Captain Picard is dead. We don't know why, because it doesn't really matter. The important thing is that Q steps in and plays ghost of Christmas past, both temporarily saving him and letting him relive his glory days. Q asserts that he is God, and Picard refuses to believe this, but he has no choice but to go along with the scenario. It turns out that Picard only died because he has a mechanical heart, which he got while in the academy. He got in a fight with some Nausicaans, and took a knife through his original ticker.
So we get to see a young Picard get slutty with some girls, and pal around with some friends. Picard states that he has many regrets, and goes about setting things the way his older and more mature self would handle them. This seems very naive of the seasoned Picard. I am aware that my experiences, even those I am not proud of, have shaped who I am. I would think that Picard would be aware of this reality as well, but I guess when you're trying to save your life perhaps you have a different perspective. When the Nausicaans come along picking a fight over a game of what appears to be a cross between bumper pool and pinball, he shies away to protect himself and his pals.
Flash forward to the present, and Picard is in a blue uniform and doing some boring stuff, rather than being a captain and saving the galaxy or something. He demands an impromptu meeting with Riker and Troi to find out from them why he hasn't been promoted. They basically tell him that he's competent, but is a bit of a wuss and always plays it safe. He has big aspirations, but doesn't follow through. Picard determines that this existence is horrible, and he'd rather have a false heart melt out of his chest than spend his time running diagnostics all day. Q gives him a clear choice- he can live out this timeline, or go back to the other and die. Picard chooses to die, and laughs as the Nausicaan once again pierces his heart. But then he wakes up on the sick bay table, and is apparently fine. Did Q change his mind and save his life, or was the whole thing just a dream?Tapestry has a beautiful and fun feel to it. The stark white backgrounds create a clean environment where we really believe that it is perhaps another existence. The Nausicaans are perfect bad guys. They are huge, ugly, unsophisticated, and their taunting makes you instantly hate them. Watching Picard in his youth is fun, though the character he is playing bears no resemblance to the one that we know. The Picard that we know is quiet, introverted, and as Spock himself points out in Unification, is almost Vulcan-like in personality. This Picard is young and flirty, brash and reckless. It's not as simple as he matured with age, it really just doesn't feel like this could be the past of the Picard that we know.
The next problem is Picard's reaction to not being a captain. The thought of any less of a post disgusts him to the point that he'd rather die. Does Captain Picard really think that little of his crew? Does he really think that they live that much of a lesser existence than him? He couldn't be happy unless he's in his ready room reading security briefings and enjoying the neon lighting? It just seems like his reaction to being ordinary is a bit extreme and disrespectful of all the people that support him.And of course the final problem is that Picard and Q had a clear understanding that his only options were to be Junior Lieutenant Picard or die, and yet he all of a sudden is both Captain Picard and fine. I realize that this is how the episode had to end, because we can't have a dead Picard, or one that is no longer an integral character. But it's still disappointing because it comes with no explanation, other than maybe it was all just a dream, which is my least favorite type of reset button.
There is no doubt that "Tapestry" is a very Good episode of Star Trek. However, it wasn't as good as I remember. An honest look at it basically reveals that it's just a fun episode with Q flashing about and learning about Picard as a youngster. The message that our past experiences shape who we are is loud and clear, but could have been hammered home in a way that tugged our heart strings more, rather than just feeling sorry for Picard because his quarters got smaller.Published December 10, 2017
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