Mere months away from its world premiere, the cast and crew of Star Trek: Picard took to the stage at Madison Square Garden for New York Comic-Con to share tidbits about the show. Moderated by CBSN anchor and CBS News national correspondent Vladimir Duthiers, the discussion included Sir Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Isa Briones (Dahj), Santiago Cabrera (Cristobal “Chris” Rios), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Alison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Harry Treadaway (Narek), and Evan Evagora (Elnor), as well as executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, and Heather Kadin, co-executive producer and director Hanelle Culpepper and supervising producer Kirsten Beyer.

It was certainly an exhilarating atmosphere in MSG’s Hulu Theater, especially when Stewart stepped onto the stage and was greeted by a standing ovation. The crowd’s excitement only enhanced when he announced that New York Comic-Con fans would be the first to view the “quite unseen” second trailer for Picard.

Check out our takeaways from the Picard panel and the watch the new trailer here below!

Top 5 Takeaways From The ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Panel

1. It took some convincing to get Patrick Stewart to return. When considering different scenarios for upcoming Short Treks, the initial thought was to try to get Stewart to reprise his role for one; however, after some consideration, Kurtzman, Goldsman, and Beyer asked Stewart’s agent to meet with them in the hopes of him returning for a whole new series. They all met at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, and once introduced to the idea, Stewart graciously declined. Just a few days later, however, he called them back asking to see a four-page document – just a little more to the pitch. The document, written by Chabon, ended up being about 35 pages. Kurtzman noted that at their next meeting, after having read their new pitch, “Stewart came in smiling – that was the moment.”

2. Beloved characters from past shows all have a purpose. Beyer wanted fans to know that when Stewart signed on, he wanted to make it clear that he did not want Picard to be a The Next Generation reunion. This was something that the producers, too, felt was important for not only the actors, but for the fans as well. Beyer went on to say that “each one of them has a pivotal, emotional story to tell in these ten episodes.”

3. All involved with the show are lifelong fans. From the producers, to the writers, to the cast, these are folks who absolutely love Star Trek, particularly The Next Generation. Chabon, in particular, stated that this was a lifelong dream of his. He explained that all of his novels have some sort of reference to Star Trek lore, and that “talking about Star Trek is one of the most natural things for me.”

4. Every character is “complicated.” Whether it’s the individual’s relationship with Picard, their history with Starfleet, or with another character on the show, these are people who’ve got a lot to work through before they can come together.

5. The writers intentionally look at real-world issues and try to talk about them within the context of science fiction and from multiple perspectives. Specifically, speaking briefly about our world’s immigration issues, Kurtzman said, “Star Trek is a mirror. It holds itself up to society.”

Be sure to click right here for more from New York Comic-Con 2019!

Trailer

Panel Photo Gallery

Photos by Sarah Pfeffer for Geeks of Doom.