Jean-Luc Picard Series: The Journey Has Begun

Join us as we look at three possible storylines for the upcoming Jean-Luc Picard TV series starring Sir. Patrick Stewart as he reprises his iconic role.

With Captain Jean-Luc Picard set to warp back into our lives via CBS All access I thought it would be fun to explore some of the many great possibilities for this series. 

Speaking recently in Las Vegas Patrick Stewart was quoted telling the crowd “He may not be a Captain anymore. He may be someone who has been changed by his experiences.” he went on to say “we have no scripts yet. We’re just talking taking talking storylines. It will be something very different but will come to you with the same passion.”

On the surface, as a born and raised Star Trek fan, this is a confusing quote, I mean we all want to see the USS Enterprise fly back into action and save the day right? While all the talk of remakes, reboots and continuations of our favorite series and movies dominates the entertainment news feeds here I was reading about Captain Picard returning to television and thinking “YES! The next generation is back!!!” only to realize that’s not what it’s going to be.  

Maybe that’s for the best.  Maybe it ended where it ended because they felt that the story they wanted to tell is over. And maybe the story of Picard afterwards isn’t what we expect it to be. 

The Final Frontier

Let’s look first where we left the character at the end of The Next Generation. Having taken command of the enterprise Picard initially resisted becoming too close to his subordinates, but overtime he came to trust and grow rather close to them. In fact we left the TV series with our last look of the bridge crew playing a fun game of poker. We expected from there that Picard would do all the things we’d seen glimpses and hints about over the years, become an Admiral, then an Ambassador and finally retire to Château Picard to produce fine wines with his family. 

Unfortunately for Picard he would tragically lose his family in a fire shortly afterwards, and as All Good Things would show us there’s also the strong possibility that he could be facing a serious neurological disorder.  The outlook may not be that great for our Captain. 

Now without any inside knowledge or secret sources let’s look at three possibilities for where this new series could boldly go. 

Admiral Picard

In this version of the series Captain Picard has finally and reluctantly decided to step down as Captain of the flagship and hand the reins over to a new generation, perhaps we see a cameo appearance by the newly minted Captain Data (B-4), or Geordie Laforge. 

Picard accepts a post as admiral of a nondescript sector of space aboard a space station and at first things are fast moving, he has so many ships in play and reports to sign that he doesn’t even realize how alone he is, his extended family has long since moved on accepting posts of their own or remaining on the Enterprise. For the first time in decades he is in a while new command structure. 

As time goes on we see him struggle with signing off on missions that he himself weeks earlier would have been a part of, it isn’t until a visit (or perhaps new recurring role in the series) by his oldest friend, Guinan that he begins to truly accept his new position. 

Unfortunately for the Admiral this new found footing will be short lived as he begins to notice in himself signs of Irumodic Syndrome and he knows his days are numbered. 

Later stories would include diplomatic missions, a Borg invasion and a heartbreaking trip to the holodeck where Dixon hill just might overwhelm our hero. 

Make no mistake. This series is a drama. And we won’t end on a hopeful note for Picard, but he will have saved the day on multiple occasions. 

Ambassador Picard

In this version Picard accepts a post as ambassador, with his long term mission being to bring a lasting partnership with the Romulans. Of course we’ll still see him traveling the quadrant jumping from ship to ship and running into old friends and enemies along the way. 

Of course he’ll need a trusted right hand, again I would love to see Guinan, Ro Laren or perhaps an all new Vulcan character in this role. While Guinan and the Vulcan would essentially pull the same duties a Vulcan lends weight to the eventual idea of reunification, while having a character like Ro would allow some grittier work to be done behind the scenes of Picard’s negotiations. 

He’ll find some time between missions to pursue his love of archeology, but ultimately we know the calamity that we’re heading towards with the Romulan sun, which will eventually lead to the creation of a second timeline, leaving us open to am appearance by Captain Nero, and hearing about Spock’s solution, which we know to be doomed. 

Imagine the effect it might have on Picard to see Spock, who he has melded with, sacrifice himself on behalf of what is ultimately Picard’s mission. Especially with the degenerative effects of Irumotic Syndrome setting in. 

This again is a light action drama series and will not end well for our hero. 

Mister Picard

This is perhaps the most upbeat version of the series, in which knowing about the issues he’s about to face with Irumotic Syndrome Picard decides to leave starfleet all together, unfortunately as his family was killed in a fire prior to Generations he simply cannot bring himself to stay at Château Picard, but as it turns out there is a job opening he is rather excited about in San Francisco. 

His old friend and mentor Boothby has now retired and is leaving for Risa. While Picard may not be willing to teach at the academy, or work at Starfleet headquarters he sees the beauty in coming full circle and taking the place of the gardener who set him on the path to becoming the man he is. 

In a sort to coming of age story we see Picard take troubled students under his wing and turn them into future Captains and Admirals. Perhaps an older version of one will one day receive a spin-off series. 

While Picard will face his share of problems both from the students and from his award winning lilies, ultimately this is a story of redemption for troubled students, and perhaps if casting allows it a rekindling of the Picard / Crusher romance as she is now at Starfleet Medical. 

While Picard’s fate may still be sealed by his slow slip into Irumotic Syndrome this would be a very fitting way to bring his character to a conclusion while propelling his legacy forward to the next generation. 

The possibilities are endless …

While these options are the most likely route this writer were to go if I were crafting the story of Jean-Luc Picard, the possibilities are truly endless for what the series may be, one thing is for certain, with a creative team featuring Alex Kurtzman and input from Patrick Stewart were all looking forward to seeing how they make it so. 

What would you do with this character? 

Hit me up in the comments, to tell me what your story outline would be!

Edited: Misplaced word corrected, thank you Ralph!