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What to watch to prepare for star trek: picard.

The latest entry to the Star Trek universe - the new Star Trek: Picard series - debuts 23 January on CBS All Access in the US and Prime Video in the UK.

The latest entry to the Star Trek universe - the new Star Trek: Picard series - just debuted on CBS All Access in the US and Prime Video in the UK.

It sees Patrick Stewart return as Jean Luc Picard, one of the most beloved captains in Star Trek. The new series focuses on a retired Picard, who now owns a winery and is enjoying his break from Starfleet, but it’s not long before adventure calls, and he must return to the stars.

Stewart last played Picard in 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis. But, 15 years before that, he had been the captain of the Enterprise for 178 episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as in four feature films that he helmed. So, if you want to catch up on all-things Picard before diving into the new CBS All Access series, we think you might have trouble finding the time.

There are hundreds of hours of Picard-centric content you can binge - and that’s without getting into the other characters and plotlines that are likely to surface in Star Trek: Picard. To help you get ready as quickly as possible, we've rounded up a list of episodes from The Next Generation and Voyager, plus a few films, which should cover everything you need to see.

What to watch before Star Trek: Picard

NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS.

We recommend watching the episodes and movies below, in this order. To avoid any spoilers, jump to the bottom for our bulleted list version. 

Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Battle

• Season 1 Episode 9

This TNG episode sees the Enterprise pay for a decision made by Captain Picard nine years earlier - when he was in command of the Federation ship Stargazer. They were attacked by an unknown ship. Picard survived the encounter, however, thanks to the first use of what became the Picard Maneuver. This episode hints at Picard’s past and focuses on what makes him unique as a captain.

Star Trek The Next Generation Complete

Star trek: the next generation - the measure of a man.

• Season 2 Episode 9

Picard and his old friend Data (Brent Spiner) might reunite soon - if the trailers for Star Trek: Picard are any indication - making this TNG episode a must-watch. In it, we meet a cyberneticist who wishes to deconstruct Lt Commander Data to see how his positronic brain functions. When Data doesn’t want to undergo the procedure, which could wipe his entire memory, the cyberneticist attempts to have the Federation compel Data, arguing he is the Federation’s property. The ensuing conflict sees a sci-fi courtroom drama take place, with Captain Picard representing Data for the right to have control over his own body.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds

• Season 3 Episode 26
• Season 4 Episode 1

The Borg is one of the most terrifying villains in Star Trek, and they return in some form for the new Picard series, which is why we’re including this two-parter, which ranks up there with the greatest episodes in any Star Trek series.

The Enterprise responds to a distress signal from a Federation colony only to find everyone in the colony has disappeared. It’s discovered that the Borg, a hive mind that forces all life it meets to assimilate under its control, is responsible for their disappearance. When another Starfleet vessel is attacked by a Borg Cube, the Enterprise heads off to face them, beginning an encounter that will have a lasting impact on Picard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Family

• Season 4 Episode 2

Following the battle with the Borg, the Enterprise is docked near Earth to undergo repairs, allowing Picard to return to his family home to see his brother, Robert, who’s running the family’s vineyard. This episode gives us an early glimpse at what we think Picard will be doing at the opening of the new CBS All Access series - running a vineyard - but this episode is important because we see Picard struggling with the horrible things he was forced to do while he was assimilated. He even reveals that he’s considering leaving Starfleet for a position that will keep him on Earth.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - I, Borg

• Season 5 Episode 23

This TNG episode sees the Enterprise discover a wrecked Borg ship with only one survivor, a Borg Drone initially called Three of Five (Jonathan Del Arco). There’s two main reasons to watch this episode. For one, we see Picard still struggling with his hatred for what the Borg did to him while he was assimilated. The normally cool and moralistic Captain spends the episode considering using the recovered Borg as a weapon that could destroy the entire Borg Collective. The second reason for watching this episode is that the recovered Borg drone - which ends up showing signs of its own individualism returning by taking the name Hugh - is slated to appear in Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit Part I and II

• Season 7 Episode 4
• Season 7 Episode 5

This two-parter from the final season of TNG shows the relationship between Captain Picard and one of his most trusted friends - who’s also confirmed to appear in Star Trek: Picard - William Riker (played by Jonathan Frakes). While searching for a missing Picard, Riker is abducted by a group of mercenaries. When among them, he finds that Picard is actually another captive, and together, the two of them must formulate a plan to escape from their captors with an ancient Vulcan weapon.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things

• Season 7 Episodes 25
• Season 7 Episodes 26

The series finale to TNG is particularly interesting because we get a glimpse at the future leading up to Star Trek: Picard. In the finale, Picard finds himself jumping between the present and two different points in time: Seven years in the past, right before the events of the series' first episode, and 25 years into the future when he’s retired to a vineyard, or when Star Trek: Picard is expected to begin.

Star Trek: Voyager - The Scorpion

This isn’t an episode from The Next Generation, and there’s no Picard, but it's still worth watching during your catch-up because it shows the debut of another important character who is featured prominently in the trailers for the new Picard series: Seven of Nine (played by Jeri Ryan).

In this episode, while journeying home, The Voyager is forced to travel through a section of space controlled by the Borg, but in the process, it ends up in a middle of an ongoing war between the Borg and an alien species the Borg calls Species 8472. In order to make it through the area, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) decides to ally with the Borg, accepting Seven onto the ship in the process.

Star Trek: Voyager - Seasons 1 - 7

Star trek: voyager - endgame.

The original Endgame! This two-part series finale of Star Trek: Voyager sets off events that will surely affect the world of Star Trek: Picard.

An older Captain Kathryn Janeway is seen celebrating the 10th anniversary of Voyager finally coming back to Earth when she devises a plan to return to the past and help the Voyager make it home 16 years faster. But she sets off an encounter with the Borg Collective that should’ve left the hive mind devastated. We should get our first look at what the Borg look like, following the events of this episode, in Star Trek: Picard.

• Star Trek: Short Treks - Children of Mars

CBS All Access has a 12-episode anthology series of short Star Trek stories, and the most recent episode appears to show a key event that happens just before the events of Star Trek: Picard. The 10-minute episode shows an attack by a group of rogue synths on Mars through the eyes of two teen girls on Earth whose parents both work on Mars. At the end, we can see a picture of Picard on the news.

• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

First Contact is considered one of the best Star Trek films, which makes it worth a rewatch ahead of Star Trek: Picard. But the real reason it’s worth firing up this film is that it shows Picard still struggling with the time he spent assimilated to the Borg six years earlier. He’s forced to confront these feelings head-on when he must travel back in time to prevent the Borg from changing the past and assimilating all of Earth.

star trek: first contact

• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The final Star Trek film featuring Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard sees him face off with a clone of himself, played by an extremely young Tom Hardy. While the film wasn’t exactly an Oscar contender, it does have important details that will have an impact on the events of Star Trek: Picard, such as Lt Commander Data’s death near the end and the reveal that he transferred some of himself into B-4, an android similar to Data himself. There’s also the fact that the Romulans create the clone Picard must stop, which could also factor into the events of the new series.

Star Trek X: Nemesis

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• Star Trek (2009)

The latest Star Trek films from JJ Abrams operate on a completely different timeline from Star Trek: Picard and The Next Generation series. However, there’s one key event that triggers the split timelines and might be the reason Picard leaves Starfleet, and that is the destruction of Romulan by a star going supernova. While Star Trek only shows the effects of that - in terms of a Romulan who survived and heads back in time to seek vengeance on Spock -  Star Trek: Picard should give us our first glimpse at the universe following the dissolution of the Romulan Empire.

Star Trek: 2009 - 2016 [Blu-ray]

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What to watch before Star Trek: Picard (spoiler-free)

Here's the same list as above, in an at-a-glance, bulleted list free of spoilers.

• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Battle (Season 1 Episode 9)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Measure of a Man (Season 2 Episode 9)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds (Season 3 Episode 26)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds (Season 4 Episode 1)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Family (Season 4, Episode 2)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - I, Borg (Season 5 Episode 23)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit (Season 7 Episode 4)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - Gambit (Season 7 Episode 5)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things (Season 7 Episodes 25)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things (Season 7 Episodes 26)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Scorpion (Season 3 Episode 26)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Scorpion (Season 4 Episode 1)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Endgame (Season 7 Episode 25)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Endgame (Season 7 Episode 26)

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Published Jan 6, 2020

Your Ultimate Star Trek: Picard Watch Guide

From "The Best of Both Worlds" to Star Trek: Nemesis, here is everything you need to get caught up before Star Trek: Picard

StarTrek.com

It’s almost time to rejoin one of Starfleet’s most beloved captains, Jean-Luc Picard. As the premiere for Star Trek: Picard draws closer, we’ve recapped some key episodes and movies to watch to get caught up on the character’s journey. With seven seasons and four films, Picard has grown and changed over the course of his career as captain. There are so many key moments that shape him into the man he is, but we’ve selected a few important moments that drive him in the beginning of his newest adventure.

From Picard’s psychology to his encounters with the Borg to the role Data played on the Enterprise , here are the key moments to remember as he returns to our screens. We’ve grouped them into different categories — Picard as a character, the Borg, Data, and Romulans —  but you can choose to watch them in any order you’d like.

Catch Up on These Episodes Before Star Trek: Picard

A Crash Course on Jean-Luc Picard

Star trek: the next generation , “family”.

In the wake of being captured and absorbed into the Borg Collective in the season three finale and season four premiere, Picard returns home on shore leave for the first time in almost 20 years. The trauma of the Borg’s torture weighs heavily on Picard, even as he claims he is alright. While most of his family greets him warmly, Picard’s brother is cold towards him due to their differing outlooks on technology and the future. Ultimately, they are able to reconcile, but not before Picard has to confront his own trauma.

At one point, Picard talks to his friend Louis about how while he was happy his family kept traditions alive, he wasn’t bound to those traditions. Louis replies that Picard always reached for the future. We know that Picard has returned to his family’s vineyard, so what drove him to abandon the future in pursuit of the past? That might be a mystery left for the pilot of Picard , but this is an excellent episode for fans to get a feel for Picard’s psychology and deepen the mystery of what could have made him leave Starfleet.

Tragedy struck the Picard family in the movie Star Trek: Generations , during which Picard finds out that his brother and nephew have died in a fire. Picard is now the last of his family, and without him, there is no one to keep the traditions alive. This is yet another tragedy for the captain, and sets up the groundwork for his ultimate return to the family vineyard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode “The Drumhead”

After the warp drive is damaged and Romulan interference is suspected, retired Admiral Norah Satie is brought on to find who on the Enterprise could be a spy. Despite finding a Klingon officer who is leaking information, it is revealed that the supposed sabotage was in fact a simple malfunction and not an attack. Satie is unsatisfied, though, and begins a fanatical hunt to find a traitor on the Enterprise , much to Picard’s dismay.

This is an episode that showcases Picard’s strong sense of justice. He says he will not treat a man as a criminal unless there is cause to do so, and he stands tall in defense of his crew and himself. Picard is firm, but he stands for the scales of justice in the universe being balanced. He will not allow anyone to remove due process or to play judge and jury. We can assume that Picard’s innate sense of righteousness and justice will come into play as he faces the Romulans in their newly imperiled state in Picard , because one of the reasons Picard is such a powerful character is that he will do the right thing to ensure that justice is served, not revenge

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode “The First Duty”

Picard imparts an important lesson to young Wesley Crusher in this episode. When Wesley’s squadron suffers an accident that costs a cadet his life, it is revealed the squadron was attempting a banned maneuver. Ultimately, Wesley reveals the truth at a hearing to uncover what happens, and Picard’s trust in him is restored. Picard comforts Wesley and says that while the immediate future will be hard, ultimately he will have respect and trust from his fellow students again, even if Wesley doubts this.

Picard has unwavering faith in his crew and his family, including Wesley. When that trust is broken, he does not immediately berate Wesley and cut him out of his family but offers him a chance to fix his mistakes. His offer of a way to mend this broken trust shows the empathetic side of the captain, and his unshakable trust in those he cares for. Picard, even with his stern nature, has always been incredibly kind and loyal to his own crew. This is what makes him such a strong captain, and reminds us why so many are willing to follow him into the jaws of death.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode: “The Inner Light”

In one of the best hours of Trek from any series, Picard finds himself living a whole new life in a dreamlike state. On the planet Kataan, Picard is now known as Kamin, a regular man with a wife and a family. Twenty minutes pass as the Enterprise crew tries to revive their captain, but during that short period of time Picard lives an entire lifetime on the dying world, experiencing the planet’s culture and world even as it enters its final years.

It is revealed that the inhabitants of the planet sent the probe into so that someone, “a teacher,” could learn about them and remember them following their planet’s demise. The probe found Picard, and so he carries with him a civilization that has been dead a thousand years. It’s a deeply moving episode that sets up the idea of Picard as someone who carries the legacy of those who have come before inside of him. If you need a reminder of Picard’s capacity for empathy and compassion, this is the perfect example. Besides, it’s a phenomenal episode in the Trek canon, and worth a revisit just to be reminded of the highest of highs from the franchise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episodes “Chain of Command, Part I and II”

While on a secret mission to destroy a Cardassian biological weapon, Picard is captured and tortured both physically and psychologically by a ruthless military leader. While he is ultimately saved, he privately admits to counselor Deanna Troi that he was at his breaking point by the time of his release and was willing to do anything to get the torture to stop, even if he was rescued before he had the chance to break under the strain.

Picard has endured many traumas in his life and his time as the captain of the Enterprise , but it is important that he admits his own humanity in these moments. Weakness is not a failure, not to him, and he allows himself moments where he can be human rather than a stalwart captain. If Picard can survive and endure, then we can all take lessons from him that we can also endure our own personal traumas. Picard survives, no matter what. We, the viewers, can all survive as well.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode “Tapestry”

After an attack during a mission, Picard is sent into cardiac arrest as his artificial heart is put under strain. When he “dies” from his wounds, he runs into old friend Q, who gives him the chance to relive the events that led to him receiving an artificial heart. These events would have led to his survival during that particular mission, but he would not have become the captain of the Enterprise due to an aversion to risk. Picard declares he’d rather die as captain than live as no one. Q returns him to his timeline, where he survives and reflects on his experience.

Q tells Picard that his near death experience as a cadet taught him about his mortality and how life is too short to play it safe. This led to Picard being the man he is during the events of Next Generation and the ensuing films. Picard knows that his life is too brief to waste it by doing nothing. He must take action, which makes his new profession in Picard so interesting. There is nothing wasteful about returning to his family’s vineyard, but it is not as risky or remarkable as his time as captain.

Could Picard see something that challenges his worldview in the beginning of the upcoming series? What could happen that could make Picard choose a safer path? And is it even a safer path, or is there a secret behind Picard’s newfound quiet life?

Star Trek: Insurrection

In the third film featuring the Next Generation crew, Picard discovers a plot by the Son’a people to forcibly relocate the peaceful Ba’ku people so they can exploit their planet for its rejuvenating properties; the process would poison the planet with radiation, rendering it unlivable. Picard ultimately stops the Son’a from harvesting the planet which leads to the Ba’ku forgiving the Son’a and reuniting their people.

When Picard finds out that the Federation is involved with the Son’a’s plot, he does not stand by. Instead he fights for what he feels is ultimately right. We know that Picard is not above disobeying orders and fighting for the little guy when he knows it is right, which is key to both his character and to the philosophy of Star Trek in general.

When faced with his new challenges in Picard , will our captain once more have to rebel against Starfleet? We know he leaves his role as admiral, which points to a philosophical break between the two. Picard’s inner sense of right and wrong is key to his character, and I can’t wait to see what drives him to both leave Starfleet and, later, return to the stars.

Learn to Love The Borg

Star trek: the next generation , episodes “the best of both worlds, part i and ii”.

In this harrowing season finale, Picard is captured by the Borg and turned into Locutus, mouthpiece for the Borg army. The Enterprise faces a horrible choice: fire upon the Borg ship and destroy their captain, or allow the Borg to continue traveling towards Earth. Riker, acting as captain, makes the choice to fire on the ship… but thankfully, the Borg are undamaged and the crew has a second chance to save their captain.

Picard is ultimately rescued and returned to his human state, but at great cost to his mind and body. The torture he underwent with the Borg was immense, and it deeply impacted the character and his relationship with the Borg going forward. As one of his archenemies, the Borg might have exacted the greatest personal toll from him. And yet, Picard remains the steadfast leader he has always been. It just takes some healing, as we saw in the episode “Family.”

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode: “I, Borg”

Picard faces off against the Borg again when the away team discovers an injured Borg drone on an icy planet. When Dr. Crusher is unable to stand by and let the drone die, Picard allows her to bring him on board. When he learns that he has the chance to use their prisoner to end the Borg threat, ultimately Picard chooses to let the newly named Hugh live, rather than destroy the entire Collective.

This episode presents Picard with a difficult philosophical question. Is all fair in the battle against the Borg? Is an individual to blame for all the sins the Borg have committed? When encountering Hugh, Picard’s assumptions about the Borg are challenged, and in doing so Picard becomes a stronger, better leader. It shows his willingness to find the humanity in all he meets, even if he is facing off against an enemy that has never extended him or his crew the same grace.

This is particularly important in the wake of “The Best of Both Worlds,” during which the Borg tortured Picard. The Borg were more than willing to destroy Picard for their own gains, but he is not willing to exact revenge in a manner that would be both cruel and unusual. This marks Picard’s humanity, and his compassionate nature. He is tough, but never cruel, and that is what makes him stand out as a character.

Star Trek: First Contact

With the Borg headed for Earth, Picard is drawn back into the fray against this treacherous enemy. The Borg travel back in time to prevent first contact between humans and Vulcans and assimilate the planet, but the Enterprise , along with a couple intrepid new friends, are able to stop them by neutralizing their threat. While most of the Borg still exist in the future, the Borg Queen is taken out, alongside her ship.

The Borg are complicated and fascinating villains, and it will be interesting to see how they are featured in Picard . As with many characters, Picard ventures beyond the end of the known timeline to explore the future of Starfleet. Have the Borg recovered their power to try and take over the universe again, or are they now refugees and scattered survivors? Again, these are the questions we’ll have to wait to answer.

Star Trek: Voyager , Episode “The Raven”

The only Voyager episode on our list, this episode focuses on Seven of Nine, who will be making an appearance in Star Trek: Picard . Recently freed from the Borg Collective, she is trying to learn once more to be human. She ultimately discovers her parent's ship, the Raven , which she was assimilated on when the Borg captured her and her family years before. When Janeway, at the end of the episode, offers to give her records of her parents, she says that she'll read them one day.

Seven of Nine is a beloved character, and this episode highlights her nuance and complexity. It also highlights the tragic nature of her life. Assimilation isn't easy, and her struggle to become human again shows her courage. What will she be like when Picard runs into her out in the universe? We can only wait to see.

Getting to Know Data

Star trek: the next generation , episode “datalore”.

In one of the first episodes to highlight Data and his brother, Lore, “Datalore” features Brent Spiner playing both androids. It also serves as an origin story, as it explains where Data came from and who made him. While Lore is a decidedly evil creation, Data serves as a figure of good. Lore says he is the second and more “perfect” model, he’s lying and is envious of Data being the second and improved creation.

This episode drew praise for Spiner’s performance, and it highlights not only Data’s loyalty to the crew but the goodness seemingly coded into his being.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode “The Measure of a Man”

The debate over Data’s personhood rages on in this episode, as the crew engages in a debate over whether or not Data is a person or if he is property of Starfleet. When a Starfleet officer wants to experiment on Data, Riker is forced to argue against Data’s personhood, though ultimately Data and Picard are able to prove that Data is a sentient being and therefore entitled to the autonomy of making his own choices.

This is a key episode in Data’s story. He is more than a machine used by Starfleet, but instead is a deeply human character, even if he is an android. Data displays the human trait of forgiveness both towards the officer who wanted to experiment on him and towards Riker, who deeply regrets his role in the proceedings. To paraphrase Captain Kirk, of all the souls Picard and the Enterprise met on their journeys, Data’s might be the most human.

Star Trek: The Next Generation , Episode “Brothers”

Lore and Dr. Noonien Soong, Data’s creator, are both back in this episode that once more highlight’s Data’s humanity. Both Data and Lore are recalled to Soong's deathbed, where he intends to give Data a chip that allows him to experience emotions. However, Lore deceives Soong and is able to receive the chip instead. Data apologizes for not being able to grieve his creator's loss and returns to the Enterprise , where he reflects on what has happened.

Data's quest for emotions is key to his character, and this episode highlights this journey. While Lore ultimately gets the chip, Data remains the more human of the two brothers. Even without a chip to experience emotions, Data can still be empathetic to a degree his brother cannot.

Everything You Need to Know About Romulans

Star trek: the next generation , “the defector”.

Picard tries to help a Romulan admiral defecting from the Empire in this episode. Admiral Jarok makes the choice to never see his family again to help the Federation; ultimately, his defection is used by the Romulans to stage a trap for the Enterprise . Though Jarok kills himself, Picard is left with a note for Jarok's family and the knowledge that some Romulans have the courage to push back against the Romulan Empire.

This is a key episode for Romulan-Federation relationships, and establishes that while Picard isn't the biggest fan of the Romulans, he respects them. Given the pending destruction of the Romulan homeworld, this is incredibly important. After all, Picard will be faced with the decision to extend his hand to help the Romulans, even after fighting with them in various episodes. That is the mark of a truly good captain.

Star Trek: Nemesis

Picard faces off against the Romulan leader Shinzon in Nemesis , who has staged a coup of the Romulan government and who says he wants peace with the Federation, but who secretly plots their demise. Shinzon is a clone of Picard, originally created by the Romulans to plant a spy in the Federation, but was abandoned on the planet Remus to die instead. When Shinzon attempts to eradicate all life on Earth, ultimately two Romulan ships attempt to aid the Enterprise in stopping him, not wanting to be associated with Shinzon’s schemes.

Picard is able to defeat his clone and foil his plot, but it is Data who makes the ultimate sacrifice by staying on Shinzon’s ship to ultimately destroy it and die in the process. The crew parts ways, with Riker heading to negotiate peace with the Romulans on the USS Titan . Picard discovers that Data has implanted his neural networks on another android, B-4, which means that he can ultimately return.

This was, until now, the end of the story of Picard and his crew. We know that Data will return, and so will other crew members. It is still a high note to end on, even with Data’s loss; after all, the Federation might find peace with their longtime enemy. However, a threat was looming in the universe that no one could have prepared for, one that will lead into the coming story...

Star Trek (2009)

The JJ Abrams helmed film sets up one of the key plots in Star Trek: Picard . The film reveals that the Romulan homeworld is destroyed by a star going supernova. While Ambassador Spock was able to save the rest of the universe, he was unable to save the planet, and in turn he created a black hole that swallowed his ship as well as a Romulan mining craft bent on revenge. While the majority of the galaxy was saved, Spock and the Romulan ship were sent careening into a different timeline. That marked the end of what we call the Prime Timeline prior to the end of the second season of Star Trek: Discovery .

Picard takes place in the Prime Timeline after the destruction of Romulus and the forced relocation of the Romulan people. Given that Picard had tangled with the Romulans throughout The Next Generation and some of the cast’s films, this sets up an interesting dynamic. Can the Admiral make peace with one of his greatest enemies at their darkest hour?

Star Trek: Picard will premiere exclusively on January 23 on CBS All Access in the United States,  in Canada on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and OTT service Crave, and on January 24 Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories

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Star Trek: Picard -- trailer, cast, plot, release date and more

Patrick Stewart beams back into the world of Star Trek as Jean-Luc Picard. Here's all the latest news on the cast, plot, release date, prequels and dog.

He's coming back.

Patrick Stewart is going where no Starfleet captain has gone before: into his very own series, decades after wrapping up his original Star Trek run. He'll have a furry companion, old crew mates along for the ride and plenty of new characters to contend with.

Caution: There may be minor spoilers below.

Star Trek: Picard , a CBS All Access streaming show, will debut on Jan. 23, 2020. The show follows on the heels of Star Trek: Discovery , but the two series take place at very different points in the Trek universe. 

CBS All Access is feeling pretty confident about the show. It has already been renewed for season 2 . (Disclosure: CBS is the parent company of CNET.)

A  trailer  for Picard came out of San Diego Comic-Con  in July, and it was a surprise-packed doozy. The trailer revealed that Star Trek icons Brent Spiner (Data) and Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine) will appear in the new series. 

Picard will hook up with a new non-Starfleet crew in a quest to protect a mysterious woman named Dahj (Isa Briones) who comes to him for help. The Borg, one of the most imposing Star Trek villains ever created, will play a role in the plot.

Jonathan Frakes (William Riker) and Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi)  will appear in Picard as their Next Generation characters. We also know Jonathan Del Arco will reprise his role as Hugh the Borg.

A teaser trailer beamed in on May 22, 2019 , shows that Jean-Luc Picard, who was promoted to admiral, led a rescue armada on a mysterious mission 15 years prior to the show's events. He then left Starfleet, leaving us to wonder what prompted his exit and why he's reappearing now. 

CBS first revealed the official Star Trek: Picard name on May 15 and posted a look at the show's logo. The Starfleet logo takes the place of the "A" in Picard. 

A Star Trek: Short Treks episode Children of Mars set up some backstory for Picard, highlighting attacks from "rogue synths" on Mars while Picard was still a Starfleet admiral. The main series should fill in the blanks here.  

NYCC drops hints

This Seven of Nine costume explainer talks about the former Borg member's changes over the years.

New York Comic Con in October 2019 quickly became a hot spot for mining new details on Picard . 

Star Trek had a booth on the convention floor stocked with costumes and a few character details related to the new show. 

A set of descriptions explaining the costuming didn't give us much news about our admiral, but one of them clued us in to what former Borg member Seven of Nine has been up to since the events of Star Trek: Voyager. 

"Seven of Nine has become more comfortable with her humanity in the intervening years," the description read, saying this is represented in her "more casual, stylish and decidedly human clothing."

We also learned the mysterious Dahj arrives at Picard's vineyard in France "with a cut on her head and a strong feeling she can trust Picard implicitly."

A pup for Picard

Stewart and CBS revealed the key art for the show on July 10, just ahead of the star's appearance at San Diego Comic-Con .

The official #StarTrekPicard key art is here. Will you be joining @SirPatStew at @Comic_Con next week? #SDCC #StarTrekSDCC pic.twitter.com/sf7ZnDmXlL — Star Trek on CBS All Access (@startrekcbs) July 10, 2019

The dog, a pit bull, is particularly notable. Zoom in on its ears. They may have been cropped, but they also look a lot like pointy Vulcan ears. Stewart is known for his work fostering rescue dogs. His most recent foster, Emma, is a pit mix with cropped ears.

“No Emma, I’m NOT going to give you any plot details...” #startrek #fosteringsaveslives #adoptdontshop #pitbullsarelove #pitbullsarefamily #adoptmissemma pic.twitter.com/Zwbh04Zlkp — Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) April 11, 2019

Stewart shared a photo of Emma along with his hidden Picard rehearsal script in April. The dog in the poster sports a Starfleet emblem tag on its collar and his name is now confirmed as "Number One." 

Revisiting Jean-Luc Picard

Stewart, who on Jan. 13 created an imprint for display at the iconic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, has a long history with the Star Trek franchise. He first warped into the iconic role of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise with the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987. That means Stewart will be back in Picard's shoes more than 30 years after originating the role. He last appeared on screen as Picard in the 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis .

More Picard

• Picard trailer -- possible reasons Captain Picard left Starfleet
• Picard memes: Patrick Stewart's best viral Star Trek moments
• The Next Generation finale has me pumped for new Picard series
• Picard is the hero we need, says Star Trek writer Michael Chabon

He's been plenty busy in the meantime, continuing his role as Professor X in the X-Men movies , up through a farewell performance in 2017's  Logan . He has a lot of voice acting credits to his name, including Poop in The Emoji Movie . Fans can also catch him as Bosley in a 2019 version of Charlie's Angels .

Stewart announced the new Picard series in August 2018 at the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. He called his return "an unexpected but delightful surprise" and said he hopes "to research and experience what comforting and reforming light [Picard] might shine on these often very dark times."

Who's making Picard? 

Stewart is doubling as an executive producer along with Alex Kurtzman, the creator of Star Trek: Discovery. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon is on board as an executive producer and writer. Chabon described Picard as "the hero we need right now."

Stewart shared a behind-the-scenes photo in September 2018 from a Picard meeting where he's sitting with Chabon and other members of the show's production staff. Stewart has been involved with the writing for the show from early on.

The journey has begun. Kirsten Beyer, Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, Diandra Pendleton-Thompson, James Duff, and yours truly. #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/GxhwkTIgWQ — Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) September 24, 2018

Hanelle Culpepper will make history as the first woman to launch a new Star Trek television show. Culpepper directed the first two episodes. She has an extensive TV resume, which includes Star Trek: Discovery, The Flash and Gotham.

Frakes, who will appear as Riker in the show, has a long career as a director that includes multiple Star Trek franchise entries on both the big and small screens. He directed some episodes of the new series. Frakes posted a photo of himself with Stewart to Twitter on May 21, 2019, and tagged Star Trek on CBS.

Back on the floor w this guy ⁦ @SirPatStew ⁩ ⁦ @startrekcbs ⁩ pic.twitter.com/zPvHltPUts — Jonathan Frakes (@jonathansfrakes) May 21, 2019

The Picard plot

CBS and Stewart had kept pretty quiet on the details of the show's plot until the teaser and full trailer arrived. We already knew it takes place around two decades after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. 

The teaser lays out a big plot point when a voiceover says Admiral Picard commanded a rescue armada that "led us out of the darkness" 15 years before the series picks up. It asks the questions: What did it cost him and why did he leave Starfleet? That's a huge cliffhanger to contemplate ahead of the show's debut.

The Star Trek: Picard poster shows a Starfleet logo formed from grapevines.

Both the teaser and trailer start in a vineyard, which is a callback to the final TNG television episode in 1994, All Good Things  that showed one possible future Picard working in a vineyard in France. That Picard had become an ambassador. We know the Picard in the new show was promoted to admiral at some point.

A poster for the series shows a vineyard with the Starfleet logo formed out of grapevines along with the catchphrase "The end is only the beginning."

Picard's history ties strongly in with the Romulans. "Picard's life was radically altered by the dissolution of the Romulan Empire," Kurtzman told The Hollywood Reporter . 

The 2009  Star Trek  reboot movie covered the demise of the planet Romulus at the hands of an exploding star in 2387. Could this event have been the focus of Picard's rescue armada? 

The reboot movies take place in the alternate Kelvin timeline, but Picard is firmly located in the prime Star Trek timeline, in the lineage of the TV shows that came before it.

"We're in the prime timeline. Events from the Kelvin timeline impacted Picard. If you look at that movie, the destruction of Romulus was in the prime timeline," Kurtzman clarified during a Television Critics Association press event in January .

Picard has a complicated history with the Romulans. In Nemesis, he tangled with a Romulan clone of himself. 

The trailer features a Borg ship that may be acting as a prison vessel staffed by Romulans. A sign says it has gone 5,843 days without an assimilation.

Don't expect a mere reboot of The Next Generation. "Patrick was very clear to us in the beginning. He didn't want to repeat what he had already done. And by the way, it's been 20-plus years, so he couldn't possibly be that same person anymore," Kurtzman told reporters in January 2019 .

We have a lot of questions about what Picard has been up to all those years, and some of them were answered in a series of prequel books . CBS, Simon & Schuster and comics publisher IDW released Star Trek: Picard -- Countdown, a three-issue comic book miniseries in November. This focused on a life-changing mission for Picard.

A full Picard tie-in novel called The Last Best Hope is due in February 2020. Una McCormack, author of several Star Trek novels, is the author of the book.

Picard's place in Trek

Stewart's Picard took on the weight of Star Trek's future when he stepped up to captain the Enterprise-D. Until then, the Trek universe had revolved around the original crew led by Capt. James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner. Kirk and the gang had re-emerged from the shadow of the original series' cancellation in the '60s and were born again through a string of successful movies starting in 1979. 

Stewart's character couldn't have been more different from the leap-into-action, kiss-the-aliens Kirk. Picard created a new mold for Starfleet captains. His Picard was cerebral, wise and measured, but also passionate. If you need a reminder, watch his defense of android crew member Data as a sentient being in the season 2 episode Measure of a Man.

How to watch

Star Trek: Picard will debut on Jan. 23, 2020. It'll stream in the US on CBS All Access and on the Space Channel in Canada. Internationally, Amazon Prime Video will host each episode within 24 hours of the US premiere in over 200 countries and territories. That's a change from how Discovery is distributed internationally through Netflix.

Star Trek: Picard unveils first look at costumes, props at San Diego Comic-Con

Meet the cast

We all know the star of the show, and more casting details are emerging. We're still waiting for several character names to be confirmed.

• Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
• Santiago Cabrera  as Cristobal "Chris" Rios
• Michelle Hurd  as Raffi Musiker
• Alison Pill  as Dr. Agnes Jurati
• Harry Treadaway  as Narek
• Isa Briones as Dahj
• Evan Evagora as Elnor
• Brent Spiner  as Data (or a related android)
• Jeri Ryan  as Seven of Nine
• Jonathan Del Arco  as Hugh the Borg
• Jonathan Frakes as William Riker
• Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi

15 famous Star Trek guests who brought their own star power (pictures)

Originally published May 17 and updated regularly as more information on Star Trek: Picard comes in.

A complete guide to what 'Star Trek' to watch before 'Star Trek: Picard'

Set phasers to flashback!

We've seen tantalizing clues of what to expect from "Star Trek: Picard," the new CBS All Access series starring Patrick Stewart as the iconic Star Trek Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but it's more than likely been some time since you last sat down and binged all seven seasons of "The Next Generation" or "Voyager." And let's face facts, you probably haven't rewatched "Star Trek: Nemesis" for ages . 

So while it's not necessary to give up 10.8 days without so much as a bathroom break, we've compiled a more manageable, must-watch guide to essential episodes that will aid the enjoyment and raise your appreciation of " Star Trek: Picard ." 

So ready your away team and set phasers to flashback. Here's our essential Trek viewing guide for "Star Trek: Picard!"

Video: Patrick Stewart and Isa Briones Talk Trek with Space.com! Related:   'Star Trek: Picard' Couture: Jean-Luc's 15 Best TNG Outfits  

The Measure of a Man

Series: "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

Episode: "The Measure of a Man" (S02, E09)

Premise: When transfer orders demand Data's reassignment for study and disassembly Cpt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) must prove Lt. Cmdr. Data (Brent Spiner) is legally a sentient lifeform with rights and freedoms under Federation law. 

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Relevance: This was one of the few episodes that dealt with the issue that not everyone is comfortable with artificial lifeforms. In fact, a cyberneticist called Cmdr. Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy) was the sole member of a Starfleet special admissions panel to oppose Data's admission to Starfleet Academy, on the basis that Data was not a sentient being.

