The Original Star Trek: Picard Ending Revealed By Patrick Stewart
By the end of the third season of "Star Trek: Picard," the title character had been through quite a lot. He died and was resurrected in an android body. He traveled to alternate universe and was thrown back in time several centuries. He witnessed the opening of a portal into robot Cthulhu's dimension. He saw the Borg evolve into something benevolent. He reunited with Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and discovered they had an adult son. So by the final scene of the series, when he and a group of old friends met in a bar for cocktails and a friendly round of poker, Picard had earned it.
Indeed, the scene of Picard, Crusher, Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Troi (Marina Sirtis), Worf (Michael Dorn), Data (Brent Spiner), and Geordi (LeVar Burton) all conversing, drinking, being friendly, and finally relaxing at the end of an adventure was more moving and exciting than any space battles or Enterprise resurrections that came before it. Finally, outside the auspices of the plot and beyond dealing with crises, these characters were merely allowed to be themselves.
Stewart, 83, recently released an autobiography called "Making It So: A Memoir," which detailed, at length, his acting experiences and his prolific career. Naturally, he included a chapter on the three years he spent making "Star Trek: Picard," including some mandates he required to return to the role of Jean-Luc Picard after 18 years, as well as what he liked about the production.
He also finally revealed a final scene — a short epilogue — that was supposed to come after the above-described barroom scene that would have added a small spoonful of happiness into Picard's life as he rounded 110 (or thereabouts; the character's actual age is never said aloud).
The Lonely Picard
One of the great unfulfilled stories of "Star Trek: Picard" was the character's romantic life. It was implied throughout the show's first two seasons that Picard was developing feelings for his Romulan housekeeper Laris (Orla Brady). Although Laris appears in the early scenes of the third season of "Picard," she remains absent for the bulk of the show, all while Picard reunites — bitterly — with Dr. Crusher. By the end of the series, Picard and Crusher had come to an understanding, but they certainly weren't interested in being romantically entangled anymore. So does that mean Picard was to remain uncoupled in his twilight years? That's not a horrible fate, but it's not a fate Stewart wanted for the character.
In his book, Stewart described an unfiled scene that would have addressed that:
"The third season came off magnificently. But its final scene, in which the reunited crew is gathered around a table with drinks, sharing a toast, is not how it was originally supposed to end. I had a different idea, which I brought to the writers a few months before we wrapped the series. 'What I'd like to see at the end of the show,' I told them, 'is a content Jean-Luc. I want to see Picard perfectly at ease with his situation. Not anxious, not in a frenzy, not depressed. And I think this means that there is a wife in the picture.'"
Stewart married his third wife, Sunny Ozell, back in 2013, and he had found happiness with her. He felt that Picard should be allowed a similar sense of connubial bliss, something the character never had before (more often, Picard preferred his career over romance). A wife, Stewart felt, was key to closing out Jean-Luc.
Dusk at the vineyard
Ah, but whom would he marry? The show was to leave that vague. Stewart described the scene thus:
"The writers came up with a lovely scene. It is dusk at Jean-Luc's vineyard. His back is to us as he takes in the view, his dog at his side. Then, off-screen, a woman's loving voice is heard: 'Jean-Luc? Supper's ready!' Is it Beverly Crusher's voice? Laris's? Someone we don't know? It isn't made clear. But Sunny was set to record the lines. Heeding his wife's call, Jean-Luc turns around, says to his dog, 'C'mon, boy,' and heads inside. Dusk fades to night, and Picard fades into history."
The last time anyone would see Jean-Luc Picard, he was entering his home to eat supper with a woman, presumably a wife or a beloved. It was smart to have Stewart's actual wife record the line rather than Brady or McFadden, as it would leave the scene intentionally ambiguous, removing any soap opera-like speculation.
Stewart notes, however, that the scene was never shot. It seems that the final days of shooting the third season of "Picard" were running incredibly long, people had to go home, and Stewart had to fly to New York early the next morning. Rather than churn out A 16-hour day, he suggested he return whenever the crew had a moment to shoot the scene, something that would take less than a day. It was just going to be him, the dog, and the vineyard set. 15 to 20 seconds, maybe.
"But I never got a call," he wrote. The studio, it seems, didn't like it, thinking it was unnecessary. "The TV series ended with the toast," Stewart added, "which is a warm, emotional send-off to my favorite Starfleet crew."