I know it's a classic, but can we agree that this TNG run has revealed a few hidden gems and a bit too much fool's gold? Look, is old Picard too impulsive or not impulsive enough? Is he altering his character or just a few actions that young Picard is going to retroactively justify? Given that Picard straight up chooses to DIE rather than not be a Starfleet Captain, what's up with later episodes pretending that he might have become an archaeologist?
I feel like if our lesson is clear then that's fine, but I don't see any message here about coming terms with your past action that isn't just a status quo bias. "You're comfortable in the world your flaws made, so isn't it better to live in this world built on your sin because it's easier?" It sounds insane!
I think Derek nails it; learn from your past, but don't regret or idealize it.
Most importantly: Did he or did he not crack a yo-mama joke to a Nausican?
The Beige and The Bold is hosted on Anchor and is available on most podcasting platforms. New episodes are posted on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM CST.