Episode: "Datalore" (S01, E13)

Premise: The USS Enterprise visits Omicron Theta, the planet where Data was discovered by the USS Tripoli in 2338 when it responded to a distress call from the colony following its destruction by the Crystalline Entity . Once there, they find his brother, Lore , and discover his true nature.

Relevance: This is Lore's (played Brent Spiner, who appears in "Picard" ) first appearance, which may turn out to be a significant plot point in "Picard," also we get to learn a little about Dr. Noonian Soong (also played Brent Spiner), the creator of both Data and Lore. 

 The Offspring 

Episode: "The Offspring" (S03, E16)

Premise: Data builds a new android, which he names Lal and views as his daughter. However, the seriousness of this seemingly innocent act quickly attracts the attention of Starfleet, who wants to separate the child from Data and the Enterprise for study and analysis.

Relevance: Another of the few episodes, along with "The Measure of a Man" that dealt with the issues facing artificial life. This episode is also an excellent example of the growing relationship between Picard and Data. Sadly however, Lal suffers a total system failure as a result of a fault in her positronic brain . 

 The Best of Both Worlds” parts 1 & 2 

Episode: "The Best of Both Worlds" parts 1 & 2 (S03, E26 & S04, E01)

Premise: Generally considered the best episode of "The Next Generation" after "All Good Things." The Borg begins their invasion of Federation space and along the way capture and assimilate Picard. In doing so, he becomes part of the collective – but is unusually given a name, Locutus – and the Borg has access to all of the Captain’s knowledge and experience. 

Relevance: We know the Borg play a significant part in "Picard," as we’ve seen that Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco) returns as does Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) plus we’ve seen a Borg cube in the trailer. 

 Family 

Episode: "Family" (S04, E02)

Premise: Following almost directly on from "The Best of Both Worlds," Picard takes some well-deserved leave and visits his family at the Picard vineyard in La Barre, France, near the French/Swiss border as part of his recovery from his assimilation by the Borg. 

Relevance: Another of the very best "The Next Generation" episodes, we see for the very first time the Picard vineyard, which we know features heavily in the new show. We also meet for the first time his brother Robert (Jeremy Kemp), his wife Marie (Samantha Eggar) and his nephew René (David Birkin). 

 Unification parts 1 & 2 

Episode: "Unification" parts 1 & 2 (S05, E07 & S05, E08)

Premise: Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) embarks on an unauthorized journey to Romulus. Fearing he has defected, the Federation sends Picard on a covert mission to determine why. On Romulus, Picard and Data meet with Spock, who claims to be trying to reunite the Romulans and Vulcans. Meanwhile however, powers within the Romulan government attempt to pervert Spock’s mission and portray it as an invasion of the Federation.

Relevance: Speculation that Romulans and Vulcans are related goes all the way back to "The Original Series," but the idea is explored in much more detail in "The Next Generation." But this excellent two-part episode gives us another insight into Romulan culture, which we know plays heavily in the new "Picard" show. 

 I Borg 

Episode: "I Borg" (S05, E23)

Premise: The crew of the Enterprise find a crashed Borg shuttlecraft and a lone survivor. Taking him up the ship, he is separated from the collective and begins to discover he has an individual identity. He even picks a name for himself, Hugh. Picard is ordered to plant a virus that will spread through the hive mind and could wipe out the Federation’s most lethal enemy. Instead however, he repairs Hugh and returns him to the crash site where he is recovered by the Borg.  

Relevance: We know Hugh makes a return in "Picard" so this episode is definitely essential viewing. We also know that returning Hugh to the collective had a damaging effect on the single mind mentality of the Borg as we saw later in "Descent."

 Descent parts 1 & 2 

Episode: "Descent" parts 1 & 2 (S06, E26 & S07, E01)

Premise: Data’s evil twin, Lore, stumbles upon the Borg ship that Hugh is on. His new sense of individuality has spread to everyone onboard and they’re in a state of disarray, not knowing how to function as a unit. Lore seizes this opportunity to rule them. The Enterprise is lured through a trans-warp conduit to an unnamed planet where they find Lore and his new Borg servants. However, not every Borg from Hugh’s ship has taken to Lore and an underground resistance movement exists. 

Relevance: Despite the Borg collective separating itself from Hugh’s ship, the damage done by giving him individuality was apparent. This is another important episode as it both concludes Hugh's origin story, but also sows the seeds of Borg evolution that we'd see more of in "Star Trek: Voyager."

 All Good Things parts 1 & 2 

Episode: "All Good Things" parts 1 & 2 (S07, E25)

Premise: The mischievous entity Q (John de Lancie) sends Picard travelling to and from three very specific time periods, past, present and future to solve a chicken and egg-style riddle about the destruction of all life in the galaxy.

Relevance: We get to see what the future holds for Picard and the bridge crew of the Enterprise – but is it the real future, or just one crafted by Q as part of this new puzzle? We know Data doesn’t make it this far in the future because he was killed in the movie "Star Trek: Nemesis." We learn Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) died in this future and will Picard actually develop Irumodic syndrome in the new show..?

 Scorpion parts 1 & 2 

Series: "Star Trek: Voyager"

Episode: "Scorpion" parts 1 & 2 (S03, E25 & S04, E01)

Premise: The USS Voyager flies through Borg space and encounters an alien race (designated by the Borg as species 8472 ) even more powerful than the Borg…and naturally determined to destroy all life in the galaxy. This leads Cpt. Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to form an alliance with the Borg in order to survive and ultimately defeat them.

Relevance: This is the episode that first introduces us to the Borg drone Seven of Nine . Born Annika Hansen, she was the daughter of human exobiologists Magnus and Erin Hansen and assimilated by the Borg at the age of six. Seven was freed and joined the Voyager crew, ultimately returning to the Alpha Quadrant with them.

 Unimatrix Zero parts 1 & 2 

Episode: "Unimatrix Zero" parts 1 & 2 (S06, E26 & S07 E, 01) 

Premise: As Voyager approaches an alien outpost decimated by the Borg, Seven begins to dream vividly of an idyllic sanctuary, known as Unimatrix Zero , where Borg drones can gather subconsciously during their regeneration cycles. This represents a threat to the Borg collective in the Delta Quadrant that Janeway wants to exploit.

Relevance: This another example of how the Borg were evolving in "Star Trek" storylines, moving on from the mindless automatons we saw in "The Next Generation," they now included a queen and a place where Borg drones could gather and remember their lives before they were assimilated, Unimatrix Zero.

 Star Trek: Nemesis 

Movie: "Star Trek: Nemesis"

Premise: Supposedly the Romulans want to negotiate a peace treaty, so the Enterprise is sent to their homeworld, Romulus. However, a coup d'état on Romulus brings a new praetor, Shinzon, to power. However, he’s not a Romulan, but a genetic copy of Jean-Luc Picard and he now plots to destroy the Federation once and for all.

Relevance: Prior to "Picard," "Nemesis" was the very last installment of "The Next Generation" and we get a glimpse of the Romulan homeworld, Romulus, we see the marriage of Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi plus the discovery of B-4 and the death of Data.  

 Children of Mars 

Series: "Star Trek: Short Treks"

Episode: "Children of Mars" (S02, E06)

Premise: Two young children, whose parents are away working on Mars, clash spectacularly while at boarding school in San Francisco. The two girls are awaiting punishment when news of the attack on Mars breaks. In light of the devastation and the unknown fate of their parents, they put aside their differences in a touching moment of solidarity.

Relevance: This is the first glimpse we get to see of the sneak attack on Mars by a rogue group of synthetics in 2384. An event that we've learrned plays a key role in "Star Trek: Picard." 

Honorable mentions

The episode "The Defector" is the first of several in "The Next Generation" that show Romulan mentality and the secretive nature of their culture. A defector from the Romulan Empire claims to have vital information concerning a renewed Romulan offensive against the Federation and seeks asylum aboard the Enterprise, but Picard has suspicions over whether his claims are genuine. The defector, Setal, (James Sloyan) turns out to be Alidar Jarok, the commander responsible for the massacre at the Norkan outposts. 

The augments story arc in the vastly underrated series "Enterprise" should definitely get a mention as the talented Brent Spiner plays Arik Soong, the brilliant-but-bonkers father of Dr. Noonian Soong, the scientist who designed and built Data. This three episode-long plot brilliantly links Soong to Khan Noonien Singh (from the “TOS” episode “Space Seed” and the movie “The Wrath of Khan”) and the Eugenics Wars and shows how Arik Soong gave up trying to enhance humans and began instead for the first time to focus on artificial intelligence. 

Finally, we probably should mention the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot "Star Trek" even though we’re not particularly big fans of his contributions to the "Star Trek" universe. This was the first time we heard about Romulus being destroyed by the supernova of 2387 . Ambassador Spock used a MacGuffin red matter to create a black hole that would consume the star's energy. However, before he could complete his mission, the supernova reached Romulus, destroying the planet. Among those killed were the family of Nero, who swore revenge against Spock, Vulcan and the Federation for allowing his world to die. During their initial confrontation, both the ships of Spock and Nero were pulled into the newly created black hole, sending them back in time and resulting in the creation of the alternate reality, known as the Kelvin Timeline. Whether or not this is mentioned in detail in “Picard” remains to be seen.

Related: 'Star Trek: Discovery' and 'Picard': A Closer Look at Those New Trailers

The 10-episode "Star Trek: Picard" series will premiere on Jan. 23, 2020 on the paid subscription streaming service CBS All Access in the U.S., and in Canada on Bell Media's Space and OTT service Crave. New episodes will air each week. CBS and Amazon Studios have announced that the new show will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries worldwide within 24 hours of its premiere on CBS All Access and Space in the US and Canada, respectively. CBS All Access subscription is the home of "Star Trek: Picard," "Star Trek: Discovery" and a host of other original and archival CBS television shows. Subscriptions start at $5.99 a month. You can try CBS All Access for a week free here .

•   'Star Trek' Captain's Couture: Picard's 15 Most Memorable TNG Outfits  
•   Patrick Stewart Almost Turned Down 'Star Trek: Picard'  
•   'Star Trek: Discovery' and 'Picard': Here's a Closer Look at Those New Trailers  

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Star Trek: Picard

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Watch Star Trek: Picard with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

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Patrick Stewart Reveals New Star Trek Movie Script Featuring Jean-Luc Picard Is In The Works

| January 5, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 184 comments so far

With the third and final season of  Star Trek: Picard  a success, Sir Patrick Stewart is still thinking about what could be next. Even before the final season debuted the Next Generation star was talking about his hopes to return to the big screen as Jean-Luc Picard. Now Stewart has indicated there is an actual project with him in development, including a new script.

Stewart talks new Star Trek script

As a guest in the latest episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, host Josh Horowitz asked Patrick Stewart about his Star Trek hopes and the actor confirmed he was still interested in returning to the big screen as Picard. He then started talking about his experience with the Star Trek movies:

“After we finished recording our seven seasons of Next Generation we made four Star Trek movies of varying qualities, the best one being [ First Contact ], directed by Jonathan Frakes. He was one of the people who had the most influence on me on the show because of his experience and his understanding of the complexities and how bringing different qualities onto the stage was very, very important in diversity and change.”

As Stewart continued talking about Star Trek movies he dropped a surprise; revealing there is a Star Trek movie script being written with him in mind:

“So it’s an ongoing procedure for me. I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick [Stewart], to play in it. And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so. I’m so excited because it sounds like the kind of project where the experimentation that I want to do will be essential for this kind of material. It’s good at 83…”

TrekMovie has confirmed with Josh Horowitz that this interview was recorded in early November as Stewart was out promoting his new memoir, Making It So . This comment from Stewart is the first indication that there is a movie project in development that would include the character of Jean-Luc Picard. Officially Paramount has only confirmed they are developing another film in the Kelvin universe starring Chris Pine (aka “Star Trek 4”), but there have been reports and rumors about other scripts for different Star Trek movies in development at the studio as well.

It is possible that Stewart could be talking about a Star Trek streaming TV movie like the Section 31 film starring Michelle Yeoh which goes into production later this month. Last year it was reported that Paramount+ was looking for Section 31 to be the first of a series of streaming Star Trek movies for Paramount+. It’s possible a streaming movie could be a vehicle to carry on the story of Star Trek: Picard , potentially working as a backdoor pilot for the often-discussed (but not in development) Star Trek: Legacy series envisioned by Picard showrunner Terry Matalas. However, the series finale of Picard ended by putting the focus on the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G under the command of Captain Seven, played by Jeri Ryan, with a crew of mostly new characters from season 3 of Picard . While Stewart could appear in “Legacy,” it does not appear Jean-Luc Picard would be the focal character.

Patrick Stewart as Picard and Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker in”Imposters”(Paramount+)

Stewart also replied “yeah,” when asked by Horowitz if this script would be “a little bit of a different take than what we’ve seen in the last few seasons of Star Trek: Picard .” He then explained how he is motivated to take on new challenges as an actor, reflecting on his work in Picard :

“What was so interesting about Picard , and the main reason why I decided to commit to three seasons of it was that Akiva Goldsman talked to me about the changes that had happened in my life in the last 20 years. And he said, “Were there any?” and of course, I said yes there were lots and lots and new journeys and new experiences and relationships. And he said, “Exactly! Well that has also been Jean-Luc’s experience.” He’s not the same man. He’s no longer captain of the Enterprise. He was made an admiral. It became really desk work, which is not what he ever wanted to do. And now he’s back at home, living on his vinyard and seeming to be reasonably content. All that was an act. All that was Jean-Luc trying to pretend – as I think my father did – that everything was all right. But it wasn’t. So particularly the last season of Picard was extraordinary to perform because I was continually being faced, because of the wonderful job the writers did, with a different man. There was one wonderful moment I really enjoyed researching when Picard literally didn’t know what to do, how to deal with a situation. He was stunned by it. And watching him having to cope with that realization of ‘I’m old and I can’t work out how to deal with this’ was it was a fascinating process. So I enjoyed that.”

Patrick Stewart as Picard in “Imposters” (Paramount+)

You can watch the full interview on YouTube .

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Well, everything depends on the script, of course. But I think that — unless the script is truly a masterpiece — the character went out on a high note in season 3, and they should leave it at that.

I agree so much!

Agreed. But then the TOS cast went out on a high note in TUC, but then Shatner came back in Generations. So…

Generations was absolute tripe. Made Trek V (which I like anyway) look like a masterpiece…………

Yeah, my point was that even though the TOS cast had a great movie to end their story on, they still used the Kirk character again. If they did it once, they can do it again.

If the team behind Picard S3 is involved, then full steal ahead. Otherwise, maybe let’s leave a great ending alone

Aye, a movie with the team behind Seasons 1 and 2: zero interest. They had no idea how to make a compelling, coherent story. Both seasons had individual elements of interesting ideas, but they were just a big bag of random stuff that never quite gelled together.

Maybe restricting them to feature-length might work better with them, but I’m not sure I want to risk seeing how that would turn out. :P

The team behind season 2 was essentially the same as that behind season 3, no?

Terry Matalas was largely responsible for season 3, hence bringing in different writers and composers. In season 2 he only worked on the first few episodes. It all was approved by Goldsman and Kurtzman, but I got a bit of DS9 vibe where Ira Steven-Behr was given a long leash by Rick Berman.

There is only 1 new writer for season 3 (Sean Tretta). All the others had worked on season 2 as well. So it’s basically the same team of writers who gave us season 2 also gave us season 3. I’m not sure what exactly went wrong in season 2 and right in season 3 but continuing with the season 3 writers room is no guarantee we won’t end up with something like season 2 again.

That may be so, but Matalas obviously had full creative control to implement his vision for S3, and oversaw that writing team in fulfilling his vision, so it was a different animal.

I can’t believe I am defending Matalas…lol Because S3 still did not work for me. But S3 was eminently watchable at least — S2 was not watchable and I want that 9 hours of my life back.

I still think bringing the Enterprise D back in season 3 made no sense. It made about as much sense as Luke’s lightsaber he lost on Cloud City in Empire Strikes Back showing up for Rey to find it in Force Awakens. I mean Star Wars and Star Trek, apples and oranges, but i feel like its what they do make these fan projects to have nostalia bait.

2 hours back to back unoriginality with warp 10 fan service would be more preferable than 10 x 1 hour episodes I suppose

I hope the season 3 team all get the sack. I’m sick of their nostalgia bs.

PS3 wrapped almost two years ago. If they haven’t landed other work by now, that speaks volumes that they aren’t as marketable as the fan base imagines them to be.

You may not have liked it, but it’s not hard to take a step back and see how warmly the critics received it and it was a PR and ratings success. That’s more than enough to get its creatives in the door for myriad meetings, and development of shows takes time. If Matalas is actively trying to get a new show, Trek or otherwise made (we don’t know that he is) then any resistance is down to the creative concept/budget etc, nothing to do with lack of goodwill for what he made or his management style. No reason to make such a big and negative supposition.

This looks to be more on a Picard-centric movie though given what the article says. Forgetting which season of Picard people prefer, I think most would agree that the last time he really excelled with an acting/physical/voice performance of the Captain Picard we all wanted to see was Season 1. It was pretty evident, starting in S2, that Stewart/Picard is slowing down, the voice doesn’t sound quite right, and that was covered up mostly in S3 given it was a full cast reunion season.

It could also just be a cameo. Plus it may be quite advanced and due to film soon – we don’t know that ‘Section 31’ isn’t set in the 25th century era, given that Georgiou time travelled, or even the 24th with this set before Star Trek Picard.

I’m also not sure how willing Hollywood execs are to hang an entire film on the availability of an 83 year old actor (ST Picard notwithstanding) which makes me lean towards thinking any role will be more likely to be cameo or supporting rather than central.

It’s not like casting an actor in a one-off role where they can recast.

That’s an interesting idea

I’m perfectly good with it for what it was, a big old sloppy french kiss and ass grab of fan service. Matalas delivered in spades, and the TNG cast stepped up and did great with the flimsy story they had. Legacy is a popular genre these days, someone will bring Matalas on board. But do we need more fan service Trek? No, we don’t.

If Picard season 3 was passing the torch, the future is legacy. But i think the studio might think a TNG movie might make money. They don’t care about fans feeling like its a bit much, like butter scraped over too much bread.

Feeling conflicted. Sir Pat Stew is showing his age god bless him, and Picard S3 was already a wonderful good-bye to this character full of fan service and basically making up for the mess of S1 and S2. Not sure where they can go but aground.

Very well said. Agree 100%.

Hmmmmmmm extremely skeptical about this generally and after reading Stewarts comments even more so.

It’s been, what, a script a year since 2016? Keep the clickbait coming, folks.

They’ve spent millions on those scripts i assume. What is the point of having a pile of scripts you never intend to make, honestly studio politics have always confused me.

Nah, tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars. Compared to the hundreds of millions a sci fi CGI extravaganza costs, getting a script is pennies in the budget.

But they keep telling us Star Trek is the studios crown jewel and they want to make a movie. When all the evidence says otherwise. Forgive me for being a skeptic but i am getting old waiting for another movie. In 2 years time it will have been ten years.

And even though they say the tv versions are popular, the story I just read on DenofGeek about the top streaming shows (data from THE WRAP) doesn’t even have any Trek listed, so it must not even make the top 25 (MANDO came in at #1, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING at 5, those were the only ones I saw that I actually got through the whole season on.) So I don’t see TREK as really prospering in any venue right now.

Wish Hawley got to make his feature!

I think the reason Paramount are keen on it is because it’s the closest they’ve got to an MCU or a Star Wars, so they’re going to try and elevate it. It doesn’t bode that well if it ever did end up with Disney or Warner Bros.

Personally I don’t really care about the movies (nothing against it if you do). If they keep making premium TV I’ll be quite happy. But if there are a lot of people like me in the fanbase, that doesn’t bode well for a movie any time soon unfortunately.

Plus I bet the contracts for those scripts make it easy for the studios to crib ideas from them, even if they don’t go forward. One of the recent Doctor Who 60th specials was a loose adaptation of an old comic book from the 80s – the writers got credited but I bet the boilerplate they signed all the way back then gave the BBC the rights to adapt it.

It will film 20 years from now. 😂🤣

Phil, is that you?

No, but I agree with the sentiment…

It is Paramount so probably true! 😂

This is probably coming out of the streaming side, which has more luck getting projects to the production stage.

Assuming there’s anything to this at all.

And by that time Transformers 40 will be in theaters. Its like that gag in Back to the Future II with Jaws 19.

Well if they can’t get their stuff together for a Kelvin movie or a Tarentino movie, they might as well do a TNG movie. I’m sure we’re all hoping they do it well!

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

Don’t care about another Kelvin or Tarantino movie at all but this would be my preference for sure!

Same. I’m so done with Kelvin and Tarantino was a bad idea from the start.

Maybe this will incorporate all 3 (Kelvin, Tarantino, TNG)

How about the reboot crew meets TNG, they’ve done crazier things. I just think it would cost too much so they won’t.

Well none of the kelvin cast can really cost too much (aside Pine but he has lots of bombs on his resume now, and Saldana but tbh her involvement in Marvel/Avatar doesn’t seem to translate much into other hit movies not an above the title lead ,more akin to Carrie Fisher in Star Wars). TNG cast probably just happy to be working in Trek again (after the superb Pic s3) and PStew def seems up for more, so yeah maybe there could be something of a ‘Generations II’/big finale for both casts on the horizon for the 60th Ann (for P+ or theatre or both)

Saying besides Marvel and Avatar an actor doesn’t do well is like saying, well, besides working for Warren Buffet and Elon Musk, they are really not doing that well. Lol, give me a break! :-))

PS: Zaldana is in THREE major franchises; Carrie Fischer was in one. That’s an absurd comparison, no offense.

Zoe Saldana was also in a recent 8-episode P+ series called Special Ops: Lioness . Sometimes when you scroll through IMDB you find work actors have done that gets no huge media attention … it’s almost like … they just like to work, especially when a quality script/story is involved. Over the last several years I’ve discovered many series that did not receive the attention they deserved.

Yep – Great point!

What I mean is her agent won’t be able to say zoe’s now been in the 3 biggest movies of all time its 10m for her to be in star trek again. They’d probably just write uhura out if that was the case

Honestly, while I liked Picard more than some other people did (still on the lower end of my rankings), I’m not a fan of another Picard movie or season. He got an ending in TNG. He got his movies. He got 3 seasons of a series, and while not everyone was a fan of the series as a whole, many agree that it at least rounded out his journey on a positive note. This isn’t to say I wouldn’t want him in *any* projects, if they can make a guest role work (i.e. in Star Trek Legacy), but not really another full Picard-centric project.

Not to mention, if we’re going back to past shows, there’s plenty more characters/shows that deserve their due more, since they’ve had minimal (or even no) representation in the modern era. More DS9 representation. Any canon Enterprise characters. I’d probably still watch this if they made it, but on the list of shows they could make, this is low on my list of what I’d actually want to see.

It’s all about the quality of writing of course as to how good it would be, but I would certainly watch it.

If we got this news after either Picard seasons 1 or 2 ended, my advice would’ve been to take that script, throw it in a large dumpster, get a gallon of gasoline, pour it in the dumpster, take a match and light it up! And wait for the fire to subside. DON’T LEAVE! Make sure the job is completely done. Once it is, check to make sure every page has been completely scorched before going on about your day and just pretend it never happened.

But after Picard season 3 and amazing the TNG cast was BRING IT ON!!!!!!

I’m so pumped if we got another movie!! And I don’t really even care about the movies but this would definitely excite me after how much I loved last season!

If they are too cheap or broke to make the Legacy show this would be a great alternative! 😎🖖

I don’t necessarily need the season 3 Picard team back but would prefer them over the seasons 1 and 2 people. But I am absolutely confused what else there could possibly be for Picard as a character. Sure, life goes on beyond things but as a character in a story you need to end on high notes with the implication they will go on with life content beyond that point in any way you could imagine but in which you don’t really need to see every detail of… which Picard season 3 cleanly set up Picard’s journey being done- he reconciled with his former love, met his son he didn’t know he had, was reunited with a lost Friend, managed to help save the federation, and then saw his son off to his first day of work following in his footsteps as a Starfleet Officer.

Picard season 3 very cleanly wrapped up Picard as a character and to risk creating a poor follow to that seems dumb to me… so I hope whoever is breaking the story and scripting it is an absolutely fantastic writer because the task here is pretty massive to accomplish as near as I can tell.

The only thing that makes sense would be something tied to Legacy . Either a Picard movie for Paramount+ that acts as backdoor pilot (although, I’d argue Picard season 3 probably does that), or just a pilot script for Legacy that features Picard and centered around him in some way.

I mean you could do Legacy as part of the series of TV movies instead of a full-blown series. I don’t know if the economics are better or worse in justifying costs when you amortize it either for a 2-hour-ish film versus a 10-episode series.

Given they are about to start filming the S31 movie, and now this news, perhaps they want to do a several TV movies per year as a cost saving measure versus greenlighting new series — then you have the movie dates scheduled for the couple of months in between 3 ongoing series…so people keep their subscriptions going?

I would be totally behind that, more and hopefully different, original ideas, a variety of casts and directors, and if a film is a flop, move on to the next. Much preferable to an entire series on something which may not interest, imo.

The problem with this theory is that puts a Legacy streamer 3-5 years out. And that assumes that a Legacy big screen outing doesn’t crater (a distinct possibility), or a main character actor doesn’t die.

There is no Legacy.

Hmm, I am not really down with this. Forgetting which season of Picard people prefer, I think most would agree that the last time he really excelled with an acting/physical/voice performance of the Captain Picard we all wanted to see was Season 1.

If this is going to be the next Trek movie, I am kind of disappointed and skeptical.

It is probably for streaming. Can’t see this having any shot in theaters

Same. No chance in the box office but SNW has already proved Trek can be a streaming success.

Even episodes of PIC were in theaters

True but it was very limited. Perhaps they decided this was the best way to go for a feature. Could want to capitalize on S3 of PIC. Not the way I would go but it’s not my $$

Those were promo events where Paramount gave away the tickets for free. That’s not gonna work for a wide release that actually has to make back its costs.

Why in the world is there always this fascination with a “movie.” Please, no. We ended the story with a pretty good romp. Finish on a high note. Move on.

Exactly – In 13 movies, we have had 6 good ones, and 4 great ones. If you get a season, you will get 20-30% great episodes, and at least 50% of the others good. SNW, breaks the template with maybe only 1 lesser episode a season (although season 2 had no bad shows).

So with a movie, you might get good, bad, or great. And you get to wait years for that. As season guarantees you will get some good to great shows, and you get it week to week, generally 20-40 episodes a year for the past few years. Even 2024 will have a season of Discovery and Lower Decks – and that’s after the strike.

Opinions will vary on quality. In my mind, two horrible ones (Generations and Final Frontier), and the remaining 11 get divvied up between good and great, depending on my mood.

Again, we lost the First Splinter for this?

TNG streaming movie most likely. Way cheaper to produce one of those…theatrical is too risky $100M budget plus expensive visual effects for lower returns vs streaming movie can be done for $20-30M ballpark.

Please, please no. Just let him and the TNG crew fly off into the space sunset. They’ve hung up their hats, their space hats.

Wow. I hope it works out!

Let’s see, Shatner was 63 when he filmed Generations. Stewart would be 85 (at the earliest) if this gets greenlit. Watching Ali fight well past his prime was painful to watch, folks.

I mean, there are people who still want Shatner to reprise his role as Kirk. Stewart is young compared to that ;-)

They also killed Kirk off. It wasn’t for that he probably would’ve been in the first JJ verse movie. And I read he was supposed to be in the last movie until they gave Bob Orci’s story the boot.

I read the same. And Orci even wrote a cameo for him in the first movie as a recording Spock had but Shatner doesn’t do cameos (most of the time).

Shatner has about 10 times the energy than Stewart. Christopher Reeve gets thrown off a horse in his thirties and it paralyzes him and ends up killing him. Shatner gets thrown in his eighties and uses a cane for about 6 weeks. Stewart in his early eighties can work only about 4-6 hours a day.

Have you actually seen Shatner lately? By his own admission he’s huffing and puffing through his day now, and his work involves voice over and narration. His action hero ship sailed years ago.

Just my opinion but pass. S3 Pic ended the JL story. I’m not interested in any more stories where Patrick plays Patrick. I prefer Legacy.

I’m thinking this will probably be a Legacy movie too but Picard is apart of it somehow. It would be strange none of that cast wouldn’t be back at all.

Agreed! If it doesn’t involve the TNG crew, the Ent-G, written by Terry, and directed by Frakes, I’m not going to bother. I’ve started to give up on modern trek. It’s one bad idea after another.

I was thinking Legacy too but why would a Legacy movie focus on JL and not Seven?

Not really feeling it. PIC S3 didn’t do that much for me, and Stewart lost his will to do new and experimental pretty early on in his own show. I get the desire to have Sir Patrick do more Trek projects while he’s still able, but the character of Picard has gotten three send-offs so far, and “All Good Things” is still the best of them.

So, someone is writing a script. Paramount has taught me to not get excited until it’s greenlit and in production. I’m not sure what story is left to be told for Picard. I thought season 3 of Picard was a good ending for the character.

Yup. I can write a script. You’re never going to see it. We have only had about 8 scripts for Kelvin Trek 4, if you include Tarantinos in there.

Great to hear Picard might be coming back! A little confused tho how he could have gotten a script during the strikes?

I don’t remember the exact timing when the writers strike ended and I’m too lazy to look it up but it’s possible the script was written before the strike and they simply decided to send it to Stewart at that time.

That’s true. I guess I might be confusing the interview time with the time he got the script. My bad.

its gonna be a TNG reboot in the Kelvin universe. i think if they reboot TNG it would be fun to have Tom Hardy as Picard

Then they would’ve sent the script to Tom Hardy and not Patrick Stewart. 😉

They prob would have sent it to both lol. But Hardy would prob hard refuse.

Yeah but he said a reboot. But I guess old Picard can come through a black hole chasing the Borg from the 25th century because they want to assimilate a new universe and he meets his younger version played by Hardy on the Enterprise D whose parents were assimilated by the Borg when he was a kid.

I really love this idea! 😁

We also learn his younger version went from cadet to Captain in like a week and is now dating Guinan.

I should’ve stopped when I was ahead. ☹️

Ha ha, Picard Prime! I’m all for it. Just keep Abram’s out of it!

You left out a whole lot of unmotivated lens flare, but we get the gist.

Well we do know that ratings and star power are what drives productions and the three ongoing live action projects (SNW, S31 and now this movie) have the benefit of an Academy Award-winning lead (S31), and top 10 streaming ratings (SNW and Picard).

As someone already said, regarding the quality, it all comes down to the script. Of course who am I kidding, I will watch it no matter what haha.

This worries me. Picard is a character served best with the other TNG cast members. I did not like seasons 1 & 2 of Picard at all.

OK, so this looks like it is going to be a Picard-driven movie, unlike the reunion/ensemble cast S3 of Picard. I have significant concerns that Stewart playing Picard can still carry a movie where Picard is the primary character. I think most would agree that the last time he really excelled with an acting/physical/voice performance of the Captain Picard we all wanted to see was Season 1. It was pretty evident, starting in S2, that Stewart/Picard is slowing down, the voice doesn’t sound quite right, and that was covered up mostly in S3 given it was a full cast reunion season.

I’d much rather they do one-off TV movie with something new, or at least something that ties to the current series and characters versus another fan service reach with geriatric actors.

Legacy as a movie rather than a series? Or will it be Chis Pine meeting Patrick Stewart in a crossover movie.

I like your first idea. For the second idea, I’d be tempted to recast a younger Captain Picard who could support future movies.

I was sad when S3 of Picard ended. I liked it a lot. I love TNG era. A Picard movie isn’t needed, if they do it, I hope it’s awesome, but it ended on a high note already and I’m nervous to role the dice again.

I hope its being set in that one year gap in the finale so they can “borrow” the old girl again for a personal mission. Or she was held in Service during that year because of their heroic actions and is now on a good will tour under Captain Riker, whose dream has come true after all and supports Jean-Luc on his new adventure.

It wouldn’t have to be because of the heroic actions. Once again the fleet is decimated after the battle, we can assume the Excelsior was not the only ship which got fired upon. The 1701-D, along with Captain Riker might be needed for a lack of ships and captains.

It is INDEED!!!

It seems to me that Picard has had two wonderful finales with All Good Things and The Last Generation, both finales of series. He has had one horrible finale, Nemesis. Why risk it with another bad ending.

There is another captain out there who had a bad death. An actor who hasn’t reprised his role in 31 years, and who has way more energy than Patrick Stewart, who could only work part time on Picard.

Give us a Shatner movie.

The torch was passed in VI with Kirk’s final personal log as Captain of the Enterprise, and he had the best exit from the franchise with second star to the right. Generations was not necessary. It wasn’t a TOS film, and it wasn’t fair to the TNG cast because they couldn’t stand on their own. Stewart and Shatner had good chemistry and i thought Malcolm McDowell was brilliant, and the Dennis McCarthy score was one of the best. But the nexus made no sense and Kirk’s second death was unworthy of the character. I’d say for me it only about 30% of it worked.

I have often wondered if Leonard Nimoy as Spock would have added some humanity to the movie, he obviously hated the script refused to star in it or direct it. Kirk by himself without Bones and Spock doesn’t work for me. Chekov and Scotty didn’t have that closeness to him, they were fine officers but i never felt like they were Kirk’s brothers like those others.

What’s often missed with Generations, is that the Kirk/Scotty/Chekov trio help launch the new Enterprise…a bookend of sorts to the same trio ordering the original’s destruction in Search for Spock (a theme of death and rebirth). The same goes with Kirk dying from a fall, which bookends his near death at Yosemite in Final Frontier (themes are reversed: “rebirth” in the sense of being saved from death and then his ultimate demise). He died alone in the sense his ‘family’ – Bones, Spock – weren’t with him. I don’t know if the writers intended to pull on these specific threads, or if it just worked out that way. These moments (though very controversial) compliment these earlier scenes nicely when viewed in that context.

I hate that GEN was his last movie. I wish they would bring him back for the Tarantino trek and give him his S3 Picard. But, judging by their promotional posters, they don’t want to look back.

Something fractured the relationship between Shatner and the studio. Really a shame they did not work something out to get him involved in this new era of Star Trek.

Couldn’t just be one thing, given how often the studio heads change and the studio itself morphs. Has to be a whole series of disses (and yeah, I’d include not ponying up money for Shat to try fixing TFF in there, though why he didn’t just pay for it himself, I’ll never understand … even an elaborate fix-up job would still quite literally be horsefeed for him.)

New year, new script. See you next year.

I do think if this is a streaming movie then they are much more serious. The S31 movie is actually moving. But that’s what happens when your TV movie is probably only 10% of what a theatrical movie will cost. ;)

It could be another theatrical movie but considering how much time they been ‘working’ on the last Kelvin movie script, I refuse to believe they knocked one out so fast if the plan is to put it on the big screen. But I been wrong before. ;)

Stewart has been chatting up wanting one more TNG big screen adventure, and many are connecting those dots. But yes, the announcement is vague, so it could be a streamer as well. Or maybe even something a buddy handed off to him, and Sir Pat is just having a Michael Dorn/Simon Pegg moment with it.

