Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: Ed Speleers, jean-luc picard, paramount, patrick stewart, Star Trek Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Patrick Stewart Talks Star Trek Future, Picard/Crusher Relationship

Star Trek: Picard star Sir Patrick Stewart discusses not quite being done with the franchise, Jean-Luc & Dr. Crusher's relationship & more.

When Sir Patrick Stewart returned back into the Star Trek fold, reprising his role as the title character in Picard, he initially insisted that the Paramount+ series not become a rehash of his days of The Next Generation. To a certain extent, even as fans remained divided about the first two seasons and the overwhelmingly positive response with the final season, Picard remained true in its serialized storytelling as the Enterprise-D crew dealt with the fallout of Deep Space Nine's Dominion War with the vengeful Changelings who aligned themselves with their greatest enemy in The Borg. Stewart spoke to Variety about the progression of Picard from start to finish and his future as Jean-Luc in Star Trek. The following contains spoilers.

Why Patrick Stewart Wanted TNG Cast to Have Equally Robust Stories for Picard

With seasons two and three filmed back-to-back and the final episode streaming on April 20th, Stewart reflected on the journey he began with executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman. "I feel very good about it. We all talked about 'Picard' far more than we ever talked about 'Next Generation.' You know, the scripts would just arrive on 'Next Generation.' For this, from the very earliest meeting that I had with Alex and Akiva, it was always based on a new energy in the show, a different group of people," he said. "We were going to acknowledge the actual years that had passed. We were not going to try and pick it up where 'Next Generation' had left off, or where our movies left off. Everyone had been affected by time that had passed, not just physically in appearance, but in one's relationship situation, in what activities people were involved in, what had become of them, and so forth. I found that one of the best elements of the show, especially when we began to assemble again."

Season three of Picard meant an equal, more distributed, nuanced deep dive as Jean-Luc did with his TNG crewmates, "We were not just celebrating a reunion," Stewart said. "Not remotely. It was absolutely vital that this group of people came together because of the contribution that they could make and the necessity of their being there. I think that supported the whole of this three-season series. We could examine what has really happened to Riker and so many things that happened to Data. That's what gave it, I felt, in 'Star Trek' terms, a very, very independent feeling. I hope that it will be seen as something which will stand alone, not just 'Next Generation Part 2.'

As far as stepping back on the recreated Enterprise-D bridge again, "Well, it's produced a lot of comedy. I don't think we are, as a group, sentimental about things like the bridge of the Enterprise in the way that maybe our fans are," Stewart said. "Because, I mean, we were filming [TNG], I spent more time on the bridge of the Enterprise than I did at home, and so it became a familiar workplace for us. That continued throughout 'Picard,' even though they were not always the same ship. It gave a lot of freshness and energy to the show. One of the greatest pleasures I got watching for the first time was that everyone had investigated what would have changed in their lives and their manner and their being. I found all that intriguing. It will be the one thing that might lure me back to do another season or other episodes, simply that it was so interesting. Everyone was such good and committed actors that we were able to bring this freshness to what we were doing. We were not really the same people."

Near the end of the episode, we see the U.S.S. Titan-A rebranded as the Enterprise-G with Seven (Jeri Ryan) as Captain, Cmdr Raffi (Michelle Hurd) as her first officer, and Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) as the crew's latest official addition before they set off on their new journey. Jack is the son of Beverly (Gates McFadden) and Jean-Luc. As far as any spin-off possibilities like showrunner Terry Matalas' proposed Star Trek: Legacy, "Yes. The circumstances, as it was with 'Picard,' would be the important factor in all of that," Stewart said of possibly taking part. "But certainly, there is a wonderful future for Ed there, I'm sure of it. And if I can occasionally crop up to offer a little bit of comedy myself, then I shall be happy to do that."

Why Star Trek TNG Films Didn't Address Jean-Luc & Beverly's Relationship

As far as Jean-Luc finally embracing his destiny as a father late in life…er second life, "I think that the relationship between Dr. Crusher and Picard was what mattered most in this," Stewart said. "I read several accounts of parents who only learned that they were parents when the child was quite adult. What it produced in and Jean-Luc was fury with — I nearly said Gates — with Dr. Crusher because she had not told him. He had not pursued family life as an essential part of his own life; nevertheless, when the thing happened, he was cut out of it. He was isolated. I think that was the toughest thing for him to swallow, that there had been 20-odd years in the life of his only son, and he had not known about it at all. Those 20 years were the years in which he had wandered through being promoted to an admiral, the desk job he had, retiring, becoming a lecturer and a winemaker — all of these things became irrelevant as he dealt with the critical situation that was building up around the people he cared about so deeply." For more, including why Beverly & Jean-Luc's relationship wasn't explored in the TNG films, seeing the final two episodes, if other endings were in play, quoting Shakespeare in the final scene, poker, and more, you can check out the interview here.

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