Up until the fourth episode of Star Trek: Picard’s third season, Trekkies have been on the fence about whether they should love or hate Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). He runs a tight ship aboard the U.S.S. Titan, gives Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) a hard time, and he has absolutely no issue going toe-to-toe with legends like Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Ultimately, everything leading up to “No Win Scenario” showcases how right Shaw was about trying to thwart Picard’s unsanctioned mission, even if they were able to get out of the situation alive.

In Episode 4, Captain Shaw interrupts a tender father-son moment between Picard and Jack (Ed Speleers) to reveal that he had actually encountered Picard years before they officially met—back when Picard was the dangerous and terrifying Locutus of Borg. His tragic backstory aboard the U.S.S. Constitution paints the character in an entirely new light and, in hindsight, helps to piece together why he has such a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Picard and Seven.
COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY
Last month Collider had the opportunity to chat with the Captain himself, Todd Stashwick, ahead of the series premiere and dive into a few non-spoilery aspects of the series, but with “No Win Scenario” officially streaming on Paramount+ we can finally share the rest of the interview, which delved into Shaw’s pivotal moment in the episode. In addition to talking about his big speech on the Holodeck, Stashwick also shared a few fun moments from the series.

Image via Paramount+

I think Shaw is such a fun character. He’s the type of character you love to hate and hate to love.

TODD STASHWICK: Welcome to my wheelhouse, Maggie. That is my wheelhouse.

What is the secret to keeping that balance? Because it is such a balancing act, like on a tight wire.

STASHWICK: Specifically with Shaw, he’s not wrong. When you hear his logic, and you hear his reasoning, even in Episode 1, you’re like, “The guy’s got a point.” Even if it’s delivered caustically, sarcastically, dripping with sarcasm, or passive-aggression, he’s not wrong. Even though we’re rooting for Riker and Picard, because we want to get on with the adventure, you still go, “The guy’s got a point,” and I think he always has a point. His motivations are justified. Plus, I try to put enough of a swagger and twinkle into the guy’s eye that he’s at least fun to watch, hopefully. To watch him pinching the nose and poking the eye of these legends, that’s a good time.

Oh yeah, very much so. I grew up watching The Next Generation and Voyager, so I always love anytime the Borg get mentioned or brought into things, because that’s Star Trek to me. I loved that Shaw’s backstory has a reason for why he has an issue with characters like Seven, Picard, and the Borg. Did you know all of that upfront when you were presented with this character, so you could dole it out throughout?

STASHWICK: Some of the inspiration for the character was – specifically talking about that scene, obviously—some of the inspiration for that scene was [Sam] Quint’s monologue about the Indianapolis, from Jaws. Hence, his name’s Shaw after Robert. I knew that going into the whole project that that was his connection to Picard, and that he has this life-altering experience that is deeply connected to Picard. An experience that shapes his entire worldview going forward.

Image via Paramount+

That’s such a great scene, and you have a lot of really great moments throughout the first six episodes that I’ve seen. Were there any episodes that stood out to you, either from the scenes that you got to play with, the experiences on set, or maybe ones that were really challenging and really satisfying in the end?

STASHWICK: That one, obviously, is the Machu Picchu of his story, it’s his defining moment in the season. There’s how you see him before, then that scene, and then how you view the man after that scene because I think it changes the audience’s perspective and how they receive him. So, definitely that.

I loved the fact that this guy is not impressed with the legends. He does not see them as having high status over him, except for one character he does. I don’t know if you got to that scene yet, but there’s one character from [The Next Generation] that makes his heart go pitter-patter. There’s a lovely little moment to the point where Seven and Picard have to look at each other because I am just fangirling over one of the other characters. I loved it, and we got to improvise in that scene as well.

I don’t know how late in the season that is. There are 1000 moments that stood out to me. I’m picking one, because… I worked with Jeri [Ryan] a lot on this season. She is my first officer, she’s my number one. She and I just had such fun playing… Jonathan [Frakes] and I, we had a history because he was my director on Burn Notice. So we spent some time in Florida together, then I’d see him just periodically throughout, and I think our paths crossed on Leverage at one point. I’ve known him, so it was very warm, but to get to act across from him was a different wonderful experience as well.

Sir Patrick [Stewart], of course. Sir Patrick, he’s the titular character of the show, the eponymous Picard. There was one moment, and I’ve shared this, where I was sitting in the captain’s chair in between takes—my captain’s chair on my ship. Patrick was sitting next to me, we were just waiting for setups, and Brent Spiner comes over, and he is sort of playfully roughhousing with Patrick. He was there doing some makeup tests. Patrick looks, and he goes, “Have you met Todd Stashwick?” Then he leans in conspiratorially, and he goes, “He’s one of us.” My heart popped. Then I got up and walked into the scene.

I love that.

STASHWICK: Yeah. Given permission, acceptance, and room to play in material like this is a rare and wonderful thing that actors don’t often get. They are few and far between. I got it with Terry, Chris Monfette, and Sean Tretta, who were all 12 Monkeys writers. I got it on 12 Monkeys—room to experiment and collaborate—and then I got it here again in a next-level experience.

It is fantastic stuff. I can’t wait for more people to see it when the whole season’s out.

STASHWICK: Bonkers.

The first four episodes of Star Trek: Picard’s third season are streaming now on Paramount+. While you wait for Episode 5, check out our interview with Stashwick and Jeri Ryan below: