“Star Trek: Picard” wrapped on Thursday with a touching scene between Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and their son Jack (Ed Speleers).
Warning: This post contains spoilers from the series finale of “Star Trek: Picard” titled “The Last Generation.” Proceed with caution.
A year after saving the Federation from the Borg (again), Beverly and Jean-Luc are in a shuttle accompanying Jack on his first Starfleet field posting (think of it as two proud parents dropping their son off at college).
It’s a touching family moment that is heightened when Picard realizes Jack has been posted to the newly christened U.S.S. Enterprise-G.
To describe Beverly and Jean-Luc’s relationship as complicated is an understatement. Beverly’s first husband, whom Jack is named after, was Jean-Luc’s best friend. Jack was killed on a mission while under Jean-Luc’s command. Years later, Beverly would join the Enterprise as chief medical officer reporting to Picard. And despite their mutual feelings for each other, they never acted upon them.
Until some 20 years ago, when Beverly got pregnant after a one-night stand with Jean-Luc, she gave birth to a boy, Jack, and didn’t tell his father out of fear that his enemies would come after them. It wasn’t until she was mortally injured that she reached out to her former lover.
So what’s in store for “Star Trek’s” longest-running almost couple? Do they end up together?
“I really don’t know,” McFadden told TheWrap at Wednesday’s “Picard” finale screening. “It could be a lot of different possibilities. I mean, Beverly could meet some young man! I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Obviously, there’s a great love between them. And I think it’s a beautiful ending to me. Family is what is the most important.”
Showrunner Terry Matalas, whose writing convinced McFadden to return to the role, has a similar take.
“Look, I think either way they’re family now,” Matalas said. “Right? So it’s kind of up to audience interpretation, I think. In my heart, I’d like to think that there is a little bit more [between them].”
“Laris [Picard’s Romulan housekeeper and confidant] is probably still out there. I think there are some people who would like to think maybe that is a thing,” Matals continued. “So it’s kind of up to the audience right now to decide. But again, who knows if we do more? And maybe we can, that’s a thing we can explore?”
As for Stewart, who was once voted TV Guide’s Top TV turn-on, he wants to keep their future — and potentially the relationship — open.
“Where do I see they end up? Ah, that would be to give away the next series we’re going to make,” Stewart replied with a smile.
As for other hypotheticals, we asked Matalas if they ever considered making the Jack character female and having Picard explore a father-daughter relationship.
“Not this case,” Matalas explained. “We felt like the daughter story was [covered] in Season One with Soji. And a father-son [relationship] felt new to us. So that was always the idea for this season.”
All episodes of “Star Trek: Picard” are streaming on Paramount+.