Should Picard have had a bit more of a "French personality"?

[indolover]

Picard seemed more English in his mannerisms than French. Is this because Sir Patrick Stewart is English, or was it something done unconsciously?

It would have been fun to have Picard say "n'est ce pas?" after asking a question, or play D'Artagnan as a protagonist over Dixon Hill.

 

[T J]

I don't think I could have watched the Enterprise surrender every week!

 

[Flavius]

I would have enjoyed more stories about his family and / or contemporary France.

 

[ALF]

He certainly should have been drunk more often. On screen and off screen.

WORF:
Sir, another bridge shift? That's three in a row.

RIKER:
The captain asked me to cover for him again.

WORF MAKES THE "DRINKY" GESTURE.

RIKER:
Yep. That's the one.

DATA:
Sir, should we not... try and help Captain Picard with his apparent binge drinking problem?

RIKER:
Mr. Data, he is our captain and if he wants to get wasted and play his flute by himself crying, no one should stand in his way.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I don't think I could have watched the Enterprise surrender every week!

Wow, not even two posts and the same old shit pops up? Oh my, the originality is overwhelming.

He certainly should have been drunk more often. On screen and off screen.

Yeah, because French are notorious binge drinkers.

 

[Flavius]

It's called aping.

 

[scotpens]

I don't think I could have watched the Enterprise surrender every week!

Wow, not even two posts and the same old shit pops up? Oh my, the originality is overwhelming.

Same old shit, maybe, but it's still funny!

 

[iguana_tonante]

Same old shit, maybe, but it's still funny!

Hilarious.

 

[clint g]

I don't think I could have watched the Enterprise surrender every week!

Wow, not even two posts and the same old shit pops up? Oh my, the originality is overwhelming.

Same old shit, maybe, but it's still funny!

Not gonna lie, I found it pretty funny as well.

 

[Arpy]

^ No, it's not. It's not. I was hoping to read something original and worthy of my time and effort choosing to read this thread. Instead I got nationalistic nonsense.

I too would have preferred a bit more French-ness and always enjoyed the little bits we got throughout the life of the character. It wouldn't have worked if he went full-on French but the tidbits were a pleasure.

 

[T J]

Is it just me or have the sphincters on this board really tightened up?! If there is no room for silliness in life what's the point?! The world is what you project onto it, ya want to see "nationalism", go right on ahead... I have a feeling some here would be no fun at parties.

I'm not sure what differences a more French Picard would have had on the series, I doubt none. England and France of the 24th century probably aren't that different. It would be like asking what would Kirk have been like if he had been from Ohio instead of Iowa. Chances are none.

Perhaps Picard would have been a bit less formal and had a few more flings... or is that too "nationalistic"?

 

[Arpy]

It's the same joke, every time. The French surrendered. That's news. Did Napoleon surrender? He nearly conquered the world and had the Brits pissing themselves and the Americans I doubt he ever needed consider beyond to sell them land he would have conquered later. France has had its day as Britain had its and we Americans are having ours. Wonderful. Lets pat ourselves on the back and fall like they did.

And I meant what I posted earlier. I don't feel like hanging out here for five hours every day, reading through hundreds of threads and thousands of replies, to get what I could have gotten in one hour, dozens of threads, a hundred replies.

It was the combination of these two factors, and the dashed hopes of reading any new bits about Picard's French-ness that really caused me to reply. Why waste your own time entering a thread about a nation you don't like, but others there do, in the first place? And be surprised and hurt and hostile.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

I liked that the "French" Captain was so "English". It was as if in one character, we could see how far Earth had come in the last three centuries in losing its "us vs them" nationalistic sensibilities.

For the francophiles in the room, at least his family owned a vineyard.

 

[Red Ranger]

I would have liked a bit more French-ness, also. Like quoting from Albert Camus instead of Shakespeare, for example. Geez, have him eating a croissant every once in awhile! At least he enjoyed wine from the family vineyard.

I do recall that early on in the series there were a few French references: his pride in the order of the colors of the French flag, speaking a bit of French in at least two episodes. He also was a fencer, as I recall. (Is that considered French?)

 

[Too Much Fun]

The best thing about Picard being French was that it allowed the writers of TNG to basically sneak the word "shit" on the air without the censors noticing. I don't remember the episode (even though I just watched it recently), but he audibly says "merde" during a senior staff conference/meeting.

 

[T J]

And be surprised and hurt and hostile.

Sounds like you are the only one "hurt and hostile".

 

[ALF]

Come on, lighten up you folks.

 

[Canuck69]

The best thing about Picard being French was that it allowed the writers of TNG to basically sneak the word "shit" on the air without the censors noticing. I don't remember the episode (even though I just watched it recently), but he audibly says "merde" during a senior staff conference/meeting.

FWIW it's actually two episodes, "Elementry Dear Data" in season two and then on the bridge again in "The Last Outpost" in season one.

 

[T'Girl]

Picard lead a group of children in the song "Frère Jacques" (brother john) and he had a very brief conversation in french with Wesley.

During the episode "Family" I assume that the entire time Picard is with his family in La Barres they're all speaking french.

 

[Red Ranger]

The best thing about Picard being French was that it allowed the writers of TNG to basically sneak the word "shit" on the air without the censors noticing. I don't remember the episode (even though I just watched it recently), but he audibly says "merde" during a senior staff conference/meeting.

Yep, that was great!