TLDR; Is PRO TNG or PIC era? Do Trek eras as we know them even matter anymore?
Edit: Fixed TOK to be TWOK era. My 2 brain cells had failed me there.
Before I give my problem, here's what I find the conventional Star Trek eras to be (including some common sub-eras that some might consider distinct):
- ENT era: 2150s-2160s
- TOS era: 2250s-early 2290s
- TWOK era: 2270s-early 2290s
- Lost era: 2290s-roughly 2330s
- TNG era: 2340s-early 2380s (I count Enterprise C as roughly the start of the TNG era. At the very least, the shuttle for the Hansen's ill-fated trip in the 2350s has the trappings of the TNG era).
- DS9/VOY/TNG film era: 2370s, maybe early 2380s
- PIC era: mid 2380s-early 25th century (I think the Utopia Planetia in 2385 is my cutoff)
- DIS era: 32nd century
I think most newer series have obvious placements, e.g:
- DIS starts in the TOS era, then starts its own era.
- SNW is in the TOS era (I'd argue it's straight up canon, based on LD).
- LD is TNG era, based on LCARS designs and the story conventions it parodies/pastiches.
However, the main thing that is ruffling my feathers is that PRO's placement in my framework is very confusing. It exists on an awkward border between TNG and PIC.
On one hand, some of its storytelling conventions fit better with PIC, not to mention the fact that the Utopia Planetia attack occurs at the end of PRO.
On the other hand, PRO continues some TNG era characters that aren't yet elderly versions of themselves.
This goes back to the initial question: Do we place the vast majority of PRO in the TNG era (and have like the last five minutes of season 2 [hopefully not the show] in PIC era), or do we extend the Picard era backwards to 2383 to include PRO in its entirety?
The 2383 solution might work, as that leaves 2382 in the TNG era for the 5th season of Lower Decks.