Picard's negotiation with the aliens in The Ensigns of Command. Especially when he cuts off the video feed and flips the middle finger of the Federation at them. But understanding their laws and the contract and finding that loophole to give them time to evacuate the planet was very Picard-like too.
I cant name one moment, there are too many great ones. I rewatch TNG almost every two years. I fall asleep from time to time but its inspiring, entertaining, and comforting every time. As i get older i see myself liking some episodes more than when i was younger or the other way around. But after all these years im still in love with this show and especially Jean Luc
Your channel is due for a blow up. These videos are so good. Would love to see more TNG stuff, especially something involving “the inner light”, my favorite episode.
I'm so excited that you're going to be doing more TNG videos. It's such a rich topic. My favourite Picard moment was when he's called to resolve an issue with the Sheliak threatening to kill a colony squatting on their planet. Picard's solution was to invoke a section of the treaty outlining the arbitration of disputes, nominating the Grizzelas to carry out arbitration. They just happen to be in hibernation for the next few months which makes the Sheliak angry. However, they concede and agree to allow time for the colonists to depart. The sheer guile and the response from Riker's quip "you enjoyed that, didn't you?", Picard says "You're damned right I did", it's all just perfect. Because you mentioned the character: it's something Horatio Hornblower would do, I think.
Also, I appreciate your work enough to have gone back and watched every essay from the beginning of the channel. I think it's both your passion and obvious education in the arts that are so compelling and valuable. If there is a topic that you feel is close to your heart but maybe too niche and risky to the algorithm to pursue, i encourage you to make it. It would have at least 1 viewer.
Thanks you so much for this excellent rundown and on point portrayal of Picard and what makes him and the show so great. I was a teenager at the time it was on linear TV and Picard was a great role model for me as well that follows me in my mind to this day. His integrity, thoughtfulness, and drive to do the right thing, and also his style of leadership and appreciation for his crew members. I also love him in the Episode in which the Enterprise suffers a catastrophic event and he is trapped alone with some children, navigating the dangerous situation. He truly deserves his Captain Picard Day! 😊 I feel that the character has been ruined after the show and some of the writers really didn’t get it, esp. in the show carrying his name. Such a shame…😮
"Not mapping stars and charting nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities...of existence" This is really the essence of all artistic expression. You can spend an entire lifetime running in circles and chasing life outside of yourself but you will never find satisfaction in the world until you recognize the miracle it is to be alive and all of the tiny wonders that happen in the span of just one day. "It's time for you to look inward and ask yourself life's big questions. Who are you? What do YOU want?" Editing because I forgot to say THANK YOU for another excellent opportunity to contemplate the big questions. Cheers!
Writing is key to crafting memorable characters who last through the decades. Unfortunately, once we ended up with "Picard"... it's pretty obvious that the writers didn't really know the foundations of storytelling. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge; hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (series)
Great essay! I think what people often miss about Picard is his experience with Sarek and how they both left impressions of each other on themselves. So much so that Spock recognizes it when he meets him. He may be what represents humanity but he has a bit of Vulcan in him as well.
9:20 it wasn't the only time in the series when there was an exterior shot of the ready room. we also saw it in the episode Conundrum after Picard talks with the alien who impersonates an officer trying to convince him to destroy an "enemy command center" while Picard has no memory of the war
And at the end Darmok, he has that knife and we see him looking out his window from the outside - he does the gesture he learned from Dathon as a mark of respect.
TNG is such a fantastic show at multiple levels. There's what you presented here about Picard, but there is so much more with the show and characters. Take professionalism as an example. The crew behaves exactly as a crew would who respects both the chain of command as well as the unique set of skills and talents every member brings. Conflicts are resolved at the appropriate time and place for the given setting and are not arbitrarily written into the story for dramatic tension that shouldn't exist. The characters as well. Worf struggles with his identity as a Klingon because of his upbringing with his human foster parents and we follow his journey exploring this. Data is the outsider looking in on the human experience without something we take for granted: emotion. Troy is the opposite, having emotion be her identity and her family (mother) constantly interjecting into her life. I could go on, but, as you said, by season 2 the whole crew is forming around these characters that add so much to the depth of the show.
