Summary

Patrick Stewart reveals the one thing he copied from William Shatner’s Captain Kirk. Wil striving to make Captain Jean-Luc Picard his own character, Stewart felt he had to copy Shatner in one specific way. Patrick Stewart envisioned a different ending for Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard, wanting to see him content with a wife at his vineyard.

“Space, the final frontier…” That short speech from the opening credits of Star Trek: The Next Generation features the voice of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) reciting the famous words spoken by William Shatner’s Captain Kirk in the opening credits of Star Trek: The Original Series. And Shatner’s voiceover is the one thing that Stewart copied from Kirk and used in his own performance of Jean-Luc. And for good reason. Stewart said in an excerpt from his memoir, Making It So (per Screen Rant):

“In one very specific aspect, I owe a debt of gratitude to William Shatner. There came the time when I had to record the famous ‘Space, the final frontier’ speech that opens each episode of ‘The Next Generation,’ as it did ‘The Original Series’ … I carefully listened to Bill’s voiceover in preparation to do mine, and realized that there was nothing I could do to improve upon it. He’d done it perfectly, the tone and cadences spot-on. So I basically did his version syllable for syllable — the only time I intentionally copied Bill’s performance as the captain.”

Captain Picard and Kirk famously teamed up at the end of Star Trek: Generations, as the torch was passed from TOS to TNG on the Silver Screen. Ultimately, the film was a monumental disappointment to Trekkies because writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore did the unthinkable and killed off James T. Kirk.

Meanwhile, Captain Picard was still going strong come 2023, and his ending was much more satisfying than Kirk’s, even if Jean-Luc’s swan song isn’t what Stewart thought it should be…

Related: Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Most Emotional Episodes, Ranked

Patrick Stewart Imagined a Different Ending for Jean-Luc Picard
Paramount Plus

Patrick Stewart returned to the role of Jean-Luc Picard one final time in season three of Star Trek: Picard. The Paramount+ series successfully reunited Jean-Luc with the key cast members of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. And the U.S.S. Enterprise crew’s final scene together is a heartwarming game of poker that lovingly pays homage to TNG’s series finale.

But regardless of how satisfying the end of Picard was for Trekkies, Stewart envisioned a much different ending for Jean-Luc. Stewart said in his memoir (per Time):

“‘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.’ You see, the line between Jean-Luc and me has grown ever more blurred. If I have found true love, shouldn’t he? 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 [the actor’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.”

Stewart’s idea is touching, but the series finale of Star Trek: Picard didn’t leave Trekkies disappointed, as TNG’s cast closes out the streaming show with Jean-Luc and his friends playing a friendly game of cards. With the success of Picard, there’s obviously an opportunity out there for the former Starfleet captain to return again, if Stewart thinks it’s worthwhile to revisit the character.