Picard should've died in Star Trek: Nemesis...

[HaventGotALife]

Star Trek: Nemesis is a nature-versus-nurture argument. Shinzon of Remus is a man of his circumstances. Picard, obsessed with his bloodline throughout the series (Family) and film franchise (namely, Star Trek: Generations), believes he comes from good stock. In this movie, upon learning that Shinzon of Remus has a biogenic weapon, starts looking at pictures of himself. This is Picard's hubris, and they should've made it his fatal flaw. Have us, the audience, emotionally invested in Shinzon and his calls for peace, by not introducing him in darkness, and raping Deanna, save for his contempt for the Romulans. Picard, trusting Shinzon (and losing the "I need your blood to live storyline"), turns on him and unceremoniously kills Picard--in the middle of the movie. This reveals Shinzon as a "bad guy," where he has been a conflicted, good guy, up-to-this-point. Have it move the plot along, too. Like the reveal of the biogenic weapon is Picard's death, or something like that. The Enterprise-E senior staff, his "Family," as stated in the Wedding scene, has to learn how to overcome their grief at losing their patriarch, and defeat Shinzon's plans to destroy Earth. This would've been a death unique to the movie, as opposed to the re-hash of Spock's sacrifice in II, and explored a topic they never had to before--that parents die and the children must go on without them--if we are to live successful lives.

This franchise has played it safe for too long, and if they had done it this way, I don't think Star Trek would've ever had the re-boot movies--full of tropes, re-imagined greatest hits, and its only improvement being stylistically.

 

[Kor]

I can agree with this.

Kor

 

[jamestyler]

I was ready to get annoyed... But I quite like this idea. It'd have made some nice closure to the NExt Gen era, especially with Riker finally having to grow up and properly take command without the safety net going off on his own adventure with the Titan. That deleted scene with the new first officer could even have been Riker welcoming the new captain or crew as a "the voyage continues..." deal.

Not a bad twist to the tale at all.

 

[HaventGotALife]

I was ready to get annoyed... But I quite like this idea. It'd have made some nice closure to the NExt Gen era, especially with Riker finally having to grow up and properly take command without the safety net going off on his own adventure with the Titan. That deleted scene with the new first officer could even have been Riker welcoming the new captain or crew as a "the voyage continues..." deal.

Not a bad twist to the tale at all.

I'm glad you like it. Thinking about this more, what I want, is a crime of passion. The reason that I want it to be the biogenic weapon, is if Picard finds out about this, he would be disappointed in Shinzon, and Shinzon would lose his father figure. The duality at-play, the facts that Shinzon has hid from Picard to gain the father he never had, the view into humanity he never had, is broken. The house of cards, of his lies, have fallen. Picard, faced with what Shinzon truly is, a man who is given power to give the Earth as a prize to the Romulans, who plans to kill everyone on the planet, is betrayed. A single beat, a single moment of that disappointment, is shown, before Shinzon turns on him, kills him, knowing that he never would have gained Picard's support after that. Before that, Shinzon was questioning whether he wanted to continue with this plan. But, Shinzon almost panics, and feels killing him is the only way to rid himself of that look on Picard's face. In this, Shinzon has painted himself into a corner--he MUST be Reman, because humanity will always reject him. He has made his choice, and then the action beats begin.

Back on the Enterprise, Worf wants to kill Shinzon out of vengeance, Deanna has to be comforted by Riker, and Data is, for the first time, forced to deal with loss (with emotions). How would he respond? Riker, the new patriarch, has to find a way to rally his troops because to hand-wring, to allow the grief to take over, means Shinzon will be successful in killing everyone on Earth.

I want a space battle--a traditional action-beat in Star Trek--but the Enterprise loses in this battle. One, the Scimitar is too powerful. Secondly, I want Data--his actual son--to save the Enterprise and Earth. He becomes a hero, but he does not feel like one. He wants his father back. He reveals at the end of the film that the only reason he continued to fight Shinzon, to not withdraw to his quarters and weep, is that Captain Picard wouldn't have ever let him do that. He honored his memory by fighting to save everything Picard fought to preserve his entire life, and therefore, continue Captain Picard's legacy. Maybe, just maybe, he calls him Jean-Luc, for the first time in his life.

 

[johnjm22]

He should have died in Generations so we wouldn't have to suffer through any more TNG movies.

 

[Kronos]

He should have died in Generations so we wouldn't have to suffer through any more TNG movies.

He did, he's still in the Nexus.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I really like this idea. It would've definitely given Riker and the others some major motivation, which would also help to mirror Shinzon as well. Shinzon full of rage and hate for what he is, wanting revenge against all those he thinks have wronged him, whilst the E-E crew are driven by the need to avenge their patriarchs death but in the end follow his example and choose justice over vengeance.

The ending would also be somewhat poignant as Riker finally gets to command the Enterprise, though maybe not in the way he would've wanted.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Picard and Stewart are probably the best thing about TNG.

 

[HaventGotALife]

Picard and Stewart are probably the best thing about TNG.

I agree. But it was coming to an end, and to tell one, last tale in the spirit of Star Trek for the TNG crew, feeling the loss of what Picard was--even celebrating it--and what he stood for, to give gravitas to the movie, to make Shinzon a very interesting villain, to sacrifice him, would show that they were willing to take risks with this franchise to tell the stories that need to be told.

I really like this idea. It would've definitely given Riker and the others some major motivation, which would also help to mirror Shinzon as well. Shinzon full of rage and hate for what he is, wanting revenge against all those he thinks have wronged him, whilst the E-E crew are driven by the need to avenge their patriarchs death but in the end follow his example and choose justice over vengeance.

