Patrick Stewart gained worldwide fame when he starred as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The X-Men star who was just relatively known for his stage work back then became a global icon with the spinoff show which lasted seven seasons and four films. He returned to the role in Star Trek: Picard.
The sequel series had a three-season run, which culminated in a nostalgia-filled final season that brought together the original TNG cast in a much-deserved reunion. While the finale was received well by fans, Stewart was reportedly initially apprehensive about the show being more nostalgia-driven than story-driven.
Patrick Stewart Was Apprehensive About Star Trek: Picard’s Reliance On Nostalgia
Sir Patrick Stewart became a sci-fi icon when he starred as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Captain of the USS Enterprise was known for his increased diplomacy and extremely efficient leadership qualities that attracted a new generation of fans and the show became extremely successful.
After seven seasons and four films, Stewart seemed to be done with Picard. The character had an ending in Star Trek: Nemesis and so did the rest of the Enterprise crew. However, a few decades later, Stewart announced that he would be back in a newly commissioned show, Star Trek: Picard.
The show also reunited Stewart with other cast members like Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn. However, the third season saw an entire reunion of the TNG cast with actors such as Brent Spiner and Marina Sirtis reprising their roles. Stewart mentioned to The Wrap that he had concerns about the nostalgic tone of the show.
I know there’s strong sentimental feelings about ‘Next Generation.’ And that’s lovely. It affects me. It moves me. But that’s essentially not what ‘Star Trek’ was about. I didn’t want for all of that work to collapse into internal jokes about the previous show, or comedic episodes, or even romantic episodes.
The actor was not entirely wrong as the final season of Picard saw a proper reunion with multiple cameos and references to TNG. However, the end was well-received by fans who felt that it was a much better one than Nemesis.
Patrick Stewart Had Three Conditions To Return To Star Trek: Picard
While Patrick Stewart achieved global stardom and a legacy that will make him an icon for generations, the actor believed that he had told everything that he wanted to tell through Picard by the end of The Next Generation and Nemesis. The actor mentioned that he was done with the part and did not consider the Picard pitch seriously.
After creators Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman convinced him of the storyline they had in mind, Stewart reportedly finally agreed to return if they met his three conditions. He told to Time,
1. The series would not be based on a reunion of The Next Generation 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…2. Picard would no longer be serving in Starfleet, and he was not to wear any kind of uniform or badges. 3. The series would run for no more than three seasons.
While he reportedly received some pushback for the second condition, Stewart mentioned that he stuck to his guns and made sure they agreed.
Star Trek: Picard is available to stream on Paramount+.
