What was the original ending for Star Trek: Picard?

Star Trek: Picard’s ending was almost a lot worse.

Star Trek: Picard was a rough show. Sure, the third season was beloved, but that had more to do with the fact it served as a The Next Generation crossover mini-series, and not because the prior two seasons were good television. The show was grim, dark, and just not what Trek fans wanted.

So when the third season came and went, we got some decent action, some decent storylines, and some new characters. Sure, some terrible stuff as well, but the show was imperfect from the jump for a reason.

One of the good things that came into the show, even though his backstory ruined his mother as a character, was that of Jack Crusher. Jack was a solid addition to the story, even if there were elements we wished we could change, but for the most part, he was a welcomed addition and one of the few series-long highlights for the show.

Yet, had Patrick Stewart, who played the titular Jean-Luc Picard, we never would’ve gotten him, and his potential spinoff with John de Lancie hopefully reprising his role as Q.

Star Trek: Picard’s original ending was terrible

According to Stewarat’s memoir, Picard’s original ending had none of the Next Generation crew involved, as we saw in Picard. Whereas the group was once again playing poker and chatting to end the series, if Stewart had gotten his way, it would’ve been so much worse. Nerdist supplies the quote of what Stewart wanted to do originally;

"“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. The writers came up with a lovely scene. It is dusk at Jean-Luc’s vineyard. His back is to us as he takes in the view, his dog at his side. Then, off-screen, a woman’s loving voice is heard: ‘Jean-Luc? Supper’s ready!’ Is it Beverly Crusher’s voice? Laris’s? Someone we don’t know? It isn’t made clear. But Sunny [Stewart’s real-life wife] was set to record the lines. Heeding his wife’s call, Jean-Luc turns around, says to his dog, “C’mon, boy,” and heads inside. Dusk fades to night, and Picard fades into history.”"

Imagine that. Stewart wrote an ending that cut out every other character from the story. It’s fitting, really, that Stewart would write such a self-involved idea, featuring his own wife no less. For someone who is so beloved by the fandom, it couldn’t be more obvious how bove Star Trek Stewart feels he is.

He didn’t want Picard to feature any of the Next Generation cast and he outright refused a reunion of any sort. Yet, when Stewart got his way, no one liked the show. It feels fitting that Stewart would continue to forget that The Next Generation was not beloved because of Jean-Luc Picard, but Picard was beloved because of the crew around him.

You can’t do solo stories with captains. It’s never just the captains that fans like. It’s the crew, and for Stewart to be in this franchise for 40 years and still not get that is mind-boggling.