Posted in: Paramount+, streaming, TV | Tagged: jeri ryan, Liam Shaw, paramount, Picard, seven, star trek, Todd Stashwick

Star Trek: Picard Showrunner on Borg Factor In Shaw/Seven Dynamic

Star Trek: Picard Showrunner Terry Matalas on how the Borg factored into Captain Liam Shaw & First Officer Seven of Nine's dynamic.

As Paramount+'s Star Trek: Picard fans continue to process not just the series finale, "The Last Generation," but also the overall season (and what it could mean moving forward), series showrunner & executive producer Terry Matalas has been working overtime to either answer some of the questions folks have out there or tease possible answers in the future ("Star Trek: Legacy" needs a thumbs-up, Paramount Global). One of the questions that Matalas picked up on during a recent Reddit AMA had to do with the dynamic between Todd Stashwick's USS Titan-A Captain Liam Shaw and Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine – Shaw's first officer. One fan asked what was behind the way Shaw was treating Seven when the season first began considering that we learn later on just how much the late captain actually held her in high regard. Based on his posthumous recommendation, Seven was promoted to captain of the rechristened USS Enterprise-G – with Raffi (Michelle Hurd) as her first officer and now-Starfleet Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) as the captain's special counselor.

"Borg issues for sure," Matalas explained as Shaw's motivating factor before offering up some personal history to explain what he meant. "My grandfather fought in WW2 in the Pacific and had a very hard time adjusting as a veteran. Doesn't make him right. At times he was straight-up racist. But wartime had programmed him with fear and hate. These are the kinds of human stories we want to explore," the showrunner continued. "It's probably mind-boggling for Shaw to not understand why she doesn't want to use the name her loving parents gave her. But that's not who SHE wants to be. That's not how SHE identifies. It's not up to him. But Seven is probably also aware of his experience with Wolf 359, and that guilt is why she doesn't stand up for herself enough. As we know, she's not shy. She could throat-punch him and drop him at a moment's notice. So there is a lot going on there beyond protocol and hierarchy. So this aggression he's sending her way is preying upon her own Borg guilt as well. It's complex." From there, Matalas shared Stashwick's previous thoughts on the matter.

"He did choose Hansen. I think he chose Seven for many reasons. Therapeutically, subconsciously, to gain control over his own fears. In a way, if he is a higher rank than someone who's a former Borg, that's an active control. Also, immersion therapy, part of his brain needs to; if you're afraid of bees, allow one to be by you so that you can slowly get through that fear," Stashwick explained. But the actor also knows that Shaw is the kind of leader who recognizes the importance of a "devil's advocate" – of having someone who's willing to offer other options in a given situation. "He recognizes he's not a dumb man; he recognizes the strength in having an opposing view on his bridge. You don't want your commanding officer to be a yes person. You want them to, in the same way that Riker did often, actually look at Picard and go, 'Here's an alternative perspective on this moment. Maybe you should weigh another opinion before you make your decision,' and a smart captain pools opinions. He isn't a dictator. He has the final say and hopes that they carry out those orders."

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