But that’s what happens when your TV movie is probably only 10% of what a theatrical movie will cost. ;)

I’m pretty sure the S31 movie won’t cost anywhere in the $150-200 million range but at the same time I also doubt it’s going to be only $15 million. Unless they make it using mostly existing assets from DIS and SNW.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it cost in the 50- or 60-million-dollar range. I still don’t understand it, no one was asking for section 31. Just like no one asked for Starfleet Academy.

I’m curious if they will be good or like those forgettable short Treks that weren’t necessary to the other Star Trek media. Other than Calypso that was excellent.

Sorry for the slight tangent, but…

I’ve seen this argument of “no one asked for this” quite a few times, and while I definitely get why these project ideas may not appeal to everyone and I won’t argue against that (I’m skeptical myself with the Section 31 movie), this specific argument may honestly be my least favorite argument against new ideas. Though granted, I may be a bit biased because:

• DS9’s my favorite Star Trek show, but I can’t imagine anyone watching TOS and TNG and saying “You know what would be a good spin-off for these? A show where they don’t work on a Starship and go out exploring.”
• Lower Deck is my 2nd favorite of the new shows, and it’s hard to imagine people looking at Star Trek as a whole and thinking that’s the perfect franchise for an adult animated comedy.
• Prodigy is my favorite of the new shows, and… OK, it’s much easier to see someone asking for a more family-friendly series, especially after the more adult Discovery, Picard, and Lower Decks. But how many people expected it to turn out as well as it did?

So for me, yes I get why people may be skeptical of certain ideas, but I don’t agree that just because “people didn’t ask for this,” it means they shouldn’t try new things, because sometimes you’ll be surprised by how well these unique ideas will land.

That complaint was well stated about Deep Space Nine, the show was so much better when they added the Defiant and Worf. Season 3 was an improvement 4 was when the show got good. I liked Captain Sisko over Commander Sisko.

No, DS9 was the one Trek show from that era that was hitting on all cylinders from day one. I can count the number of clunker episodes on one hand. Avery Brooks remains the single best actor in Trek from that era.

Not only that, I’ve been “asking” for an academy series since Harve Bennett first brought it up in the 1980’s, and I have other fan friends who also have expressed an interest in that concept over the years.

So there, I have just disproved completely that statement. :-)

Yeah, it could very well cost as much. Georgiou has her fans. Michelle Yeoh definitely has her fans. Plus, she’s now an Oscar winning, highly in-demand actress – who wants to do a Star Trek project. So I can definitely understand that P+ is eager to have S31. That said, the project has been in development for years and at some point switched from a full-fledged TV show to a single TV movie. So chances are they had trouble developing S31 into a concept that would sustain an ongoing series. Or maybe Yeoh no longer wanted the time commitment of a full series.

As for Short Treks: Especially the first badge was done to tide fans over the long wait between seasons. This was back when CBS All Access had far less content to keep people subscribed. Also, the first badge was done on the cheap, basically shot on the side between scenes of the actual production all on existing sets. They probably spent a little bit more on the second badge. They also used Short Treks testing bed to try out things. Mike McMahan first got to write a Short Trek before they gave him his own show. Short Treks also tried out going animated before Lower Decks and Prodigy did it as full shows (of course, TAS had come before any of it). Funnily, a friend of mine enjoyed the Short Treks more than Discovery back at the time.

I have been “asking” for an academy series since Harve Bennett first brought it up in the 1980’s, and I have other fan friends who also have expressed an interest in that concept over the years.

Speak for yourself. I’m perfectly good with S31 and Academy moving forward.

Wow very interesting news! I am on the fence over the idea. On one hand I agree with people that Picard got a great ending in The Last Generation. Matalas specifically said he wanted to do that season just to wipe away the buzzkill Nemesis turned out to be and why mess with that? Fans seem to still love it. I just checked IMDB and it still has a 9.4 rating. That’s the rating it got after it aired almost 9 months later. Same time though, that’s probably another reason why it’s being considered BECAUSE what great fanfare season 3 got obviously. If people hated it, I doubt we would be here. And I was NEVER convinced that would be end regardless and that they would always try to find a way to bring him and the others back. If so, I just cross my fingers it will be worth it.

But reading some of the posts, I’m always surprised other people are surprised over these type of announcements lol. I’m certainly not claiming I thought another TNG/Legacy movie was in the works, but I have always been under the belief that nothing is off the table either. I have a feeling everything under the sun is being considered one way or the other. Maybe some more serious than others but they are probably constantly thinking up proposals that would get fans interested or excited about what’s to come. I wouldn’t be shocked if a Janeway movie is being knocked around or an Enterprise revival or a Bashir show. I bet lots of ideas are thrown around all the time, but this is one of the few that made it to script stage which means they are at least serious about it, but how many Kelvin scripts are collecting dust somewhere lol.

That said, Chris Pine has said he’s never read a single script for the next movie while they are sending Stewart one to read and get his input on. That tells you how clout Stewart has AND that they are actually serious at least.

But yeah, who knows? And I think it will ultimately be a streaming movie because they wrote one mighty fast lol. And I doubt Paramount has the motivation to produce any Trek movie on the big screen, but I’m prepared to be proven wrong if this is meant to go to the theaters. Maybe we will get a movie for the 60th after all!

They aren’t serious about making a movie in July of 2026 it will have been ten years since the last one. I’m sick of the news every 2 months, the mountain of screenplays and then they go off and make another Transformers or Mission Impossible instead.

No they aren’t. I’m so sick of even discussing it. I’m discussing this because at least it’s something different lol. And we know nothing about it, so who knows? But at least they haven’t announced it over a pressed conference just to troll everyone. That was the great thing about Picard season 3, not only did they surprise us the TNG cast was actually coming back, but they had already shot it so we weren’t just being fooled over it like the movies.

I’m not going to overthink this idea until we learn something beyond they sent Stewart a script to read. Writing one isn’t the hard part, it seems to be everything else these days.

In the end, even though they want to talk about a Trek movie, Paramount knows in general, Trek series will succeed, and Trek movies are so-so at best. The shows generate merch sales, the movies not so much.

Even the streaming movies – they have spent years talking about S31, and going to spend a year making it, – and we will watch it on Paramount + and maybe watch it a couple times – meanwhile people will be on the 3-4th rewatch of SNW. The movies will be forgotten- none will be as good or remembered as the first 4 TOS movies.

People love nostalgia and fan service, that’s the only reason Picard S3 has a high user rating. Strip that away and there’s very little if anything left.

Saw the interview, nothing is stated that this is a new Star Trek script with Picard. Patrick was talking about what it was like to bring his performing to the television stage and while Star Trek was the context, it wasn’t his topic. From there he segued into getting a new part to play that was written for him specifically. No mention of Picard, the character. The podcaster wanted to stay focused on Trek, but Patrick was taking about his career. Naturally, a non-Trek script would be “a little bit different from what we’ve seen with Picard”. Truth remains to be seen, but this article’s author merely interpreted what they wanted to hear.

It’s possible all the click bait sites are jumping the gun a bit.

Let me guess… Jean-Luc Picard has to take on the Borg. Again.

It’s either Borg or Soongs. Take your pick.

“After we finished recording our seven seasons of Next Generation we made four Star Trek movies of varying qualities, the best one being directed by Jonathan Frakes.”

That’s what Stewart said. People assume he’s referring to First Contact but Frakes, of course, also directed Insurrection ;-)

It’d be hard to top S3, but I’m okay with it as long as it’s just part of my Par+ sub. Bring it on… I think it’s also a business move on Par + as well. Producing some movies throughout the year may be cheaper vs. three separate series at 10 eps each.

Don’t do it, Patrick! It’s a trap!

Ah, dont like it. Its enough old Trek now. Lets do new things.

Star Trek XIV: The Search for the Enterprise-E.

Just give us Legacy.

Make it about the Enterprise exploring the galaxy and the human condition. There, that’s the foundation of all good Trek in my humble opinion.

Forget epic space battles, and fakaxy ending monsters. That’s for you know, Star Wars.

Jean-Luc Picard, don’t you mean the Patrick Stewart show.

Yes, exactly.

What might get me excited at this point is if they got a fresh batch of scriptwriters who are proven to be particularly good and creative (for whatever new project). Maybe some successful science fiction book authors. And add some passionate Star Trek geeks from the internet into the mix, to guard the canon cohesion.

Michael Chabon has more awards than most. Pulitizer, Nebula and Hugo. Fans hated his work on Picard.

I don’t think we saw what he wanted us to see. Or not the way he wanted us to see it. That’s what happens in someone else’s sandbox, quite unfortunately.

Especially when production is such a shambles that scripts are being written before the actual story has been hammered out. I suspect we were seeing no one at their best under those circumstances.

There were a few interviews back at the time where it sounded like the show had too many cooks trying to pull the show into different directions. Chabon owned some of the controversial decisions (e.g. I think killing off Picard was his idea) but for others it seems his hand was forced.

The problem with getting famous/successful science fiction authors to write for Star Trek is that playing in the Star Trek sandbox comes with a lot of rules. There’s a whole lot of “canon” that is more important to some fans than getting a good story. So I can imagine many authors simply don’t want to limit themselves to fitting into that box and will rather write something else where they have more freedom. TOS hired some famous sci-fi writers at the time but that was when Star Trek was still very much an open book and very little had been established about the world. And even those people got their stories rewritten, which a famous author probably would simply accept today.

I guess we also see that more and more with the shows. Many of the canon violations that happen are probably not mistakes because the writers didn’t know better but they are conscious decisions because the writers thought it would make their stories better.

I love Patrick as an actor. I love Picard the character and I love TNG cast, but this is a bridge too far for me. For waaaaayyyy too long now Star Trek as a franchise has been stuck in the past and unable to grow and tell new stories. The stories of the future worlds and adventures in which these characters exist are being diluted by fan service, and fans who frankly can’t grow up, or are mentally stunted by the desire to live by canon. It’s not just Star Trek drowning this way. Star Wars, DCU, MCU they’re all eating themselves because they simply can’t challenge the status quo, and try tell new stories in new settings.

YEAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! BRING BACK DATA TOO PLEASE WITH THE ENTIRE TNG CAST!!! And please answer the question if Data still got his super physical strength…This remained unanswered. I hope he still got it

I agree. We need more Data. Maybe the bad guy can be a relative of Data, and be played by Spiner.

It should be a movie sequel to the episode ‘A Fistful of Data’s’. A Few Data’s More.

As soon as they announced a sequel to 48HRS (which was something like the weekend after it hit theaters), I was CERTAIN that they would call it FOR A FEW HOUR MORE. Was bitterly disappointed when the sequel showed up years later with a lame ANOTHER 48 HRS title (then I saw the movie and was even more disappointed.)

If you listen to the end of the (very good) interview, Stewart confirms the film will feature the whole TNG cast.

NOW I KNOW WHY PARAMOUNT DID NOT THROW AWAY THE ENTERPRISE D BRIDGE 😁😁😁😁🙏🙏🙏🤠🤠🤠🥳🥳🥳

I really enjoyed PIC S1. There were elements of S2 that I really liked. S3 I loved, and not just for the nostalgia; I really felt it moved all of the TNG characters forward in time in some unexpected and satisfying ways. After the Borg are destroyed, we skip ahead a year. Picard gets to watch his grown son take his first post aboard Captain Seven’s Enterprise . When I watch the ending, I don’t picture a Picard movie, or even another TNG movie.

Sure, I’d love to see a few of them again, maybe working with legacies from DS9 and VOY … but I’d really rather see a Captain Seven series (hopefully not titled Legacy ). Jack and Sidney are on the Ent-G, so they could see Stewart, McFadden, and Burton guest star in the pilot episode. Otherwise, let’s move on. “… All Good Things” and “The Last Generation” were very satisfying conclusions for the TNG crew as a whole.

I believe it was Kurtzman who said he would like to do future one-off P+ exclusive Trek films (like the upcoming S31 project) … maybe they can stick this project there.

It all sounds so desperate, unnecessary and a little bit sad.

Am I the only one who felt like Picard s3 was overrated? I mean, yeah, it was decent and mostly enjoyable, but people talked about it like it cured cancer or something. It was a step in the right direction but it certainly wasn’t some peak of quality.

…I believe it to be the peak of quality for these showrunners. What Trek could be in the hands of a company other than SH, we can only guess.

I enjoyed it mostly for being a TNG reunion which is what I wanted to see since S1 of the show.

If this new script that Patrick Stewart mentioned is for a P+ movie, then I am enthusiastic for that. In addition to that, I would also like to see a “Project Phoenix” movie with a Kirk. Not necessarily Shatner’s Kirk.

They should definitely follow up on this. Project Phoenix could be so much more than just a PIC S3 Easter egg. I would throw Shatner in if possible.

No, you’re not. It was well done as fan service, but there really isn’t much more to say about it than that.

lol no you’re not the only one.

• Entertainment
• How <i>Picard</i> Fits Into the <i>Star Trek</i> Timeline

How Picard Fits Into the Star Trek Timeline

I t’s been 26 long years since Star Trek: The Next Generation graced the small screen. But beginning Jan. 23, a new series centered around that show’s captain, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), will “boldly go” to the network’s streaming service, CBS All Access. Star Trek: Picard is about our titular captain’s life many years after his last fateful mission for Starfleet.

But how does Picard fit into the larger Star Trek timeline? The CBS series is set where no Trek has gone before, well past the events of TV’s Star Trek: Voyager and the last film of the Picard era, Star Trek: Nemesis. Many fan favorite characters are expected to return, including Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Seven-of-Nine (Jeri Ryan).

For Trek nerds out there, this means Picard takes place in the “prime” timeline, which is where each of the television series and the original films live. In 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted the series with the film Star Trek, creating a new timeline for the already confusing Trek universe. In the film, a bad guy travels back in time and destroys the USS Kelvin, killing Captain Kirk’s father, George Kirk, in the process. All three of J.J. Abrams’ movies take place in this alternate timeline called the “Kelvin Timeline,” after the annihilated ship.

To familiarize yourself with the Trek universe, here are the two timelines:

Prime Timeline

Star Trek: Enterprise (2151-2161)

Airdate: 2001-2005

Plot: Set 100 years before the Enterprise ‘s mission in the original Star Trek , this series traces the adventures of the first Warp 4 capable Starfleet ship, also called Enterprise . Scott Bakula starred as the human captain Jonathan Archer, and Jolene Blalock as the Vulcan officer T’Pol.

Star Trek Discovery (2255)

Airdate: 2017-

Plot: Sonequa Martin-Green plays officer Michael Burnham, a human who was raised by Spock’s parents, Amanda and Sarek. Burnham has suppressed her human tendencies in order to assimilate into the hyper-logical Vulcan society but tries to reconnect with her emotional side when she serves Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and then Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs).

Star Trek (2265-2269)

Airdate: 1966-1969

Plot: The original Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry featured Captain James Kirk (William Shatner), First Officer Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ), Officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (James Doohan), Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) and the other Starfleet members on a mission of exploration and self-improvement. One of the most diverse shows on television at the time, Star Trek ran for three seasons and inspired future space sagas like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica .

Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270)

Airdate: 1973-1974

Plot: After the original series went off the air, Roddenberry created an animated series that continued the stories of Star Trek and reunited much of the same cast to do voice work for cartoon versions of their characters.

Original Star Trek movies (2273-2293)

Airdate: 1979-1991

Plot: Roddenberry leveraged the massive success of the syndicated series into a number of feature films starring Shatner and Nimoy. Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Star Trek V: The Finale Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country continued established storylines.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370)

Airdate: 1987-1994

Plot: Set 100 years after the events of the original Star Trek , this series followed Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew (Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton and Marina Sirtis, among them) on the fifth iteration of the Enterprise , USS Enterprise-D .

Next Generation Movies (2293-2379)

Airdate: 1994-2002

Plot: In Star Trek: Generations (1994), Captain Picard teams up with the once-presumed-dead Captain Kirk. The story unites the casts from the two Star Trek series at the time, effectively passing the baton from Shatner to Stewart. The Next Generation cast went on to star in three more movies, sans the original cast: Star Trek: First Contact , Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis .

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)

Airdate: 1993-1999

Plot: Set on a space station rather than a starship, Deep Space Nine focuses on the adventures of the people charged with guarding the opening to a wormhole at the end of the galaxy. Deep Space Nine was helmed by Trek’ s first black captain, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). It was also the first Trek series created without Roddenberry, who gave the concept his approval before he passed away in 1991.

Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378)

Airdate: 1995-2001

Plot: After the ship Voyager gets stranded in the Delta Quadrant (the far side of the Milky Way galaxy) while searching for a renegade ship, they must make the 75-year journey home. Voyager was fronted by Trek’ s first female captain, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew).

Star Trek: Picard (2399-?)

Airdate: 2020 — ? (A second season is already in the works)

Plot: Many years after a daring mission to save a dying planet, Captain Picard — now an Admiral — has left Starfleet (or, more accurately, Starfleet has left him). But when a mysterious young woman with a potential connection to a certain beloved android shows up at his doorstep, it sets in motion events that lead Picard back into space — albeit with a crew that’s more swashbuckler than Starfleet.

Kelvin Timeline

Star Trek (2233-2258)

Release date: 2009

Plot: A bad guy named Nero (Eric Bana), angry that his planet is destroyed in the future, travels back in time and kills Kirk’s father (in 2233). He then hangs out for a long time to destroy Vulcan (in 2258) in front of old Spock who has also traveled back in time (and is played by Leonard Nimoy) because Spock failed to save the baddie’s home planet. Current-day Kirk (Chris Pine) encounters old Spock who explains all the confusing time-jump mechanics to him. Together, current-day Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) become begrudging friends and save the universe.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Airdate: 2013

Plot: The second J.J. Abrams film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a villain that the marketing team really tried to convince people was not genetically-engineered superhuman Khan. (He was Khan.) Kirk leads a mission to capture Khan after her murders a bunch of Starfleet officers.

Star Trek Beyond

Airdate: 2016

Plot: Justin Lin took over for the third reboot film and threw in some motorcycles because he has a thing for fast vehicles. In this one, a baddie named Krall (Idris Elba) kidnaps part of Kirk’s crew in hopes that Kirk will exchange a powerful McGuffin for their safety.

Jean-Luc Picard

• View history

Jean-Luc Picard was a celebrated Starfleet officer , archaeologist , writer , historian , diplomat , and philanthropist , who served throughout much of the 24th century . The highlights of his career were centered around assignments as commanding officer of the Federation starships USS Stargazer , USS Enterprise -D , and the USS Enterprise -E . In these roles, Picard not only witnessed major turning points of recent galactic history, but played a key role in them also, from making first contact as captain of the Federation's flagship with no fewer than 27 alien species , including the Ferengi and the Borg . His successful contact with the Children of Tama resulted in his name being incorporated into the Tamarian language through the metaphor " Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel ".

He also became the chief contact point with the Q Continuum , and served as Arbiter of Succession of the Klingon Empire , where he presided over the investiture of Klingon Chancellor Gowron . Picard would expose the Romulan Star Empire as backers of Gowron's chief rivals , later aiding a Romulan underground movement of dissidents to gain a toehold on the Romulan homeworld . He continued to serve as captain of the Enterprise -E, the sixth Federation starship to bear the name, until at least the early 2380s . ( TNG : " The Battle ", " The Last Outpost ", " Q Who ", " Darmok ", " Encounter at Farpoint ", " All Good Things... ", " Redemption ", " Redemption II ", " Unification II "; Star Trek: First Contact ; Star Trek Nemesis ; PIC : " Remembrance ")

Following his command of the Enterprise -E, he rose to the rank of admiral , he resigned from Starfleet for a time, after he felt that the organization had strayed from its ideals, before eventually rejoining as the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy . ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " The End is the Beginning ", " The Star Gazer ")

Picard would later retire a second time, but a distress call from Dr. Beverly Crusher called Picard back to action one last time in order to save the son Picard never knew he had from the Changelings and the Borg . Reuniting his old command crew along with the rebuilt Enterprise -D, Picard would bring a final end to the Borg threat before returning to his peaceful retirement. ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ", " Võx ", " The Last Generation ")

• 1.1 Origins
• 1.2 Childhood
• 2.1 Academy years
• 2.2.1 Service aboard the Reliant
• 2.2.2 Other adventures
• 2.3 Service aboard the Stargazer
• 2.4 Meeting Natasha Yar
• 2.5.1 Encounters with the Q entity
• 2.5.2 Encounters with the Borg
• 2.5.3 Kamin and the Ressikan probe
• 2.5.4 Loss of the Enterprise -D
• 2.6.1 Stopping the Borg
• 2.6.2 The Ba'ku and the Son'a
• 2.6.3 Dealing with the Romulans
• 2.7.1 Evacuating the Romulan people
• 3.1 Zhat Vash mystery
• 3.2 "Death" and resurrection
• 4 Return to Starfleet
• 5 Second retirement
• 6 Anything but canon account
• 8.1 Energy vortex encounter
• 8.2 Federation-Klingon War
• 8.3 Nausicaan attack
• 8.4 Quantum fissure encounter
• 8.5 Anti-time encounters
• 8.6 The Nexus
• 8.7 Confederation of Earth
• 9 Holograms
• 10.1 Medical record
• 11.1.1 Jack Crusher
• 11.2.1 Lwaxana Troi
• 11.2.2 Vash
• 11.2.3 Kamala
• 11.2.4 Nella Daren
• 11.2.5 Anij
• 11.2.6 Beverly Crusher
• 11.2.7 Laris
• 11.3.1 Guinan
• 11.3.2 William T. Riker
• 11.3.3 Data
• 11.3.4 Worf
• 11.3.5 Geordi La Forge
• 11.3.6 Ro Laren
• 11.3.7 Elnor
• 11.4.1 James T. Kirk
• 11.4.2 Spock
• 11.4.3 Gowron
• 11.5.3 The Borg / Borg Queen
• 11.5.4 The House of Duras
• 11.5.5 Shinzon
• 12.1 Catchphrases
• 13.1 Quotes about Picard
• 14 Chronology
• 15.1 See also
• 15.2 Appearances
• 15.3.1 Trivia
• 15.3.2 Reception
• 15.4 Apocrypha
• 15.5 External links

Early history [ ]

Origins [ ].

Jean-Luc Picard was born in La Barre , France on Earth to Yvette and Maurice Picard on July 13 , 2305 . ( TNG : " Family ", " Conundrum ")

Childhood [ ]

He and his elder brother , Robert , spent their childhood tending to their family vineyards with their father . Concerned about the preservation of their familial values, Maurice and his wife educated their sons in the ancient traditions, avoiding, in particular, any superfluous technologies . ( TNG : " Family ")

Picard as a young boy

As a young boy, Jean-Luc watched his grandfather " [d]eteriorate from a powerful, intelligent figure to a frail wisp of a man, who could barely make his way home. " ( TNG : " Night Terrors ")

He took piano lessons, but eventually gave it up because he dreaded performing in front of an audience. In his later life, he would regret doing so, because his playing used to please his mother . ( TNG : " Lessons ", " The Perfect Mate ")

Picard had a loving relationship with his mother, Yvette Picard who often played games of hide and seek with him and encouraged him to "look up at the stars." ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ", " Monsters ") Unfortunately, what young Jean-Luc took as mere flights of fancy, was mental illness. At some point in the early 2310s , Yvette lost Jean-Luc while they were playing hide and seek in the tunnels underneath their home. After finding Jean-Luc, whose foot had gotten stuck, Maurice Picard found Yevette and locked her in a room for the night for her safety. Yvette pleaded with Jean-Luc to let her out. He did and the next morning, he found his mother dead by suicide. ( PIC : " Hide and Seek ") Later, as an adult, he'd often picture her as an old woman, inviting him to have some tea with her, and telling him that they would have a "nice, long talk." ( PIC : " Hide and Seek ")

One of Picard's childhood heroes was Dixon Hill , a fictional private detective living in the early 20th century . ( TNG : " The Big Goodbye ")

A fascination of his that intrigued him well into adulthood was the ship in a bottle . As a boy, he built model airships , and even a model of a Promellian battle cruiser . ( TNG : " Booby Trap "; PIC : " The Star Gazer ", " Hide and Seek ") Moreover, he was captivated by the Phoenix , mankind's first warp-capable vessel , which he admired "hundreds of times" at the Smithsonian , but was never able to touch. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Picard, reverted to the age of 12

In grade school , Picard remembered singing such children's songs as "Frère Jacques". ( TNG : " Disaster ") Like his nephew René , Jean-Luc wrote a ribbon -winning report on starships in school . ( TNG : " Family ") Later in life, he recalled reading about the ancient Bajoran civilizations in his fifth grade reader . ( TNG : " Ensign Ro ")

Although Maurice intended his sons to work at the vineyards, it became obvious very early that Jean-Luc knew he wanted to join Starfleet, something that his father would never condone, up until his death. ( TNG : " Bloodlines ") Jean-Luc would later remember that he devoted his childhood to that end, which was like skipping that age altogether. ( TNG : " Suddenly Human ") His brother would later note that Jean-Luc always sought higher standards, such as becoming president of his school and later a valedictorian and even an athletic champion . Robert was also jealous of seeing Picard being the favored son and getting away after his mischiefs. Sometimes Robert had to bully his younger brother. ( TNG : " Family ")

When Picard joined the poker game with his senior officers for the first time in 2370 , he recalled that " actually, I used to be quite a card player in my youth. " ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Starfleet career [ ]

Academy years [ ].

Cadet Picard during his Academy years

Picard caused "quite a stir" by leaving his family's generational vineyard and applying to Starfleet Academy . ( TNG : " Family "; Star Trek Nemesis ) Although he failed to gain entry on his first attempt, Picard succeeded in his second attempt in 2323 . He subsequently became one of the most outstanding cadets in his class. ( TNG : " Coming of Age ", " The First Duty ")

Picard's career at the Academy was difficult, at best – years later, Picard credited Academy groundskeeper Boothby with helping him develop a mature attitude. ( TNG : " The First Duty "; VOY : " In the Flesh ") Among Picard's friends at the Academy were Donald Varley , Cortan Zweller , Marta Batanides , and an acquaintance called " A.F. ", whom he blamed for his failed semester of Organic Chemistry and whose initials Picard carved into Boothby's prized elm . ( TNG : " Contagion ", " The Game ", " Tapestry ")

At the Academy, Picard developed an interest in archaeology . His professor , Galen , encouraged him to continue in this field, but Picard ultimately refused his offer of becoming an archaeologist. He would nevertheless keep his interest in the subject, and became to be considered quite knowledgeable in the field. ( TNG : " The Chase ", " Qpid ") It was also during this time he took great interest in studying the Iconians . ( TNG : " Contagion ")

Picard also excelled in sports . He won the Starfleet Academy marathon in April 2323 on Danula II , becoming the first freshman to win the race. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "; Star Trek Generations Picard family album ) During a wrestling match, Picard caught a Ligonian with a reverse body lift and pinned him down in the first fourteen seconds. ( TNG : " The First Duty ")

During his sophomore year, Picard was assigned to training on Morikin VII where he had his first encounter with Nausicaans , who had an outpost on a nearby asteroid . ( TNG : " Tapestry ")

On 4 April 2327 , Cadet Picard joined the Speed of Light Club after he flew three hundred-thousand kilometers per second in level flight on the cruiser USS Leondegrance , commanded by Captain Nyota Uhura . He was awarded a certificate celebrating this occasion. ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " The Star Gazer ")

An Academy photo Picard kept in his study

Picard graduated at the top of his class. He recalled to Wesley Crusher in 2365 that, as he entered the ranks of being an officer , he was " green as hell. And oh, so cocky. " ( TNG : " Samaritan Snare ") Several years after this, in 2379 , Picard showed Beverly Crusher a photograph from his Academy days, asking, "remember him?" She replied that " he was a bit cocky, as I recall. " By that point in his life, Picard considered his younger self as " a damn fool. Selfish, ambitious, very much in need of seasoning. " ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Picard, later told Boothby that if it wasn't for the groundskeeper, Picard would have never graduated. Boothby assured Picard that " you made a mistake. There isn't a man among us who hasn't been young enough to make one. […] You did what you had to do. You did what you thought was best. I just made sure that you listened to yourself. " ( TNG : " The First Duty ")

Early postings and assignments [ ]

Ensign Picard stabbed

Shortly after graduation in 2327, Ensign Picard's promising career nearly ended abruptly while he was on shore leave at Farspace Starbase Earhart . During a bar brawl over a rigged game of dom-jot , he was stabbed through the heart by a Nausicaan, and had to undergo emergency surgery to replace his heart . He later related to Wesley Crusher that he laughed after looking down to see the knife protruding from his chest. This event helped him realize how fragile life could be, and thus made him more willing to take risks and make his mark in the universe, which he only realized when Q proposed him to change this event in 2369 . ( TNG : " Samaritan Snare ", " Tapestry ")

On the day of his first posting, Picard was so nervous he walked a light year in a circle before he mustered the courage to beam aboard. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Service aboard the Reliant [ ]

As an ensign, Picard was posted to the USS Reliant , where he served with Lieutenant Nakamura . ( TNG-R : " The Measure Of A Man ") Picard served on the night watch on board the Reliant . ( PIC : " Broken Pieces ") Also while an ensign, Picard was capable of detecting by ear variations in a ship's torque sensors , as such, he was capable of hearing a three micron misalignment. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Other adventures [ ]

As a junior officer , Picard met Walker Keel at an exotic bar on Tau Ceti III , where the two became very close of friends; they later became friends with Jack R. Crusher and his fiancée , Beverly Howard. ( TNG : " Conspiracy ", " Journey's End ", " Attached ")

Picard demonstrated command abilities early in his career, in particular, when he led an away team on Milika III to save an ambassador . This incident would later be mentioned by Q as one of the crucial events forming Picard's personality. ( TNG : " Tapestry ")

As a young lieutenant, Picard attended the wedding of Sarek 's son, where he briefly met Sarek and Spock for the first and only time before the 2360s . ( TNG : " Sarek ", " Unification I ")

In his career, prior to 2365, Picard had been transferred "dozens of times", each of which was preceded by what he called "the practice of the feast before the transfer." ( TNG : " A Matter Of Honor ")

By 2369, he had spent "thirty years of [his] life aboard starships". ( TNG : " Rascals ")

Service aboard the Stargazer [ ]

Picard on the bridge of the Stargazer some years after its loss

Picard was assigned as a helmsman aboard the USS Stargazer . In 2333 , Picard assumed command of the vessel when the captain was killed on the bridge . Starfleet awarded Picard a promotion to the post of captain, making him one of the youngest Starfleet officers ever to attain the position. ( TNG : " Tapestry ") Picard remained in command of the Stargazer for twenty-two years. ( TNG : " The Battle ", " Relics ", " Bloodlines ")

In 2339 , Picard last visited with his archaeology professor, Doctor Galen. At this time in his life, Picard was seriously considering a career in this field of science . ( TNG : " The Chase ")

In 2342 , Picard dated a young woman named Jenice at the Café des Artistes in Paris . Unfortunately, he became afraid of a possible future relationship and stood up Jenice, who later married Paul Manheim . ( TNG : " We'll Always Have Paris ")

In 2346 , Picard met Miranda Vigo on Earth while he was on shore leave; they were introduced by a mutual friend . Picard described it the as being involved for a short time, detailing that the affair was " all very romantic, very intense, probably because we both knew I would be leaving in two weeks . " The two kept in touch for awhile, but never crossed paths again. ( TNG : " Bloodlines ")

During his time in command of the Stargazer Moritz Benayoun was his chief medical officer and undertook a mission to the Fireforest of Calyx . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

During the Cardassian wars , the Stargazer was involved in a truce offering by the Federation. After making contact with a Cardassian warship, Picard lowered the ship's shields as a gesture of good will, but the Cardassian commander ignored the gesture and disabled the Stargazer 's weapons and impulse engines . The Stargazer managed to regroup and flee. ( TNG : " The Wounded ")

Picard in the early 2350s at Starbase 32

In 2353 , Picard was on an away mission when he saved the life of one team member at the expense of another; Jack R. Crusher was lost in the line of duty. Picard met with Crusher's widow, Beverly, on Starbase 32 to present the body; it was one of Wesley Crusher's earliest memories. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Coming of Age ", " The Bonding ", " Violations ")

In 2355, the Stargazer was seriously damaged in a battle with an unknown enemy vessel , later discovered to be a Ferengi ship. Picard managed to destroy the enemy vessel using the Stargazer 's warp engines in a unique tactical maneuver (later named the " Picard Maneuver "), but was forced to abandon the Stargazer aboard a shuttlecraft , where he and the other survivors travelled for weeks through deep space before being picked up by passing Federation starship. ( TNG : " The Battle ")

His actions during the battle were called into question by Phillipa Louvois , an officer of the Judge Advocate General during his court martial , but he was exonerated by the inquiry board and was later awarded the Grankite Order of Tactics (Class of Excellence) for the development of the aforementioned "Picard Maneuver". ( TNG : " The Measure Of A Man "; Star Trek Generations Picard family album )

The encounter with the Ferengi vessel, later known as the Battle of Maxia , eventually came back to haunt Picard. DaiMon Bok , whose son was killed in the battle, twice tried to exact revenge on Picard. ( TNG : " The Battle ", " Bloodlines ")

Meeting Natasha Yar [ ]

Picard's next command found him responding to a distress call from colonists in the Carnelian minefield around 2363 . During this mission he first met Natasha Yar . ( TNG : " Legacy ")

Commanding the USS Enterprise -D [ ]

Picard, shortly after taking command of the Enterprise

In 2363, Picard was assigned command of the newly commissioned Galaxy -class starship USS Enterprise -D , the most prestigious captaincy in Starfleet. He commanded the flagship for eight years, participating in many important missions. Among these were the defeat of the Borg invasion of 2366 , and his command of the fleet which blockaded the Klingon-Romulan border during the Klingon Civil War .

