DVD Review: Star Trek The Next Generation: Jean-Luc Picard Collection

08/05/04

The ?Star Trek? franchise is a funny phenomenon. The original series, starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, met with only mild acclaim when it was on the air but gained a truly cult-like following in syndication. Its follow-up, on the other hand, Star Trek: The Next Generation, enjoyed a seven-season run and had an equally impressive following, even if they weren?t quite as rabid. Several spin-offs later, the airwaves have never quite managed to capture the same magic as the original two outings, so the release of the newest Star Trek: The Next Generation DVD set on August third is understandably exciting for fans of the show. This newest collection, called ?Jean-Luc Picard Collection,? is named after the captain of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D. Played by Patrick Stewart, Picard is at once the most recognizable face from the series and its most popular, at times even more iconic than Shatner, who was often supplanted by Nimoy as the original series? public face. The Jean-Luc Picard Collection features seven memorable episodes in which Stewart played a pivotal role. From Season One?s ?The Big Goodbye,? where the crew was stuck in the holodeck in a 1920s scenario, to ?The Inner Light,? in which Picard is shown living an entire lifespan, the collection is representative of some of Stewart?s best work as Captain Picard. Yet the collection isn?t necessarily a ?greatest hits,? as some of the most memorable episodes are missing from the compilation. For example, the Enterprise?s first encounter with the Borg is alluded to in the episode ?Family,? but the two preceding episodes called ?Best of Both Worlds? are missing. Likewise, Picard?s abduction and subsequent turn as Locutus of Borg was a victim of the DVD cutting room. Of course, when a series is as strong as The Next Generation was, certain episodes are bound to miss the final cut on DVD collections such as this. The presentation of the seven episodes that did make the two-disc package is superb. Each episode is presented in its native full-screen format and delivered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Also, as with any TV-to-DVD collection, the removal of advertisements helps maintain the flow of each show and keep viewers focused on the story at hand. The Jean-Luc Picard Collection also includes a documentary about space exploration, called ?From Here to Infinity,? which is hosted by, you guessed it, Patrick Stewart. If you own a DVD player and want to see this documentary, buying this package is the only way to do so. However, as excellent as the documentary may be, its very inclusion brings up the question of why another episode wasn?t included in its place. At the end of the day, though, the Jean-Luc Picard Collection is the perfect gift (or indulgence) for anyone who?s a Next Generation or Picard fan but can?t afford to purchase the entire series on DVD. This is a solid sampling of the show, and although it doesn?t necessarily include the best episodes, it certainly is worth the purchase for the most die-hard and frugal fans.
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