Star Trek Picard, season 3’s opening episode (review with spoilers).

Warning: spoilers ahead.

In the third season premiere of Star Trek: Picard, sweetly entitled “The Next Generation,” we see the cast of the franchise come together for one more journey. The opening scene of the episode is one that Star Trek fans will love, as it takes us down memory lane, and even on the edges of Federation space, Jean-Luc Picard’s presence is felt.

Picard and Riker, played by Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes, respectively, meet up with Beverly Crusher, played by Gates McFadden, to discuss a situation that has arisen. They plan to commandeer a starship and convince the crew to give them a lift to the edge of Federation space. Picard and Riker dole out delightful snark about their age and the fact that they’ve fully stepped into “old fart” territory, which is hilarious.

Meanwhile, Raffi, played by Michelle Hurd, is on a mission to stop an imminent threat from a stolen weapon. Unfortunately, Raffi discovers that the target is the massive red statue of Rachel Garrett, which is being unveiled in conjunction with the celebrations. In the end, Raffi watches in horror as the weapon sucks the building through a portal and drops it out of a nearby portal.

While Raffi feels disconnected from the overarching plot playing out in the premiere, it’s safe to assume that this weapon and the evil masterminds behind it have to tie in with the series’ larger threat.

Here’s a season two recap for those with fuzzy memories.