When it came to Jean-Luc Picard’s first show, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ronald D. Moore played an integral role. He was a writer on the series from 1988 until the show ended in 1994. Fast forward to 2020, and Patrick Stewart reprised his role as Picard for CBS All Access’ Star Trek: Picard. With this, you can't help but wonder something: what did Moore think of Stewart’s return?
Considering that he was a massive part of Jean-Luc Picard’s original journey, you would assume that Ronald D. Moore has to be keeping up with what's happening with the famous character. Well, as you might have imagined, Moore has thoughts on Patrick Stewart’s reprisa. Asked if he has watched the new shows in the Star Trek franchise, including Picard and Discovery, Moore told Collider:
I’ve seen ‘em. I enjoyed Picard very much. I was invited to the premiere that was a very good gesture that they made. I was surprised at how emotionally satisfying it was to see Patrick in that role again. It made me go, ‘Wow, this is really cool watching Jean-Luc again. The same with Brent, the same with Jonathan.’ It was like, ‘Wow, seeing them jumping into those roles. It was really cool.
There you have it, Trekkies. You're not the only ones who found Patrick Stewart’s return as Picard gratifying on an emotional level. And Ronald D. Moore did not leave his satisfaction at only Stewart’s comeback for Star Trek: Picard, either. Moore also cited Brent Spiner’s reprisal of Data and Jonathan Frakes' as Riker among those he found “really cool.”
The fact that Ronald D. Moore spoke so highly of his experience watching Star Trek: Picard is truly a testament to the non-sequel series. I have to imagine that impressing the former writer of a franchise is a substantial, and not entirely simple, feat. And Moore is familiar with the uneasy feeling of taking over an already-existent work, as he ended up developing the Battlestar Galactica reboot.
Considering all that Ronald D. Moore poured into the Star Trek franchise over the years, he would be the one to know if some things didn't work when he tuned in, and the reprisals could have fallen flat. It's especially great to see that Moore enjoyed those, and the excellent news for him is that more returns are on their way in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard.
LeVar Burton has opened up about the potential of reprising his fan-favorite role as Geordi La Forge. Meanwhile, fans are also staying tuned to see if Seven of Nine, who appeared in the first season, will return for the second.
Fans’ excitement surrounding Star Trek: Picard and its character returns didn't make it exempt from criticism, though. Some took issue with the deaths of characters, which took the series’ showrunner by surprise. Nevertheless, it's comforting to know that Ronald D. Moore and so many others seemed happy with what they've seen of Patrick Stewart’s long-awaited return.
You can watch Patrick Stewart take on the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard again during the first of Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access. And while you wait for Stewart to come back for its second season, you can stay entertained with this summer’s premieres.
