Six Essential Star Trek Episodes Featuring Patrick Stewart

Star Trek wouldn’t be the cultural phenomenon it is today without Patrick Stewart. William Shatner launched the franchise by playing USS Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk in 79 episodes. Stewart led the United Federation of Planets flagship as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 178 episodes over seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and then returned to the role for 30 more episodes in Star Trek: Picard.

Even more significant than the quantity of Star Trek that Stewart made was the quality. Kirk is a classic pulp action hero. He faces conflicts head-on, never afraid to throw a punch or flirt with an alien. Picard represents a different form of masculinity, valuing compassion, knowledge, and communication above all else. He is the endlessly patient father figure for his crew, and for the next generation of Star Trek viewers, presiding over a vision of what the future could look like. It’s that connection that has left fans in mourning following his death on Thursday at the age of 86.

Any list of Stewart’s best episodes will closely mirror a general list of TNG’s best moments. Stewart brought gravitas to the show’s emotionally brutal scenes and gentle humor to its silliest scenarios. Stewart’s death is devastating, but TNG already taught fans how to deal with loss and embrace the best parts of life. Celebrate Stewart by reliving some of his finest moments in TNG’s six best Picard episodes.

The Best of Both Worlds (Season 3, Episode 26 and Season 4, Episode 1)

Writer Michael Piller and director Cliff Bole shocked fans with a cliffhanger where the Borg capture and assimilate Picard. The Borg had only been teased in a single episode before establishing themselves as one of the series’ most devastating villains by using Picard’s knowledge to wipe out Starfleet’s entire armada. Stewart sells his transformation into the Borg emissary Locutus, bringing new menace to his dynamic with first officer William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), and heartbreak to the moment where Locutus sheds a single tear to show Picard was still locked in there somewhere.

Chain of Command (Season 6, Episodes 10-11)

Star Trek repeated the tactic of introducing a new villain by having them capture Picard in the two-parter Chain of Command, which set up the Cardassians ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Stewart brings the full weight of his Shakespearean training to his performance as he is tortured. While the episode’s most famous moment is Picard defiantly screaming at his captor as he is freed, its most powerful scene is the ending, where the Captain admits to Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) just how close he was to breaking. It is a profound demonstration of the character’s strength and his human fragility.

All Good Things… (Season 7, Episodes 25-26)

TNG has a series finale, tying together the show’s first and last episodes by testing Picard’s ingenuity. Stewart does a phenomenal job portraying a man on the brink of madness as his consciousness is pulled between three timelines by Q (John de Lancie). The episode is an encapsulation of the show’s values as Picard has to rely on the trust of his crew and demonstrates his willingness to do what’s right, no matter the cost. The series ends with a cosmic promise from Q to continue to follow humanity’s evolution. But just as profound is the mundane character growth Picard experiences as he finally accepts the camaraderie of joining his senior staff for a game of poker.

Darmok (Season 5, Episode 2)

Universal translators are commonly used to handwave Star Trek’s communication problems, but “Darmok” casts the technology aside for a story about the power of shared experiences. As the crew of the Enterprise struggles to figure out how to speak with the Tamarians, their captain Dathon takes Picard on a trip so they can bond by facing a predator together. It is a Star Trek plot, with Picard avoiding violence by coming to understand and respect Dathon. Stewart captures the tender moments of tending to Dathon’s wounds and the oratory needed to tell their tale.

Tapestry (Season 6, Episode 15)

It is poignant to look back at this episode, which begins with Picard’s death and explores what made him truly great. After an attack destroys Picard’s artificial heart, Q gives him the chance to go back in time and save his own life by avoiding the barroom brawl that caused his original injury. But what seemed like a moment of youthful recklessness proved to be a pivotal choice, defining Picard’s willingness to take risks for his friends that set him on the course to becoming captain. Picard laughs in the face of death as he makes Q undo the change, vowing he’d rather die a legendary captain than lose himself and live an undistinguished life. Whether or not Q actually intervened is up for debate, but the lesson about staying true to yourself is one that anyone can take to heart.

The Inner Light (Season 5, Episode 25)

Stewart delivered a story of how to find comfort in the midst of tragedy in the Hugo Award-winning episode “The Inner Light.” When the Enterprise encounters a mysterious probe, Picard experiences a lifetime of memories in only 25 minutes. The probe came from a doomed planet hoping that someone will keep their story alive. Picard experiences the cataclysm in the shoes of the iron weaver and astronomer Kamin, urging his daughter, “Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.” Stewart made the most of his time, touching the lives of millions of fans. Now we are the ones who will carry forward our memories of him.

Source: Polygon