In the wonderful and ever expanding universe ofStar Trek,there have been countless characters that have resonated with audiences, none perhaps more than captain Jean Luc Picard fromThe Next Generation. His stoic and sometimes harsh exterior masked adeeply emotional and caring man. He would follow the rules unless they got in the way of what was right and just, repeatedly prioritizing saving lives no matter what the personal cost was to him.
Picard’s character was never perfect, and that was, in part, what the writers ofTNGwere trying to do. His journey throughout the series was one of discovery and learning. There was perhaps no one more influential to his growth as a character than thesemi-antagonistic, near omnipotent figure of Q. But how did this strange, godlike being manage to make the Starfleet captain learn from the mistakes of his past?
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Q is a strange figure in theStar Trekuniverse, who often walks the ever-changing line between good and evil. He did a lot of damage, both physically and mentally, to the unfortunate Federation members he came across. He favored the mother and father figures of Picard and Janeway, and seeminglyavoided those of a more serious inclination such as Sisko, who refused to play the parental part he needed. His first appearance was during the pilot episode ofTNG,where he set a precedent as to what his recurring character would be all about. His role was to test and challenge the protagonists to see if they truly are ready and deserving for what the galaxy has to offer.
It’s often been debated how pivotal Q’s interference has been; for example whether his actions actually saved the Federation or not byintroducing them early to the threat of the Borg. While a fair few officers died during his shenanigans, it taught both Picard and the Federation an important lesson. They learned that they were not ready for what the universe had in store for them as much they might have thought. They had grown complacent over the years of peace, belting themselves to be an unstoppable force. Nobody could possibly pose a threat to them, as everyone who had done so previously was unsuccessful. Q showed them the error of their ways, and gave them, Picard most of all, a much needed but still harsh reality check. This is what his character does best.
While Q often meddles in matters of a much larger scale, there are plenty of examples where he has pinpointed an individual to show them the error of their ways. He toys with them, but also greatly helps them realize what it is that makes them special. The finest example of this is during the season 6 episode ofTNG,“Tapestry,” which delved deep into the past of Picard himself.
The episode is often remembered as one of the best from theTNGdays (especially after the disastrous first season). It starts with the apparent death of Picard, after his artificial heart was damaged on an away mission. He wakes up, and finds himself in a white space with Q, who is mimicking the stereotypical figure of God. He, knowing Q’s antics, refuses to play along with his game, but Q tells him all of this is for Picard benefit. Q eventually asks whether Picard has any regrets, and so begins a journey down memory lane, and the story of how Picard got the artificial heart that ended up killing him in the first place.
Prior to this episode, audiences were given snippets of the type of man Picard was when he was younger, and how different he was compared to the modern day man. Young Picard was said to be a charmer, especially to the ladies. He was fill of arrogant confidence and had an incredibly laid back persona, which might explainwhy he was so harsh on Riker at the start. He took no issue with starting fights and breaking rules, often with his two best friends at the time, who egged him on and, from the older Picard’s perspective, were terrible influences. His actions landed him in a lot of trouble, none more so than when he picked a fight with a group of Nausicaans. This led to him being stabbed through the heart — the event that resulted in him getting his artificial heart.
Q gives Picard a chance to change things, to erase the mistakes of the past. Picard does so, alienating his friends and adopting the older Picard attitude. He avoids the fight with the Nausicaans this time around, and never gets the artificial heart, meaning that he would not die on the away mission much later on. Once he is happy with the changes he has made, Q shows Picard the consequences of these actions.
They jump ahead in time to Picard’s present day, only to find that everything is different. Picard no longer captainsthe iconic USS Enterprise; instead, he’s just a lovely junior science officer who is completely ignored by everyone around him. He has no respect or friends. The alternate timeline versions of Riker and company even tell him his biggest problem is that he has no ambition and that he plays things far too safe, never willing to risk anything or break the rules, even for the greater good. He is, as he himself puts it, ‘a man bereft of passion.’ He lives as this other Picard for a while, until Q whisks him back to the white purgatory room where they met previously. Picard accepts his fate and tells Q that he would rather die as the man he was, the man riddled with mistakes of the past that ultimately caught up with him, than the man he had become without them
It is a fantastic monologue, filled with all the passion and acting skills that Sir Patrick Stewart is famed for. His speech perfectly sums up how the mistakes of the past are what make a person great. The stabbing, no matter how foolish and avoidable it may have been, made Picard the great man he was. It matured him, and made him realize that he was mortal after all. The experience tempered him to the point where he still took risks, but they were always chosen wisely. The episode ends withDr Beverly Crushermanaging to resuscitate him, and the captain waking up in the medical bay, face plastered with joy upon realizing he is back in the correct timeline.
