Gates McFadden has an interesting viewpoint on the Picard finale that could leave fans talking for a while!
McFadden was always a bright spot in the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Dr. Beverly Crusher was the chief medical officer whose friendship with Jean-Luc Picard was based on her late husband being Picard’s best friend.
The series portrayed the pair as very good friends with hints now and then that it could become something more. Season 3 of Picard brought McFadden back and finally revealed that not only had she and Picard been together in the time since TNG ended, but they even had a son, Jack.
Speaking at Creation’s Trek to New Jersey convention in mid-September, McFadden discussed her time playing the role (including the infamous episode “Sub Rosa”) and praised Picard showrunner Terry Matalas, who “did an incredible job for Beverly Crusher in Picard season 3″ and created “a really great arc for the character.” McFadden truly enjoyed how the series showed Crusher wasn’t just a doctor, but she was also managing her own ship, doing repairs, and even handling the phasers on the Enterprise-D with expertise.
When it came to the show’s final scene, however, McFadden had some surprising words!
How does McFadden feel about the Picard finale?
The finale ended with the former USS Titan being renamed the Enterprise-E and Jack now a member of the crew. Picard and Crusher were shown with their son on a shuttlecraft, and there are hints of the pair now being a full couple again before Jean-Luc and Beverly join the rest of the TNG crew in a poker game.
McFadden agreed that not having it spelled out was a storytelling choice that went against what Patrick Stewart wanted for the finale.
“I think it was meant to be left unclear. You know that Patrick originally wanted it to be going back, he actually wanted his wife’s voice to be calling him into the house, his real wife’s voice. But I think the fandom really did want us, for the most part, to get back together. So I think we sort of, we’re like this about it, right? It’s more like, No, we weren’t like, back together…. but obviously I was going to be in his life because we had a son… I think it doesn’t really matter. I think what matters is what you guys think, and it could be any number of ways.”
It is interesting to look at as the non-canon post-TNG books did have Picard and Crusher married. It would be great to imagine them together again while at the same time acknowledging the reality they’ve been apart for so long. A full reunion may not be in the cards. Nevertheless, it can be that each still loves the other, but it’s not the passion they once had. However, their friendship still remains and that bond won’t be broken.
It makes rewatching the Picard finale more interesting to see the pair’s farewell and wondering if they’re better off without a “happily ever after” type of goodbye.
So, what do you think? Share your thoughts and comments on the state of Jean-Luc and Beverly's intriguing relationship on our Facebook and X pages.
Star Trek: Picard is now streaming on Paramount+.