'Star Trek: Picard' debuts today; it's takes place in the future but its really about today

COURTESY ISA BRIONES

Star Trek: Picard stars Patrick Stewart and Isa Briones at ComicCon.

Star Trek: Picard, the newest spinoff of the Star Trek franchise, takes place in the 24th century but it is really about today's world.

Filipina American actress Isa Briones wasn't even born when Star Trek: The Next Generation ended its 7-season run in 1994. Debuting today (Thursday, Jan. 23) the Star Trek: Picard TV series stars Briones as the mysterioius Dahj along side Patrick Stewart, who reprises his role as Jean Luc Picard, who captained the USS Enterprise in The Next Generation.

In the almost two decades between TNG and Picard, the world has changed, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, says Stewart, emphasizing that his new show will not be in the same tenor as his original show.

"Our world has undergone such a transformation. There is no reason why that shouldn’t have happened to the world of ‘Star Trek,’ too," says Steward. "The Federation is no longer the Federation that it was—reliable, trustworthy, dedicated to the prime directive. Starfleet is no longer that, too. 

“Then of course, there was the whole massive refugee problem. The world that we’re in in ‘Star Trek: Picard’ is a different world from ‘Next Generation.’ And that ought to say enough.”

"One of the big things for me that's been exciting is seeing the Asian American community coming out, because I'm Filipino and Swedish and Irish," the actress told The Hollywood Reporter at the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild Awards this month.

"Getting to see how me being in Star Trek has connected with them and how they've really appreciated seeing someone who looks like them on screen... that will always be my favorite about the show, especially because it's such a progressive show."

Like the other iterations of creator Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, Picard has a diverse cast reflecting the real world and adding to the richness of the characters. Like George Takei who played Helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Trek, and John Chu who played the young Sulu in the Star Trek prequels, Briones is keenly aware of representing Asian Americans.

"We're telling stories about the future and we're saying, 'Hey, in the future, we're still going to be here. What you see now in the world is still going to be here in 2339.' We're all here and we all deserve to be represented. I feel so honored that we get to portray that and... keep pushing that narrative forward."

When asked why "Star Trek" has such staying power after multiple franchises and more than 50 years on the air, Stewart's answer was simple: "Hope. It resonates positive feelings about the future that things can be better."

Briones agreed. "(That's) a sentiment we need more than ever."

"You speak truth," Stewart said to Briones. "We have to be positive about the difficult situations that we find ourselves in."

Star Trek: Picard is now streaming airs on CBS All Access. The network is offering a one week free trial so you can watch the first episode.