Sir Patrick Stewart has died at 86 after a short battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.
‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ has always been comfort entertainment for me. Years ago, I’d plant myself in front of the TV, snacking on some Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. I watched as the series got off to a very bumpy first two seasons, then found its way by season three. I grew more enamored with the show and characters thru the triumphant finale. Those feelings continue to this day. Although with far less ice cream.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that not a day goes by that I don’t watch at least a single episode. For the most part, I’ll have the series playing in the background as I do other things. In fact, it’s playing right now as I type this. And though I do tend to get caught up in pointing out annoying inconsistencies in script continuity (there’s a lot), it remains a staple part of my relaxation routine.
The pillar, the anchor of that series was Patrick Stewart as Jean Luc Picard. With a career that spanned sixty years and has included a wide variety of roles on stage, screen, and TV, Stewart has had an impact on many fronts. His knack for drama was clear, but his comedic chops — subtle in the Star Trek series — became far more clear later in his career with parts such as CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock in ‘American Dad’.
There was his impeccable command of Shakespeare on stage, movies like ‘Excalibur’, ‘Dune’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, and (of course) the X-Men series. Still, it’s the 178 episodes and the 4 movies of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ that spoke most to me. More than others under the Star Trek umbrella, including ‘Star Trek: Picard’ (ironically).
There was a soothing confidence and a strength in the actions and words of Jean Luc Picard. The character Q once quipped how much he enjoyed Picard’s speeches. It’s in those moments, the stage actor collided with the TV star and historic gems of philosophy, discipline, and inspiration came to light. Watch the video below. The skills of Sir Patrick Stewart will be missed but thankfully they remain part of our collective libraries.
R.I.P. Sir Patrick Stewart
