Patrick Stewart’s Return to ‘Star Trek’ Almost Brought Writer Alex Kurtzman to Tears

Cameras aren’t yet rolling on the forthcoming Star Trek series that will bring Sir Patrick Stewart back to the final frontier as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. However, writer/producer Alex Kurtzman was already brought to tears by the return of the Star Trek: The Next Generation character, one of the most beloved Starfleet officers in the history of the sci-fi franchise.

Paleyfest has been hosting several panels focusing on TV shows of today and years past (including a reunion for Parks and Recreation that teased the possibility of a revival at some point), and Star Trek: Discovery was recently on the docket. Most of the chat with executive producer Alex Kurtzman and the rest of the cast and crew present for the panel focused on the CBS All Access series that is currently in the middle of its second season, but part of the discussion addressed what’s going on with the currently untitled Star Trek series focusing on Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Unfortunately, Alex Kurtzman can’t divulge any details at this point, but he did the best he could. In fact, Kurtzman has already witnessed Sir Patrick Stewart getting back into character, and it was an emotional moment. He explained (via Deadline):

“Here’s what I will tell you: I had an amazing experience yesterday. I sat at Patrick’s kitchen table and I heard him read the first episode and I almost cried. It was quite something. He’s at an amazing place in his life. He’s so excited. It’s going to be a very different show from Discovery. The only way this universe, I think, works correctly is if each show is really different and speaks to a different part of Star Trek.”

That’s not much to go on, but thankfully Kurtzman elaborated a bit more:

“This is going to be a very thoughtful, psychological portrait in a lot of ways. We all know what Picard means to the world and why he, like so many legendary characters on Star Trek, has endured and what he’s represented. He in some ways has to go through a gauntlet to find that again. Things have changed for him and changed him in some ways, and yet he is so deeply and fundamentally still Picard. We’re thrilled at what we’re going to deliver. I know Patrick is really excited. The cast is coming together beautifully. And I will give you nothing else.”

Stewart initially didn’t want to come back for the Picard series, but the pitch turned him around on the prospect completely. The way Kurtzman talks about Stewart could easily be tied to Picard too, especially if 20 years have passed since we’ve seen the Starfleet Captain. Of course, we don’t know exactly what he’s been up to all this time, so we’ll have to be patient to see what Kurtzman has in store for fans.

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