Patrick Stewart Wants A Star Trek Movie To Explore Two Things About Jean-Luc Picard

The third and final season of "Star Trek: Picard" ended on a friendly note. Jean-Luc (Patrick Stewart) had rescued his long-lost son Jack (Ed Speleers) from the Borg, and had finally earned a moment with his old co-workers from the Enterprise-D. He hadn't served with them for decades, but he was still close to his old senior staff. He, Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Worf (Michael Dorn), Geordi (LeVar Burton), Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), and a new fleshy version of Data (Brent Spiner) gathered around a poker table for one final, genial game together. They chatted idly and laughed as friends as the credits began to roll. 

It was implied that the characters would live out the rest of their lives on good terms. Picard was about 100 years old in that third season, so his story may very well be over. He had another adventure, just as he wanted; Picard declared at the head of the season that he didn't want a legacy, he wanted new things to do while he was still alive. 

Stewart had previously said that the third season of "Picard" was going to be, essentially, his retirement party, marking the final time he would play Jean-Luc Picard in any capacity. Because of this statement, the third season was reworked into a reunion special, with the main cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" on screen together for the first time since 2002. However, because that third season was so much fun to make, Stewart has walked back his statements about retiring the role, saying he would be willing to return for another film project, should he be asked. 

Why come back? In a 2023 interview with Wired, Stewart noted that Picard still had facets and emotions that hadn't yet been explored. Throughout "Star Trek," audiences always saw Picard as resolute, confident, and capable of making decisions swiftly in tense situations. What he haven't seen, Stewart said, are the moments of fear, indecision, and weakness. The actor wanted to explore that. 

Picard may be over a century old, but Stewart, a mere 84, feels that the character has a lot to resolve. The actor recalled a moment from "Star Trek: Picard" wherein the elderly character, finally back in his element on board a starship, found himself at a loss. The situation was tense, there were villains firing at him, and he was unable to think of a solution. Picard didn't even have the wherewithal to shout out "Recommendations?" to the surrounding staff. He merely became unsure and afraid. 

Stewart wanted to look at that side of Picard. The Picard who was insecure. Stewart said:

"Let's explore further the inside of this man's head. His fears, his anger, his frustration, his questioning all of those things. There is a moment, I'm not quite sure where it comes in the series ... Well, there are two moments. One is when Picard doesn't know what to do. He's stumped. And we never saw that in 'The Next Generation.' There is also a moment when he is truly fearful. And those two pointers alone, I think, make him an interesting study for one more movie."

One of the central assertions of "Star Trek," and of "Next Generation" in particular, is that the characters are all mature adults, resolute in their morals and capable in their jobs. They have growing to do, to be sure, but they never need to discover their principles. To look at a Picard who begins to doubt his principles, or a Picard who looks at the end of his life and sees nothing but fear and emptiness, would certainly provide a new dramatic wrinkle. 

How bleakly poetic and tragically novel if Picard were to die sad in a state of regret. 

This sentiment stands in direct contrast to previous statements Stewart had made about his character. He revealed in his memoir "Making It So" that there was to be an additional scene at the end of the "Star Trek: Picard" finale that he felt was a fine closure for the character. After the poker game, Picard would be seen back on his family vineyard, watching the sun set, alone on the veranda. Audiences would then hear a female voice from within, entreating Picard come in for supper. 

The implication was that Picard had married and was to live out his final years with a beloved wife. It's not revealed if he married Dr. Crusher, or his attractive Romulan housekeeper Laris (Orla Brady), but Stewart liked that Picard would at least have ended his life with a spouse nearby. It was, more or less, the "happily ever after" ending. The scene, however, was never filmed for scheduling reasons. 

When major characters die in "Star Trek," they are usually granted final moments of heroism. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Kirk (William Shatner), the other Kirk (Chris Pine), and Data (Brent Spiner) all sacrificed themselves to save the Enterprise or others who might be in danger. Only Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) died unexpectedly and unceremoniously, killed randomly by an evil alien. "Star Trek" heroes do not die wailing in fear or weeping with regret.

Perhaps the makers of "Star Trek" will do the unthinkable and give Picard a death that is sad and undignified. I dare you.