Spoilers Will Picard have Irumodic Syndrome in new series?

[Crewman6]

The difference here is that I know I'm talking about fictional warp engines and not comparing them to real warp engines, which don't exist. You are equating real mental illness with a fictional disease. Do you know the symptoms of Irumodic syndrome? It could be anything, because it's all made up.

We know that it's a degenerative neurological disease that causes synaptic pathways to degrade.

I think NewHeaves makes great points. "Made up" disease or not, it could still be a great source of drama for the new series and I sure as hell hope they don't ignore it or handwave it away.

It doesn't and shouldn't be the focus of the show, but it could be a way to highlight real-world concerns about aging. It has the potential to make for great drama.

As for AGT, when Picard tells his present day comrades that he's shifting in time, they take him at face value and begin running tests.

In the future, they speculate that he's just having delusions. Seems like NewHeaven is making some great points about jumping to conclusions for the elderly and/or diagnosed.

 

[Crewman6]

It's not that often you see a show about a character in his 90s played by an 80-year-old. I think the worst thing they could do is have him have dementia. Since Picard is the protagonist and the whole series is named after him, I think they'll want to build him up and show how his age is a strength and not a weakness.

It doesn't have to be one or the other. It would be foolish for them to completely ignore Picard's age and just carry on as if nothing is different.

 

[Lord Garth]

It doesn't have to be one or the other. It would be foolish for them to completely ignore Picard's age and just carry on as if nothing is different.

True. I'm not saying they should carry on as if nothing's different.

 

[Dukhat]

We know that it's a degenerative neurological disease that causes synaptic pathways to degrade.

I think NewHeaves makes great points. "Made up" disease or not, it could still be a great source of drama for the new series and I sure as hell hope they don't ignore it or handwave it away.

It doesn't and shouldn't be the focus of the show, but it could be a way to highlight real-world concerns about aging. It has the potential to make for great drama.

As for AGT, when Picard tells his present day comrades that he's shifting in time, they take him at face value and begin running tests.

In the future, they speculate that he's just having delusions. Seems like NewHeaven is making some great points about jumping to conclusions for the elderly and/or diagnosed.

Here's the problem with all that: "Irumodic Syndrome" was just a plot device. It wasn't a deep psychological study about mental illness in the aged. It was just a quick and dirty way for the audience to see that Future Picard could be delusional. That was the extent of the drama. And because it was just a plot device for that episode, it was never mentioned again all throughout the four TNG movies that featured Picard. And I'll bet that it will not be brought up in STP, because the show doesn't seem to be about Picard losing his mind. Or if it is brought up, it will just be a quick aside that they found a cure just to please the canonistas and then will be quietly dropped.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Here's the problem with all that: "Irumodic Syndrome" was just a plot device. It wasn't a deep psychological study about mental illness in the aged. It was just a quick and dirty way for the audience to see that Future Picard could be delusional. That was the extent of the drama. And because it was just a plot device for that episode, it was never mentioned again all throughout the four TNG movies that featured Picard. And I'll bet that it will not be brought up in STP, because the show doesn't seem to be about Picard losing his mind. Or if it is brought up, it will just be a quick aside that they found a cure just to please the canonistas and then will be quietly dropped.

Right, and the supernova was just a plot device in 1 movie so they could reset the timeline and create a bad guy - but here we are. Tons of Trek stories have come from humble beginnings as simple plot devices, but made to be compelling stories that we take for granted now. If they skip it, that's fine. If they give it 1 line and move on, that's fine. But there could be a way to weave it into the wider storylines in a compelling way, and I don't think it should automatically be rejected because of stereotypes.

 

[Dukhat]

But there could be a way to weave it into the wider storylines in a compelling way, and I don't think it should automatically be rejected because of stereotypes.

But it has nothing to do with stereotypes. As I said, it was just a device to help move the story along. The story wasn't about Picard's illness, it was about an anti-time future threatening to destroy time and space. So if STP is about Picard teaming up with a bunch of misfits and going on adventures, there's really no need to bring up that plot device again, because it's not part of the story they're trying to tell.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

But it has nothing to do with stereotypes. As I said, it was just a device to help move the story along. The story wasn't about Picard's illness, it was about an anti-time future threatening to destroy time and space. So if STP is about Picard teaming up with a bunch of misfits and going on adventures, there's really no need to bring up the plot device again.

Earlier you said Picard had lost his marbles. And that wasn't justified at all, because Picard's insistence on shifting through time was 100% correct.

 

[Dukhat]

Earlier you said Picard had lost his marbles. And that wasn't justified at all, because Picard's insistence on shifting through time was 100% correct.

