Not to impugn the rest of TNG’s ensemble, but Stewart carried the dramatic centre of that show entirely on his back. TOS was split between Shatner and Nimoy, and to a lesser degree, Kelley.
To quote “The Inner Light” (which destroys me every time I watch it):
“If you remember what we were, and how we lived, then we'll have found life again. Now we live in you.”
A loving tribute, Matt. 🖖 Recall, though, that even in the Trek timeline, we have to make it through Supervillain Space Fascism to get to Meritocratic Galactic Technocracy. Here’s hoping the midterms put the Bell Riots era behind us!
Nice tribute. The belief you will miss is resonant for me also. I was a huge TNG fan. It feels like it now belongs to another time, which I can occasionally long for, while also recognizing it wasn't perfect.
The character of Picard really grew tremendously over the course of time. The original conception was very rooted in a late-'70s/early-'80s New Age vision of the future where there was no want, no need, no greed, no violence, no errors, and consequently no drama. The early episodes of TNG were off-putting to people who'd grown up with TOS because instead of Kirk-style action, Picard would predictably deliver a moralizing lecture to the caricatured flawed alien adversary of the week.
Still, some glimmers of character crept through the lame plots and flat dialogue of the first season or so and it got better. Where I felt Picard really showed up as Kirk's equal as a character was in the 3rd season episode "The Defector", where his response to a Romulan trap was revealing he'd prepared his own ambush in the form of a trio of cloaked Klingon Birds of Prey: Kirk would've bashed his way out of the situation with bluff and bravado; Picard prepared by going in with a stacked hand before calling out his opponent.
That New Age "flawless person" character established a core of who Picard aspired to be; the combination of better writing and Stewart's portrayal turned a potentially boring mannequin into a real person and a genuine hero. Not a lot of shows these days have the courage to let their lead be a hero.
I, like so many others, was visibly moved by the passing of this actor, and the characters written by others that he brought to life on the screen, most particularly Jean-Luc Picard.
Caring at all about the passing of Patrick Stewart makes me quite annoyed with myself, as I generally abhor celebrity culture, and marvel at the anguish expressed by so many when celebrities pass on, when I am not moved at all. I generally scarcely take notice of celebrity deaths (there's at least one or two every day, it seems), and when I do, generally (and hypocritically) mock what I term 'celebrity worshipers' as daft and shallow. Well, I guess, I too am shallow and daft.
I did feel loss at the thought of never witnessing the presence of Patrick Stewart in a new role, as I appreciated nearly every character he portrayed. Like Matt, I'm certain that all stems from his portrayal of Picard - a breath of fresh air for Star Trek - a more mature, less frat-boy captain of a starship. A physically capable man, yet one that used his educated intellect as a weapon (or an instrument of peace) more often than his fists and drop kicks (sorry Bill Shatner, but really). Picard always seemed to be striving to improve - likely a reflection on the many writers that contributed to the character as much as Stewart's portrayal of him - and that was a very admirable quality in the captain who later became an admiral.
Star trek has been uneven since TNG. Moments of greatness (much of DS9, a little of Voyager, a wee bit of Enterprise, season 2 of Disco, much of Picard, and though I am reserving judgement until the season finale, much of Strange New Worlds. Less amazing - most of the movies, much of Voyager and Enterprise, most of Disco, all of Lower Decks and the truly awful Starfleet Academy. Most of the issues with post TNG Trek can be attributed to bloated effects overwhelming weaker writing, but with the possible exception of Ben Sisko on DS9 and Christopher Pike on SNW, none came close to the gravitas and presence of Patrick Stewart as Picard.
Picard was the one character I aspired to be more like in my own life, and I'm likely not alone.
I felt some of the same sense of loss when Leonard Nimoy died, but even the loss of the man who became Spock didn't impact me as profoundly as Stewart's death did. Several other actors have gamely portrayed Spock, so perhaps the continued life of the character takes away the sting of the loss of the actor who helped create him, at least a bit.
Perhaps, in time, other actors will assume the character of Jean-Luc Picard.
Please, not for awhile. Let his definitive portrayal remain a model with which we can 'engage' in the Strange New World that Matt describes in this piece. Perhaps if we all bring a little Picard to the table, we can counter the madness around us. The sky's the limit!
Shaka when the walls fell. From Inner Light to how many lights, Patrick Stewart will live on as Picard in our memories, in reruns, and in the entertaining Star Trek novels. Make it so.
Great tribute to a great actor and the great character he created. Gene Roddenberry said to actor John Di Lancie who played Q: "You make my words sound better than they are". Stewart made Picard into a character far beyond what the writers could have imagined.