" Let's see what's out there… "

Picard hand-picked most of his senior staff , such as two young officers who impressed him enough upon first meeting. Geordi La Forge once piloted Picard's inspection tour shuttle and stayed up all night to refit an engine part Picard had made a passing comment on, and Picard witnessed Natasha Yar risk her life to save colonists amid a Carnelian minefield. He had also picked William T. Riker as his first officer and promoted him to commander sight unseen, impressed by the young officer's record of independence. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ", " Legacy ", " The Pegasus "; PIC : " The Star Gazer " commemorative plaque )

Mere months after taking command, Picard was offered a promotion to commandant of Starfleet Academy with the rank of admiral by Admiral Gregory Quinn , but turned it down to retain command of the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Coming of Age ")

Picard on the bridge of the Enterprise in 2370

Although Picard often heatedly defended a strict interpretation of the Prime Directive , he broke it numerous times when he felt it was warranted. Thus, in 2364, he allowed an Edo woman to confront her "god" from space, and in 2366 , Picard brought a Mintakan leader aboard the Enterprise to undo the damage done by cultural contamination . ( TNG : " Justice ", " Who Watches The Watchers ", " The Drumhead ") Furthermore, in 2370 , the Enterprise , by hand of Dr. Nikolai Rozhenko , transported a primitive group of Boraalans into a holodeck from Boraal II before an atmospheric dissipation rendered it uninhabitable. Although in violation of the Prime Directive, Picard ordered that the Boraalans be stealthily resettled, having no other humanitarian options. ( TNG : " Homeward ")

In 2369, when the Enterprise was undergoing a baryon sweep at the Remmler Array , Picard uncovered a plan, by mercenaries, to steal toxic waste from the ship's warp core . He managed to take out all of the intruders by setting traps throughout the various sections of the ship. He even used the Vulcan nerve pinch technique on Devor . ( TNG : " Starship Mine ")

Encounters with the Q entity [ ]

Commanding the Enterprise on her first mission, Picard made first contact with a member of the Q Continuum – Q . Picard and his senior officers had to stand trial for Humanity 's immaturity. To prove their worthiness as a species, Picard had to solve the "mystery of Farpoint Station ." The crew of the Enterprise discovered that the inhabitants of Deneb IV , the Bandi , had captured a space-dwelling being to serve their own purpose. The Enterprise helped to free the creature, and Q, somewhat disappointed by the crew's success, retreated, though he hinted that it would not be their final encounter. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

Q explains to Picard that how Humans respond to a game tells him more about them than a direct confrontation would

Thus, later that year, Q created a bizarre and deadly "game" for the crew of the Enterprise in order to demonstrate that he had given Riker Q-like abilities. Ultimately, Riker rejected these new powers, and Q again disappeared. ( TNG : " Hide And Q ") One year later, in 2365, Q first expressed an interest in joining Picard's crew. When Picard declined, Q tried to show how much he could be of assistance by hurling the Enterprise into the path of a Borg cube . Q was hoping to show that the Federation was entirely unprepared to meet some of the more powerful races that existed in the universe. Ultimately, Picard had to beg for Q's help in escaping from the pursuit of the Borg vessel. ( TNG : " Q Who ")

A fourth encounter with Q occurred in 2366, when the other members of the Continuum had stripped him of his omnipotence and immortality as punishment for his irresponsibility. He sought refuge on the Enterprise and, although Picard and the rest of the crew were initially unconvinced of the sincerity of Q's pleas, the captain agreed to provide Q temporary asylum . As the Enterprise began to suffer from Calamarain attack, Q resolved to end his life to prevent further risk to the Enterprise crew, but another member of the Q Continuum prevented Q from sacrificing himself, and restored his powers as a reward for his selfless act. ( TNG : " Deja Q ")

Late in 2367 , Q returned to the Enterprise to "properly" thank Picard for his role in helping him regain his standing in the Continuum. At the time, Picard was meeting Vash , whom he had met on Risa the year before. Q resolved to teach Picard a lesson about love and cast the captain, Vash, and the Enterprise command crew into an elaborate scenario styled by the ancient legend of Robin Hood . Q himself assumed the role of the High Sheriff of Nottingham . Ultimately, Picard learned his lesson, and everyone was returned to the Enterprise . Intrigued by Vash, though, Q offered to take her on a journey of exploration to explore various archaeological ruins of the galaxy , and she accepted. ( TNG : " Qpid ")

In 2369, Q once again appeared aboard the Enterprise , this time to instruct Amanda Rogers , a Human who was the child of two Q and possessed Q powers herself. Although Q's petulant and acerbic attitude did little to ingratiate himself to Amanda, he eventually convinced her to go with him to the Continuum to learn to use her new-found abilities. ( TNG : " True Q ")

Later that same year, Q appeared to Picard when the latter was critically injured during an ambush from a group of Lenarians . Appearing as " God ", Q told Picard that he had died because of his artificial heart, and offered him the chance to return to the incident in his youth, allowing him to relive the events leading up to his near-fatal injury and change history. Although Picard was successful in changing history, he eventually realized that the event – and his previous nature as an arrogant, brash young man – was a part of his identity, and had helped mold him into the successful Starfleet officer he had become. Although he was uncertain as to whether the experience had been real or simply a vision, Picard was grateful for Q's revelation. ( TNG : " Tapestry ")

" You don't get it, do you, Jean-Luc? The trial never ends. "

In 2370, Q returned to the Enterprise to continue the trial against Humanity. Claiming that the seven-year-old trial had never actually ended, Q proclaimed Humanity guilty of "being inferior" and informed Picard that his race was to be destroyed. He sent Picard traveling through time to his past, present, and future, where he was presented with a temporal paradox in the form of an eruption of anti-time in the Devron system . In this paradox, Picard himself was responsible for the creation of the anomaly that propagated backwards in normal time (anti-time having the opposite properties of normal time), thus destroying Humanity in the past.

In addition to sending Picard jumping through time, Q also provided Picard with hints to understanding the nature of the paradox. Ultimately, Picard determined the solution and devised a way to close the anti-time anomaly in all three time periods. Following the captain's success, Q revealed that the entire experience had been a test, aimed at determining whether Humanity was capable of expanding its horizons to understand some of the advanced concepts of the universe. Departing, Q promised to continue watching Humanity, proclaiming that "The trial never ends." ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Encounters with the Borg [ ]

Abducted by the Borg in 2366

In 2365, Q sent the Enterprise 7,000 light years into uncharted space, into the path of a Borg cube . Although the Enterprise suffered losses, it became the first ship known by the Federation to survive an encounter with the Borg, and managed to inform Starfleet of the Borg's existence. ( TNG : " Q Who ")

One year later, in 2366, the Borg launched their first invasion of the Federation. A single cube destroyed the New Providence colony and the USS Lalo , and kidnapped Picard when the Enterprise attempted to intervene. Picard was partially assimilated and became a Borg drone known as Locutus of Borg . The cube proceeded towards Earth and engaged Starfleet in the Battle of Wolf 359 , resulting in the destruction of 39 Federation vessels. On arrival at Earth, an away team from the Enterprise successfully rescued Picard and used his connection to the Borg to implant false data in the cube, destroying it. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ") It was revealed years later that his assimilation and time spent in the Collective had a profoundly disturbing effect on Picard's life. ( Star Trek: First Contact ) Unbeknownst to Picard or Starfleet, the Borg genetically altered Picard while he was Locutus, turning him into a receiver without the need for organic implants. This would result in Picard being able to hear the Borg Collective whenever they were in close proximity to him and later caused his physical death from what was misdiagnosed as Irumodic Syndrome . ( PIC : " Vox ")

Picard as Locutus of Borg, and the Borg Queen

The Enterprise again encountered the Borg in 2368 when they rescued a Borg drone from a crashed Borg shuttle. This drone was cut off from the Collective and slowly regained an individual identity, eventually being named Hugh . Initially, the plan was drafted to use Hugh to destroy the collective in its entirety, although Dr. Beverly Crusher resisted the extermination of an entire race – even if it was the Borg. Picard eventually confronted Hugh, who immediately recognized Picard as Locutus. Picard took the role of Locutus while talking to Hugh, to simulate the authority that Hugh was used to. Geordi La Forge, Data , Dr. Crusher, and other members of the Enterprise crew had a profound effect on the former drone. Even Guinan , who initially wanted nothing to do with Hugh, taught him that resistance is not futile. Guinan's homeworld had been destroyed long ago by the Borg, but the fact that Guinan was still alive was proof of this assertion.

When Picard reminded Hugh that "resistance is futile," Hugh informed him that it was not so. When Picard told Hugh that La Forge would be assimilated, Hugh stated that La Forge did not want to be assimilated. When Picard said that this was irrelevant, Hugh specifically said that he (and Hugh used the word "I") would not assist in the assimilation of La Forge. Picard was stunned that a Borg drone would say such things. He decided that he could not send Hugh back with the file that would destroy the Borg. Picard offered Hugh asylum on board the Enterprise , but Hugh said that the Collective would not stop looking for him until they found him. Hugh agreed to go back to the crash site and to be taken back into the Collective, to protect the Enterprise from harm. ( TNG : " I Borg ")

The individuality present in Hugh spread through the ship he returned to, causing a catastrophic separation of the ship from the rest of the Collective. This rogue mini-collective was unsure how to cope with its freedom, and so fell under the influence of the android Lore . Lore persuaded them to aid his plan to conquer Earth. Using the rogue ship , they attacked several outposts before being tracked down by the crew of the Enterprise -D. They destroyed the Borg ship and were able to persuade the remaining members of the mini-collective of Lore's unreliability. The mini-collective then disappeared into space and has not been encountered since. ( TNG : " Descent ", " Descent, Part II ")

There were some within Starfleet who blamed Picard for the destruction of the task force at Wolf 359 . Benjamin Sisko , who was serving as first officer of the USS Saratoga at the time, lost his wife Jennifer in the attack. Picard and Sisko finally met in 2369 , after the Enterprise was the first Starfleet vessel to arrive at Deep Space 9 . Sisko was, at first, hostile toward Picard, but later came to forgive him. Sisko also gave Picard his letter of resignation, which Picard did not send, feeling Sisko was the right person for command of Deep Space 9. ( DS9 : " Emissary ")

Meeting the Borg Queen again

In 2373 , the Borg launched their second invasion of the Federation, and again the crew of the Enterprise played a major role in their defeat. Initially, the Enterprise was not to have participated in the Battle of Sector 001 , because according to Starfleet Command , Picard would bring an "unstable element into a critical situation." Seeing that the Borg were getting the best of the fleet, Picard ordered the Enterprise to Earth to assist. He was instrumental in defeating both the main invasion and an attempt by the Borg to prevent the formation of the Federation by altering history. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Kamin and the Ressikan probe [ ]

Picard plays his Ressikan flute in private

In 2368 , the Enterprise encountered a space probe of unknown origin, which emitted a nucleonic beam directly at Picard. This led to his fainting and awakening on an unknown world where he was known as an ironworker named Kamin and was married to Eline . Picard later found out that Kamin was a member of the Ressik community on a planet called Kataan . For five years, Picard clung to his life aboard the Enterprise and searched for ways to return, but eventually settled into his life as Kamin, having two children with Eline and eventually a grandchild. In the approximately thirty-five years Picard spent as Kamin, he learned to play the Ressikan flute , dabbled in astronomy , and analyzed soil samples from the planet, eventually confirming that Kataan was a dying world.

Near the end of his life on Kataan, it was revealed to Picard that Kataan had been destroyed more than a thousand years previously, and the residents of the Ressik community had engineered the probe to share the memory and experiences of their people with someone who could then teach others about their civilization. He awoke on the Enterprise as Jean-Luc Picard once more and discovered that he had lived a lifetime in only twenty-five minutes. The probe was collected by the Enterprise and disassembled. A Ressikan flute was found inside the probe, which Riker then presented to Picard. ( TNG : " The Inner Light ")

Picard considered the flute to be one of his most prized possessions. As of 2379 , he kept the flute on his desk in his ready room aboard the USS Enterprise -E . ( TNG : " Lessons "; Star Trek Nemesis )

Loss of the Enterprise -D [ ]

In 2371 , the USS Enterprise -D was lost over Veridian III , with the vessel's primary hull crash-landing on the planet's surface. Picard also met the legendary James T. Kirk while in the Nexus with him, and recruited him in defeating and killing Dr. Tolian Soran before he could have the chance to destroy the Veridian system. The casualties were light aboard the Enterprise , and most of the ship's senior crew was reassigned to the USS Enterprise -E , the sixth Federation starship to bear the name. ( Star Trek Generations ; Star Trek: First Contact )

Commanding the USS Enterprise -E [ ]

Stopping the borg [ ].

Picard in command of the Enterprise -E in 2373

Picard was installed as commanding officer and given a new authorization code : "Picard-4-7-alpha-tango." After a one-year shakedown cruise , the new Enterprise was nearly lost when the senior staff decided to sacrifice the ship in order to save Earth's future by preventing the Borg on board from changing history. Fortunately, the crew was able to repel the Borg attempt without having to destroy the Enterprise . ( Star Trek: First Contact )

The Ba'ku and the Son'a [ ]

Two years later, in 2375 , Picard ordered the Enterprise -E to the Ba'ku planet in the Briar Patch when it appeared that his operations officer, Lieutenant Commander Data, had malfunctioned and assaulted members of the research team there. Picard was able to capture Data and uncovered a plot by Admiral Dougherty , the Son'a and some in the Federation Council to relocate the Ba'ku against their will. Picard rebelled against Dougherty, bringing word of his actions to the public. Picard was able to protect the Ba'ku and stop Son'a leader Ru'afo from destroying the Ba'ku's homeworld. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Dealing with the Romulans [ ]

Picard and a dying Shinzon

Picard continued in command of the Enterprise through 2379 , when the ship was sent to Romulus after the coup by Praetor Shinzon . Shinzon was a clone of Picard created by a former Romulan government – they intended to replace the captain with a spy of their own. Following a change of government and concern that it would lead to war, the plan was abandoned and Shinzon was sent to Remus to die. Instead, he prospered, becoming a highly successful leader during the Dominion War . Shinzon used a thalaron radiation weapon to eradicate the Romulan Senate and had planned to do the same to Earth. He needed Picard in order to repair faults in his own genetic makeup.

In a pitched battle between the Enterprise and Shinzon's flagship , the Scimitar , Picard was eventually able to board the enemy ship and eliminate Shinzon. Data saved Picard's life by transporting the captain back to the Enterprise before sacrificing his own life; he destroyed the Scimitar by firing on the thalaron weapon with a hand phaser , thereby saving the crew of the Enterprise . ( Star Trek Nemesis )

In 2380 , Q remarked that Picard was "no fun, he's always quoting Shakespeare, he's always making wine." ( LD : " Veritas ")

Admiralty [ ]

By 2381 , Picard had been promoted to admiral and was substantially funding the work of independent archaeologist Petra Aberdeen as a patron of the Independent Archaeologists Guild . ( LD : " The Stars At Night ")

Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in 2381

Picard would meet Riker for a celebratory drink to toast Riker and Troi's newborn son Thaddeus . Riker informed Picard of the touch-and-go delivery and how Riker felt like he was about to lose his son then. ( PIC : " Seventeen Seconds ")

Evacuating the Romulan people [ ]

By 2385 , he was tasked with developing a fleet of ships to help rescue the populations of Romulus and other worlds of the Romulan Star Empire that were within the blast radius of an impending supernova . The Romulan government had requested the Federation's aid in this. ( PIC : " Remembrance ")

Sometime later, Picard had managed to help get some of the Romulan refugees to Vashti , in the Beta Quadrant . He visited the planet several times and on one occasion, brought Elnor , a young Romulan boy he had befriended and placed under the care of the Qowat Milat , a copy of the book The Three Musketeers , and on April 5, 2385 , began to teach him to fence. During the lesson, Raffi Musiker informed him that the rescue fleet under construction on Mars was under attack by rogue Synths . Picard, shocked at the news, bid farewell to the Qowat Milat and told them that he would try everything within his power to make sure the rest of their people could be saved. ( PIC : " Absolute Candor ")

Admiral Picard speaks with Commander Musiker about his meeting with the Federation Council

The attack destroyed not only all the ships of the rescue fleet but also Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards and ignited the stratosphere for years to come, rendering the terraformed planet uninhabitable. Picard called the attack, which cost over 92,000 lives, "devastating" in a Federation News Network broadcast at the time. Following this, the Federation chose both to enact a ban on the creation of synthetic lifeforms and to cancel the Romulan evacuation, dooming the majority of the population to death by the eventual supernova in 2387 . Picard met with the Federation Council with a plan for a new fleet, with "mothball ships" and significantly fewer officers but believed the evacuation could still work, he gave the council a choice: his new fleet or his resignation.

In truth, his threat to resign from Starfleet was the last, desperate card Picard had to play to continue the evacuation plan, and he was stunned when the council simply accepted it. Picard called the ban on synths "a mistake." His resignation angered Raffi Musiker, who had believed in his idea and suspected possible Tal Shiar involvement in the attack on Mars. ( PIC : " Remembrance "; ST : " Children of Mars "; PIC : " The End is the Beginning "; Star Trek )

Retirement [ ]

Following his resignation, Picard returned to his childhood home in France where he lived a pleasant but unfulfilling life. Living with him were two Romulan refugees Laris and Zhaban who joined his household about four years later, and also his dog Number One . He spent the next twelve years writing history books and tending to the vineyard. As the years wore on, Picard started to be plagued with dreams of Data and the destruction of Mars. ( PIC : " Remembrance ")

Zhat Vash mystery [ ]

Picard meets Dahj

In 2399 , now ninety-four years old, Picard was sought out by Dahj Asha , an android created from the remaining neural code from Lieutenant Commander Data. After having a dream about Data painting, Picard went to his vault inside the Starfleet Archive Museum to inspect a painting that Data had given him in 2369 . The woman in the painting looked exactly like Dahj, and since Data had named the painting "daughter", Picard concluded that Dahj must be an android, too. Dahj found Picard outside the archive, where he explained to her what he had learned. They were chased by Romulan operatives and Dahj was killed. Picard sought out cyberneticist Dr. Agnes Jurati at the Daystrom Institute to find more information about the deceased young woman. Jurati told him that Bruce Maddox might have managed to create androids based on Data's code, including Dahj and a "twin" sister . ( PIC : " Remembrance ")

Back at Château Picard, Laris , Picard, and Zhaban reviewed the security footage from Starfleet Headquarters where Dahj was killed. The computer told them that there was no trace of Dahj. This led Laris to believe that the Tal Shiar or even the Zhat Vash were behind the attack and were covering up their tracks. Soon after, Picard and Laris investigated Dahj's apartment in the greater Boston area. They discovered that their fears were true and the Zhat Vash were behind the events that were unfolding. Later that night, Dr. Moritz Benayoun visited Picard to inform him that he could not clear Picard for interstellar travel. Picard had passed all the tests Starfleet required, save for the abnormality in his parietal lobe . Picard went to Starfleet Headquarters to speak with Fleet admiral Kirsten Clancy to be reinstated and given a small ship and crew to track down Maddox and the second android. Still angered by the interview Picard gave only days before condemning Starfleet for abandoning the Romulan Rescue, Clancy denied his request. Later, Picard was visited by Dr. Jurati who informed him that Dahj's background had been created within the last few years, and there was no record of her before that time. Picard sought the help of his former first officer, Raffi Musiker , to find an unregistered ship and off the books pilot he could hire to help him track down Bruce Maddox and solve the Zhat Vash mystery. ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

Picard orders Rios to head to warp

Picard was able to get Musiker to agree to help after having a heart-to-heart with her. He apologized for letting her down and not being there when she needed him most. She put him in contact with Cristóbal Rios , the experienced pilot and CO of La Sirena . Picard beamed aboard Rios's ship, where he met the captain and his Emergency Medical Hologram . Picard and Rios discussed the latter's past with Starfleet and the job Picard was offering, which Rios seemed willing to accept. Back at the Château, Picard revealed to Laris that he never really felt at home at the vineyard and always felt he was best suited for life out among the stars. After Zhaban entered with provisions for Picard's journey, the three were attacked by Zhat Vash agents. They managed to defend themselves and dispatch the attackers. When a straggler came into the room after the main group, trying to shoot Picard, he was killed by Agnes Jurati, who had showed up unannounced. Jurati told Picard that Commodore Oh visited her and asked her about her conversations with him. Picard then interrogated one of the Romulan attackers and learned that they believed that Soji was "the Destroyer", " the end of all ". Before Picard and the others could learn more, the Romulan agent committed suicide with an acid capsule hidden in his teeth. Moments later, Rios called Picard to warn him of more trouble headed his way. Dr. Jurati convinced Picard to take her along on his mission, and the two beamed aboard La Sirena . To Picard's surprise, he found that Musiker was there, too. She told Picard that, based on the information he gave her, she had discovered that Bruce Maddox was on Freecloud . Picard ordered Rios to jump to warp to begin their mission. ( PIC : " The End is the Beginning ")

Picard speaks with Elnor on Vashti

A short while into the mission, Picard decided to have Rios change course to Vashti . Ostensibly, he wished to visit the Qowat Milat , an all female order of Romulan warrior nuns, and find a qalankhkai , a sworn blade, to join his cause. Musiker suspected he was really looking for Elnor , a young Romulan Picard had developed paternal feelings towards during the Romulan Rescue Mission. Musiker informed Picard that Vashti had become grimmer since he had last visited, and the destruction of the Romulan homeworld left many with bitter feelings towards the Federation. Once on Vashti, Picard reunited with the Qowat Milat. He was surprised to find Elnor still living among them. Elnor, who had once admired Picard, was now feeling resentful since Picard had abandoned him and his people. Picard asked Elnor to become his qalankkhai , but Elnor refused. While waiting for a transporter window to return to the ship, Picard decided to have a drink in a tavern with a "Romulans Only" sign, which he tore down. A former Romulan senator confronted Picard about the failures of the Federation, and escalated the conflict to a physical fight. Picard refused to fight the man, and was saved by Elnor, who declared himself Picard's qalankkhai . Once the two of them were back on La Sirena , the ship was attacked by Kar Kantar , a local warlord commanding an old Romulan Bird-of-Prey . During the fight, a mysterious ship appeared to help but was nearly destroyed in the process. Once the Bird of Prey was disabled Picard, Rios, and Musiker beamed the pilot on board La Sirena , to discover it was Seven of Nine , who was working for the Fenris Rangers . As soon as she was safe on board, Seven quipped, "You owe me a ship, Picard." and passed out. ( PIC : " Absolute Candor ")

Picard in his bounty hunter disguise

Back en route to Freecloud, Seven and Picard met in his study on La Sirena's holodeck and discussed Picard's mission and Seven's work as a vigilante. Seven thought Picard was on a typical grandiose diplomatic mission, but when he told her he was trying to save someone who had no-one else to help her, Seven agreed to help him. Upon arriving at Freecloud, Picard and the others came up with a plan to extract Bruce Maddox from Bjayzl , the nightclub owner and ruthless merchant of Borg parts who was holding him prisoner. Picard played the part of a bounty hunter who offered Seven of Nine in exchange for Maddox. During the meeting, Seven revealed that she knew Bjayzl and was planning to kill her as revenge for Bjayzl killing Icheb , the ex-Borg who was like a son to Seven. Rios and Picard managed to de-escalate the situation and rescue Maddox. Back on La Sirena , Picard appealed to Seven not to try and seek revenge. Seven asked him if after his time in the Borg Collective he felt he had gained back his Humanity. Picard admitted he did not think he had gained back all of it, " but we're both working on it, aren't we? " Seven agreed, but beamed back down to Freecloud to kill Bjayzl anyway. Later Picard met with Maddox in sickbay, and Maddox told him about Soji and revealed that she was on the Artifact . ( PIC : " Stardust City Rag ")

Picard and Hugh share a hug upon meeting again after many years

On the way to the Artifact, Jurati and Picard discussed the death of Bruce Maddox and Picard's past as Locutus of Borg. It became clear that Picard was still traumatized by his time in the collective and he got angry when Jurati suggested the isolated Borg on the Artifact might have changed. He retreated to his holographic study, where he had been researching the Borg Reclamation Project and its director, Hugh , a former Borg Picard had encountered decades earlier. In order to gain access to the Artifact, Picard asked Musiker to use her connection to Captain Emily Bosch to get him diplomatic credentials. Bosch made him a special envoy to the Reclamation Project, but the Romulans refused to let Sirena land and insisted Picard had to beam over alone. Once on board the cube, was plagued by more flashbacks until he was welcomed by Hugh, and the two had a heartfelt reunion. Hugh showed Picard around the Reclamation Project and explained his work and the plight of the xBs . He agreed to help Picard in finding Soji, but when they went to her quarters they found them empty and in disarray. At first, Hugh was unable to track Soji, leading Picard to guess someone might be keeping her hidden. Once Soji freed herself from the death trap Narek set for her, though, her signal reappeared and Hugh and Picard tracked her down. Although Picard told Soji he was a friend of her father's and her sister had come to Picard for help, she was hesitant to trust him. Ultimately, though, she believed him when he said he was trying to help her, and Picard, Hugh and Soji fled from the Romulans that were pursuing them to the queencell . Hugh activated the spatial trajector hidden in the cell to help Picard and Soji escape. When they were accosted by Romulan guards, Elnor came to the rescue, after having gained access to the Artifact despite Picard's orders to stay on La Sirena . Picard told Musiker and Rios he was going to take Soji to Nepenthe and they should rendezvous there. He ordered Elnor to come along, but Elnor refused, insisting he should cover Picard's escape. ( PIC : " The Impossible Box ")

Picard shares a moment with Riker

Upon arriving on Nepenthe, Picard and Soji were greeted by Kestra Troi-Riker , the daughter of William T. Riker and Deanna Troi . Kestra took the two visitors to the Riker residence, where Picard joyfully reunited with Deanna and Will. Picard explained the situation to them and they welcomed him and Soji to stay as long as they needed. During the visit, Picard spent time with his old friends, reminiscing about the Rikers' late son Thaddeus Troi-Riker and discussing Soji and his current mission. Initially, Picard did not want to give away the details, Will was able to guess that Soji was Data's daughter, and thus an android. At dinner, Deanna and Will helped Picard to convince Soji she could trust him, and Soji revealed how Narek had manipulated her into telling him about her homeworld. Going off the details she mentions and with the help of a friend, Kestra was able to identify the planet Soji was describing as Ghulion IV , and they all agreed Picard should get help from Starfleet and take Soji to her homeworld. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Picard speaks with Soji about her past and Commander Data on board La Sirena .

After getting back to La Sirena and making introductions, Picard asked Rios to plot a course for Deep Space 12 and to get him a secure channel to Starfleet Command. In his holographic study, Picard spoke with Admiral Clancy about Soji and the other possible synths and asked for a squadron to travel to the Vayt sector . He proceeded to add arguments to his cause before Clancy bluntly shushed him, telling him that a squadron would meet him at DS12. After this, Picard spoke with Dr. Jurati in sickbay, where told her she would be turning herself in at DS12 for the murder of Bruce Maddox. Jurati told him about the mission Commodore Oh gave her and the Admonition , though Picard remained somewhat skeptical. Soon after, the crew gathered and, guided by Musiker, pieced together the truth about the Zhat Vash, the Attack on Mars, Commodore Oh, and the synths. Realizing she had given the Romulans the means to eradicate her people, Soji tried to hijack La Sirena and change their course to head directly for her homeworld and warn the synths there of the impending attack. Rios was able to regain control of the ship, but Picard agreed with Soji and tried to take command of Sirena himself. He was foiled when he was unable to work the ship's controls. Soji managed to convince Rios to help take her home, and together, they headed for the transwarp conduit that would take them to Ghulion IV. ( PIC : " Broken Pieces ")

"Death" and resurrection [ ]

Upon arriving on the synth homeworld of Coppelius , in which the La Sirena crashed on the surface, Jurati was able to discover the abnormality in Picard's brain, which he revealed to the rest of the crew as being diagnosed as terminal just before La Sirena left Earth. He made a point of saying he would not be treated like a dying man, and they would continue with the mission. As he had promised, he delivered Soji to her people at Coppelius Station , a community of synths led by Dr. Altan Soong , the son of Data's creator Noonian Soong. Picard and Soji told the assembled synths that the Romulans were en route to their world to destroy them. Picard sent a secure message to Starfleet informing them that he had made first contact and requested diplomatic negotiations and Starfleet protection for Coppelius and its inhabitants. The synth community, led by Sutra , had come to another conclusion: They had discovered that the " Admonition " that the Zhat Vash believed to be a warning against synthetics was in fact a message meant for synthetics, to call for help from a hidden race of advanced artificial lifeforms to preserve their existence… even if it meant exterminating organic life in the process. In order to stop him from trying to instill doubt in the others, Soong and Sutra ordered that Picard be held under house arrest. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 ")

Picard leaving a complex quantum simulation as his consciousness is transferred into a golem

Picard was eventually rescued by Jurati, and the two of them traveled to the La Sirena ; unbeknownst to them, the others had returned to Coppelius Station to stop the construction of the transmitter. Having learned the ship's controls from his observations of Rios, Picard was able to take the ship back into orbit and face down the Romulan fleet, led by Commodore Oh, now revealed as a Romulan general. A fleet of Starfleet ships, led by Riker aboard the USS Zheng He , arrived in response to Picard's transmission, informing the Romulans that Coppelius was under Federation protection. Picard pleaded on an open channel with Soji, who was working to build the transmitter, to not become the "Destroyer" that the Romulans believed her to be. Finally giving in, Soji destroyed the transmitter, leaving the Romulans no choice but to withdraw in the face of the overwhelming Starfleet force. With Coppelius saved, Picard collapsed, his body beginning to fail as the result of his illness. He was beamed to the planet's surface, where he died in the company of the crew he had led on this mission. Soong had been working to create a golem to transfer his consciousness into, and had just completed the work before the Romulans arrived; working with Jurati and Soji, Soong was able to transfer Picard's consciousness and memories into the golem before his brain functions ceased completely. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

With a second chance at life, he continued on with the crew of the La Sirena , noting along with Soji Asha that with the Federation's synthetic ban lifted, they were both free to travel as they pleased. Notably, the golem 's neural net did not contain the defect in Picard's parietal lobe that caused the death of his Human body. The android body was built to be identical to his Human body in all other ways, lacking any enhanced physical or mental abilities and having the same remaining lifespan Picard's Human body would have had if not for his brain defect. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

Return to Starfleet [ ]

Picard chancelloring in 2401

By 2401 , Picard was reinstated as an admiral in Starfleet, and appointed Chancellor of Starfleet Academy . He also continued to run Château Picard . At this time, Laris , Romulan refugee under his employ, made her feelings of affection known to him. Despite clearly having romantic feelings for her, Picard's sense of duty left him unable to reciprocate. When Picard suggested that nothing had to change between them following her confession, Laris responded that ruing would be awkward she was too old for awkward.

Shortly after giving the opening statement at Starfleet Academy , Picard was visited by Fleet Admiral Sally Whitley on a very sensitive matter. Whitley explained that an anomaly showed up in space, caused a large spike in Adler-Lasky temporal radiation , and then began to broadcast. She played the initial distorted broadcast, then filters it out to " help us, Picard ". Whitley explained the transmission fell under Article 15 , an entreaty to join the Federation and apparently, they only wished to speak to Picard about it. She held out a combadge for him, which he reluctantly accepted.

Picard boarded the USS Stargazer , now under Rios’s command, in order to initiate contact with the anomaly. When there was no reply to his hail, he tried again, only for a legion of voices to speak his name. Energy spikes caused the consoles and viewscreen to stutter and something began coming through the rift. Rios called for red alert and ordered the helm to give them distance. A massive vessel came through the rift and emitted a shock wave . It soon became apparent that the vessel was Borg. While Picard and others debated whether the Borg should be trusted, the Borg Queen , covered in metallic armor, arrived on the Stargazer and began to take control of the ship. In order to stop the Borg Queen from taking over the vessel, Picard called for the ship to self-destruct .

Picard suddently found himself in an alternate timeline where the Federation had been replaced by a militaristic Confederation of Earth whose goal to eliminate all other life in the galaxy. He was then visited by Q who reminded Picard about the words that he said to him when they last parted ways, " the trial never ends. " Q reminded Picard about how he had talked about second chances and told him that he was now at the " very end of the road not taken. " ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

Picard soon discovered that he wasn’t alone in this timeline – Q had brought Rios, Agnes, Raffi, Elnor, and Seven as well. A captured Borg Queen, scheduled for execution, revealed that, since the Borg have insight into various timeline ]s, she knew the when the timeline divergence occurred—the year 2024 . After hooking up the Queen to the CSS La Sirena .

Thanks to a Watcher named Tallinn , Picard discovered that the focal point of the divergence was his ancestor, Renee Picard who was scheduled to depart on the Europa space mission. ( PIC : " Watcher ") Tallinn informed Picard that Renee suffered from debilitating bouts of depression, which reminded Picard of his own mother who suffered from the same condition. ( PIC : " Monsters ")

Ultimately, the entire scenario was Q’s effort to help Jean-Luc deal with the trauma of his mother’s suicide when he was a child. The timeline was restored, and Q sent the group, minus Rios, who elected to stay in 2024, back to the Stargazer just before Picard called for the self-destruct. He quickly realized that the mysterious Borg Queen was Agnes, who’d been assimilated by the Queen in 2024. Her intent was not malicious – it was to warn the Federation of the real threat the anomaly posed. Though the Queen knew how the anomaly could be defended against, she didn’t know the nature of the threat and asked for provisional membership in the Federation so that she could be "the guardian at the gate."

Picard returned to the Chateau and discovered that Laris arranged for the solarium to be restored to its former glory. She also began preparing to leave the chateau for good. Having come to understand the origin of his difficulties regarding long-term relationships, Picard admitted his foolish behavior and asked Laris for her forgiveness and a second chance. Laris agreed. ( PIC : " Farewell ")

Second retirement [ ]

Picard's original body

Later that year, Picard retired from Starfleet again and made preparations to accompany Laris to Chaltok IV where she would be setting up diplomatic security. The plan changed when he received an encrypted message from Dr. Beverly Crusher, asking for his help. ( PIC : " The Next Generation ")

Subsequently, Picard was reunited with his old command crew and Seven of Nine on the USS Titan -A and discovered that Jack Crusher , the target of Vadic and a rogue faction of the Changelings , was actually his son.

Vadic had stolen Picard's body from where it was stored at Daystrom Station in order to extract a part of his brain. Ultimately, his body was destroyed along with Vadic and her ship, the Shrike . ( PIC : " The Bounty ", " Surrender ", " Võx ")

Following the defeat of Vadic, it was discovered that Picard had been genetically altered when he was Locutus of Borg to be a Borg receiver. This resulted in Picard subsequently being able to hear the Borg Collective even without implants in the years following his rescue from assimilation. The alteration had been misdiagnosed as Irumodic Syndrome and was what had actually killed him. Jack inherited this genetic abnormality from Picard, but he instead become a transmitter capable of communicating with the Collective. The Changelings used the abnormality, extracted from Picard's original body, to allow the Borg to take over Starfleet officers and begin the assimilation of the Federation, virtually unchallenged.

With the Titan -A falling under Borg control, Seven and Raffi Musiker fighting a rebellion, and Jack captured, Picard, Beverly, Will Riker, Worf, Data, Deanna Troi, and Geordi La Forge retreated to the Fleet Museum , which was under La Forge's command. Geordi revealed that he had spent the last twenty years secretly rebuilding the destroyed USS Enterprise -D, the saucer section of which had been recovered from Veridian III to avoid impacting the planet's development in accordance with the Prime Directive. As an older ship, the Enterprise was not linked into Starfleet's mainframe and its modern fleet automation system and was thus unaffected by the Borg takeover. Picard resumed command of his old ship to once again fight the Borg, humorously accepting a field demotion to the rank of captain after the Enterprise computer identified him as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, due to the long-outdated crew manifest . ( PIC : " Võx ") He, in turn, ordered everyone to take their stations and to set course for Earth.

