Warning: contains spoilers forStar Trek: Lower Decks#2!
Star Trekjust called out one of Captain Picard’s worst quirks, and honestly, he had it coming. Captain Jean-Luc Picard is rightfully regarded as one of Starfleet’s greatest captains, a seemingly never-ending well of wisdom and inspiration. Yet early inStar Trek: The Next Generation’srun,Picard was different–and not necessarily in a good way, and this gets a callout inStar Trek: Lower Decks#2.
Star Trek: Lower Decks#2 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. The “Lower Deckers” have been kidnapped by Excalibans, who are forcing Boimler and company to fight holographic replicas of key Starfleet personnel, in a bid to understand human nature. The Excalibanscreate a duplicate of Captain Picardfor Boimler, basing it on his inner thoughts. The Excalibans reveal Boimlerspecifically wanted the “super-hard-ass Picard who just got command of theEnterpriseand is really mean about it for some reason.”Sure enough, the stern and crabby Picard grates on Boimler.
Captain Picard Was A Different Kind ofStar TrekCaptain
Captain Picard Acted Very Differently InThe Next Generation’sEarliest Episodes
In the 37 years since the premiere ofStar Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard has become a pop culture icon, thanks in part to Patrick Stewart’s amazing depiction of the character.
In the 37 years since the premiere ofStar Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Picard has become a pop culture icon, thanks in part to Patrick Stewart’s amazing depiction of the character. When Gene Roddenberry was creatingThe Next Generation,he wanted a captain that would be a thoughtful counterpoint tothe more rough-and-tumble Kirk.Picard embodied such qualities perfectly: he read classic literature and drank Earl Grey tea, among others. These traits endeared Picard toStar Trekfans, and helped ensureThe Next Generation’ssuccess.
Prior to landing the role of Captain Picard, Patrick Stewart played Gurney Halleck in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation ofDune.
Yet, early on inThe Next Generation’srun, Captain Picard acted a little differently.Picard seemingly had a chip on his shoulder over something, and it came across in his interactions with his new crew. Unlike Kirk, Picard maintained his distance from the crew. This would continue throughoutThe Next Generation’srun, but in early season episodes, Picard’s standoff-ish nature is even more pronounced. Picard also barks orders and has a short supply of patience with people as well. Picard snaps at people too, something that would be jarring for fans today.
Perhaps the biggest aspect of Picard’s personality was his dislike of children, and this was on display even more in early episodes ofThe Next Generation.Picard mentions his feelings for children to Riker in the pilot episode, and gets extremelyhateful at first with Wesley Crusherwhen he sneaks onto the bridge. In that same episode, Wesley’s mother, Doctor Crusher, speculates that Picard’s line of work precludes him from having a family, and this bothers him. When Picard enters the Nexus inStar Trek: Generations, his desire for a family is seemingly confirmed.
Picard (Thankfully) Mellowed Out–A Lot
There is a simple explanation for why Picard acted so differently in the early episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generation: both Stewart and the writers were feeling their way around the character, developing his backstory and mannerisms as they went along.
There is a simple explanation for why Picard acted so differently in the early episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generation: both Stewart and the writers were feeling their way around the character, developing his backstory and mannerisms as they went along. As the writers became more comfortable with him, they thankfully eased the harsher aspects of his personality.Picard still acted aloof and distant, but by the end of the show’s first season, he had become at least more approachable.Mellowing PIcard out helped make him into a better character.
Doctor Crusher would later name her son with Picard Jack, in honor of her late husband.
However, there has never been an on-screen, canonical explanation for Picard’s general crabbiness in the first episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generation.Picard just gradually mellowed out as the season progressed. Picard’s attitude may have stemmed from his lingering guilt over the loss of theStargazerand the death of his friend Jack Crusher. While they were years in the past, the two events were definitive for Picard. Picard was also the captain of Starfleet’s flagship, which may have added even more pressure, influencing his mindset even more.
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Captain Picard’s attitude towards children took a little longer, however–but it was shown on-screen. Wesley Crusher, who he berated inThe Next Generation’spilot, would eventually find his way onto the bridge crew. Slowly, Wesley showed Picard that kids were not necessarily a bad thing. Finally, in the fifth season episode “Disaster,” Picard was forced to reevaluate his opinion on children after he and three of them were stuck in a turbolift. Picard and the children had to work together to escape, and the experience broke his barriers down even further.
Star TrekReminds Fans of Picard and His Cranky Ways
Picard Himself Might Even Be A Little Ashamed
Today,Star Trekfans know Captain Picard as a thoughtful leader, one who can analyze all sides of an issue and take definitive action. This has always been true, but once upon a time Picard was much surlier. This haughty attitude is hardly mentioned by fans today, possibly because it was thankfully phased out early on.Lower Decks, which specializes inStar Trekdeep cuts, is the perfect vehicle to call out this curious time in Captain Picard’s career, one that did not last long, and may even seem shocking today.
Star Trek: Lower Decks#2 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!