I was 15 when TNG premiered and never missed an episode. It captured my imagination like nothing before it and made me a lifelong sci-fi fan. Picard was captivating: reserved and quiet, yet able to turn fiercely decisive and courageous at a moment's notice. Bravo on the thoughts, Matt. I loved the tribute!
I was the same age when it premiered. For about the first 5 mins of the first episode I thought a gray and balding Englishman playing a Captain with a French sounding name to be an odd choice. Not once after that did I doubt that Stewart had created perhaps the most memorable character in science fiction.
What a beautiful tribute! I loved Star Trek Next Generation and admired Sir Patrick Stewart's portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard too. He was perfect in that role for all the reasons that Matt outlined. However, I think that we should acknowledge that the moral and idealistic core of Star Trek, both the original series (which I grew up watching as a child in the 60s) and The Next Generation originated with the vision of Gene Roddenberry, a brilliant screenwriter and producer.
The first Star Trek depicted many issues from women's rights and racism to slavery and war. For example, when Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) wanted to quit the show, Martin Luther King implored her to continue. He believed that her role as a high level officer was an inspiration to black Americans, especially young girls. And as I argued in a essay for my ethics course in university, Spock embodied the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude (courage in battle) and temperance, while Dr. McCoy displayed the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity. Captain James T. Kirk possessed both sets of these virtues. That's why he was the Captain. Simplistic, I know, but still I earned a B+ for that essay.
I'lI miss Sir Patrick Stewart, just as I miss Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig. I'll miss Bill Shatner who I hope will live for many more years. But when it comes to Star Trek, I miss Gene Roddenberry and his vision of a moral, caring and virtuous future the most. It has resonated with me since I was a little girl growing up on the Gaspe coast.
I had the privilege of seeing him and Ian McKellen in ‘Waiting for Godot’ in London. 15th row. I was insanely excited. And of course, knew nothing about the play (it’s not X-men…)
The show was on my last day of a two month journey/bender across the continent. I was mortified to wake up 3/4 of the way through, after softly falling into a deep slumber precipitated by their voices. And my liver. But mostly their voices.
Best and second most awkward sleep in my life. The most awkward one is a story for another time.
Very well said.
Not to impugn the rest of TNG’s ensemble, but Stewart carried the dramatic centre of that show entirely on his back. TOS was split between Shatner and Nimoy, and to a lesser degree, Kelley.
To quote “The Inner Light” (which destroys me every time I watch it):
“If you remember what we were, and how we lived, then we'll have found life again. Now we live in you.”
A loving tribute, Matt. 🖖 Recall, though, that even in the Trek timeline, we have to make it through Supervillain Space Fascism to get to Meritocratic Galactic Technocracy. Here’s hoping the midterms put the Bell Riots era behind us!
Nice tribute. The belief you will miss is resonant for me also. I was a huge TNG fan. It feels like it now belongs to another time, which I can occasionally long for, while also recognizing it wasn't perfect.
The character of Picard really grew tremendously over the course of time. The original conception was very rooted in a late-'70s/early-'80s New Age vision of the future where there was no want, no need, no greed, no violence, no errors, and consequently no drama. The early episodes of TNG were off-putting to people who'd grown up with TOS because instead of Kirk-style action, Picard would predictably deliver a moralizing lecture to the caricatured flawed alien adversary of the week.
Still, some glimmers of character crept through the lame plots and flat dialogue of the first season or so and it got better. Where I felt Picard really showed up as Kirk's equal as a character was in the 3rd season episode "The Defector", where his response to a Romulan trap was revealing he'd prepared his own ambush in the form of a trio of cloaked Klingon Birds of Prey: Kirk would've bashed his way out of the situation with bluff and bravado; Picard prepared by going in with a stacked hand before calling out his opponent.
That New Age "flawless person" character established a core of who Picard aspired to be; the combination of better writing and Stewart's portrayal turned a potentially boring mannequin into a real person and a genuine hero. Not a lot of shows these days have the courage to let their lead be a hero.
"Picard. I expected more of you than idle threats."
"Then you shall have it!"
What a great, thoughtful column. Bravo, Matt.
I, like so many others, was visibly moved by the passing of this actor, and the characters written by others that he brought to life on the screen, most particularly Jean-Luc Picard.
Caring at all about the passing of Patrick Stewart makes me quite annoyed with myself, as I generally abhor celebrity culture, and marvel at the anguish expressed by so many when celebrities pass on, when I am not moved at all. I generally scarcely take notice of celebrity deaths (there's at least one or two every day, it seems), and when I do, generally (and hypocritically) mock what I term 'celebrity worshipers' as daft and shallow. Well, I guess, I too am shallow and daft.
