Picard's biggest mistake

[Makarov]

I have made some fine ones in my time. - Picard

What do you think Picard's biggest mistake is in all of TNG? Could be a command decision or personal choice.

I think his biggest blunder was sending Ro on the secret mission in Preemptive Strike. The mission was a failure and he lost Ro as a valuable member of starfleet and probably as a friend.

 

[Melakon]

Not making his move on Beverly once he'd gotten rid of Jack.

 

[Tiberius]

I have made some fine ones in my time. - Picard

What do you think Picard's biggest mistake is in all of TNG? Could be a command decision or personal choice.

I think his biggest blunder was sending Ro on the secret mission in Preemptive Strike. The mission was a failure and he lost Ro as a valuable member of starfleet and probably as a friend.

But he had no way of knowing that it would happen.

Not reversing course in Time Squared or Cause and Effect.

 

[BigJake]

Someone's going to come onto this thread and shout "Homeward!" And I will whisper, "No."

I think Nechayev's dressing down of Picard in "Descent" for his failing to take an apparent opportunity to destroy the Borg in the events of "I, Borg" had an argument of some validity behind it. I ultimately have to come down on Picard's side of the argument, but there is a legitimate argument going on and I can see where Nechayev is coming from.

 

[T'Girl]

Joining Starfleet, what was he thinking?

Seriously, when he left the Nexus go back several day, save his brother and nephew, save the people on the observatory, arrest Soran.

Unbeknownst to Picard prevent the Enterprise' destruction and the "light" casualties, prevent Geordie's torture, prevent Kirk's death.

 

[Taelon]

Seriously, when he left the Nexus go back several day, save his brother and nephew, save the people on the observatory, arrest Soran.

I'd say it was a tie between that and not using the invasive program from "I Borg".

 

[SPCTRE]

Not making his move on Beverly once he'd gotten rid of Jack.

Oh, he made his move. One of many.

 

[Richard Baker]

Not using the invasive program in 'I Borg' - it may not have worked, but it was worth trying. The Borg will eventually assimilate everybody and cause countless deaths- just like the giant space amoeba it is either one genocide or another, I chose us to live.

Second one was the missed opportunity of using the Nexus to prevent Soran from causing any problems whatsoever.

 

[jimbotron]

Refusing to help the Dremans until he actually heard the girl's voice over the comm line. Gee, without that coincidence, Picard wouldn't have gotten off his ass to help, even though the crew had spent weeks figuring out what was the cause.

 

[Makarov]

But he had no way of knowing that it would happen.

I think he did, he knew she was forced to watch her dad killed by Cardassians and that she was sympathetic to their cause. Then when she didn't want to do the mission Picard threatened her with court martial

 

[STEPhon IT]

Trading himself for Geordi La Forge in Generations; WTF was he thinking??? His stupid decision cost many lives during and after Veridian 3.

 

[BigJake]

Not making his move on Beverly once he'd gotten rid of Jack.

Oh, he made his move. One of many.

I love this.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Signing a six year contract on the assumption the show would be cancelled after 6 months.

Oh, Picard, not Patrick Stewart.

I, Borg had to be it. Even Roddenberry knew the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Instantly giving Wesley a bridge position he hadn't earned yet over Starfleet Officers who had.

 

[Mojochi]

That stupid Nexus thing. You have a portal to any time you want. To use it the way he did, you'd have to be thinking "How LITTLE can I use this factor to my benefit? 5 minutes? Ten?". Marty McFly uses time displacement better. What a let down, directly after "All Good Things..."

 

[BigJake]

The Nexus thing actually makes sense if he was trying to solve the immediate situation without making a bajillion other potential problems in the timeline. I don't think it's as big a problem as people make it out to be.

 

[@Kreator]

Okay, when you google "picard's biggest mistake," this thread is the first thing on the list, and the second thing is another thread on a message board or something. That thread says that Picard's biggest mistakes were putting Wesley on the bridge, and not banging more hotties. Not that I agree with all this, it's just a relevant fact.

And BigJake, after looking at your signature, I think I'm going to watch "The Wrath of Khan" to continue remembering Nimoy's death. I already just watched "Unification, Part II," which is the only TNG episode Spock is in (Part I doesn't count).

 

[kirkfan]

Not finding a uniform that didn't require a constant use of the Picard maneuver.

 

[BigJake]

And BigJake, after looking at your signature, I think I'm going to watch "The Wrath of Khan" to continue remembering Nimoy's death.

Good on you. I'm waiting a few days myself, I know the death scene's going to break me up.

 

[T'Girl]

The Nexus thing actually makes sense if he was trying to solve the immediate situation without making a bajillion other potential problems in the timeline.

Picard's solution even to the immediate problem was flawed as well.

If Picard confronted Soren on the Amagosa observatory and arrested him there. Soren would have been contained and unarmed, Picard likely would have been backed up with a security detail. The odds would have overwhelmingly in Picard's favor.

If Picard had arrested Soren in TenForward, again Soren is unarmed and without options.

On the mountain top Soren was in his own element, unconstrained and armed. Picard had a single assistant, and initially it was going to be Guinan. Soren was almost successful in diverting the Nexus Ribbon.

The earlier Picard arrests Soren (trilithium is iirc illegal) the better in term of just arresting Soren.

Plus there are other advantages too, lives save, people not tortured, observatory defended, ship not destroyed.

 

[kirkfan]

The Nexus thing actually makes sense if he was trying to solve the immediate situation without making a bajillion other potential problems in the timeline.

Picard's solution even to the immediate problem was flawed as well.

If Picard confronted Soren on the Amagosa observatory and arrested him there. Soren would have been contained and unarmed, Picard likely would have been backed up with a security detail. The odds would have overwhelmingly in Picard's favor.

If Picard had arrested Soren in TenForward, again Soren is unarmed and without options.

On the mountain top Soren was in his own element, unconstrained and armed. Picard had a single assistant, and initially it was going to be Guinan. Soren was almost successful in diverting the Nexus Ribbon.

The earlier Picard arrests Soren (trilithium is iirc illegal) the better in term of just arresting Soren.

Plus there are other advantages too, lives save, people not tortured, observatory defended, ship not destroyed.

The question is, does the Nexus let Picard go to a time where he's already physically present?