6:40 I'd actually argue that Q is single-handedly responsible for the Borg actually becoming aware of humanity and Starfleet itself earlier than they would have.
Thanks for this great video. I agree with you that the series Picard was a squandered opportunity, but it has some redeeming moments. I'm one of those weirdos who likes season 1 best despite some big problems. The goodbye scene Picard and Data may be one of the best written in Star Trek. The episode with Riker and Troi shows all three to very good effect. And I think their starting point for Picard 20+ years after we last saw him was nuanced and appropriate. He was still cultured and reserved but emotionally more open, and the idea that he'd be wondering what to do with the end of this life, as a man of action realistically too old for much action, made sense. Turning him into an android was, indeed, dumb, but I give them a partial pass because I think I know why it happened: the show was intended to be one season ending in his death, which would have been sad but well told. They realized they could renew the series, which could have been a good thing if we got more good storytelling, so they had to rewrite that end fast and didn't have time to get it right. I can forgive that, but I agree we should also forget it.
I admit first that I’ve only seen the first season of Picard..I’ll watch the rest but haven’t gotten back to it. Nevertheless, from what I’ve seen, I think it reflects a common problem with older characters, which in turn struggles under the weight of certain cultural paradigms and the human condition itself. That is, we tend not to look at older people as having much of an arc, or even much of a future. Older characters say things like “…in my time…” as if they no longer have experiences worth notice or discussion. At some point, we expect them to spend their time concerned with younger people, or reminiscing about their pasts, being sad, or doting over younger characters. What we don’t often see are older people who are trying to continue to challenge themselves, to change, and to grow. Frankly, we tend to write people out of the lead role they had in their own lives; they become mere supporting characters, to be turned on and off, or just waiting to die. And if what you seem to be saying about the Picard series is true, then you’re right about a missed opportunity. If anyone could convey the possibilities of life at any age, it’s Patrick Stewart. But then, it probably comes down to fear of loss. We (mostly unconsciously) avoid investing in anything we fear may not long endure. Taking the time to get to know someone we anticipate may be taken soon feels foolish or scary. It’s the rare person who can overcome that inclination, whether when consuming media or in real life. I think we all the poorer for it.
@13:40 You talk about "killing" Picard, and reanimating him. I have thought of this and other topics lately: plot devices that you can put in e.g. a single movie, but risk the credibility and/or viability of a sequel or series. I have come up with topics like: resurrection, time travel, but in a way also not really a topic, but "power creep". I'm not sure whether you would be willing to go a bit more meta, but I think that "story sins" in the art of story telling are an interesting topic to explore.
Picard "died" at the end of S1 so the Queen didn't hunt him personally in S3 for his brain thing (I don't remember what it was exactly). Although writers could come up with a better reason.
Will support you however I can but Patreon takes a bigger cut of payments than other platforms (such as ko-fi) offering the same features and functionality. Do business the best way you see how but it would make me happy if you had more money in your pocket to better sustain yourself while providing such rich analysis. Nothing but respect. Appreciate the insight.
Picard was a secular humanist role model to me also. I feel like those just don't exist anymore. The older I get the more everything seems like it's been written by benighted, cynical children.
What's your favourite Picard moment?
As was highlighted in the video; one of my favorite Picard moments is his defense of Data's personhood in the episode "The Measure of a Man."
"There are four lights!"
When he draws a smiley face in the smoke and giggles in "Timescape"
Picard's negotiation with the aliens in The Ensigns of Command. Especially when he cuts off the video feed and flips the middle finger of the Federation at them. But understanding their laws and the contract and finding that loophole to give them time to evacuate the planet was very Picard-like too.
I cant name one moment, there are too many great ones. I rewatch TNG almost every two years. I fall asleep from time to time but its inspiring, entertaining, and comforting every time. As i get older i see myself liking some episodes more than when i was younger or the other way around. But after all these years im still in love with this show and especially Jean Luc
Your channel is due for a blow up. These videos are so good. Would love to see more TNG stuff, especially something involving “the inner light”, my favorite episode.
I'm so excited that you're going to be doing more TNG videos. It's such a rich topic.
