If you could change one thing...

[Greg Cox]

Of course, it's just not the accent. All of Picard's cultural references and mannerisms are stereotypically British. He's into Shakespeare and Dickens, he drinks Earl Grey tea, etc. When was the last time you saw Picard citing Victor Hugo or Moliere?

Roddenberry really should have been more flexible when it came to his original conception. He should have adjusted the character to fit the actor he chose, not the other way around.

At least TREK learned their lesson and didn't force Kate Mulgrew to pretend to be French after she replaced Bujold!

 

[Christopher]

Well, Roddenberry did try to play up Picard's French heritage at first, in the same awkward, stereotyped way he did with Scotty and Chekov only so much worse, with Picard ranting on about how the order of the colors on the French flag was superior to those on the American flag or whatever. I think it was the writers after Roddenberry who (mercifully) played that down, and then the British elements crept in as the actor influenced the character. (Of course Roddenberry himself did have Picard quoting Hamlet in "Hide and Q," but there were plenty of Shakespeare refs in TOS, even without any British characters or RSC veterans in the cast.)

 

[Lonemagpie]

Has any ever tried to explain why he seemed so British when he was supposed to be French?

Europe is already practically a single country.

Well, that's the biggest "WTF?!" moment I've had in 2010 so far...

 

[Herbert1]

At a convention appearance in Seattle several years ago, Patrick Stewart exclaimed "Please don't send me anymore Earl Grey tea! I don't like Earl Grey!"

Also remember that Picard went to Star Fleet Academy in San Francisco. He may have had a course in the classics at Star Fleet Academy where he developed his appreciation for Shakespeare. As for Earl Grey, you don't think that they drink Ear Grey in France? If you like Green Tea, does that make you Asian? Maybe he had a teacher or tutor who taught him English who had an English accent when he was younger?

What would have made the character more French? Drinking wine? Watching football (soccer)? Catholicism? You don't think that 24th century Earth has become a cultural melting pot?

 

[TheAlmanac]

Europe is already practically a single country.

Believe me, it's really not.

Indeed, nationalism is alive and well within the countries of the EU...

Even going with Christopher's original analogy, though, there may not be that much of a difference between Pennsylvania and Virginia (people from those states would have to say whether they agree or not), but I'd argue there's definitely a noticeable cultural difference between (for example) Alabama and Massachusetts or (to use a closer-to-home example) Ontario and Québec.

Other than that, I'd definitely agree with the later points that Picard's "Britishness" is largely the result of fitting the character to the actor, as those traits came along well after Patrick Stewart had been cast. (He didn't even "start" drinking Earl Grey until Season 2...)

 

[captcalhoun]

Has any ever tried to explain why he seemed so British when he was supposed to be French?

Europe is already practically a single country. Four centuries from now, the distinction between British and French may be no greater than that between Pennsylvanian and Virginian. The Picard brothers may have commuted by transporter to an English school, or maybe went to boarding school in England, and could've picked up the accents there.

what fucking bizarro world do you live in?

Europe is NOT 'practically a single country' by ANY stretch of the imagination.

 

[dstyer]

I would definitely not have killed off Janeway. For all her reported failings and shortcomings, she WAS the first female captain in a starring role on Trek and deserved to have some of these fine authors find her true potential.

 

[Herbert1]

The European Hegemony is mentioned as existing in the 22nd century and one of the steps toward a United Earth government. Perhaps 24th-century Burgundy has become a multicultural place. Should we expect Picard to eat coq au vin, beef bourguignon, and Epoisses de Bourgogne cheese with a glass of Chateau Picard Burgundy? Also another nit we can pick is that Picard is a last name for someone from the region of Picardy in northern France and not Burgundy, which is the region where the village of La Barre is located. An ancestor of Picard's, Javier-Marabona Picard, was part-Spanish as well.

If it is an issue for the writers, perhaps they can drop some French cultural references in a future Star Trek: The Next Generation novel? Maybe Picard programming the replicator with his mother Yvette's recipe for coq au vin? Picard might also read Hugo, Dumas, Moliere in addition to Shakespeare and his Dixon Hill novels? I don't think it is a canon violation to have Picard read more than just Shakespeare and Dixon Hill! Why not take the opportunity to expand the character's interests? Maybe a canon dropping about something related to the Picard who fought at Trafalgar? I don't understand why it is a problem. It sounds like an opportunity for a novelist.

