Why Gene Roddenberry Hated TNG’s Picard “Family” Episode

Star Trek: The Next Generation creator Gene Roddenberry hated the season 4 episode “Family,” which introduced Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s estranged brother and his family on Earth. “Family” was the immediate followup to “The Best Of Both Worlds,” the epic two-part episode that bridged TNG seasons 3 and 4. “The Best Of Both Worlds” saw Picard captured and assimilated by the Borg, who used the captain’s knowledge of Starfleet strategy to decimate an entire fleet at Wolf 359 and very nearly annihilate Earth.

Captain Picard and Earth were both saved via some innovative tactics by Picard’s first officer Commander William Riker, who took command of the Enteprise-D in Picard’s absence. And while the physical scars from Picard’s Borg ordeal were healed, the mental trauma he suffered continued to haunt him. In an effort to reconnect with his broken humanity, Picard returned to Earth to see his family for the first time in many years. “Family” is generally regarded as one of TNG‘s most emotionally affecting episodes, humanizing Picard in ways the show had never dared before. But the episode had a high profile detractor in Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

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Why Roddenberry Hated TNG’s “Family”

By the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gene Roddenberry had some unusual ideas about how humanity would have evolved by the 24th century. Chief among those beliefs was that Starfleet officers would have overcome basic interpersonal conflict. Creating drama without personal conflict was not only a massive pain for the writers of TNG, it contradicted the often fiery and passionate stories Roddenberry had crafted for Star Trek: The Original Series – something that Trek writer Ron Moore reported put him at odds with the “Family” episode (via The Hollywood Reporter).

By TNG season 3, an ailing Roddenberry no longer had much creative control over the series, effectively replaced by producers Rick Berman and Michael Piller, who had somewhat looser, more realistic interpretations of life in the 24th century. That was especially reflected in “Family,” where Picard was shown to have a distant, contentious relationship with his traditionalist brother Robert. Roddenberry hated that the two middle-aged men would have such classic resentments that they seemingly couldn’t overcome. Roddenberry also thought the episode was boring, lacking any sort of science fiction subplot in favor of character development for Picard and, in the B-story, Lieutenant Worf.

Picard’s Family Dying In Generations Was Patrick Stewart’s Idea

While “Family” was a small scale, slice of life story by Star Trek standards, it would set the stage for one of the greatest tragedies of Jean-Luc Picard’s life. In the first TNG film outing, Star Trek Generations, Picard receives a message from Earth informing him that his brother Robert and nephew Renee died in a fire on Earth, making Jean-Luc the last of the celebrated Picard family line. It’s one of the few times Picard is seen completely emotionally vulnerable, breaking down in sobs when he discusses the tragedy with Counselor Deanna Troi.

The demise of Picard’s family was Patrick Stewart’s idea. Not only did it give Stewart the opportunity to flex his considerable acting muscles, it reinforced Generations‘ themes of mortality and destiny. Through the loss of his family – and some words of wisdom from a time-displaced Captain James T. Kirk – Captain Picard came to realize his place in life was aboard the Enterprise, and that he should relish every moment of his journey as tomorrow is never guaranteed.

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How “Family” Sets Up Star Trek: Picard

“Family” is crucial to the initial premise of Star Trek: Picard. It establishes the existence of Chateau Picard and the idea that the Picards were generational winemakers before Jean-Luc blazed his own trail with a career in Starfleet. It also makes clear that Picard will likely never fully recover from the trauma inflicted upon him by the Borg, an important story element for much of Picard season 1. The loss of Robert and Renee in Generations also reinforces the relative isolation Jean-Luc is seen enduring after his Starfleet resignation at the beginning of Picard.

“Family” is an incredibly important episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It illuminated the heart of the often emotionally distant Captain Picard, making him a much more sympathetic character in the process. It’s unfortunate that Gene Roddenberry couldn’t understand its brilliance, but luckily its legacy endures and continues to shape the man Jean-Luc Picard has become decades later.

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