So, what WAS the problem?

[sbk1234]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but here it goes again,since I don't know the answer.

I was just rewatching The First Duty. There was a scene where Picard and Boothby are discussing "something" that Picard went through in his Academy days, that Boothby helped him through. It generated anger in Picard toward Boothby for a while.

Has it ever been speculated what it was?

 

[Saul]

Don't think it was ever mentioned. It might have been brought up in a early draft of the script for Insurrection though.

 

[FalTorPan]

Boothby made Picard confess that he had taken part in "Make Yourself Look Like Bald Tom Hardy Photo-Op" festivities.

 

[Bones2]

Boothby made Picard confess that he had taken part in "Make Yourself Look Like Bald Tom Hardy Photo-Op" festivities.

This. You've restored my faith in canon.

 

[Admiral Shran]

Boothby made Picard confess that he had taken part in "Make Yourself Look Like Bald Tom Hardy Photo-Op" festivities.

This. Which lead to Picard saying "Shut up old man! You're just a stupid gardener!" In turn, Boothby used his unexplainable God powers on the upper Starfleet brass to make Picard's life a living hell. So, Picard was upset with him, before he accepted that Boothby was his savior and the greatest human to live ever.

Seriously, why did Boothby "have the ear" the every Starfleet officer with the rank of Captain or higher? He was simply one the support staff at the Academy.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Seriously, why did Boothby "have the ear" the every Starfleet officer with the rank of Captain or higher? He was simply one the support staff at the Academy.

Boothby is a clear archetype of The Sage, even cliche. The wisest person at the Academy is the gardener.
Cliche or no, the writers here are showing an eastern philosophical and/or western mysticism influence, one I find appealing.

 

[Penta]

Or, they simply could be expressing a general truth: Whether it's the boss's secretary or the gardener, most well-run institutions have a keeper of tribal memory. The kinda person who knows how to actually get things done, despite the changing of bosses and subordinates and the passage of time.

 

[CaptainStoner]

^ true. and perhaps Boothby himself was a starship Captain many many years ago. An Academy instructor. Slowly working his way up to groundskeeper.
It's good to be King.

 

[gianderosa1990]

^ true. and perhaps Boothby himself was a starship Captain many many years ago. An Academy instructor. Slowly working his way up to groundskeeper.
It's good to be King.

That is hilarious! Boothby was really annoying to be honest, especially in Voyager (even though that wasn't really him lol).

 

[Bacl]

Or, they simply could be expressing a general truth: Whether it's the boss's secretary or the gardener, most well-run institutions have a keeper of tribal memory. The kinda person who knows how to actually get things done, despite the changing of bosses and subordinates and the passage of time.

Keep in mind that Jean-Luc Picard, probably the greatest and most defining Starship Captains next to James Kirk...ends up tending grapes in obscurity on some forgotten vineyard.

Imagine instead of returning to the vineyard that old man Picard shows up at the academy, and picks up a trowel. All the Admirals know who he is, heck, some might have served as Ensigns under him or at the very least grown up hearing of his exploits. The cadets find the old man to have much wisdom, and a commanding presence...

 

[darkwing_duck1]

Seriously, why did Boothby "have the ear" the every Starfleet officer with the rank of Captain or higher? He was simply one the support staff at the Academy.

Boothby is a clear archetype of The Sage, even cliche. The wisest person at the Academy is the gardener.
Cliche or no, the writers here are showing an eastern philosophical and/or western mysticism influence, one I find appealing.

I always suspected that Boothby was El Aurian. The way he acted reminded me of Guinan.