Semantics. Picard had a disease that made him delusional, and the rest of the crew had to decide whether he was being delusional at that point or not, until they figured out he wasn't being delusional at that point. It doesn't take away from the fact that Picard still has a disease that makes him delusional.

Now, if you're just objecting to my use of the term "lost his marbles," well, that's your problem, not mine.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Semantics. Picard had a disease that made him delusional, and the rest of the crew had to decide whether he was being delusional at that point or not, until they figured out he wasn't being delusional at that point. It doesn't take away from the fact that Picard still has a disease that makes him delusional. And that was the extent of the drama for that.

It's not semantics when you personally say someone who's telling the truth has lost their marbles. Not talking about the other characters, but you personally. He was saying the same thing in 3 time frames, but that's the only 1 where he's supposedly lost his marbles. Own up to the statement, please.

 

[Dukhat]

Own up to the statement, please.

Read my edited post. And I'm done talking nonsense with you.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Read my edited post. And I'm done talking nonsense with you.

Nice.

 

[Crewman6]

But it has nothing to do with stereotypes. As I said, it was just a device to help move the story along. The story wasn't about Picard's illness, it was about an anti-time future threatening to destroy time and space. So if STP is about Picard teaming up with a bunch of misfits and going on adventures, there's really no need to bring up that plot device again, because it's not part of the story they're trying to tell.

You have no idea what the "story they're trying to tell is" better than anyone else here. We're just guessing.

However, weaving in a recurring element about an elderly character dealing with a potentially difficult disease is very fertile ground for storytelling in just about any dramatic series, Star Trek or not.

We DO know that the show will at least touch upon Picard being out of step with what's going on in Starfleet. He's not even recognized at Starfleet Headquarters (presumably). The show is going to be dealing with themes of aging, of time moving on, of being left behind or left out, at least to some degree.

There's no reason that touching on Picard's illness couldn't be one (not the sole, obviously) subplot woven into the large dramatic tapestry of the show.

In fact, it would almost be odd if they didn't use it.

 

[fireproof78]

There's no reason that touching on Picard's illness couldn't be one (not the sole, obviously) subplot woven into the large dramatic tapestry of the show.

I agree that it is fertile ground. I just see it as completely unnecessary for an optimistic show to showcase a beloved character as suffering from a dementia style illness. There's acknowledging aging, with diminished capacity, reflexes, and such, and there is adding on top of that an illness that removes faculties.

Again, I might be biased, as I see this too often with the people I work with, but providing someone who is still capable, without struggling with disease, but just aging, is more interesting to me.

YMMV.

 

[Discofan]

That would be an amazing as well as highly unusual feat of continuity!!!

 

[Roundabout]

We DO know that the show will at least touch upon Picard being out of step with what's going on in Starfleet. He's not even recognized at Starfleet Headquarters (presumably). The show is going to be dealing with themes of aging, of time moving on, of being left behind or left out, at least to some degree.

TWOK and TNG's "Relics" dealt with those themes. And did so very well, imo.

But "Relics" was only one episode, and TWOK was a single movie, although there was a recurring undercurrent of those themes through the rest of the TOS movie franchise.

I am curious how much emphasis STP will put on those themes, and how they will play out over a full season, and even multiple seasons.

 

[Yistaan]

Irumodic syndrome will have been cured by the time of Star Trek Picard. Picard took all his knowledge of Irumodic syndrome research from 2395, and told it to Starfleet Medical in 2370 after the end of All Good Things. As such, Starfleet Medical's Irumodic Syndrome research literally jumped ahead 25 years and they quickly found a cure.

See, it all works out.

 

[Roundabout]

and they quickly found a cure.

Wow. That must be due to the uncanny power of Picard's "Make it so" order to Starfleet Medical to find a cure. The old man still got the mojo.

 

[Lord Garth]

Just so long as Picard isn't like Jessica Tate's and Mary Campbell's father, The General.

 

[Dukhat]

You have no idea what the "story they're trying to tell is" better than anyone else here. We're just guessing.

That’s right. And I’m guessing based on everything I’ve heard and seen, and everything I’ve heard and seen has nothing at all to do with Picard having Irumodic Syndrome, so I’m not expecting it to be a part of the story. Or if it is, I’m not expecting it to have any lasting impact or be some sort of study in mental illness.

But hey, maybe I’m wrong and the entire show will be about Picard with dementia. But that’s not a show I’d really be interested in watching. And I assume that STP’s producers feel the same way.

 

[Crewman6]

But hey, maybe I’m wrong and the entire show will be about Picard with dementia. But that’s not a show I’d really be interested in watching. And I assume that STP’s producers feel the same way.

But hey, no one actually said anything like that, so if you want to engage in childish hyperbole to the point of outright lying, knock yourself out. I'm done.