In the epic, thrilling conclusion of Star Trek: Picard, a desperate message from a long-lost friend draws Starfleet legend Admiral Jean-Luc Picard into the most daring mission of his life, forcing him to recruit allies spanning generations old and new. This final adventure sets him on a collision course with the legacy of his past and explosive, new revelations that will alter the fate of the Federation forever.

For previous thoughts on Star Trek: Picard, please see our Blu-Ray reviews of Season 1 and Season 2.

For in-depth thoughts on Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Third Season, please see my colleague Martin Sexton’s reviews from its original streaming release here.

Video Quality

Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Third Season arrives on Blu-Ray with a terrific AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio. The varied color palette renders faithfully with some delightful instances of spectacular hues popping off the screen. This season finds us spending a lot more time on shadowy ships, and thankfully the black levels are deep and allow for a strong amount of detail in the darkness. There are a few instances of banding and compression artifacts detectable at points throughout the transfer, but it is not a pervasive issue. Skin tones appear very detailed and natural across the entire cast

The crisp and gorgeous cinematography provides the show with a cinematic quality that is a marvel on a technical level. The money spent on this small screen effort is on impressive display with its detailed production design and textured costumes. The special effects conjured throughout are first rate and perfectly rendered* here. So many scenes provide a level of detail that will blow you away, as all of the discrete details in the makeup effects are finely observed. The Blu-Ray is quite fetching as it brings a carefully crafted series to life in a gorgeous manner. CBS Home Entertainment continues to treat this franchise well, but we do hope it can receive a 4K UHD Blu-Ray in the future.

*One flaw that has been caught by many occurs in the final episode “The Last Generation” when we first see the Enterprise D. The episode on the disc includes an early VFX shot of the ship instead of the final rendering. This mistake first happened when it was added to Paramount+ in some territories, but it was quickly replaced. There is no current word on if there will be a replacement disc, but we will update this article if there is.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a perfectly executed DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that conjures a truly enveloping world. Dialogue emanates clearly without being overshadowed by the grandiose score or any sound effects. This season seems to have a bit more action than the previous one, and these kinetic moments are given a notable weight in the mix as it digs deep in the low end. The environmental dynamics of this track never fail to impress with pinpoint accuracy and thrilling panning techniques are used to great effect. Ambient sounds are carefully placed in the rear channels. The series music from Jeff Russo saturates the track with a flawless fidelity. It always perfectly sets the tone for the story which is very inviting. The audio presentation here is in top form.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: This season we get some really fun and engaging commentary tracks with the cast and creative team as they reveal interesting behind-the-scenes details along with fun anecdotes from the set.

- The Next Generation: Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan, Todd Stashwick, Stephen Barton, Ed Speleers and Terry Matalas

- Seventeen Seconds: Gates McFadden, Michelle Hurd and Terry Matalas

- No Win Scenario: Jonathan Frakes, Todd Stashwick and Terry Matalas

- The Bounty: Jonathan Frakes, Levar Burton, Brent Spiner and Terry Matalas

- The Last Generation: Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan, Ed Speleers and Terry Matalas

Deleted Scenes: There are an array of unused scenes provided which were cut for time but are worth watching for fans.

- The Bounty (2:53)

- Dominion (3:02)

- Assimilation (2:41)

- Surrender (0:47)

- Võx (3:29)

- The Last Generation (1:46)

The Gang’s All Here: A 19-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the decision to bring the Next Generation cast fully back, the individual characteristics that the performers bring to their characters, where the characters are along their journey and more.

Villainous Vadic: A 21-minute piece which takes a look at the scenery-chewing performance of Amanda Plummer and the gravitas she brings to this instantly iconic villain.

Gag Reel: A six-minute collection of flubbed lines, laughing fits, joking around and more.

Picard – The Final Season Q&A: A 43-minute FYC panel with the showrunners and cast members in which they discuss the direction of the story of season three, how the cast felt to return to these roles, working with family members on the series, the legacy they leave behind and more.

The Making Of The Last Generation: A terrific 43-minute exploration of the final season with the cast and creative team as they discuss the themes, the journey of the past couple of seasons leading to this point, the new and returning faces, the evolving character dynamics throughout the season, giving closure for these characters and to the fans, and more.

Rebuilding The Enterprise D: A 17-minute featurette which looks at the resurrection of the classic ship, the importance of this particular vessel, getting the production design exactly right, the immense amount of work that went into making this a reality, creating actual displays for the set, the emotions of the cast members returning to the set and more.

Final Thoughts

The third season of Star Trek: Picard is a return to form for the series, and it serves as one of the more enjoyable outings in the world of Trek we have seen over the past several years. Of course, bringing back the majority of the cast of Next Generation instantly elevates the experience for many, but this season has more going for it than that. While last season wasted a lot of time on Earth and seemed perfunctory in the end, this season pays off a lot of narrative threads that hit hard on an emotional level. The series does what the franchise does best, which is wrestle with some larger thematic ideas rather than simply devolve into thoughtless action sequences. There is a really great blend of thrills and character moments which make this a joy to watch. CBS Home Entertainment has brought the third and final season to Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation and a vast array of compelling special features. If you are a Next Generation fan but have found yourself unable to connect with the series up until now, be sure to at least give this another shot. Recommended

Star Trek: Picard – The Complete Third Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray (SteelBook or Standard) and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: CBS Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.