My favourite Picard moment was when he's called to resolve an issue with the Sheliak threatening to kill a colony squatting on their planet. Picard's solution was to invoke a section of the treaty outlining the arbitration of disputes, nominating the Grizzelas to carry out arbitration. They just happen to be in hibernation for the next few months which makes the Sheliak angry. However, they concede and agree to allow time for the colonists to depart. The sheer guile and the response from Riker's quip "you enjoyed that, didn't you?", Picard says "You're damned right I did", it's all just perfect. Because you mentioned the character: it's something Horatio Hornblower would do, I think.
Also, I appreciate your work enough to have gone back and watched every essay from the beginning of the channel. I think it's both your passion and obvious education in the arts that are so compelling and valuable. If there is a topic that you feel is close to your heart but maybe too niche and risky to the algorithm to pursue, i encourage you to make it. It would have at least 1 viewer.
Of all the real and fictional characters that have ever been, I think Picard stands out as the person I most respect.
I really like how your channel makes me think
I hope one day Lower Decks is treated with the same respect as its clear love and devotion for everything that came before.
Thanks you so much for this excellent rundown and on point portrayal of Picard and what makes him and the show so great. I was a teenager at the time it was on linear TV and Picard was a great role model for me as well that follows me in my mind to this day. His integrity, thoughtfulness, and drive to do the right thing, and also his style of leadership and appreciation for his crew members. I also love him in the Episode in which the Enterprise suffers a catastrophic event and he is trapped alone with some children, navigating the dangerous situation. He truly deserves his Captain Picard Day! 😊
I feel that the character has been ruined after the show and some of the writers really didn’t get it, esp. in the show carrying his name. Such a shame…😮
Great video essay. Thank you for this.
"Not mapping stars and charting nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities...of existence"
This is really the essence of all artistic expression. You can spend an entire lifetime running in circles and chasing life outside of yourself but you will never find satisfaction in the world until you recognize the miracle it is to be alive and all of the tiny wonders that happen in the span of just one day.
"It's time for you to look inward and ask yourself life's big questions. Who are you? What do YOU want?"
Editing because I forgot to say THANK YOU for another excellent opportunity to contemplate the big questions. Cheers!
A damn-near perfect video. I cant wait for those teased deeper dives into his exceptional TNG episodes.
Got into Star Trek this past year and definitely enjoyed this analysis of Kamin.
Would love to see any DS9 related video essays
Writing is key to crafting memorable characters who last through the decades. Unfortunately, once we ended up with "Picard"... it's pretty obvious that the writers didn't really know the foundations of storytelling.
🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
"Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind's journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul's fate revealed. In time, all points converge; hope's strength resteeled. But to earn final peace at the universe's endless refrain, we must see all in nothingness... before we start again."
🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
--Diamond Dragons (series)
Great essay! I think what people often miss about Picard is his experience with Sarek and how they both left impressions of each other on themselves. So much so that Spock recognizes it when he meets him. He may be what represents humanity but he has a bit of Vulcan in him as well.
My son's father was absent after his sixth birthday and I'm glad he said that Picard was his role model.
Shut up, Wesley!
9:20 it wasn't the only time in the series when there was an exterior shot of the ready room. we also saw it in the episode Conundrum after Picard talks with the alien who impersonates an officer trying to convince him to destroy an "enemy command center" while Picard has no memory of the war
*pushes up glasses* Ackchyually
And at the end Darmok, he has that knife and we see him looking out his window from the outside - he does the gesture he learned from Dathon as a mark of respect.
Thx so much for this astonishing piece of work ❤
TNG is such a fantastic show at multiple levels. There's what you presented here about Picard, but there is so much more with the show and characters.
Take professionalism as an example. The crew behaves exactly as a crew would who respects both the chain of command as well as the unique set of skills and talents every member brings. Conflicts are resolved at the appropriate time and place for the given setting and are not arbitrarily written into the story for dramatic tension that shouldn't exist.