Under Picard's leadership, the Enterprise engaged a Borg cube over Jupiter , where Jack was held and used to communicate with all assimilated Starfleet officers. Picard beamed aboard the Borg ship to rescue Jack, while Riker and Worf boarded to locate a beacon used to command the compromised fleet. Picard was confronted by his old enemy, the Borg Queen. She revealed that the Borg Collective had been decimated to the point of near destruction by the neurolytic pathogen spread by an alternate timeline version of Admiral Kathryn Janeway decades earlier ( VOY : " Endgame "). The Queen resorted to cannibalism to survive; the collective had been reduced to a handful of drones, a single cube, and the aged and starving Queen.

In an effort to save his son, Picard linked with Jack, who eventually broke free as the Enterprise destroyed the beacon. With a chain reaction desolating the cube, Deanna took the Enterprise helm to intercept and retrieve the away team. She detected their position via her mental link with Riker, beaming Picard, Jack, Worf, and her husband out at the last moment. The Enterprise raced free of the cube as it exploded, ending the Borg once and for all and breaking their control over Starfleet. As a reward for saving the Federation, Picard and his crew all received full pardons for their criminal actions while Seven was promoted to the rank of Captain.

A year later, Picard and La Forge returned a fully-restored Enterprise- D to the Fleet Museum for display. Picard, having returned to his retirement, enjoyed a drink and a game of poker with his old command crew at 10 Forward Avenue . He also accompanied Jack to the former Titan -A to see his son off on his first assignment as a Starfleet ensign . Now under the command of Captain Seven, the ship was rechristened the USS Enterprise -G in honor of the actions of Picard and his command crew. While on the Enterprise -G, Jack was visited by Q, who revealed that while the trial of Humanity was over for Picard, it had just begun for Jack. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Anything but canon account [ ]

A 24th century photo of Jean-Luc Picard being viewed in the late 32nd century

By the 32nd century , Picard's personal files were still part of the Federation and Starfleet databases that survived the Burn . In 3189 , the USS Discovery 's chief science officer , Commander Michael Burnham , examined his files and saw his encounter with her brother Spock on Romulus. ( DIS : " Unification III ", " Terra Firma, Part 1 "; TNG : " Unification II ")

In 3190 , Hugh Culber cited Picard's resurrection as the first successful implementation of the Soong Method when he was preparing to use it to provide Gray Tal with a new body. Following the success with Picard, there was a low success rate with other people, and it was eventually abandoned. ( DIS : " Anomaly (DIS) ")

In 3191 , Doctor Kovich told Burnham about Picard's involvement with the discovery of the Progenitors and showed Burnham footage of Picard receiving the Progenitors' message. Kovich revealed that following Picard's discovery, Doctor Vellek -- one of the Romulans present when Picard uncovered the Progenitors' message -- had subsequently discovered the technology used by the Progenitors to create humanoid life. Starfleet had also kept the discovery top secret for centuries out of fear of what might happen should the technology fall into the wrong hands. The discovery of Vellek's science ship started a treasure hunt for the Progenitors' technology. ( TNG : " The Chase "; DIS : " Red Directive ")

Alternate realities and timelines [ ]

Energy vortex encounter [ ].

Picard from six hours in the future

In 2365 , the Enterprise -D was pulled into an energy vortex and could not return to normal space. In order not to be pulled even further, La Forge had to hold the ship at maximum warp, but such power drainage threatened to destroy the Enterprise . Thinking that the vortex recognized him as the "brain" of the ship and wanted him, and not the Enterprise , Picard boarded the shuttle El-Baz and left the vessel. The Enterprise was still destroyed, and the El-Baz was pulled six hours back in time, where it was picked up by that time period's Enterprise . Picard encountered his past self, who wanted to discover what would happen to the ship in the future and how to prevent it. Frantic, the future Picard tried to depart in the El-Baz again, but his past counterpart decided that it was time "to end the cycle" and killed him with a phaser. The Enterprise was then able to escape the vortex. ( TNG : " Time Squared ")

Federation-Klingon War [ ]

A wartorn Picard making a final stand against a Klingon attack

In 2366 , the USS Enterprise -C emerged from a temporal rift . Its disappearance from the year 2344 caused an altered timeline, where the Federation was losing a war against the Klingon Empire . Picard was still the Enterprise -D's commanding officer, though more toughened due to the horrors of war. Upon Guinan's advice, Picard decided to send the Enterprise -C back to the past. After Captain Rachel Garrett was killed during a Klingon attack, Picard allowed Richard Castillo to assume command and return the Enterprise -C to 2344 . ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

Nausicaan attack [ ]

Lieutenant junior grade Jean-Luc Picard

In an alternate timeline created by Q, Picard was given the chance to walk away from his fight with the Nausicaan that caused serious injury to his heart, forcing a bionic replacement to be installed. When he returned to the present, Picard was a mere lieutenant junior grade , with Worf as his supervisor. This was because his near-death experience made the young Picard realize just how fragile life was and how important it could be, thus making him even more determined to make his mark in the universe and take risks; as it was, all Picard learned from the incident was to play it safe and not take risks. Picard convinced Q to allow him to correct the damage to his timeline and returned to his reality (although it was never confirmed whether this actually happened or if it was just a near-death hallucination). ( TNG : " Tapestry ")

Quantum fissure encounter [ ]

Picard from another quantum reality

In 2370 , Lieutenant Worf encountered a quantum fissure which caused him to begin shifting between quantum realities . In several universes, Picard was still captain of the Enterprise and attended a surprise birthday party for Worf, though his services were stated to be required on the bridge. In the final universe in which Worf arrived, William Riker was the captain, as Picard was lost in the Borg encounter of 2367 . In another reality, the Borg had invaded the Federation and the Enterprise was one of the few ships left. Worf was finally returned to his own quantum reality and the quantum fissure was sealed. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

Anti-time encounters [ ]

Picard in an alternate timeline

Also in 2370, while standing trial by Q, Picard's consciousness was shifting between three alternate timelines. In an alternate 2364 , Picard disobeyed Starfleet orders from the moment he arrived on board the Enterprise at Earth Station McKinley. He called a red alert while docked at the station, ordered the ship to the Devron system instead of to Farpoint Station and took the vessel into a temporal anomaly there. In an alternate 2370 , Picard was diagnosed with Irumodic Syndrome by Dr. Crusher. This caused her to reconsider her relationship with Picard, and she reversed her earlier decision to remain just friends. The Enterprise was dispatched to the Devron system near the Romulan Neutral Zone where it discovered the temporal anomaly. In an unknown, alternate future timeframe , Picard found himself at his family's vineyard with Geordi La Forge. Picard contacted Riker, now an admiral and commanding officer of Starbase 247 , for help in investigating the anomaly, but Riker refused to allow him passage to the Neutral Zone, thinking Picard had been affected by his Irumodic Syndrome and was delusional. Later, Picard convinced his ex-wife, Beverly Picard, to take her medical ship, the USS Pasteur , to investigate the anomaly. The Pasteur was attacked and destroyed by Klingon battleships , but the Enterprise , under command of Admiral Riker, arrived to rescue the crew and fight off the Klingons. Picard once again pleaded with Riker to return to the Devron system , but he was then sedated and returned to quarters. Armed with new information gathered from the other two timeframes, Picard woke and went to talk to Riker and the other former Enterprise officers, and convinced them that the anomaly existed. The Enterprise returned just in time to watch it form, and Riker ordered the Enterprise into the anomaly, where it used a static warp shell in concert with the other Enterprise s to collapse it. After the anomaly was sealed, the timelines were erased, and only Picard retained memory of those events. He told his staff of his experiences in the future, in hopes that things such as the conflict between Worf and Riker that followed Deanna Troi's death never happen. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

The Nexus [ ]

Picard in the Nexus

In 2371 , Picard was briefly trapped in the Nexus during a mission to stop renegade El-Aurian scientist Dr. Tolian Soran from destroying the Veridian system . In the perfect world in the Nexus, his nephew René (who had recently died in a fire) was still alive, and he had a wife and four children. Realizing that it wasn't real, he rejected the reality offered to him and left the Nexus to defeat Soran with the aid of Captain James T. Kirk. ( Star Trek Generations )

Confederation of Earth [ ]

A young Jean-Luc Picard

In an alternate timeline created by Q where Earth had become the Confederation of Earth by the 25th century , Picard was a ruthless and highly successful general in the Confederation Corps . During his years of service, he subjugated and conquered hundreds of species and annihilated several planets, such as Qo'noS . At one point, he had either overseen or directly commanded the CSS World Razer .

A holographic recording of General Picard

By 2401 , General Picard had obtained a synthetic body, as a result of his battle with Gul Dukat . That year, Picard was to speak at the Eradication Day ceremonies on Earth, where he was to publicly execute the Borg Queen and receive the title of " Borgslayer ".

General Picard had a large home on Earth, maintained by android servants and Romulan slaves. In one room of the house, he maintained a large trophy room . ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ", " Penance ")

Holograms [ ]

Picard as an Admiral in Barash's holoprogram

• As part of Reginald Barclay 's holo-addiction , he had created at least two programs that had recreations of Jean-Luc. One was a recreation of the Enterprise -D, the other, Barclay Program 15 , had Picard as one of The Three Musketeers . ( TNG : " Hollow Pursuits ")
• A Jean-Luc Picard hologram was in Barash 's holoprogram , this future Picard was a full admiral. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ")

Personal life [ ]

Picard in a Dixon Hill holographic novel

Picard held diverse intellectual interests and recreational pursuits. He was a lifelong avocational archaeologist, inspired by his Academy instructor, Galen, having studied the Iconian culture since his cadet days. Picard even addressed the Federation Archaeology Council as keynote speaker in 2367 , on the subject of his oft-studied Tagus III ruins.

He also had a deep love of Terran literature, from the works of William Shakespeare to detective stories featuring Dixon Hill , and preferred to read them in their written form rather than on a holo-visual display. Picard had studied semantics and kept his Latin fresh. ( TNG : " The Chase ", " Qpid ", " Hide And Q ", " Clues ", " The Game ")

Other subjects that enthralled Picard were physics and celestial mechanics. He kept up with the Atlantis Project on Earth through journals. Picard was fascinated to be the first to reveal an ancient Promellian battle cruiser , as visiting such an elegant craft was always a dream of Picard's, a dream he had held on to ever since he was a child when he used to build model airships and starships in bottles, surmising that he likely had a Promellian battle cruiser in his collection. ( TNG : " Family ", " Booby Trap ")

Picard, while painting on the Enterprise

After his experience with the Kataan probe, Picard began to play the Ressikan flute and was good enough to perform works by Mozart . He considered the flute to be one of his most prized possessions. It represented, to him, an entire lifetime he lived in only 25 minutes. As of 2379 , Picard kept the flute on his desk in his ready room aboard the Enterprise -E. His attempts at painting were less successful. ( TNG : " The Chase ", " Family ", " The Inner Light ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " A Matter of Perspective "; Star Trek Nemesis )

Despite Picard being a rather private person, he maintained a good relationship with the members of his senior staff on board the Enterprise , but only joined in their weekly game of poker after seven years. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

When enjoying the comforts of home on the Enterprise , Picard drank Earl Grey tea . He delighted in fencing , horseback riding , and his scale models of various Starfleet vessels. His opponents in fencing included Lieutenant Dean and Guinan , whom Picard coached in the sport. She initially lost one of their matches and said she did not think she liked the sport. Picard replied she liked it well enough two weeks prior, when she scored him two touches. ( TNG : " We'll Always Have Paris ", " I Borg ")

Picard on holiday

Only rarely did Picard take extended time off to relax. In 2366 , several of the members of his crew persuaded him to go on holiday on Risa . While intending to just relax in the suns, reading a book, he ended up going on a treasure hunt for the Tox Uthat , an artifact from the future. ( TNG : " Captain's Holiday ")

Philosophically, Picard saw life and death as more than two choices of eternal or momentary existence. In fact, he believed there was another concept yet beyond Human understanding due to the marvelous complexity and the clockwork precision of the universe. In 2364 , confronted by Q, Picard quoted from Shakespeare: " What a piece of work is man? How noble in reason? How infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel, in apprehension, how like a god… " Upon Q's interruption that surely he did not see his own species like that, Picard answered that he saw Humankind one day becoming so. In Picard's opinion, genetic engineering with its predetermination robbed Humanity of the unknown factor that makes life worth living. ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ", " Hide And Q ", " The Masterpiece Society ")

Medical record [ ]

Picard always remained in excellent health, thanks to a regimen carried over from his days as an athlete, and at the age of seventy-four (in 2379), was still a vibrant and healthy man. Even twenty years later, Dr. Moritz Benayoun told Picard, "For a relic, you're in excellent shape." ( Star Trek Nemesis ; PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

Despite his captaincy of the Enterprise , Picard still found time for fencing, racquetball , and equine sports, usually on the holodeck . Nevertheless, he did show a tendency to overwork, avoided formal vacations, and had reported bouts of insomnia . Additionally, Picard usually tried to avoid his annual physicals, to the great irritation of Dr. Crusher. ( TNG : " We'll Always Have Paris ", " Pen Pals ", " Suddenly Human ", " Captain's Holiday ", " Allegiance ")

At a very young age, Picard was diagnosed with Shalaft's Syndrome , a rare congenital defect that left him hypersensitive to any kind of sound. His condition was treated, but his hearing was still highly acute. As an ensign, Picard could sense subtleties as faint as a starship's torque sensors out of alignment by three microns. ( Star Trek: Insurrection ; Star Trek Nemesis )

Picard lost his hair by the 2350s , although he was known to have had a shaved head for some time as a student at Starfleet Academy . ( TNG : " Rascals ", " Tapestry ", " Violations "; Star Trek Nemesis )

Undergoing cardiac replacement surgery in 2365

Owing to a near-fatal stabbing through the heart in 2328 , an artificial heart was implanted to save Picard's life. The unit required replacement when it malfunctioned in 2365 , overseen at Starbase 515 by Dr. Katherine Pulaski . Four years later, the unit was damaged and again replaced following a near-fatal Lenarian compressed tetryon weaponry attack. ( TNG : " Samaritan Snare ", " Tapestry ")

Following his assimilation by the Borg in 2366, Picard was formally declared dead as a casualty of war by Admiral J.P. Hanson . The ruling was rescinded six days later when Picard was recaptured by the crew of the Enterprise . Along with the physical recovery, the incident took an enormous emotional toll and required several weeks of intensive counseling. Even after over thirty years since his assimilation, Picard would tell Seven of Nine that he didn't feel as if he had regained all of his Humanity since his liberation from the Collective . Picard underwent similar, though less lengthy, recuperation following his capture and torture by Cardassians in 2369 . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Chain Of Command, Part I ", PIC : " Stardust City Rag ")

In an alternate future timeline, Jean-Luc developed Irumodic Syndrome , and in the corresponding alternate "present" timeline in 2370 he became aware of his future condition due to being shifted through time by Q . When Picard asked Dr. Crusher to perform medical scans on him in regards to this apparent fate, Crusher confirmed that Picard had a small structural defect in his parietal lobe that could possibly lead to Irumodic Syndrome, among other possible disorders. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

In 2399 , Picard asked Dr. Moritz Benayoun to provide him with a certificate for interstellar service . Picard's results were at or above Starfleet standards in every category ( cardiovascular , metabolic , and cognitive ), but the defect in his parietal lobe had developed further. Dr. Benayoun said the defect indicated one of several syndromes, all of which were fatal. ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ") He ultimately died just after the Defense of Coppelius due to the defect, only continuing to live on when his consciousness was transferred into a golem lacking the defect but otherwise identical to his Human body. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ") It was later revealed that Picard did not in fact have Irumodic Syndrome as was previously believed, but rather it was a false positive. In reality, Picard's condition was a result of the Borg changing him on a genetic level when he was Locutus of Borg . This turned Picard into a receiver for the Borg Collective , meaning that he could hear them even without his implants, and it was inherited by his son Jack Crusher as a transceiver. Even as a golem, Picard retained this residual link to the Collective. This was a part of the Borg Queen 's long-term plans. ( PIC : " Võx ", " The Last Generation ")

Personal relationships [ ]

Picard shows Deanna Troi his family photos

Picard claimed that he was able to trace his family's roots in western Europe back to the time of Charlemagne in the 8th century . He had "never been a family man," and was thus long uncomfortable with the presence of children aboard the Galaxy -class Enterprise . The orphaned son of Lieutenant Marla Aster again raised his concern about the vessel's civilian family contingent, although his unease with children had lessened since being stranded with three youths during a shipboard quantum filament crisis. His time on Kataan also affected his views concerning family and children, as he admitted not being able to imagine a life without them. His initial reaction to family was also reflected in the friction with his father, and later his older brother, over leaving the family business. Upon the sudden accidental deaths of his brother Robert and his nephew René, the issue of lineage and Picard's lack of offspring caused a strong yet brief period of depression. ( TNG : " Journey's End ", " The Bonding ", " Disaster ", " The Inner Light ", " Family "; Star Trek Generations )

In 2370, DaiMon Bok threatened Jason Vigo , claiming that Jason was Picard's son. It was soon revealed that Jason was not actually Picard's son. As a parting gift, Picard gave Jason an archaeological artifact of significant sentimental value. ( TNG : " Bloodlines ")

Jack Crusher [ ]

Jack Crusher in 2401

Picard's romance with Beverly Crusher produced a son, Jack Crusher. Jack grew up never knowing he was Picard's son as Beverly kept Jack's father's identity a secret. Following the Changeling and Borg crisis on Frontier Day , the two grew close with Picard accompanying his son to his first assignment on the USS Enterprise -G . ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ", " The Last Generation ")

Romance [ ]

Lwaxana troi [ ].

Picard and Ambassador Lwaxana Troi in 2365

When Ambassador Lwaxana Troi visited the Enterprise in 2365 , she had just entered her Betazoid phase , and so she set her sights on several male crewmembers as potential mates, including Picard. She announced her " wedding " with William Riker on the bridge of the Enterprise shortly before moving on to Picard. Following an intimate dinner with the ambassador, Picard hid himself on the holodeck in a Dixon Hill holonovel . Lwaxana continued to teasingly flirt with Picard during her future visits to the Enterprise . On one occasion, Picard pretended to be in love with Lwaxana in order to save the ambassador's daughter, Deanna Troi, and Riker from Ferengi captivity. Lwaxana was most impressed with his Shakespearian poetry. ( TNG : " Manhunt ", " Ménage à Troi ")

Picard had a relationship with an "adventurer" and some-time criminal named Vash . They initially met when Picard aided her attempts to find a rare artifact. Over the course of their adventure, the two developed an intimate relationship. Vash later returned to the Enterprise as part of an archaeological advisory team and was upset to find that Picard had not told his friends about their relationship. At the same time, Q appeared on the ship, and in return for Picard's aid in getting back to the Q Continuum, he created a Robin Hood fantasy world in which Picard (Robin) had to save Vash ( Maid Marian ). Eventually, Vash and Picard parted on good terms, as she decided to travel the universe with Q. She later reappeared one last time on Deep Space 9 after being unceremoniously abandoned by her "partner" Q. ( TNG : " Qpid "; DS9 : " Q-Less ")

In 2368 , while mediating negotiations between the warring planets Krios and Valt Minor , Picard encountered Kamala , an empathic metamorph intended as a gift for Valtese Chancellor Alrik . Due to premature emergence from stasis, Kamala underwent her bonding phase before the marriage could be completed. When circumstances placed Picard and Kamala in close proximity to each other, she eventually bonded with the captain. Having adapted to be perfectly compatible with Picard, Kamala found that her sense of duty demanded that she proceed with the marriage rather than pursue a relationship with Picard. Picard was deeply affected by Kamala, as shown by his reaction to Ambassador Briam 's inquiry about the experience. ( TNG : " The Perfect Mate ")

Nella Daren [ ]

Picard and Nella Daren in 2369

In 2369 , Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren came aboard the Enterprise to become head of the ship's Stellar sciences department . In her new role, she was very forthright in her requests for ship resources to support her department's studies. Soon after coming aboard, she and Picard met. A friendship quickly formed, based on their shared love for music. Daren accompanied the captain on a portable piano while he played the Ressikan flute. Their friendship soon blossomed into love. The crew reacted differently to Picard and Daren's romance: Deanna Troi was happy for Picard and gave her blessing; Beverly Crusher seemed jealous; and Riker felt that Daren was asking for special treatment because she was the captain's "girlfriend."

When a fire storm threatened the Bersallis III Federation outpost, Daren suggested a plan to shield the outpost against the heat while the Enterprise evacuated the colonists. Eight crewmen lost their lives, but Daren survived. Afterward, it became obvious to Picard and Daren that it would be extremely difficult to continue their relationship while serving on the same ship, thus Daren requested a transfer. As they said goodbye, they promised to keep seeing each other, but knew their relationship would never be the same. ( TNG : " Lessons ")

Picard and Anij on Ba'ku

In 2375 , Picard developed a short, though intimate relationship with the Ba'ku woman Anij , while protecting her planet from the combined Starfleet- Son'a threat. Anij, while over three hundred years old, appeared as a woman in her late thirties. Despite their intimacy, Picard returned to the Enterprise after the planned relocation of the Ba'ku was averted. Shortly before leaving, Picard said he had 318 days of vacation time coming, and that he planned on using them. ( Star Trek: Insurrection )

Beverly Crusher [ ]

Picard and Crusher in the captain's ready room

Beverly Crusher and Picard maintained a close friendship while serving on the Enterprise -D, usually sharing their morning meal together. Crusher usually tried to serve a new and exotic food, although both she and Picard preferred something simple. ( TNG : " Attached ")

Their relationship stayed platonic, for the most part. They considered one another close friends and would give each other advice when dealing with difficult decisions. While Crusher was in anguish over Odan 's failing health while the symbiont was in Riker's body, Picard gave her a hug, and assured her that he would always be her friend and be willing to help her any way he could. ( TNG : " The Host ")

Crusher's anger over the treatment of Kamala led to Picard spending time with her, where he quickly learned that he was falling for the metamorph. Crusher did not know what to say, but reciprocated the emotional support he had offered the year prior. ( TNG : " The Perfect Mate ")

Picard tried to make Crusher realize that the deaths of Jo'Bril and later Reyga were not her fault and that she should not try to rush her investigation. Crusher was too upset and preoccupied to understand his words, and Picard was extremely disappointed when she broke the Prime Directive and performed an autopsy on Reyga. ( TNG : " Suspicions ")

Picard knew that Crusher's odd decisions after meeting Ronin were not normal and confronted her on Caldos colony . Although Crusher initially resisted his demands for an explanation, she broke free of Ronin's influence after he attacked Picard. ( TNG : " Sub Rosa ")

Early on, Crusher and Picard experienced several romantically close calls. Once she was under the influence of the Psi 2000 intoxication , Crusher flirted with Picard and attempted to seduce him on the bridge of the Enterprise . Later, Crusher seemed hopeful for some time alone with Picard in the Dixon Hill holodeck simulation, but Picard seemed oblivious to her and invited Data and Whalen as well, much to Crusher's dismay. Commander Dexter Remmick interrogated Crusher about Picard in mid- 2364 and questioned her about her true feelings towards Picard. Crusher refused to answer, claiming that they were irrelevant to the operation of the ship. ( TNG : " The Naked Now ", " The Big Goodbye ", " Coming of Age ")

In 2366 , a duplicate of Picard replaced the captain in order to learn about Human relationships. The replica had all of the memories and experiences of Picard but his behavior was different from the captain. He was more outgoing and especially flirtatious with Dr. Crusher, inviting her to dinner, where the two had a romantic evening, including dancing. Once the duplicate had enough information, it unceremoniously bade Crusher farewell. She teasingly held the real Picard responsible for his duplicate's actions when he was returned to the Enterprise . ( TNG : " Allegiance ")

Several times, Crusher began to explain her true feelings to Picard, once while they were held captive on Rutia IV , and another time with Picard's duplicate in the warp bubble universe, but she was interrupted in both instances. Both also displayed some jealousy when the other found a love interest, such as Crusher with Odan or Picard with Jenice Manheim and Nella Daren . ( TNG : " The High Ground ", " Remember Me ", " The Host ", " We'll Always Have Paris ", " Lessons ")

Crusher and Picard telepathically attached on Kesprytt

In 2370 , Picard and Crusher were taken captive on the planet Kesprytt , and linked together by psi-wave devices in order to decrease their odds of escaping. The devices transmitted their thoughts to one another, where they learned each other's most intimate secrets. Crusher stayed up one night to listen to Picard's dreams, and Picard discovered that Crusher almost always had some biting comment at the ready, although she had learned to repress the urge to say them out loud. One night, Crusher brought up her late husband Jack , and feelings of guilt washed over Picard. She finally learned that he, too, felt an attraction, but did not act on it out of respect for his dead friend. Once they returned to the Enterprise , Picard expressed desire to further their relationship. Crusher ultimately decided that she did not want to ruin their friendship or be placed in a conflict of interest, and they decided to remain mutual friends. ( TNG : " Attached ")

In an unknown, alternate future timeframe , Picard and Crusher were married, but eventually separated. Dr. Beverly Picard agreed to take her ex-husband to the Romulan Neutral Zone aboard the USS Pasteur , an Olympic -class medical vessel of which she was in command. They shared a kiss in the "present" during that time. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Sometime around the early 2380s , Picard and Crusher entered into a relationship. In lieu of wine or roses, Picard made her a compilation of classical music. Eventually, the two had a falling out and the two did not speak to one another for nearly twenty years . Picard later found out that Crusher bore his son, Jack Crusher and the fractured family unit was briefly reunited. It's unknown if they resumed a romantic relationship following the conclusion of the Changeling and Borg crisis, but Picard and Crusher were at the very least co-parenting Jack together a year later. ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ", " The Last Generation ")

Laris in 2401

Following the Romulan supernova , the former Tal Shiar agents Laris and her husband Zhaban were employed by Picard at his family’s Château Picard . Following Zhaban’s death in 2400 Laris and Picard developed romantic feelings for one another. Despite this, when she confessed her feelings Picard’s childhood trauma left him unable to enter into a relationship with her. He tried to assure her that nothing had to change between them; she disagreed and began planning to leave the Château for good. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

During Picard’s stint in 2024 Q and Tallinn were able to help him work through the root of his trauma-the death of his mother Yvette . He apologised to Laris and asked for a second chance, which she was open to. However, their plans were interupted by a distress call from Dr. Beverly Crusher which Laris instructed Picard to respond to, promising to be waiting for him when he returned. ( PIC : " Farewell ", " The Next Generation ")

Friendships [ ]

With Guinan in her quarters in 2371

Guinan and Picard shared a long-term relationship, which, according to her, went "beyond friendship and beyond family." ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ") She also once said to Geordi La Forge that she was attracted to bald men. ( TNG : " Booby Trap ") In return, Picard once observed Guinan to be "very selective about whom she calls a friend." ( TNG : " Ensign Ro ")

Guinan originally met Picard in 1893 when he, Data, Riker, La Forge, Troi, and Dr. Crusher had traveled back in time from the 24th century to stop some Devidians from stealing energy from Humans in the 19th century . Guinan, learning of their predicament from Data who had thought she was the Guinan from the Enterprise -D, agreed to help in any way she could. When she was injured in the confrontation with the Devidians, Picard stayed behind to make sure she was all right. Samuel Clemens , returning from the 24th century, helped Picard return. ( TNG : " Time's Arrow, Part II ")

In 2365 , Data's rights as an individual were challenged when cybernetics expert Commander Bruce Maddox wanted to disassemble the android for study. Picard challenged Maddox's assessment before the local Judge Advocate General . As the hearing neared its end, Picard admitted to Guinan he feared he was losing the case. Guinan asked what Maddox gained if he would be successful in disassembling and reassembling Data, and Picard responded he would possess the ability to build many more androids. He remembered Guinan's words that the decisions made today have implications for the future, and so Picard reasoned that if it would be decided that Data was indeed Starfleet property, all future androids would be also. Guinan noted there was an ancient word for that: slavery . Eventually, Picard won Data's case by pointing out that an entire race of Datas would be used as slaves, strictly against Federation principles. ( TNG : " The Measure Of A Man ")

In 2367 , Guinan played the role of Gloria in one of Picard's Dixon Hill holonovels . She was not much impressed with the program. ( TNG : " Clues ")

Besides joining Picard on the holodeck, they would occasionally share a game of chess , and Guinan was also coached in fencing by Picard in 2368 , begun when she considered exercise to strengthen her arm. Shortly prior to their match, the Enterprise had taken a Borg drone, later named Hugh , on board. Although Guinan initially questioned Picard's decision to have done so, she was convinced by La Forge to speak with the former drone. She could not, but acknowledged this Borg was developing a personality, becoming an individual. Upon her conversation with Hugh, she convinced Picard to speak with him as well. ( TNG : " I Borg ")

In 2400, Picard and Guinan reunited when he showed up at Ten Forward to ask her for advice regarding his changing relationship with Laris and his fear of pursuing her. Guinan listened to his troubles and supported him in opening his heart to love again. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

When Picard and his friends were thrown into 2024 by the machinations of Q, he encountered a younger version of Guinan. She had grown disillusioned with attempting to help Humanity and was prepared to leave Earth. At first, this version of Guinan did not recognize him and threatened him. Picard told her about the bond they would share in the future, and convinced Guinan to help him find the contact he needed, a Watcher. She led him to the person he needed, and then left, so that the Watcher could feel comfortable speaking to him alone. Before she left, Picard pleaded with her not to leave the Earth "just yet". ( PIC : " Watcher ")

William T. Riker [ ]

Picard with Riker in 2364

When choosing a first officer prior to the launch of the Enterprise -D in 2363, Picard accessed the records of a number of candidates for the job. He eventually came across the record of one William T. Riker. Picard saw it as a glowing record filled with statistics and the Letter of recommendation that he felt told him nothing about the kind of officer Riker actually was. Picard was about to move on to the next candidate's record but stopped when he saw that a notation in Riker's record regarding an incident that took place on board the USS Hood in which Riker refused to allow Captain Robert DeSoto to beam down to Altair III . Picard was impressed that Riker would challenge his captain's authority if needed, and put the safety of the captain and the crew ahead of his own career if the need arose. This was a major factor in Picard's selection of Riker as his first officer – Picard wanted an officer who would not be afraid to stand up to him and be more concerned about the safety of the ship and mission than his personnel records. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Picard and Riker on the holodeck

Picard was very cold towards Riker during their first meeting and ordered the manual docking as a test of Riker's abilities. When he performed the docking with great expertise and skill, Picard formally greeted Riker, requesting that his new first officer make sure that he not allow Picard to "make an ass of himself" in front of the many children aboard the ship. One year later, Picard felt as if he had not done a good job of congratulating Riker, so he did it once more, this time making his feelings clear. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Icarus Factor ")

Eventually, Riker and Picard became very good friends. With the best of intentions, Riker suggested that Picard vacation at Risa in 2366 , asking him to return with a horga'hn . Picard did not realize the history behind the statue and kept it with him after purchasing it for Riker, making it appear as if the captain was seeking jamaharon . ( TNG : " Captain's Holiday ")

The only time Riker and Picard ever verbally fought in front of the Enterprise crew was in 2366 while under the influence of emotions projected by Ambassador Sarek , who was suffering from Bendii Syndrome . ( TNG : " Sarek ")

Picard tried to counsel Riker when he was offered command of the USS Melbourne in 2366 , reminding him that the Enterprise would continue without his presence and that officers like Elizabeth Shelby were very much as he was before he learned the lessons necessary for command of a starship. Riker also came to Picard for advice when Worf wanted his help with the hegh'bat and when he struggled with a decision involving Soren . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Ethics ", " The Outcast ")

An age-reverted Picard pretends to be Riker's son

In early 2369 , members of the Enterprise crew, including Picard, were turned into twelve-year-olds due to the effects of a molecular reversion field . Unfortunately, a group of Ferengi commandeered the Enterprise about that time. Believed to be a child, Picard was confined to a classroom aboard the ship while Riker was held in the observation lounge . Picard threw a tantrum and demanded to see his "father," Riker. They pretended to be father and son in order for Picard to plant a suggestive message to Riker, requesting access to the Enterprise main computer from the classroom. Picard, along with the other affected Enterprise crewmembers, were able to design a plan to retake the Enterprise from the Ferengi. ( TNG : " Rascals ")

During the Pegasus incident of 2370 , Picard tried to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ship's disappearance. He ran into many dead-ends as most records had been sealed, and had to use many favors in Starfleet Command to even get a look at the findings of the board convened to investigate the loss of the Pegasus . Riker would not divulge further information under the orders of Admiral Erik Pressman , and Picard reluctantly continued the search. He made it clear to Riker that he hoped he still placed the safety of the Enterprise as his top priority, and if Picard had found this to be untrue, he would reevaluate his trust in Riker. After the crisis was resolved, Picard visited Riker in the brig and returned him to duty aboard the Enterprise , understanding of Will's mistake in the past and satisfied that he had made the correct decisions in the present. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Picard served as Riker's best man during his wedding to Deanna Troi in 2379 . He gave a toast to Riker, calling him his "trusted right arm" and lamenting his loss of a fine first officer. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Picard remained in contact with Riker after Riker became captain of the USS Titan . He met Riker's son Thaddeus at least twice, once when Thad was a baby and once when he was five. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Picard and Riker are reunited on Nepenthe

Although Picard initially intended not to involve Riker (or any of the rest of his surviving Enterprise crew) in his quest for Soji Asha , once he found her on the Artifact and needed a safe haven, he brought Soji to Riker and Troi's home on Nepenthe . Picard was grateful for Riker's friendship, and that he did not attempt to talk him out of helping Soji and her siblings . After Picard left, Riker requested temporary reassignment to Starfleet in order to help him with his mission, and led a squadron of starships to Coppelius . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ", " Nepenthe ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

From 2364 to 2371 , Lieutenant Commander Data was appointed as head of operations when serving on board the USS Enterprise -D, and head of operations from 2372 to 2379 on board the USS Enterprise -E. Data looked up to Picard as something of a father figure throughout his service under the captain, asking for his advice on numerous occasions in his quest to become more Human. Picard always gave Data advice whenever he could.

