Transcript
Star Trek: Picard is around 6 months away from releasing. We know from Alex Kurtzman that the destruction of Romulus, as described in 2009’s Star Trek movie, was an event that shaped Picard’s life in a big way. And remember, that event took place in the prime timeline. So I thought it would be fun to look back on some of the other important events that have impacted Picard. So here are my top 10 events that shaped the life of Jean-Luc Picard.
1) Meeting Boothby
While studying at Starfleet Academy, Picard made a mistake. One that nearly ended his career. He almost didn’t graduate. While we don’t know the exact nature of this mistake, we do know that Picard eventually did the right thing. He attributes this change of heart to the groundskeeper at the academy, a man named Boothby. This unassuming gardener served as something of an unofficial counselor to the cadets. In Boothby’s own words, “he just made sure that Picard listened to himself. Over 40 years later, Picard still felt a debt of gratitude for the wisdom that turned his life around. “The important thing is what you did with your life afterward, “ Boothby says. “It seems you did okay. That’s thanks enough for me.”
2) Artificial Heart
In 2327, as a newly graduated Starfleet Officer, Ensign Picard got into a bar fight with a group of Nausicaans. During the fight, one of them stabbed him from behind. The blade went right through his heart. Fortunately, 24th-century medicine came to the rescue and Picard was fitted with an artificial heart.
This event not only had a profound physical effect on Picard, but it also shaped him as a person. Realising how fragile life could be, he became more willing to take risks in order to make a difference.
3) Loss of the USS Stargazer.
Jean-Luc Picard commanded the USS Stargazer for 22 years. In some ways, this ship meant more to him than even the Enterprise, because it was the first ship that was truly his. In 2355, the Stargazer was involved in a battle with an alien ship. We later learned that this was a Ferengi vessel. Picard destroyed the enemy by inventing the Picard Maneuver, but he and his crew were forced to abandon the ship. This lead to a court-martial, but Picard was exonerated by all charges.
4) First meeting with the Borg
During an encounter with the omnipotent alien Q, Picard and the Enterprise were thrust into the Delta Quadrant where they encountered a brand new race, calling themselves the Borg. In Q’s words, “You judge yourselves against the pitiful adversaries you’ve encountered so far: the Romulans, the Klingons… They’re nothing compared to what’s waiting. Picard, you are about to move into areas of the galaxy containing wonders more incredible than you can possibly imagine… and terrors to freeze your soul.” He was right, of course, not only was the Borg in Starfleet’s future but the Bajoran wormhole, which would uncover endless wonders, as well as the great threat – The Dominion.
This first encounter with the Borg was eye-opening for Picard. He came to realise that for all its advancement, the Federation wasn’t the most powerful force in the galaxy. Far from it.
5) Assimilation by The Borg
This is the big one. In 2366, the Borg assimilated Picard into their collective. His individuality was erased. Despite being rescued by the Enterprise crew a short time later, and having his humanity restored, this event caused the kinds of emotional scars that stay with a person for the rest of their lives. In fact, it affects him so profoundly, he considers leaving Starfleet. Through extensive counseling from Deanna Troi, and some tough love from his brother Robert, Picard is able to move on, but he will never be the same again.
6) Arbiter of Succession of the Klingon Empire
In 2367, Picard was named Arbiter of Succession by Chancellor K’mpec. His job was to oversee the rite of succession after the Chancellor’s death. This event thrust Picard into the heart of Klingon politics. It gave him a new appreciation for their culture, but it also placed him in a position of influence with the new chancellor, Gowron. Picard would use this influence from time to time
7) Ressica
In 2368, Picard was struck unconscious by an alien probe. He awoke in a village called Ressik on the planet Kataan. There, he lived the life of a man named Kamin. He had a wife, children, and grandchildren. When he was near death, he learned that it was all an implanted memory, left behind by an extinct civilisation who wanted to be remembered.
I can’t even put into words how much of an impact this must have had on Picard’s life. He lived a whole other life in the span of 25 minutes. Those children and grandchildren were as real to him as his friends aboard the Enterprise. Probably more so. Not to mention the wife he had to bury. I suspect this experience was the primary motivator for Picard’s change in attitude toward children and family. Certainly being around families on the Enterprise softened him somewhat, but after this, he longed for a family, so much that when he later ends up in the Nexus, his greatest fantasy, his most heartfelt desire, is to have a wife and kids.
8) Vision of the future in All Good Things
In 2370, Picard experienced a series of time jumps into the future and the past, due to the influence of Q. During this time, Picard sees a vision of a possible future, where he has married and then divorced Beverly Crusher and has retired alone in his vineyard. The crew of the Enterprise have all drifted apart. Interestingly, this is pretty close to the time when the new series will be set. In this future, Picard has a condition called Irumodic Syndrome, which causes a form of dementia.
Ultimately, this experience causes Picard to draw closer to his crewmates, his friends, and embrace them, finally, as family.
9) Death of Robert & Rene
In 2371, Picard receives the heart-breaking news that his brother Robert and his nephew Rene have burned to death in a fire. His brother, who he was just starting to build a better relationship with, and his nephew, who was probably the closest thing he’d ever have to a child of his own.
If the pain of these individual losses wasn’t enough, this brings the truth of his mortality to Picard. His family history has always been important to him, but that family ends with him. There will be no more Picards.
And this absolutely breaks him.
10) Meeting James T. Kirk
While he’s still reeling from the pain of his loss, Picard finds himself in another dimension known as the Nexus. There, he meets the legendary James T. Kirk, captain of a previous Starship Enterprise. Together, they save a planet from a madman named Soran. Now, Kirk has his own issues that he’s dealing with, and Picard helps him sort those out, but during this meeting, Kirk says to Picard “Don’t let them promote you, don’t let them transfer you. Don’t let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you’re there, you can make a difference.” This revitalises Picard’s sense of purpose. He may be the last Picard, he may have missed out on the opportunity for family, but he’s going to make the rest of his life count for something, just as he’s always done.
It’s interesting to note that Picard ends up ignoring Kirk’s advice.
We know from the trailer for the new series, that Picard did accept a promotion to Admiral at some point, and that after that, he voluntarily left Starfleet.
So it’ll be very interesting to see how this all pans out.
So those are my picks for the top 10 events that really shaped Jean-Luc Picard’s life. There are certainly others that I could have chosen. What events would you include that I didn’t? Let me know in the comments.
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Catch you next time, and Live Long and prosper.
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