Highlights
- Patrick Stewart had an emotional farewell to his beloved character, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Stewart was surprised by his own overwhelming emotions during the final film, Star Trek: Nemesis, where he broke down and cried in a heartfelt goodbye scene.
- The enduring popularity of Star Trek and the special place Stewart's portrayal holds in fans' hearts is evident, as seen in the successful revival of the character in the series Picard, demonstrating the strong market demand for The Next Generation.
It is always difficult to bid farewell, and for Patrick Stewart, saying goodbye to his Star Trek character was incredibly emotional.
Star Trek: The Next Generation, arguably one of the most beloved entries into the franchise, had a long run. Following the exploits of Shakespeare-loving Captain Jean-Luc Picard as he helmed the Enterprise, Sir Patrick Stewart became an icon. The series premiered in 1987, going on to do an impressive seven seasons and yielding some of the best Star Trek: The Next Generation quotes. And after a collection of feature films, Star Trek: Nemesis would be the swan song.
Chronicled in the Star Trek oral history, The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, Stewart confessed that concluding Picard's story took him by surprise. “I will say that at the end of the film, I’m saying goodbye to Riker and I found myself completely caught up in the moment. I broke down. Out of the clear blue sky, my emotions overwhelmed me. I collapsed in Jonathan’s arms and felt such a fool,” Stewart recalled (via Screen Rant). “The entire crew watched me cry and then started muttering, 'What’s going on? Has he been drinking or something?' But in that moment, absolutely everything coalesced—the feelings that I had for these people over the years. Saying goodbye was absolutely terrifying and agonizing for me.”
Star Trek: Nemesis is not considered one of the best of the series of films, but it does introduce ambitious concepts and burgeoning talent. After the assassination of key figures in Starfleet, Picard and the rest of the Enterprise learn that the threat is closer to home than they realized. They go to Romulus to settle a peace treaty, only to realize that the architect behind the plot is Shinzon, a clone of Picard raised on the planet. Shinzon was one of Tom Hardy’s first big roles in the entertainment industry, portending a career with widely varied performances. Also featuring the wedding between William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), the film truly seemed like the end for everyone.
Gene Roddenberry's series remains so long-standing because of its universal themes. The rare sci-fi venture that pictures a utopian future society, Star Trek is utterly unlike anything else of its ilk. And no matter how much time Stewart spent in the role, bidding farewell is surely the same as saying goodbye to a family member. Fans remember Picard as one of the greats, even if he had a turbulent start in The Next Generation. Stewart couldn’t have possibly known that some decades down the line, viewers would be chomping at the bit to see a reunion.
By the time Stewart reprised his famous role, he had been the acting powerhouse behind fan-favorite characters. He joined many other Star Trek actors to appear in other series. He is the definitive portrayal of Professor Charles Xavier of X-Men fame, to the point where his appearance as Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness felt like coming home. And the same should be said for the three seasons of Picard, which aired on Paramount Plus -- along with episodes of Next Generation. Perhaps it wasn’t the most necessary show, and it did plunge its characters into controversial darkness, but the nostalgia it delivered was tenfold. People wanted to see Picard and the rest of the Enterprise crew again. There will always be a market for The Next Generation because of how special Stewart's portrayal is to fans and pop culture.
The Star Trek franchise is streamable on Paramount Plus.
Star Trek
Star Trek is a space exploration franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The series has spanned shows like The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Voyager. More recently, developer Scopely came out with Star Trek Fleet Command, a mobile title where you get to be captain of your own ship.
Source: The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years/Screen Rant
