As noted byScreen RantstarPatrick Stewarthas explained the reason behind Jean-Luc Picard’s use of the F-bomb in the special features ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3’s home video release.
TheStar Trekseries is the follow-up toStar Trek: The Next GenerationandStar Trek: Nemesis.Picardstarred Stewart, Alison Phil, Michelle Hurd, Jeri Ryan, Santiago Cabrera, Alison Pill, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Kay Bess, Orla Brady, and Ed Speleers.Picardpremiered back in 2020 and followed Stewart’s titular character. The series recently wrapped up its third and final season.
In “No Win Scenario,” the fourth episode of the show’s third season, Jean-Luc tells his son Jack Crusher (played by Speleers) a story about his past where Picard and his son’s namesake, Lt. Jack R. Crusher (played by Dough Wert) were lost in a shuttlecraft for “ten f***ing grueling hours.” While Stewart’s ad-libbed curse word was praised by some fans who considered the speech more authentic with the f-bomb, other viewers didn’t care for Jean-Luc’s word choice.
InPicardseason 3’s home video release, on “The Making ofThe Last Generation” (a featurette on disc three that dives deep into making the third and final season of the show), Stewart explained his character’s use of the F-bomb, noting that he felt it “was arguably appropriate because Picard was almost out of control.”
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The actor stated, “When you use language, you use it sometimes in a certain way in order to have an impact, not just on the character you’re addressing, but on the audience who are watching. And I felt that this was arguably appropriate because Picard was almost out of control. He was out of control — the fact that he used the language he did. I regret if people were offended, but it was not something we did for pure sensationalism. It was something that we did because he had lost control.”
Similarly while previously chatting withCollider,PicardSeason 3 showrunner Terry Matalas discussed the character’s F-Bomb in “No Win Scenario” and revealed his thoughts on the word choice.
Matalas said, “When I got the director’s cut, I was so taken aback by it, but it was so real, and everything you do as artists, as writers and actors, even editors is authenticity, that’s the thing you want to feel. I was really torn because hearing that word come from your childhood, Captain Picard, it throws you. But wow, is it powerful, and it’s a moment between a father and son.”
The Season 3 showrunner later added, “Star Trekis about hope and optimism and certainly cursing is not really in that vein, but it is also not just an exploration of the final frontier, but an exploration of humanity and the human heart, and that was such a human moment and real. It had to stay in. I stand by it, and the criticisms will be valid for anyone who doesn’t like it, and anyone who does are equally valid.”
Star Trek: Picard - The Final SeasonandThe Complete Seriesare now available on Blu-ray.Star Trek: The Picard LegacyCollectioncomes out on November 7th.
