Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Explains The Series’ Need For Moral Darkness

Star Trek: Picard might be enjoying overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, however, fans feel a little bit lost by the moral crisis in CBS All Access Star Trek series.

Seeing tragedy after tragedy in Picard, Trekkies can't help but feel like the series no longer feels the same as the rest of the Star Trek franchise. While some fans feel uncomfortable by the show's darkness, Picard showrunner Michael Chabon believes that violence and darkness are important parts of the story that helps show how hopeful the future setting of the franchise is.

Taking to Instagram to answer fan questions about Picard (via io9 Gizmodo) , Chabon decided to address some of the fanbase's major issues with the series like the criticism that the series goes against Star Trek's utopian ideal by taking on a darker view of the Trek universe.

"First of all, I think that the phrase (or a version of it) ‘Star Trek has always reflected its time' is open to multiple, potentially conflicting interpretations. It can mean, ‘Individual Star Trek series has always (consciously) reflected thematically many of the most pressing issues of the time when they were made,'" the showrunner explained on Instagram.

According to Chabon, Star Trek may have often presented an idealized future for fans to strive toward, however, the Trek universe has not always been as perfect as Trekkies made it out to be.

"If Trek has reflected our world, it's in a kind of utopian funhouse mirror, where everything looks better. I would say that by and large that has been true, though possibly not as to the degree that many Trek fans claim, or feel," Chabon explained.

Chabon does make a solid case. Utopias aren't always what they seem to be, and so it makes sense that Picard brings some of those issues to light.

What do you think? Are you satisfied with Chabon's explanation? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Star Trek: Picard airs its next episode "The Impossible Box" on February 27, 2020, on CBS All Access.

Read: First Star Trek: Picard Episode 6 Pictures Have Been Revealed