Patrick Stewart was determined not to return to the Star Trek universe after his appearance in the film, Star Trek: Nemesis. He conveyed this to Alex Kurtzman when the latter met with him to pitch a series based on his character Jean-Luc Picard. Kurtzman brought along novelist Kirsten Beyer and screenwriter James Duff to convince Stewart that there was a lot to revisit in Picard’s character.
After much consideration, Stewart agreed to the series Star Trek: Picard, but not before setting a few conditions that the creators had to follow stringently. These conditions may have also sealed the fate of a potential fourth season of the series.
Patrick Stewart’s Conditions Make Star Trek: Picard Season 4 Less Likely
Patrick Stewart committed to reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard only after careful consideration. He demanded a memo from the creators, Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and others, presenting their ideas. He also discussed the matter with his wife since taking on the role meant he had to be away from his comfortable Brooklyn life.
However, he told Goldsman that he would return to the series only if three of his conditions were fulfilled. He mentioned these conditions in a piece he wrote for 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.
The creators were not particularly thrilled about the conditions as Stewart recalled. In retrospect, fans may not like these conditions either. The Doctor Strange 2 actor’s third condition meant that they would never get a season 4 for the beloved series. Stewart clearly didn’t want to stretch out the retired captain’s story for too long.
When Goldsman, Kurtzman, and others tried to convince him to reconsider his hard line, the actor shared that he “stuck to [his] guns”. The creators had a major problem with the second condition, the no-uniform rule, which they feared would not sit well with Trekkies.
Among his rules, Stewart only bended his first rule allowing for a Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion in the third and possibly final season of the series. He shared in his article that he planned a different ending for the series finale, which could’ve given a more fitting end to Picard’s arc.
Patrick Stewart Couldn’t Film the Planned Final Scene For Picard
Stewart shared in his Time article that the third season was supposed to have a different final scene. The current ending features a toast from the TNG stars, but Stewart demanded an ending where his character was content and at ease with his situation. It meant a happy ending with a wife in the picture. Stewart told the creators:
What I’d like to see at the end of the show 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.
He shared that the writers came up with a beautiful scene where Picard is enjoying a view in his vineyard with his dog. A woman’s voice is heard saying, “Jean-Luc? Supper’s ready!”. He shared that the wife’s identity would’ve been left to fans’ imagination. However, the finale shoot went longer than expected and Stewart had to leave early.
He promised to return to film the scene, which would’ve completed his arc, but the producers shut down the idea eventually due to budget considerations. Stewart is sure that it is the end of the road for Picard, at least in the series format. He also shared a promising update that he is pushing Paramount for a Picard movie.
Star Trek: Picard is now available for streaming on Paramount+.
