THE PERFORMERS | Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden
THE SHOW | Star Trek: Picard
THE EPISODE | “Seventeen Seconds” (March 2, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCES | It’s been a thrill to see Stewart reunite along with his Next Generation castmates in Picard‘s ultimate season… however the reunion hasn’t been all heat hugs and outdated tales. The shock revelation that Jean-Luc and Beverly Crusher have a son collectively was like a photon torpedo to the previous Enterprise captain’s coronary heart, and this week, Jean-Luc confronted Beverly about why she saved Jack a secret from him. In a scene that can stand as one of the crucial emotionally devastating moments in Trek historical past, Stewart and McFadden had been merely sensible, drawing on their years sharing the display screen collectively to take one another to new heights.
Jean-Luc pulled Beverly apart for a non-public chat, and Stewart and McFadden hardly wanted to say a phrase, his eyes flashing with anger and hers welling up with guilt. Beverly defined that Jack was conceived simply earlier than she left the Enterprise, and she or he thought their relationship had run its course: “We each knew we had been on the finish.” Jean-Luc’s mournful reply: “I didn’t.” Stewart’s voice quaked with damage as Jean-Luc struggled to grasp why Beverly minimize off all contact with him. McFadden passionately fired again, with Beverly itemizing off all of the occasions Jean-Luc’s life was continuously in peril. Both actors raised their voices, and Stewart displayed a fury we not often see from Jean-Luc as he condemned Beverly for utilizing his personal sad upbringing as justification for retaining Jack away from him. But McFadden lashed out like a mama bear, arguing that she couldn’t bear to lose Jack “to the identical stars that personal you,” identical to she had misplaced her husband and different son.
Stewart did a few of his greatest work ever as Jean-Luc in these moments, and McFadden matched him beat for emotional beat. It was troublesome to look at two characters we’ve cherished for therefore lengthy battle like that, but it surely was a totally mesmerizing scene nonetheless, plumbing depths that Trek reveals not often try to succeed in. We’re pleased to see our Next Generation favorites collectively once more, however we’re additionally pleased to see them get such wealthy materials and knock it out of the park.
Scroll all the way down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