 

[Dayton Ward]

He read Strangers from the Sky once. Does that count?

 

[DorkBoy [TM]]

Isn't it kind of a longstanding cinematic tradition in America that all Europeans speak with a British accent? At least, that's what I recall from growing up - particularly really old movies. (Sound of Music immediately comes to mind.)

I always thought it was odd. Perhaps Europe is just so far away we don't know the difference.

Anyhow I'll definitely go along with undoing Marco's layoff. That completely sucked. Too bad we don't have the power...

 

[Herbert1]

Could anyone from the United Kingdom tell us if Patrick Stewart speaks English with a regional accent? Stewart was born in Yorkshire. He may have acquired his English accent from whomever he was taught English. The same might be conjectured for his brother Robert and explain the accent of actor Jeremy Kemp. Did Jean-Luc and Robert speak to each other in French during the events of "Family"? Should the scenes have been shot in the French language and then subtitled?

We never knew what Jean-Luc and Beverly actually ate during their breakfasts together. Perhaps they had some sort of traditional breakfast enjoyed in Burgundy?

 

[Rush Limborg]

I would not have changed Ezri's personality in the DS9 relaunch. The writers--bless their hearts--seemed so stuck on making her "command-worthy" (not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you), that they took the idea of self-reliance to the extreme, having her shove aside Julian's concerns over and over and over again, leading to conflict between the two and eventually, a break-up.

As Bashir himself pointed out, it was as if he suddenly became unimportant to Ezri after she transferred to command.

(Oh--and Ezri's excuse that she wasn't sure if he loved her, or just the part of her that was Jadzia--I don't believe a word of that. It was totally out of the blue--and completely contradicts everything we saw concerning their relationship in the show.)

Have her transfer to command.

Have her learn how to command.

Give her her own starship--and a beauty, she is, the Aventine--

But don't change what we, her fans since the show, have always loved about Ezri Dax--her warmth, her kind winsomeness, and her honest respect for those close to her--especially Dr. Julian Bashir.

 

[Count Zero]

Has any ever tried to explain why he seemed so British when he was supposed to be French?

Why does it need explaining? I find it quite amusing that so many people seem to be unable to wrap their heads around the fact that the French aren't living clichés. People generally aren't. There are many Germans who don't like beer, many British who don't drink tea, many French who don't speak English with a French accent.
Almost everyone learns about Shakespeare in school. I've read his works and can quote some of it in English, too. Yet, I'm not British. I also like Earl Grey and drink my tea with milk. I don't speak English with a typical German accent, either. If I could, I'd speak with a 'British' one. Am I not believable enough as a German?
Picard's English teacher probably spoke with that accent. That's all it takes, basically. Or he's an anglophile like me. In any case, it wouldn't lead me to question his Frenchness.


The one thing I'd change about TrekLit: less angsting in relationships.

 

[Herbert1]

Has any ever tried to explain why he seemed so British when he was supposed to be French?

Why does it need explaining? I find it quite amusing that so many people seem to be unable to wrap their heads around the fact that the French aren't living clichés. People generally aren't. There are many Germans who don't like beer, many British who don't drink tea, many French who don't speak English with a French accent.
Almost everyone learns about Shakespeare in school. I've read his works and can quote some of it in English, too. Yet, I'm not British. I also like Earl Grey and drink my tea with milk. I don't speak English with a typical German accent, either. If I could, I'd speak with a 'British' one. Am I not believable enough as a German?
Picard's English teacher probably spoke with that accent. That's all it takes, basically. Or he's an anglophile like me. In any case, it wouldn't lead me to question his Frenchness.

Exactly. On the one hand we are condemning racial stereotypes as offensive and some of us are expressing disappointment over the general absence of cultural stereotypes in the character of Jean-Luc Picard. It just seems to me that this is an opportunity for a clever novelist. That they can drop in French cultural references here and there and yet be true to the way that Picard has been portrayed by Patrick Stewart. They ride horses with English saddles in France and in the Dressage style. Maybe Picard rode horses at Chateau Picard as a boy in the vineyards? Would he be more French if he said oui instead of yes? He walked up to the replicator in his Ready Room and said "Wine. Pinot Noir. Burgundy." That he was a wine and food snob and ate foie gras? Quiche?

