I was surprised to learn about the romantic relationship between Picard and this TNG legacy character

One of the major reveals in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard that left the audience surprised was the romantic relationship between Jean-Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (played by Gates McFadden).

The final season of Picard is a walk down memory lane for The Next Generation fans and the return of Dr. Crusher is icing on the cake. While the couple never openly pursued romance in The Next Generation, there was an air of 'will-they won’t-they' around them. And it looks like they did have a secret romance, much later.

As twists go, she is not alone when she meets Picard years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. Enter Jack (Ed Speleers), Dr. Crusher and Picard’s son. In Picard, Season 3 episode 3 titled ‘Seventeen Seconds’, it is revealed that Dr. Crusher had decided to raise Jack by herself as she wanted to protect their son from the dangers that were part of Picard's work life.

Picard is stunned and visibly upset about having missed out the opportunity to be a part of Jack’s life. The complicated and emotional relationship between the two comes to light. But he embraces the new role willingly and gladly.

Picard and Dr. Crusher’s relationship in Star Trek

Dr. Beverly Crusher’s husband, Lieutenant Jack R. Crusher (played by Doug Wert) was friends with Commanding Officer Picard and also served under him on the USS Stargazer. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation novel titled ‘Reunion’ by Michael Jan Friedman, the Stargazer encountered an unknown anomaly. Jack gets caught in an explosion and dies. In Season 5, episode 12 titled ‘Violations’, it is revealed that it was in fact Picard who brought Jack’s body to Dr. Crusher.

In Season 1 of The Next Generation, Dr. Crusher comes on board Enterprise-D as the Chief Medical Officer. The two share unstated romantic tension. There were moments where it would seem that they wanted to pursue the romance but would hold back.

In Season 7, episode 8 titled ‘Attached’, Dr. Crusher and Picard land up in a Prytt prison cell where the alien species embed devices in them that allow them to hear each other's thoughts. Dr. Crusher hear Picard’s thought in which he confesses that he was in love with her once. After the two are rescued and are on board their ship, they share a kiss. Dr. Crusher fears that if they pursue a relationship, it could harm their friendship. They decide to put their feelings aside and go back to the way things were before.

They never acted on their feelings, nonetheless one can sense the romantic tension between the two. Both of them maintain their professional relationship to the best of their abilities. While Dr. Crusher had her son Wesley with her, Picard did not want a family life, and the guilt associated with her husband’s death still lingered around him. In the context, their decision to stay apart during the time made sense.

The Next Generation movies did not touch upon the topic again and even introduced a new romance in Picard’s life. In Star Trek: Insurrection, Picard has a brief relationship with a Ba’ku member Anij (played by Donna Murphy).

A family reunion in Star Trek: Picard Season 3

In Star Trek: Picard Season 1 and Season 2, Admiral Picard will finally overcome his childhood trauma and the grief of losing his mother, which often made him a recluse. In hindsight, the timing worked out perfectly for him to embrace the role of the family man.

In Picard Season 3, Dr. Crusher shares that she got pregnant on the planet called Casperia Prime during their shore leave. When Picard demands the reason for keeping him in the dark, she says that she decided to raise Jack by herself as she wanted to keep him protected from the many challenges that Picard faces because of his work. Picard would wonder what it would have been if he knew he was a father 20 years ago.

With Dr. Crusher and Jack, Picard had something that he had yearned for. Gone is the man who was wary of the idea of family, in its place is a man more content and accepting of what the future holds.

Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966. The show gathered a cult following thanks to worldwide syndication. The franchise expanded to comics, animated series, films, and spin-off television shows such as The Next Generation and Picard.

ALSO READ: “I do think of myself as the Yoda of the Star Trek”: Robert Picardo draws comparison between the Doctor and the Star Wars character

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