Following Natasha Yar's death in 2364, Data was puzzled about her death, thinking not about Tasha but rather how he would feel in her absence, thinking that he missed the purpose of her memorial, but Picard assured him that he understood the purpose of the memorial perfectly. ( TNG : " Skin Of Evil ")

Picard defends Data's rights as an individual

In 2365 , Data's existence was threatened when Commander Bruce Maddox wished to disassemble and study Data to gain a better understanding of how his positronic brain functioned. Data refused to submit to Maddox's procedure, finding his research flawed, but Maddox claimed that Data was property of Starfleet and therefore not a sentient being and as a result had no choice other than to submit to the procedure. Captain Phillipa Louvois supported Maddox's claim, and Picard intervened by challenging their reasoning, saying that Data was indeed sentient and deserved the freedom to make his own decisions. He also said that Data represented an entire race and that forcing him to submit to Maddox's procedure is tantamount to slavery – strictly against Federation law. Ultimately, Louvois sided with Picard's standpoint and agreed that Data, android or not, was indeed sentient and entitled to the same rights as any other Starfleet officer. ( TNG : " The Measure Of A Man ")

Picard with Data in 2367

In 2367 , Picard's seemingly unbreakable trust in Data was tested when Data refused to fully cooperate with an investigation into a number of events that happened within a 24-hour time span, although Data claimed that the time span was only 30 seconds. Data's intransigence threatened to end his Starfleet career and even his own existence, but it was later revealed that Picard was himself responsible for Data's unusual behavior after an encounter with the Paxans in a T-Tauri type star system . ( TNG : " Clues ")

During the Klingon Civil War , the Federation made an indirect intervention with a blockade of Starfleet vessels placed in formation to use the pioneering tachyon detection grid in an effort to expose Romulan support for the House of Duras . Picard assigned all of his senior officers positions on board other ships, except for Data. Data questioned Picard about why he was not assigned command of a vessel, considering that there was a severe lack of senior officers available for the mission, wondering if he felt that his being an android made him unsuitable for command. Picard, slightly embarrassed by Data's question, assigned Data command of the USS Sutherland . During the blockade, Data disobeyed direct orders from Picard and was able to expose the Romulans' involvement in the civil war. Later, Data wished to submit himself for disciplinary action for disobeying a direct order from his superior officer, but Picard instead praised Data for not complying, summing up his belief of too many tragedies throughout history being directly traceable to officers "just following orders" rather than independently assessing their situations, with the words, " Mr. Data: nicely done. " ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

In 2369 , Data refused to allow a group of exocomps to be sacrificed in order to save the lives of Picard and Geordi La Forge, who were trapped on board the Tyrus VIIA station , believing that they were sentient and, therefore, capable of making their own decisions. After agreeing to a compromise suggested by Commander William Riker, the exocomps were released and able to save the lives of Picard and La Forge. Picard understood the predicament that Data was faced with as he had defended Data's sentience just a few years previously, but this time the exocomps had no advocate and Data felt compelled to act on their behalf. Picard considered Data's actions to be the most "Human" decision that he had ever made. ( TNG : " The Quality of Life ")

Later that year, following an accident in main engineering that activated a dormant program in his positronic brain, Data sought advice from several officers, including Picard, on his "visions." Picard was curious why Data was studying thousands of different cultures to interpret his visions. Data said that he had no culture of his own, but Picard told Data that he did have a culture – a culture of one and that its validity is no less than that of a billion. Picard suggested that Data should consider what the visions meant to him instead of what they mean to other people. ( TNG : " Birthright, Part I ")

After a malfunctioning emotion chip fused with Data's positronic net in 2371 , Data felt guilty for not saving La Forge from capture by Tolian Soran on board the Amargosa observatory . Overwhelmed by emotions, Data requested to be shut down until the chip could be removed. Although Picard felt sympathy for Data, he told him that part of having emotions is integrating them into one's life and learning to live with them, and denied Data his request. ( Star Trek Generations )

Picard and Data defend the Enterprise -E from a Borg invasion

In 2373 , when the Enterprise -E traveled back to the year 2063 on Earth, Picard and Data initially went down to the planet to observe the damage the Borg had done to Zefram Cochrane 's missile complex in Montana . Down in the missile silo of the Phoenix , Picard, upon touching the missile that would make history by becoming the first Human starship traveling at warp , explained to Data that sometimes a touch can make objects more "real." Upon suspecting a Borg presence aboard the Enterprise , Picard and Data transported back to the ship. Fighting off the Borg near main engineering, Data was soon captured and brought to the Borg Queen. Instead of attempting to assimilate Data, the Queen made him physically more Human by attaching Human skin onto his android skeleton.

When it appeared impossible to hold off the Borg any longer, Picard was convinced to initiate the Enterprise 's auto-destruct sequence and ordered all remaining crew to evacuate. He himself went on to engineering to find Data and to convince the Queen, who he had encountered several years previously, to let Data go. Picard was even prepared to take Data's place at the Queen's side, willingly becoming her equal. Data claimed he did not wish to go, even after the Queen ordered him away. Thus, the Queen ordered Picard's assimilation, but not before witnessing the destruction of the Phoenix by Data.

Data fired a spread of quantum torpedoes , but they missed by the smallest of margins. Quickly thereafter, he burst a plasma coolant tank, releasing plasma coolant which liquefied organic material on contact, killing the Borg. The Queen was killed, but Picard survived. Helping Data standing up, Picard asked him if he was ever tempted to join the Borg's cause. Data replied that, for a fraction of a second, hinting at his kiss with the Queen, he was. He added that, for an android, that brief moment was like an eternity. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Following the wedding of Riker and Deanna Troi in 2379 , Data was confused by Picard's mixed feelings for the couple – although the captain was happy that Will was due to accept promotion to the rank of captain and take command of the USS Titan , and that his new wife was to transfer over to the Titan and take position as the ship's counselor , Picard was somewhat saddened by their departure and tried to explain to Data that experiencing feelings of both happiness and sadness at the same time are common in these situations.

Data sacrifices himself to save Picard aboard the Reman vessel

At the climax of the Battle in the Bassen Rift , Data jumped across the void of space from the Enterprise -E to the Scimitar , saving Picard by using a prototype emergency transport unit , but sacrificed his own life to save the crew of the Enterprise by firing at the thalaron radiation generator and so destroying the Scimitar . Following the battle, Picard held a toast with the Enterprise -E's senior officers as a tribute to their fallen comrade. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Picard helps a copy of Data's consciousness to die

The death of Data weighed heavily on Picard, who continued to have dreams about his lost friend for decades. Picard's feelings about the loss of Data helped motivate him to help Dahj and Soji , whom he regarded as Data's daughters. Picard resolved his guilt over Data's death when he met a surviving copy of Data's consciousness in a quantum simulation , and helped that version of Data to die, as he wished to have a finite existence. ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " The Impossible Box ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

By 2364 , Lieutenant junior grade Worf was serving on the Enterprise -D as a junior bridge officer under Picard's command. Upon the death of Lieutenant Natasha Yar, he was promoted to chief tactical officer and security chief . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " Skin Of Evil ", " The Child ")

In 2366 , the Klingon High Council accused Mogh , the deceased father of Lieutenant Worf, of treason. Picard, understanding the severity of the charges and their implications for Worf, had the Enterprise change course to Qo'noS . Worf's brother Kurn initially served as his Cha'DIch , but after an assassination attempt left him in critical condition, Worf asked Picard to take up the role. Picard initially declined, saying that there were younger, more able men on the ship from which Worf could choose. Worf insisted that there was no one he would rather have at his side. Picard accepted and stood by Worf when the conspiracy against his family was uncovered. ( TNG : " Sins of The Father ")

When the Klingon Civil War erupted in 2367 , Worf resigned from Starfleet and fought on the side of Gowron against the forces of the Duras family. With the help of Picard, Worf and other Gowron supporters revealed Romulan assistance to the Duras cause. This collapsed support for the House of Duras, and Gowron won the chancellorship. Gowron restored the honor of the House of Mogh in thanks for its assistance during the war. Worf returned to Starfleet, but was reprimanded because he killed Duras in revenge. ( TNG : " Redemption ", " Redemption II ")

Worf and Picard shake hands aboard the Enterprise -E

Worf commanded the USS Defiant in the battle against the Borg at Sector 001 , and fought the Borg temporal incursion into 2063 . A heated conflict occurred between the two when Picard had called Worf a "coward" for not wanting to continue fighting the Borg aboard the Enterprise -E, and a furious Worf stating that if he were any other man he would kill him where he stood, to which Picard angrily ordered Worf off his bridge. Picard later apologized to Worf for his harsh comments and admitted that Worf was "the bravest man" he had ever known, and their friendship was restored. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Geordi La Forge [ ]

Like several crew members, Geordi La Forge was hand-picked by Picard to serve aboard the Enterprise -D. La Forge impressed Picard with his above average work ethic during an inspection tour. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ") Picard had tremendous confidence in La Forge's ability to accomplish tasks he was assigned, which led to his eventual promotion to chief engineer, earning him the rank of lieutenant commander. ( TNG : " The Child ") He was one of the very few officers Picard addressed by his first name, indicating a close bond between them.

Ro Laren [ ]

Picard and Ro had what could be described as a father/daughter-like relationship. When they first met, Picard wrote her off as dishonorable. He did eventually take her under his wing and help her along a path towards redemption. ( TNG : " Ensign Ro ") Upon Ro's defection to the terrorist organization, the Maquis , she asked Will Riker to convey her deepest regrets to Picard for letting him down. Despite this, Picard was severely disillusioned by Ro's actions and felt betrayed in a very personal way. ( TNG : " Preemptive Strike ")

When Picard began evacuation efforts of Romulus in cooperation with the Qowat Milat, he grew close to Elnor, despite his discomfort around children. The two spent a lot of time together, with Picard teaching him to Fence, telling him stories of Data, and reading him stories, such as The Three Musketeers . After the attack on the Utopia Planitia Shipyards, Picard resigned from Starfleet, and did not return to Vashti for 13 years. Elnor was angered at Picard's sudden disappearance, and when Picard returned in 2399, asking Elnor to bind himself to his mission to find Soji, he at first refused, but rescinded this decision. Picard always regretted not being able to find a proper home for Elnor, as the Qowat Milat was by tradition, an all-female organization, and Elnor could never be fully recognized as one. ( PIC : " Absolute Candor ")

Despite the years apart, Elnor's admiration of Picard carried into his service with him, and he admitted feeling joy when Picard said he did not wish to leave him behind on the Artifact when he chose to stay behind to cover Picard and Soji's escape from the Zhat Vash. ( PIC : " The Impossible Box ")

When they met up again on Coppelius, Elnor embraced Picard in happiness that he'd survived the assault on the Artifact, and was hesitant to leave his side as Picard's health began to deteriorate. Picard convinced him that the xBs needed him more, and Elnor agreed to protect them, leaving Picard's service. The two were briefly reunited before Picard's death, and Picard expressed happiness at seeing him one last time. Elnor took Picard's passing very hard, and mourned heavily while Raffaela Musiker attempted to comfort him. When Picard was revived shortly afterwards, Elnor chose to travel with him once again. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

James T. Kirk [ ]

Although their association was brief, James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard had profound personal effects on one another. Having been a captain of the Federation's flagship, an admiral, and back to a captain again, Kirk advised Picard to not do anything that would have Starfleet move him away from the Enterprise , because as captain, he could make a difference. Very much like Spock and Leonard McCoy, Picard was instrumental in helping Kirk find meaning in his life after his greatest adventures were essentially over. In fact, it could be argued that Picard was one of the most significant people in Kirk's entire life, as he embarked on his final adventure with him and passed away knowing that he had "made a difference." Picard laid Kirk to rest on Veridian III and was his lone mourner. ( Star Trek Generations )

Spock was confronted by Picard and Data on Romulus , where he was suspected to have betrayed the Federation. To the contrary, Spock was on a "personal mission of peace," and Picard insisted on staying until Spock's affairs were complete. Spock saw much of his father, Sarek , in Picard and was very resentful of his perceived meddling in his affairs. Picard and Spock eventually developed a mutual respect for each other, with Picard offering Spock to mind meld with him to see how Sarek truly saw his son. ( TNG : " Unification I ", " Unification II ") Spock later utilized Picard and Deanna Troi in delivering defecting Romulan officials to the Federation. ( TNG : " Face Of The Enemy ")

In 3189 , a recording of Spock made on stardate 45825 was retrieved from the personal files of Admiral Picard and viewed by Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker . ( DIS : " Unification III ")

Picard was Gowron 's Arbiter of Succession following the deaths of K'mpec and Duras . ( TNG : " Reunion ") Although he initially refused to aid him during the Klingon Civil War, Picard later convinced Starfleet to assist Gowron's forces by exposing the alliance between Lursa and B'Etor and Sela , a high-ranking Romulan officer. ( TNG : " Redemption ", " Redemption II "). Although he considered Picard an honorable ally of the Klingon Empire, Gowron was less than accommodating when asked to assist Starfleet find Spock on Romulus. Nevertheless, on more than one occasion, Picard used his relationship with Gowron as leverage against other Klingons. ( TNG : " Unification I ", " Aquiel ") These events appeared to be reconciled during the events surrounding the resurrection of Kahless . ( TNG : " Rightful Heir ")

Q and Picard had a complicated relationship. Even though he was very antagonistic towards them, Q clearly had a great respect and affection for the crew of the Enterprise -D, particularly Picard, ( TNG : " Qpid ") who in contrast viewed Q with a tremendous amount of disdain and distrust. ( TNG : " Deja Q ") It was not until their final two encounters that Picard became grateful to Q for their association. ( TNG : " Tapestry ", " All Good Things... ")

After the death of his son caused by Captain Picard during the Battle of Maxia , Bok had tried to seek vengeance on him twice. First by having him destroy the Enterprise -D through a mind altering device he hid within the derelict of the USS Stargazer , then by attempting to kill his alleged son Jason Vigo (which whom he re-sequenced his DNA in order to fool Picard into thinking he was his son). ( TNG : " The Battle ", " Bloodlines ")

The Borg / Borg Queen [ ]

After being assimilated by the Borg, Picard (assuming the identity of Locutus) then went to destroy nearly all Federation starships at the Battle of Wolf 359 before proceeding to Earth for an attempted assimilation of that planet. After being de-assimilated, Picard had long resented the fact that the Borg had used his knowledge and experience to kill and/or assimilate innocent people, and developed a hatred for the Borg that would become a defining trait in his later encounters with them; during the incident in which the Borg attempted to disrupt First Contact, he became increasingly volatile and irrational, and would destroy drones with a modicum of enjoyment – even if they were former members of his crew that had only just been injected with nanoprobes. This resentment stayed with him at least six years after he was first assimilated. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ", " Reunion ", " I Borg ", " Descent ", " Descent, Part II "; Star Trek: First Contact )

The House of Duras [ ]

Jean-Luc Picard became a prominent figure in Klingon politics, largely due to his loyalty to Worf during the trial of the House of Mogh in 2366. Picard was determined to uncover the conspiracy that was attempting to frame Mogh for crimes committed by Ja'rod . During his investigation, Duras, son of Ja'rod sent an assassin to murder Picard, but the attempt was unsuccessful and ultimately revealed the complicity of K'mpec and the High Council in these crimes. Even after the death of Duras at the hands of Worf, the House of Duras continued to be antagonistic towards the Federation, with particular emphasis placed on Picard and the crew of the Enterprise -D, which was eventually destroyed by Lursa and B'Etor . ( TNG : " Sins of The Father ", " Redemption ", " Redemption II "; Star Trek Generations )

Shinzon [ ]

As a direct clone of Picard, Shinzon developed a distinctive and deadly rivalry with the captain of the Enterprise , much like Will Riker's rivalry with Thomas Riker and Data's rivalry with Lore . ( TNG : " Second Chances ", " Brothers ") Picard saw traits in Shinzon that he perceived to be flaws within himself. He was bothered by the fact that Shinzon was capable of genocides of interstellar magnitude and was haunted by the notion that he may have chosen the same path as Shinzon had he led his life. During Shinzon's attempt to carry out these genocides, Picard implored him to let go of his past and embrace change, which Shinzon quickly rejected. Picard was significantly pained at the death of Shinzon, but this pain was replaced mere moments later after Data sacrificed himself to save Picard. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Space... The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. "

" Shut off that damn noise! Go to yellow alert. "

" If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are. "

" Let's see what's out there. Engage. "

" The quest for youth, Number One. So futile. "

" The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it is scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth. It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based! And if you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to wear that uniform! "

"Federation starship Enterprise : Surrender and prepare to be boarded." "That will be the day."

" 'With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.' Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie as wisdom and warning. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. "

" There… are… four … lights! "

" It's been a long time, Captain. " " Have we met before? " " Yes, sir. We met in battle. I was on the Saratoga at Wolf 359. "

" Good luck, Mister Sisko. "

" There is a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle, it's just a matter of finding it. "

" He's James T. Kirk . Don’t you read history? "

" Someone once told me that time is a predator that stalks us all our lives but I rather believe that time is a companion that goes with us on a journey and reminds us to cherish every moment… because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. "

" I'm about to commit a direct violation of our orders. Any of you who wish to object should do so, now. It will be noted in my log. "

" I will not sacrifice the Enterprise . We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here ! This far, no further ! And I will make them pay for what they've done! "

" Mr. Data? " " Sir? " " Shut up. " " Yes, sir. " " Fifteen years, I've been waiting to say that. "

" Things are only impossible until they're not! "

" Let us make sure history never forgets the name, Enterprise . "

" It says a great deal about the mind of Commander Data, that looking at the Human race with all its violence and corruption and willful ignorance. He could still see kindness, immense curiosity, and greatness of spirit. And he wanted, more than anything else, to be part of that. To be a part of the Human family. We are such stuff as dreams are made of. And out little life is rounded, with a sleep. "

Catchphrases [ ]

" Make it so! "

" Engage. "

" Tea, Earl Grey, hot. "

" Number One "

" What the devil? " or " What in Heaven's name? "

Reminiscences [ ]

In 2369 , after Vash arrived on Deep Space 9, Miles O'Brien told Benjamin Sisko about her relationship with Picard, explaining " Well sir, Vash and Captain Picard were friends. Close friends, if you follow my meaning. " While Sisko replied " Somehow she doesn't seem to be his type, " O'Brien thought it was because Picard "likes a good challenge."

Later when Q saw Vash working over Quark , he described her actions as "perfectly vile," adding " If that's the kind of company you kept before meeting me, it's no wonder you ended up with Picard. "

Later yet, when Q placed Sisko in a boxing match, he was shocked after Sisko knocked him to the ground. " You hit me… Picard never hit me! ", to which Sisko shot back, " I'm not Picard! "

Finally, when the crew of the station could not tie the odd happening on the station to one of the artifacts Vash had brought aboard, Q appeared before the senior staff and claimed how " Picard and his lackeys would have solved all this technobabble hours ago, " before directing to Sisko, that it was " No wonder you're not commanding a starship. " ( DS9 : " Q-Less ")

In 2372 , Worf and Miles O'Brien reminisced in Quark's about rescuing Picard from the Borg Collective. ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

Later that year, after a member of the Q Continuum arrived on her ship seeking asylum, Captain Janeway automatically assumed he was Picard's Q – which instead made him nervous and agitated. When that Q, tasked with capturing the renegade, appeared on the bridge, she realized that he was the being she'd heard so much about, he laughed and asked her, " Has Jean-Luc been whispering about me behind my back? " ( VOY : " Death Wish ")

In her effort to look through every log entry of Starfleet captains who had contact with the Borg, Captain Janeway cited Picard's words among others: " In their collective state, the Borg are utterly without mercy – driven by one will alone, the will to conquer. They are beyond redemption, beyond reason ", with Chakotay claiming that she had unknowingly mimicked Picard's vocal mannerisms while quoting him. ( VOY : " Scorpion ")

According to Valerie Archer , while discussing Boothby to Chakotay , " Half the captains in Starfleet wouldn't be where they are today if it weren't for Boothby, " including Picard. ( VOY : " In the Flesh ")

In 2375 , Ensign Nog mentioned Al Lorenzo having a curious interest in taking holophotos of himself sitting behind the desks of famous Starfleet captains. Usually, he would sneak into their offices, but the Dominion War made it difficult for him to get away. Among the photos in his collection included Lorenzo sitting behind the desks of such famous commanders as Robert DeSoto and Jean-Luc Picard. ( DS9 : " Treachery, Faith and the Great River ")

Q mentioned "Jean-Luc" as another option for helping to raise his son to the satisfaction of the Q Continuum. He wondered aloud if it was not too late to ask Picard instead of Janeway. ( VOY : " Q2 ")

Quotes about Picard [ ]

" … the heart of an explorer, and the soul of a poet. "

" You know, I never thought I would say this, but it's good to see you again. It brings a sense of order and stability to my universe to know that you're still a pompous ass. And a damn sexy man. "

" I've never known anyone with more drive, determination or more courage than Jean-Luc Picard. "

" I had such high hopes for you, Picard. I thought you were a bit more evolved than the rest of your species. But now I realize you're just as weak as all the others. Still, it pains me to see the great Jean-Luc Picard brought down by a woman. "

" Jean-Luc, I never knew you were such a cad . I'm impressed. "

" Really, Vash, I can't believe you're still pining for Jean-Luc, that self righteous do-gooder. "

" Actually, what I was hoping for was a little witty repartee, but I see I'm not going to get any of that either. At least your beloved Jean-Luc knows how to turn a phrase… "

" You know Picard. Every part of that guy that's not ego is rampaging id. "

Chronology [ ]

• 2305 : Born in La Barre , France , on Earth .
• 2322 : Applies to Starfleet Academy for the first time, but is rejected.
• 2323 : Is admitted to Starfleet Academy, wins Academy marathon.
• 2327 : Graduates Starfleet Academy, and has to be implanted with an artificial heart after a fight with a Nausicaan .
• 2333 : Assumes command of the Constellation -class starship USS Stargazer . ( TNG : " The Battle ")
• 2346 : Has a relationship with Miranda Vigo . ( TNG : " Bloodlines ")
• 2355 : Participates in the Battle of Maxia against a Ferengi vessel; invents a new tactical ploy to win the battle, later dubbed the " Picard Maneuver ." ( TNG : " The Battle ")
• Early 2360s : Picard, while commanding an interim starship responds to a distress call from colonists in the Carnelian minefield .
• 2363 : Assumes command of the USS Enterprise -D ; his first mission as captain involves contact with the Q entity. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", PIC : " The Star Gazer " commemorative plaque )
• 2366 : Is captured by the Borg and forced to become a member of the Borg Collective , leading the invasion of the Federation as Locutus of Borg ; this includes leading the Borg victory over the Federation at the Battle of Wolf 359 . Despite Borg control over him, Picard manages to relay information to the crew of the Enterprise which allows the Borg to be defeated. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ")
• 2367 : Prevents an attempt by the Romulans to take over the Klingon Empire by indirectly interfering in the Klingon Civil War . ( TNG : " Redemption ", " Redemption II ")
• 2369 : Discovers an ancient message left by the first humanoid beings in our galaxy. ( TNG : " The Chase ")
• 2370 : Blights the second Borg invasion of the Federation , led by individualized Borg drones under the influence of the android Lore . ( TNG : " Descent ", " Descent, Part II ")
• 2371 : The Enterprise -D is destroyed over Veridian III . ( Star Trek Generations )
• 2372 : Is assigned command of the USS Enterprise -E . ( Star Trek: First Contact )
• 2373 : Travels back in time to 2063 to defeat an attempt by the Borg to create an alternate timeline in which the Federation is never created. ( Star Trek: First Contact )
• 2375 : Rebels against Starfleet Admiral Dougherty in order to protect the Ba'ku . ( Star Trek: Insurrection )
• 2379 : Travels to Romulus to meet Praetor Shinzon , a clone of himself. Kills Shinzon during the battle with the Scimitar . ( Star Trek Nemesis )
• 2385 : Retires from Starfleet in protest after Federation denies continued aid to the Romulans and bans synthetic lifeforms following the attack on Mars and the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards by Synths . ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " The End is the Beginning ")
• 2399 : Visited by a female android named Dahj Asha who is seeking his help. Later dies on Coppelius and has his memories and consciousness transferred into a golem . ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")
• Between 2399 and 2401 : Appointed Chancellor of Starfleet Academy
• 2401: Retires from Starfleet

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ], appearances [ ].

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " The Naked Now "
• " Code of Honor "
• " The Last Outpost "
• " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Lonely Among Us "
• " Justice "
• " The Battle "
• " Hide And Q "
• " The Big Goodbye "
• " Datalore "
• " Angel One "
• " 11001001 "
• " Too Short A Season "
• " When The Bough Breaks "
• " Home Soil "
• " Coming of Age "
• " Heart of Glory "
• " The Arsenal of Freedom "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Skin Of Evil "
• " We'll Always Have Paris "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Neutral Zone "
• " The Child "
• " Where Silence Has Lease "
• " Elementary, Dear Data "
• " The Outrageous Okona "
• " Loud As A Whisper "
• " The Schizoid Man "
• " Unnatural Selection "
• " A Matter Of Honor "
• " The Measure Of A Man "
• " The Dauphin "
• " Contagion "
• " The Royale "
• " Time Squared "
• " The Icarus Factor "
• " Pen Pals "
• " Samaritan Snare "
• " Up The Long Ladder "
• " Manhunt "
• " The Emissary "
• " Peak Performance "
• " Shades of Gray "
• " Evolution "
• " The Ensigns of Command "
• " The Survivors "
• " Who Watches The Watchers "
• " The Bonding "
• " Booby Trap "
• " The Enemy "
• " The Price "
• " The Vengeance Factor "
• " The Defector "
• " The Hunted "
• " The High Ground "
• " A Matter of Perspective "
• " Yesterday's Enterprise "
• " The Offspring "
• " Sins of The Father "
• " Allegiance "
• " Captain's Holiday "
• " Tin Man "
• " Hollow Pursuits "
• " The Most Toys "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Transfigurations "
• " The Best of Both Worlds "
• " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "
• " Brothers "
• " Suddenly Human "
• " Remember Me "
• " Reunion "
• " Future Imperfect "
• " Final Mission "
• " The Loss "
• " Data's Day "
• " The Wounded "
• " Devil's Due "
• " First Contact "
• " Galaxy's Child "
• " Night Terrors "
• " Identity Crisis "
• " The Nth Degree "
• " The Drumhead "
• " Half a Life "
• " The Host "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " In Theory "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II "
• " Ensign Ro "
• " Silicon Avatar "
• " Disaster "
• " The Game "
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " A Matter Of Time "
• " New Ground "
• " Hero Worship "
• " Violations "
• " The Masterpiece Society "
• " Conundrum "
• " Power Play "
• " The Outcast "
• " Cause And Effect "
• " The First Duty "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " The Perfect Mate "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " The Next Phase "
• " The Inner Light "
• " Time's Arrow "
• " Time's Arrow, Part II "
• " Realm Of Fear "
• " Man Of The People "
• " Schisms "
• " Rascals "
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " The Quality of Life "
• " Chain Of Command, Part I "
• " Chain Of Command, Part II "
• " Ship In A Bottle "
• " Face Of The Enemy "
• " Tapestry "
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " Starship Mine "
• " Lessons "
• " The Chase "
• " Frame of Mind "
• " Suspicions "
• " Rightful Heir "
• " Second Chances "
• " Timescape "
• " Descent "
• " Descent, Part II "
• " Liaisons "
• " Interface "
• " Gambit, Part I "
• " Gambit, Part II "
• " Phantasms "
• " Dark Page "
• " Attached "
• " Force of Nature "
• " Inheritance "
• " Parallels "
• " The Pegasus "
• " Homeward "
• " Sub Rosa "
• " Lower Decks "
• " Thine Own Self "
• " Eye of the Beholder "
• " Genesis "
• " Journey's End "
• " Firstborn "
• " Bloodlines "
• " Emergence "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• " All Good Things... "
• DS9 : " Emissary "
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek Nemesis
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... " (voice only; archive audio)
• ST : " Children of Mars " (picture only)
• " Remembrance "
• " Maps and Legends "
• " The End is the Beginning "
• " Absolute Candor "
• " Stardust City Rag "
• " The Impossible Box "
• " Nepenthe "
• " Broken Pieces "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "
• " The Star Gazer "
• " Penance "
• " Assimilation "
• " Watcher "
• " Fly Me to the Moon "
• " Two of One "
• " Monsters "
• " Hide and Seek "
• " Farewell "
• " The Next Generation "
• " Disengage "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " Imposters "
• " The Bounty "
• " Dominion "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "
• DIS : " Red Directive " (archive image)

Background information [ ]

Patrick Stewart wears a hairpiece during a flashback sequence from " Violations "

Patrick Stewart during the filming of Star Trek Nemesis , with Director Stuart Baird

Picard was played by Patrick Stewart in all of the character's television and film appearances. David Tristan Birkin played Picard as a child in TNG : " Rascals ", while Marcus Nash appeared as Picard as a young ensign in " Tapestry ". Tom Hardy was seen as Cadet Picard in a photograph in Star Trek Nemesis ; Hardy also played Picard's clone, Shinzon , in the same film.

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 145), Robert H. Justman said that Picard was named after oceanographer Jacques Piccard .

According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 13) the original casting call sent out to agents asked for the following:

" CAPT. Julien Picard – A Caucasian man in his 50s who is very youthful and in prime physical condition. Born in Paris , his Gallic accent appears when deep emotions are triggered. He is definitely a 'romantic' and believes strongly in concepts like honor and duty. Capt. Picard commands the Enterprise . He should have a mid-Atlantic accent, and a wonderfully rich speaking voice. "

The character of Picard changed quite a bit from the March 1987 version of the Writers/Directors Guide. In that guide, he was born in Paris, carried a touch of French phrasing in his speech, and pretended that France is "the only true civilization" on Earth (reminiscent of Pavel Chekov ).

In 1986 , D.C. Fontana made an attempt to recruit actor Stephen Macht for the role. " She called me in 1986 and said she wanted me to come in and meet Gene Roddenberry , " said Macht. " She told me he was the writer of Star Trek and she wanted him to meet me. So I went in, I sit down opposite him in his office, and D.C. was with me. He said, 'D.C. has brought me clips of everything you've done since you've been in Hollywood. You are my next Star Trek hero, Picard.' And I'm full of piss and vinegar at that time. I was forty-two and doing well. I said to him, 'I've seen these things, and I don't want to do them. I don't want to speak to guys with six heads for the rest of my life.' He said, 'It's not about that, Stephen. They're morality tales. I want you to do it. You just have to come read for the studio head.' 'I don't want to read. You want me to do it? Offer it to me. You know who my agent is.' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 92)

Also considered for the role of Picard were Louis Gossett, Jr. , Yaphet Kotto , James Earl Jones , Billy Dee Williams , Avery Brooks , and Keir Dullea . By 9 April 1987 , a meeting between the studio and Kotto was scheduled (with no audition to be held) on 14 April 1987. On or shortly before 9 April, Kotto's agent called TNG Casting Director Junie Lowry , suggesting Kotto would fly down only if Paramount paid to have him flown down, and that Kotto would prefer to take Gene Roddenberry for lunch rather than having a meeting. Lowry replied that a meeting would be preferable to everyone at the studio, owing to all the busy schedules involved, and notified the agent that Kotto would be meeting not only Roddenberry but also both producers and Jeff Hayes. She also said it was unlikely that the studio would pay to fly Kotto in for a meeting, to which the agent quickly began to concede on that point. He then enquired as to how serious the studio's interest was in casting Kotto, a question already asked. Lowry answered that, if the studio decided to go for a black captain as the series lead, Kotto was under extremely serious consideration. The meeting remained scheduled, and Lowry included a written account of the phone call in a casting availability update memo she sent to "all concerned" on 9 April 1987. In the memo, she listed Gossett, Kotto, and Williams as being available, whereas Jones and Brooks were noted as unavailable. As noted in the same document, Gossett's agent doubted that Gossett would be interested, and a VHS tape of Dullea was meanwhile being shot in New York. The casting notes also mentioned Stephen Macht, without specifying the role he was being considered for, though the memo did state, " He is certainly very interested. "

Robert Justman was instrumental in the casting of Picard. Patrick Stewart was discovered by Justman and his wife when pre-production work for the then-forthcoming Star Trek series had been taking place at Paramount for about a month or two. The event occurred one night while Stewart was giving a dramatic reading at the University of California at Los Angeles, as part of a UCLA extension course on humor which Justman and his wife were taking. That night, Stewart was one of two speakers reading from Shakespearean comedies and Noël Coward. While Justman sat with his wife and watched the readings, he thought Stewart looked familiar, but couldn't quite place him. " Patrick sat down, pushed up his jacket sleeves to display his massive forearms, and commenced to read, " Justman reflected. " He spoke a few sentences and I was thunderstruck. I turned to my wife, Jackie, and I said, 'I think I found our new captain!' " Justman was so impressed by Stewart's performance that night that, the next day, he called the Screen Actor's Guild and determined who Stewart's agent was in Los Angeles, because the actor was living in London and was temporarily in America just to perform the reading at UCLA. Contacting the agent, Justman arranged for Stewart to meet with Gene Roddenberry and Justman himself at Roddenberry's house the following Monday. " Patrick came in his rental car, and we sat around for thirty-forty minutes, " Justman continued, " and then he made his good-byes and left to fly back to England. After he drove away, Gene closed the door and turned to me, and I will quote him exactly. He said, 'I won't have him.' " Roddenberry himself noted, " My first reaction was, 'Jesus Christ, Bob, I don't want a bald man.' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 89-90 & 91)

As of 13 April 1987, the performers who were being considered to play Picard included Mitch Ryan , Roy Thinnes , Yaphet Kotto, and Patrick Bauchau . On that day Bauchau successfully auditioned for Gene Roddenberry; the "favorites" for the part were meanwhile regarded as Bauchau as well as Patrick Stewart, with the other three performers scheduled to start auditioning the following week. These developments were included in a general TNG casting memo from John Ferraro to John Pike (also forwarded to Jeff Hayes), sent the same day as Bachau's audition – 13 April 1987. [5]

Another memo sent on that date specifically pertained to the casting of Picard, and was from Junie Lowry to, again, "all concerned." It noted about Yaphet Kotto that, although he was available for the part, the studio was still waiting to find out if he would fly down or would only send a tape of himself. The same memo listed Keir Dullea, John Saxon , George Hearn , Lee Van Cleef , Andrew Duggan , John McMartin , Theodore Bikel , Thomas Hill , Edward Mulhare , Dick Shawn , James Olson , Don Ameche , James Gammon , Telly Savalas , and Billy Dee Williams as all being available for the part. Both Mulhare and Savalas were noted as actually being interested in it, too. Both Dullea and McMartin were in New York, and the studio was yet to receive a tape from Dullea, who refused to audition for the role without a test option agreement first being arranged. Hearn and Williams weren't interested (in Williams' case, his disinterest was because the series would be syndicated), and Hill would only be available after 24 April . Anthony Quayle was listed as possibly being interested, though he was currently in London. Performers who, despite having been considered, were listed as not available included Paul Gleason , Noble Willingham , Moses Gunn , William Devane , John Hillerman , Robert Hogan , Fred Gwynne , Dana Elcar , Peter Donat , and Peter Michael Goetz . Listed as uninterested were George Grizzard , Rip Torn , and Scott Glenn (Torn wasn't interested in doing any TV at that point in his career). [6]

Shortly after Robert Justman discovered Patrick Stewart, Rick Berman met Stewart. Like Justman, Berman was impressed, so he advised Justman that they needed to persuade Roddenberry to cast Stewart as Picard. " Bob said to me, 'We can't. When Gene makes up his mind, it's a waste of time to try and change it,' " Berman recounted. " But in my case, ignorance was bliss. I didn't believe that. " Justman himself stated about Roddenberry, " No matter what I said, he was adamant, and the reason was because the character he had created in his own mind was a very hairy Frenchman, so we embarked upon a campaign that lasted for some months, and when Rick Berman came on the show and became supervising producer with me, Rick jumped all over it, too, and said, 'He's perfect!' " Berman characterized himself as "the guy who basically bugged Gene into realizing that Patrick was the best Picard." Roddenberry recalled, " In his wisdom, Justman kept his mouth shut and let me grow accustomed to him. " Said Justman, " Our casting director was for it, everyone was for it, except Gene. We went through everybody in town and in foreign countries trying to find the right person to play the captain, and couldn't. Finally, our last candidate came in, read for us and left, and we were sitting there – the casting director, Rick, Gene, and myself – and he finally turned around and looked at us and said, 'All right, I'll go with Patrick,' and that was it. It was so right, I've never been more sure of anything in my life, at least in the business, than casting Patrick in that role. He was everything that a captain ought to be. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 90 & 91)

At first, Gene Roddenberry's acceptance of Patrick Stewart as Picard was conditional. " He said, 'But when we bring him to the studio for the final audition, I want him to wear a wig, because I don't want this guy going in bald,' " Rick Berman remembered. Via phone call to London, Stewart had a wig made by one of the most well-renowned theatrical wig makers in England, then had the wig dispatched to America. When TNG Supervising Producer David Livingston first met Stewart, the actor visited Livingston's trailer (where Livingston was otherwise alone) with a box of wigs, and asked where he could find the make-up and hair staff, as the production crew wanted to see what he looked like with the wigs on. Stewart eventually found someone who helped him put on the wig. He then auditioned for John Pike, who was well aware that Stewart was really bald. " He had seen all the photographs of him, and we had played him a tape of Patrick's clips, " Berman noted. ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 91-92)

By this time, the only remaining contender for the part, according to Rick Berman, was Stephen Macht. Like Stewart, he also auditioned for John Pike. Despite regarding Macht as "a very good actor," Berman believed he wasn't anywhere near as suitable for the role as Patrick Stewart was. Years later, Macht admitted that, at that point in his life, he hadn't been prepared to play such a major role, partly because he had been too young and egotistical, and partly because he had been uninterested in doing a series. " I just was not ready, " he declared. " I would be now, but I wasn't then. In the intervening years, of course, after so much experience, I found that there are so many layers to who I am that I can reveal slowly and that would have made a TV series like The Next Generation more appealing. Looking back at it, I thank Dorothy and Gene for a marker in my life that I can really think about in terms of seeing what the trajectory has been over a whole period of years [… ] Had I known then what I know now, I would have knocked the shit out of that role. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 92)

Ultimately, John Pike opted for Patrick Stewart rather than Stephen Macht. Pike did so with one extra piece of advice: that Stewart "lose the wig." Remarked Berman, " That was the best three words we could have heard. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 92) In a one-line memo Helen Mossler sent Gene Roddenberry on 1 May 1987 , Mossler announced, " Patrick Stewart's deal has been finalized and has been sent to his agent for his signature. " [7]

Picard was originally intended to be in his early fifties, with a twenty-two-year stint captaining the Stargazer ( citation needed • edit ) ; Stewart himself was forty-seven in 1987 . The show established a long gap between the Stargazer and the Enterprise -D; the Okuda timeline states he was 59 in TNG Season 1 (and thus is 74 in Star Trek Nemesis , compared to Stewart having been 62 when that film was made). ( citation needed • edit ) Similarly, although Stewart was 79 when he filmed the first season of Star Trek: Picard , set in 2399, Picard is 94.

