Star Trek Picard: Surrender 2023

Star Trek Picard
Season 3 - Episode 8
”Surrender”

Directors Notebook

It bears repeating that the great privilege of directing Picard was getting to work with actors who were and continue to be major influences on me and my artistic life. It was a profound experience to work with and become colleagues with people who were my inspiration.

A Stunning Villain

Amanda Plummer exploded into the first “Picard” episode I directed, and her work in 308 delved even more into her rich and dynamic and terrifying performance as Vadic. It was incredibly meaningful to me to be working with Amanda. When I was 17, I caught a train from Atlanta with a few of my friends and traveled up to New York to go see theater on Broadway. I stood in line at TKTS and was able to get a ticket to Agnes of God. It was a life changing experience to watch Amanda’s performance. Her Agnes blew my mind. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen. She shook me to my core and I was determined that I had to move to New York and pursue acting, which is what I did. I ended up studying with Michael Howard for decades, and was his teaching assistant for 13 years. I remember seeing Amanda head into the office for voice lessons and wished I could have said hello but I was too shy. And then, now, here I was directing her. It was an insanely great honor.

How We Fight

There was a very complicated fight sequence in this episode that was fascinating to work on with Michelle Hurd. I loved so much how the scene elevated the fierceness of these older women, fighting to protect their children, and their people. It was so gratifying working with the cinematographer, Crescenzo G.P. Notarile, camera operators Nicholas Davidoff and David Speck, and the fight coordinator Matt Mullins to build a stunning “oner” shot that captured this thrilling and intense moment of the show.

Legacies

It was such a privilege to direct an episode where so many legacy characters were reunited, and to see how they unified and strategized to protect their own next generation. To have Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, gathered with Sir Patrick Stewart, LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner in the observation lounge felt incredibly special. And the performances by the newer characters like Jack, Seven, and Captain Shaw, played so brilliantly by Ed Speleers, Jeri Ryan and Todd Stashwick just blew me away as they carried the traditions and intricacies of the Star Trek world. And then there was my daughter, Sophia Adler, who played a small role as a crew member on the bridge when Vadic had them all lined up as her hostages. I could not have been more proud and moved by Sophia’s performance, and her deep dedication to the terror and intensity of the scene. The opportunity to work with all of these fine actors was unforgettable, and deepened my own craft as I collaborated with theirs.

The World of Picard

I loved immersing myself into the intricate details of the story and character of Jean-Luc Picard, and the forces of family and power in his world. I love that telling stories about parents and children, wherever they are in outer space or not, are universal.