The ending would also be somewhat poignant as Riker finally gets to command the Enterprise, though maybe not in the way he would've wanted.

I disagree with Shinzon wanting revenge. Feeling trapped by his circumstances, never quite finding himself and his family, and not being a moral being, would've given Shinzon a unique flavor, as a Star Trek villain. He is a product of his abuse, being in a Dilithium mine, and not on the bridge as Wesley and Riker and Data were, sharpens the nurture argument. He has to manipulate Picard into accepting him as his son. He loses that father figure, and kills him, just to not see disappointment on his face. It's an impulsive decision that affects him for the rest of the movie. Jean-Luc probably would've given him a second chance, but because of his up-bringing, he never gives Picard that opportunity. He is self-destructive, in my version, not bent on revenge. He wants to kill the humanity in himself, serve the only family he has left--the Remans--and, therefore, kill all humanity. What we find externally, mirroring the internal motivations. The contrast to how Riker has to be true to his duty and not engage in such destructive behavior, would've been a great conversation for fans after the movie, for sure. But, alas, we'll never know.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I agree. But it was coming to an end, and to tell one, last tale in the spirit of Star Trek for the TNG crew, feeling the loss of what Picard was--even celebrating it--and what he stood for, to give gravitas to the movie, to make Shinzon a very interesting villain, to sacrifice him, would show that they were willing to take risks with this franchise to tell the stories that need to be told.

The people making these films weren't risk takers and probably hoped there would be another film. You don't kill the "Golden goose".

 

[Timo]

Plenty of ways to kill Picard and still have him carry the next movie if it comes to that.

Say, Shinzon was created to be Picard. He wants what Picard has. He wants to be Picard. So why not let him?

Let him start out as Tom Hardy. But let him grow, looking more and more like Patrick Stewart, until finally he is played by Stewart. Then there's this struggle to the death over the doomsday weapon. Two people looking like Jean-Luc Picard go in. One comes out, having destroyed the weapon and saved the universe from evil. Which one is it? Well, the chap sits down on the center chair of the E-E and says "Engage". So, do we really need to know?

If we do, the revelation can be left to the next move. Or, if no such movie takes place, hanging in the air.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Dukhat]

But it was coming to an end, and to tell one, last tale in the spirit of Star Trek for the TNG crew, feeling the loss of what Picard was--even celebrating it--and what he stood for, to give gravitas to the movie, to make Shinzon a very interesting villain, to sacrifice him, would show that they were willing to take risks with this franchise to tell the stories that need to be told.

But it wasn't coming to an end. Paramount had planned to make more TNG movies after Nemesis. And there was no way they were going to kill off Picard and have future films rely on the rest of that cast minus Stewart and Spiner and expect to be successful.

 

[Lynx]

Definitely not!

You just don't kill off Picard.

 

[OtherGene]

I agree with this in hindsight although I may not have agreed at the time. At the time I really hoped for more TNG movies but looking back a nice final ending would've been a better send off.

 

[ItIsGreen]

I agree with this in hindsight although I may not have agreed at the time. At the time I really hoped for more TNG movies but looking back a nice final ending would've been a better send off.

Well said. I agree, if it was known for a fact that this was the last TNG film going into it, then why not kill off Picard? As has been said, it gives the film more gravitas and makes Shinzon a stronger villain. It's a bigger death than Data, noble self sacrifice *couSPOCKgh* as it was.

And if it was intended to be the last, but (this hypothetical version of NEM) did so well due to Picard's death that a sequel ended up being made anyway, then well, we'd finally get to see Riker grow up and take on the centre seat (Worf or Data as XO? I'd like Worf personally. I'm not the biggest Riker fan but he should have got his own ship well before Nemesis). I'm sure they'd have found a way to feature Picard somehow (flashback/hologram/hallucination/miraculous resurrection). Hell, they undid Xavier's death in X-Men: The Last Stand in the very same movie.

I certainly think there was at least a feeling among the cast that it would be the last one. I imagine they were obliged (or forced/pressured) to dangle the possibility that Data may live on in B4 (very Spock/McCoy/Katra), just in case.

 

[mos6507]

Kind of tired of the idea that you must kill off a character to end their story, frankly.

 

[Galactic Alignment]

Paramount had planned to make more TNG movies after Nemesis.

Do we know this? I remember NEM feeling very much like the end of TNG back in 2002. The movie poster tag line was (IIRC) "a generation's final journey"

 

[GeordiFan]

Id have rather seen Picard killed while saving his ship and Earth in the process....and Data inheriting command of the Enterprise....of course the best finale would have been not killing anyone lol

 

[OtherGene]

Do we know this? I remember NEM feeling very much like the end of TNG back in 2002. The movie poster tag line was (IIRC) "a generation's final journey"

It was and, at the time, that and the rumour of the death of a major character led me to think it would be the final movie and yet they left the door open for another one with Data emerging through B-4 in that last scene. Star Trek - The Search For Data?

Maybe not.

But it's Hollywood. Had Nemesis done good numbers the studio would've demanded it and the cast may even have had contract clauses to appear again and if they hadn't then bigger paycheques would've helped. Picard aboard the Enterprise and Riker aboard the Titan, it had potential.

 

[jaime]

Do we know this? I remember NEM feeling very much like the end of TNG back in 2002. The movie poster tag line was (IIRC) "a generation's final journey"

I seem to recall Marina Sirtis saying there were plans for one more. It was 'a generations final journey begins' in some literature and seemed to be envisioned as the beginning of a TOS movie style trilogy or similar. But after it was released in a busy year the plans were cut after it underperformed. It really did need at least one more.