Star Trek: Strange New Worldshit the ground running when it debuted in 2022, and its successful premise serves as evidence that aStar Trek: The Next Generationprequel show is long overdue. Although technically an offshoot ofStar Trek: Discovery,Strange New Worldsalso serves as a direct prequel toStar Trek: The Original Series. Led by Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, theStar Trek: Strange New Worldscasthelps tell the story of the USS Enterprise-A before Captain Kirk (William Shatner) took command of the vessel.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas been a huge success, which means it would only make sense forStar Trek:The Next Generationto be next in line for the same treatment received byStar Trek: The Original Series. The days immediately beforeThe Next Generationsit in an untapped part of theStar Trektimeline. So, it would be exciting if the franchise added to its vast catalog ofStar TrekTV showsthat fleshed out this lost era.
Star Trek Needs A Prequel Spinoff Showing Jean-Luc Picard’s Time As The USS Stargazer’s Captain
Star Trek: Stargazer has a nice ring to it
Most known for serving as the captain of the USS Enterprise-D, Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard actually commanded another vessel before Starfleet’s flagship.Picard was the USS Stargazer’s captain for over 20 yearsbefore transferring to the Enterprise. So, there is a huge period that has rarely been addressed in Stewart’s stories throughout the decades. AlthoughPicard’sStar Trektimelinehas already been extensively covered,the franchise has been very coy about many of the Stargazer’s adventureswhile under his command. Therefore, it’s time the sci-fi saga focused on a younger Captain Picard.
The franchise has grown far more comfortable recasting even its most legendary figures, so it wouldn’t be as surprising to see a new actor playing Captain Picard as it perhaps might have been a few years ago.
Of course, Patrick Stewart would need to be replaced for aTNGprequel show, as he has long since aged out of playing Picard during his earlier years. However, the franchise has grown far more comfortable recasting even its most legendary figures, so it wouldn’t be as surprising to see a new actor playing Captain Picard as it perhaps might have been a few years ago. Plus,showing Picard’s time aboard the Stargazer would also finally reveal far more about Jack Crusher- Wesley’s late father who served with Stewart’s character during this era.
Why A Stargazer Star Trek Show Would Be Different From Strange New Worlds
Learning far more about Captain Pike is one of SNW’s biggest upsides
The Enterprise’s captain inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis essentially a brand-new character, as Anson Mount is playing someone who had only ever been a relatively small part of the larger story. So, the spinoff teaches audiences a great deal not only about the USS Enterprise’s pre-Kirk era, but also far more than ever before about the predecessor of William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk. In a Stargazer show,Captain Picard would be the only real point of reference toTNG, but he would be a far more significant one than Pike is inStrange New Worlds.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 ended with an epic cliffhanger and here’s everything known about when it will be resolved in season 3.
Furthermore,a Stargazer project would be far less restricted from a canonical perspective. The show would need to make sure Picard made it to the end so he could become the Enterprise’s captain, and that would essentially be the only main story beat that would need to be addressed. Otherwise, there are 22+ years' worth of narrative blank slate to play with. This also means that aStar Trek: The Next Generationprequel would have about four times the number of years between itself and its parent show than there are betweenStar Trek: Strange New WorldsandTOS.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Cast
Star Trek: The Next Generation follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations, seeking out new worlds and civilizations.
