Star Trek: The Next Generation
" Family " is a great episode ofStar Trek : The Next contemporaries , but rewatching it always makes me mad that Captain Jean - Luc Picard ’s ( Patrick Stewart ) relative were kill off inStar Trek Generations . " Family " introduce Jean - Luc ’s older buddy , Robert Picard ( Jeremy Kemp ) , Robert ’s wife , Marie ( Samantha Eggar ) , and Jean - Luc ’s nephew , René ( David Tristan Birkin ) . " Family " is a lovelyStar Trek : The Next Generationepisode write by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Les Landau .
It was rare forStar Trek : The Next Generationto take a severance from exploring new earth to , alternatively , delve into Captain Picard ’s past and privileged life . “Family " is also a notable instance of serialisation byTNG , asStar Trek : The Next Generationseason 4 , episode 2 is a unmediated follow - up to the conclusion of"The undecomposed of Both Worlds"and batch with how Picard copes with his world being restored from his trial by ordeal as Locutus of Borg .
Tragically , Robert , Marie , and René Picard only come along once ( althoughBirkin returned to represent the new Jean - Luc PicardinStar Trek : The Next Generationseason 6 , episode 7 , " scamp " ) . InStar Trek Generations , Captain Picard is devastated to check his family died in a star sign fire . Robert Picard , his wife , and child killed off - screen was a nasty resolving to the beautiful , profound , and heartfelt reunion in " Family , " and it never sits right . However , Star Trekhas since made it an intact part of Jean - Luc Picard ’s story .
Star Trek: TNG’s “Family” Makes Me Mad Picard’s Family Was Killed Off
Star Trek Generations Still Feels Wrong
Star Trek : The Next Generationseason 4 , instalment 2 , " Family , " gave Jean - Luc Picard a heart and psyche beyond his height as the smart and indomitableCaptain of the Enterprise . “Family " was Jean - Luc ’s first time returning home to the Picard vineyardin La Barre , France , in 20 eld . Counselor Deanna Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) even teased Picard that it was the first time in three age the Captain had taken shore leave . Jean - Luc finally found the support he ask by mending fence with his estranged sometime brother , Robert .
Jean - Luc left the vineyards of Chateau Picard for a lifespan in the stars but would finally reelect . Here ’s the history of the Picard family line ’s Bordeaux .
Rewatching " Family , " it always infuriates me thatStar Trek Generationskilled off Robert Picard ’s kindred . It wasPatrick Stewart himself who wanted Jean - Luc ’s family unit to dieoff - screen to hammer home that he would be left as the last Picard . Stewart wanted to play that profound loss to give Picard spectacular weight inStar Trek Generations , andSir Patrick even suggested that Robert ’s family die in a house fire .
Custom image by Ana Nieves
It ’s a thickened way to dismiss the warm and loving mob Jean - Luc notice when he come home to France .
in the end , what Robert Picard and his family line ’s death amounted to inStar Trek Generationswas a twosome of scenes where Captain Picard mourned them ( primarily the loss of his nephew , René , more than his comrade or sister - in - jurisprudence ) . By theend ofStar Trek Generations , Picard has seemingly reconciled and moved on from his personal disaster , and it ’s never mentioned again . It ’s a callous way to ignore the warm and have it away family Jean - Luc obtain when he came home to France in TNG .
“Family” Humanized Star Trek: TNG’s Captain Picard
Jean-Luc Became A Better Character Because Of “Family”
" Family " was a crucialepisode ofStar Trek : The Next Generationfor Captain Picard . For the first time , Jean - Luc was emotionally vulnerable , uncertain , and even considered leaving the Starship Enterprise for a fleeting moment . In Marie and René , Jean - Luc saw the good luck Robert had that escaped Jean - Luc because of his pick to invest himself to Starfleet . Meanwhile , Robert ’s enmity and coldness were ultimately to test his little brother , to learn why , exactly , Jean - Luc had returned home .
Captain Picard could have go back in time to save his family in Star Trek Generations , create a plot yap that hamstring the TNG film ’s coming .
Jean - Luc was never more relatable than when he go against down in teardrop after struggle Robert in the clay . Robert ( and the hearing ) were touch to see Jean - Luc is human , not the perfect , indefatigableCaptain of the Enterprise . Robert console his brother is one of the kindest moment that happened to Captain Picard . " kin " gaveStar Trek : The Next Generationpermission to further search Captain Picard ’s humanity , and classical installment like " The Inner Light " would n’t have been potential without Jean - Luc ’s return .
How Jean-Luc Picard Was Changed By Star Trek Killing His Family
Jean-Luc Eventually Became His Brother
As Jean - Luc Picard ’s narrative unfolded inStar Trek : Picard , he ironically became his brother . Robert Picard ’s off - concealment death depart Jean - Luc as the last Picard , but the Captain had reconciled the fact that the family line would fail with him because he had no children ( or so Jean - Luc believed).Star Trek : Picardseason 1 essentially made Jean - Luc into Robert : after quitting Starfleet , Picard devolve to his family ’s vineyard in La Barre , France , and became a winemaker like his elder brother and the late generations of Picards .
Robert Picard scream Jean - Luc an"arrogant son - of - a … “inStar Trek : The Next contemporaries ’s " Family , " and it was that hauteur that led to Admiral Picard quitting Starfleet in the misguided belief they would n’t bear his resignation .
Star Trek : Picardseason 2 boot out Robertfrom Jean - Luc ’s flashback divulge the verity about the decease of their mother , Yvette Picard ( Madeline Wise ) , and that their Fatherhood , Maurice Picard ( James Callis ) , was n’t the villain Jean - Luc believed he was . Ultimately , Jean - Luc fully became his brother , Robert , inStar Trek : Picardseason 3 . Upon see he has a son , Jack Crusher ( Ed Speleers ) , with Dr. Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden),Admiral Picard end hisStar Trekstory with the family he once never believe he would ever have .
“Family” Also Set Up Star Trek: Picard
Jean-Luc’s Future Sprung From “Family”
Although Captain Picard ’s homecoming was the A story ofStar Trek : The Next genesis ’s " Family , " and the B level roll around thehuman parents of Lt . Worf(Michael Dorn ) visiting the USS Enterprise - D , " Family " also had a C narrative that impacted Picard ’s time to come . Wesley Crusher ( Wil Wheaton ) see a holograph recorded for him by his late founding father , Lt . Commander Jack R. Crusher ( Doug Wert).Star Trek : Picardeventually fortify Jean - Luc ’s ties to the Crusher clan , and his unresolved relationship with Dr. Beverly Crusher , to enable Picard to have a family of his own .
Admiral Jean - Luc Picard is part of a gallant family of explorers and wine - makers . The Picard family unit traverse propagation of Star Trek .
The seeds of Admiral Jean - Luc Picard ’s time to come were planted inStar Trek : The Next propagation ’s " Family . " Jean - Luc eventually became the person he originally fled Earth and joined Starfleet to avoid , make full the shoes of his older brother , Robert . To Jean - Luc ’s surprisal , he finally gained a mob of his own , and a Word to impart on the Picard mob tune ( if not the Picard surname ) . Yet all of this could still have been achieve withoutStar Trek Generationskilling off Picard ’s family off - screen . It ’s still a poor way to follow up one of the seminal Picard episode ofStar Trek : The Next Generation .
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