Patrick Stewart wants “one more shot” with Jean-Luc Picard in a Star Trek film

Patrick Stewart can’t leave Jean-Luc Picard alone it seems, as he’s calling for one more Star Trek film.

It’s pretty obvious that Patrick Stewart wanted more out of his show Star Trek: Picard. It was supposed to be his show, centered around Jean-Luc Picard. It wasn’t supposed to be a reunion of the Next Generation crew, it was supposed to be his chance to show off his acting chops and present Picard in a new light.

It’s pretty obvious that Picard’s ending wasn’t what he wanted. He’s said as much recently, explaining how he’d have ended the show. His ending cut everyone else from the finale, and would just feature him, front and center. Maybe how he always wanted The Next Generation to be.

And it may be due to his lack of getting to do things his way, that has him calling for yet another return to Star Trek, this time in a Picard film. Now, you may think we’re being a bit harsh on him, but we’re not. Even Stewart himself said this would be about Picard, and not a fifth film in the Next Generation film canon.

Picard doesn’t work on his own, and for some reason, no one else seems to get that. Stewart’s new film idea isn’t even an idea, it’s just Stewart playing Picard when he’s “stumped” and “fearful”. There’s no plot there, just emotions. This came up in a conversation with Wired, where he said;

"Well, there are two moments. One is when Picard doesn’t know what to do. He’s stumped. And we never saw that in The Next Generation. There is also a moment when he is truly fearful. And those two pointers alone, I think, make him an interesting study for one more movie."

It’s time to walk away from Patrick Stewart as part of Star Trek

Say what you will about William Shatner, but he knew when he was done in the franchise. It’s been 29 years since Shatner was last part of Trek, and his legacy is secured and safe. Yet Stewart can’t seem to leave well enough alone.

Picard was not the great series that the third season made people think it was. It was uncharacteristically un-Star Trek and that was the point. No ship, new crew, no uniforms, no badges, no Trek. That was basically Stewart’s decree for coming back. He wanted to make a show that wasn’t Star Trek, and they did.

And fans hated it.

That’s all the third season was a chance to do things differently, give fans what they want, and do better. It was leaps and bounds better than the first two seasons, but the show as a whole did not resonate with fans.

And now Stewart wants to do the same thing that already failed but in a film.

No, thank you. Stewart returning to the franchise wasn’t the moment we were all hoping for, and many fans (certainly not all) would like to move on from this era.