The hype for Star Trek: Picard had gone enormously into its premiere earlier this year, with Trek fans freaking out about having Patrick Stewart back as Jean-Luc after almost 20 years. And although the show definitely has a lot of fans, it did get a similar reception as well Discovery in that some sections of the fandom no longer mature, adopting current approaches to the franchise and the classic characters.
That could explain the deepening decline of viewers that apparently happened as Picard season 1 unfolded. Although CBS All Access has not yet released official figures, it has been stated that PicardThe premiere earned the biggest reviews of any show on the current streaming service. However, Giant Freakin Robot claims that the final episode, by comparison, drew 45% fewer viewers.
That said, nearly 50% of fans in the US gave up on the series as the debut season progressed. Of course, some kind of decay is to be expected, but that kind of drip is not good, in whatever way you cut it. The outlet notes that this info is not yet supported by a second source, but it seems to fit in with the slip in Canadian viewers over the series that was revealed via officially released figures.
1.8 million Canadians watched PicardThe premiere episode of the premiere, but 30% was eliminated by the time of episode 5 to bring the number to 1.3 million. We do not currently have ratings for episode 10, but you would think – based on this descending trajectory – that there was a similar 50% drop through the season, just like what apparently happened to American viewers.
Despite the ratings of nosediving, Star Trek: Picard season 2 is yet to come. It was intended to be shot this past summer, but has been repulsed due to the pandemic and Jeri Ryan has pleaded that production is now slated to begin in the fall. As for the falling numbers on the longing, CBS is only planning to make three seasons as it is, so hopefully it will be able to stick around until they have completed the story they want to tell.
Source: Giant Freakin Robot
