Early thoughts on Picard third season

Like viewers in general, I'm loving the third season of Picard.  While the first and second seasons certainly had their hooks and narrative plotlines worth exploring (the first being a dramatic conclusion to Data's original arc, the second being the same for Q), clearly a very different creative direction was taken this time.

In short, this season has been functioning as an extended movie.  Not even a Next Generation movie, but in the style of the first six films.  Yes, as some perennially grumpy fans have pointed out, daring to once again evoke Wrath of Khan (Picard's son!), but in the storytelling, even the music in the end credits (although speaking of the music, it's of course worth noting that the main credits borrow First Contact's theme, which has been my favorite Star Trek theme since, well, First Contact).  While Next Generation in its day sort of surpassed the original show's popular appeal, it never really reached the same levels of cultural impact, and for fans of the original show, it never really escaped its reputation of being something different.  I have a blogging acquaintance who's positively obsessed with finding parallels between them, and will insist Picard is basically Kirk, but I don't see in what universe that was ever remotely true, except in Picard's youth (and further contrasted by the fact that the aged Kirk was never remotely similar to the Picard we first meet).

I hope addressing the presence of Picard's son in the season isn't considered a spoiler.  If so, so be it.  They share a brief moment where they talk about the hair, of course.  If anyone cares to remember, although of course the young Picard in "Tapestry" sports a full head of hair, the picture of Tom Hardy as the young Picard in Nemesis finds him bald, although I always figured it was for production convenience (and to otherwise suggest Picard, for that photo, shaved his hair off).  Even at that point I couldn't have cared less how little Hardy really looked like Patrick Stewart.  He was a great actor giving a great performance!  But hardly likely to show up in the franchise again, right?  Even in a season of wish fulfillments!  (Could we still hope for Colm Meaney?  Please?)

I found aspects of the second season to be disagreeable to the digestion.  I loved the first season wholeheartedly.  I'm finding I'm really enjoying this one, too.