Picard is shown listening to the opera "Les Troyans" by French composer Hector Berlioz in Star Trek: First Contact. The song is "Hylas' Song" from the beginning of Act V. Perhaps Picard listens to other works by Berlioz or other French composers?

 

[DimesDan]

Could anyone from the United Kingdom tell us if Patrick Stewart speaks English with a regional accent? Stewart was born in Yorkshire. He may have acquired his English accent from whomever he was taught English.

I once saw Sir Patrick in an interview, either on Jonathan Ross or Top Gear years ago and he explained that when he was younger he had a very broad, almost unintelligible Yorkshire accent and due to voice training, his work with the RCS and work in America meant that it's become a lot softer and more understandable. So yeah, it is a regional accent, but a more watered down one.

 

[captcalhoun]

he speaks with an RP accent. he can do Yorkshire, which he occassionally lapsed into on 'Eleventh Hour'.

he once did a piss-take thing on a chat show of Picard of Yorkshire.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Of course, it's just not the accent. All of Picard's cultural references and mannerisms are stereotypically British. He's into Shakespeare and Dickens, he drinks Earl Grey tea, etc. When was the last time you saw Picard citing Victor Hugo or Moliere?

Another good example is Picard's reverence of his ancestor who fought at Trafalgar in Generations.

Umm, why? The French didn't exactly redound with success that October two centuries ago. Nelson took their fleet apart and they suffered massive casualties.

So unless "the Picard who fought at Trafalgar" was actually serving on a British ship, Picard's reverence for Trafalgar makes no sense.

 

[William Leisner]

So unless "the Picard who fought at Trafalgar" was actually serving on a British ship, Picard's reverence for Trafalgar makes no sense.

"Remember the Alamo."

 

[justcorbly]

I would not have changed Ezri's personality in the DS9 relaunch...
Have her transfer to command.

Have her learn how to command.

Give her her own starship--and a beauty, she is, the Aventine--

But don't change what we, her fans since the show, have always loved about Ezri Dax--her warmth, her kind winsomeness, and her honest respect for those close to her--especially Dr. Julian Bashir.

Ezri's development was handled in a convincing way, I think. In essence, she found the way to become a different person by finally accessing and accommodating the memories of previous Dax hosts. That she would change, even in fundamental ways, after that seems obvious to me.

The breakup with Bashir can be explained without resort to any of that, however. She chose a new path -- command -- that would take her away from him. If she wanted to commit herself to Bashir, it's likely she would not have chosen command. Many, many relationships do not survive career demands and choices, especially in a military environment. Why should Ezri and Bashir be immune to those pressures?

 

[JD]

Has any ever tried to explain why he seemed so British when he was supposed to be French?

Why does it need explaining? I find it quite amusing that so many people seem to be unable to wrap their heads around the fact that the French aren't living clichés. People generally aren't. There are many Germans who don't like beer, many British who don't drink tea, many French who don't speak English with a French accent.
Almost everyone learns about Shakespeare in school. I've read his works and can quote some of it in English, too. Yet, I'm not British. I also like Earl Grey and drink my tea with milk. I don't speak English with a typical German accent, either. If I could, I'd speak with a 'British' one. Am I not believable enough as a German?
Picard's English teacher probably spoke with that accent. That's all it takes, basically. Or he's an anglophile like me. In any case, it wouldn't lead me to question his Frenchness.

Exactly. On the one hand we are condemning racial stereotypes as offensive and some of us are expressing disappointment over the general absence of cultural stereotypes in the character of Jean-Luc Picard. It just seems to me that this is an opportunity for a clever novelist. That they can drop in French cultural references here and there and yet be true to the way that Picard has been portrayed by Patrick Stewart. They ride horses with English saddles in France and in the Dressage style. Maybe Picard rode horses at Chateau Picard as a boy in the vineyards? Would he be more French if he said oui instead of yes? He walked up to the replicator in his Ready Room and said "Wine. Pinot Noir. Burgundy." That he was a wine and food snob and ate foie gras? Quiche?

Picard is shown listening to the opera "Les Troyans" by French composer Hector Berlioz in Star Trek: First Contact. The song is "Hylas' Song" from the beginning of Act V. Perhaps Picard listens to other works by Berlioz or other French composers?

No, I wasn't saying I expect him to be a French cliche, and I have no problem with the way the character is/was. I was just curious if anything was ever said in the books or comics. I really didn't mean to upset anyone, so I apologize.