Summary
StarTrekveteran Patrick Stewart said it took convincing to bring him back to the franchise as Jean-Luc Picard. The actor laid out three conditions if the makers want him to star in another season ofStarTrek:Picard.
Sir Patrick Stewart has been a force to be reckoned with while playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in theStarTrekfranchise. With four movies and a hit streaming series, Stewart has portrayed the iconic Starfleet commander on and off for nearly forty years. But the actor has finally revealed the ground rules he laid out when he was askedto return as Picard.
In his memoirMakingItSo, the veteran actor noted that he was ready to return to the franchise only on three conditions. The three conditions: it wouldn’t be aNextGenerationrevival, hisStar Trek: TNGco-stars would not be central characters, and the show would explore Picard’s relationship with Starfleet. Additionally, the duration of the series was a key consideration. Stewart states, “[First] The series would not be based on a reunion of ‘TheNextGeneration’ characters. I wanted it to have little or nothing to do with them. This was not at all a mark of disrespect for my beloved fellow actors. Rather, I simply felt it was essential to place Picard in entirely new settings with entirely new characters. Perhaps Picard might encounter Riker or Dr. Crusher in the second season, but such encounters were not to be the series' raison d’être.”
Meanwhile, the final two conditions see Stewart talking about what his character should look like and how long the new seasons should be. “[Second] Picard would no longer be serving in Starfleet, and he was not to wear any kind of uniform or badges. [Third] The series would run for no more than three seasons. It was clear to me that the writing team was not entirely thrilled with these conditions, but basically, they were all agreed to,” he said. “The no-uniform rule was the toughest one for them to stomach, for some reason, and more than once, I was asked to reconsider my hard line. I stuck to my guns.” Despite Stewart’s initial opposition, fans' wishes were fulfilled inStarTrek:Picard. A distress signal from Beverly Crusher to Jean-Luc starts the story in season three, leading to a reunion ofthe entireStar Trek: Next Generationcrew.
Even though Picard’s journey might haveended withPicardseason 3, rumors are swirling that Paramount might be bringing the character back one final time for a big-screen adaptation. It will be exciting to see if the production giant pushes ahead with the project.
StarTrek:Picardis available to stream on Paramount Plus
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