Both Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Series and Season 3 are out on Blu-ray today. While the return of Jean-Luc Picard was always triumphant and entertaining, it didn’t reach the highs of Star Trek: The Next Generation until its final season. All bundled in one fantastic collection, it’s an easy recommendation for Star Trek fans — especially with over 7 hours of special features.
It was emotional to see Patrick Stewart return as Picard, nearly 20 years since we had seen him in Star Trek: Nemesis. Appropriately, Picard is more of a character study of its retired Starfleet Admiral and grapples with themes of mortality and trauma. Stewart, fantastic as always, is up for the task and fleshes out Picard even further than seen in The Next Generation. It’s rare to see a show led by an actor in his 80s, but his experience and shared history with the franchise makes these character moments all the more impactful.
Season 3 sees the return of many of The Next Generation cast members. It’s hard not to get nostalgic seeing Stewart with LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner again. While it would’ve been quite simple for the series to simply be a nostalgia play — and that would’ve been enough to keep viewership and interest high — it manages to tell a story compelling enough to warrant getting the whole Enterprise back together, as they take on a new invasion by the Borg.
The series as a whole spans 30 episodes, and they all look great on Blu-ray. Season 2 is probably the weakest of the three, but the ten episodes all add to the overall story. There are some great moments throughout, even if they don’t rank among my favorite Star Trek stories. Overall, it’s a very bingeable show, so don’t be surprised if you wind up getting through a whole season in just two or three sittings.
There are nine discs in total, with each season being spread across three apiece. What’s nice about the packaging is that the inside cover details the content of each disc. Some other collections — like the recent South Park Seasons 21-25 collection — can make it confusing as to what is where. This is a much better solution, as episode titles and special features are all clearly spelled out. It’s easy to navigate, and you aren’t getting a lesser experience for opting for the full series rather than individual seasons.
As mentioned, there are over seven hours of special features included that range from deleted scenes to featurettes and gag reels. Season 3 also includes audio commentary for five of the episodes, including the series finale “The Last Generation.” This is really fun and insightful, with Jonathan Frakes also appearing alongside other creatives. The featurettes and deleted scenes for the final season are particularly touching since it’s so great to see the whole crew reunited for one more Star Trek installment.
Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Series Review: The Final Verdict
Star Trek: Picard wound up being an intriguing character study and a great send-off for Jean-Luc Picard. Patrick Stewart is still incredible in the lead role, and it’s great to see him reunited with so many old friends and co-workers in the final season. Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Series is a great purchase if you haven’t bought prior seasons, and is a one-stop set that is worth your time.
Disclosure: ComingSoon was sent a copy by the publisher for our Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Series Blu-ray review.