When Patrick Stewart accepted the offer to play Picard, a friend of his asked him what he thought it would feel like to portray "an American icon." At the time, that prospect made Stewart feel uneasy. ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 93)

During an interview with Michael Parkinson , Patrick Stewart related how, in his first press conference for The Next Generation , a reporter asked Gene Roddenberry how Captain Picard could be bald, figuring that baldness would surely be cured by the 24th century . Roddenberry replied, " By the 24th century, no one will care. " [8]

In a 2014 appearance on NPR 's quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! , Patrick Stewart indicated that the real life reason for Picard lacking a French accent was that it sounded silly when he attempted it:

Patrick Stewart was, though, fascinated with attempting to assert strength in his portrayal of Picard. " It was always important to me to try and establish and affirm the quiet, but absolute authority he has on the ship, " said Stewart, " and that seemed to be successful. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 94)

Picard was irrevocably altered by his ordeal as Locutus, in " The Best of Both Worlds " and " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ". " Picard became more Human than ever before, " commented writer Michael Piller . " He was the indestructible captain, untouchable, above all risk and danger, and suddenly, in this two-parter, he is a man who's been raped by the Borg and has to deal emotionally with huge consequences [… ] And after that, Picard was more complex, never the same; he was a far more interesting character after that. " ( Mission Overview , TNG Season 4 DVD special feature) Ira Steven Behr agreed that temporarily having Picard, "who, compared to Kirk, was an administrator more than an adventurer," be transformed into a Borg "kind of gave his Humanity back to him" and was a "genius" idea. Patrick Stewart concurred, " Making the man more Human and vulnerable and prone to error and mistake was a great decision. " ( William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge )

David Livingston , who directed the TNG episodes " The Mind's Eye " and " Power Play ", found it was relatively very easy to direct Patrick Stewart's characterization of Picard. " The only run-in I ever had with him, I was on the set as a producer and I thought I heard him say a line wrong, and the director said 'cut, print.' I told the director, I think Patrick got that line wrong. Patrick said, 'No, I didn't.' The director said, 'It sounded fine to me.' I had the sound man, Alan Bernard , play back the take, and I was right. They did the line over again, and Patrick said thanks. That was dangerous. I could have kept my mouth shut, but I had a responsibility. That seems like a minor thing, but when you tell Patrick Stewart he went up on a line and nobody else heard it, that's dangerous. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 94-95)

The idea that Picard served under Captain Uhura while at the Academy has its roots in a story proposed for Star Trek: Short Treks , in which a young Picard would have been mentored by an elderly Uhura. Although the proposed Short Treks episode never came to fruition, two pieces of set dressing for Star Trek: Picard (the Speed of Light Club certificate in Picard's quantum archive, seen in " Remembrance ", and the commemorative plaque for the USS Leondegrance seen in " The Star Gazer ") establish the relationship canonically. [9]

Jean-Luc Picard was the first character to be seen on Star Trek: The Next Generation . Likewise, he was the last person to be seen in the final TNG outing, Star Trek Nemesis .

Other than in alternate timelines , Picard appeared as a captain throughout the entire run of TNG and the subsequent films. Data and Dr. Crusher are the only other characters from TNG to remain at the ranks they started with, though a costuming error in " All Good Things... " has Data wearing the wrong insignia for part of that episode.

Picard is the only character to have appeared in the pilot episodes of three Star Trek series ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", DS9 : " Emissary " and PIC : " Remembrance "). Patrick Stewart is also the first actor seen on screen in each episode, and speaks the first lines in each episode, although in " Emissary " he appears and speaks first as Locutus of Borg.

Apart from James T. Kirk , Picard is the only person to captain two Enterprise s, commanding the Enterprise -D and the Enterprise -E. With the restoration of a cut scene from an extended version of the episode " The Measure Of A Man ", Picard also shares with Pavel Chekov the distinction of having served aboard two starships named Enterprise and one named USS Reliant .

Picard has the distinction of having on-screen dialogue with three of the other main Star Trek captains, the most by any other captain. Picard meets with James T. Kirk in the film Star Trek Generations , Benjamin Sisko in the DS9 pilot "Emissary", and Kathryn Janeway in the film Star Trek Nemesis .

Picard is the only lead character in any Star Trek production who is unambiguously not American . Jonathan Archer was born in upstate New York and raised in San Francisco , California ; Christopher Pike was born in Mojave , California; James T. Kirk was from Iowa ( his alternate reality counterpart was born in space, but raised in Iowa); Benjamin Sisko was born in New Orleans , Louisiana ; and Kathryn Janeway was born in Bloomington , Indiana . Michael Burnham was also born on Earth, and while her nationality hasn't yet been confirmed outright, she speaks with an American accent.

Picard's name, Jean-Luc, is the hyphenated French variants of John and Luke. Picard's sense of French national pride only surfaced briefly in some early episodes, most notably " The Last Outpost ". Over the run of TNG, the character adopted several characteristics commonly associated with the English: he enjoys the works of William Shakespeare , and is never seen reading any works of literature by a French author. He drinks Earl Grey tea , an English beverage named after an English nobleman, and is rarely seen drinking wine , a beverage which is commonplace in French life, only drinking it on five occasions, in " Family ", again in " First Contact ", at the end of Star Trek Nemesis , and in PIC : " Remembrance " and " Nepenthe ". Additionally, his father, brother, and nephew all spoke with English accents.

Reception [ ]

At least initially, fans of Star Trek: The Original Series responded unfavorably to a new captain of the Enterprise being introduced in TNG. Rick Berman later remembered, " They felt, how can you put a new captain at the seat of the Enterprise ? [… ] And when they heard it was going to be a forty-year-old bald Englishman, they kind of went nuts. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 89) Eventually, the viewers became more accepting towards Picard, much to Patrick Stewart's relief. He commented, " I'm happy that people accepted the captain as a non-American [… ] They refer to the vivid contrast between the previous captain and myself, not in a competitive way, but in that they are so different there isn't any sense of overlap. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 93) Berman has proclaimed that, ultimately, the fact that Captain Picard was bald was "the greatest sales point for The Next Generation ." ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 92)

The cast and crew of TNG approved of Patrick Stewart as Picard. Co-Producer Brannon Braga offered, " So much of the success of Next Generation was Patrick Stewart, quite frankly. We always used to say the guy could read a phone book and we'd watch him. He just was so good. I always said a Star Trek series is only as good as its captain, and Picard was pretty fucking great. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 93) David Livingston agreed, " If anyone would captain a starship, it would be [Stewart]. He would never blink. Only when he was off-camera. If you watch him on-camera, I defy you to find a time he was blinking, because of the intensity of his captain [… ] It was a delight to direct him. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 92 & 94)

Thomas Dougherty, professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, observed, " Captain Picard – he of the balding dome and clipped accents – blossomed as the unchallenged power, the series' pivotal character and controlling force. Ensemble sensibilities aside, the writing staff conceded the obvious – that a strong central protagonist is as necessary to drive the narrative as command the Enterprise . In Shakesperean actor Patrick Stewart, the new crew found a perfect tribal patriarch. Stewart exudes authority and presence, consistently keeping the proceedings away from Space Patrol kitsch. Even in a dumb costume, declaiming deep-space doubletalk, he brings a kind of Elizabethan stature to his role. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , pp. 93-94)

The infamous Picard facepalm

In recent years, several popular Internet memes have surfaced in connection with Picard, most notably the "Picard facepalm" (originally based on a scene from " Deja Q "), and its numerous derivatives. [10]

There are a number of musical tributes to Picard, most notably DarkMateria's "Picard Song Tribute" [11] and Bryan Erickson's "Futile". [12]

Apocrypha [ ]

In the alternate future of the DS9 book series Millennium , Picard was captain of the Enterprise -E. He took Ensign Nog under his wing after Nog was assigned to the Enterprise . On stardate 52145.7, Picard attempted to intercept a Dominion warship carrying Weyoun 5 . Weyoun escaped into the Pah-wraith wormhole . In 2381 , the Enterprise was destroyed at the Battle of Rigel VII. According to Thomas Riker , a Starfleet hearing was called, since Picard had lost his third ship (the Stargazer , the Enterprise -D, and the Enterprise -E), but the case was dismissed and Picard was given command of the Enterprise -F in 2383 , described as the "first of its class." In 2385 , Picard accepted a promotion to admiral, and William T. Riker was given command of the Enterprise . When Earth was destroyed by the Grigari, Picard survived. By 2399, Picard was stricken with Irumodic Syndrome, and would occasionally do such things as speak to nobody (although he claimed to be speaking to Q), or mistake other officers for his old crew (for example, he called Nog "Will" and Jake Sisko "Geordi"). It is implied that he married Beverly Crusher , as he comments to Julian Bashir that, between Bashir and Leonard McCoy , he was always worried that his wife would leave him for one of her heroes. Picard headed up a task force to build a timeship known as the USS Phoenix to try and undo the timeline. The Phoenix was destroyed before it could accomplish its mission, but Picard, Nog, and Vash traveled back in time twenty-five thousand years, where they became three Bajoran mystics who wrote prophecies of the events they had experienced; it is also implied that Vash and the elder Picard were married. The entire timeline was later reset thanks to the actions of Benjamin Sisko.

The novel Death in Winter by Michael Jan Friedman told of Picard beginning a romantic relationship with Dr. Beverly Crusher after rescuing her from a planet under Romulan control. A subsequent book, Greater than the Sum , by Christopher L. Bennett , portrayed them as married and expecting a child. The later Paths of Disharmony , by Dayton Ward , shows them with a son, René.

The graphic novel The Gorn Crisis showed Picard undertaking a mission during the Dominion War to make an alliance with the Gorn .

Picard in Star Trek: Countdown

The comic book series Star Trek: Countdown , a tie-in to the 2009 Star Trek film, depicted Picard as having left Starfleet by 2387 to become the Federation Ambassador to Vulcan ; with Data, resurrected in B-4 's body, succeeding him as captain of the Enterprise -E. When the Enterprise arrived at Vulcan, with the Romulan mining vessel Narada in tow, Picard arranged so that the Vulcan High Council would put aside their prejudices and allow Spock to make his case regarding the Hobus supernova. Despite their best efforts, the Council could not be convinced to give the red matter to the Romulans. After Nero had set off, Hobus erupted with the shock wave of the detonation threatening to destroy Earth and Vulcan in a matter of weeks. After La Forge had been called on and the Jellyfish procured as a vessel to launch the red matter, Picard received several Starfleet reports of ships from all the major galactic powers being destroyed when they neared Romulan space. Suspecting Nero, Picard contacted Worf and requested he intercept the madman with his fleet. When the Jellyfish was ready for launch, Picard boarded the Enterprise to join Worf's fleet. Upon arrival, they found the Narada to have been augmented with Borg technology, the Klingon fleet in pieces and Worf near death. Nero offered to return Worf to them, provided they lowered their shields. Though Picard convinced Data to do so, the Enterprise was crippled as a result, leaving her unable to pursue the Narada . Once repairs were complete, the Enterprise arrived to a collapsing singularity with no sign of Spock or Nero. Concluding that Spock had always known his journey would end like this, Picard led the crew in mourning their departed friend.

Picard's image appeared in the comic book adaptation of the 2009 film as part of a collage from Countdown used to depict Spock's mind-meld with the younger Kirk .

The comic miniseries Star Trek: Spock: Reflections established that after the events of Star Trek Generations , Picard sent a message to Spock explaining how Kirk did not die on the Enterprise -B , but was pulled into the Nexus and how he left it to help Picard defeat Soran from killing two hundred million people in order to re-enter the Nexus and in the process, Kirk was killed while saving Picard and millions of others. Since Kirk was already thought dead, and explaining the nature of the Nexus to Starfleet would be difficult, Picard buried Kirk on Veridian III where he gave his life to save millions. Nonetheless, he felt Spock should know of Kirk's fate. Picard met with Spock a year later at the Kirk family farm in Iowa where he realized Spock had traveled to Veridian III to retrieve Kirk's body and brought him back home to Earth. Spock explained how Kirk did the same for him, at a terrible cost and that he needed to be equal to Kirk's sacrifice. Picard then tells Spock that he would be welcomed to return to Starfleet duty, in any capacity, but Spock planned to return to Romulus to continue his work. Picard asks whether arrangements can be made to make Spock's presence there official, but Spock declined, saying he has always led "a life of solitude and duty". As Spock remembers how he once worked with remarkable friends and comrades, he tells Picard to treasure those times in his own life, since they will someday end. They exchange the Vulcan salute and Picard walks away, but turned back to see Spock still standing quietly by his friend's grave.

Picard returned in the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Q Gambit . Beginning shortly after the events of Countdown , Picard is visited by Q, who informed him that Spock still lived, and that the black hole actually sent him into an alternate reality . When Q attempted to discuss this timeline, Picard cut him off, believing that the various timelines should remain separate from one another. Annoyed, Q reveals he had come for Picard's counsel as Spock had set off a chain of events that would doom that timeline. But since the former captain was uninterested, Q took his leave for the other timeline despite Picard's attempt to call him back. Picard reappeared at the end of the arc where Q returned, now enveloped by the energies of a Prophet . Flatly, Picard said he didn't want to know.

The 3-issue comic miniseries Star Trek: Picard - Countdown , a tie-in to the television series , detailed the efforts of Picard and his first officer, Lt. Cmdr. Raffi Musiker , to aid in the evacuation of Romulan citizens ahead of the impending supernova depicted in Star Trek . In 2381 , now promoted to admiral, Picard left the Enterprise to take command of the USS Verity ( β ) on an envoy mission to offer aid to the empire after Starfleet intercepted communications and learned of the coming catastrophe. Through tense negotiations, Picard convinced the Romulans to allow Starfleet to help evacuate soon-to-be affected worlds, a logistical challenge that he would later compare to the evacuation at Dunkirk during World War II . Picard directed Commander Geordi La Forge to build a specialized fleet at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards above Mars to better assist in the relocation. By 2385 , a number of worlds had slowly been evacuated. As the first of La Forge's new fleet was near ready to come off the line, the Verity was ordered to to evacuate Romulan colonists from Yuyat Beta, where Picard and Musiker learned of a massive native population the Romulans were prepared to let die. They thwarted a plot by the governor and the Tal Shiar to capture the Verity to use against Starfleet, who they believed was using evacuations as a ruse to sabotage the Romulan Empire. Evacuation of the Romulans and Yuyati proceeded. Picard was introduced to Laris Avem and Zhaban Noctis , two Tal Shiar agents in an illicit love affair who aided in de-escalating the situation. Picard offered them safe haven from retribution on his family's vineyard on Earth.

The alternate future of Star Trek Online established Picard's retirement to private life as occurring in 2402 when he settled in his ancestral home of France.

External links [ ]

• Jean-Luc Picard at Wikipedia
• Jean-Luc Picard at Wikiquote
• Jean-Luc Picard at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Jean-Luc Picard at the Star Trek Online Wiki
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)

For Patrick Stewart, Jean-Luc Picard is ‘the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me’

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As the august space voyager Jean-Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart commanded the Starship Enterprise on and off across seven seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” four feature films, and, after a two-decade pause, three seasons of “Picard.” It’s a role he took only because he was assured by confidants that “The Next Generation,” which required a six-year contract, wouldn’t run a year, freeing him to return to England and the theater.

The final season of “ Picard ,” which concludes Thursday on Paramount+ , brings down the curtain on the character and, in bringing back most of the original show’s cast, “The Next Generation” saga as well. I spoke with Stewart, 82, a genial, funny, casually dapper gent, at the home he shares with his wife, singer Sunny Ozell — an old Spanish-style house on a leafy Los Angeles street, purchased just before the pandemic. (“I never thought I’d live in a house that had archways everywhere — no doors!” He counted six from where we were sitting.) Stewart had watched the finale that morning, and he had thoughts and more.

Did you fall in love with Shakespeare before you decided to become an actor?

No. Because “fall in love” doesn’t fit my experience. But something happened, and it happened the first time I held a copy of Shakespeare in my hand and read aloud. And that was because of an English teacher, Cecil Dormand; he had that wonderful ability of being intense and serious about the work and also entertaining and comical at times.

And one day he went around our classroom, dropping a little thin book onto [our desks] and said, “Right, ‘Merchant of Venice.’ This is William Shakespeare, and you’re reading so and so,” and finally, “Patrick, you’re reading Shylock. OK, Act 4, Scene 1 — you know, who you’re playing, start reading it.” So we all went [mimes students reading silently], and he said, “Not to yourselves, you idiots. This is life, it’s drama. It’s the real world. Aloud!” And I had a big speech — it’s the trial scene — I didn’t know what the hell I was saying. There were words I’d never encountered before. I didn’t understand it, but there was something that made my breathing deeper. I can only remember the physical sensation because I was 12 — it wasn’t comprehension, I just felt weight in myself, which I hadn’t felt before. And I was hooked.

Tell me about Murph Swander.

Murph Swander ! His real name was Homer. Homer D. Swander. In one sense, he’s why this huge event happened in my career and life. Murph came knocking on my dressing room at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in Stratford-on-Avon. He was standing there with a bottle of malt whiskey in his hand, and he introduced himself and said, “I’m here with a group of young people from California and we’re coming to see your show tonight and we’d love you to come talk to us tomorrow.” I said, “I’m sorry, I don’t do that. My work is what I do onstage, not talking about it.” And he said, “Well, it would give the students a lot of pleasure if you came, and by the way, this is for you.” I couldn’t afford to drink single malt whiskey in those days, so I said, “All right. Ten o’clock tomorrow morning.” And I talked for the whole hour without taking a breath.

Jumping forward many years, he set up a sort of institution which was run by Murph and myself and another actor, may he rest in peace, called Tony Church, and we went to Santa Barbara [where Swander taught] and did a week of classes, and we’d go to UCLA and up to Santa Cruz — it was mostly the University of California circuit. I got to know some of the teachers very well. And one of them, professor David Rodes, a specialist in Shakespeare at UCLA, called me one day and said, “I’m giving a public lecture on campus, and if you wouldn’t mind reading some passages to illustrate it, I thought it would be great.” So I said, “Sure, of course.” And he said, “There’s $100 in it for you.” “Wow, yes, I’ll do that.”

So I did, and the next morning, I got a call from a man who told me he was my agent — I’d never met him, never talked to him before, but he was my agent in California — and he said, “I’ve got two questions for you. What the hell were you doing at UCLA last night and why would Gene Roddenberry want to see you this morning?” And I said, “Jean who? I don’t know her.” And he told me who Gene Roddenberry was.

What were your first impressions of him?

Impressions ... not good. What I learned many months later was that one of the producers of this new series, which I’d never heard of —

You’d never heard of “Star Trek” at all?

I may have heard of it. When my children were young, I used to race home from the theater in Stratford after the matinee so I could help with their supper and read them a story before racing back to do an evening performance. And they’d watch this show, which I used to occasionally see when I came home on Saturday afternoon, these guys wearing different color T-shirts. That’s all I knew.

So I was told that it was a new “Star Trek” series , and I went to Gene Roddenberry’s house and was greeted at the door by this man, Robert Justman, who had been at the university the previous night and had called Gene Roddenberry and said, “I think we found an actor we’ve got to have in the show.” When I arrived, there were two other men there, besides Gene and Robert, and nobody asked me sit down. We talked for about 10 minutes standing up, and then Gene said, “Thanks for coming over,” and goodbye. And I was back on the street, and I thought, “Bloody hell, what the heck was that about?”

Yes, Hollywood. So I called my agent and told him and he said, “Well, it’s funny you should say that because we’ve had another call and they want to see you again. “

Were there things that attracted you to the show, other than that it was work?

Nnnnnope . It was a style of work I never associated with, or even particularly watched when I was younger. Sci-fi didn’t have any interest for me. What was of interest was that it was on camera, it was in California, it was in Hollywood. My agent took me out to lunch and said, “I’ve got to walk you through the deal.” And when he told me some of the details I was totally disbelieving, what my salary per episode would be — incomprehensible. I couldn’t imagine that, nor indeed had I ever wanted it. I just loved the work I was doing, [playing] Shakespeare and other great dramatists.

Was there a point where it became emotionally satisfying, more than just a job?

It took a long time. I worked very, very hard. I wanted to do good work because I thought this might be my passport to Hollywood. Well, seven years later, we wrapped the series and then we did four movies. It was the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me.

More for better than for worse.

Unquestionably.

How different was it playing Picard in “Picard” ?

Oh, so different. I turned it down at first. And then I thought about the offer and decided I would do it, but I made two conditions. I didn’t want to wear a uniform, and it must not be a series that is fundamentally a sentimental reunion of “The Next Generation.” And they agreed to that. And I think the first “Next Generation” character who came on the show was Jonathan Frakes [as Will Riker] and then in Season 2, Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi, was also in it. And to my great pleasure, I enjoyed having them back on the soundstage. We’ve all aged, all of us. I mean, Michael Dorn [who plays Worf], whose hair is white! And Jonathan with his grizzled gray beard. And me, of course, with my hollowed cheeks and exhausted appearance.

I think it was [producer] Alex Kurtzman who said, “Look, 20 years have passed, and in those 20 years, surely a lot has happened to you, Patrick. I know enough about your life to know there have been upheavals and changes. Surely, the same has happened to Jean-Luc Picard. What might those things be?” Well, I actually invented a whole story about those missing years; this may sound a little pretentious, but to create that past, which I assume will never, ever be known, was very intimate, and it influenced me when we began shooting “Picard.” Because I knew he had needs, longings, desires that were not being fulfilled. Disappointment that things had not gone the way he had hoped. Loneliness. Separation from these people he had loved and admired.

There are moments when I look at scenes in “Picard” and think, “Poor guy, [laughing] he looks terrible. He’s having such a bad time.” That wasn’t my intention, but that was what was being communicated. Anxiety, stress, irritation. I never yelled as Picard — I mean, I may have done — “ The line must be drawn here! ” [pronounced “hee-yah,” much-memed dialogue from the film “ Star Trek: First Contact ”], for which I was made fun of for decades. Actually, there was one like it in the last episode, and I thought, “At least, because there aren’t any more episodes, nobody will be making fun of me.” We made fun of one another a lot.

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Were there any kinds of scenes you particularly enjoyed or didn’t enjoy playing?

I have to admit that when we got into Season 5, 6 and 7 [of “The Next Generation”], there were days I wished I could be doing something different — when you do 178 episodes there’s bound to be repetition. And there were some things about “Picard” I was uncomfortable with, when I thought it was nudging its way toward being a reunion show. But there were not many. And the way the show has been directed, and lit, and staged, it’s so impressive. So many times I feel I’m watching a movie and not a TV series.

I looked forward to those scenes where Picard was not just anxious but actually frightened. Or confused. Or not knowing what to do. I got great satisfaction out of playing those things, because they allowed me to investigate, and release, aspects of Jean-Luc that had really never appeared in “Next Generation.”

What do you think you brought to the character that wasn’t necessarily on the page?

Well, I very quickly came to understand that “ Star Trek ” was not naturalistic television. And there was a sort of formality about being the captain. I was the captain of a starship, and I sat in the center seat, and I had assistants on either side of me and people running the ship down there in front, and it very much reminded me of numerous Shakespearean situations I’d been in onstage. And I thought, “That’s how I should regard this role, as if it were ‘Henry IV,’” which is about brave men. And very quickly I got to know the cast.

Does that family of actors reflect on the family of characters?

I think so, yes. Your use of the word family is in fact very accurate. That is what we became. If you add Whoopi Goldberg, who joined us in the second season, and John de Lancie, who came in as Q. We became so close, and that’s grown over the years.

Last night, I watched Episode 9of Season 3, and this morning, I watched the final episode. There had been a little conflict about how it should end, and the script we held when we started shooting had an ending I was thrilled by — I thought it was absolutely perfect — I can’t tell you what it was — and then when we were shooting, a problem occurred. It was the last day and, oh, it was getting so late and we had so much to do. And I said, “We can pick that up anytime, it’s only me involved.” We never did it. So the ending I loved was never filmed. Instead, it was one I wasn’t happy about — until this morning.

Until you saw it.

The impact that the final episode had on me was unexpected and almost overwhelming. When it finally finished, I had to call out for my wife and go give her a hug because I felt so deeply connected with what I’d watched.

The way the series ends is wonderful. And I so badly thought it was totally wrong when we shot it. But the director and producers, in particular Terry Matalas, who directed it, his instinct was absolutely right, and my instinct was only protective, whereas he was going deeper into what made me feel this morning the whole effect it had on my life and career, this show. And I promise you, if you’d come to see me at half past 8 this morning, you would have found me in my wife’s arms, wiping away the tears.

It has the necessary elements: a bar, Shakespeare and poker.

But it has something else, doesn’t it? It has feelings.

‘Star Trek: Picard’

Where: Paramount+ When: Any time Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under age 14)

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This Star Trek Theory Suggests Patrick Stewart's Picard Had A Secret Addiction

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is famously known for one beverage order: Tea, Earl Grey, hot. But according to one fan theory, the reserved Enterprise captain may have secretly been sipping on something else through the years. Posited by Reddit user u/_Abe_Froman_SKOC on r/FanTheories, the theory suggests that Picard has secretly been dealing with high-functioning alcohol use disorder throughout his Starfleet career. And their evidence goes far beyond loose accusations based on the captain's ties to the Picard family vineyard.

According to the Redditor, Picard's substance issues may have started early in his timeline , while sipping on wine in his childhood home: "Picard was raised on a vineyard in France, and so no doubt had a long history of drinking before joining starfleet," they wrote. Further,  Picard's backstory from his Starfleet Academy days was hardly smooth, a fact revealed in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The First Duty" when he tells academy groundskeeper Boothby he couldn't have graduated without Boothby's intervention for an undisclosed "mistake." 

As u/_Abe_Froman_SKOC continues, Picard loses his heart in a barroom fight with a Nausicaan as an ensign in "Tapestry," suggesting that he got into a lot of trouble as a young man. And if there was a barroom fight, it stands to reason that the officer had been tying one on when it happened.

But perhaps the best evidence for Picard's high-functioning substance abuse is his obviously high tolerance for the hooch anytime it appears, as seen in "Relics," the episode in which a recently re-materialized Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) complains about synthehol until Data (Brent Spiner) finds him some real booze, which he later shares with the captain. "Picard downs an entire glass without so much as flinching, and then reveals that he was the one that sourced the bottle in the first place," the Redditor wrote.

Picard's access to alcohol is unique in Star Trek

In a world where synthehol has generally replaced alcohol, at least aboard a Starfleet ship, maintaining an unhealthy relationship with booze would likely take some degree of effort. But according to u/_Abe_Froman_SKOC's Picard fan theory, Jean-Luc is one of the few people aboard the Enterprise who would have the access and ability to maintain a steady supply of alcohol aboard the ship. As the Redditor wrote, "Picard, despite outward appearances of propriety, also seemed to ignore starfleet rules when it suited him." Given Captain Picard's longstanding relationship with 10 Forward barkeep Guinan, who is known to keep the good stuff on hand, smuggling in whatever booze he wants would hardly be a problem for the officer.

When the captain spends his retirement hanging out in a vineyard with little more than memories and a sprawling wine cellar to occupy his time, u/_Abe_Froman_SKOC says Picard would surely return to old habits. And according to the Redditor, "Star Trek: Picard" suggests Jean-Luc isn't alone in struggling with substance issues. They added that unlike in other "Star Trek" projects, "This series is also notable in that it shows the consumption of alcohol openly, and several of the characters seem to be drunk frequently, which illustrates that alcoholism is not an uncommon affliction in senior starfleet officers."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

‘Star Trek: Picard’ Series Finale Sets the Stage for a Big Spinoff

• By Alan Sepinwall

Alan Sepinwall

This post contains spoilers for the Picard series finale, “The Last Generation.”

When this third and final season of Picard debuted earlier this year, I wrote that while on the one hand it was shameless fan service , on the other this was exactly what Star Trek fans wanted and needed after the show’s first two years were so disappointing. Simply bringing back the entire crew of The Next Generation — and giving most of them much better and richer material than what they got to play back in the Eighties and Nineties — felt like more than enough, even if the season’s conspiracy plot was largely gibberish.

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On the whole, though, this is exactly what most Trekkies would have wanted from this season, and from Picard as a whole: one last chance to see these characters at their best, and to let the actors dig deeper into roles that were often much thinner than they should have been in the Eighties and Nineties.

Some more thoughts on the finale, and the season:

• The season used the Changelings from Deep Space Nine as red herring villains, finally roping the Borg back in for the last couple of episodes. This was a mixed bag, not only because it conflicted with what had happened previously on this very show, but because it feels like it is somehow always going to be the Borg with Jean-Luc. The Changelings were at least surprising, and also a small way for this season to pay homage to the wildly underrated Deep Space Nine , when otherwise it was made up of pieces of TNG and Voyager . (Heck, there was even an original series cameo of sorts, as Walter Koenig provided the voice of Pavel Chekov’s son, Anton — not a nod to playwright Anton Chekhov, but to the late Anton Yelchin , who played Pavel in the Chris Pine films.) Réne Auberjonois (whose Odo was the cleanest connection to the Changelings) has passed away, and Avery Brooks’ Ben Sisko is trapped in the wormhole, but couldn’t Nana Visitor have stopped by? (Colm Meaney who, like Michael Dorn, appeared on both TNG and DS9 , but was much more integral to the latter?) Plus, the nature of the Borg takeover of Starfleet made everyone — particularly Borg expert Elizabeth Shelby from the classic “Best of Both Worlds” two-parter — look very, very stupid.
• The relentless nostalgia did go over the line a bit at the end of the season’s penultimate episode, when Geordi brought his friends onto a rebuilt version of their old ship. Exciting as it was to see them back on the familiar Enterprise-D bridge, it didn’t feel like a time for gawking while the Borg had taken complete control of Starfleet and were preparing to destroy Earth.
• Boy, were Stewart and Michelle Forbes great together in the episode where Jean-Luc’s rebellious Bajoran protege Ro Laren returned. Ro was one of the better TNG recurring characters, and was meant to be the female lead on Deep Space Nine , but Forbes wasn’t crazy about committing years of her life to Star Trek . But she was very invested in the character here, and her argument with Jean-Luc about their former relationship was among the more complex pieces of old business the season did.
• Finally, before we see the Enterprise-D crew play one last round of cards together, we get set-up for a potential spinoff, where Seven of Nine is the captain of the newly-rechristened Enterprise-G, Raffi is her first officer, Geordi’s daughter Sidney remains at the helm, and the multi-talented but reckless Jack is, for now, the ship’s counselor. And later, he’s visited by his father’s old nemesis Q. (Q died at the end of Season Two, but Matalas picked and chose which aspects of the first two seasons he wanted to use and which he wanted to ignore.) On the whole, this feels like a mixed bag. Jeri Ryan can certainly carry a new series as the lead, and Ed Speelers had his moments as Jack, but Raffi has been a dud for three seasons now. If we do get a Seven-centric show, though, the good news is that it would keep pushing the timeline forward, where the otherwise-excellent Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks take place in the franchise’s past. 

