Daniel Knox
The final scene of Picard left fans with an overwhelming sense of emotion. It was inevitable, considering the reunion of the beloved Next Generation cast in the show’s third season. However, there was something more than just nostalgia at play; it had a comforting and familiar essence without becoming overly sentimental. And the joy on everyone’s faces was contagious.
Interestingly, this wasn’t the ending that Patrick Stewart had envisioned. In an excerpt from his memoir, Making It So, Stewart reveals his own idea for the series finale and hints at the possibility of one more Picard story to tell. Just one, though.
Stewart writes:
“What I’d like to see at the end of the show,” I told them, “is a content Jean-Luc. I want to see Picard perfectly at ease with his situation. Not anxious, not in a frenzy, not depressed. And I think this means that there is a wife in the picture.”
In the scene imagined by the show’s writers, the identity of this wife remains unclear; she is merely an offscreen voice, to be portrayed by Stewart’s real-life wife, Sunny Ozell, calling Jean-Luc to dinner.
Responding to his wife’s call, Jean-Luc turns around, says to his dog, “C’mon, boy,” and heads inside. As dusk fades into night, Picard fades into history.
Unfortunately, this scene was never filmed due to scheduling conflicts and the studio’s belief that it was “unnecessary,” a viewpoint that Stewart disagrees with. However, he is not entirely convinced that his time as Picard is over. Stewart reveals, “I am gently pushing Paramount to let us do one single Picard movie. Not a Next Generation movie, as we have already done four of those. This would be an expansion and deepening of the universe as we’ve seen it in Star Trek: Picard.”
There is precedence for a spin-off movie from one of the recent Star Trek series, such as the upcoming film featuring Michelle Yeoh’s Section 31 character. However, Stewart seems to have grander plans in mind. He envisions a more theatrical experience that delves further into the universe he has helped shape.
As for the future of the Picard stories, only time will tell. There is also a growing campaign for Paramount to create Star Trek: Legacy, which would follow the adventures of Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Raffi (Michelle Hurd), and Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). However, no official announcements have been made by the guardians of the Star Trek universe—yet.
This post was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.
