Tapestry Kicked My Rear When I Needed It

[CrazyMatt]

The episode--certainly one of TNG's very best--makes the point that we are very much the sum of our experiences, good and bad... and that our perceived "value" of ourselves and others really comes down to how we all integrate the good and bad experiences into our being.

Not sure if I understand what I just typed. But you probably do.

 

[Retu]

Similar message was already in the Cage.

"A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on, and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away." Dr. Boyce

 

[Anwar]

Similar message was already in the Cage.

"A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on, and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away." Dr. Boyce

I'm not sure that's really the same message. Tapestry's was more "You can't just pick and choose your life. Everything that happened to you shaped who you became, including the bad stuff." which is a message on less savory parts of your life being more important than you think and how you shouldn't be too ashamed of it.

Cage's message is "Take risks, enjoy the thrill and rush of life instead of being dull."

 

[horatio83]

Not a big fan of the episode. The notion that you need to do somethin exciting and dangerous to become fully alive is just fascistoid Ernst Jünger bullshit.
I also have serious problem with the notion that a traumatic experience makes a better person out of you. Trying to give meaning to meaningless event (there was no meaning to nearly dieing after having provoked a Nausicaan, otherwise a different turnout of this event, Picard's death. would also have had some meaning which is obviously preposterous) is totally human but not a basis for a good story.

 

[Makarov]

I found the episode offensive in a way, Picard says he doesn't want to live the alternate life in a boring job. It's quite obvious that the episode is written by someone who doesn't have health issues or something like that, I'd work even a boring job if I could...

I agree I found it a bit disturbing actually, that you could still be stuck in a dead end job in Starfleet. And also that Picard would rather die than do that job. I know the episode isn't trying to say that, but I find that section weird. What Picard, are you too good to be less than Captain? He seemed ok eventually with being an average villager in Inner Light.

This is one Picard/Q episode I'm not feeling as much as other viewers. For one thing it's weird to have Patrick Stewart play his much younger self, I would have preferred a different actor.

I also think if Picard never got stabbed he would still have made captain, but would have been more hotheaded like nuTrek's Kirk.

there was no meaning to nearly dieing after having provoked a Nausicaan, otherwise a different turnout of this event, Picard's death. would also have had some meaning which is obviously preposterous

The point was that he learn to pick his battles and know his limitations. To Picard the event was certainly not meaningless but he made it a turning point of his life.

IRL finding a career with passion seems very hard, I haven't accomplished it yet and I think most of us are blue shirt Picards rather than red shirt Picards, just trying to get by.

 

[DonIago]

To be fair, if you were captain of a starship and then found yourself reduced to a plebe, how would you feel about it? Probably somewhat like your life had just been stolen away from you. And we see Picard in that reality for under a day, so it's not like he's had any time to properly process it. He just knows it sucks (for him) and, much like Dorothy, he just wants to go home.