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Who played the progenitor in star trek: discovery’s finale.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 6 Or Movie - Everything We Know

Star trek: discovery’s “calypso” short trek & finale epilogue reveal explained, star trek: discovery’s ending introduces a new captain burnham.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery's Season 5 & Series Finale - "Life, Itself"

• The Progenitor Captain Burnham meets reveals ancient technology with the power of creation, and charges her with choosing its fate.
• A Nigerian actress portrays the Progenitor in Discovery's finale, presenting Burnham with a moral dilemma.
• Salome Jens played the original Progenitor, called an Ancient Humanoid, in Star Trek: TNG.

Who plays the Progenitor Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) meets in Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale? The USS Discovery's season-long search for the Progenitors' technology finally comes to a close in the series finale, as Captain Burnham literally comes face-to-face with one of the creators of humanoid life in the galaxy. Since Burnham has proven herself worthy by passing every test to acquire the power of creation, t he Progenitor charges Michael with the awesome responsibility of choosing what to do with ancient and powerful technology.

First introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase," the Progenitors are responsible for creating all humanoid life in Star Trek, in all its diverse forms. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery's finale, "Life, Itself," reveals a bit more about the Progenitors and their powerful technology. Although Burnham never learns exactly how the technology works, she discovers that it actually predates the Progenitors themselves. The Progenitor Burnham encounters reveals that there could be "a cycle of creators and creations, countless times over," going back who knows how long.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is the final season, but will Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery be back for season 6 or a Paramount+ movie?

Who Played The Progenitor In Star Trek: Discovery’s Finale?

A new actress embodies the progenitor..

Nigerian actress and model Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama played the Progenitor in Star Trek: Discovery's season 5 finale. Although the Progenitors and their technology have been at the center of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 , much about their species remains a mystery. Iyamah-Idhalama's Progenitor has been waiting in a "liminal space-time" for someone like Burnham to arrive ever since Dr. Marina Derex visited centuries ago. This Progenitor offers to show Burnham how to operate the life-creating technology, but Burnham comes to the conclusion that no one should have access to that kind of power. The Progenitor reveals that she finds "meaning in embracing difference" and that the technology was originally used to create diverse beings to populate the galaxy. But Burnham notes that her galaxy is already home to countless diverse lifeforms.

Born in Nigeria, Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama has been acting since 2013 and has appeared in shows such as Gidi Up, Coronor, The Expanse, Station Eleven, and Titans. On the film side of things, Iyamah-Idhalama played Dr. Ada Igonoh in 93 Days, a Nigerian film recounting the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria. She won numerous awards for her performance. Iyamah-Idhalama has also appeared in 2018's Lara and the Beat and 2020's A Soldier's Story: Return from the Dead . Iyamah-Idhalama has been involved in some of the Nigerian film industry's most notable productions, and she manages the fashion brand, Andrea Iyamah, which was founded by her younger sister, Dumebi Iyamah.

In the 2023 film Orah , Iyamah-Idhalama portrayed Lace alongside fellow Nigerian actress Oyin Oladejo as Orah. Oladejo played Lt. Commander Joann Owosekun in 49 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.

What Happened To Star Trek: TNG’s Original Progenitor Actor?

Salome jens is currently 89 years old..

Back in 1993, actress Salome Jens portrayed the original Progenitor (credited as "Ancient Humanoid") in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Chase." When Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D solve a puzzle using different DNA samples, a holographic projection appears depicting an ancient humanoid played by Salome Jens. Although these humanoids were not originally named, Star Trek: Discovery has dubbed them the Progenitors. This Progenitor reveals that her people seeded planets throughout the galaxy with their DNA, as there were no other humanoid species in the galaxy at the time.

Actress Salome Jens began acting in the late 1950s and has appeared in numerous films and television shows over the decades. After TNG, Jens went on to portray the female Changeling in fifteen episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Jens' last performance was a voiceover role for the animated film Norm of the North in 2016. She is currently 89 years old. Although the Progenitors remain a mysterious ancient humanoid species, Star Trek: Discovery revealed more about their history and technology. Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama became only the second actress to portray one of these enigmatic beings, following in the footsteps of Salome Jens.

Star Trek: Discovery & Star Trek: The Next Generation are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Captain Picard was going to answer for his actions in Star Trek: Insurrection

Captain Jean-Luc Picard wasn't much of a rule breaker on Star Trek; The Next Generation. In the episode "The Drumhead," we learned that he'd violated the Prime Directive nine timeis since he became captain of the Enterprise. But we only saw a few, with even bigger ones taking place in Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection.

In First Contact, Captain Picard is specifically told to stay away from the fleet so he wouldn't come into contact with the Borg. But since Enterprise was better equipped to fight the Borg, Picard ignored that order. And he blatantly disregarded the orders of Admiral Doughtery In Insurrection after being told the Enterprise wasn't needed to assist in the recovery of Data.

One of the first story treatments for Insurrection, according to Startrek.com , was going to have Picard having to face the Federation Council to answer for his actions, much like Captain Kirk had to do at the end of Star Trek: The Voyage Home. While Kirk was demoted from admiral to captain for his insubordination, it wasn't really much of a punishment considering he returned to the bridge of the Enterprise. Picard, however, wasn't reprimanded, but had he been so, the scene would have had the return of Boothby, the beloved groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy.

The idea included Captain Picard giving a speech about the choices he'd made even though he was clearly fighting a losing battle. The tide turns, though, when Boothby, as supportive as ever, starts to applaud Picard which, in turn, causes a ripple effect of support.

There was no specific reason why this part of the story was jettisoned, and, although Ray Walston did return to the character of Boothby on Star Trek: Voyager, it's regretful that Boothby didn't get the opportunity to show his support once more for Captain Picard.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Captain Picard was going to answer for his actions in Star Trek: Insurrection .

Star Trek Movies in order

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

5. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

7. Star Trek: Generations

8. Star Trek: First Contact

9. Star Trek: Insurrection

10. Star Trek: Nemesis

11. Star Trek

12. Star Trek Into Darkness

13. Star Trek Beyond

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'Star Trek: Discovery' ends as an underappreciated TV pioneer

Eric Deggans

Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham. Michael Gibson/Paramount+ hide caption

First, an admission: Though this column will offer a lot of discussion and defense of Star Trek: Discovery as a pivotal show, it won’t spend much time talking up the series’ current, final season or its finale episode, “Life, Itself,” dropping Thursday on Paramount+.

That’s because, for this critic, the last few seasons of Discovery have been a bit bogged down by the stuff that has always made it a tough sell as a Trek series: overly ambitious, serialized storylines that aren’t compelling; new characters and environments that don’t impress; plot twists which can be maddening in their lack of logic; big storytelling swings which can be confusing and predictable at once.

'Star Trek: Picard' soars by embracing the legacy of 'The Next Generation'

The show’s finale features the culmination of a sprawling scavenger hunt which found the crew of the starship Discovery bounding all over the place, searching for clues leading to a powerful technology pioneered by an alien race which created humanoid life throughout the galaxy. Their goal was to grab the technology before another race, ruthless and aggressive, could beat them to it, laying waste to everything.

It's no spoiler to reveal that Discovery ’s heroes avoid that nightmarish scenario, wrapping its fifth and final season with a conclusion centered on Sonequa Martin-Green’s ever-resourceful Capt. Michael Burnham and fond resolutions for a multitude of supporting characters (there’s even a space wedding!)

Still, this good-enough ending belies Discovery ’s status as a pioneering show which helped Paramount+ build a new vision for Star Trek in modern television – breaking ground that more creatively successful series like Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds would follow years later.

And it all began with a singular character: Michael Burnham.

A take on Star Trek for modern TV

Discovery debuted in 2017 on CBS All Access — the streaming service which would become Paramount+ — facing a serious challenge.

As the first new Trek series in a dozen years, it had to chart a path which offered a new vision of the franchise without going too far — carving out a new corner in the universe of Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spock not long after the release of Star Trek Beyond , the third feature film produced by J. J. Abrams featuring rebooted versions of those classic characters.

Producers set Discovery ’s story 10 years before the days of Kirk and Spock (originally depicted on NBC for three seasons starting way back in 1966). The new series wouldn’t be centered on a starship captain, but its second in command: Burnham, a Black woman who also happened to be the hitherto unknown adopted daughter of Vulcan ambassador Sarek, Spock’s father (she would get promoted to captain of Discovery much later).

A Black human woman who was raised among the emotionally controlling, super-intellectual Vulcans? Who Trek fans had never heard of over nearly 60 years? Before I actually saw any episodes, my own feelings ranged from cautiously intrigued to cynically pessimistic.

But then I saw the first episode, which had an amazing early scene: Martin-Green as Burnham and Michelle Yeoh as Discovery Capt. Philippa Georgiou walking across an alien planet – two women of color marking the first step forward for Star Trek on a new platform.

People once sidelined in typical science fiction stories were now centerstage — a thrilling, historic moment.

Michelle Yeoh as Captain Philippa Georgiou and Sonequa Martin-Green as First Officer Michael Burnham in the very first episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Jan Thijs/CBS hide caption

And it got better from there. Back in the day, Trek writers often felt hamstrung by creator Gene Roddenberry’s insistence that, in the future depicted by the show, humans were beyond social ills like greed, prejudice, sexism, war, money and personal friction. The writers chafed, wondering: How in the world do you build compelling stories on a starship where interpersonal human conflict doesn’t exist?

But Discovery found a workaround, putting Burnham in a position where logic led her to mutiny against her captain, attempting a strategy which ultimately failed — leaving humans in open combat with the legendarily warlike Klingons. Discovery also featured a long storyline which played out over an entire season, unlike many earlier Trek shows which tried to offer a new adventure every week.

'First, Last And Always, I Am A Fan': Michael Chabon Steers Latest 'Star Trek'

The show’s first season had plenty of action, with Harry Potter alum Jason Isaacs emerging as a compelling and unique starship captain (saying more would be a spoiler; log onto Paramount+ and check out the first season). Fans saw a new vision for Trek technology, leveraging sleek, visceral special effects and action sequences worthy of a big budget movie, with design elements cribbed from several of the franchise’s films.

Later in its run, Discovery would debut Ethan Peck as Spock and Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, classic Trek characters who eventually got their own acclaimed series in Strange New Worlds . So far, five other Trek series have emerged on Paramount+ from ideas initially incubated on Discovery – including a critically acclaimed season of Picard which reunited the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Not bad for a series one TV critic eventually called among “the worst in the [ Trek ] franchise’s history.”

Discovery’s unappreciated legacy

Unfortunately, Discovery has taken some turns which didn’t work out quite so well. At the end of Discovery ’s second season, the starship jumped ahead in time nine centuries – perhaps to remove it from Strange New World ’s timeline? – placing it in an environment only distantly connected to classic Trek .

And while Discovery initially seemed cautious about referencing classic Trek in its stories, later series like Strange New Worlds and Picard learned the value of diving into the near-60-year-old franchise’s legacy – regularly tapping the show’s longtime appeal, rather than twisting into knots to avoid it.

There are likely fans of Discovery who would disagree with this analysis. But I think it helps explain why the series has never quite gotten its due in the world of Star Trek , initially shaded by skeptical fans and later overshadowed by more beloved products.

Now is the perfect time to pay tribute to a show which actually accomplished quite a lot – helping prove that Roddenberry’s brainchild still has a lot of narrative juice left in the 21st Century.

Gates McFadden Beams Up 'Star Trek's Best & Brightest for 'InvestiGates' Season 3 [Exclusive]

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The Big Picture

• Gates McFadden's podcast, InvestiGates , is returning for a third season with exciting guests like Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala.
• The podcast features intimate conversations with Star Trek alums, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and personal experiences.
• Fans of Star Trek can look forward to upcoming projects like Lower Decks Season 5, Strange New Worlds Season 3, and Starfleet Academy Season 1.

Collider is thrilled to exclusively announce that Gates McFadden 's beloved podcast, InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are? is returning for a third season! On top of unveiling that the series has been green-lit for Season 3, we've teamed up with Nacelle, to unveil a few of the very exciting guests that McFadden will be interviewing in the new episodes. Across the first two seasons, McFadden conducted 25 one-on-one interviews with some of your favorite Star Trek alums, diving deep into behind-the-scenes stories, and even boldly going beyond the franchise for in-depth answers about what makes these actors tick.

Joining McFadden for Season 3 are Star Trek: Discovery alums Sonequa Martin-Green and David Ajala . Discovery will sail into the sunset tomorrow when the series finale hits Paramount+ and Martin-Green has guided the series from its inception to its beautiful and poignant ending . You can also expect to hear from your favorite grumpy captain, Todd Stashwick , who stole hearts in Picard Season 3 as Captain Shaw alongside McFadden. Fellow Picard alum, and procedural drama regular, Michelle Hurd , who played Raffi across all three seasons will also be sitting down with McFadden for a candid chat. And while those are all the names we can reveal for now, InvestiGates has a whole slate of big surprises lined up for Season 3.

Going beyond what we've seen on screen, InvestiGates "thrives on intimate conversations that are filled with stories of youth, family, and the cast's intertwined experiences." Engaging from her own experience in the world of Star Trek McFadden is able to create one-of-a-kind conversations with her co-stars that range from "hilarious to harrowing." Upon getting the green light for Season 3 McFadden said:

"Intelligence, imagination, empathy, love of science, pretty darn funny, and a belief that the future may be better than we thought. Those are the qualities of my podcasts guests for this upcoming season. Lucky me!"

Nacelle CEO Brian Volk-Weiss also shared a statement saying, "It's been one of the great pleasures of my career to work with Gates on this show as she does a flawless job at reeling you in with smart questions, and then leaving you in awe of her incredible hosting abilities long after you've finished the episode."

What's Next For 'Star Trek'?

To hold fans over until Season 3 of InvestiGates hits Spotify and Apple Podcasts, there are still several Star Trek projects to look forward to on the horizon. Discovery 's series finale will be available on Paramount+ this week and the cast of Star Trek: Lower Decks have already recorded voice work for the fifth and final season of the beloved animated series . While it's certainly sad to see these two shows go, we can also look forward to the third season of Strange New Worlds , which recently wrapped filming in Toronto , and the new series Starfleet Academy which will film this summer . Beyond the small screen, Paramount is also working on a Star Trek origin movie set years before the events of Star Trek (2009).

You can listen to the first two seasons of InvestiGates on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and catch McFadden's latest Star Trek performance on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Picard

Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, long retired from Starfleet, is thrust back into the heart of galactic intrigue when a desperate young woman seeks his aid. Determined to uncover a vast conspiracy and protect her, Picard recruits a diverse team of allies. As they navigate a galaxy fraught with new dangers and old enemies, Picard faces personal demons and ethical dilemmas, all while trying to uphold the ideals he has always stood for.

Watch on Paramount+

• Gates McFadden

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 10 Review: Captain Michael Burnham’s Story Gets a Definitive Ending

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The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Discovery, Season 5, Episode 10, "Life Itself."

When Star Trek: Discovery debuted in late 2017, it was clear the series was about Captain Michael Burnham most of all. The titular ship didn't even appear until the third episode, after all. In the end, it was just Captain Burnham and her ship setting sail on one final, heartbreaking mission. However, while "Life Itself" ends the story for the USS Discovery and its captain, there is still some wiggle room for them and the rest of the crew to return to Star Trek one day. This makes sense since, according to producers, Star Trek: Discovery wasn't going to end with Season 5 , at least not originally. Ironically, the show's cast and crew couldn't have made a better swan song for this crew than most of the season thus far.

The characters crossed a Rubicon this year, becoming the kind of Starfleet heroes most Star Trek characters are when audiences first meet them. Captain Burnham especially had a strange journey, going from a mutineer to the captain of a starship doling out "second chances" herself. Truly, the series finale of Star Trek: Discovery made some controversial choices, from the ultimate fate of the Progenitors' technology to its final scene set in the far future. However, the finale does deliver a mostly satisfying and definitive end for the characters. Still, nothing in Star Trek ever really ends, and there remains some narrative space for more stories in the future.

The Final Fate of the Progenitors’ Technology Is Disappointing but Understandable

Captain michael burnham picked the same choice that starfleet made 800 years ago, a 57-year-old star trek mystery has finally been solved.

The final season of Star Trek: Discovery just solved a franchise mystery that's been left open since a classic episode of The Original Series aired.

When Captain Jean-Luc Picard came face-to-face with the galaxy's forebears in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Chase (Season 6, Episode 20)," the information he learned was too powerful. So, it's not surprising that Captain Burnham made the same choice he did when she came face-to-face with the Progenitor guardian of the construct used to seed life throughout the galaxy. Setting aside that Captain Burnham would've had to stay in the construct as the guardian herself, the power it represented was simply too much for one person to control. Like Captain Picard before her, Captain Burnham chose the potential for a peaceful future rather than claiming the ultimate power for herself in the present.

The fourth episode of Season 5, "Face the Strange," put Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner on the bridge of the USS Discovery after Starfleet was destroyed. It's unclear whether the Breen used the Progenitors' technology or not, but the result was the same. Her decision to destroy the construct by sending it past the event horizon of a black hole is a controversial one. Starfleet's main purpose is for exploration and discovery. What they could've learned from the Progenitors' technology was limitless. Yet, the potential for abuse and destruction remained. Having seen Starfleet at its worst, Captain Burnham made the only call that made sense.

Gene Roddenberry wanted Star Trek to face God at some point, but he was an avowed atheist. He wanted humanity to show they didn't need a divine being to guide them because reason, compassion and the pursuit of truth were enough. In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, the USS Discovery searched for nothing less than their creator, and they found them. Even though the Progenitors didn't actually build the construct, Captain Burnham made a Roddenberry-like decision by destroying it. The galaxy didn't need the awesome, godlike powers that the construct represented. The truth of what made life special was already present in each and every ally and antagonist they've met on their travels.

The USS Discovery’s Crew Got Their Happy Endings, Especially Saru

The wedding celebration would’ve been a perfect ending for the show, everything we know about michelle yeoh's upcoming star trek movie.

Star Trek: Section 31 is the next film in the Star Trek franchise, though information is scarce. Here's what's known about Michelle Yeoh's new movie.

Reunited with Nhan, who left the ship to find her place in the 32nd Century, there was one more mission for "Action Saru." On a shuttle trying to prevent a Breen fleet from joining the fight, Saru and Nhan chose the path of diplomacy. Star Trek: Discovery began with a war that started because Burnham, Saru and Captain Georgiou didn't know how to have a diplomatic dialogue with an intransigent enemy. With a mix of reason and threats, Saru was able to talk down the Breen Primarch from bringing her fleet to the fight between the USS Discovery and L'ak's uncle's dreadnought.

After using the USS Discovery's Spore Drive in a creative way, the crew attended the wedding of T'Rina and Saru. Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker were also able to repair their relationship, while the rest of the crew were shown to be closer than ever. In fact, after a rocky start, it appears that Commander Rayner and Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly had become something like friends. Leaving the crew in that moment, celebrating love and their companionship, would've been as good a finale as any. That's not the choice the storytellers made, however.

The best Star Trek finales are those that end the story but not in a definitive way. Captain Picard sitting down to play a game of poker with his senior officers was one such ending. Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise-A in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was another. Instead of going to the space dock to see their ship be decommissioned, they went to "the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning." These conclusions ended the immediate story but allowed fans to imagine the crews' adventures continuing forever. Star Trek: Discovery, conversely, chose to end the crew's story for good.

The Time-Skip Was a Questionable Coda for Star Trek: Discovery

There is room for more stories between the intervening years, but the uss discovery’s story is definitely over, why michael burnham was right to violate star trek's most sacred rule.

In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Captain Michael Burnham violates a major Federation rule, but was right to do so for a reason that's not so obvious.

After the wedding, the episode makes a surprising and unspecified time skip into the future. Now, Admiral Michael Burnham is living on a planet in a rural paradise with Booker. After sharing some unintentionally waxy coffee with Book, the admiral repairs a fence while talking to an indigenous alien deer-like creature she named "Alice." This is a callback to Alice in Wonderland , the book that Amanda Grayson read to her and Spock as kids. Eventually, a Starfleet shuttle arrives, its occupant the adult son of Burnham and Book, himself a newly-pipped captain.

On the trip from her new home to Starfleet headquarters, Burnham talks to her son about his new command. Unlike most Starfleet captains, it seems that Burnham found a way to balance her time with her family and her crew. It's even revealed that Tilly is still at Starfleet Academy, currently serving as the longest-tenured instructor in the institution's history. The rest of the crew's fates are left open. This, with the time jump, means there is still room in this narrative for a spin-off or even a movie bringing back Burnham and the USS Discovery's crew .

Still, this is a questionable move on the part of the storytellers. While it is nice to know that Book and Burnham got their happy ending , it does rob the intervening years of some tension. The entire sequence feels like it was a last-minute addition to the series finale, which ended perfectly at the wedding. Everything from Burnham's son to the USS Discovery's final mission lacks emotional resonance, if only because these moments weren't truly earned. Star Trek: Discovery's ending is definitive, but it feels like the storytellers skipped half of the book to hurriedly show audiences the final chapter.

The USS Discovery’s Final Mission Is an Inevitable Tragedy

The series finale’s payoff to star trek canon is the opposite of fanservice, 'we broke barriers': star trek: discovery star celebrates show's diversity.

Ahead of Star Trek: Discovery's final season, Sonequa Martin-Green celebrates the show for making "television history" with its diverse cast.

Star Trek: Short Treks, debuted before Star Trek: Discovery Season 2. Short Treks' second episode, "Calypso," introduced Zora, the USS Discovery's now-sentient Artificial Intelligence , when she rescues a wayward traveler named Craft in an escape pod. He learns the ship was abandoned, and that Zora sat there for 1,000 years alone and sad. At the time, this was just one of the ship's many potential dark futures. But in Star Trek: Discovery's finale, it was confirmed to be canon. The series' closing moments looped back to this dark fate but instead of undoing it, the finale confirmed its inevitability. Here, Captain Burnham told Zora of a Red Directive mission from Doctor Kovich to deploy the USS Discovery in a certain position. The doctor was revealed to be Agent Daniels, a Time Agent introduced in the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise . This, in turn, implies that "Calypso" has bigger implications than just getting Craft back to his wife on Alcor IV.

This revelation also made good on a promise the producers made after "Calypso" aired. Specifically, they promised that the future seen in the episode would be addressed in Star Trek: Discovery . However, fans hoped that this meant another bit of Star Trek time travel where the crew would improve the ship's lonely fate or rewrite history so that it never happened. Instead, it's confirmed that Zora will achieve sentience in a now lifeless ship that's stuck in the galaxy's abyss. There is no other way to read this mission than anything but punishment . The only consolation was that Captain Burnham said that Zora could eventually come back to the Federation to find their descendants, assuming it still exists centuries later. Why rescuing Craft was so important to the bigger picture that was implied in the finale is a question audiences will likely never know the answer to.

Zora, the USS Discovery, Captain Burnham and the rest of the crew deserved better. For all the grand fanfare the ship left Starfleet headquarters with, their ending in the series finale is oddly tragic. Unlike the other heroic ships of Star Trek series past, the USS Discovery will not sit in the Fleet Museum honored for its service. Instead, it will drift in deep space alone for millennia, at the very least, with a lonely AI trapped in there forever. The final season of Star Trek: Discovery was almost perfect. If it ended with Saru's wedding it would've stayed that way. Instead, the series closed on a jarringly grim note that currently seems unavoidable. Still, as Captain Burnham says, nothing in Star Trek is forever. Thankfully, that includes unintentionally dark and tragic endings.

The complete Star Trek: Discovery is now streaming on Paramount+ .

Star Trek: Discovery

• Cinematic action and visual effects make for a worthy series finale.
• The narrative is a perfect blend of Star Trek violence and diplomacy.
• A poignant and satisfying conclusion to Star Trek's first TV series of the third wave.
• The time-jump ending feels slightly unearned and anti-climactic.
• The final fate of Zora and the USS Discovery is tragic, undercutting the finale's uplifting tone.
• The final sequence doesn't fit with the rest of Season 5.

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Star Trek: Discovery tore itself apart for the good of Star Trek’s future

And it helped set the tone for where Star Trek is now

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If you were to jump directly from the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery to its finale — which just debuted on Paramount Plus — the whiplash would throw you clear out of your seat like your ship had suffered an inertial damper malfunction. Since its first two chapters premiered on CBS All Access in 2017, the series has moved to a different ship and a different century, and has acquired an almost entirely different set of characters. Moreover, Discovery has received a radical tonal refit, evolving in fits and starts from a dark and violent war story to a much sunnier action-adventure serial.

Though it never won the mainstream attention or critical acclaim of its spinoff, Strange New Worlds , nor the gushing fan adulation of Picard ’s Next Gen reunion , Discovery spearheaded Star Trek’s return to television , the franchise’s maiden voyage into the frontier of premium streaming content. Like any bold pathfinder, Discovery encountered obstacles, suffered losses, and made some major course corrections. But, if you ask the cast and crew, the adventure has been more than worth the tumultuous journey.

Tacking into the wind

“We were on wobbly legs for a long time,” admits star Sonequa Martin-Green, whose character, Michael Burnham, has had the rug pulled out from under her a number of times over the course of the series. In the first season and backstory alone, Burnham lost her parents, saw her mentor murdered, was tried for mutiny, discovered that her first love is a Klingon sleeper agent, and was betrayed by not one but two Mirror Universe doppelgängers of trusted Starfleet captains.

Move over, Deep Space Nine — this was instantly the grimmest canonical depiction of the Star Trek universe on screen. Season 1 of Discovery was rated TV-MA and featured more blood and gore than the franchise had ever seen, not to mention an instance of graphic Klingon nudity. (Actor Mary Wiseman recalls seeing her co-star Mary Chieffo walking the set wearing prosthetic alien breasts and thinking, What the hell? ) The corpse of Michelle Yeoh’s character is cannibalized by Klingons off screen, and her successor, portrayed by Jason Isaacs, turns out to be a manipulative psycho from the Mirror Universe who tries to mold Burnham into his plaything.

The bleak, adult-oriented tone was not the only sticking point with Star Trek purists, as Discovery would take place a decade before the original 1960s Star Trek but have a design aesthetic much closer to that of the 2009 movie reboot, leading to some irreconcilable clashes with continuity. The show’s serialized, season-long arcs were a far cry from the familiar “planet of the week” stories of most previous incarnations of the franchise. Then there was Burnham’s backstory as the never-before-mentioned human foster sister to Trek’s iconic Vulcan Spock , a creative decision that has “clueless studio note” written all over it. Even ahead of its debut, Discovery faced vocal opposition from the fan base for straying so far from their notion of what Star Trek was supposed to be. (Not to mention the revolting but quite vocal faction of fans who were incensed that Star Trek had “gone woke,” as if it hadn’t been that way the whole time.) Many of Discovery ’s detractors flocked toward The Orville , a Fox series starring and created by Seth MacFarlane that was essentially ’90s-style Star Trek with the occasional dick joke thrown in. The Orville offered fans alienated by Discovery ’s vastly different approach to Star Trek a more familiar (but far less ambitious) alternative.

The grim Klingon War story was the brainchild of co-creator Bryan Fuller, who had been a member of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager writers rooms before creating cult series like Pushing Daisies and Hannibal . Fuller would end up departing Team Discovery before production even began, asked to resign after a string of creative differences with the studio. New showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen J. Berg carried out a version of Fuller’s plans without him, and then oversaw the show’s first major pivot. Discovery ’s second season was immediately brighter, more colorful, and cozier with established Star Trek lore. (This is the arc that would introduce the versions of Pike , Spock , and Number One who now lead Strange New Worlds .) But things weren’t so sunny behind the scenes — Harberts and Berg were fired midway through the season after writers accused the duo of creating an abusive work environment.

As different as Discovery would eventually stray from the HBO-style drama of its first season, co-creator Alex Kurtzman feels that the mission of the series has never changed.

“One of the things that we set up in season 1 is that we knew that Burnham would start as a mutineer and end up a captain,” says Kurtzman. “What was exciting about that is that we knew it would take time.”

Captain on deck

It was after Harberts and Berg’s departure that Kurtzman, who had remained involved but been primarily occupied with the development of the growing television Star Trek franchise as a whole, took the helm of Discovery himself. Before long, he would promote writer and co-executive producer Michelle Paradise to the role of co-showrunner, which she would retain for the remainder of the series. Just as the late, great Michael Piller did during the third season of The Next Generation , Paradise brought a sense of stability and confidence to Discovery , which reverberated onto set.

“I commend Michelle Paradise and the rest of the writers because this show evolved ,” says Martin-Green. “Our initial showrunners, Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg, they made their impact and that’ll never be erased, but landing where we did with Michelle co-showrunning with Alex Kurtzman, jumping farther than any Trek had gone before, I feel that’s when our feet were solid on the ground and when we really established our identity.”

Season 2 fell into a steady rhythm that felt more in tune with Kurtzman’s “movie every week” philosophy, never far in tone from the reboot film trilogy on which Kurtzman served as a writer and producer. The steady presence of Michelle Yeoh’s deliciously amoral Emperor Georgiou was a major boon, essentially becoming Star Trek’s answer to Buffy ’s Spike or Dragon Ball Z ’s Vegeta. However, Discovery was also undeniably borrowing clout from legacy characters Pike and Spock, and the constant friction with established canon wasn’t sitting well with Kurtzman or the audience.

The season ended with a surprising twist that resolved the continuity problems but also changed the entire nature of the show. The titular starship and its crew would be propelled 930 years into the future, past the furthest fixed point in Star Trek’s continuity. No longer forced to tiptoe around the sacred canon, Discovery was free to sprint in a bold new direction. Once again and in a more tangible way, it was a whole new show.

“If the folks who came in had sort of taken us off the rails that would have been a very different experience,” says Anthony Rapp, who portrays the prickly Commander Paul Stamets. “But Michelle Paradise came through as such a shining light and a beautiful presence in our lives. She took the show into this territory of being able to have the heart in its center in a way that felt very grounded and meaningful, and really helped us to make that transition.”

An open sky

Season 3 of Discovery offered Kurtzman, Paradise, producing director Olatunde Osunsanmi, and the rest of the creative team a rare opportunity to completely rewrite Star Trek’s galactic map . Not since the launch of The Next Generation in 1987 had a writers room been able to venture onto such “fresh snow,” as Paradise puts it. In the 32nd century, beyond the furthest point explored in the established Trek canon, the righteous United Federation of Planets has all but collapsed in the aftermath of “the Burn,” a mysterious space calamity. Some longtime friends are now adversaries, and even Earth has become an isolationist state. The USS Discovery, displaced in time, becomes the means by which to reconnect the shattered galaxy. It’s not hard to read this as a mission statement for Star Trek as a whole — a relic from another time, back to offer hope to a bleak present.

Season 3’s 13-episode arc restored a bit of Star Trek’s space Western roots, with warp drive a rare and costly luxury in the ravaged 32nd century and half the galaxy dominated by a vast criminal empire known as the Emerald Chain. Michael Burnham spent much of the season out of uniform, having found a new purpose as a more roguish freelance courier alongside the sweet and savvy Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). This is arguably the most interesting version of the show, as Michael questions whether or not Starfleet — the institution whose trust she has worked so hard to restore — is still her home.

By the end of the season (and right on schedule with Fuller and Kurtzman’s original plans), Michael Burnham finally accepts her destiny and becomes captain of Discovery. More subtly, this altered the premise of the show for a third time, as the central question of “Will Michael ever become captain?” had been answered in the affirmative. But, since she’d already been the central character and a figure of improbable cosmic import, the change was mostly cosmetic. And symbolic — Martin-Green considers her presence “being Black, and a woman, and a captain sitting in that chair” to be her greatest contribution to Star Trek. After three seasons of struggle and uncertainty, Burnham could now be as aspirational a character as Picard , Sisko, or Janeway .

The tone on which the show settled at the end of season 3 would be the one that finally stuck. Where the series had initially been bloody and brooding, it was now squarely an adventure show featuring a cast of characters with a boundless and demonstrative love for each other. The crew would face mortal danger each episode and a galactic-level threat each season, bolstered by very expensive-looking visual effects and a rousing score. At the same time, many conflicts both large and small would eventually be resolved by characters talking through their feelings and finding common ground. This was exhausting as often as it was compelling, but it was consistent. For its final two seasons, viewers could finally know what to expect from Star Trek: Discovery .

Discovering itself

This “feelings over phasers” approach was not for everyone, but it was never intended to be. Even from the outset, before Paramount began pumping out more Star Trek series to target different facets of the fan base, Discovery was never meant to be a definitive Star Trek experience that checked every box.

“You’ll never be able to be everything to everybody,” says Michelle Paradise. “The goal was always to make the best version of Discovery . It’s a different kind of Star Trek. It’s serialized, it’s fewer episodes, it’s a movie every week. That’s a thing that will appeal to many people, and for some people it won’t be their cup of tea.”

Discovery has bounced up and down my personal ranking of Star Trek series a number of times during its run, more than any of its past or present siblings. I have begun each season of the show with great excitement, and that excitement is frequently exhausted by season’s end. Most Trek series have good years and bad years. To me, Discovery suffers from being simultaneously brilliant, innovative, lazy, cringe, inspiring, and eye-rolling at all times, only in different measures. It features the franchise’s strongest lead actor since Patrick Stewart, and a supporting cast that has never been leveraged to my satisfaction. In my career, I have written more words about Star Trek: Discovery than any other television series, and I still haven’t made up my mind about it. For as many cheerleaders and haters as the show must have, I imagine there are many more viewers who feel the way I do — it’s a show that I wanted to love, but never fully fell in love with.

As Discovery disappears in the aft viewport, some will bid it a fond farewell, some will be blowing it raspberries, and some will turn away with total disinterest. But regardless of how well Discovery itself is remembered in the coming years, it has already made a substantial impact on the franchise. It paved the way for every Trek series that followed, including three direct spinoffs. Its second season was the incubator for Strange New Worlds , now the most acclaimed Trek series in a generation. Michelle Yeoh had such fun in her recurring role on Discovery that, even after winning an Academy Award , she was still keen to return for the upcoming Section 31 TV movie . Discovery ’s 32nd-century setting will continue to be explored in the new Starfleet Academy series , leaving the door open for some of its characters to return.

Even the new shows that have no direct relationship to Discovery have benefitted from the precedent it set by being different from what came before. Lower Decks is an animated sitcom, Prodigy is a kid-targeted cartoon , Picard is… a bunch of different things that don’t work together , but they are all different shows. Star Trek was one thing, and beginning with Discovery , it became many things. And for Star Trek, an institution that preaches the value of infinite diversity in infinite combinations, that’s a legacy to be proud of.

Star Trek: Discovery is now streaming in full on Paramount Plus.

Star Trek: Discovery boldly goes where no Trek has gone before by saying religion is... OK, actually

Star trek: discovery is cracking open a box next gen closed on purpose, star trek: discovery is finally free to do whatever it wants, loading comments....