The characters as well. Worf struggles with his identity as a Klingon because of his upbringing with his human foster parents and we follow his journey exploring this. Data is the outsider looking in on the human experience without something we take for granted: emotion. Troy is the opposite, having emotion be her identity and her family (mother) constantly interjecting into her life. I could go on, but, as you said, by season 2 the whole crew is forming around these characters that add so much to the depth of the show.
Of all the Star Trek series, the TNG is the most memorable and Picard is the very reason for it.
6:40 I'd actually argue that Q is single-handedly responsible for the Borg actually becoming aware of humanity and Starfleet itself earlier than they would have.
Fantastic video! Just as good as all your others!
Thanks for this great video. I agree with you that the series Picard was a squandered opportunity, but it has some redeeming moments. I'm one of those weirdos who likes season 1 best despite some big problems. The goodbye scene Picard and Data may be one of the best written in Star Trek. The episode with Riker and Troi shows all three to very good effect. And I think their starting point for Picard 20+ years after we last saw him was nuanced and appropriate. He was still cultured and reserved but emotionally more open, and the idea that he'd be wondering what to do with the end of this life, as a man of action realistically too old for much action, made sense.
Turning him into an android was, indeed, dumb, but I give them a partial pass because I think I know why it happened: the show was intended to be one season ending in his death, which would have been sad but well told. They realized they could renew the series, which could have been a good thing if we got more good storytelling, so they had to rewrite that end fast and didn't have time to get it right. I can forgive that, but I agree we should also forget it.
TNG and Picard are my favorites. Janeway a close second.
I admit first that I’ve only seen the first season of Picard..I’ll watch the rest but haven’t gotten back to it. Nevertheless, from what I’ve seen, I think it reflects a common problem with older characters, which in turn struggles under the weight of certain cultural paradigms and the human condition itself. That is, we tend not to look at older people as having much of an arc, or even much of a future. Older characters say things like “…in my time…” as if they no longer have experiences worth notice or discussion. At some point, we expect them to spend their time concerned with younger people, or reminiscing about their pasts, being sad, or doting over younger characters. What we don’t often see are older people who are trying to continue to challenge themselves, to change, and to grow. Frankly, we tend to write people out of the lead role they had in their own lives; they become mere supporting characters, to be turned on and off, or just waiting to die. And if what you seem to be saying about the Picard series is true, then you’re right about a missed opportunity. If anyone could convey the possibilities of life at any age, it’s Patrick Stewart.
But then, it probably comes down to fear of loss. We (mostly unconsciously) avoid investing in anything we fear may not long endure. Taking the time to get to know someone we anticipate may be taken soon feels foolish or scary. It’s the rare person who can overcome that inclination, whether when consuming media or in real life. I think we all the poorer for it.
Beautiful video, subscribed.
Because he is Captain Picard, or as put by those protovulcans after he brought that kid back to life the "Picard".
@13:40 You talk about "killing" Picard, and reanimating him.
I have thought of this and other topics lately: plot devices that you can put in e.g. a single movie, but risk the credibility and/or viability of a sequel or series.
I have come up with topics like: resurrection, time travel, but in a way also not really a topic, but "power creep". I'm not sure whether you would be willing to go a bit more meta, but I think that "story sins" in the art of story telling are an interesting topic to explore.
greatest tv show. all time
Picard "died" at the end of S1 so the Queen didn't hunt him personally in S3 for his brain thing (I don't remember what it was exactly). Although writers could come up with a better reason.
Jon Snow getting killed at the end of season 5 had nothing on Riker giving the command to fire ending the season.
Will support you however I can but Patreon takes a bigger cut of payments than other platforms (such as ko-fi) offering the same features and functionality. Do business the best way you see how but it would make me happy if you had more money in your pocket to better sustain yourself while providing such rich analysis. Nothing but respect. Appreciate the insight.
1:19 Oh that's ironic. Because A) Hornblower is an inspiration to TOS. B) Hornblower is a massive jackass, he is just not saying it out loud.
Picard was a secular humanist role model to me also. I feel like those just don't exist anymore. The older I get the more everything seems like it's been written by benighted, cynical children.
WWJLPD!
I like Picard He's easily one of the worst captains though
William Shatner Rules,#1 Captain Ever who's been to space ,got you beat Picard.