'Star Trek: Picard' Premiere Reactions From Cast Praise Cinematic All Access Series

On Monday, the cast and crew of Star Trek: Picard assembled in Hollywood for a premiere screening of the streaming series' first three episodes. Enthusiastic reactions were shared by attendees after the premiere and on the red carpet before.

"I'm thrilled with what we've done," Picard star and executive producer Patrick Stewart said. "I'm thrilled by the diversity, the contrast, the way that we have gone out into unknown worlds. And I'm not talking about space, I'm talking about character relationships and so forth."

Stewart's and other red carpet appearances were shared in an official video released to StarTrek.com.

Stewart complimented the Picard writing team in particular, including Pulitzer Prize winning author and showrunner Michael Chabon.

"This is a science fiction story, it's a space story. There are starships, there are phasers and all of that, but it's really a story about people," Chabon said at the premiere. "It's a story about emotion and life and what it does to you, and how things don't always turn out the way you were hoping they will and what do you do about it once you realize that. There was a lot of emotion we were trying to get across."

Jeri Ryan, who returns in Picard as Star Trek: Voyager character Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, was also in attendance and described the series as "very cinematic."

"It was like shooting a feature film for every episode," Ryan added.

Several cast members and attendees also provided their reactions to the three episodes after the premiere, including Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Gates McFadden (whose character, Dr. Beverly Crusher, will not appear in Picard's first season), who complimented both Stewart and Jonathan Del Arco, who returns as the Borg named Hugh, from TNG.

"Loved the writing, tone," McFadden said in a tweet. "And Picard speaks FRENCH!"

Other attendees revealed additional minor plot points, such as those shared by an anonymous account, who verified their presence with a photograph from inside the theater.

According to the anonymous guest, Star Trek: Picard continues a plot point first mentioned in The Next Generation finale "All Good Things..." in which Picard is revealed to have a neurodegenerative disorder, called irumodic syndrome, in his old age. But even more surprising is a possible connection to Star Trek: Voyager and that series' captain, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew).

Other reactions were positive, though less revealing.

For the U.K. premiere of Star Trek: Picard the London Underground station Picadilly Circus was transformed into Picardilly Circus. The screening for the U.K. premiere will be held on Wednesday evening, which means additional reactions from critics and fans are likely to emerge on social media in the early afternoon in the United States.

For everyone not on the red carpet, Star Trek: Discovery premieres on streaming service CBS All Access on January 23.