheduled for a post in the not-too-distant future.
One spoiler regarding "Picard" S2 is that those of us who emulate "Trek" by having our Alexa devices respond to the word "computer" must frequently contend with these hockey pucks reacting to commands by Team Picard.
The pure blessing of the following S2 trailer is that it highlights the cinema-quality production values and acting that make the BD set must-own. The blessing and the curse regarding showing a portion of the elements that may cause Trekkers to actually pee their Starfleet uniforms is that these clips are SPOILER-LADEN.
My post for "Picard" S1 provides a good primer on the series. It offers a sense of how the titular hero of the Federation gets back into action and the "coretet" that helps him put right what once went wrong.
The primary vibe that warrants declaring "Picard" S2 the best "Trek" ever is that it successfully combines the best of all worlds from that nearly 70 years (and still going strong) franchise. A vague memory is that an article from the era of "Star Trek: The Next Generation, which introduces Trekkies and Trekkers to our titular living legend, lists the Top 10 fan favorite elements from that 'verse. Our topic du jour includes most (if not all) of these aspects.
Ala "Picard" S1 and comparable to the original "Sherlock Holmes" stories, our story begins with our hero finally getting to enjoy semi-retirement as the proprietor of his centuries-old family vineyard. Simultaneously, "Star Trek: Voyager" fave former-Borg Seven-of-Nine is involved in a deadly game of laser tag aboard her inherited spaceship that is integral to the S1 action. One spoiler is that Seven later gives fans the closest thing to a "Kiss Me, Kate" moment that they ever will get.
The Han Soloesque former captain of the"Trek" answer to the Millennium Falcon has mostly abandoned his roguish ways and now occupies the big chair in the Federation ship The Stargazer. Trekkers know an earlier version of this member of the fleet as the first one on which Picard served.
Stargazer captain Cristobal Rios is out exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations when he encounters a massive space anomaly that evokes thoughts of the TNG that sets the season-long sense of nostalgia in motion. Further investigation reveals a message that results in reuniting with Admiral Picard.
The ensuing series of unfortunate circumstances set the season-long story arc afoot. This commences with a scene fairly straight-out-of the TNG big-screen premiere "Star Trek: Generations." This leads to introducing one of the aforementioned fan favorites. An especially awesome aspect of this is including aspects of the TNG pilot and the aforementioned series finale.
The next segment puts an awesome twist on the multiverse element of "Trek." Expressing disappointment regarding the lack of goatees is a a significant spoiler for both Trekkies and Trekkers.
The borrowing from the theatrical "Trek" releases then goes into full force. Ala "Star Trek: The Voyage Home," Picard and his colleagues must travel to modern-day earth to put right what once went wrong. They even use the same time-travel technique that Team Kirk used in the film.
One of three pet peeves regarding S2 is a lack of a "remember where we parked" reference regarding the cloaked ship. A hilarious homage to a "Voyage" scene involving an obnoxious bus passenger partially compensates for the omission.
The second pet peeve involves an otherwise sublime scene. This commences with an amusing reveal regarding the TNG series. The annoyance comes with Picard visiting someone from his TNG days. Both Picard and that individual incorrectly state that temporally this is their first meeting. HOWEVER, they met in a TNG episode that is set in a period before the early 21st century.
The handful of ways that the primary S2 plot emulates the TNG film "Star Trek: First Contact" is that it centers around the critical need to thwart sabotaging a space mission. The final S2 pet peeve is that the 24th century Picard should have been aware of this mission.
Awesome subplots include the threatened escalation of a major Trekverse threat, insight into the 21st and 24th century histories of the Picard family, and scientific activity that plays a major role in virtually every "Trek" production.
A final cameo is a truly delightful surprise. We catch up with a character who arguably has undergone the most significant changes in the Trekverse. This further hints of a future Paramount Plus series that is centered around this legend of tomorrow.
Of course, all of this leads to a Hollywood ending that ties up loose ends but leaves the audience wanting more. This conclusion heavily suggests that "Picard S3, which premieres in February 2023, will be tailored made to emulate another "Trek" series in a manner that will allow fans to check an item off their bucket lists.
The universe full of special features shows the love of the cast and crew for "Picard" and the Trekverse. Many answer the question "how did they do that" and others have old and new friends discuss their literal and figurative roles. We also get a gag reel and sadly deleted scenes that would have made a sublime series an 11.
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