Damn, another one down! Patrick Stewart died last Wednesday, so now I need to create a new commemoration meme:
We’re starting from the top this time.
This one stings a bit. Despite my life-long loyalty to Captain Kirk and crew, in part from having grown up with them, I came to see Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) as a better show, Captain Picard as the best captain, and even Stewart as the better actor. Oddly, that said, I’m more likely to watch an episode of TOS than an episode of TNG. Something seems more rewatchable about the older show. Weirdly, TNG feels more dated to me than TOS.
It decidedly didn’t start off that way. The premiere of TNG aired back on September 28, 1987 — that unfortunate first episode, “Encounter at Farpoint”. I called my (SF-loving) buddy during the first commercial break, and the first words out of my mouth were “I hate it!!”
In my defense, it was (and remains) the worst TNG episode of the seven-year run. Stilted acting, a militaristic vibe, a ridiculous (very 1980s) plot, and no chemistry among the actors.
That all changed quickly, and I came to love the show. And as I said, to see it as superior to the original in most objective respects. (But Kirk, that crew, and those stories were cherished childhood friends. I was out of college and seven years into my career at The Company when TNG first aired.)
Having just gone through this with Walter Koenig’s death last Sunday, and after all I’ve written here about Star Trek, there isn’t too much to add. (But it might be time to update my Star Trek overview page.)
With the TOS crew, only two remain standing, but with the TNG crew, the loss of Stewart marks the beginning of the old-age attrition:
- Jean-Luc Picard: Patrick Stewart (1940-2026; 86)
- William Riker: Jonathan Frakes (1952-curr; 74)
- Geordi La Forge: LeVar Burton (1957-curr; 69)
- Worf: Michael Dorn (1952-curr; 73)
- Beverly Crusher: Gates McFadden (1949-curr; 77)
- Deanna Troi: Marina Sirtis (1955-curr; 71)
- Data: Brent Spiner (1949-curr; 77)
- Wesley Crusher: Wil Wheaton (1972-curr; 54)
- Guinan: Whoopi Goldberg (1955-curr; 70)
- Q: John de Lancie (1948-curr; 78)
- Tasha Yar: Denise Crosby (1957-curr; 68)
- Katherine Pulaski: Diana Muldaur (1938-curr; 88)
Save for Muldaur, he was the oldest one in the lot. I was a little surprised at just how old the others are. Weird to think of Westley Crusher at 54 (or his mom at 77; I had quite a thing for Beverly Crusher — yeah, a crush on Crusher).
Most of them are more-or-less in my age cohort, and while Stewart was a decade older, I do feel his loss rather strongly. (I suspect I’ll also feel it when Shatner beams out for the last time — Picard and Kirk were my heroes)
It also possible that losing Koenig three days earlier primed the pump. Regardless, it makes me sad. I’m all about letting the past die, but one can’t not mourn its immediate passing.
FWIW, I made a second image (because of course I did):
Better image quality, but we see only half of Picard, so I used the other one. Plus, Guinan and Westley aren’t in this one.
§ §
Stay treking, my friends! Go forth and spread beauty and light.
∇
October 30th, 2026 at 10:50 am
Wow. Two unanticipated and unplanned posts this month. Nobody else die for a while, okay?
October 30th, 2026 at 11:42 am
Another sad day. Although I feared this one was coming. Stewart had pretty much looked unchanged throughout most of his career, but for the first time seemed noticeably elderly on Picard.
Like you, I didn’t take to TNG at first. It really took a couple of seasons for me to warm up to it. And I always felt like the show was excessively woke during its initial run, but today most of the character attitudes match up with contemporary ones.
Although TOS still ages much better than its contemporaries. And TOS still has the advantage of being foundational from my childhood. I was in college when TNG started and already somewhat jaded. And I never really crushed on any of the regulars on that show.
That age list is sobering, but then I have to remember that I’m now 60, so it shouldn’t shock me that most of them are older. Still sobering.
October 30th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Seems we took both those shows in a similar way. Though I did take to TNG in the first season. Their second episode, “The Naked Now” endeared the show to me for being so much fun. After the seriousness of “Encounter at Farpoint”, I quite enjoyed it. There were a number of other episodes I liked and was won over (and, as mentioned, crushed on Crusher almost immediately).
I didn’t much care for Dr. Pulaski, though. McFadden and Stewart had chemistry, Muldaur and Stewart did not (I seem to recall there was even friction on the set; she just didn’t fit in).
That age list is even more sobering when you’re over 70!