Patrick Stewart's performance
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While I have about a zillion issues with PIC (and quite a few with TNG), I always love Sir Patrick's performances, so... 
When I first watched PIC, I sorely missed Sir Patrick's voice from his days on TNG and the TNG movies. But in hindsight, I think his now more aged voice truly fits a man who's been through the fire (and then some) and bears the scars of a lifetime of experience. This is a Jean-Luc Picard who has moved on from his days as a starship captain but can still rally the troops in times of need. Sir Patrick knocked it out the park in that regard, IMO.
I loved that he got character development after so long. In season one, at least. That "I love you too" to Raffi was awesome.
I mean, he’s 30 years older than TNG times, so he’s different. I really liked him.
The more distance I get from it, the more I really like PIC. Due a rewatch maybe.
The more distance I get from it, the more I really like PIC. Due a rewatch maybe.
I agree with StarMan. I know this is an aged Picard who has not had the best of times since his Enterprise days but the fire in Stewart's performance just didn't seem to be there. He had moments though, like in S3 when he finds out he has a son and tells Vadik to pound sand, but most of the time it just felt like a muted performance to me. Not a bad performance by any means just not like the past. Probably a combination of the script and just plain older age.
Patrick Stewart did a really good job in Picard but otherwise I'm not sure what his energy level is these days. He looked pretty weak in Dr. Strange Multiverse of Madness and barely seemed to be holding up as Xavier there (no offense to him, it's not his fault but he is pretty old now). A little concerned about rumors that he's going to be in Deadpool and Wolverine, maybe Xavier shouldn't be in that movie unless it's really, really, really necessary for the plot (and these Deadpool movies barely have plots to begin with, they're about violence and raunchy comedy)
His acting felt fine. There was never a moment that stood out to me as "This is bad acting!" So, if I'm not thinking that, then I don't have a problem on the surface level. Beneath the surface...
In "Remembrance", when he was arguing with the journalist who was trying to pigeonhole him into a narrative corner, he sounded like Picard. An older Picard, but Picard. When he's arguing with Beverly about Jack in Season 3, that also felt like Picard. Probably him at his most Picard was when he was briefly in command of the Titan. Complete with a Captain's Log.
On the other hand: The lines blurred between Patrick Stewart and Picard during the TNG Movies, and it continued into PIC. I'm not going to deny that. I think the same thing happened to William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. I blame it on the actors becoming a little too comfortable in their roles and not trying as hard because they think they don't have to. Especially when years turn into decades. At some point it became automatic, then it became so automatic they started taking it for granted and didn't notice they should try to keep the characters a little more separate.
Patrick Stewart's voice and energy level, I'm not going to hold against him. He's over 80. I'm not expecting Picard In His Prime. The whole point of the show is that he isn't, and that's why he needs the other characters.
In "Remembrance", when he was arguing with the journalist who was trying to pigeonhole him into a narrative corner, he sounded like Picard. An older Picard, but Picard. When he's arguing with Beverly about Jack in Season 3, that also felt like Picard. Probably him at his most Picard was when he was briefly in command of the Titan. Complete with a Captain's Log.
On the other hand: The lines blurred between Patrick Stewart and Picard during the TNG Movies, and it continued into PIC. I'm not going to deny that. I think the same thing happened to William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. I blame it on the actors becoming a little too comfortable in their roles and not trying as hard because they think they don't have to. Especially when years turn into decades. At some point it became automatic, then it became so automatic they started taking it for granted and didn't notice they should try to keep the characters a little more separate.
Patrick Stewart's voice and energy level, I'm not going to hold against him. He's over 80. I'm not expecting Picard In His Prime. The whole point of the show is that he isn't, and that's why he needs the other characters.
Totally off topic, but those movies are a lot more, with themes of love, revenge and redemption, with a glazing of violence and raunchy comedy on top.
Yeah, ironically, I don't feel Picard gave him enough to work with in terms of the script. It just didn't have the range that we're used to out of him. He felt way more subdued in Picard.
I did not think there was anything wrong with his acting. Sure, the scripts from S1 and S2 could be weak at times, and energy level and his voice was not like it was in TNG and the movies (he is in his 80s, after all), but Stewart made it all work for himself.
Yes.
I disagree, I think we have the same problem that we had with Shatner in Generations. The actor put too much of himself in there, rather than the character he was playing. Since Insurrection, Stewart has had a say in the script and it shows. He wanted to do Picard, so long as it reflected his real life sensibilities and so long as it wasn't a rehash of TNG. He wanted it to be different and in the end, Season 1 and 2 were poorly received and season 3 was just what he didn't want - it's the reunion show.
Patrick Stewart on Star Trek was like Alec Guinness in Star Wars. A great actor who like the paycheck, but honestly, thinks the work is beneath them. Since the movies started, he pushed for Picard to be different to how he was in the show.
I think Frakes was the standout performer in Picard and I think Sirtis was decent too.
Patrick Stewart on Star Trek was like Alec Guinness in Star Wars. A great actor who like the paycheck, but honestly, thinks the work is beneath them. Since the movies started, he pushed for Picard to be different to how he was in the show.
I think Frakes was the standout performer in Picard and I think Sirtis was decent too.
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If he had felt the work was "benath" him, he would never have agreed to come back. He didn't have to. Sure the paycheck was nice, nobody is saying it wasn't, but he has enough money, he didn't desperately need a few more Paramount millions.
What clashed was Sir Patrick's wish to do something different and the fact that the fans wanted to see the Jean-Luc Picard they know (and they refused to listen when Sir Patrick said - right from the start - that Jean-Luc would now be a different person in a different place). That's what happened. Actor's desire to do something different and not the same old same old all over again vs. vocal fans wanting nostalgia.
What clashed was Sir Patrick's wish to do something different and the fact that the fans wanted to see the Jean-Luc Picard they know (and they refused to listen when Sir Patrick said - right from the start - that Jean-Luc would now be a different person in a different place). That's what happened. Actor's desire to do something different and not the same old same old all over again vs. vocal fans wanting nostalgia.
Won't dispute that however at the end of the day fans pay the bills. Throwing us a bone, a la S3, wasn't the worst idea after we waded through the mire of S1 and S2.
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