I did feel loss at the thought of never witnessing the presence of Patrick Stewart in a new role, as I appreciated nearly every character he portrayed. Like Matt, I'm certain that all stems from his portrayal of Picard - a breath of fresh air for Star Trek - a more mature, less frat-boy captain of a starship. A physically capable man, yet one that used his educated intellect as a weapon (or an instrument of peace) more often than his fists and drop kicks (sorry Bill Shatner, but really). Picard always seemed to be striving to improve - likely a reflection on the many writers that contributed to the character as much as Stewart's portrayal of him - and that was a very admirable quality in the captain who later became an admiral.
Star trek has been uneven since TNG. Moments of greatness (much of DS9, a little of Voyager, a wee bit of Enterprise, season 2 of Disco, much of Picard, and though I am reserving judgement until the season finale, much of Strange New Worlds. Less amazing - most of the movies, much of Voyager and Enterprise, most of Disco, all of Lower Decks and the truly awful Starfleet Academy. Most of the issues with post TNG Trek can be attributed to bloated effects overwhelming weaker writing, but with the possible exception of Ben Sisko on DS9 and Christopher Pike on SNW, none came close to the gravitas and presence of Patrick Stewart as Picard.
Picard was the one character I aspired to be more like in my own life, and I'm likely not alone.
I felt some of the same sense of loss when Leonard Nimoy died, but even the loss of the man who became Spock didn't impact me as profoundly as Stewart's death did. Several other actors have gamely portrayed Spock, so perhaps the continued life of the character takes away the sting of the loss of the actor who helped create him, at least a bit.
Perhaps, in time, other actors will assume the character of Jean-Luc Picard.
Please, not for awhile. Let his definitive portrayal remain a model with which we can 'engage' in the Strange New World that Matt describes in this piece. Perhaps if we all bring a little Picard to the table, we can counter the madness around us. The sky's the limit!
Shaka when the walls fell. From Inner Light to how many lights, Patrick Stewart will live on as Picard in our memories, in reruns, and in the entertaining Star Trek novels. Make it so.
thanks Matt
So spot on. Thank you, Matt Gurney.
From one huge fan of Jean-Luc Picard to another.
Good column.
I fully agree.
What a great tribute. Thanks for that. I wish. like you, for more men like Jean-Luc Picard.
Great tribute to a great actor and the great character he created. Gene Roddenberry said to actor John Di Lancie who played Q: "You make my words sound better than they are". Stewart made Picard into a character far beyond what the writers could have imagined.
I was 15 when TNG premiered and never missed an episode. It captured my imagination like nothing before it and made me a lifelong sci-fi fan. Picard was captivating: reserved and quiet, yet able to turn fiercely decisive and courageous at a moment's notice. Bravo on the thoughts, Matt. I loved the tribute!
I was the same age when it premiered. For about the first 5 mins of the first episode I thought a gray and balding Englishman playing a Captain with a French sounding name to be an odd choice. Not once after that did I doubt that Stewart had created perhaps the most memorable character in science fiction.
Well-said Matt.
What a beautiful tribute! I loved Star Trek Next Generation and admired Sir Patrick Stewart's portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard too. He was perfect in that role for all the reasons that Matt outlined. However, I think that we should acknowledge that the moral and idealistic core of Star Trek, both the original series (which I grew up watching as a child in the 60s) and The Next Generation originated with the vision of Gene Roddenberry, a brilliant screenwriter and producer.
The first Star Trek depicted many issues from women's rights and racism to slavery and war. For example, when Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) wanted to quit the show, Martin Luther King implored her to continue. He believed that her role as a high level officer was an inspiration to black Americans, especially young girls. And as I argued in a essay for my ethics course in university, Spock embodied the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude (courage in battle) and temperance, while Dr. McCoy displayed the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity. Captain James T. Kirk possessed both sets of these virtues. That's why he was the Captain. Simplistic, I know, but still I earned a B+ for that essay.
I'lI miss Sir Patrick Stewart, just as I miss Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig. I'll miss Bill Shatner who I hope will live for many more years. But when it comes to Star Trek, I miss Gene Roddenberry and his vision of a moral, caring and virtuous future the most. It has resonated with me since I was a little girl growing up on the Gaspe coast.
I had the privilege of seeing him and Ian McKellen in ‘Waiting for Godot’ in London. 15th row. I was insanely excited. And of course, knew nothing about the play (it’s not X-men…)
The show was on my last day of a two month journey/bender across the continent. I was mortified to wake up 3/4 of the way through, after softly falling into a deep slumber precipitated by their voices. And my liver. But mostly their voices.
Best and second most awkward sleep in my life. The most awkward one is a story for another time.
I only watched the first season of ST:TNG (and I hated it) so I never went back. So, many of the plaudits for his role as Picard means nothing to me.
Patrick Stewart will always be two things to me: Gurney Halleck and a lobster///