Star Trek fans may have received new details about the upcoming Jean-Luc Picard series with Patrick Stewart.
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That Hashtag Show reports having gotten its hands on character breakdowns for the show’s core cast. These breakdowns are not confirmed, but taken at face value they tease some interesting additions to the Star Trek mythology.
Patrick Stewart is already confirmed to return as Jean-Luc Picard. There have been hints that Picard is no longer a Starfleet captain as the new series begins. That Hashtag Show’s reporting doesn’t offer any new details to that.
As for new characters, the first is Starton. “a male of any ethnicity in his early 30s. He specializes in positronic brains and is terrified of space. He’s charming in a self-deprecating way and is excited about the research opportunities on Picard’s mission.”
It is interesting that the Picard would enlist an expert on positronic brains for his mission. Dr. Noonien Soong created positronic brains for use in the creation of his androids, such as Data, Lore, and B-4. Fans can speculate about whether Starton’s involvement hints at a relationship between Picard’s mission and Dr. Soong’s legacy.
Next Connie, “a female who is also in her early 30’s. She’s African-American and has a quick temper, but is also quick to forgive. In addition to dealing with the loss of her husband, she is also avoiding a death sentence on her home planet. She’s a mercenary pilot who uses her ship to transport people to and from an artifact of some kind, though the ship is massively overqualified for that job.”
Then there’s Lawrence, “a handsome man in his 30’s of any ethnicity. . . who has a dodgy moral compass. He’s the pilot of the ship Picard takes on his mission. Being a capable (and enthusiastic) thief, his loyalties are questionable.”
It sounds like Picard is associating with much shadier people than he did during his Starfleet days.
One of the more interesting breakdowns is for Dr. Smith, who is “a male in his 30s or 40s of any ethnicity.” He’s described as, “a hologram who helps the crew through emergencies encompassing engineering, tactical, science investigation, and medical issues. He was programmed to learn but not become too self-aware. He’s calm, efficient, and empathic, but he sometimes has difficulties sorting out others emotional reactions to get at the facts.”
As That Hashtag Show speculates, this does sound like an updated version of the Emergency Medical Hologram. Robert Picardo played the EMH, called the Doctor, in Star Trek: Voyager.
The youngest lead character is K’Bar, “a 17-year-old Romulan and the only child of what’s a mainly female Spiritual Order. A martial artist and considered a lethal weapon, he’s prone to mood swings and is committed to living in the moment with as much transparency as possible. He takes his devotion to Picard and his mission EXTREMELY seriously.”
This is an interesting one. Producer Alex Kurtzman already confirmed that the destruction of Romulus is a life-changing event for Picard. That this young Romulan is so devoted to him may be a hint at how that change manifests. K’Bar would also the first Romulan core cast member in a Star Trek series.
There’s also Indira, “a female in her early 20s of any Ethnicity. She’s extremely smart and physically agile . . . but maybe not so mature and a bit socially challenged because she tries too hard.”
Lastly, there is Alana, “a female in her mid-40s to mid-50s and is of any ethnicity. She’s a brilliant analyst and has a great memory despite abusing drugs and alcohol. Often times she gets irritated with her own vulnerability and is certain of herself, even when she’s wrong. A former intelligence officer, she sees conspiracies everywhere. Her professional and personal losses weigh heavily on her.”
Putting this together, it seems Picard may be putting together a crew for a mission unsanctioned by Starfleet. The mission seems to involve a mysterious artifact. It is exciting to wonder what Picard has gotten himself into.
What do you think of the Picard character breakdowns? Let us know in the comments.
The new Picard series begins filming in April and is aiming for a late 2019 debut on CBS All Access.
