On an Admirable journey

during a rare interview to mark the anniversary.

Coupled with a resulting ban on synthetics, it all persuaded Picard to resign his position and retreat to his vineyard where he ‘‘writes books of history people prefer to forget’’.

However, still plagued by dreams of his dearly departed long-time friend Data (Brent Spiner), Picard finds himself more than just intrigued when a young woman tracks him down and asks for his assistance.

Having narrowly escaped a Romulan assassination attempt thanks to fighting skills she did not realise she possessed, Dahj (Isa Briones) has felt compelled to find him.

At first, Picard can’t quite work out his connection to this daughter of a Seattle botanist. But it takes only a trip to the Quantum Archives to discover that she is ‘‘dear’’ to him ‘‘in ways you cannot understand’’.

Unlike its Original Series predecessor, the Next Generation was always more about wrestling with philosophical issues, rather than grappling with the monster of the week.

That ethos continues in showrunner Alex Kurtzmann’s (in charge of the Star Trek ship since 2009’s cinematic reboot) latest space opera.

This is a Picard trying to reconcile his past, while giving himself a future.

As in the X-Men ‘‘western’’ Logan, this affords Stewart an opportunity to showcase his emotive skills and to boldly take this beloved character where he hasn’t gone before.

Directed with flair and sensitivity by veteran episodic TV director Hanelle Culpepper, the opening episode packs a lot in without giving away too much.

It creates plenty of intrigue and sets the stage for the return of more fan favourites.

A sci-fi series that rewards devotees and compels newbies to go further and dig deeper, Picard

might just have given Star Trek

a new lease of life.