Summary

Patrick Stewart explains the use of the F-bomb by Picard in the special features of Star Trek: Picard season 3’s home video release. Stewart felt the word choice was appropriate because Picard was almost out of control and had lost control. Showrunner Terry Matalas also defends the use of the F-bomb, stating it was a powerful and authentic moment between a father and son.

As noted by Screen Rant star Patrick Stewart has explained the reason behind Jean-Luc Picard’s use of the F-bomb in the special features of Star Trek: Picard season 3’s home video release.

The Star Trek series is the follow-up to Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Nemesis. Picard starred Stewart, Alison Phil, Michelle Hurd, Jeri Ryan, Santiago Cabrera, Alison Pill, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Kay Bess, Orla Brady, and Ed Speleers. Picard premiered back in 2020 and followed Stewart’s titular character. The series recently wrapped up its third and final season.

In “No Win Scenario,” the fourth episode of the show’s third season, Jean-Luc tells his son Jack Crusher (played by Speleers) a story about his past where Picard and his son’s namesake, Lt. Jack R. Crusher (played by Dough Wert) were lost in a shuttlecraft for “ten f***ing grueling hours.” While Stewart’s ad-libbed curse word was praised by some fans who considered the speech more authentic with the f-bomb, other viewers didn’t care for Jean-Luc’s word choice.

In Picard season 3’s home video release, on “The Making of The Last Generation” (a featurette on disc three that dives deep into making the third and final season of the show), Stewart explained his character’s use of the F-bomb, noting that he felt it “was arguably appropriate because Picard was almost out of control.”

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Patrick Stewart Said the Character’s Word Choice “Was Something That We Did Because He Had Lost Control”
Paramount+

The actor stated, “When you use language, you use it sometimes in a certain way in order to have an impact, not just on the character you’re addressing, but on the audience who are watching. And I felt that this was arguably appropriate because Picard was almost out of control. He was out of control — the fact that he used the language he did. I regret if people were offended, but it was not something we did for pure sensationalism. It was something that we did because he had lost control.”

Similarly while previously chatting with Collider, Picard Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas discussed the character’s F-Bomb in “No Win Scenario” and revealed his thoughts on the word choice.

Matalas said, “When I got the director’s cut, I was so taken aback by it, but it was so real, and everything you do as artists, as writers and actors, even editors is authenticity, that’s the thing you want to feel. I was really torn because hearing that word come from your childhood, Captain Picard, it throws you. But wow, is it powerful, and it’s a moment between a father and son.”

The Season 3 showrunner later added, “Star Trek is about hope and optimism and certainly cursing is not really in that vein, but it is also not just an exploration of the final frontier, but an exploration of humanity and the human heart, and that was such a human moment and real. It had to stay in. I stand by it, and the criticisms will be valid for anyone who doesn’t like it, and anyone who does are equally valid.”

Star Trek: Picard – The Final Season and The Complete Series are now available on Blu-ray. Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection comes out on November 7th.