Patrick Stewart reprises as the iconic Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in the CBS Steaming Series “Star Trek: Picard”. Patrick is back, now as nonagenarian Jean-Luc “saving the galaxy again” according to Ex-Borg Warrior Seven, played with whimsical gravitas by Jeri Ryan.
Executive Producer, Writer, and Director Akiva Goldsman creates the transformational narrative for Jean-Luc, balancing his homage for and his reinvention of the “Star Trek” Legacy. I’m a huge fan of Akiva. He wrote one of my Favorite of All-Time (FOAT) movies, “Searching for Bobby Fischer”. He won the Academy Award for his screenplay for “A Beautiful Mind” starring Russell Crow and Jennifer Connelly. In “Picard”, Akiva might be inventing some of his best, most heartfelt work.
“Picard” tells the story of twin Synthetics (next generational androids) played by amazing Isa Briones, who may source the Romulan Prophesy of Armageddon, the ‘End of Everything’. One of the synth twins discovers the retired, disgraced Admiral Picard in his vineyard home in France. Apparently, this meeting was by her Creator’s design. The older, weakened Picard may be dying, because of his hereditary imperfection.
The omniscient Romulan Secret Society, the Tal-Shiar, must stop Picard and Synth Soji from discovering her purpose; thus, preventing the fruition of the ancient Romulan Prophesy. Seems that the Tal-Shair have infiltrated the highest levels of Starfleet Command. The conspiracy is brewing.
That being said, the cathartic narrative in “Picard” is the relationship of Admiral Picard and Commander Data, the earliest generation Synth, played by the charismatic Brent Spiner. Seemingly, Data, albeit an android, had his daughter Soji. WTF? Spoiler Alert: Please do not read ahead, if you have not seen “Picard” Episode 10.
In Akiva’s bigger picture human narrative, Jean-Luc, although wise and compassionate, is so very restrained, if not constrained. He’s not one, who readily or easily expresses his love. Ironically, he’s the brave man of deep emotions.
At the story’s narrative arc, Jean-Luc ‘saves the galaxy again’ sacrificing his own life. Picard and Data reunite in the cyber-conscious realm of sorts – as best as I can discern. Jean-Luc tells Data that he loves him; he always has. Although Data can’t experience love, he tells Picard that he knew of his love. Humorously, in Data’s lexicon, Jean-Luc loving him had statistical significance. Data did the math, so to speak.
Still, can Data love? He sacrificed his life to save his Captain Picard in the Romulan evacuation gone amok, over 20 years ago. His programming aside, did Data sacrifice his own life out of love for his Captain? I believe so. Perhaps, Data couldn’t accept love, yet he bestowed unconditional love. Isn’t that what’s most noble in humanity? Just asking.
Poignantly, Data asks Picard to let him “die” by terminating his systems and algorithms. For Data, mortality defines what it is to be human. To be truly human has been his life’s journey.
Over my 58 years on Planet Earth, I’ve learned that when we all get our mortality, then making a difference becomes our most authentic self-expression. Mortality bestows meaning for love, forgiveness, and compassion because we know that they shall not live forever. The very design of humanity.
As Jean-Luc abides the wishes of his dearest friend Data, he quotes “The Tempest” by Shakespeare:
… We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
In the bigger picture, is our life ‘but a dream’? Yet, life can be “stuff as dreams are made on” followed by the forever sleep.
Perhaps, that “stuff as dreams are made on” can be the greater-than version of myself that I continually grind out in a lifetime. My versions may not be like “dreams”, because my versions will never be ideal, albeit good enough until my next greater version. After all, life is not ideal. Like I keep dreaming, I keep reinventing my greater-than version. I keep trying. That’s just life happening.
That “stuff my dreams are made on” is continuing to overcome me. O-Sensei said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” I’m my GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) opponent. That shall always be.
So I “just train” as Mizukami Sensei said. Be humble. Put in the work. Make a difference, by being of service to others, the way that Sensei made a profound difference in my life.
In accepting my “stuff of dreams”, I get my mortality. I’m reminded of that whenever I practice Aikido: What I can do, and what I used to do. Whatever I got from Mizukami Sensei over our years together, I give that all away to others honoring his legacy. Sensei worked to make the world a better place. Now, so do I.
I make a difference in being as authentic as I can be. People can discover the freedom to be themselves, too. So, whether I’m teaching and training in Aikido; whether I’m writing about overcoming my own trials and tribulations in my work with therapist Lance, I hope to inspire others: That they are way greater than they know themselves to be.
Perhaps, life is but a dream. Still, like we create our dreams, we create our lives. We keep trying. We keep reinventing our next greater-than version. Why? Well, because of our mad love and respect for others, and for ourselves, too. Just saying.
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Photo credit: screenshot from video