Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, TV | Tagged: jeri ryan, star trek, Star Trek Picard, Todd Stashwick

Star Trek: Picard: Jeri Ryan Knew Todd Stashwick's Shaw Would Be Big

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 star Todd Stashwick wasn't sure how Shaw would be received, but Jeri Ryan knew from the start he would be a hit.

Star Trek: Picard's third and final season was special not only because it featured the reunion of the core cast of The Next Generation but also creating new compelling characters, opening pathways to new opportunities for spinoffs. Among the new characters is the captain of the U.S.S. Titan-A in Todd Stashwick's Liam Shaw, who also happens to be the biggest thorn in the side of his first officer Cmdr. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Not only is he strictly by the book, but he also undermines her at every turn to the point of even deadnaming her due to his prejudice against Borg. The former provisionary officer on the U.S.S. Voyager finally took a Starfleet commission in season three, having known mostly a life in the Collective before being liberated by the Federation and rediscovering her humanity, but still embraced her Borg identity. Stashwick, who previously worked with Picard showrunner Terry Matalas in the Star Trek franchise on Enterprise, wasn't sure about how fans would receive his new character.

Stashwick joined Matalas, Ryan, fellow new cast member Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Ensign Sydney La Forge), and TNG holdovers Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Gates McFadden (Beverly), Brent Spiner (Data) and Michael Dorn (Worf) for TrekTalks 3's Star Trek: Picard season three reunion panel to benefit the Hollywood Food Coalition courtesy of Roddenberry Podcasts, Trek Geeks, and TrekMovie.com. Among the subjects discussed was Stashwick's surprise to fan response to his "dipshit from Chicago." "Part of me thought I was gonna be a lot of, like, 'Here's your coffee, Mr. Picard.' Like Terry was doing me a favor and including me in the process, but I didn't really understand the breadth of how much Shaw was really gonna be figured into the plot," he said. "I called it. I said he is my favorite Star Trek character," Ryan added. "You have no idea how big he's gonna be. I called it. Todd is brilliant. Brilliant!"

When fans are introduced to Shaw, he scoffs at the idea of Starfleet legends Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain William Riker boarding his vessel and is naturally suspicious of their motives when they're trying to respond to their colleague Beverly's distress signal insisting no Starfleet get involved. We later find out that the conspiracy behind her suspicions starts to unravel the source of Shaw's apprehension toward them and his racist attitude against Seven as he's a survivor of the Battle of Wolf 359 against the Borg. Under the leadership of the assimilated Picard, now Locutus, set their sights on Earth as the Federation tries to make their final stand to defend their home. In his final act, Shaw vouched for his first officer and recommended her promotion to captain, much to Seven's surprise. For more, you can check out the video below.

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