Making It so

CBS All Access expands its Star Trek universe with the launch of Picard

- GINA MCINTYRE

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN: AFTER 17 years, Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) returns with Star Trek: Picard, ready to lead a new generation into Federation space. Here, a behind-thescenes look at all you need to know before thisship takes off.

STAR TREK: PICARD IS NEITHER A SEQUEL NOR A REBOOT.

Patrick Stewart made his debut as the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise with the 1987 premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role he would play on the small screen for seven seasons and in four spinoff movies, the last of which, Star Trek: Nemesis, was released in 2002. When the actor agreed to return to the character, both Stewart and showrunner Michael Chabon decided to pick up the story after Picard’s last appearance.

“It’s definitely not a direct sequel,” says Chabon, who is perhaps best known as the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of such novels as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and Wonder Boys. “It is a continuation. In several instances, it incorporates the history of the characters, then uses that history to carry the story forward. We learn along the way what happened in the interval between Nemesis and our show.”

REGARDLESS, NO PREVIOUS TREK KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED.

“You don’t need to have seen any of the preceding material to be able to enjoy and understand the show,” promises Chabon. “That was definitely one of the stated goals—to make the show accessible to someone who is stepping into this world for the first time.”

STEWART HELPED SHAPE THE SERIES.