Actor Patrick Stewart recently discussed Star Trek: Picard on a recent episode of The Ready Room with host Wil Wheaton and explained why he believes it is necessary for Star Trek to address current events and modern politics.
The interview was wide-ranging and also touched on aspects of the storytelling, some of which in Stewart’s view, were very profound and powerful as well as Star Trek’s optimism in regards to the future.
Related: Patrick Stewart Reveals His Reaction To Profanity In Star Trek: Picard
At around the 13:30 minute mark, Wheaton guides the interview to current events and discusses Stewart’s comments from February where the actor stated that the world needed Star Trek. Wheaton asks Stewart if he still believes the world needed Star Trek. He then followed that up by asking what is Star Trek’s place in the world at this moment.
Stewart responded, “I always believed, and it was easier to bring this into the work back in the time of Next Generation. That what Next Generation was offering was hope. There will be a future and it will be better. There is that still I think the Star Trek world.”
He continued, “But what we’re having to do now is to reflect; gently, subtly, not with a sledgehammer, the world that we are presently living in. Star Trek always did that. Particularly in the last four of five seasons of The Next Generation, we did that.”
“With metaphor, we can compare the world of Star Trek to the present-day world. And we need to be doing that in this world because we are in some trouble. And it is the only people who can get us out of this trouble,” Stewart stated.
He then told Wheaton, “I have little confidence in our politicians. I am talking about the UK as well as about the USA. It is people who are going to improve, how we live, where we live, and the safety in which we live. We’ve seen that recently with controversy over police violence and so forth.”
“But it’s harder in Star Trek: Picard because our world is much more uncomfortable than it was at the time of Next Generation. Starfleet and the Federation, one could rely on 100%. They were there. They were rock solid,” he continued.
Stewart then noted, “Not so solid now it would seem. There have been shifts in all of that, as there have been shifts in our lives.”
“I hope we can find ways that are not too heavy-handed whereby we can underline the fact that it is people themselves who can make the difference,” Stewart concluded.
Related: Star Trek: Picard Star Patrick Stewart Details Gene Roddenberry Was Not His Biggest Fan
Stewart concluded the interview answering a question on if he could provide any information regarding Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard.
He stated, “Well, I’m in it.”
He then elaborated, “I had some encouraging news, only yesterday, about when we might be looking at starting again. You know it’s all these predictions are dependent on the best possible circumstance.”
Stewart did indicate that CBS was fully behind a second season, “I can tell you that CBS is utterly committed to another season of our show. Utterly committed. That’s going to happen.”
He concluded, “Other than that I’m not being provocative, but I don’t actually have much to tell you.”
What do you think of these comments about the franchise and their hopes to “subtly” point to present issues in society overall?